The city of Haven is, in truth, two separate cities built one atop the other, Upper Haven and Lower Haven. Its history is evident in the dual nature of this city.

Long ago, there was a city called Tarathon. Tarathon stood in the fertile delta of a great river that flowed from the mountains, through an arid desert, westward toward the sea. Ships from other kingdoms could offload their cargo at Tarathon and ship supplies up the river to the farms and towns along the river. Tarathon grew into a large city, but it was hampered by the spring floods that would come every year after the mountain snows melted.

Walls and levees were built to keep out the water but the people were unhappy with their view being great walls instead of the expansive landscape outside. Wealthy citizens began to build new levels onto their homes so they could see over the walls. Over time, they began to build bridges between each others houses so they did not have to go down to the street which was becoming associated with crime and poverty. This new upper level became known as Haven.

Walkways soon roofed in the old streets and the lower city was left to decay. Some areas fell completely into ruin and monsters began to use them as their nesting grounds. The so-called "monstrous races" (orcs, goblins, kobolds, etc.) that were kept out of a civilized city like Tarathon now crept into the undercity, which people began to call Lower Haven.

Lower Haven became notorious as a lawless hive of crime and danger. However, people continued to flock into its shadows. They saw it as a place to disappear and as a place to start over. Soon, all manner of businesses were opening in the inhabited quarters. Gambling dens and brothels were finding new neighbors in taverns, blacksmiths, and magic shops. The undercity had remade itself as the place to go when you don't want to be seen.

Chaotic Neutral large city
Corruption +2; Crime +8; Economy +2; Law –8; Lore +5; Society +0

Qualities

Asylum - The settlement is host to an infamous asylum. The presence of these dangerous, mad souls has hardened the townsfolk, making them suspicious of strangers and paranoid about the possibility of an escape or other tragedy.
Free City - The city's libertarian laws make it a haven for fugitives and outcasts of all kinds, from runaway children, serfs who escaped their lord's lands, criminals and escaped slaves alike. Foreign adventurers and bounty hunters cannot arrest or capture fugitives within the settlement's borders.
Gambling - Casinos, gaming houses, opium dens and bordellos are all common here, and serve as the town's major industry.
Notorious - The settlement has a reputation (deserved or not) for being a den of iniquity. Thieves, rogues, and cutthroats are much more common here.
Under-city - The settlement is a dangerous subterranean structure, filled with monsters and a haven for criminals and outcasts. The buildings and streets of its abandoned areas are almost dungeon-like.
Danger +45

Demographics
Government secret syndicate
Population 20,000 (12,000 humans; 3,000 half-elves; 2,000 half-orcs; 1500 halflings; 1000, dwarves; 500 other)

Notable NPCs
Thieves' Guild Master Elias Silveraxe (CN male dwarf aristocrat/rogue)
Local Legend "The Lone Wolf" (CG male half-elf rogue)
Puppet Mayor Jamilla Kattan (LE female human aristocrat)
Crimelord Chigaru (CE half-orc barbarian/aristocrat)

Marketplace
Base Value 10,400 gp; Purchase Limit 82,500 gp; Spellcasting 7th
Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 2d4

Some settlement qualities taken from Cityscapes: New Settlement Options for the Pathfinder RPG.)

All statistics are printed here for use under the Open Game License.

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