Almost all construction in Outreach uses wood and most buildings are thatched. The city has two city walls – the inner wall protecting the core of the city and a recently fortified outer wall, which protects most of the settlement. Outside the outer wall lie farmlands and scattered smallholdings.

One of the largest logging companies in Outreach is Timber Inc. Timber Inc. has grown out of the logging industry and has been developed by Euvgeni and Kyra Maryamitrevnavich over many years.

The head offices and main processing plant of the company are both located in Outreach and there is a branch office and a warehouse in Rotan. Euvgeni and his wife are the major shareholders in the company, but there has been some recent investment from Pirsian merchants. This investment is being used to construct a new papermaking plant.

Several other logging companies are active in Outreach, including Southern Loggers, a group run from Mapleleaf and The Tree People, a new group backed by dwarven investors. Scattered through the busy city are numerous related businesses – furniture stores, wood-carvers and parchment sellers.

Outreach Gem Supply is a merchant company originally set up by Euvgeni to help market Outreach diamonds in Rotan and the rest of Ivrea. As well as the Gem Supply and more recently the Nedgari Gem Emporium (represented by the Rotan Merchants' Alliance), many other prominent jewellers frequent the Earthworks auctions. These include Haptok and the famous Leopold III, a Pirsian immigrant whose jewelled creations in the shape of animals are famous throughout Ivrea and the south.

• The Bladesmiths’ & Armourers’ Guild, which includes sword makers, armourers and some blacksmiths.
• The Builders’ & Thatchers’ Guild, which includes carpenters, joiners, masons, limners thatchers and draftsmen.
• The Guild of the River, which includes shipwrights, ferrymen and fisherman of the River Egri.
• The Woodsmen’s Guild, which includes boar-hunters, trackers, trappers and guides.

A fairly recent addition to Outreach is the trading office of the Rotan Merchants’ Alliance. The RMA has had representation in Outreach since 2705:7, but the full trading office has been open for less than two months. Already the RMA has begun to have an impact on the gem industry, and it is likely that other areas of business will follow.

There are also representatives of numerous merchant caravans on the outer edges of the city. These caravans ply the great north-south trade route to Rotan and Pirs, taking goods from the logging companies and the city’s jewellers and returning with goods and news from Ivrea.

The city’s largest common market is located in the famous Red Square – a huge open area paved with an unusual red stone taken from the mines more than five centuries ago. According to city historians, Cavnaz Elovich himself oversaw the placement of the massive red stones. Some traders can almost always be found selling their goods in the square, but approximately once each month, on a date announced by the Council, Red Square is filled to capacity. All of the merchant caravans, local traders and entertainers gather together to ply their wares and services. This event is always a festive occasion and is a must for visitors to the city.

Scattered throughout the city are a range of smaller marketplaces and shops. The Forge is one of a chain of high quality smithies owned by Michael Maryamitrevnavich; other smithies in the chain are located throughout the Twelve Villages. Mahan’s Herbs and Potions is a strange-smelling supply store run by the aging hebalist/alchemist Mahan Hollis. There is also a florist – Blooms of the South. This store is well known for its regular patronage by Euvgeni Maryamitrevnavich, whose wife – Kyra – is said to have a passion for flowers of all kind. Perhaps the most unusual shop of all is Hoppers. Run by two enterprising lizardmen immigrants, Hoppers specialises in renting out pundaks, the kangeroo-like creatures bred by the lizardmen as beasts of burden. They also provide training to customers wishing to learn how to ride the beasts.

This Council functioned much better than the Senate, but it wasn’t long before many of the members of the Senate weaselled themselves or their offspring back into Council positions. In 2704, faced with increasing lizardmen raids and an impotent Council, Euvgeni – then head of the military – suspended all Council activity and took direct control of Outreach. It says something about Euvgeni’s forceful personality that he is the only person on record to ever twice disband Outreach’s ruling structure!

After a truce was reached with the lizard people, Euvgeni was quick to re-instate the Council, and he has supported it firmly since then. At least one of the Council members demonstrated real courage during the brief war and the residents of Outreach have a new respect for the Council because of this.

However, the turbulent history of the Council is far from over; very recently (and with strong public support from Kyra Maryamitrevnavich), the first ever female Council member was appointed. This has created a deep rift within the Council between the old and new guard and has been the source of countless gossip and rumours in the forest nation.

The Council operates from chambers built on Capitol Hill, high on the south bank of the Egri. Each of the Council members has a different set of responsibilities, but the entire Council meets at least once each week in the horseshoe-shaped courthouse known as The Horse’s Mouth. During this meeting, important legal cases and petitions for changes to the land’s laws are heard.

The part of Outreach City south of the river is also home to numerous lawyers, barristers and loremasters, whose role it is to argue cases and represent those accused of crimes. Although seen by many as a burden on the city, the strong legal profession in Outreach has become a profitable export business. As Outreach has become more involved in continental affairs, legal professionals are increasingly providing services to Ivrean nobles and merchants in the north.

Another side effect of more contact with neighbouring lands has been the establishment of a formal diplomatic corps. Drawn equally from the military and from the Council’s administrative staff, members of the corps are receiving extensive training on liaison with other countries. When the first diplomats finish training, they will be dispatched to make formal contact with Sunhaven – the enigmatic nation to the west of Outreach.

Forces of Outreach in play

All of the warriors of Outreach have the Toughness feat and most (75%) also have Weapon Focus in their chosen weapon. Armour varies between studded leather (armour bonus +3) and hardened leather (armour bonus +2). Weapons range from long swords and two-bladed swords to battleaxes.

The following table gives the total number of warriors of each level in the military. It includes reserve forces, and does vary somewhat over time:

During peace-time, the day-to-day responsibilities of the military include patrolling both sets of city walls, keeping order on the streets and performing spot checks of wares coming into and leaving the city. The Outreach military has a reputation for integrity, and travellers to Outreach who assume that they will be able to bribe their way past the authorities are often unpleasantly surprised to find themselves hauled off to the courthouse to face a stiff fine and possible confiscation of goods.

The military runs five barracks halls in different parts of the city. The largest of the barracks can hold nine hundred soldiers. Smaller guard-posts are located along the walls and at a handful of other locations. There is a large training ground named Munrak’s Folly in the north of the city where combat exercises and training takes place. The barracks and the training ground are also frequently used for community functions such as weddings and pageants.

The first elephant troops were brought to Outreach after the most recent war with the lizardmen (early in 2705). Word has it that Euvgeni Maryamitrevnavich paid 22500 Rubble (7500gp) for fifteen elephants while visiting Béray. These noble creatures have found a new permanent home in Outreach. They were very recently moved into a large enclosure south of the city. To the great delight of both the leadership and public of Outreach, a baby elephant has since been born.

During the recent war between the lizardmen and Outreach, a creature not previously seen in the region attacked the forces of Outreach. This creature – going by the name Dagaronzie – is a huge green dragon some 160 feet from head to tail. The dragon fought the famous Lords of Rotan – and apparently forced them to retreat – during the truce negotiations at the site now known as Dragon’s Truce Field. The beast has also attacked Outreach City itself on several occasions.

After the first of Dagaronzie’s attacks on the city, the Dragonwatch Guard was formed. This is an elite group of soldiers drawn from the military. The Dragonwatch Guard sends scouting patrols out into the Upper and Lower Forests to look for signs of Dagaronzie. The unit is also trained to deal with future attacks on the city.

Notable spots are the Horse’s Inn – one of the cities most established inns – and The Bar, a watering hole in the administrative sector frequented by many lawyers.

Note: 1 Rubble = 20 Rubb; 1 gp = 3 Rubble
 

Outreach is often called the "forest nation", and its capital is no exception. The city has many parks, large and small, and trees grow alongside most roads and in many gardens. Roughly in the centre of the city lies a recently planted grove of trees. This area has been dedicated to the memory of all those who fell defending Outreach. 

(The famed bard Damalanthas Quithas is said to have a silver birch in this grove.) The trees in this grove are rumoured to be enchanted – it is said that the trees will live long enough to outlast the city walls.

There are also periodic attractions to the city. A circus from the Tucusk region of Outreach spends one or two months in the city each year, usually setting up at Munrak’s Folly. The circus is staffed entirely by people from the northern region who, except when the circus is open, keep mostly to themselves. Taking place on a monthly or bi-monthly basis are meetings of the Halfling Gourmet Society. This popular social group holds lavish banquets at different locations in the city. Although founded by halfling immigrants, all lovers of the feast are welcomed.

To the west of the city, not far from the bank of the River Egri, lies the Maryamitrevnavich Estate. Although it is not the largest estate in the city (it is the third largest), it is the home of the influential Maryamitrevnavich family. Security is fairly tight, but there is steady traffic into and out of the estate. Both Euvgeni and Kyra hold frequent meetings on the grounds, and recently there have also been builders on site mending damage caused by the dragon attack.

Although the use of magic is not unknown in Outreach, it is very rare. Spellcraft is met with a mixture of suspicion and awe by many citizens. This may soon change. Just a few months ago, a delegation of wizards from the University of Craft and Thought arrived in Outreach. This followed an invitation from Euvgeni Maryamitrevnavich to Chancellor Belimirar Wozacon-Ley to establish a third "Hall of Magic" in Outreach. (The University in Rotan and the College of Wizardry in Pirs being the first two.)

The visiting wizards were impressed with the city and work on the Academy of Magic has already begun. The Academy is located in the west of the city, close to the Maryamitrevnavich Estate. Three of the visiting wizards have remained in Outreach and begun setting up classes in one of the barracks halls. They hope to move into the Academy within four months.