Epic Level Handbook

few of the more affluent quarters of the city an actualplumbing system exists, piping water directly intomany of the buildings. Overflow off the side of a cityisland from a fountain or a small lake is common. Eventhe smallest quarter of the city sports a spectacularwaterfall that plummets into the low sky. The city’ssewage system ensures a filth-free environment, withgrate-covered drains along all the streets leading to verticalchutes that empty to subterranean gates, whichtransfer the refuse to a location far into the low sky, outof sight. In some cases—again, in the more upscaleneighborhoods—the buildings are equipped with fullindoor sewage systems that connect to the city system.Refuse is magically transferred deep into the void, todisappear conveniently forever.The architecture of the city is a hodgepodge of stylesand building materials, since everything needed for constractionhas to come from elsewhere. Many structuresare made of stone, while only smatterings are of wood.Many windows have actual glass, even stained glass insome districts, and quite a few of the buildings are decoratedwith brightly pigmented paints. All in all, Union isa bright, cheery place, and that is by design. Nothing nurturescommerce like a heightened sense of well-being,and the mercanes take very deliberate steps to ensurethat everyone who visits their city feels safe and happy.TRADE, TAXES, AND TRAVELUnion functions first and foremost as a center of trade.In fact, trade is the very reason that Union even exists,constructed in this otherwise uninhabited demiplaneto serve as a vital hub to other realities. All manner ofgoods, and the merchants who buy and sell them, passthrough the city. Many of them have taken lessonsfrom the mercanes who established the place and setup permanent shops, and residences in Union. Ofcourse, this entire commercial enterprise would be fornaught if Union were inaccessible, being isolated as itis. On the contrary, Union benefits from a number ofpermanent portals that link to various planes of existence,as well as a number of specialized gates that actuallychange connections according to a strict schedule,allowing the entire city to “travel” to different regionsin the multiverse and enjoy trade.Many merchants run full-time operations in Union,maintaining storefront shops and accompanying warehouses.Others only visit the city from time to time,bringing goods in wagons (or other, more magical meansof transport) to sell before buying other merchandise totake away with them. Still others market their commoditiesto the merchants themselves, supplying Union businesseswith goods and services that make it easier tokeep commerce functioning at peak levels. Many ofthese businesses, and the entrepreneurs that run them,are detailed in the sections that follow.Some of these businesses are owned and operated bythe mercanes who established Union in the not-sodistantpast. Often, a mercane may have ownership inseveral different businesses but act as a silent partner,keeping a low profile and allowing others to handle theoperations. Regardless of their roles, and despite theirstatus as the civic leaders of Union, the mercanes do notobject to a free market and will not take steps to discouragecompetition with their own businesses. Thus, manynonmercane establishments exist in Union, many ofwhich are loyal to local guilds and even off-plane guildsand concerns (such as merchants in the trade city ofSigil), although independent merchants are plentifulenough that nonmercane guilds do not hold unduepower over trade, either. Besides, if nonmercane guildsthreatened to gain a truly competitive edge, the mercaneswould take action to correct the “imbalance.”TradeDue to the nature of Union, and the demiplane in whichit resides, the city has few local resources. Thus, almostall of the food, clothing, and building supplies necessaryfor the residents to make a way of life must be brought infrom the outside. However, as a trading center, Unionbenefits greatly from contact with a wide variety of cultures,so a steady flow of uncommon and exotic goodspasses through, and the city environment reflects that.Scents of rare and wonderful incense and unguents waftthrough the air, as do the odors of every style of cuisineimaginable. The market is a cornucopia of flavors, smells,colors, and textures from every corner of the multiverse;the fish selection alone is a marvel to behold. Local merchantsand residents often acquire such items for theirown uses, and as a result, the look and feel of the city canchange drastically from one street corner to the next.Despite all the variance, the Union city tax on all tradenever changes.TaxesAs with any good commerce district, the city of Unionhas regulations and fees it charges residents and visitorsalike. All commercial enterprises must acquire licensesin order to occupy business facilities, for which they paya yearly fee equal to 1% of their gross revenue for the previousyear (new businesses are exempt). In addition, 5%of all daily profits are slated for the city’s coffers. Even thecasual trader is supposed to pay the fee, though in practice,someone selling fruit from a basket is not worth thetrouble and can get away with selling on an infrequentbasis without being sought for taxes.Anyone visiting the city must obtain a trade writbefore he or she can buy or sell any goods or services.These writs can be acquired at any gate or from anyUnion Sentinel patrol for a fee of 15 gp. A writ is goodfor six months; everyone carries one, citizen and visitoralike. Each writ is magically marked with a visiblearcane mark spell to certify authenticity and to denoteduration. No one will sell you a sword, rent you a room,or serve you a meal if you don’t have your writ, becausethe penalties if you get caught are stiff (see Law andOrder, below).CHAPTER 6:AN EPICSETTING251