Lands of Parsantium – Most Serene City of Loranto

Following the release of the Labyrinth Worldbook by Kobold Press, I’ve been publishing posts sharing more information about my campaign setting, the Lands of Parsantium, one of the core worlds featured in the book. This post describes Loranto, a maritime trade power and Parsantium’s biggest rival.

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Loranto

The Most Serene City of Loranto is a thriving and powerful city state on the Via Bathura, across the Corsairs’ Sea to the west of Parsantium.

Built on an island at the mouth of the Maro River, Loranto is a city where elite noble families dwell in splendid palaces along the Queen’s Canal, while the common folk live in poverty in crumbling tenements. Crisscrossed by canals and twisting narrow streets, it is a city in which it is easy to get lost. Those who take a wrong turn on its confusing waterways sometimes end up in the Labyrinth. 

City inhabitants grow sweet-smelling flowers, herbs, and spice plants on their balconies and in courtyards to mask the pungent odour of the canals. Some of these fragrant plants can be used to make deadly poisons. 

Once part of the Bathuran Empire, Loranto declared itself a free city in 1122 when Rezana was sacked by orcish invaders. After Loranto successfully drove off its own attackers, the city’s powerful noble families appointed their great military commander Lord Admiral Valentinus Piramo as Duke. The new duke secured a vital trading agreement with Parsantium which acknowledged the Basileus as the rightful ruler of the Bathuran Empire while preserving Loranto’s newly won independent status. 

Three hundred years later, when Parsantium fell to the hobgoblin armies of Kalgroth Ironheart, Loranto’s Water Lords bankrolled Corandias the Stubborn’s Great Crusade to retake the city. In return for this financial support, Loranto was granted “favoured partner” status; the city’s merchants have paid a lower rate of duty on trade goods entering and leaving Parsantium ever since.

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Loranto is ruled by its twelve Water Lords, chosen by members of the city’s thirty six wealthiest noble families in a convoluted voting process involving coloured stones, enchanted bowls fashioned from exquisite blue glass, and the recital of a lengthy hymn to Amphetia, Queen of the Sea, Loranto’s patron deity.

The Water Lords elect a Duke from among their ranks to lead them. The Duke is usually considered to be the wisest of the Lords and is referred to by the honorific “Most Sagacious”. Upon his (or her) election, the Duke “marries” the Queen of the Sea in a ceremony held in her island basilica and attended by the noble families. 

The current duke is the wily but frail septuagenarian Peregrinus Galvano. He has been clinging onto his position for the past three years, despite barely being able to stand unaided, let alone walk to his throne. Galvano refuses to give credence to the warmongers among the Water Lords; he has so far seen off several assassination attempts by his rivals.

Each Water Lord governs for life, and holds responsibility for a particular ministry, such as food, finance, or the navy. Outside each of their offices in the Duke’s Palace is a “lion’s mouth”, a letterbox where citizens can post anonymous complaints. Only nobles named in the Golden and Silver Books recording the members of Loranto’s major and minor noble families are permitted inside the palace, so the views of the common folk remain largely unheard. 

The Water Lords squabble, scheme and plot against each other, sometimes hiring assassins to eliminate a rival, at other times using blackmail, bribery or intimidation in pursuit of their individual goals. Despite their scheming, however, all of them have the best interests of Loranto at heart and share the common aim of making the Most Serene City the dominant maritime trade power in the Corsairs’ Sea. 

Loranto maintains a mighty navy, and is renowned for the fine ships it builds in its large Arsenal. Lorantine naval bases are scattered throughout the Corsairs’ Sea to protect its interests, and the bellicose Lord Admiral Alvise Farnese is pushing for more. The city exports salt, beautiful glassware and pottery, and silver to Parsantium and its other trading partners, while its famous banks lend money to other city states and nations at lucrative rates of interest. Loranto’s gold pieces are called ducats and depict the Queen of the Sea on the obverse, and the city’s symbol (a hippocampus) on the reverse. 

Foreign merchants who visit Loranto must first call at the Customs House before heading to their nation’s fondaco (or enclave). Like Parsantium’s fonduqs, the fondaci offer food and accommodation, a warehouse to store goods, and a safe place to conduct trade. Loranto has three fondaci – one for merchants of Parsantium, one for Aqhran, one for the Sunset Lands.

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Every year, the Spring Carnival takes place over the first twelve days of the month of Aprilis, celebrating Loranto’s rebirth as a free city. 

Masked revels are held in the Forum of Valentinus – the large public square in front of the Duke’s Palace, named after the free city’s first leader. A tall stone column bearing his statue stands on the waterfront at the entrance to the square. The festivities involve dancing, music, and drinking in honour of the gods Cytherea, Bringer of Joy, and Piagus, god of tricksters, and frequently descend into debauchery. 

Nobles throw ornate masked balls in their palaces throughout the carnival, while spies, assassins, and thieves take advantage of the anonymity provided by the masks to spy, murder, and steal. Poisonings, jewellery thefts, and other crimes reach their height during the carnival. The wearing of masks is forbidden at other times. 

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Adventure Hook. Each year, in the month of Iunius, the Duke travels along the Queen’s Canal in an ornate golden ceremonial barge to the Basilica of Amphetia to renew his vows to the Queen of the Sea. The PCs are called upon to prevent the Duke’s murder by the Assassini, hired killers who secretly gather souls for the Infernals. Lord Admiral Alvise Farnese is implicated in the plot, but things are not what they seem…

Adventure Hook. An aboleth named The Whisperer lives in the submerged basement of a slowly-sinking ruined palace. The aberration’s slimy thralls stalk the streets and bridges of the neighbourhood, hunting for obscure components for their master’s arcane experiments. 

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Lands of Parsantium map by Jared Blando

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You can download a free preview of Parsantium: City at the Crossroads to find out more about the setting, or, better still, buy Parsantium from Drivethrurpg. 

If you’ve enjoyed reading these posts, please do join my mailing list. There’s a sign up form below and subscribers receive a free Parsantium supplement. 

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