Dephille

Second-greatest of the cities of Avation, Dephille lies on the estuary of the Gronne river. The river is 700 yards wide at this point, widening gradually into the Rhodone Bay. The river and bay are given to extreme tidal variations, and sometimes the ships in harbour are left on bare land for hours at a time. However, the harbour is fairly sheltered from the storms of the Ocean of Lost Souls.

Dephile is a lively harbour, and its wharves turn out dozens of ships every year. From here, copper and malachite from the hills is shipped out to other ports, foreign and domestic. Ale, tin, fish, wool and whale-oil from the north passes this port, as does grain, wine and various luxuries from the south.

Dephille is the only city in Avation which can truly be said to be booming, although it is still little more than half as great as Courite. The city is the site of a major immigration of Senine merchants and artisans. In recent years it has become the centre of Avatine commerce. Its bourse has eclipsed that of Courite.

Dephilles growth has mostly taken place along the river banks, giving the city two sizable foulburghs nicknamed Upriver and Gulltown.

The older quarters include The Docks, Brineside, the Alien Quarter, Market and Castlehill.

Castlehill is the area of the Ramorosean castle and the towers of the nobility. Some of the wealthier merchants have also been able to make their homes here. Castlehill is the cleanest part of town, but is not particularily hospitable to common people. Few come here except on business, and the tall, forbidding walls of the domi offer little business to their kind.

Market is the largest of the quarters, home to most of the middle class.

The Alien Quarter is home to the alienage - that is, people of non-Avatine origin. Most are Senines, with Clemencians coming second and Dorishmen third. Some of the aliens are quite wealthy, but most are rather poor.

Brineside lies to the south of the docks. Home to lesser artisans and labourers, the quarter used to be the poorest in Dephille, but it has been superceeded by Gullstown. The people of Brineside resent the Gullstowners for undercutting their wages, and gangs of Brinesiders occasionaly venture into Gullstown to teach the scabs a lesson.

The city has grown under its liege's liberal government, but the old merchant families and the guilds complain that the Count fails to respect their privileges, and the cults of Jupiter and Terminus (agreeing for once) complain that decadence is rampant there.

The city of Dephille is also the seat of the Ramoroses family, and the Count George-Darmant rules the land from his castle in Dephille.