Dragon Gold City

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Dragon Gold City (龙金城)
Type	Independent city-state
Affiliation	Lord Alliance
Location	Eastern coast of the continent; built against the southern mountains and the Inner Sea
Occupation / Role	Trade hub, adventurer center, and political center governed by the Council
Status	Active
First Appearance	25

Background / History

Dragon Gold City was founded by survivors of the fallen Golden Country, led by Princess Eve Edel. They built a prosperous city upon the bones of dragons, and the survivors became the basis of its twenty-seat Council. Leon Lionheart later murdered Eve, took her crown, and became the Lionheart Lord. 177 205

Dragons had vanished from the continent long before the present story. The city’s enormous dragon skeleton remained one of the few pieces of evidence that dragons had truly existed. 25 89

The Deep Well beneath the city was originally shaped by corruption from an ancient dragon’s flesh and blood. Its monsters and treasures provided Dragon Gold City’s early wealth; after the natural hoard was depleted, the city’s rulers turned the Dungeon into a managed system, replenishing treasure to draw adventurers into eliminating its recurring threats. 155 179

Geography and Districts

Dragon Gold City is built around the skeleton of a massive dragon that died resting on the southern mountain ridge. Its spine crosses the mountains, its tailbone extends across the plain, and city walls divide the settlement into districts. 92

District / Landmark	Description
Dragon Political Hall	A palace-like complex on the mountainside, built around the dragon’s spine. It houses Council meetings and the Supreme Court; its dragon-head façade has a waterfall flowing beneath it. 92
Upper City	Wealthy area whose residents can afford private meetings in the Political Hall and maintain residences of significant value. 92 189
Commercial District	The trade center at the foot of the mountain, forming part of the Lower City. Its prices and security are notably separate from other districts. 92 131
Spine District	A residential district populated largely by descendants of merchants and artisans; halflings, gnomes, and desert dwellers are common there. 129
Under-Cliff District	Residential area near the southern cliffs and Upper City, home to many longstanding local families. 129
Castle District	Administrative core containing the military, courts, government, and major decision-makers. 138
Temple District	Former center of numerous faiths; the Starlight Mage Academy is now its principal institution. 138
Port District	Water-transport hub connected to the Inner Sea and old canals; characterized by warehouses, merchant shipping, low-paid labor, and dense housing. 140
Deep Well District	Adventurer-centered district built around the living Deep Well Dungeon; includes black markets, Refugee Alley, and the Adventurer’s Guild. 116 140
Dragon Tail Pass	Tax-paying settlement outside the city walls. Its residents may be sheltered inside the walls during major threats, but it lacks services such as road cleaning and drainage. 92 124

Government and Law

Dragon Gold City is governed by a Council headed nominally by the Public Lord, who holds leadership and veto authority. The remaining Masked Lords conceal their identities to discourage bribery; a lord who voluntarily reveals their identity can be punished and replaced. 91

The city places great importance on legal procedure and public opinion. Even nobles can be challenged when acting outside city law, as Mel Barri’s attempt to seize star-plum seeds from Dragon Tail Pass residents is rejected by the City Guard. 91 135

• Leon Lionheart — Public Lord during Tang Qi’s stay; an oathbreaker who seized power after killing Eve Edel. 177 205
• Masked Lords — Council members whose concealed identities are legally protected. 91 95
• Supreme Court — Located within the Dragon Political Hall. 92
• City Guard — Maintains public order, controls city access, and enforces martial law when ordered. 93 100
• Dragon Rider Corps — Elite legion that guards the Deep Well entrances and controls the city’s airspace. 142 192
• Starlight Mage Academy — Major magical institution associated with Stella Starlight and the surviving legacy of the Golden Country. 138 177

Economy and Society

Dragon Gold City is a city of merchants and adventurers. Merchant caravans arrive from across the Lord Alliance, while the Inner Sea and historic canals make the Port District a major water-transport center. 106 140

The city’s prosperity is uneven. The Commercial District and Upper City reflect immense wealth, while the Port District’s workers, Refugee Alley, and the Deep Well District’s poor endure dangerous and unstable conditions. 116 131 140

• Dragon Tail Pass residents pay a monthly residence tax of one silver coin, or one gold coin for twelve months of residency rights. 124
• Newsboys from the Refugee Alley orphanage distribute newspapers and gather information throughout the city. 116
• The Deep Well District is the city’s most racially tolerant area and includes Tieflings and other non-human residents. 140
• The Adventurer’s Guild is an official Dragon Gold City organization that manages requests from across the Lord Alliance. 140 141

Deep Well Dungeon

The Deep Well is a living Dungeon beneath Dragon Gold City, believed by many to be a dragon’s treasury or nest. It produces monsters, shifting terrain, and valuable loot, while its presence causes tremors and collapses in the surrounding district. 100 116 155

The rulers of Dragon Gold City deliberately sustain the Dungeon economy. By placing treasure in its depths and promoting the legend of the Dragon Hoard, they attract adventurers to clear monsters that would otherwise threaten the city. 155 179

• The Adventurer’s Guild surrounds the Dungeon’s central shaft and provides access to its lower levels. 141 142
• Entry costs one gold coin per person. 142
• The Dragon Rider Corps guards the Dungeon entrances to prevent conflicts between adventurers. 142
• The Red Scarf Gang grew within the Deep Well ecosystem and was tolerated by Leon as a means of absorbing criminal elements and preserving the city’s wider stability. 140 179
• The Dungeon contains a hidden Dragon Hoard area and an abandoned Mind Flayer conch ship capable of astral travel. 159 293

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arrival and Martial Law

Tang Qi’s group reaches Dragon Gold City after fleeing Star Plum Town through the Twilight Forest. The city is under martial law following reports of orc attacks on Mel Barri’s territory, and Tang Qi must negotiate with the City Guard to secure entry and lodging for the refugees. 91 93

The Golden Oak and City Life

Catherine establishes the Golden Oak tavern near Dragon Tail Pass, while Tang Qi gains influence through his connection to the Guard Captain, his guidebook, and his actions against the Red Scarf Gang. 122 124 135

Deep Well Investigation

Tang Qi explores the Deep Well, uncovers its role in Dragon Gold City’s prosperity, and learns that the supposed Dragon Hoard is part of a system designed to lure adventurers into containing the Dungeon. 140 155 179

Conflict over Yiwu

The city’s political struggle centers on Yiwu, the dragon hatched from the egg Tang Qi protected. Stella reveals that Yiwu is Eve Edel’s reincarnation, while Leon seeks custody of the young dragon and attempts to negotiate for her through wealth, status, and legal authority. 177 179 189

Escape from Dragon Gold City

After being confined in Dragon Prison, Tang Qi and his companions escape during the Double Moon Feast. They scatter money and excerpts of Tang Qi’s guide across Dragon Avenue, draw adventurers into conflict with the guards, and break through the city gate with Yiwu’s dragon breath and Dawn’s attack. 192

Trivia

• The city’s nickname and appearance are literal: from a distance, its districts fill out the shape of the dragon skeleton beneath them, making the dead dragon appear to have been given new life. 92
• “Guess who the lord is” is a common greeting among Dragon Gold City citizens because Masked Lords conceal their identities. 91
• Tang Qi considers Dragon Gold City a pillar city of the Lord Alliance and states that it possesses the power of a nation. 273