Yonvosen
The Flaming Fortress
Sure, there are Dellvo-kin cities all about the place. And sure Sarigos-Prime might the biggest and grandest. But is Sarigos on top of a world-killing volcano? Did Sarigos have to deal with its people's souls gettin' swallowed by some lich-king? You look at our histories and you tell me which city is better. And I'll tell ya now: one option gets ya a pat on the back, and the other gets ya an axe in the face.Yonvosen is one of the great Dellvo-kin strongholds constructed throughout the world, set within the commonly burning landscape of the Red-Wire Crags in western Gjalvalore. The city itself is known mostly for its comparatively large amounts of Titanoshulate alloying materials of Riarshulate and Hiroshulate, which makes it the single largest exporter of such material in the world - though considering the rarity of such materials, only single tons are exported at most in a single load. In addition to its exports, Yonvosen is also known for keeping the Red-Wire Crags that it is sat upon in check, ensuring that the underground supervolcano never sees the light of day. Yonvosen - from the Dellvo-kin language of Dellvos - translates roughly to "The Flaming Fortress."
Demographics
Due to Yonvosen being a Dellvo-kin settlement, nearly all of its inhabitants are Dellvo-kin. Since most of its population are already an elven species, few other species are naturally born there, so the city's comparatively tiny populous of Aloreans and Urbo-kin are certainly immigrants. As with all Dellvo-kin settlements, and due to their traditions, no Doeveiga are allowed to enter the city. This is of course unless the ruler gives a temporary pardon to a specific individual, though this has rarely - if ever - been the case.
Government
Yonvosen is ruled by its Dellvo-kin Governor, who operates much like a king would his country. In that regard, the Governor is responsible for every major decision that affects the underground city, its inhabitants, and the city's relations to the outside world, though the general day-to-day operations are usually relegated to the advising steward council, each member of which oversees operations of a specific aspect of daily life. The orders of the Governor are carried out by Yonvosen's sizable militia force, and thanks to its traditionally reliable tax base alongside its export dues, the city can operate with more than enough profit to ensure a very high standard of living for all of its inhabitants.
Infrastructure
Yonvosen, being a Dellvo-kin settlement, is primarily built underground. However, unlike most of their people's strongholds, the surface portion of Yonvosen is not built into a mountain or cliffside, instead having an artificial castle-like structure raised above the volcanic crags. This above-ground portion is entirely dedicated to the defense of the larger city beneath, possessing no civilian structures since everything needed to sustain such a massive guard presence can be brought up from below.
The above-ground fortress is comprised of three sets of concentric rings built from stone, measuring 13' (4 m) thick and 40' (12 m) tall, topped with machiculated crenellations on both sides. The walls are further reinforced with buttressing supports on the interior to brace them against physical impacts. From there, the four entry points on each wall ring are offset by forty-five degrees from one another, forcing any enemy to waste time in transit. Additionally, each set of walls possess a series of small towers and bastions, both of which serving to provide a wide view of the battlefield. There are also four far larger towers set on each wall that can only be accessed by the upper floors of the main structure in the center. From there, each entry point on the walls is covered by a gate house, possessing two separate heavy stone doors with metal plating, and covered on either side by portcullises, allowing defenders inside to trap their opponents in a killzone of sorts.
It should be noted that the initial construction of Yonvosen only included one set of walls and towers, since the walls needed to be thick enough to repel the monstrous wildlife in the area. However, after the city was besieged by the forces of Dhelamut, the Sovereign Lord, and their singular wall was penetrated, the next Governor of Yonvosen to take over ordered the construction of additional walls in an effort to prevent future sieges from breaking into the main city.
Assets
Yonvosen possesses everything a city would require to function in its underground segment, since the fortress above is dedicated only to the defence of the city. This includes vast farming platforms for foodstuffs and organic materials, well developed irrigation from pipes to the nearby oceans fed into purifiers, and of course all of the Dellvo-kin craftsmen that live within that produce all manner of completed goods. Of course, no Dellvo-kin settlement is complete without extensive and at times absurd mining expeditions, from which Yonvosen gains most of its wealth and resources, including the world's "largest" supply of Titanoshulate alloying materials.
History
Yonvosen was among the first few Dellvo-kin strongholds to be constructed during the First Era, though at that time the city was merely a hole in the side of hill in a far less active Red-Wire Crags, especially when compared to today's version. Once the local wildlife began interfering with everyday life in the city, the decision was made to construct the surface fortress that tops the city, covering the massive metal vault door that serves as the entrance to the city proper. This surface structure was eventually abandoned when the First Calamity struck Alore, much like the rest of society's constructs at the time.
Once the surface was taken back in the Second Reclamation, the Yonsilites sought to rebuild the fortress that had kept the entrance to their home hidden from view. For the next several millennia, Yonvosen stood unassailed by major events aside from the day to day operations that work to quell the volcano beneath them. This all changed when a giant going by the name and title of Dhelamut, the Sovereign Lord began his conquest of Gjalvalore. At first, the tyrant lord sought a peaceful trade deal with the Dellvo-kin within, and in exchange for purchased resources and the installation of a communications relay within the city, he gave his word that he would keep their livelihoods and self-governance intact, just as all that came before him had. This would not last, as Yonvosen would see his Phantom Legions besiege the city years later, a siege that would last for a century and cost hundreds of thousands of lives before the tyrant was finally defeated, and the legions dissipated. Today, the newly rebuilt and reinforced Yonvosen stands as a testament to Dellvo-kin craftsmanship, with stonework capable of weathering the harshest of natural and man-made disasters.
Founding Date
15 Voruzel, 537 AFE
Alternative Name(s)
The Flaming Fortress
Type
Large city
Population
Approximately 1,760,000, nearly all of which are Dellvo-kin.
Inhabitant Demonym
Yonsilites, People of the Flames
Location under
...A guardsman rushes his report to his superior officer. In a haste, he attempts to catch his breath, "Sir! The legions have breach the gatehouse!"
The guard captain takes a long drag from his pipe, weathered from experience just as he is, "So quickly, eh? Then we must act fast: seal the city vault doors and focus most of our forces on its defense. The inner fortress is the last choke-point before the city proper, and we will make them pay for every single inch they steal."
"Yes sir!" The guardsman rushes out just as swiftly as he came, moving to alert the fortress to the orders of their commanding officer.
The captain is approached by one of the guardsman in his entourage as he moves to the center of the room, "Sir, will we be abandoning this post?"
"No, we will hold them here." The large stone doors before him buckle slightly as they are slammed by one of the Phantom Legion's battering rams. "We will give the others time to solidify their defense against these liched-fiends. I would rather die than see these monsters step one foot past this spot!" The doors buckle again, cracking beneath the force - it won't take another hit like that. "I will understand if you want to go with the others and bolster the defense further in. That would probably be the better option for all of us here. Go if you will or stay if you must, but I will not let them step one foot past me while I still draw breath."
The captain draws his two morningstars and prepares to assault the enemy. His entourage chooses to leave him to his fate and retreat to the full defensive lines further in.
Boom.
The massive stone doors finally give in, spraying the room inside with chunks of stone and metal rubble. And in they pour, the footsoldiers of the Phantom Legion appearing as nothing more than possessed suits of metal armor with red and black smoke pouring from the motes of red light in their helmets. The captain rushes into the oncoming horde, swinging his weapons with ferocious abandon. But he is one Dellvo-kin against an army - against him. As the debris clouds clear and the legions pour through the fortress, the tyrant giant lord Dhelamut himself stands towering above them all. He leans down and grasps the broken body of the guard captain - trampled by thousands of armored boots - in his gauntleted hand.
"Hmm," he begins, his low and booming voice echoing above the clattering of ghostly legionnaires, "your spirit is fierce and loyal, but your body betrays the strength of your will. You will make a fine captain in my ranks. You will serve me well, no doubt." He drops the body to the floor, set ablaze by flames of red and black. And after hitting the ground, the armor stands, filled with a spectral mist - eyes replaced by simple red motes. Dhelamut then looks back through the shattered threshold, alerted to something. "Continue the siege in my stead. It seems my attention must be called elsewhere for now."
The Tyrant then takes his hexagonal metallic greatclub in his hands and proceeds back out of the fortress, leaving his space to be taken by armored behemoths easily of his size, and showing a similar red and black mist within...
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