Notable Locations

Districts

Promise is broken up into distinct districts, each separated by the skybridges that Mengkare and the Council of Enlightenment use to survey the city.
These neighborhoods vary in population, with each neighborhood’s denizens focusing on a particular trade or vocation. Over the years, the people living within
these neighborhoods have named them each after one of the guises of Aroden. The god of humanity seemed like an apt symbol for the city, and his 12 guises were
all the more appropriate for the way the city had divided itself. Although citizens tend to live near their respective vocations, Promise’s citizens are free to live
where they wish. Many live within the neighborhoods appropriate to their work, but others enjoy living in different areas and the associated commute that takes
them through the city.

Artist

This neighborhood contains some of Avistan’s greatest artistic minds. These include musicians, painters, poets, sculptors, singers, and writers. The neighborhood has large, shared spaces where communes of artists live together and gather to collaborate on pieces. Many of the buildings here sport elaborate decorations, unique color schemes, and an array of other creative accessories. Many of the city’s artists work with those living in the Artisan, Tailor, and Thief neighborhoods to acquire supplies and tools for their projects.

Artisan

The hammering of metal, sawing of wood, and other industrious sounds constantly ring throughout this neighborhood. The Artisan is home to expert crafters representing a variety of fields. These include leatherworkers, masons, metallurgists, smiths, and woodworkers, many of whom provide basic materials to other neighborhoods. The citizens of the Artisan will help with the construction of new buildings, reinforcement of the city walls, and creating armor and weapons for the city’s guard.

Beggar

Although travel to Promise is rare, Mengkare knew he needed a specific area of the city to put up visitors. The Beggar lies near the Golden Citadel, just within sight of Mengkare’s palace to allow the dragon to keep watch over his guests. Mengkare makes sure to fully accommodate any visitors, providing luxurious lodging, a bevy of entertainment options, and free rein to travel throughout the city—with an assigned escort, of course.

Farmer

Those citizens with a mind for agriculture and botany center their lives within the Farmer. This area holds large fields and gardens that Promise’s citizens tend to on a regular basis; many of those who labor here live elsewhere in the city to maximize the open space here. They use these fields and gardens to grow basic foods like vegetables, but also expand their focus to medicinal plants and more experimental flora. (More land-intensive crops, such as grains and flax, are grown in the fields surrounding the city.) This neighborhood also holds a mill for grinding the city’s grain. Most of the crops grown here find their way to the Fisher where they are then served as part of daily meals. The rest are placed into stores.

Fisher

This neighborhood is where most residents go to obtain food. The city’s few restaurants create unique meals that blend various cooking techniques and cuisines to create a near limitless combination of new dishes. All citizens can visit the neighborhood to enjoy one of these meals, have a meal delivered to their home, or request ingredients to prepare a meal of their own. The neighborhood also houses bakers and other specialty food purveyors. A number of fishing ships dock near the neighborhood, setting out into the Steaming Sea during the day to catch the sea’s various types of fish for use as ingredients or for study. A number of warehouses throughout the Fisher store extra food that can help prevent hunger during leaner months.

Hunter

The Hunter’s parklands harbor a forest that acts as a miniaturized replica of Promise: an idyllic setting where its denizens are never left wanting and live together without conflict. Several woodland species live in this reserve, as well as in other similar reserves that dot Hermea. Individuals studying these creatures can do so without concern of outside influence or interference. Promise’s hunters prey on a small number of these creatures, but such kills are performed as humanely as possible and only to provide for the citizenry. Nothing is allowed to go to waste.

Merchant

Promise is not an entirely isolationist place—the city engages in trade with the rest of Golarion, mostly Absalom and Katapesh. The city exports its fine crafts and goods to the greater Inner Sea region and uses its funds to purchase resources that Hermea does not offer. To facilitate these trades, Mengkare recruited a number of accountants, merchants, and other tradespeople. Most of their affairs are handled within the buildings of the Merchant. In addition to these buildings, the neighborhood is also home to the other administrative buildings for the city, such as the city’s international relations center, the city’s bank, and important public utilities.

Scholar

The pursuit of knowledge and improvement of the self is one of the greatest tenets for the citizens of Promise. This neighborhood houses most of the city’s libraries, meditative temples, schools, and other places of learning. Here, citizens further the fields of architecture, mathematics, medicine, science, and magic. The city’s children undergo their schooling here until they are of age to choose their apprenticeship, and all of Promise’s citizens visit when they are in need of medical attention.

Shepherd

To complement the crops grown in the Farmer, this area of the city holds large, open fields that accommodate the city’s horses, smaller livestock, and other animals as well as a dairy; larger animals such as cows and sheep are kept in the farmlands outside of town. Various animal caretakers and ranchers watch over herds of cows, horses, sheep, and other animals, as well as the herds of beasts that roam the rest of Hermea. While some of these animals are raised for slaughter or for milk, egg, or fiber production, many are bred as working animals or even as companions or pets. Residents maintain and innovate techniques to care for these creatures.

Soldier

The majority of the city’s combat training takes place within the Soldier. Here, various martial academies train students of all kinds. Some of these facilities teach general combat practices, while others focus on more specialized skills, such as ranged combat or training with a specific weapon. Others dedicate themselves to improving the body as a weapon and teach techniques like hand to hand combat or specialized grappling. Open fighting circles and practice battlefields litter the area, allowing anyone to practice their technique in sparring sessions or simulated combat. Every citizen of Promise is required to undergo a few hours of training at one of these academies at least three times per week so as to stay in top physical form. As a result, most of the citizens are capable fighters in their own right.

Tailor

This neighborhood focuses on the creation of fine clothing, cloth, and materials for use in other projects. Colorful clothing hanging from lines, vats of dyes, and fashionable outfits in window displays can be seen throughout. Many of the neighborhood’s denizens push the envelope in regard to fashion, exporting their new pieces out into Golarion in hopes of setting new trends. Others dedicate themselves to improving on current materials or clothing to help accommodate the various needs of Promise. These include water-resistant clothing made from magically treated materials for those out on the seas and wind-resistant clothing that is invaluable against the storms of spring and autumn.

Thief

Though the citizens of the Thief are aware of the connotations associated with the neighborhood’s title, they enjoy doing their best to subvert expectations. These citizens focus on tasks that require dexterity and precision, but most apply these techniques to areas other than thievery. They use their skill to create clockwork devices, design delicate and precise tools for specific crafting needs and tasks, and tinker with mechanical baubles and devices. The neighborhood is filled with all manner of specialized workshops, and residents are happy to share their blueprints and inventions with each other. These workshops tend to stack two or three stories high. This allows more space between the buildings that can be used to display the fine works of the artisans here.

City Locations

The following are some of the more notable sites in Promise.

Bank of Abadar

Although religion is forbidden in Promise, Mengkare has made an exception to this rule. Clergy of the Bank of Abadar are permitted as members of the city to assist with matters of trade and commerce. Mengkare is curious regarding the possibilities of divine influence on his Glorious Endeavor, and maintains these champions and clerics as a small test group.

Docks

The docks are the only way in or out of the city by water. Although ships do visit regularly, they are strictly scheduled and overseen by the Council of Enlightenment. Mengkare employs privateers to destroy any unwelcome visitors.

Golden Citadel

The grand palace is the regular meeting place of the Council of Enlightenment and the city home of Mengkare.

Mengkare Park

Mengkare reached out to an arcane botanist from the Arcadian nation of Jolizpan to design this park. A localized arcane network runs beneath this park to siphon and purify water from the sea. The lake here is part of a large system that distributes and purifies water for the entire city.

Open Lands

These grounds are intentionally left open for citizens to do as they wish, from festivals to new projects. The only restriction is that any use of the grounds is limited to 1 month at most.

Training Grounds

Promise’s children come to the training halls and battlefields here to face their fates during their coming-of-age tests.

Uldanos Park

The city’s second park is the site of many local festivals, mostly honoring notable events in the city’s history. Its lush flower gardens add a delightful bit of color to these festivities.