LongestRoad Freehaven
Imagine a giant floating almond, or possibly an enormous peach-pit. That is the rough shape of the rock Freehaven is based on, with the city clustered on the "top" of the broader end, and a little of it spilling out onto the "underside". The narrower end is made up of very carefully laid out fields and a small orchard, with the very tip hosting a colony of griffons.
The Freehaven "island" is located in between a portal to Celestia and one to the Abyss, and as a result, is often a battleground for the conflicts between the two forces. This has led certain of the city to resort to certain measures in order to protect their town.
Something about Freehaven inspires creativity- which is why it's an ideal spot for artists to settle, a level-headed merchant group trading their art pieces for the foodstuffs that cannot be grown, etc. The residents, for the most part, are free to ignore the troubles of the world and concentrate solely on their beloved art.
The town is filled with beautiful architecture and sculpture, and every nook and alley has at least one minstrel tucked away in it.
Notable places include:
The Plaza: Geographic and cultural center of the city. Something is ALWAYS going on here- music festival, storytelling contests, portrait-painters, etc. The best inns are right off the Plaza, including...
The Bow and Arrow: The family-run inn the party is currently staying at. Very prestigious and friendly.
The Mayor's Office: A pretty big building containing all the necessaries of the local governance: trade offices, the mayors' office, etc. Important people here include Sondar, the Mercane minister of trade; Hinato, a human portal mage the Ezel met at the Thunderdome; Zeroth, the half-dragon Deputy to the Mayors; and of course, Lumidar and Marissana, the male and female (mated pair) Lillends who serve as Mayors to the city. Querca explored here, meeting with Sondar, who set her up a meeting with Mayors Lumidar and Marissana the following day.
The Centaur's Hindquarters: A three-story rowdy drinking establishment with a mind-boggling variety of liquors. Sil almost burned it down, but then thought better of it.
The Philosopher's Thunderdome: A place for more intelligent debate. Ezel and Ellowyn mingled here.
The Underside: A less trendy part of the city. The growing population necessitated expansion, but its distance from the Plaza means that many regard it as not worth their while. Recently, a battle between Good and Evil resulted in the defacing of a few beautiful towers. Michael explored here.
The Dwarves' Mine: Dwarven artisans working on creating a superior, underground home. Also on getting precious metals and gems. Michael found out that they also uncovered...
Bahamut's Temple: Containing a shrine to each of the five metallic dragons, something holy has gone from this place. The divine magic maintaining the place is no longer functioning for some unknown reason. There is a roughly orb-shaped hole beneath the Silver shrine in some probably unimportant coincidence. Michael, Jeralyn, Sil, and Oraine visited here. Sil ka-sploded.
