Brell has always been a city closely tied to magic. Located in the western part of Kildar—north of the mysterious Mistborne Mountains and west of the former capital—Brell was heavily influenced by its proximity to Torrica.
During the events of Crimson Dusk, the detonation of an arcanebomb in Torrica triggered a surge of wild magic. This wave interacted with the already immense magical presence in Brell, resulting in the creation of a permanent Wild Magic Zone. Life in the city was severely disrupted as a result.
It wasn't until many years later that gnome engineers arrived and introduced Wild Magic Suppressors (WMS), which partially stabilised the situation and allowed the city to recover.
The gnomes' inventions made the city even more important with the arrival of the Lords' Alliance. Thanks to the Brell Council's decision to surrender, the city was spared from destruction, even though it remains full of mages with questionable moral compasses.
Even after the arrival of the Lords' Alliance, Brell's population remains smaller than it was before the events of Crimson Dusk. As a result, not all parts of the city are actively used. Most residents now live close to the former city centre, which lies near the sea. This central area is relatively compact, making it unnecessary to divide it into distinct districts. Still, the question remains: "Where does Brell truly end?"
Wild Magic Suppressors are expensive, so they are installed more densely near the city centre—where they are most needed and where the population is highest. The further one travels from the centre, the fewer suppressors there are, and the fewer people live there. Yet, even in the outer edges, the population never drops to zero. Some residents live there because it is more affordable, while others deliberately choose to live in the untamed magic zones, embracing the chaotic energy and avoiding the influence of the suppressors. You might assume that a distant farm is no longer part of Brell—until you see someone there practising magic or brewing potions.
The architecture of the city centre is a striking blend of towers, traditional homes, and beautiful streets, all interconnected by bridges and lifts. This multi-layered structure is not just aesthetic—it is practical. It allows a single WMS to cover several vertical layers, reducing the overall number of suppressors needed and saving resources.
The majority of Brell's population consists of mages, and most everyday tasks are automated either through magic or gnomish machinery. The local population of mages is extremely ambitious, and morality here is notoriously fluid. While there are certainly kind and well-meaning people, no one would be particularly surprised to discover that their neighbour has been practising necromancy in the basement or that someone has been testing experimental potions on 'interns'.
This did not change even after the war. During the last ten years, the population has grown considerably—mostly due to the large presence of Lords' Alliance enforcers, mages, and administrators. Their presence has made the city somewhat safer for ordinary people, although having some sort of patron is still the best way to ensure one's safety.
In most cases, people inform the Lords' Alliance of their visit to Brell. This helps authorities begin searching for them more quickly should they go missing.
There is, however, one group of non-magical individuals who are considered safe in Brell: the gnomes. Gnomes are essential to the city's infrastructure. Even those who oppose the use of Wild Magic Suppressors generally wouldn't dare harm the engineers responsible for maintaining them. In recent years, their influence and importance have increased significantly due to the political and financial investments of the Lords' Alliance.
On the surface, people in Brell behave politely in public spaces, but order is only maintained thanks to several formidable enforcement mechanisms:
Lords' Alliance – The main enforcement force currently operating in Brell. They patrol the city, and their numbers are significantly greater than those of the Eldritch Inquisition forces that operated here before the war. This has helped them maintain order, at least on the surface.
Golems – These constructs regularly patrol the streets. In most cases, their mere presence is enough to deter trouble. Should an incident occur, however, they immediately call in additional enforcers.
Guards on Giant Eagles – These skyborne sentinels have been a symbol of Brell since before the events of Crimson Dusk. Because giant eagles are unaffected by wild magic, this enforcement method has remained viable. They are particularly effective at dealing with rogue golems that malfunction after wandering outside a suppressed zone. Once weakened, such golems are lifted into the air and dropped from great heights outside the city boundaries.
From an economic perspective, Brell is known for two major areas:
While magical services can be found in many cities, such as Arland, where there is a lower risk of being scammed, the skill level of Brell's mages is on another level entirely. If you need something truly unique or powerful, there is a good chance you will be advised to seek out a mage from Brell. Whether the risk of visiting the city is worth the reward, however, is a personal decision.
Another significant source of income comes from the production of spell scrolls and, occasionally, magical items. Given that the city is almost entirely inhabited by mages, it is no surprise that scroll-writing is widespread. Many of these scrolls are sold to buyers outside the city. In fact, when a promising student arrives in Brell to study magic, their first task is often to work as a scroll-scribe, providing their mentor with an additional source of income without the teacher having to lift a finger.
This became slightly more complicated due to the need for licensing by the Lords' Alliance, but it remains profitable.
Various factions across the continent are deeply interested in the magical-mechanical devices created by Brell's gnomes. These devices combine advanced engineering with potent magical infusions.
Previously, other cities were mainly interested in golems, as Wild Magic Suppressors were largely useless outside Brell. Today, however, the situation is completely different.
During the war with the Lords' Alliance, Wild Magic Suppressors were developed into General Magic Suppressors, or simply Magic Suppressors, which suppress all magic within the affected area. The Lords' Alliance, interested in the safe use of magic and in limiting its irresponsible use, has taken a major interest in these machines. The Lords' Alliance has invested a huge amount of resources into their development and has no intention of stopping. Almost all of the cities in Kildar already have some form of magic-safe area, and some of the machines have even been exported to Faerûn. This makes Brell—and, in fact, the whole of Kildar—not merely interesting to the Lords' Alliance, but a strategically important resource.
Gnomes still produce a limited number of golems each year, but due to the shift in resources towards Magic Suppressors, they are mostly produced to replace those that have been lost for various reasons.
Alchemy also contributes modestly to Brell's economy. Although it is not feasible to establish large-scale alchemical industries in a place as unstable as Brell, wild magic has turned the region into a hub of alchemical innovation. Gnome engineers have developed a device called the Wild Magic Infuser (WMI), which allows alchemists to channel chaotic magic into potions, producing unexpected new effects.
For example, a unique flower grows near Brell that, when combined with nothing more than water and passed through the infuser, creates what is possibly the simplest potion in the world. The catch? Its effect is completely unpredictable. So far, over 20 different effects have been documented, and research is ongoing. Alchemists from distant regions frequently visit Brell, paying handsomely for a chance to experiment and infuse their own creations with wild magic.
Brell's government has changed significantly after the war. Because the mages of Brell surrendered without a fight, its government was spared, but the city was, of course, forced to submit to the Lords' Alliance.
Today, Brell is officially governed by Clesta, one of the leaders of the Lords' Alliance army during the invasion. She is famous for being a necromancer with a humanistic approach to problems and strong research skills. During the invasion, she used an army of undead because she did not want to risk the lives of her people in the fighting against Brell's golems.
To help her govern the city, there are two branches of power.
This is the main branch responsible for helping Clesta govern Brell. Among its many bureaucratic departments, the most important is the Tribunal, which has many important functions:
Licensing spellcasters.
Licensing magical items and spell scrolls produced in Brell.
Licensing potions.
Granting permission for potentially dangerous experiments.
Supporting general safety in Brell.
Controlling the general financing of research.
And more.
In practice, however, this part of the government has becomke highly corrupt. The problem is that Clesta is not interested in governing the city herself—she is much more interested in her research and humanitarian missions. She mostly gets involved when there is a major disaster involving casualties.
As a result, the bureaucratic system has gained a great deal of power without being properly controlled itself. In addition, local mages have gradually begun influencing it through spells and other means. Because of this, the archmages of Brell have also gained the power to license new spellcasters, although they only need to inform the Tribunal afterwards.
Another consequence is the ongoing struggle for research funding among the mages. Many conceal how dangerous their experiments really are, as safer experiments have a greater chance of receiving investment. On the other hand, mages often report that someone is conducting a dangerous experiment even when it is not true, causing problems and frequently leading to the imprisonment of the person who was "snitched on".
These are just some examples of how the local mages have learned to deal with the new system while remaining "true to themselves". The Lords' Alliance believed that the mages had surrendered peacefully, but in truth, the collective of Brell's mages is simply playing a masquerade, just as it always has.
The second branch is the old branch, which technically lost a lot of power. Same way as before, they have 10 seats:
One seat is reserved for the leading mage in each of the following schools of magic:
Abjuration
Conjuration
Enchantment
Evocation
Illusion
Transmutation
Four seats are held by the heads of the city’s most critical technological departments:
Head of the Magic Suppressors Department
Head of the Golems Department
Head of the Transport Department (overseeing lifts and other mechanical mobility systems)
Head of the Alchemy Department
These people are responsible for the more detailed aspects of their respective branches. They oversee safety within their schools and production lines, establish the general direction of research in their fields, ensure that their branches have everything they need, and so on.
For the members holding engineering seats, this is mostly like managing a factory. It is relatively straightforward, at least in the sense that there is less politics and far fewer games being played behind the scenes. It doesn't mean however that they don't have much power - in fact they can influence outside powers more than anyone else in Kildar, except for the Lords' Alliance itself and the governor of Arland.
For the archmages, however, the situation is completely different. They have to sign all the documents that lower-ranking mages send to the Tribunal. As a result, they are well aware of their colleagues' attempts at sabotage, as well as the true state of affairs regarding the dangers of their research. They are not only aware of these things—they are deeply involved in them. Maintaining a clean public image while keeping the dirt hidden beneath the surface, and, moreover, corrupting the local branch of the Lords' Alliance, was only possible because of the Council's previous system, which focused not on governing but on regulating the city. Their experience with the Eldritch Inquisition helped them significantly in developing their current methods.
Among the other recent changes is the status of necromancy. Necromancy was forbidden before, and the seat reserved for a necromancer was always empty. Now, with the arrival of Clesta, it is no longer forbidden. This has made necromancy very popular for two reasons. First, mages want to research a previously forbidden branch of magic. Secondly, they want to be on the same side as their new governor. This does not actually work very well, however, because Clesta does not care much about the matter.
Brell may not be the most remote city in Kildar, but the Wild Magic Zone surrounding it makes it one of the hardest to reach.Unfortunately for Brell, its connections to the rest of the world have become even worse. The portal network has been completely closed, and the other methods of travel have also become more difficult.
Two main roads lead to Brell. The northern road runs along the coast and is relatively safe, with the real danger beginning only near Brell itself. However, it is practical mainly for travelers from Ironhold bringing metals, or Ishar, bringing food.
The southern road winds through the Mistborn Mountains. This path is now completely blocked. It was always perilous, due to the monsters and wild beasts roaming the uninhabited peaks and the difficult terrain—constant fog, treacherous cliffs, and difficult navigation. Recently, however, the fog has become significantly worse, making travel completely impossible. The fog has even begun to spread into Brell itself, although the city's mages use magic to push it back.
Travelling by sea is still possible and remains the primary method of large-scale trade with Brell. Golem parts, for instance, are usually shipped this way. However, it is also the most dangerous route. The Wild Magic Zone draws swarms of enormous sea monsters. Some claim that the zone creates them, while others believe that portals to the Plane of Water may be responsible. In any case, the situation has become even worse in recent years.
Sailors must also remain wary once they reach the city. Many captains order their crews to stay on board at all costs, handling business themselves with only a handful of loyal companions. Those who disobey and wander into Brell's taverns often vanish—only to reappear as unwilling "volunteers" in one of the local mages' experiments.
Authors: Pavel, Tim
Wild magic meets magic engineering