Bairok City
On the inland breeze he smells people, from all over the world. The wind through the cracks carries the scents of fish, excrement and rot. These are city smells, he thinks. There is also the rich aroma of spices from Daslia, his ancestral homeland, and fine wines from Vaitaret. He is certain that these are the smells of Bairok, the great port at the edge of the forest where the sea begins. He had seen its edges through the woods before.
Demographics
The settlement is almost entirely populated by Espirion people. As an important trading hub, the Espirion of the city are ethnically diverse although they are generally of Northern M'dian origin. Very occasionally ships arrive from further south, Southern M'dian Tamijhiin spice traders for example.
Some of the wealthy of the city keep Haravi or Tamijhiin slaves. There are exceedingly few true citizens of non-Espirion races and those that do exist are rarely respected by their neighbours.
There is very little inter-continental trading; ship-building technology is simply not adequate for such long journeys. There are rarely traders from Vardta and there are stories of traders from Hlineva.
Government
The city of Bairok is ruled by its Lord Mayor, Ivaran Lin Sosteros, and governed by him and his Council of Honour. The rich city is mostly autonomous though the Lord Mayor is answerable to the Supreme Council of Tulu-Bairek.
After the Lord Mayor, the Master of Coin is the most powerful man in the city. The incumbent is Simran Taraddur. The Master of Coin overseas the treasury called the 'Pavilion of the Port' and is charged with the collection of revenue from excise and tariff. Because the city's economy relies on trade through the port, the proper enforcement of taxation and protection of business interests are vital to the city's continuing prosperity, the Master of Coin was given command of the Knights of the Order of the Pavilion who enforce the tax regulations. The Knights, who were once an elite military force, are now broadly seen as corrupt and thuggish, and many amass huge wealth taking bribes from unscrupulous traders.
Also on the council are the Chief Justicar (who chairs the Court of Assizes which hears trials in the city and the surrounding settlements), the Master of Swords (who commands the small city guard) and the Arch Mage of Bairok ( a emissary from the College of Mages who advises the Lord Mayor), along with a number of Peers of the City, given titles by the Lord Mayor and a number of tradesmens' guild masters.
The protocols and procedures of the council are complex and arcane such that it is highly ambiguous exactly who pulls the strings of Bairoki power.
Infrastructure
The grand docks of Bairok are famous throughout all of M'dia. They span a stretch of coast some 10km long. The cities dedicated military protection for commercial interests and tolerance of towards shipments that might be considered contraband in other ports have earned it its renown as the greatest trading port in all the world. Goods are brought in to Bairok from ports across M'dia and traded in its fairly unregulated markets before being shipped on across the world or transported inland as far as Okredek or even Cyiros.
The Old City of Bairok is known for its beautiful and intricately carved buildings which house trading companies, guilds and the Council of Honour itself. The tallest building in Bairok is the Citadel of the Ascended, a vast mausoleum which houses the ashes of many of the cities most powerful and wealthiest deceased.
The city is spattered by markets which are found most densely nearer to the port. The markets mostly specialise in specific goods although some, like the Mirjiini Bazaar, are differentiated by the origin of its products rather than their type.
Alternative Name(s)
Bairek, Baireka, Bairoka, Barreks
Type
City
Population
230,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Bairoki, Baireki
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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