Dirt City

See the maps of Dirt City

Find out more about the Houses of Dirt City

Overview

Dirt City is located in Izen, where the South Peaseblossom River empties into the Lotophagi Ocean. It is home to some 50,000 people, mostly human. Halflings and half-orcs make up the majority of the non-human population. Despite the city’s reputation as a “den of thieves,” only about 20% of the total population is involved in the illicit activities that have made the city infamous. Of course, since that 20% also includes the leadership of the city, Dirt City’s dark reputation is not unfounded.

Criminal activity in the city is managed by the six major Houses of Dirt City, each of whom specializes in a specific area of crime. There are also low-level criminals known as "Grubbers," who are considered too unimportant or incompetent to be of interest to the great Houses. Grubbers are widely reviled in Dirt City.

Aside from the Houses, the other major players in Dirt City are the Temple of Wardd and the Dirt City Merchants’ Guild. Founded just 10 years ago, the Guild has already built a reputation as an association of (reasonably) honest, albeit shrewd, business people. They buy and sell with one another, with the ordinary citizens of the city, and with merchants in other cities.

The remaining population of Dirt City consists of laborers, artisans, farmers, fisherfolk, and a small smattering of professionals. They make their way as best they can, which usually means forging some kind of accommodation with the major Houses. Thus, while most Dirt City citizens are not actively involved in crime, most do have some indirect connection, through the Houses, to criminal activity. It is all but unavoidable.

History of Dirt City

Dirt City was founded in the 2nd Century after the Fourth Cataclysm, by the second wave of criminals relegated to the Cursed Swamp by the Free-Staters League. Using secret means of travel, the criminals made their way south and founded what they hoped would become a criminal utopia. They named the new town Dirt City, for the black dirt that never seemed to stop sifting from the sky and clinging to everything it touched.

The rogues’ paradise suffered something of a jolt about three hundred years after Dirt City’s founding, when a popular pair of young lovers, Violet and Arturo, met a public and grisly end. The deaths caused many citizens to question the lawlessness that had led to the tragedy, and resulted in some major changes. Most notably, it was the deaths of Violet and Arturo that brought about the “no violence” rule for the City Below.

Two Dirt Cities

Some say there are two Dirt Cities: the City Above and the City Below. Certainly the two areas are distinct, each with its own rules. The City Below began its life as the city sewers, though no actual sewage has been through there in years. The more law-abiding citizens (or the more timid ones, depending on your point of view) began using the sewers as a place of refuge from the violence and lawlessness of the city. Gradually, the space was expanded and improved, until now the City Below boasts houses, streets, and businesses, just like any city of the Wold--all underground. A new sewer system has been built even deeper under the City Below.

By long-standing tradition, no violence is allowed Below. Weapons carried must be peace-bonded, and no blood can be spilled. Dirt City being what it is, there’s still a certain amount of shoving, jostling, and intimidation that happens Below, despite the “no violence” edict. But everyone Below is safe from serious threats.

The City Above, then, can be said to belong to the criminal elements -- except of course nothing is that simple. Living Below can be expensive, so many of those living in the City Above live there because it’s all they can afford.

Dirt City Politics

Dirt City is traditionally ruled by a single person who is given the title “The Prince of Thieves.” The Princes generally have to fight their way to the top, using a combination of guile and brute force. Challenges to the Prince’s authority are constant, so most Princes keep a sizeable personal force on hand to deter threats. They are generally less concerned with making the city a better place.

The Prince of Thieves is chosen by the six major Houses. They can use any means they like to choose him, and past methods have included voting, consensus, auction, and gladiatorial combat. Depending on the political situation at the time, the Houses may consult the opinions of outside groups, and a couple of times have thrown the entire question open to city-wide elections. Traditionally, the House of Knives abstains when new Princes are elected; they have found that their mandate of keeping the peace is easier when people aren’t accusing them of playing favorites.

The one thing that remains constant is that the Prince must demonstrate an ability to control the Houses, and is expected to demonstrate that ability pretty quickly after ascending to the position.

Historically, most Princes have been men. In the entire history of Dirt City, there have been two female Princes, and a third whom many historians believe was probably a woman in disguise.

Dirt City Today

The election of Liam Kent, the former head of the Woldian League of Adventurers, ushered in a two-year period of relative stability and prosperity. That all changed when Kent was either assassinated or died of natural causes, depending on who you ask. A new Prince was chosen, backed mainly by the Teeth and Keys. He lasted all of two weeks before a feud broke out between the Teeth and the Darts. The new Prince failed to act, leading to accusations of favoritism toward those who had gotten him the job. The Prince fled during the night, leaving the position open again. A new man was chosen, thanks largely to the backing of the Dirt City Merchants’ Guild, but he was murdered by his own guards. Since the guards had been taken largely from the ranks of the Knives, this led to accusations of behind-the-scenes manipulation. The next Prince was forced to abdicate when the Keys withdrew their support after a disagreement. And so on. Finally, in exasperation, the House of Knives and the House of Wolves collaborated to elect their man, Argus Fexel.

As Prince of the City, Fexel has succeeded in keeping order, using draconian laws and harsh punishments to discourage anyone from stepping out of line. After months of infighting and instability, the city now knows peace of a kind, but at a very high price. And nobody is suffering more than the common folk, who have no powerful allies to shield them.

This article is about the geography of Dirt City. For the game of the same name, see Dirt City (game)