Once founded by pioneers hoping for a fresh start around a lake on a defensible plateau, Newhope or Nayaasha (नयाशा or ਨਿਆਸ਼ਾ) slowly transformed into a junker city where all manner of artificers and gnomes gather to mine resources and create junkyard technology that both impresses and hurts. Newhope emerges from the desert like a sprawling labyrinth of makeshift contraptions and rusted marvels, its skyline full of towering spires crafted from salvaged scrap metal and repurposed machinery. A perpetual haze of smoke and steam hangs over Newhope, a smog created by the industries crafted by its industrious denizens. The air is thick with the scent of oil and arcane fumes as artisans create elaborate clockwork automatons, peculiar gadgets of uncertain purpose, and metal machinery running on steam or arcane power. Many artificers have created “vehicles” made of scrap metal powered by arcane batteries.
Now a part of the Calamity Covenant, the steampunk city used to be controlled by the Kasaaqi Hukumat until about a century ago. It has a railroad connection down to Erumaltu and up towards Dibayad, although the dibayadi connection has been severed due to the tension between the two nations. Many Warforged make the city their home now.
Despite its vibrant energy and technological prowess, Newhope bears the scars of its relentless pursuit of progress. Ramshackle dwellings precariously stack upon each other, forming labyrinthine neighborhoods where poverty and desperation coexist with the boundless ambition of invention. Stray bolts of lightning crackle across the skyline, a testament to both the city's innovation and the volatile nature of its experimental creations. Its origins as a "New Hope" are almost entirely forgotten by the current residents, as the calm mining town it used to be has almost completely vanished.
Ingenuity thrives amidst the chaos, a testament to the relentless spirit of its inhabitants who toil tirelessly in pursuit of advancement, despite the city's rough exterior and the harshness of the desert that surrounds it. It stands as a beacon of innovation and possibility in a harsh and unforgiving world, where the clang of metal against metal and the hiss of steam echo the heartbeat of a city fueled by equal parts determination and dreams.
Areas of the city include:
(Art credit: My Little Pony)
Smoketown. The main residential area of the city, almost always enveloped in industrial smog hence the name. Most of the people make their homes here in haphazardly constructed buildings. It is built around Pioneer Lake, where the original founders set up shop. Some points of interest include:
The Newhope branch of the Department of Dungeons, which also houses a public library.
The Sunset Motel, a tall inn near the center of the city where many travelers end up staying.
The Church of Vertum, a small church and blacksmithy run by a four-armed lizardfolk man named Father Druqitrozk.
(Art credit: Ruslan Grebeshkov)
Industrial Zone. The industrial might of the city is at full display here, as most of the city's smog comes from this area where all the manufacturing industries are. Between legitimate and illegitimate operations, people make everything from firearms to haphazard vehicles using all manner of steam and arcane power. Some areas of interest include:
The Gearyard, where many automatons and constructs have been left to rust in a large scrapyard full of dead robots.
The Deadscourge Warehouse, which holds many illicit goods and is owned and operated by a local gang of criminals known as the Deadscourge Gang.
The Pluggers Hideout, a large industrial forge that serves as the front for a gang called the Pluggers.
(Art credit: artbytheo)
Scrap Bazaar. A market which sells anything and everything to the travelers that pass by the city. They acquire anything of use for the artificers of the city, and in turn sell much of the junk tech that the city produces to outsiders. The market is full of scammers and thieves, and scattered pieces of rusted iron tend to make anyone sick.
The Juncana Emporium, a magic shop full of arcane items made with the same grease as the rest of Newhope. It is run by a goblin artificer named Denny.
(Art credit: David Nash)
Junk Fields. Surrounding the city's plateau on all sides is a gigantic pile of junk. Leftover tech, dead constructs, and raider homes- The fields are full of everything that the city has rejected and left to rust. Travelers pass through carefully placed roads that lead up into the city, passing in between steel archways and over rusted stairs. Most of the sewage of the city is also pumped out into the Fields.