Bordaby

Bordaby
About
Founder	Berselius33
Category	Towns
Underground?	No
Fortified?	Somewhat
Public access?	Yes
Public build?	No
Transport
Road link?	No
Nexus link?	No
Rail link?	No
Boat link?	No
Portal?	No
Location
Coordinates	X=14196 Y=65 Z=15149
Dimension	Overworld
Map Link

Bordaby (also known as 'The Border Abbey') is a settlement near the border of the known lands of Freedonia, south of the continent of Navarro.

History

Excavations indicate a testificate presence in the region [1], but some recent archeological work might indicate only a much recent presence [2]. However, it is evident that shepherds have been living in the region for centuries, most notably on the flying islands since they offered excellent protection from bandits and wolves alike [3]. Some claim that the Old Tower was built in this period [4], but other scholars highly debate this claim, pointing out the architectural style of the structure being similar to some older parts of the Old Cathedral [5].

Some time after the fall of the Free Syres, some monks arrived in the region from Syrus and started to build on the floating islands. Although in the first few decades the monks managed to live in relative isolation, the strategic position of the floating islands attracted the attention of some merchants who travelled between the center of Freedonia and the unknown lands past the borders of the world. After they established a permanent trading outpost on one of the islands, it was only a matter of time until other travelers, mostly pilgrims visiting the cathedral, settled on other islands. A town was built near the coastline of the bay below the islands, but building on the floating grounds was strictly prohibited in this period and only religious structures were allowed to be erected there. Notable builds from this period are the main cathedral (nowadays referred to as the Old Cathedral), Chapel of Saint Matthew and some older parts of the Cloister. [6]

It is unclear what caused the cataclysm that destroyed most of the secular part of the town: some blame the Academy of Magic which was established a few years before the tragedy, while others talk about some ritual performed by the monks to exorcise some demon from the caves below the city. Nevertheless, one day the hills the city was built on started to move, and most of the structures of the settlement were destroyed, leaving only wall fragments and streams of lava behind. After this, the clergy agreed to lift the ban of structures on the islands, so the survivors started to rebuild the city in the sky. Most of the houses of Main Street were built in this period, along with the houses on Fishermen Street. Another important change from this period was the collapse of the upper parts of the (Old) Cathedral: after this, the monks decided to abandon the church and started to build a new one. Because of the sheer size of the old church (and the fear of possible further earthquakes on the ground), the clergy even agreed to lease some parts of the structure to the guild of the farmers, so that they could plant their seeds in between the former columns of the old church. [6]

Some years after the tragedy, the technology developed by the Academy of Magic enabled the use of flying ships by the merchants, resulting in much shorter traveling times between outposts, making the merchants of Bordaby the most trusted salesmen of the region. This resulted in the rapid growth of the riches of the city - some even call this period the golden age of Bordaby. The New Cathedral was built in this period, along with most of the houses in Merchant Street and the upper parts of the city. The houses on White Square were also built in this period. [6]

After the establishment of Project Anubis, the former leading role of the merchants of the town started to fade, resulting in a decay in both wealth and population. Nowadays most of the town is only a shell of its former glory.

Current state

The town is run by the following guilds, along with its Mayor:

• The Clergy: one of the most powerful guilds, controls the New Cathedral along with the Cloister and the Public Park nearby. Since the Old Cathedral is technically still in their possession, they receive remarkable funds from the Farming Guild who are renting parts of the ruins.
• The Merchants' Guild: The leading guild of the town for centuries, still considered perhaps the most influential one. Their flats can be found on Merchants' Street along with the houses on Cathedral Street.
• The Farming Guild: an important guild since they are responsible for the crop production of the city. They reside in the ruins of the Old Cathedral. Although their houses seem to be rather basic, they are pretty powerful because of their key role in the agriculture of the city.
• The Fishermen's Guild: once an important and powerful guild, nowadays perhaps the weakest one of all the guilds. The members still practice their old profession of fishing, and the reside on Fisherman Street.
• The Guild of the Smiths: a moderately influential guild, with their headquarters next to the Old Tower. Not much is known about them.
• The City Watch: although technically not a guild, but they are still important in the political structure of the town. They patrol the streets of the city.

Notable builds

• The Visitor's Centre: the only structure on ground floor, located in the southern end of town.
• The Ruins of the Old Cathedral: once a majestic church, now only a large hall with the territory of the Farming Guild inside.
• The New Cathedral with depictions of events from the life of Jesus on its walls and windows. It also has Catacombs, and a public park next to it.
• The Cloister, with an uninhabited island with a lake next to it.
• Donkey Square, with one of the oldest houses in the city.
• The Old Tower, origins unknown. The City Cemetery is located inside and next to its walls.
• Chapel of Saint Matthew.
• White Square, with the Town Hall.
• The Sisters, a build of twin towers on Cathedral Street.
• The Slums of Igloo Street.
• The ruins of the old city below the Old Cathedral.

How to Get There

Because of the reclusive nature of its inhabitants, it is not that easy to get to the town.

• One option is to travel to Dubina, and from there sail through Trinity Bay until you reach the marshlands north of the city.
• Another, longer option is to start the journey from Riverdale, but in this case you would have to cross several uninhabited forests and mountain ranges.
• A possible third option is a trip through the Nether: there is a Nether portal close to the south gate of the city (here: [1]), which can be easily reached when you travel on the outer ring of the Nether.

The Founder's Remark

Since the city has a remarkable number of flats, they are given out for free. If you would like to have a flat here, contact  Berselius33 via mail or on Discord.

References

• [1] Costandsky: A Brief Introduction to the History of the Testificates, Newport Press, 3rd ed.
• [2] Smith: Testificate empires of Navarro revisited. In: Recent developments in the History of Navarro, Dubina Press, pp. 38--47.
• [3] Johnson: On the ancient shepherd cultures of Navarro and neighboring regions. Dubina Press.
• [4] Mann: On the Old Tower of Bordaby. Journal of Navarro History, Vol. 5. No. 3, pp. 35--49.
• [5] Wo: Revisiting the claims of Mann about the Old Tower of Bordaby. Journal of Navarro History, Vol. 6. No. 2, pp. 17--32.
• [6] Berselius: The history of Bordaby. Dubina Press.