Medina
The Capital of the Republic
At the heart of Turtle Island lies Medina, the seat of the Republic and the largest settlement in the sky. It is a city of trade, ambition, and quiet desperation, where fortunes are won and lost in the span of a single contract. Though it lacks the heavy industry of Sidonia, it holds something far greater—control. Here, the guilds and councils dictate the course of trade, the military strategists plot the Republic’s defenses, and the common folk toil in the streets, hoping to scrape together enough coin to buy a better life.
Though its streets are bustling and its skyline is crowned with grand structures, Medina remains a city at war with itself. The powerful grow ever wealthier, their estates rising high on the backs of those who build them, while in the slums and back alleys, whispers of unrest stir like the wind before a storm.
But Medina endures, as it always has, because it is too important to fall.
The Eastern Docks – Where the Skies Open
East of Highspire lies the Eastern Docks, a district built around Medina’s primary airship port. It is a place of constant movement, where crews disembark, cargo is loaded, and traders finalize deals before their ships vanish into the sky. Unlike the industrial efficiency of Sidonia’s shipyards, Medina’s docks serve as a hub for trade, diplomacy, and mercenary ventures, where captains and merchants negotiate their next journey.
The Grand Skydock, a towering structure of wood, reinforced steel, and floating platforms, serves as the main terminal for incoming and outgoing airships. The Skydock is a marvel of engineering, featuring massive cranes, docking rings, and reinforced mooring towers to keep ships steady in the shifting winds. Crews can be seen scrambling along the walkways, shouting orders as cargo is hoisted between vessels and the warehouses below. The docks are overseen by Dockmaster Orlin Vex, a no-nonsense administrator known for his strict adherence to schedules and his deep disdain for smugglers—though it is rumored that the right amount of coin can buy passage for goods that wouldn’t survive official inspection.
Near the docks stands The Sky’s Rest, the largest inn in the district, catering to airship crews, traders, and wandering adventurers. Unlike the refined establishments of Highspire, The Sky’s Rest is a rowdy, well-worn inn where deals are struck over tankards of spiced rum and crews are hired with a handshake and a promise of riches. Run by Matron Yelva, a former skyfarer herself, the inn is known for its strong drink, thick stew, and its infamous “Wall of the Lost”—a board covered in old contracts, missing crew notices, and tales of ships that never returned. For those seeking adventure, it is the best place to find work—if they don’t mind the risk.
The Eastern Docks are the lifeline of Medina’s economy, connecting the city to the floating islands beyond. Here, the pulse of trade beats strongest, and the skies are always calling.
The Lower Quarters – The Grit of the City
South of the Grand Plaza lies The Lower Quarters, a sprawling district of workshops, modest homes, and bustling streets where Medina’s working class toils from dawn until dusk. Life here is a constant grind, filled with the sounds of hammers against wood, saws tearing through lumber, and the calls of merchants peddling their wares. The district houses some of the city’s best craftsmen, laborers, and traders, though wealth is concentrated elsewhere, leaving many to scrape by as best they can.
Two well-known inns stand here, catering to weary travelers and laborers alike.
The Rusted Anvil, a warm and raucous establishment run by the former blacksmith Jorik Fallow, is a favorite among carpenters, dockworkers, and airship mechanics. Its ale is cheap, the stew hearty, and its reputation for no brawls before the third drink is well earned.
Not far from it stands The Broken Lantern, a quieter, dimly lit inn frequented by merchants, traders, and those who prefer to conduct their business in hushed tones. The owner, a shrewd woman named Selda Kain, is known to trade in information just as much as she does in lodgings.
One of the most skilled craftsmen in the district is Hendrik Vael, a master carpenter whose creations are sought after across the Republic. His workshop, Vael’s Timberworks, produces everything from sturdy ship masts to intricately carved furniture, and his apprentices are trained in techniques that have been passed down for generations. Though his work is prized, Vael himself is a gruff and stubborn man, known to turn down lucrative commissions if the requester doesn’t meet his exacting standards.
Looming over the district is Ironwatch Keep, a fortified outpost that serves as both a garrison and a prison for criminals and dissidents. Unlike the grand halls of the Republic Guard in the Wreck of the Neustra, Ironwatch is a grim and imposing structure, its black stone walls a stark reminder of Medina’s justice. Many who are sent there never return, and those who do seldom speak of what they endured within its walls. The keep is under the command of Captain Elias Vorran, a man of rigid discipline who sees no room for mercy in the enforcement of the law.
Despite its hardships, the Lower Quarters is the backbone of Medina, where honest work and hard labor keep the city running. For those willing to get their hands dirty, opportunity can still be found—though whether that opportunity is legal or not depends entirely on whom one chooses to deal with.
The Pulse of the Republic
Medina is a city of ambition and unrest, a place where power is hoarded, fortunes are built, and rebellion is always just beneath the surface. It is the center of Turtle Island’s politics, trade, and military strength, but it is also a city that balances on the edge of something greater, or something far worse.
One thing remains certain—whatever fate befalls Turtle Island, Medina will be the first to feel it.
"Medina is a city of open markets and closed doors, of merchants who trade in goods by day and secrets by night. It is a place where power shifts like the tide, where ambition and desperation share the same cup. For all its grandeur, it is not steel or coin that truly holds Medina together—it is the unspoken agreements, the quiet nods, the knowledge that for all the games of the powerful, the city endures. The question is not whether Medina will fall—it is whether those who rule it will remain standing when the winds change."
Where Power Gathers, Fortunes Rise, and Shadows Linger
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