Calfron

Dartmouth is divided into a number of administrative districts, or boroughs, that have evolved over time.

Calfron Districts

• Barslow
• Chafring
• Conall
• Cordall Hill
• The District
• Duriam
• Fogsend
• Gailsbreath
• Gelberth
• Harbor
• Hennigswoade
• Hensington
• Horngate Hill
• Marvensgate
• Norrigan's Field
• Serenwode
• St. Conroy
• Wyvern's Cliff

Industries

As a city co-governed by merchants, it should not be surprising that Finance itself is a cornerstone of the economy of Calfron. Its stock market is the largest in the Known Lands, and it is home to several noteworthy banks - none of them quite as large as the Gemeinschaftsbank, but many of them are still important regional players in the Flannish Cities and neighboring regions. Closely linked to finance is the maritime trade the city engages in - the Calfron Merchant Navy manages to compete with its competitors in Torburg and Rondhaven despite its smaller size.

Furthermore, the traditionally very permissive political and social environment of the city has created a prolific print industry. Many publishing houses, newspapers, and printers of magazines have made the city their base, and their publications are eagerly read even in far-away regions.

Life and Society

While juicy gossip is always appreciated by all levels of society, to be truly informed you have to read the newspapers. Unlike in many other cities, the press in Calfron is relatively free from government oversight, leading to a proliferation of magazines and publications that are read far and wide even outside of the Calfron Protectorate.

There are two consistently popular dailies which have existed for a long time and are unlikely to vanish any time soon. One of them is the Bay Times (2 cp per issue), a fairly conservative newspaper which to its credit tries to research its stories carefully before publishing them. On the other hand, its editor is an old friend of the current Lord Mayor, and stories in the Times that criticize the government usually focus on problems in specific departments, as opposed to the Lord Mayor and his Inner Circle. The other newspaper is the Calfron Enquirer, which is printed twice daily (1 cp each), and which is more known for its sensationalism rather than in-depth fact-checking. They are infamous for their lurid stories - faerie abductions are a favorite - and will readily pay adventurers for eyewitness accounts of strange occurrences. At the moment, they are focusing on an alleged "halfling crime ring" which supposedly abducts humans - especially human women - for undoubtedly nefarious purposes. That tales like these have increased incidents of random street violence against perfectly innocent halfling citizens does not seem to bother the editors. Occasionally, however, the Enquirer does publish a true and important story before anyone else does, though this is probably more a result of random chance than anything else.

Now and then, another daily newspaper tries to gain a foothold in the local market, but they rarely last long against the established competition. A few magazines published on a weekly basis exist, and there is a broad range of monthly magazines which cover specialized topics, such as the Journal of the Calfron Geographic Society (a favorite with those who wish to learn about far-off regions).

Shopping

An odd quirk of Calfron is that shops of a specialized nature tend to congregate in their own street, as opposed to being dispersed over the whole city. For example, the finest clothing boutiques may be found in Crescent Row in Duriam, the spice markets are in Becknal Road, while a disturbing variety of erotic literature is for sale in the shops in Worble Alley (not that any upstanding citizen would be caught dead there... so they tend to go in disguise instead).

Government and Politics

Unlike in many other city-states, government in Calfron is a confusing tangle of overlapping jurisdictions and responsibilities. That the city is able to function and even prosper is a constant source of bafflement to visitors from more ordered cities (such as extremely structured Praxus), but it functions nonetheless. In theory, the Board of Commerce is responsible for all matters relating to commerce, as well as governing The District, the Board of Works is responsible for the infrastructure, the individual mayors of the city's boroughs are responsible for taxation, the local city guards, and everything else not related to commerce and infrastructure. Finally, the Lord Mayor - who is elected by the Council of Mayors - is responsible for the overall policies of the city-state, including foreign policy, defense, appointment of (non-commerce) judges, and overall cooperation between the boroughs.

However, even at the best of times these factions tend to be deeply distrustful of each others' powers and attempt to push the boundaries of their authority all the time. In extreme cases, the hostility moves into outright sabotage or even assassination attempts. The main limit on these activities is the fear of getting caught - it is a huge embarrassment for the responsible faction if its schemes are exposed by the newspapers, who serve as a useful check against the abuses of the powers of the mighty.

Groups and Organisations

• Association of Conscientious Thaumaturges
• Council of Captains
• Council of Mayors
• Calfron Board of Commerce
• Calfron Board of Works
• Calfron City Guard
• Dawes Foundation
• Far Shores Trading Company
• First Families
• Flamel Supplies
• Guardians of Balance
• Special Bureau

Religion

As an open and tolerant city, Calfron calls a large range of faiths its home.