Marcaria
A city of snow and mead
Marcaria, where once lay a backwater fort on the edge of the Caleian Empire, now stands a great and majestic city with its own legacy to boast of. While not completely safe from the ever-growing hordes of chaos and darkness, travelers will find little evil in Marcaria, as it is a city full of life, feasting and taverns. When summer gives way to fall, and the crops grow ripe for harvest, the entire city rises in celebration of its annual Harvestfest, like all other Graylander cities, and every nook and cranny brightens up with life, cheer and mead. As the capital of the Arainverian League, Marcaria is the safest and largest city in the five Graylander duchies.
Demographics
Marcaria is one of the most cosmopolitan urban centers in the Graylands, with the highest proportion of Imperials west of the bay. A large number of half-elves and Jothun call Marcaria their home, making it also one of the most open cities in the West. There are also several large Modarite and Nehheian churches in the city too, something near unheard of in other provinces of the former Empire.
Government
Like most other Graylander cities, Marcaria is ruled through a feudal system and under an elected burgher. This mayor, who is elected for a period of one year, answers directly to the Duke of Drame. As the largest city in the Graylands, Marcaria serves as the seat of the Arainverian League.
Defences
The city of Marcaria, like all other Graylander cities, is well-defended and encircled by a stone wall. But unlike most other cities, its walls are thick, with few scratches or breach attempts to be seen. No towers dot the landscape, as the city has only ever been attacked a couple of times, back when the Legions still protected it. Now, a significant amount of slums in the Pearlhook and Ash Valley districts have cropped up, well outside of the city walls' protections. This presents a danger to its inhabitants, though few of them wish to acknowledge it.
Industry & Trade
Marcaria serves as the main trading hub for any commerce going in and around the area. As a result, though it is not a republic like the others, it has earned its place among the western merchant republics.
Infrastructure
Most of the Caleian infrastructure from the Imperial Age is still in relatively top-notch condition compared to other Graylander cities, and is even being expanded thanks to the city's wealth as a trading post.
Assets
Marcaria is full of small stores, shops and market stands selling all sorts of things. The city also has large stores of armor and weapons for its men-at-arms, who are often called out to protect poorer cities in the League from the Kobold tribes.
History
Originally founded as a Legionary fort for the Caleian conquest of the Graylands, the city has since-then been abandoned and rebuilt in the middle of the Imperial Age, after internal civil wars out in the East pushed refugees towards the relatively quiet Graylands. Since then, the city has grown and survived the fall of the empire as well as the recent Kobold invasions...at least so far.
Architecture
Marcaria's buildings are a curious blend of the old Imperial style most often seen out in the East and the older Graylander style of vertical, wooden houses with brick foundations. Given the complexity of Caleian architecture, the simpler-cut Graylander style has won out for the most part.
Geography
Marcaria lies at the end of a small bay, and as a result enjoys its status as a major trading hub for goods passing through. This has made the city somewhat vulnerable to sea raids and as a result, sets of watchtowers are constantly operated around the gulf to keep the waters secure.
Maps
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Map of Marcaria
Founding Date
27th of Augustus, 714
Alternative Name(s)
The City of Autumn
Type
City
Population
~34,000
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Marcarian
Location under
Owning Organization
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