Table of Contents
Prall
Prall is the worker city on the island of Centralia. Prall is in direct contrast to Centralia Prime. It is dirty and dangerous. The 'See a Crime, Punish It' motto of Centralia is perverted here to 'You Make Your Own Law'. The only constant law here is that if you have to either work for a boss, steal it from your fellows, or do menial labor in Centralia Prime (washing up first so as not to offend their delicate sensibilities).
The largest industry in Prall is the gigantic iron mill on its east side. The miss is constantly spewing forth fire and “stuff”. It makes the whole city have a greyish-green haze, and sediment collects on everything that stands still for more than a minute. Since the death of the god Taurus, the mill is often visited by shady people from all over the world.
The fires from the mill, and other industries, cause Prall to appear to be burning. In Prall, these fires provide enough light that the roving gangs don't need to supply their own.
Various physical areas and/or industries are presided over by a boss. A boss is like a union head or minor mobster. They are always accompanies by some muscle, people bred to jump at their command. Prall does not have crime families since the environment is far too volatile to allow for dynastic behavior. Bosses choose their successor but that person has to prove themselves worthy of taking the title or another will take it from them. These scrambles from the top generally come down to a single act of violence: fast, first, and final.
The New Republic
The Republic of Prall. after the events that transpired during the one with a thousand eyes event. the City of Prall has broken free from the shackles of Centralia City and now having become it's own independent city state. the city of Prall now is a republic and no more will the city be trampled upon by it's neighbors. Prall now stands to serve as a bastion for the advancement of the sciences and industry of Jaern. due to the near two hundred years of forced industrialization. Prall is now poised more then ever to become an industrial powerhouse.
Under the new orders of the council of Prall and it's chancellor Vicaria Steins. the city has begun to advance both technologically and societally. a new rule of law sees that workers are now fairly compensated for their labor, children are no longer forced to labor in the factories and are instead given a chance to learn and grow. and the city itself is no longer choking upon the ash and dust that was spewed endlessly by the factories. The city has begun trade with it's neighbors in the Rhine and even with the city of Szczyet on Cahyali which has lead to an influx of new wealth and ideas for people.
thanks to the industrialization of the Republic. many new advancements in science, engineering, and technology. it is now not uncommon to see clockwork machines that tow goods. new industrialists followed by clockwork hounds and pets. there is even rumors of men and women with gears and clocks within them. for Prallians everywhere this is a new and exciting point in history for the city.
The council of Prall
Since the independence of Prall, the council of Prall was established as the governing body for the city with the High Chancellor as the head of the state. The council is made up of 12 representatives from the six districts that the city has been divided up into. The high chancellor is the head of the state and with the council makes the decisions for the city and helps the city to evolve and change overtime
To gain a position as a representative of the district, a person must have property within in the city and live within the city for at least three years. During major council meetings it is expected that a representative will show up unless there is a severe medical or family issue. If no issues are present and the representative does not show up they will be issued a warning, repeat offenses will result in the loss of one’s position on the council.
The Citizenry and City
Living in Prall is never an easy thing. even now with many of the sweeping changes there are still parts that cling onto Pralls destitute past. but despite all this, life has changed and for the better.
one of the biggest changes in Prall is the issuing of the governmental jobs and regulation of work hours. in the past Prall had no such regulations though now with the orders given by Vicaria Steins that has changed drastically.
The Districts
Originally the city of Prall was a singular district with multiple neighborhoods that were run by various “unions”. The term union in Prall often refers to a criminal organization and in the past there were many of them that continuously rose and fell due to the ever shifting nature of the city. The council now has been able to assign districts to the city in an attempt to help create better organization
New Quarter District:
The new quarter district, while not necessarily new, is one of the larger districts as it is where a lot of the housing for the city is, with new building codes and practicies the new quarter district often has more apartment style or multi tiered homes. A lot of the homes now have specific regulations regarding placements of heating and sanitation which has helped in regards to increasing the lifespan of citizens while also reducing the amount of damage done by fires in the past.
Industrial District
The industrial district is the one that is honestly the best known district in Prall and is the one that gets associated with the city the most. The industrial district is home to many of the factories and workshops of the city. The biggest building in the district is the Reinhart Mill, this steel mill is one of the oldest structures in the city and has had quite the history, only recently now did the mill get updated to meet with new regulations. Those that come to the industrial district will find that tools and weapons are often cheaper then they would be other places due to the huge influx of iron and steel refining, it is also not uncommon to see automatons roaming the industrial district carrying large quantities of ore and refined metals.
Dockyards
The Dockyards while many consider it to be part of the industrial district it is in truth a separate district. Most of the dockyard workers are incredibly proud of their work and their ships so this has led to many of them during the formation of the districts to have the dockyards be separate. Most of the time the dockyards have the homes of the workers and their families. The dockyards is responsible for shipping out the materials and for allowing traders in as well, the dockyards also has a specialized portal in the ocean that is heavily guarded, the portal leads to Ulos and some merchants come and go to buy and sell goods, however only one ship can go through at a time.
Clockwork Lane:
Clockwork Lane is a specialized district, home to newly made educational centers including Parvac college. Clockwork Lane is well known for it’s large automatons that rove around the district and throughout the city. The most famous of the automatons being the “tall gent” or sometimes also referred to as “Daddy Long Legs”, a large spider like machine that stands around 15 feet tall and is used for hauling large quantities of cargo to the docks via a cart system. Pravac college has also become a renown leading college in Prall due to their dedication to the advancement of mathematics. alchemy/chemistry, and mechanical engineering.
The Belly:
While some argue if this should be considered a district or not. The Belly is a large series of tunnels and mazes that lead throughout the city. Most notably location within the Belly is called old Schuck’s rest. A cemetery located deep under the city that local superstitions believe is home to the spirit known simply as old Schuck lives. Some also claim that in the deepest parts of the Belly one can find there way into the Dreaming and many tails circulate that an ancient dreamt with a body of bronze and coals for a heart lives within the heart of the Belly district.
The Alleys
The Alleys is the worst neighborhood in Prall, likely all of the Rhine. In the Alleys, touching your weapon is considered an invitation to duel. A code of honor exists among duelers… oddly enough, there is a concept of fair play. If your opponent draws a huge sword, he is either a poor swordsman or inviting you to match the capacity of his weapon. If you draw a huge sword and your opponent draws a small, blunt, kitchen knife, he obviously considers his skill with that weapon to be a match for your skill with yours. Sometimes people mis-gage one another and a dualist may disengage to change weapons or just run away. Invariably, such a person is laughed at… if they don't get killed in the first few mismatched seconds of the duel.
A duel generally draws a huge crowds, making bets and searching for some sign of unfairness - at the such a sign, the crowd will move in to make the fight fair again. On occasion, the result is a free-for-all frenzy of bloodletting.
Unfortunately despite the best efforts of the new council of Prall. the Alley's still remain one of the most dangerous sections of Prall, though measures are now in place to help the Alley to at least be much more liveable and hopefully these changes will lead to better conditions and a reduction in crime.
Avenging Angels
The Avenging Angels are the Prall equivelant of our modern Guardian Angels. They are not priests of Tor, merely believers in justice. They are an organized group, and most work alone, but some in pairs or trios. Those working in small groups tend to use the “raptor technique” for controlling violence: one member approaches the trouble and gets its attention, while the others sneak in to blindside the rabble with quick and decisive action.
The Angels train hard and guard their image almost as zealously as thier city. Anyone caught wearing their mark who isn't a member is encouraged (painfully and permanently) not to repeat their mistake.
Places of Note
The Flaming Zeal - The Flaming Zeal is a bar in Prall that also serves as the local Temple of Orus. Aldo, the proprieter believes himself a priest and loudly, and boisterously, preaches while serving drinks and working people to a fevor.
Jakes - Jakes is a barber shop on the northern end of Prall. Jake is probably the oldest man in all of Centralia and is considered very wise. He is Prall's version of a priest of Taurus. Although not truly a priest , he does have an uncanny ability to size up people and things and to learn a great deal from them. Outside his shop is a red and while pole that revolves. Locals believe that it wards off evil so Jakes is a sanctuary for those people who are plagues by the demons and evil spirits that life in Prall (and cheap access to bad drugs and alcohol) will often give a person. Local belief is that a bald man is a truly troubled soul.
The Refuge - Once a clinic that was always understaffed and barely had any doctors or medical professionals, the refuge was an ill omened place that many went to die due to sickness and disease. however after the events of the new republic and a massive donation of funds from the adventurer known as Pheobe. the Refuge has taken on a new life as a massive hospital. fully staffed and having some of the best medical professionals in the city and in the Rhine. The Refuge has become one of the leaders in new medical practices in the Rhine and abroad, in addition the Refuge has now also become a small temple dedicated to Isis as well.
Weary Knickers - Stylish pub near the docks. This pub was newly built and decorated in a manner to attract the business of sailors. Until the breaking of the reefs (in Irkusk of 10026) Prall was not able to handle seagoing traffic. When planning for the Breaking had been approved docks were built and harbor type businesses followed quickly.
The Weary Knickers speciallizes in sandwiches and does not serve hard liquor or mixed drinks. Beer, Ale and Wine are all that is available. Sandwiches are fish (in several varieties and preperations), rat and rabbit.
Tenament House - Its on Barker Road. And has at least 32 rooms.
125 Drako Street - Its a person's residence. See 2004-03-06 Game Writeup.