Aug Autal

Aug Autual is a bustling metropolis and the capitol city of An Fokare. The city combines sensibilities of Gothic European archetecture and 18th Century Russian stylings, making for expansive buidlings of both wood and stone in the metropolis. The City has two effective ruling classes: The Hierarchy of the Undercity, ruled by intelligent undead. They oversee many of the justice systems and pertain to matters involving Resolution Squads. The human City Council and its Primar (Mayor) handle mundane events and questions of trade and taxes.

Social Class and Wealth in Aug Autal

Aug Autal has a very high standard of living due to the unique form of ancestor worship that lies at the heart of An Fokare's culture: The dying have their bodies reanimated to serve as agricultural and menial laborers for the living, freeing the descendants to enjoy more refined pursuits. The real power in Aug Autal lies in its near-oligarchy of aristocrats whose long family histories (and numerous ancestors) have given them choice estates and easy incomes. Most of the Oligarchs have names that begin with the prefixes D'-, De'-, or ur-, all of which equivalently mean the same as "Von" in German, meaning "of" (this household and lanholding.) The differentiation between the D prefixes and the ur prefix dates back to different ruling families in the city, and occasionally knowing which of the three prefixes one uses can give clues to certain long-held familial political alliegances. Most of the Oligarchs have names and sometimes speak with traces of accents that sound vaguely French to the modern ear and women's upper-class fashion in particular can often mimics the fast-changing and opulent styles of 17th century France.

However, the danger for these families is the fear of losing their prestiege or their bloodline. The worst case for some is to become unbonded', a term used in some derison or pity referring to people who are orphaned or lack the large familial structures that allow them lives of lesuire.

Important Structures and Locations in Aug Autal

By Jango's! Toy, novelty, and marionette store directly across from the Three Sisters. Wynsten used this as a location to discretely scout out the Three Sisters shop. bought a levitating Charon-like toy there that ended up being an important venue to finding The Collector. A later return to the area showed the building where the shop had been to have been abandoned -- and hassupposedly been abandoned for years.

For Every Occasion:  Jahalia’s rather amazing store of mundane and elegant clothing, where she custom tailorors to the rich and fashionable. While narrow and somewhat crowded, she is considered one of the top seamstresses of Aug Autal. She employed Gaston, the Paladin of the Broken Goddess who was dispatched as a courier to Hodemont Asylum.

Fullerin’s Final Destinations (and Returns): Embalming and reanimation specialists for the Oligarchs of Aug Autal, this mortuary was compromised by Shadowtounge as part of her scheme to infect the living and undead of Aug Autal with Ghouldom.

The Rope and Tackle:  Inn on western entrance to town. Raven had been hired to play there. The proprietor, Grom, is the loquacious and entertaining two-headed ogre proprietor. There is apparently a custom where at random intervals the tavern will start to pound their tankards in a rhythm and then shout “Grom!” in unison and have to chug their spirits in one gulp soon thereafter. It appears to be a drinking game where the house always wins.

Skullhead Sundrie s and Tinglehall’s Novelties: Two stores mentioned that might sell Halfling weed crackers for Founder’s Day, but were found free of tainted goods.

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Tankardtaker Estates <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">: Familial Home on the border of the Northern Expanse. Gastric’s vast properties are maintained by his sister Efluvia. The main house is effectively a multi-sectioned greenhouse and the estates a vast arboretum. In the Northeastern reach lays the sculpture garden created by Gastric’s Great-grandfather, Ludvig Von Tankardtaker. Across the river are the cemeteries that Ludvig designed and maintained.

<p style="margin-left:9.0pt;text-indent:-9.0pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Tankardtaker’s Wine and Sundries: <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Gastric’s thriving Warehouse-like business in the heart of Aug Autal’s merchant District. An early hub for party activity.

<p style="margin-left: 9pt; text-indent: -9pt;">The Three Sisters' Winery: Winery Compromised by Shadowtongue, The lower part of the winery was being used as a factory of enslaved halflings and gnomes to build tainted <span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Halfling weed crackers. The party battled many of Shadowtongue's minons there after finding out the password "The tongue tightens the noose," including their first encounter with a Priest of Kyuss. They find out some o fteh ghouls were turned into this state involuntarily and are chafing under Shadowtongue's plans, and Nicolas the ghoul becomes an ally to the party.