Valoryant

Up in the frozen northlands, past the Fey Marshes and beyond the Dragon's Teeth Mountains rest a strange place for civilization to call home. Valoryant is a perpetual winder wonderland in the stories, and a harsh and icy landscape on the maps. Both of these are considered true as the denizens of Valoryant have been forced to adapt to the cold and seemingly lifeless wastes of the north. What the Valorya people lack in warm weather and comforts of the south, they make up for in quality craftmanship and some of the most fantastic magical artifice. The toys, bauble, tools, and trinkets from Valoryant are highly sought after down south as they are hard to come by. The route to the icy city is dangerous and totally impassable at times of the year.

Demographics

There is a reasonable mix of people who live in Valorayant. The Dwarves form much of the merchant class accompanied byt the Gnomish craftsmen. Humans and Elves have a much lower population within the city itself. Orcs are found here, often tracing their history back to the Cairn Islands as sea traders would come up the frozen sea. There are plenty of hunters and trappers to provide a more wild contrast to the craftsmen of the city. The surrounding forzen lands make it a much harsher place to live, so many choose to live near if not within the city itself.

Government

The city is ruled by Nicholai, the Ageless, someone who no one seems to remember a time without. He is a large man of venerable age, towering above most people. He is never seen wihtout his warm red cloak which often leads people to see him as a very intimidating individual. In truth, Nicholai is a warm and jovial man who fiercely loves his people and the lands they call home. While he is the ruling chief, he has several designated roles beneath him to help him govern the area. The city economy runs off of "Raven coins like the rest of the continent, but many locals are open to trade in goods and services that only for the metal currency. Taxes, likewise, are adjusted based on the contribution to the city. A woodworker who spends a portion of his time building and repairing the homes of residents can appeal for a lower tax. Relations with the other city-states are strained. Valoryant hosts a very strong military and in the past waged war on the southern cities due to bad blood. Currently there is open trade, but foreigners are treated a bit gruffly. Certain traders have learned to navigate this or put on a face to make a sale, but the south desired the finely crafted good enough to keep relations pleasant, if not tense.

Guilds and Factions

Officially, the Circle is the religion observed by the northern citizens. The strongest concentration of the the Vigil resides in Valoryant, and they fervently preach the dangers of magic and of the wyrd.

Unofficially, the people of the region follow many of the old ways and there are many mystics to be found in the surrounding areas around the major city. Some even believe Nicholai is a mystic as legends of him commanding the storms during the wars have spread to all regions. This is a belief that keeps the inquisition from taking more direct and violent action against those who act on such beliefs.

Geography

The frozen tundra of the north is highly inhospitable to all but the most resilient. These lands are all considered to be under the protection and care of Valoryant. These are mostly uncontested as there are few to no resources considered of value. Being mostly wilderness, there is little military control enforced on the borders with the only real garrisons being stations at the two border villages.

Natural Resources

The only resource the locals hold precious to them are the beasts that roam the wild. Many beast are held with a combination of fear and respect. Many of the beasts tower over any southern creatures and pose a major threat to travelers. If someone is found poaching these creatures, hunting without expressed permission, the penatly is death by abandonment in the very tundra they encroached upon, stripped of all tools or equipment.

There are minor sources of some metals and then you have the timber and fishing, but the cost of aquiring all of these is higher here than elsewhere on the continent. The trees are hard and grow slowly, the mineral deposits are small and remote, and the fishing is harsh in the frozen sea with plenty of dangerous beasts that hunt the same waters.

Type

Large city

Population

350K

Inhabitant Demonym

Valorya

Location under

Aislion

Owner/Ruler

Nicholai, the Ageless