Malvont City

Malvont City is the most populous city in Aegis. It is the capital of the Malvont Metropolitan Area. Located on a large natural volcanic island chain in the Rillian Sea (The Great Green Sea), the central city consists of five circles: The Outports, The Second Circle, Merchantius, Gentria, and The Palace. The Island of Willa is often included as a seperate district, because it is so close to the west ports. The city's 1 TA estimated population exceeds 6.1 million people, and with a land area of 305 square miles, Malvont City is the most densely populated major city in the modern world.

Government
Malvont City is an absolute monarchy based on the rule of law. Justice is administrated circle by circle by governors appointed by the king. The king has absolute power granted to him by Victor-Heronious. He rules by divine right. The current king is King Avimeus, and his successor is Prince Avimeus.

Taxes
Taxes are paid by established businesses to the tune of 10% of the gross income per year, and an additional 5% net profit tax. These tax rates increase to 15% and 8% for gross incomes exceeding $100,000 and gross profits exceeding $500,000. Corporations may forgo these taxes by paying a "flat tax" of $1,000,000. Only the richest corporations can do this, however.

Individuals pay %10 of gross income in taxes per year. Individuals are also expected to tithe %10 to the Pantheonic Isle. This is not a law, just established tradition.

Established corporations are legitimate and have police protection. A person can file incorporation at any government building. There are no import/export taxes, and the income tax does not apply to inheritance.

Law and Order
City Guards, mostly low-level paladins, police the streets. If criminals come in without a fight, the maximum possible punishment is extraplanar banishment. If criminals resist arrest, the maximum punishment is total destruction. Criminals are tried by magistrate. The system is guilty until proven innocent. Magical or paranormal criminals are tried by special tribunal in the inner circles. Lawyers typically charge between 10,000 and 1,000,000 Malvont Dollars.

The following species have rights: Human, elf, dwarf, halfling, illithid, orc, pixie, unicorn, fairy, gnome, goblin, kobold, hobgoblin, and bugbear. There are a few more, but less commonly known.

There is also a list of species which are illegal in Malvont. Chromatic dragons, undead (including vampires), gelatinous creatures, monstrous creatures, lycanthropes, and many aberrations top the list. Outsiders out any alignment must return to their home plane or be destroyed. Drow are not illegal. They are just discouraged. The Age of Consent is 16 in humans and orcs, 110 for elves. Other species are less commonly known.

Economics
Monopolies are illegal. Murder-for-hire is illegal. Using magic on someone without their express consent is illegal. Mind control or influencing magic is subject to the death penalty, with the exception of nonlethal "mind blasts" or temporary paralysis attacks that are an encouraged alternative to violent confrontation. Memory modification, hypnosis, charm, and suggestion have to be used with the express consent of the target by a licensed mental health practitioner. Licensing takes two months, and costs 50 gp or $500.

All of the drugs mentioned in the Book of Vile Darkness are illegal, especially Wolves' Milk and Absynthium. Potions of Bull's Strength and Cat's Grace are also illegal. Potions are heavily regulated, and only sold in 2nd circle shops or higher. Potions must have the Malvont Seal on them, which means that the tax has been paid and that the potion is certified genuine. This process also prevents members of the royal class from permabuffing, a dangerous and illegal practice.

Defense
Use of a magic weapon of any kind for any reason (including Alchemist Fire) is illegal except by representatives of the crown and those granted written permission thereby. a "magic weapon" is any item with innate or granted magical or supernatural ability capable of causing bodily harm or inducing a paranormal state, including but not limited to paralysis, sleep, distraction, and daze. Possession of a fire or negative energy weapon is illegal. Citizens may apply to carry and use a wand of sleep. Weapons carried in circle two or higher must remain sheathed or concealed, and several areas require visitors to go through a mandatory detect magic sweep, or even stand in an antimagic aura to prevent dangerous spells being smuggled into areas sensitive to destruction. Many places in Gentria require such antimagical precautions.

The Lighthouse of Telamore
See main article: Lighthouse of Telamore

The Lighthouse of Telamore is a lighthouse located in the upper northeast quadrant of The Outdocks, and was built by the legendary adventurer, ship captain, and all around asshole Captain Elrand Telamore, whose massive wealth and powerful shipping industry helped jumpstart Malvont as a seabound trading empire. Although Telamore was never royalty and barely qualified as a noble, with the help of Gabriel Tanarruk he designed the largest lighthouse in the world and placed an everburning flame on top of it, making Malvont visible from up to fifty miles away without the aid of a telescope. It is considered one of the wonders of the world, and contains in its belly much of Telamore's vast, obscene treasure.

The Vargus School
See main article: The Franco School 

The Vargus School is a full service boarding school and university located in Willa, Malvont. The school was founded in 1077 SA by Talnec Franco, a visiting mage and educator from the southern continent. The school focuses on providing top notch education in the arts and arcane sciences.

The Isle of Many Things
See main article The Isle of Many Things

The Isle of Many Things is an outlaying island roughly twenty miles off the eastern coast of the city dedicated to the worship of trixter gods. It is known for its rage-inducing, catch-22 involving, figure-this-shit-out-before-we-all-strangle-each-other-with-rusty-razor-wire dungeons as well as its incredibly powerful loot drops.

The Sewers
Home to kobolds, slimes, and other strange creatures, the sewers of Malvont are an unpleasant-smelling but unguarded alternative to the Malvont streets.

Gods' Island
Sometimes called the Pantheonic Isle, this is where most of the temples are located. It is roughly three miles off the eastern coast of the main island. Deities honored there include St. Cuthbert, Vecna, Pelor, and Olidammara.

The Outports
Also known as the Outer Circle or the Outdocks, the Outports are the slums of Malvont. Malvont's main port is located in the Outports on the western side of the main island. There is an orc community in Little Goneril on the northern side of the island and a halfling community in Little Yarmoth on the southern side of the island. In order to proceed any further into Malvont, travelers need to prove their worth as nobility or at least relatively civilized merchants or adventurers, bribe their way through the gates (expensive), or have a friend on the inside. Depending on traffic, one or more of these things may need to occur.

The Second Circle
The Second Circle is somewhat more respectable than the Outports. Most moderately well-off Malvont residents live here. Little Baldur is located to the northwest, and the entrance to Malvont's Underdark is in the southwest. The illithids maintain a guildhome here, named Minder's Game. The shops in this area sell weapons and items of decent quality, but are only really suitable for traveling merchants and low-key adventurers. Only the most respectable or well-connected citizens and travelers are allowed past the Second Circle, although government officials sometimes go deeper into Malvont on business.

Merchantius
Merchantius is sometimes called the Third Circle. This is where the really respectable or profitable merchants do business. Equipment here is expensive, but masterwork items are easily found, and are good enough to equip higher-level adventurers and merchants who expect to see some combat for various, not entirely legal reasons. The wealthy and some tiers of the nobility will often shop here. The northern section of Merchantius is the Theatre District, which includes a massive, multi-story amphitheater. To proceed any further into Malvont, one has to have serious friends in high places or otherwise have a very good reason to be there, e.g. living in Gentria or flaying minds collecting taxes.

Gentria
Also known as the Inner Circle, this is where the wealthiest residents of Malvont dream of living. High-ranking nobility and government officials unconnected to royalty tend to live here as well. Shops here trend towards the small and tasteful side, and price tags are unheard of. Going further into Malvont than Gentria is exclusively based on invitation or friends in the highest goddamn places imaginable.

The Palace
The palace and residence of King Avimeus and his heir, Prince Avimeus V. It is just as hard to gain admittance to the palace as one would expect. It is an overwhelming honor to be allowed in, and looking fabulously wealthy and well-bred is mandatory. It doesn't matter if you don't have a surname and spend most of your time smuggling goods in the slums; if you are invited to the palace, you dress up and make epic bluff checks to act like you fit in.