Built in the shadow of megaliths, Magnimar endlessly endeavors to surpass the overwhelming scale and grandeur of the ancient wonders that litter the Varisian landscape. A place of great opportunity, social stress, and cold beauty, the city exudes the airs of a southern metropolis, seeking to rise above its ignoble beginnings as a refuge for Korvosan outcasts to become a beacon of culture and freedom in an unforgiving land. Yet its towering monuments, elegant gardens, ostentatious architecture, and elaborate sculptures form but a cracked mask over a struggling government and a desperate people in need of heroes.

Magnimar’s sprawling slate rooftops and marble avenues stretch from the foundations of the unignorable Irespan—a ruined stone bridge of impossible size—to beyond the western banks of the Yondabakari River. A sheer cliff, the Seacleft, cuts through the city’s heart, dividing Magnimar into its two major sections: the Summit, upon the cliff’s top, and the Shore, below. A third district, the Shadow, lies beneath the Irespan, a place where the sun rarely reaches and the city’s failures and corruption hold blatant reign.

The second largest city in Varisia, Magnimar wages an open war of coins and lies with Korvosa to the east. Both city-states vie for control over vassal communities, natural resources, and trade with the cosmopolitan south. This rivalry stretches back to a time even before the city’s founding, as droves of Korvosan dissenters, unwilling to blindly kowtow to foreign despots after the fall of the Lamasian Empire, departed for the Lost Coast. Ever since, Magnimar has welcomed those who would shape their own fates by the sweat of their brows and keenness of their wits, regardless of race or beliefs. To this end, the city has opened its gates and harbor to all comers, encouraging traders from many lands to discover the wonders of Varisia away from the excessive taxes and regulations of Korvosa, yet in greater safety than that offered by pirate havens like Riddleport.

Today, more than 16,000 people make their homes in Magnimar, with the majority of that populace consisting of humans of Lamasi decent. It also boasts the largest semi-settled population of Varisians in the world, with approximately 2,000 such residents— significantly fewer in the spring and summer travel months. Aside from the region’s native nomads, Magnimar hosts a second transient population: thousands of regular traders from far-flung foreign locales, particularly Absalom, Lamasu, and Cedenia. Many of these merchants, emissaries, and adventurers have homes that they reside in while passing through but that otherwise remain empty. As a result, whole city blocks—particularly along the Shore—appear deserted for months out of the year. Should every homeowner coincidentally be in the city at the same time, Magnimar’s population would increase by almost half again its current number.

Government and Politics

Law & Crime

Arts & Entertainment

Business

Religion

Monuments

  Greater

  Lesser

The City (regions)

While the Seacleft and Irespan break the city into three obvious sections, the cityfolk and the government recognize 18 local communities: seven upon the Summit, ten along the Shore, and one in the Shadow. Each of these communities has its own distinct atmosphere, venues, and local personalities.Presented here is an overview of those districts and their most prominent features.

The Summit

  The Alabaster District

  The Marble District

  Bridgeward

  The Capital District

  Naos

  Vista

  Grand Arch

The Shore

  The Bazaar of Sails

  Dockway

  Lowcleft

  Keystone

  The Marches

  Beacon Point

  Rag's End

  Silver Shore

  Kyver's Islet

  Ordellia

The Shadow