Chapter 3: The Rock of Bral - Astral Adventurer's Guide

Chapter 3: The Rock of Bral. Bral is a city built on an asteroid. Its inhabitants, who hail from many worlds, typically refer to Bral as the Rock. There is no other place quite like it in Wildspace. This chapter provides an overview of the asteroid city, which can serve as a hub for campaigns set in Wildspace. The accompanying poster map shows the topside and underside of the Rock of Bral, which are described later in this chapter. There's only one rule on the Rock of Bral: leave your vendettas at the docks Past and Present The Rock traces its roots back to roughly 170 years ago, when the eponymous Captain Bral established a pirate refuge here. The asteroid became a haven for thieves and cutthroats, and among them a few merchants and entrepreneurs set up shop. Even in a climate of lawlessness, the place evolved into something resembling a settlement of citizens. After Captain Bral's death, the burgeoning city became known as Bral, in his honor, and its location as the Rock of Bral. For the next several decades, various pirate captains held sway in the city, but none of them demonstrated an interest in trying to take over sole leadership of the city. Eventually, the merchants and tavernkeepers who made their livings on the Rock became as numerous as the pirates and brigands who sought refuge there. One of the pirate captains, Cozar, sensed that times were changing on the Rock-that the days of lawlessness were coming to an end. Through a series of strategic alliances and shrewd business deals, he consolidated his political power and dubbed himself Prince Cozar, the Rock's first overlord. Under Prince Cozar's long reign, the city evolved from a pirate hideout into a major city, attracting profit-seekers, adventurers, and other more respectable types. Upon Cozar's death, the rule of Bral passed to Frun, his son and heir. Frun was far from an able politician. Rather, he was a hedonist whose overindulgences compromised his authority. Business leaders and other influent...