polyneighsia [Lore] Wingapore

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Wingapore - The Sovereign Island

 

Set in the east of the Polyneighsian archipelago is the city state of Wingapore. Countless goods and services are exported from here; not only to Neighpon, but to various areas of the world. Featuring black sand beaches and an inner rainforest, this island is also packed to the brim with tropical hustle and bustle. From qilin and longma, to ponies and griffons, many species from all walks of life live in this gigantic island metropolis. Tourists also are drawn to the hum and energy of Wingapore, where anyone can get anything they desire... for a price.

 

Wingapore used to be a colonial possession of the Neighponese Shogunate for several centuries, occupied for its strategic position on the main trade route between Neighpon, Hesperia, and Long Guo. Such trade made the colony very prosperous indeed, allowing for home-grown elites to invest in numerous industries: fabrics, perfumes, paper products, wood crafting, metal work, artisan crafts, and many other goods. After a couple hundred years of accumulating wealth and power, the local elites grew tired of obeying the whims of distant Neighpon, so they began financing revolutionary movements both in Wingapore and elsewhere throughout Polyneighsia.

 

Whenever home-grown rebellions failed to ignite, hiring ninja mercenaries to sow havoc sufficed. While subduing one well-financed insurrection after another outside of Wingapore proved fairly simple for Neighpon, Wingapore’s insurgency itself proved far more costly. After a devastating battle that ended the last full blown insurrection against their rule, Neighpon realized that the very thing that made Wingapore valuable to it — the wealth — made it impossible to control. Rather than continue the series of destructive conflicts, Neighpon’s shoguns eventually opted for peace, granting Wingapore its independence in exchange for overwhelmingly favorable trade relations.

 

The city today has been rebuilt from its ancient layout, with many sections having narrow cobblestone roads. Streets once built for small rickshaws now serve double-wide carriages, adding much to the congestion of the modern-day city. Vendors who set up their carts alongside Wingapore’s streets make a decent living selling their wares: foods, drinks, trinkets, and bobbles. Such streets are quite common in tourist-heavy locales, and can become so crowded at times that it becomes difficult to walk at a steady pace.

 

The central police force is known as the Wingapore Island National Guard, or WING. Finding those brave enough to dedicate their lives in service is a difficult task, and so the force suffers from understaffing. This is especially troublesome in recent years with the rise of the Jing Fangbow, an underground smuggling ring which grew to an incredible size and stature. The Jing has carried out numerous heists over the last couple decades, and its leader is the most wanted criminal on the island if not in all Polyneighsia.

 

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There are six main districts that make up Wingapore: Harbor Quay on the western shore, Neighpon Town in south-central, Tanjong Heights to the south, Trot Bharu in north-central, Golden City to the north, and Mount Serpent Tear right in the island’s heart.

 

Harbor Quay is the bustling main port of entry to the Sovereign Island. The harbor is shielded from tropical storms by two thick breakwaters. Twin lighthouses occupy the tip of each breakwater, each lighthouse decorated with spiraled gold and crimson ornamentation along with representations of twin jade serpent dragons. As Wingapore is one of the busiest ports in the world, Harbor Quay predictably turns into a bottleneck of freighters and cruise liners during peak hours. Special docks welcome visiting tourists, who get swarmed by merchants... and other characters of a less savory nature.

 

Neighpon Town is Wingapore’s primary tourist trap and hotel district. Built to resemble an ancient Neighponese city, it comes complete with an arching jade-framed gateway leading into the district’s main street. The residents of Neighpon Town live in small apartments above ground-level shops, whose owners attempt to lure customers with shining trinkets and hoof woven garments. The noise of loud shopkeepers and passing carriages leads to a constant din in this neighborhood, further exacerbated by ceaseless music playing: pounding drums, ringing chimes, and whistling flutes. With the local police stretched thin, Neighpon Town’s crime rate is high. Tourists are advised not to roam the streets late at night to keep their belongings safe.

 

Tanjong Heights is the business nucleus of the Sovereign Island. High-rise buildings, factories, and the WING Headquarters form the skyline in this sleepless section of Wingapore. All kinds of consumer goods are produced, sorted, packed, and prepared here for transport to distant lands. Tanjong is the headquarters for some of the most powerful corporations in the world... and also some of the largest international crime rings. Some may not be who they seem in Tanjong, as crime lords work alongside corrupt business executives and shady accountants in the quest for maximum profits.

 

Trot Bahru is where the rich and famous of Wingapore come to play and do their shopping. The exclusive hotels in this section come with a golden price tag unaffordable to the average tourist. Hooficure salons and high-end restaurants are good places to spot world-famous celebrities, or possibly the renowned Ebony Tree golf course adjacent to Mount Serpent Tear. The local police make great strides to curbstomp crime in Trot Bahru, although some of the biggest heists in the world have taken place here. Qujowl Lock, the Sovereign Island’s most reputable bank, is located in Trot Bahru; it is the district’s sole establishment to have never fallen victim to a successful robbery... though many criminals have tried.

 

The Golden City is the crown of the Sovereign Island, Wingapore’s political core. The Sovereign Pagoda resides in the Golden City’s center; this golden twelve-story pagoda contains the residence and offices of Wingapore’s ruling princes, descended from the aristocratic ringleader of the island’s historic independence movement. Marked by its new brick roads, only foreign dignitaries and most influential can afford a residence in the highly guarded Golden City. There are several villas adorning the outskirts of this area, though the inhabitants of most are secretive and unknown.

 

Mount Serpent Tear, an extinct volcano, is a haven in the midst of the turmolt that is Wingapore. Preserving the remains of the original rainforest that formerly covered the island, Serpent Tear offers harmony, relaxation, and peace for one’s soul. The mountain is often covered in swaths of heavy mist that drips its way through the plants constantly, thus giving the mountain its name. Monks maintain various memorials and shrines on the winding dirt and cobblestone trails; flowers and lush green foliage cover everything else. There are several waterfalls throughout the mountain landscape, and the crater on the summit houses a small crystal-clear lake, a drink from which is said to cure various ailments and possess various magical properties. For only a modest contribution, the Serpent Tear monks are quite happy to permit pilgrims to enjoy the lake’s blessings.

 

~Destinations Far and Wide

Niles Bridgewater