City of Hintila

The city of Hintila is the primary setting of the podcast, Masks & Martyrs.

Hintila rests in the southwest corner of the Aminor Empire and the wider continent of Murgas. Once a small fishing village, it predates the Empire and predecessor kingdoms by some centuries. While official records list the city's founding as some 1100 years prior, folklore places it far before that. However, in days of upheaval and dwindling empire, how a story began is of little consequence.

If the Empire's capital is a shell of its former self, bloated on spoils and indifferent to the plight it faces, Hintila is the opposite. A bustling center of maritime trade and industry, the city of Hintila is a multicultural metropolis, integrating different communities and cultures under the wider banners of the Archduke and the Five Families. Perhaps the wealthiest duchy in the Empire, Hintila is considered by some to be the de facto capital, and some scholars believe that should the Empire experience a rebirth, it will begin within Hintila. To the citizens within, however, there is little reason to dwell on such things.

Day to day life in Hintila is much like other cities within the Empire. Businesses and industries swell with workers, the ships come in and trade caravans pass through the gates. The marked difference, however, is how strongly Hintilans view their autonomy. As one of the three Grand Duchies in the Empire, they are largely self-governing, a concession from a weakening central government, though the Ducal elections would regularly occur even when not officially recognized by the Imperial Throne. In bars and taverns, there are still those who agitate for a true independence, to break from the vast, lumbering titan of the Empire and declare themselves as having no masters but themselves. Most chuckle at such things, but the sentiment persists even among the conservative factions. The difference being a cultural memory of the bloody wars of conquest, when Hintila was brought into the Empire over the course of decades, slowly eroding its power base as Aminor rose to the power. Weakened though it may be, the Empire still commands vast armies, and should it turn its attention entirely to Hintila, a horrid war would surely come. So they wait, as they always have done. They were here before the Wolves of Aminor crowned themselves Emperor. They will be here after.

Demographics
Demographically, Hintila is predominantly human, though there are sizeable communities of Dwarves, Wilderfolk, Kobolds, Dragonborn, and even Elves. Hintila is one of the few places within the Empire to have passed laws enshrining legal protection of Elven residents, and while the Elven persecutions are never far, it is considered something of a safe haven. Non-humans populate most strata of society, save the nobility, which remains almost exclusively human, though the Archduke's wife, Elaine von Teppler, is half-elven, considered quite scandalous to the city at large.

While Hintila has dozens of noble families major and minor, the true power is wielded by the Five Families. Traditionally the Five consist of the most influential Lords and Ladies of the city, and it is around them that minor lords and ladies flock. Factions within the city's gentry often take actions against one another, in some cases resulting in outright bloodshed, such as the Night of the Eaten Breath and the Passing Strange Massacre. These incidents are few and far between, however, as the nobility prefer to operate through more subtle means.

Political life is shaped by these Five Families, and every five years, an election is held among the gentry. The Masquerade Season, typically taking place between mid Spring and mid Fall, occurs annually, but on election years the knives tend to come out. There are countless stories of promising families falling from grace, or alliances shattering after a single Masquerade, and no small number of missing persons to associate with them.

This is the game they play. The Game of Masks and Martyrs.

House von Teppler
The current Archduke, Erwin von Teppler, is in his third term as Archduke. He is largely seen as a conservative figure, unwilling to break from Aminor, valuing stability of the city.

House Goring
The stalwart foe of the von Tepplers, the House Goring has been led by Lord Julius Goring and his sister Claudia for some years. Once considered the mightiest House in Hintila, their fortunes turned before Erwin von Teppler's first election, when their father was murdered in the night by assassins.

House Mannata
Traditionally allied with the Gorings, the current head Anastasia has made a name for herself as a dangerous political radical, advocating independence from the Empire. A political firebrand, she is quite popular with the younger nobility of Hintila.

House Limter
Once the allies of the von Tepplers, the former Lord Limter was killed during his attempted coup at the final Masquerade of the last season. Now, his son, Alfred Limter has taken his place as the head of house, though most still view him with suspicion.

House Khaam
Famously neutral, Sayeeah Khaam is the eldest head of the Five Families, and perhaps the most dangerous. She is patient, plotting, and has been the ruin of more than one noble House who sought to usurp her.

The Grand Library
Perhaps the largest library in the Empire, rivaled only by the Lost Texts or the Buried Cities, the Grand Library of Hintila is home to scholars and librarians by the hundreds. It is open to all who would come, though damaging or stealing books is considered a high crime by those within.

The Hintilan University
One of the preeminent learning institutions of the world, the University is often home for third or fourth children in noble families. The research that takes place here is often strange and esoteric, but the results are often seen as worth whatever risks emerge from within.

Undertown
A semi-mythic underground cavern, one of hundreds that honeycomb the coastline in and around Hintila, Undertown is allegedly where the most dangerous criminal bosses house their operations. They say one can find anything down there, though you'll have to know where you're going, else you'll end up trapped in one of the tidal caverns when the water comes in.

Sot's Alley
A seedy part of town, Sot's Alley is where brothels and sex workers ply their craft, though there are other areas in the city, this is the highest concentration. Notable taverns and brothels include the Strange Bedfellows, the Hot n' Bothered, the Gilded Palace, and many more.

The Crumbling Run
The most run down city district, the Run was once home to many prominent families, most of which have come to ruin. Those who live within are a more hardscrabble sort, but it is notably the location of the Residence of Rufus the Just, Champion of Hintila.

The Grasper's Court
An up and coming district, the Grasper's Court is full of hungry and ambitious sorts. Grifters and conmen often find homes within, and living in the shadow of the Golden Crest is a keen reminder of the disparity between the haves and have nots.

The Gleamer's Way
The southernmost district, the Gleamer's Way is often seen as less cutthroat than the Golden Crest, but with the Mannata and Goring Estates so close, there are more than enough bodies found in alleys the next day.

The Wharves
The general shipping district, it houses independent and unaligned trading houses, as well as those backed by smaller houses. Less organized than the Khaam Shipping District, it is also a place for shipments to find themselves lost and rerouted to untoward sorts.

The Khaam Shipping District
The monopolized docks that now bear her name, the Khaam Shipping District is the personal dominion of Lady Khaam. Efficient, focused, and ludicrously profitable, the District houses the most prosperous trading houses in Hintila and perhaps the western Empire.

The Free Streets
A bustling community outside of the walls of Hintila, it is nominally under the control of the Archduke. In practice, however, it exists independent, and is home to many misfits and oddities who do not find themselves comfortable in the limits of the city.

The Arena
A grand coliseum, it was once home to the blood sport of Hintila. Today, it houses the most popular entertainment in the city, the Masked Mayhem. Once a year, a grand tournament is held between all comers to determine who will be the king in the ring. In between, other events between Mayhemmers still draw great crowds, though some tiresome fools insist it is faked.

The Twin Lights
The two lighthouses of Hintila, built to replace the Old Lighthouse. Gleaming edifices of modernity, the Twin Lights signal ships as far out as thirty nautical miles. Lying derelict is the Old Lighthouse, though many petitions have been made to utilize the space, it remains inert.

The Westroad Gate
The first of the gates from Hintila, the Westroad Gate is considered by many to be the end of the Imperial Way, a grand road that once connected Hintila to the very Broken Bridge that led to the ruin of Noble Argos.

The North Gate
The second gate, the North Gate connects to the Climbing Roads, a series of northward constructions that lead along the rocky coasts that line the western shores of the Empire.

The High Market
Where money changes hands. The High Market houses treasures from all across the world, provided one has the gold to spend.

The Golden Crest
The wealthiest district in the city, as well as home to the von Teppler Estate, the Golden Crest is beautiful, bustling, and deeply dangerous. When travelling it, keep one hand on your coin purse, and one around your neck.