Initial Content Dump

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/A/Ainsley Vespridge.md

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+---
+title: Ainsley Vespridge
+---
+
+The head of House Vespridge and the closest thing Vesper Ridge has to a monarch. Technically the Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council is the highest governing body in the city, but Duke Ainsley has great influence over the Parliamentary Council’s proceedings. He is a direct descendant of Baron Morian Vespridge, the founder of the city.
+
+For reasons unknown, Duke Ainsley is almost never seen in public, and never attends social events.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/A/Airshipyards.md

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+---
+title: Airshipyards
+---
+
+Consisting of cavernous hangars, spacious landing zones and a few mooring towers, the Colfax Dirigible Enterprise’s sprawling Airshipyards are a defining feature of the Seventh Ward. Construction, maintenance, and sales are all handled at the same site.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/A/Amber Grove Park.md

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+---
+title: Amber Grove Park
+---
+
+A large, heavily wooded public park in the center of the Tower Ward. Under the shade of its proud trees sit the hallowed ruins of the city’s first shrine to the Keeper, now fenced off from the public.  
+
+Vesperites from all walks of life enjoy going for strolls through Amber Grove Park. It’s almost scenic enough to make one forget the filth of the surrounding city.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/A/Aristocracy.md

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+---
+title: Aristocracy
+---
+
+In this setting, the word “aristocracy” will be used to refer to the traditional upper class of Vesper Ridge, which is closely aligned with the ruling High Noble Houses and generally opposes the rise of the tallow barons. For more information on the High Noble Houses and the Tallow Barons, see their respective glossary entries.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/A/Axelia Vespridge.md

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+---
+title: Axelia Vespridge
+---
+
+The leading lady of House Vespridge and formally the second most powerful person in the city. For reasons unknown, the Duke is highly reclusive and rarely appears in public, so the Duchess acts as the face of House Vespridge. She frequently appears at Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council assemblies and in high society gatherings.
+
+Additionally, Duchess Axelia is the formal leader of the Constabulary, which effectively makes her a general in charge of the city’s armed forces. Kind of a girlboss.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/B/Barrens.md

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+---
+title: Barrens
+---
+
+The undeveloped wilderness surrounding the city of Vesper Ridge. The acidic soil is inhospitable to agriculture and the rocky landscape is difficult to traverse by foot. In many places, hidden beneath boulders or tucked away in twisted alcoves, it is possible to find narrow cave entrances to the deep subterranean Labyrinth. Due to the difficulty of moving through the Barrens, the few major roads and underground rail tunnels carved through the region are seen as vital infrastructure, and are regularly patrolled by the constabulary.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/B/Beastfolk.md

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+---
+title: Beastfolk
+---
+
+A sentient race native to the Hallowed Lands, similar to humans in stature and lifespan. Beastfolk are distinguished by the presence of animal features on their bodies, which can range from subtly inhuman ears to entirely beastlike faces and thick fur covering the entire body. In Vesper Ridge, beastfolk are the second most populous race, after humans.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/B/Black Light Mining Company.md

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+---
+title: Black Light Mining Company
+---
+
+The second-largest tallow guild in Vesper Ridge, and the only one capable of rivaling the influence of the Delving Guild. The Black Light Mining Company, often referred to simply as “Black Light” by Vesperites, holds many secrets. Its founder and current owner are both unknown, and lower-level employees often don’t even know the names of their own supervisors. Despite the guild’s secrecy, it is well-known that Black Light engages in a great deal of illegal activity, making frequent use of extortion and blackmail to gain a foothold in many of Vesper Ridge’s industries. In the Harbor Ward, there are frequent clashes between Black Light mobsters and Dockworkers’ Union vigilantes.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/B/Bloody Butterfly.md

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+---
+title: Bloody Butterfly
+---
+
+The popular nickname for a mysterious serial killer currently at large in Vesper Ridge. Their identity and motive are both unknown, but the pattern of their killings seems to target mages as well as individuals in positions of authority. So far, the constabulary has been completely foiled in its attempts to catch this killer. The city’s newspapers, especially the popular Forum Square Gazette, report on the Bloody Butterfly’s rampage in lurid detail.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Calix Hypatia.md

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+---
+title: Calix Hypatia
+---
+
+The head of House Hypatia, the sixth of the High Noble Houses. Calix Hypatia is an outlier among the lords and ladies of the nobility: he is an elf. Some elves in Vesper Ridge have managed to secure comfortable livings for themselves and their families in the time since they first emigrated across the Great Sea, but to attain nobility, especially the position of Lord of a noble house, is another matter entirely.
+
+Calix’s life before his adoption into House Hypatia is not public knowledge, and neither is the identity of his blood family. Some members of the aristocracy are keen on learning more about his past, seeking ammunition to discredit him and cast him out of Duke Vespridge’s good graces, but their efforts are so far unsuccessful.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Carrowmoor University.md

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+---
+title: Carrowmoor University
+---
+
+The largest and most esteemed institution of higher education in Vesper Ridge. Carrowmoor was built in the northern Tower Ward, though that area of the city has since been redistricted into what is now the Seventh Ward.
+
+The university was established by decree of the VRPC in an effort to raise the prestige of Vesper Ridge in the eyes of the neighboring kingdoms, and by all accounts the plan was a success—Carrowmoor is widely regarded as one of the finest houses of learning in all the Hallowed Lands. Students of Carrowmoor are offered a varied curriculum, but the university specializes in science, medicine and engineering. Such fields are generally viewed as the most respectable (in no small part because they are the most profitable) by upper-class Vesperite society.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Castle Vespridge.md

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+---
+title: Castle Vespridge
+---
+
+The fortified palace from which Duke and Duchess Vespridge rule over their territory. Parts of the original house built 400 years ago for Baron Morian Vespridge still stand, though the majority of the property is newer construction. The castle watches over Amber Grove Park and Forum Square in the center of the city.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Cathedral of Guiding Light.md

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+---
+title: Cathedral of Guiding Light
+---
+
+A grand house of worship dedicated to the Keeper, constructed over the course of eight decades and completed 75 years before the start of our story. The Cathedral of Guiding Light was seen as one of the finest churches in the land, even earning praise from Alinor’s Holy King.
+
+As a symbolic gesture of the Keeper’s unshakable dominance over the chaos of the mortal plane, the Cathedral’s foundations were built directly over the largest entrance to the Labyrinth, a yawning chasm in central Vesper Ridge known colloquially as “the throat of the world.” Such unstable ground was of course completely unsuitable for the construction of such a massive building, so the expert mages of House von Helzen joined the clergy in cooperation to secure the Cathedral’s foundations with potent spatial magic. This project marked the beginning of a long partnership between Vesper Ridge’s Guiding Way clergy and the nobles of House von Helzen, a partnership which persists to this day.
+
+Despite its auspicious beginnings, the Cathedral is in modern times a symbol of deepest shame for the Church of the Guiding Way. Ten years ago, just as his Delving Guild was beginning to take off, the artificer Iron Caseval shocked Vesperite society by purchasing the Cathedral of Guiding Light itself, an act that should by all accounts have been utterly impossible for even the wealthiest of industrialists. The details of the deal are completely secret, but the common belief in Vesper Ridge (and beyond) is that Caseval must have blackmailed the Cathedral’s archpriests into making the sale. What leverage he possibly could have had over such a powerful organization is the realm of speculation, but his motivation was clear: access to the “throat of the world” beneath the Cathedral’s foundations would give the already-profitable Delving Guild unprecedented access to the Labyrinth and its cave horrors’ tallow. Caseval’s Delving Guild has taken full advantage of their acquisition and transformed the Cathedral into a bustling base of operations for their tallow extractions, harvesting more and more raw material each year.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Cave Horrors.md

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+---
+title: Cave Horrors
+---
+
+The colloquial name for the countless monsters that inhabit the Labyrinth, the network of caverns lying beneath Vesper Ridge. It is unknown how old they are, how they got beneath the city, and how many of them exist. Due to the sheer danger of their habitat, few attempts have been made to study them in an academic capacity, and consequently many aspects of their biology (such as how they reproduce and how they feed) are also mysteries. Cave horrors have never been seen venturing onto the surface, but despite their reclusiveness most cave horrors are dangerous and will attack if approached. Even so, the industries of Vesper Ridge rely on cave horror tallow to function, and so hunter-miners of varying skill and preparedness frequently venture into the Labyrinth to hunt these creatures.
+
+Cave horrors range in size from as small as vermin to as massive as ancient dragons, and come in all manner of shapes. Some even vaguely resemble humanoids.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Colfax Dirigible Express.md

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+---
+title: Colfax Dirigible Express
+---
+
+The first (and so far the only) airship manufacturer in the Hallowed Lands. Its vehicles are meticulously engineered to exacting safety standards, each one requiring many months of work and millions of gold in production costs. Nevertheless, the airship business has proven highly profitable, mostly in commissions from city governments and large companies. There are, additionally, some very wealthy private individuals who have begun to commission Colfax for their own bespoke airships.
+
+Politically, the Colfax Dirigible Enterprise is closely aligned with the Vesper Ridge nobility, owned as it is by Cooper Colfax of the High Noble Houses.
+
+Despite the company’s success, many people still doubt the safety and practicality of airships, and it is common to hear the Colfax Dirigible Enterprise derisively referred to as “Ol’ Coop’s balloon bin.”

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Constabulary.md

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+---
+title: Constabulary
+---
+
+An organization that serves as both the police and military of Vesper Ridge. It is divided into “interior” units that operate within the city and “exterior” units that patrol the roads and defend the city gates against more aggressive Barrens wildlife.
+
+Most Vesperites believe the Black Light Mining Company must pay the Constabulary to turn a blind eye to their myriad illegal activities, though conflicts between the two organizations do still occur. Duchess Axelia Vespridge is the Constabulary’s highest commanding officer.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Cooper Colfax.md

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+---
+title: Cooper Colfax
+---
+
+Technically the Lord of the third High Noble House, but chooses not to address himself as such. He keeps no servants, instead opting to pay professional secretaries to help run his company. Mr. Colfax lives in an (admittedly, quite posh) townhouse in the Tower Ward rather than a stately manor, though an ancestral Colfax Manor does still exist, and is managed by his hired workers. Despite his apparent humbleness compared to the other Lords and Ladies of the High Noble Houses, Mr. Colfax still takes full advantage of his political authority and never hesitates to use it to further the interests of the Colfax Dirigible Enterprise.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/Crimson Gulls.md

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+---
+title: Crimson Gulls
+---
+
+Shorebirds with red-tipped white plumage, commonly found all along the shores of the Great Sea. They are notable for their immunity to rhodofolia’s hallucinogenic vapors and to its digestive acids. Due to this unique biological niche, crimson gulls are especially common near the Sea of Wine (where the algae is endemic), and feed upon both the rhodofolia and the scraps of any other creature that isn’t completely dissolved after falling into the water.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/The Church of the Guiding Way.md

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+---
+title: The Church of the Guiding Way
+---
+
+The organized religion that worships The Keeper. See Keeper, The for more details on that god.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/C/The Clocktower.md

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+---
+title: The Clocktower
+---
+
+The most famous and most enigmatic structure in the city of Vesper Ridge. Far taller than any of the Velvet Ward’s mansion spires or the Foundry Ward’s smokestacks, it looms over them all from the exact center of the Tower Ward, the exact center of the entire city. Its architect is unknown, its date of construction is unknown, and its function is unknown. Ostensibly it was built to keep track of time, and intricate systems of cogs and gears are visible behind its clock faces, but the clock never ticks. There are no visible entrances to the building, and no blueprints from its construction have ever been found. In fact, no written documents that mention the Clocktower seem to exist, anywhere. Stranger still, anyone who attempts to describe the Clocktower in writing, or portray its image on a visual medium, soon finds their work lost, the document inevitably vanishing into thin air the moment it leaves their sight.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/D/Daniel Vespridge.md

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+---
+title: Daniel Vespridge
+---
+
+Elder child of Duke and Duchess Vespridge, and the future heir of the family once both of his parents have died. He is 12 years old, and not much is known about him outside the ducal palace.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/D/Darius Von Helzen.md

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+---
+title: Darius Von Helzen
+---
+
+The young heir to House von Helzen, pushed into the role of Lord long before anyone expected it. With the abrupt loss of his father to the Bloody Butterfly’s rampage, the immature Lord Darius is now faced with the daunting task of steering the most unstable of the High Noble Houses out of the downward spiral it has found itself in for a decade.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/D/Dockworkers Union.md

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+---
+title: Dockworkers Union
+---
+
+A collective of fishermen, longshoremen and other waterfront workers of the Harbor Ward. It was established fifteen years prior to the events of Dim Light. The Dockworkers’ Union, often abbreviated to ‘DU,’ ensures fair pay and basic workplace safety regulations for its members.
+
+In addition to the purpose suggested by its title, this organization serves as a de facto militia resisting the Black Light Mining Company’s advances into the Harbor Ward. Because the bulk of Black Light’s business endeavors are more akin to mafia activity, the people of the Harbor Ward generally look favorably upon the Dockworkers’ Union, viewing them as protectors of the innocent.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/D/The Delving Guild.md

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+---
+title: The Delving Guild
+---
+
+The tallow mining company owned by Iron Caseval, employing thousands of hunter-miners and still growing rapidly. Among all the tallow guilds, only the Black Light Mining Company has managed to keep pace with its growth, resorting to underhanded schemes and extortion to stay competitive with Caseval’s monolith of a guild.
+
+In contrast to Black Light, the Delving Guild maintains a respectable public image, although there do exist rumors of darker dealings behind closed doors.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/D/The Dockyards.md

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+---
+title: The Dockyards
+---
+
+The portions of the Harbor Ward and Seventh Ward closest to the Sea of Wine. Due to the threat of rhodofolia poisoning (for more information see Rhodofolia), the dockyards are among the most dangerous areas of the city. Nevertheless, fishing and waterborne shipping are crucial industries for Vesper Ridge, so the dockyards are always busy. Mask-clad longshoremen load and unload cargo onto ships by day, and fishing boats venture out into the bay to make their catch by night.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/E/Elves.md

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+---
+title: Elves
+---
+
+(Note: I know you know what elves are, but this glossary entry exists to describe their unique place in this setting.)
+
+Elves are a long-lived, humanoid race not native to the Hallowed Lands. They first arrived on the continent 240 years before the events of our story, sailing across the Great Sea in a great exodus from their mysterious homeland. In those 240 years, not a single one of those emigrant elves has told the people of the Hallowed Lands what they left behind or why they left it. To everyone else, it is unknown whether these mysterious foreigners refuse to explain their past from stubbornness or pride, or whether they’re somehow barred from speaking of it. Either way, many natives to the Hallowed Lands distrust elves because of this secrecy.
+
+Younger elves born in the Hallowed Lands since the exodus universally claim not to know the secret.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/E/Evelyn Calyptra.md

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+---
+title: Evelyn Calyptra
+---
+
+The enigmatic leading lady of House Calyptra, and one of the leading figures of the Vesper Ridge nobility. She is seldom seen outside Calyptra Manor. Her ambitions, how she spends her time, and how she amassed her fortune are all a mystery.
+
+Even among the aristocracy she is seen as unapproachable, even frightening.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/E/The Exodus.md

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+---
+title: The Exodus
+---
+
+The name given to the voyage across the Great Sea made some 240 years ago by thousands of elves. In the centuries since the Exodus, no sailors from the Hallowed Lands have managed to replicate the journey, and no one except the survivors of the original Exodus knows how it was made, or the nature of the land they left behind.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/F/Forum Square Gazette.md

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+---
+title: Forum Square Gazette
+---
+
+A widely circulated Vesperite newspaper named after the site of its publishing house, Forum Square in the central Tower Ward. Several papers enjoy widespread readership in Vesper Ridge, but none capture the public’s imagination quite like the sensational storytelling of the Gazette’s writers.
+
+The “Bloody Butterfly” moniker for Vesper Ridge’s mysterious serial killer was coined in a Forum Square Gazette article.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/F/Forum Square.md

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+---
+title: Forum Square
+---
+
+The central square of the city, where the Clocktower stands. A gathering place for public events, and a frequent stopping point for visitors to the city thanks to its proximity to Amber Grove Park, the mysterious Clocktower, and the infamous Cathedral of Guiding Light. All of Vesper Ridge’s major newspapers distribute new issues here, most notably the popular Forum Square Gazette, which is headquartered right at the edge of the plaza.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/F/Foundry Ward.md

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+---
+title: Foundry Ward
+---
+
+Comprising the southeastern corner of Vesper Ridge, the Foundry Ward is the center of much of the city’s heavy industry. Most raw materials mined in the Sunset Ward or shipped into the city by rail end up here to be processed and then shipped to their final destinations. Beneath the city streets, the Foundry Ward is connected to the Sunset Ward and the Seventh Ward by several vital railway tunnels, the routes of which were carefully charted to avoid intersecting with any branches of the Labyrinth. On the surface, the Foundry Ward is also home to the railyards where new train cars are manufactured. There is little housing in this ward, largely because the awful smell and the constant cloud of smog blotting out the sun discourage just about anyone from spending more time here than is mandated by their work.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/G/Great Sea.md

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+---
+title: Great Sea
+---
+
+A seemingly endless expanse of water that surrounds the Hallowed Lands on all sides. The Sea of Wine is one of its many bays.
+
+The Great Sea is largely unmapped, prone to fierce storms, and home to all manner of dangerous monsters. Naturally, some brave explorers have set out on expeditions away from the Hallowed Lands’ shores, but none have made land on other continents and returned to tell the tale. As such, aside from many small islands, the locations of any foreign lands remain unknown.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/Haemoaquea.md

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+---
+title: Haemoaquea
+---
+
+A common but dangerous viral disease in which the patient's blood gradually thins and turns to water. Many of the giant rats that infest the poorer wards of the city are known to be carriers. Because haemoaquea is so common, most doctors in Vesper Ridge are experienced in treating it, and effective medicines are widely available. If a patient receives proper care within a few days of contracting the disease, death is exceedingly unlikely. It is not contagious.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/Harbor Ward.md

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+---
+title: Harbor Ward
+---
+
+The northwest corner of Vesper Ridge and one of the older areas of the city. Some of the first permanent homes of its old settlers were built here along the Sea of Wine, long before the plague of rhodofolia rendered the waterfront uninhabitable. To this day, the Harbor Ward’s fishing industry remains the core of its economy, although in modern times it is heavily supplemented by shipping, masonry, and metalworking.
+
+The Harbor Ward is one of the poorest areas of the city, and rows of dilapidated tenement buildings shelter dense concentrations of workers and their families, their hundreds of smokestacks raining soot gently down onto the city streets. Despite their squalor, the people of the Harbor Ward foster a strong sense of community, aided by organizations like the Dockworkers’ Union. In recent years, however, the strength of this community has been tested by the rapid industrialization of the Tallow Revolution and the constant encroachments of the Black Light Mining Company.
+
+The Old River runs through the Harbor Ward on its way to the Sea of Wine.
+
+For more information, see the glossary entries for the Dockworkers’ Union and the Sea of Wine.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/High Gates.md

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+---
+title: High Gates
+---
+
+Named for the hill upon which they stand, these ornate gates lead into the opulent Velvet Ward. All but the most important of visitors are turned away, redirected to the various other city entrances. The residents of the Velvet Ward do not, as a general rule, abide the presence of commoners in their midst.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/High Noble Houses.md

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+---
+title: High Noble Houses
+---
+
+The eight most influential noble families of Vesper Ridge. House Vespridge rules over all others, but the remaining seven houses have an informal hierarchy among them as well, enforced by tradition and etiquette rather than law. For player reference, the hierarchy goes: Vespridge, Pendleton, Colfax, Kerrifer, Calyptra, Hypatia, von Helzen, Quillix. Each of the eight houses is charged with appointing representatives to three seats of the Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council, collectively accounting for 24 of the council’s 47 seats.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/Holy Kingdom of Alinor.md

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+---
+title: Holy Kingdom of Alinor
+---
+
+A theocratic monarchy in the lands west of Vesper Ridge. In the Holy Kingdom of Alinor (often shortened to just Alinor or abbreviated to HKA), the King is also the archbishop of the Church of the Guiding Way. The devout of Alinor tend to believe that their kingdom is the holiest place in all the Hallowed Lands, and their worship of the Keeper the most legitimate. Most historians believe that the Guiding Way faith did indeed originate within Alinor, so there may be some truth to these claims. Even outside Alinor, many followers of the Keeper venerate the King as an important religious figure.
+
+Alinor claims dominion over a vast territory of highlands, forests, and mountains. Some of its cities are among the oldest on the continent, and it remains the continent’s strongest military power in modern times. However, Vesper Ridge’s recent sequence of rapid-fire technological innovations threaten to leave Alinor in the distant past, a prospect that has the Alinor nobility uneasy and insecure in their hegemony over the Hallowed Lands. So far, the sheer difference in population between the two states is enough to ensure Alinor’s continued military supremacy, but this may not remain the case forever.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House Calyptra.md

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+---
+title: House Calyptra
+---
+
+Fifth in status among the High Noble Houses, and ruled by the mysterious Lady Evelyn Calyptra. Little is known about the inner workings of House Calyptra, and most residents of the city give Lady Evelyn’s property a wide berth.
+
+According to legend, a grisly murder occurred some twenty years ago in the Velvet Ward when a burglar attempted to break into the Calyptra manor. Various versions of the tale are told, but most involve lurid descriptions of necromancy or human sacrifice. Whether any of these tales are true is anyone’s guess.
+
+House Calyptra’s symbol is a moth surrounded by a wreath.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House Colfax.md

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+---
+title: House Colfax
+---
+
+House Colfax: Third in status among the High Noble Houses, and run more like a business than a noble family. House Colfax is ruled by Lord Cooper Colfax, though he spurns his noble title and prefers to be addressed as simply Mr. Colfax.
+
+House Colfax is incredibly wealthy, enjoying massive profits from the Colfax Dirigible Enterprise’s airship sales. Additionally, due to the Enterprise’s current monopoly on airship production, House Colfax has considerable leverage over the transportation industry as a whole.
+
+House Colfax’s symbol is a winged serpent baring its fangs.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House Hypatia.md

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+---
+title: House Hypatia
+---
+
+Sixth in status among the High Noble Houses, and a notable oddity in that its current Lord, Calix Hypatia, is not a human but an elf. His adoptive father, the previous (human) Lord of House Hypatia, never married or had his own children and chose to adopt a son in order to continue the family line.
+
+In Vesperite society, which shuns and distrusts elves, this choice of heir was highly controversial, and there is still much gossip and speculation among the aristocracy as to the late Lord Hypatia’s motives for such a choice. One popular theory is that Calix was chosen because an elf’s centuries-long lifespan will afford him ample time to build a large family and ensure House Hypatia’s continued prosperity.
+
+House Hypatia’s symbol is a flying hawk with wings aflame.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House Kerrifer.md

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+---
+title: House Kerrifer
+---
+
+Fourth in status among the High Noble Houses, though its members tend to test the limits of the respect garnered by their position in the hierarchy. House Kerrifer boasts a strong tradition of patronage for the arts and sciences, including significant contributions to Carrowmoor University’s endowment.
+
+The current leading Lady, Ofelia Kerrifer, is known to offer her financial backing to aspiring artists and inventors who can manage to win her favor, a feat that is often attempted but rarely achieved.
+
+House Kerrifer’s symbol is a galloping horse.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House Pendleton.md

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+---
+title: House Pendleton
+---
+
+A renowned High Noble House, second in status only to the ruling House Vespridge. Headed by the esteemed Lord Percival Pendleton, this noble family has strong ties to the Lirian Confederation and plays a key role in maintaining Vesper Ridge’s friendly relationship with that country.
+
+House Pendleton’s symbol is a wolf pouncing upon a deer.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House Quillix.md

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+---
+title: House Quillix
+---
+
+Least in status and humblest among the High Noble Houses, though to be a High Noble House at all is itself enough to place one leagues above the rest of Vesperite society. Even so, House Quillix is generally regarded as more in touch with the common people than the rest of the nobility. The house’s head, eccentric Lord Rogier Quillix, spends his days as the manager of the Velvet Ward Public Library and freely interacts with the public as they browse the library’s collections.
+
+House Quillix’s symbol is an owl perched upon a branch.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House Vespridge.md

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+---
+title: House Vespridge
+---
+
+The family of the Duke and Duchess Ainsley and Axelia Vespridge, and the highest in peerage among all the High Noble Houses of the city. House Vespridge traces its lineage directly back to Baron Morian Vespridge, the founder of the city, and claims its legitimacy to rule through this blood connection.
+
+Matters of public policy are largely left to the Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council, though Duke Vespridge enjoys veto power over all new legislation before it is put into effect. Additionally, House Vespridge (like all eight High Noble Houses) directly appoints some members of the VRPC to their seats at the start of each term.
+
+All public land in Vesper Ridge is technically property of House Vespridge. House Vespridge’s symbol is a hornet in flight.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/House von Helzen.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+title: House von Helzen
+---
+
+Seventh in status among the High Noble Houses, and the house most closely aligned with the Church of the Guiding Way. House von Helzen has a storied past, having played a crucial role in establishing organized worship of the Keeper in Vesper Ridge as well as mediating relations between Vesper Ridge and the Holy Kingdom of Alinor.
+
+In recent years, however, the von Helzens have found themselves in disarray. The Cathedral of Guiding Light’s infamous scandal a decade ago deeply stained House von Helzen’s reputation, and just several weeks before the beginning of Dim Light, the house’s ruling Lord Richart von Helzen was assassinated by the Bloody Butterfly. In the days since the killing, Richart’s sister Eliza has held temporary stewardship as head of House von Helzen as the nobles and their servants scramble to prepare an impromptu debut ceremony for Richart’s oldest son, 17-year- old Darius von Helzen.
+
+House von Helzen’s symbol is three stars above a flowing silver river.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/Hunter-Miner.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Hunter-Miner
+---
+
+A lucrative but highly dangerous new profession that has arisen as part of the tallow revolution. Called “hunters” due to the nature of their task, and called “miners” due to the subterranean Labyrinth in which they carry it out, though very little “mining” in the traditional sense occurs in those caverns. Some hunter-miners are self-employed or contract workers, but the majority of them work (sometimes indentured) for the tallow guilds, especially Black Light and the Delving Guild.
+
+Hunter-mining carries the highest mortality rate of any profession in the city, but Vesper Ridge’s economic progress depends on it. As such, there are always new recruits to join the ranks of the tallow guilds. And if not enough new hunter-miners show up willingly, they will be found through other means.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/H/The Hallowed Lands.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: The Hallowed Lands
+---
+
+A vast continent surrounded on all sides by the Great Sea. Its southern end is a frozen tundra; its western reaches are highlands occupied by the Holy Kingdom of Alinor, and many cities to the east are under the banner of the Lirian Confederation. Situated upon the Sea of Wine at the continent’s northern edge and directly between the two rival nations, the independent city-state of Vesper Ridge occupies an economically advantageous but politically precarious location.
+
+Lands across the Great Sea are largely unknown, though it is common knowledge that the homeland of the elves was once somewhere to the north.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/I/Iron Caseval.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Iron Caseval
+---
+
+A beastfolk artificer who came to Vesper Ridge from Lirios in the east, looking to find work in the airship industry as an engineer. After he was called to help salvage wreckage from a downed airship in the Barrens, he became curious about the biology of a cave horror that had been killed when the ship broke through the brittle earth and partially collapsed a shallow Labyrinth tunnel outside the city. After some investigations he became even more interested, almost obsessive, and abandoned his job to explore the tunnels in search of more cave horrors to study. Former friends say he began to act like a madman... but his discoveries proved revolutionary, and soon he was pitching his tallow-based products to companies in the Foundry Ward and making enough money to hire adventurers and mercenaries to collect more.
+
+His company, the Delving Guild, is the largest in the industry, and his secretaries say he’s never taken even a moment’s rest in his quest to turn the city’s gears ever faster with his creations.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/K/The Keeper.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: The Keeper
+---
+
+The reigning deity over the Hallowed Lands. His faith is widespread throughout both Alinor and Lirios, as well as in Vesper Ridge between them. Though some other gods still retain scattered followings, there exists no organized religion on the continent aside from His. The Keeper is a god of justice, consequences, and “the natural order of things.” His followers pray to Him to right what they see as the wrongs of the world, to restore order in times of unrest, to restore their health in times of sickness, and to bring punishment to those who wrong them.
+
+The Keeper’s faith is known as the Church of the Guiding Way, and Vesper Ridge’s central house of worship was, until recently, the Cathedral of Guiding Light in the Tower Ward. For more information on the Cathedral, see Cathedral of Guiding Light.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/L/Linden Glen.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Linden Glen
+---
+
+The nearest foreign city to Vesper Ridge, situated near the eastern border of the Holy Kingdom of Alinor. Linden Glen stands in the midst of the great Lindenwood forest, the edge of which borders on the Barrens that surround Vesper Ridge. The Old River, which flows through Vesper Ridge near its terminus at the Sea of Wine, originates from a network of tiny streams in the Lindenwood.
+
+Due to the two cities’ proximity, and the river that flows between them, Vesper Ridge sources most of its lumber from Linden Glen, and consequently a strong sense of economic partnership exists between them. Indeed, a great portion of Linden Glen’s economy depends on its lumber trade.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/L/Lindenwood.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Lindenwood
+---
+
+A vast old growth forest west of the Barrens, within which stands the city of Linden Glen. The city is of respectable size, but the Lindenwood dwarfs it, and the forest keeps many secrets well-hidden from the eyes of men.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/L/Lirian Confederation.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Lirian Confederation
+---
+
+The large but rather incohesive country to the east of Vesper Ridge and the Barrens. The Lirian Confederation was formerly a unified kingdom known as Lirios (and often still referred to by its old moniker), established 650 years ago by towns banding together to resist the eastward expansion of the Holy Kingdom of Alinor.
+
+Two centuries before the present day, Lirios underwent a populist revolution in which the monarchy was overthrown and a much weaker confederate government was put in place. It still remains technically a single unified nation, but most Lirian citizens feel a stronger loyalty to their local regions and individual cities. Additionally, the country’s legal code is extremely sparse compared to Alinor’s, and thus a great deal of activity that would be considered illegal in the west is conducted in Lirios. As such, it has developed a reputation as a lawless frontier, although in truth many of its cities are perfectly safe and orderly.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/L/The Labrynth.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+title: The Labrynth
+---
+
+A fathomless netherworld of caverns and tunnels that originates deep beneath the Hallowed Lands and stretches up to the streets of Vesper Ridge. The Labyrinth’s age is unknown, as are the forces that shaped it, but it was first discovered about 220 years before the events of our story after a series of destructive earthquakes opened chasms across the Barrens. Since then, smaller tremors occasionally shake the city and open new entrances to the Labyrinth, though never as dramatically as that first incident two centuries ago. Sometimes these new cave branches interfere with Vesper Ridge’s underground rail lines, which necessitates costly repair projects.
+
+The most infamous trait of the Labyrinth is its occupancy: the tunnels are not empty. Seemingly springing forth wholecloth from the darkness, an eerie menagerie of creatures like nothing else in the known world inhabit the Labyrinth. The first hapless souls to encounter them beneath the earth could think of no way to describe them but as “cave horrors,” and that is how they are known to this day. Fortunately for the citizens of Vesper Ridge, the cave horrors never set foot on the surface.
+
+Less frightening than the cave horrors but equally mysterious are the scattered remains of what appear to be ancient ritual sites, religious shrines, and other unidentified structures dotting some deep Labyrinth tunnels. As there was no mention of the Labyrinth in recorded Hallowed Lands history prior to the earthquakes that revealed the caves to the surface, it is unknown how such structures came into existence. Some scholars speculate that the cave horrors must have built them, and indeed some of the horrors do bear vaguely humanoid anatomy, but the current scientific understanding is that cave horrors are sub-sentient creatures, more akin to territorial animals than to any sort of secret underground civilization. Further study on the matter is made difficult by the sheer peril of venturing too deep into the cave horrors’ domain.
+
+No one knows how far down the tunnels go.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/M/Morian Vespridge.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Morian Vespridge
+---
+
+A charismatic nobleman of middling peerage from the Holy Kingdom of Alinor, exiled from the kingdom 370 years ago for blasphemy against the crown after he spoke out against what he perceived to be the “draconian theocracy” of the reigning monarch. As Baron Vespridge left the kingdom, he promised his retainers and the peasants of his barony a share of his fortune if they followed him into the wilderness. It was evident to the people that he was in no position to be distributing wealth right after losing his land and title, but their own lives in the kingdom were in a precarious state with the crown’s ire fixated upon Baron Vespridge and “his seditious followlings,” so many chose to leave with him nonetheless. Together they set out on a trek eastward across the highlands and the barrens, settled by a bay of the Great Sea and founded the town that would eventually become known as Vesper Ridge.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/M/Municipal Arcane Scrivener.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Municipal Arcane Scrivener
+---
+
+The title held by petty mages employed as public servants in the Vesper Ridge Customs and Notary Bureau. These bureaucrats are responsible for magically scanning mail that enters the city, identifying magical contraband, and other menial tasks that require the use of arcane magic.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/M/Mustering Grounds.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Mustering Grounds
+---
+
+Just outside the Twin Gates along Vesper Ridge’s southern wall, the Mustering Grounds are the primary encampment for “exterior” units of the city constabulary. From this site, constables regularly patrol the few vital roads that cut through the inhospitable Barrens.
+
+Duchess Axelia Vespridge is sometimes seen here, leading training exercises for the troops.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/N/Nobility.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Nobility
+---
+
+In this setting, the word “nobility” will be used to refer to titled individuals with formal power granted by their lineage, as well as their families. The nobility is a subgroup of the Aristocracy.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/O/Ochre Fever.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Ochre Fever
+---
+
+A common disease, usually contracted after being cut by something dirty. Though its symptoms are visually disturbing and rather inconvenient to live with, Ochre Fever is not fatal and patients who get proper rest will recover quickly. The yellow flecks are an unknown substance.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/O/Ofelia Kerrifer.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Ofelia Kerrifer
+---
+
+The leading lady of House Kerrifer, equal parts elegant and pompous. She plays host to frequent masquerade balls and garden parties in her stately manor, during which aspiring musicians often provide free entertainment in their bid to win Lady Kerrifer’s patronage. Those who succeed often go on to lead highly successful careers, but those who fail to impress her leave in disgrace, seldom able to show their faces in high society again.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/O/Old River.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Old River
+---
+
+A broad, gently-flowing river that originates in the Lindenwood, flows from the forest into the Barrens, passes through the Harbor Ward, and terminates in the Sea of Wine. The Old River is an important avenue of trade between Linden Glen and Vesper Ridge, and much of the lumber used in Vesper Ridge’s buildings arrives upon the Old River.
+
+Additionally, the river is a major source of drinking water for Vesper Ridge, but such water must be collected before it enters the Harbor Ward because the river becomes increasingly polluted as it makes its way through the city.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/O/Our Lady of the Black Rose.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+title: Our Lady of the Black Rose
+---
+
+An ancient, gentle goddess. Her purview is mercy, healing, forgiveness, love, and community. Like most gods of the Hallowed Lands, her true name is unknown, and so she is often referred to simply as “the Black Rose,” or as “Our Lady” by her faithful.
+
+Her symbology is floral; naturally the rose is her holiest symbol, but she is also often represented with imagery of small but tenacious weeds growing through the cracks in dry earth and cobblestones. Black is a holy color to her faith, and silver is a holy substance.
+
+Because her doctrine preaches forgiveness and second chances, her faith is seen as heretical by the rigid Church of the Guiding Way. Followers of the Black Rose are commonly derided as cheaters, sinners, people who must be guilty of awful things to need the goddess’s forgiveness. There is at least some truth to this narrative; convicts and the repentant are among her most devout followers.
+
+Open worship of Our Lady of the Black Rose is illegal in Alinor, but not in Vesper Ridge. Even so, her following is highly taboo and public sites of worship are exceedingly rare within the city.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/P/Permit of Leave.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Permit of Leave
+---
+
+A document issued by the Customs and Notary Bureau to allow passage out of the city. Its true purpose is less for keeping track of the flow of citizens and more to serve as red tape trapping bodies in the city so their labor can be more easily exploited.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/P/Permit of Stay.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Permit of Stay
+---
+
+A document issued by the Customs and Notary Bureau to grant the full rights of a resident of the city. Those who do not acquire one within 24 hours of entering the city risk being arrested for “squatting” and forced into indentured servitude on public projects. In essence, the Permit of Stay serves as a way to generate free labor for the state.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/P/Priscilla Vespridge.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Priscilla Vespridge
+---
+
+Younger child of Duke and Duchess Vespridge. Unless her brother Daniel dies before marrying, she is not slated to inherit any formal political power.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/R/Rhodofolia.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+title: Rhodofolia
+---
+
+Blood-red hallucinogenic algae. An infamous but poorly understood organism that was first documented in the waters of the Great Sea about a century ago, it has gradually proliferated over the years, eventually reaching the point where the bay upon which Vesper Ridge was founded came to be known as the “Sea of Wine” for its striking red color. The algae itself is often referred to as “red wine.”
+
+Though it may appear innocuous at first glance, rhodofolia has claimed far more lives than the monsters of the Barrens or the sinister-looking subterranean cave horrors. Voraciously carnivorous, this algae feeds by exuding psychoactive vapors into the air above the water, which take hold of the mind of any creature unfortunate enough to be downwind of it. From that point, through chemical mechanisms currently unknown, the algae lures its victim to wander toward the red water, and then quickly dissolves flesh and bone alike with highly corrosive enzymes secreted from its underwater roots.
+
+Survivors of rhodofolia vapor poisoning describe the experience as vividly hallucinatory, inducing feelings of euphoria “like falling under a spell,” and claim that the algae itself smells irresistibly sweet once you’ve caught a whiff of its vapors.
+
+Mysteriously, mercifully, all of the rhodofolia in the Sea of Wine vanishes as the sun goes down, leaving the waters safe for fishermen to trawl during the nighttime hours. And then, when the sun rises again, the algae rapidly materializes with the morning light. Whatever happens to the algae at night is currently unknown to science.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/R/River Gates.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: River Gates
+---
+
+The northwestern entrance to Vesper Ridge, just slightly south of the point where the Old River flows into the city. Most travelers who do not already have prior appointments or Permits of Stay are directed to enter through these gates, and it is no coincidence that the adjacent Sunset and Harbor Wards are the poorest in the city. It is said that the River Gates accept all who enter, but allow few to leave.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/R/Rogier Quillix.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Rogier Quillix
+---
+
+The head of House Quillix, the eighth of the High Noble Houses. Most members of the aristocracy, and especially the nobility, are seen as unapproachably far removed from regular Vesperite society, but Lord Quillix has a softer reputation as a kindly old man who loves to chat with just about anyone.
+
+He spends little time occupied with the matters of his noble house, entrusting such work to his family and servants, and chooses instead to spend his days managing the Velvet Ward Public Library. For this, some see him as irresponsible.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/S/Scar Blight.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Scar Blight
+---
+
+A disease spread by bacteria that accumulate on rotting tissue. The primary symptoms are bright red lesions that develop on the patient's limbs and torso, which become highly sensitive to physical contact. Often described as incredibly painful, Scar Blight has a fearsome reputation despite its generally mild prognosis. With proper treatment, a patient is almost guaranteed to recover, but the lesions leave permanent circular scars on the skin.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/S/Sea of Wine.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+title: Sea of Wine
+---
+
+A long, narrow bay of the Great Sea that cuts into the Hallowed Lands’ northern coastline. Historically known as “Vesper Bay” after the city, it has over time become known by its modern name due to the striking red hue of its water during the daylight hours.
+In the time of Baron Morian Vespridge, the Sea of Wine was teeming with edible fish and far kinder to settlers than the surrounding Barrens, supporting a burgeoning Vesper Ridge as it grew into the city it is today. For those first several hundred years, the waters were clean and relatively safe to sail. However, as the great city upon the shore began to industrialize, the deadly rhodofolia began to cloud the bay, growing thicker by the year.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/S/Seventh Ward.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Seventh Ward
+---
+
+The northern, central area of Vesper Ridge, including all the urban shoreline not sectioned off into the Harbor Ward by the Old River, as well as several other important landmarks such as Carrowmoor University and the Colfax Dirigible Enterprise’s Airshipyards. Formerly a part of the Tower Ward, this area was separated into its own ward so that sanitation and safety regulations affecting its many laboratories and factories could be cut to bolster productivity without tarnishing the clean and beautiful image of the wealthy Tower Ward.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/S/Southern Ward.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Southern Ward
+---
+
+As one might guess by its name, this ward encompasses much of the southern portion of Vesper Ridge. It is relatively clean and contains many restaurants and inns, as well as small shops and markets peddling trinkets to visitors to the city. Most residents of the Southern Ward live in humble but comfortable townhouses and work in light industry such as textiles or bakeries.
+
+The Twin Gates at the southernmost end of this neighborhood serve as a common entry point for visitors to the city, so much effort is made by the Southern Ward Council to keep the ward attractive and presentable. As such, the Southern Ward’s streets are lined with quaint parks rather than the factories and refineries typical of the neighboring Sunset and Foundry Wards.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/S/Sunset Ward Penitentiary Complex.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+title: Sunset Ward Penitentiary Complex
+---
+
+The largest prison in Vesper Ridge, originally constructed as a dungeon under a city fortress that no longer exists. In the fort’s place now stands the Customs and Notary Bureau River Gates Branch Municipal Office, which does indeed condemn many unfortunate Vesperites to an uncomfortable stay in the underground penitentiary when they fail to procure the necessary Permit of Stay in a timely fashion after first entering the city. These prisoners are often drafted for public works such as railroad maintenance and coal mining.
+
+In addition to those poor indentured servants, the Sunset Ward Penitentiary Complex houses individuals awaiting trial for various charges and some convicts serving out long-term sentences.
+
+Vesper Ridge has no capital punishment laws, but rumors insist there exists an execution chamber somewhere in the dungeon.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/S/Sunset Ward.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+title: Sunset Ward
+---
+
+The densely populated southwestern region of Vesper Ridge.
+
+The Sunset Ward gets its name from the way the last rays of evening sunlight seem to linger on its streets after the rest of the city falls into darkness, though in recent years the clouds of smoke from its many factories tend to dampen the effect. This part of the city is generally poor, dirty, and loud.
+
+The headquarters of the Black Light Mining Company, and the largest Labyrinth entrance it owns, take up a full city block in this ward, located not far from the only true mine (a coal mine) within the city limits. Though the Old River only flows through the Harbor Ward, the nearby River Gates and the Notary Bureau’s corresponding River Gates Branch Office are both technically within the Sunset Ward.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Tallow Barons.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Tallow Barons
+---
+
+Colloquial term for the owners of the various tallow guilds, seen by many as rivaling the Vesperite nobility in power and influence. Among the tallow barons, Iron Caseval stands alone as the visionary leading the city’s tallow revolution.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Tallow Burn.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Tallow Burn
+---
+
+A respiratory illness contracted by inhaling noxious fumes produced during the process of refining cave horror fats into usable tallow. Proper protective equipment must be worn at all times in active tallow refineries.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Tallow Guilds.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Tallow Guilds
+---
+
+The term for the various organizations, large and small, that seek to profit from harvesting cave horror flesh to be processed into tallow for various industrial purposes. The Delving Guild and the Black Light Mining Company are the two largest tallow guilds.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Tallow Revolution.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Tallow Revolution
+---
+
+The term for Vesper Ridge’s ongoing economic boom, centered as it is around the use of cave horror tallow in various economic sectors. The tallow revolution began about a decade prior to the beginning of the plot, and shows no sign of slowing as the city’s oil- slickened gears turn ever faster.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Tallow.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Tallow
+---
+
+Although the fat of many animals can technically be considered tallow, within this setting the term is used almost exclusively to refer to fats harvested from the enigmatic “cave horrors” that inhabit the Labyrinth. Long considered a curse upon the city, the cave horrors became an unexpected source of economic prosperity after Iron Caseval discovered the myriad industrial uses for their unearthly tissue. Over the past ten years, tallow has become the new industry standard for candles and lamp fuel, burning bright and hot and providing many hours of light even in small quantities. Additionally, it far surpasses other organic oils as a steam engine lubricant, and after undergoing various chemical processes can serve as anything from thermal insulation to antivenom.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Throat of the World.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Throat of the World
+---
+
+The colloquial name for the largest vertical Labyrinth tunnel that connects to the surface. Having opened up directly in the central Tower Ward 220 years ago, it was long seen as a terrible nuisance before being covered over by the Cathedral of Guiding Light and then later converted into a mine shaft in use by Iron Caseval’s Delving Guild.
+
+Nobody remembers how it got its name.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Tower Ward.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Tower Ward
+---
+
+The oldest part of Vesper Ridge, located in the center of the city. The Tower Ward is home to many of the city’s landmarks, including the ducal Castle Vespridge, the Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council offices, the Cathedral of Guiding Light, Amber Grove Park and of course the Clocktower itself.
+
+The phrase “Tower Ward” does not appear in any laws or official documents. Technically it is called the Municipal Administrative Ward, but nobody outside the halls of the Parliamentary Council calls it that.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/T/Twin Gates.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Twin Gates
+---
+
+Located between the constabulary’s mustering grounds and the city proper, these two gates see most of the city’s land-based industrial traffic. Despite their proximity to the mustering grounds and the Sunset Ward, much effort is put into keeping the Twin Gates presentable and welcoming, since wealthier travelers from abroad often pass through these gates on their way to the Southern Ward. Of course, the richest travelers enter the city either through the Velvet Ward’s High Gates or by airship.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/V/Velvet Ward Public Library.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Velvet Ward Public Library
+---
+
+Open every day of the year and a notable exception to the Velvet Ward’s oppressively snobbish atmosphere, the Velvet Ward Public Library welcomes visitors from all parts of the city and beyond. As a public institution, it is owned by the city, but the duties of its management have long been undertaken by the members of House Quillix. The house’s current Lord, Rogier Quillix, relishes the work and spends almost all of his waking hours (and often his sleeping hours too) within the library’s maze of bookshelves.
+
+The Velvet Ward Public Library has a reputation for being staffed by a group of rather eccentric people, Lord Quillix included; this reputation goes a long way toward keeping the more pretentious Velvet Ward aristocrats away from its doorstep.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/V/Velvet Ward.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Velvet Ward
+---
+
+Vesper Ridge’s northeastern neighborhood, and the wealthiest part of the city. Five of the eight High Noble Houses are found here, as well as most of the non-noble aristocracy. The Velvet Ward’s streets are quiet, spacious, and lined with flowering trees.
+
+Residents of this ward tend to value privacy and propriety, adhering to an unspoken code of etiquette when in public, and great offense is taken when clueless outsiders fail to observe the proper manners.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/V/Vesper Ridge Customs and Notary Bureau.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Vesper Ridge Customs and Notary Bureau
+---
+
+The municipal office responsible for processing new arrivals, of both people and goods, into the city of Vesper Ridge. There are Notary Bureau courthouses by each entrance to the city, but only the offices by the River Gates, Twin Gates and High Gates distribute new Permits of Stay.
+
+Additionally, the Notary Bureau writes and signs various official forms, both for private citizens and for businesses.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/V/Vesper Ridge High Court.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Vesper Ridge High Court
+---
+
+The highest judicial body in Vesper Ridge, which mostly serves as a stage for aristocrats and nobles to settle disputes before the eyes of the Duke. Judges of the High Court are appointed directly by the reigning Duke or Duchess of the city.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/V/Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council
+---
+
+Often shortened to “Parliament” or “the VRPC,” this is the highest governing body in the city. There are 47 seats on the council; 24 are appointed directly by the eight high noble houses, and 23 are elected to represent various city wards in a semiannual vote. The Duke and Duchess Vespridge have veto power on all legislation passed by Parliament. Parallel to the VRPC there exists a High Court with judges appointed by the Duke and Duchess Vespridge, and beneath these governing bodies exist many petty courts and bureaus of public servants that administer the city's daily hustle and bustle.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/V/Vesper Ridge.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+title: Vesper Ridge
+---
+
+An independent city-state founded on unclaimed land between two rival nations. The city’s name is a bastardization of the name of the ruling Vespridge family.
+
+Vesper Ridge has existed for about 370 years, growing from a humble fishing village into the wealthiest and most technologically advanced city on the continent. The city is currently in the middle of an unprecedented industrial revolution, and all eyes in the Hallowed Lands are watching it closely.
+
+Vesper Ridge is divided into seven wards and managed at the city level by a representative Parliamentary Council and at the ward level by smaller Ward Councils.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/V/Vesperite.md

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+---
+title: Vesperite
+---
+
+The demonym of Vesper Ridge.

_notes/vesper-ridge-wiki/_public/W/Ward Councils.md

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+---
+title: Ward Councils
+---
+
+Committees of public servants appointed by the Vesper Ridge Parliamentary Council, in charge of passing minor laws and administering the public services of individual city wards. Each ward has its own Ward Council.
+
+Because the Parliamentary Council directly appoints Ward Council members, and most of the seats of the Parliamentary Council are in turn appointed by the High Noble Houses, the Ward Council system is another way for the nobility to maintain its control over the rest of the city.

_pages/about.md

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 permalink: /about
 ---
 
-*This is an about page.*
+This site documents the city and surrounding world of Vesper Ridge, a setting created by my friend Mimi.
 
-Feel free to tell the world about what you love! 😍
+The source code for it can be found [here](https://github.com/walcutt/vesper-ridge-wiki).
+
+This site is based off of a fork of [this Jekyll template](https://github.com/maximevaillancourt/digital-garden-jekyll-template), incorporating [this search tool](https://github.com/christian-fei/Simple-Jekyll-Search).
+
+Built and maintained by Chloe.