Chesed
The huge city of Chesed (pronounced CHES-ed)1 is the last port of call on the River Road for most pilgrims heading to the Mendevian Crusades before they reach their final destination of Mendev. It is the final port (or first depending on the direction of travel) along the length of the Sellen River, sitting where the river meets the Lake of Mists and Veils.2
Because it is so near the lake, the city is often shrouded by the fog. In addition to the mist, unregulated waste disposal into the lake has led to the waters up to a mile away from the city being highly toxic, to the point of creating oozes due to combining with runoff from the Chymist's Ward.3
The city has a blend of alien technology as well as stark social inequality, resulting in peoples' perception of the city being very different depending on who you talk to. Some former crusaders have found their way here, spending their money on squalid gambling halls and old taverns while reflecting on the consequences of their wartime experiences.3
Government
Chesed is under much tighter control by the rulers of Numeria than some of the other cities like Castle Urion and Hajoth Hakados, which belong to Numeria in name only. As the last city that pilgrims visit in Numeria, the Black Sovereign, ruler of Numeria, sees this as the last chance to squeeze every drop of money from the visitors. The Technic League, who once supported the Black Sovereign, employed a variety of methods to separate the pilgrims from their money, including gambling houses, crooked merchants, and river bandits. It is not uncommon for a pilgrim who has visited Chesed to arrive in Mendev with nothing but their weapon and faith, and even that was often shaken by their experiences along the Sellen.2
Sable Barrow
Sable Barrow is a hill located outside of Chesed that was the site of a miraculous appearance of the Lawgiver, the herald of Abadar in 4309 AR. It appeared the night before a slave revolt was about to happen, and seemed to indicate that the god would smite the city if its citizens did not reform. After the slave revolt did not occur, the golden herald disappeared.4
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ . “Appendices” in Campaign Setting, 246. Paizo Inc., 2008
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 . “Chapter 2: The Inner Sea” in Campaign Setting, 115. Paizo Inc., 2008
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 . “The Lake” in They Watched the Stars, 75. Paizo Inc., 2023
- ↑ . “Bestiary” in Seven Days to the Grave, 87. Paizo Inc., 2008
