Naoned
The historical seat of the Dugs of the Duchy of Letha and its current capital.
Demographics
Ethnic Breakdown
One of the largest ports in the Northeast, Naoned is a cultural melting pot, drawing in peoples from across Alvez into the large and chaotic city. Located on the mouth of the Liger River, the longest river in Northwest Kornôgel, and the southern coast of the Armorican Peninsula, the city is a natural stop for the North-South trading routes, surpassed in size on the Ar Mor Bras only by Port De La Lune, and with a higher representation of Northern peoples. Unsurprisingly, the ethnic makeup of the city is dominated by the Lethaned, especially those of Lower Letha, followed by Akitanians, their homeland less than half a days ride Southwards after crossing the Liger. Anjevin, Neustrian and Manchais also have large representation in the area, facilitated by geographic proximity and extensive trading networks. A major cosmopolitan destination, the city attracts other populations from further afield. Merchant communities from the Cloth Cities and the Golden Sea have established themselves in the trading centers of the city, while sailors and craftsmen arrive daily from the County of Tolosa and the Kingdom of Navarre. Fomorians from the Orkney Isles serve as sailors, fishermen and longshoremen on the busy docks and fisheries. Others, hailing from places as far off as Arle, Fjallkonan, Pharos and Slaver's Coast are present as individuals or smaller groups, rarely to the level of statistical relevance, but furthering Naoned's reputation as a true "world port". The Pilhaouer are less common in the region than in Upper Letha.Species breakdown
The Korrigan
Naoned hosts a thriving Korrigan population, residing in and around the city, fully integrated into the civic and commercial life of the city.The Sidhe
The Sidhe of the Fortunate Isles have a smaller presence in Naoned compared to the Bediz and the Korrigan, but are nonetheless an important community in the canal city, taking up important positions in the civic and commecial life of the port.Fomorians and Others
Government
Noble Title
The Council of 18
While the Kont and the nobility hold ceremonial and military power, much of the city and its immediate administration is handled by the Council of 18, an assembly of 6 merchants, chosen by their respective guilds, 6 nobles, elected by their peers, and 6 officials, often military or religious, approved by the Kont. The Lugoni Trading Company and the Lavigerien Guild are all but assumed to be part of the merchant coalition, given their power within the city, and a Teuz or Boléguéan is also very common. The Kriores Kunduerez of Naoned and an Eladan noble are guaranteed a slot in the noble contingents by treaty. A representative of the Druids and of the Southern Church are typically appointed as part of the Kont's selection. Elections to the Council take place every 7th Summerrules, or on the coronation of a new Kont. The Kont may also dissolve the Council at their pleasure, or call for special elections in the wake of death, sickness or scandal removing one of the representatives. Officially, each district of the city is to be represented, but this is not always the case and is only rarely strictly enforced.Defences
Physical Defenses
The city center of Naoned, located on the confluence of the Erzh and the Liger Rivers, is surrounded by fortified stone ramparts, dating from the days of Ker-Ys, which are constantly repaired and upgraded to their current state. The crenelated walls are reinforced by 21 towers, six gates and two rivergates. The Erzh river cuts the fortified city in two, connected by a series of bridges. The rivers surround the walls on 3 sides, with a dry moat on the East side. Each gate includes portcullis and drawbridge, as well as dedicated guardrooms. The Dug's Castle is located on a fortified island in the Southeast, protected by two fortified gates, one into the city, another into leading into Faubourg de Richebourg, and five fortified towers. The castle is separated from the main city by a river channel moat. The castle is located near the fortified riverport, Quai Mellier. In the Northwest, the Faubourg de Marchix is located within fortified earthworks dating from the reign of Waroch I. While not normally so, these can be easily reinforced with wooden palisades in times of war. Several of the bridges leading into the city are fortified and reinforced with drawbridges and gatehouses, including stretches of the Dugsbridge. Small fortifications, such as the island fortress of Prison de Carrier, the Andennspire and the Kriores settlements of the Grimward cliffs supplement the defense of the city from various crucial points in times of extreme need.Other defenses
In addition to its built defenses, Naoned is home to some of the largest defensive fleets in Letha, made up of both maritime and aerial forces. The Dug controls a fleet of ships and the Ducal Windgaurd, which often supplement the forces of the city itself. Ducal forces serve as the elite in both defense and internal security, while quotidian activities are administered by the City Watch. The City Watch is further supplemented by the private security of the Merchant's Guilds and Noble Houses. As a result of this, Naoned, together with Roazhon, are the only two cities in Letha where the city watch has their own Windships. Ostensibly independent, the City Watch technically has the power to commandeer the private forces of the Guilds and Nobility for the defense of the city, but more often, the reverse is true, and the Watch is more commonly used as pawns of the power plays of the city. The cities forces are supplemented by a contingent of Brassguard. A kriores invention, fortified barges can be deployed along the river as defensive positions or chain stations, granting increased control over the river traffic.Industry & Trade
Naoned is located at the confluence of three rivers, the Liger River, the Erzh and the Sevre, as the Liger drains into the Pleg-mor Gwaskogn and the Mor Bras. This has made it the linchpin of a massive trading network, connecting the river markets of the interior with the coastal traders. The wide river also allows the city to take advantage of the burgeoning Windship trade connecting it with inland trading partners once thought impossible. The Dugsbridge, a major land crossing over the Liger, connects Akitania and Letha, while old imperial roads bring in trade from the Northeast.
Along the Liger, Naoned is connected with major cities like Angers, Tours and Orleans, passing through the agricultural powerhouse of Anjev. Along the Erzh, the gentle river flows through marshland, connecting with the Marches of Ancenis and La Mee, as well as agricultural districts outside of Naoned. The Sevre, on the South side of the Liger, connects the city with the Viscounty of Retz and the March of Naoned Vignobles, bringing the fruits of the regions vineyards into the city.
Along the coast, Naoned's largest trading partners are Gwened and Port De La Lune, serving as the median point between the two and a common stop on longer trading routes. Naoned also serves as a stopping point in both directions with voyages around the Armorican Peninsula, with many ships heading directly around the peninsula to the ports of Northern Letha, La Manche and the Cloth Cities. Likewise, it has active trade through the Gates of Ruin into the Mor Kreizdouar, actively engaging with trading ports in the Golden Sea and Slaver's Coast.
Notable Trading Routes
Imports and Exports
Naoned is the largest port in Northern Kornôgel for sugar, wine and slave labour, though this last is currently officially banned in the Duchy. Press gangs still roam the docks for unlucky souls, however, and the trade persists underground. Other exports include salt, tin, fabrics and hemp, while major imports included exotic woods, stone and spices from further afield. Coffee, Teas and Cotton are also profitable imports from Iram and Slaver's Coast. The great variety to these commodities has allowed the city to become a thriving trading hub, with guilds and noble agents creating a complex network of fares, levies, taxes and customs, as well as a sophisticated system of banking and administration to handle the constant flow of commerce. The South bank of the Liger is dominated by fisheries and fishing docks, bringing in large hauls from both the sea and the Rivers, including shrimp, sardines, eels, lamprey and pike. The South Bank is the less developed of the two sides, but several villages, such as La Turballe and Le Croisic, have risen up to support this industry, largely ignored by the metropolitan North.Other Industries
A modest, but thriving shipbuilding industry, located on the riverbanks in Richebourg, the Grimward and the South Bank, is also active in the city, with new trading vessels for both oceanic and river travel being constructed and repaired at all times. Naoned is home to a small, but notorious university of the Arkane and alchemy, under the patronage of the Dugs of Letha, located in the Papegault District. While not as large or distinguished as facilities in Roazhon or the Abbey of Fontevraud, it is still a regional gathering point for magical research, with a reputation for unrestrained flights of fancy and occasionally dangerous experiments.Infrastructure
Water Management and Navigation
Naoned is defined by its relationship with the water, located at the confluence of the Liger and the Erzh River, as the former widens to drain into the bay. Built on a marshy Aber, the city is filled with canals, streams, lagoons and waterways, with networks of bridges and walkways connecting dozens of smaller islands. The waterways of Naoned range in size and complexity from wide canals to small drainage troughs, all to manage the constant flow of water through the city. The city is at the whim of both seasonal flooding and dramatic tidal shifts from the bay, affecting the level of the river well East of the city walls. Many of the low-lying districts, such as the Forest and the Grimward, are built on floating docks that rise and fall slightly with the tide, while locks and Kriores built drainage systems mitigate the worst of the damage. Still, in heavy flooding, the city can be inundated with water. As a result, much of the city, especially on the West bank of the Erzh, is built along a network of quais and docks, allowing for easy transition from water to land. Past the high-tide line, the cities industry has sprouted, with workshops, inns, taverns and warehouses serving those at the water's edge. Higher areas of hills and landfill, found in the Northeast of the city, is home to more heavy and elaborate construction of the Church, wealthy merchants and nobility. Throughout the city, sunken piles are driven down into the marshy soil to provide additional support. The most dramatic flood control system is the Undertown, a network of tunnels, cisterns and aqueducts created by the Kriores of Gargantua. These tunnels form a subterranean web, allowing for additional storage, transportation and housing, in addition to their primary purpose. It is said that the "goblin road", the underground canal network, has a route that can bring one from the Dug's island castle to Ker-Malestred, although this rumor has not been confirmed. What is known is that the network can take one anywhere in the city. As such it has become popular with tradesmen and smugglers, even supporting indigent populations in its depths. The majority of Kriores live in these tunnels. Small craft navigate the larger canals, above and below the surface, in congestion equal to pedestrian traffic above, in many ways serving as a secondary street network.Bridges
Trade Infrastucture
The primary harbor of Naoned is Quai de la Fosse, located along the wide stretch of the Liger River West of the city walls, leading from the Mask District to the Grimward. This long granite quai services ocean going and coastal ships. as well as windships that land in the river. The Port du Vin, located within the city walls on the East bank of the Erzh, was at one time the primary dock for the city, but as ships and demand grew, it fell out of relevance for the maritime trade, reworking to focus on the smaller rivercraft from the Liger, Erzh and Sevre rivers that converge near the city. It remains one of the busiest harbors in Northwest Kornôgel. Due to the proximity of the river, the city does not have a dedicated Windspire, although small spires for personal craft are common on noble estates outside of the city walls. Other small docking facilities, such as at the Andennspire, Bourgneuf and the South Bank of the Liger service additional shipping, but focus heavily of local trade and small craft. A specialized riverport, Quai Mellier, is a fortified section of the Southern walls on the Liger, used exclusively as a military port and for the Dug's private use.Other Infrastructure
Districts
Intra-Muros Districts
Guilds and Factions
Political Factions
Commercial Factions
The Lugoni Trading Company is headquartered in the city, controlling a vast trade empire across Alvez, owning counting houses and warehouses across the city. They are the largest mercantile guild in the city, and control a network of trade caravans, ships and windships. The Salter's Company, headquartered in the nearby Barony of Gwenrann is a powerful lobby with a direct ear of the current Dugez and large coffers. They are among the most prolific inhabitants of the wealthy Papegault District. Fisheman's compacts are loose, informal clubs of fishermen, often several to a district, working to ensure that they pass along information and aid to each other, often in rivalry with other clubs. While not formally established, they are an influential part of any of the riverports in the city. The Troupe of Gargantua, originating from the Kriores settlement of Ker-Malastred, nearly controls shaft mining operations between Gwened and Naoned, and exert special influence over tin, silver and other ores. The tin-miners Guild is arguably the most powerful Korrigan-majority organization in Naoned.Criminal Factions
History
Naoned, located on a key river confluence in the Ar Briwer wetlands, was first established following The Tear as a remote fishing village during the time of Gradlon Mwar, growing as a trading post. Not part of Great Kernev, the petty kingdom of Werran nevertheless enjoyed friendly relations with Ker-Ys, becoming an important trading partner. It was spared the destruction that engulfed the Ar Briwer region in the tsunami that was unleashed by The Fall of Ys.
The area remained a sleepy rural area until the reign of Waroch I, the ambitious King of Gwened (~340 SI). Seeking to gain influence to counter his political rival Budig II of Kernev, who had risen to the position of the Ard Rí of Letha, Waroch turned his attention East to the Liger River Valley. The King's men took over the small fishing village, building a motte-and-bailey castle in what is now the Faubourg de Richebourg.
Naoned's influence grew during Waroch's reign, becoming the second largest city in Gwened. Its success came at a price, when Waroch was toppled by Conomor the Cursed. During the War of the Brekilien, the city became the stronghold of Alliance of the Brekilien under the command of Muldumarec Artegall. Fortified earthworks were built in the what became the Faubourg de Marchix to reinforce the position and its crucial access to the harbor and sea. During the Blood Moon Raids, Conomor's Sea Dogs, Garwaf Vikings sailed up the Liger and laid waste to the city, resulting in the heroic death of Roland of Gwitreg and the wounding of mercenary Armel Guyon. The Alliance was shattered.
Following the War, Conomor's supporters in Poher and the remains of the Sea Dogs sailing the Mor Bihan continued to pressure the city of Gwened, Naoned was able to rise above its former colonial power, leveraging its connections with Gallia and the Anjevin Clans. Power returns to Lower Letha with the ascension of Judicael I of Poher, but the East has entered the political fray as Gallia rises with strong ties to both Naoned and Gwened. During the reign of Frodaldus I (672 SI - 694 SI), these fall under the control of the Gallian crown, culminating in the campaigns against Ard Rí Morman and Wihomarc'h.
In 735 SI, King Nevenoe I of the House of Gwened is crowned, shifting power permanently to the East. Naoned rises in prominence during this time, but remains politically attached to Gwened, despite being the larger city and home of most of the regions economic power. Naoned, annexed as part of the Gallian controlled Marches of Neustria, becomes part of Letha proper.
With this transtion, the next hundred years of the city's history were marked by internal conflict between the nobility of Naoned, weakening the region against foreign threats. The city was plunged into a series of civil wars, first against Gurvand I of Roazhon, then against Judicael I of Kernev. These wars greatly weakened Naoned, allowing it to be captured by a Formorian host in 812 SI. With the capture of its largest city, Letha was quickly conquered by the Viking forces. The Feth Fiada swept across the lands, entirely covering the city, which fell into disrepair during the 30 year period of Formorian rule. The city was abandoned by the Bediz, until the Alain II reconquered the region and was crowned Dug of Letha, establishing Naoned as his capital, which it remained until the period of intrigue known as the Poisoner's Game, where control of the peninsula shifted to rival Roazhon (~894 SI). Naoned returned as the seat of Ducal power during the reign of Dug Alan IV in 972 SI
Naoned was a central in the Wars of Konstanza I, becoming an entry point for Fae refugees during the Heresy of Albi. When Konstanza refused to surrender the Nathair to Arnaud Amalric, a fleet of Akitanian warships besieged the harbor. Despite a brutal campaign, the city remained free until the Siege broke.
Points of interest
Tourism
One of, if not the largest, ports in the Western Realms, Naoned has no shortage of travelers entering its gates, be it by water from the sea or river, overland along the Imperial Roads or aboard the Windships that cross the skies above. Its vast trade networks have bestowed upon the city a reputation of wealth and affluence. The nobles, guilds and wealthy merchants of the city make extravagant shows of their wealth, constructing luxurious mansions, guildhalls, private gardens, chapels and theatres. Numerous islands within and outside of the city walls are owned privately by the nobility, transformed into the private fantasies and playgrounds of their owners. Pleasure barges, laden with fine food and drink and sumptuously decorated, float along the wider riverways and picturesque private lagoons of the elite, often carefully removed from the tainted waters of the more public canals. Thermal baths are a longstanding industry in the city, heated by hypoclasts.
Wealth and influence is further illustrated in public works, resulting in the construction of numerous ornamental parks and arboretums around the city, which have established Naoned as a "garden city", with luxurious patches of dedicated greenery scattered throughout. Fountains, churches, bathhouses and entertainment venues, funded by wealthy patrons, are open to most of the public. A large public lagoon is found at the Place de Alan II, serving as a tournament ground for water-jousting and other public spectacles under the Ducal Palace. Other sites for Tournaments and public spectacle can be found across and outside of the city.
A nexus of global trade, Naoned has established itself as a gastronomical destination, renowned for its produce and spice markets. Specialties of the region include buckwheat galettes and fouace, a pillow-like brioche filled with pork rilettes, white beans and salted butter. Beurre blanc, an emulsified butter sauce made with local white wine and shallots, is commonly used as an accompaniment for many dishes, especially seafood. A rum and almond cake is a popular desert throughout the city.
Architecture
Straddling the Liger river, the city is a study in contrast between the Gallian and Breton north and Akitanian South. The North Bank of the Liger is home to high buildings of tuffeau stone, schist or wattle and daub, a sea of grey slate roofs. To the South, the structures take on the orange and yellow hues of terracotta on low-slung buildings. Structures are often built on granite slabs on top of sunken piles to counteract the subsidence of the land under the heavy weight. Older buildings, such as those found in the Mask District, often have noticeable leans and ample bracing as a result of this.
Ornamentation is common for public and upper-class buildings, with vaulted ceilings, carved wooden or stone decorations and ornate windows found throughout the city. Low class housing is simpler, minimalist buildings crowded together in the poorer districts.
Geography
The Ducal city of Naoned is located at the confluence of three rivers, the Liger, the Sevr and the Erdr, a short distance before the Liger widens and empties out into the Mor Bras. The land on which the settlement is built is marshy and low, and the populace has established a complex networks of canals and lagoons to facilitate transit between the many islands, quais and docks. Ships and boats of all sizes are a part of daily life for all walks of life, and is used for transit, trade, waste disposal and entertainment. The rivers that flow through the city are tidal, with a range of up to 6 meters in extreme cases. Despite precautions, flooding is still common, especially in the lower districts of the city.
The shoreline around the city is dominated by low marshes, while the rolling hills further inland are covered in Bocage farmland and rows of grapevines, heavily cultivated to support the city and its trading partners. The Andennspire, a monumental statue of Elouan the Lanternholder, serves as the Western Kalvar of the city along the Liger River.
Climate
Winters in Naoned are typically cool and rainy, but with little snow. Summers are warm, but temperate. Rain is abundant in the area, gaining the region a reputation of it being "always raining". The hills and valleys surrounding the city create ideal conditions for fog, and the city has become inundated with the Feth Fiada in the past. The temperate climate allows for a level of floral diversity unusual in Breizh, and plants from further North and South both thrive in the region's fertile clay soil.
Natural Resources
The primary resource of Naoned is its crucial location along the Liger river, giving it trade access deep inland, as well as to the Mor Bras and lands across the sea. However, while its trade network is complex and thriving, local industries are present as well.
Large deposits of tin can be found scattered throughout the County of Naoned, and the mining and refining of this metal has become one of the city's primary industries, with exports reaching as far as the Fortunate Isles.
Salt is another major resource, harvested from the low salt-marshes along the coast surrounding the city. Salt-farmers dig large networks of basins and channel to ensure the continued supply of saltwater, which is then cut off and allowed to dry for easy harvesting. Since Imperial times, the industry has grown considerably, with most exports from the region making their way to Naoned for transport further afield.
Further inland, the region's fertile soil allows for the cultivation of corn, leeks, radishes and carrots. Wine is produced in in the surrounding regions, most notably the white wines of the nearby March of Naoned Vignobles, which serves as the rural holdings for many of the nobility living in the city proper. By Ducal decree, all vineyards must be held by noble owners with an annual tithe paid or they will revert to the Duke. These vineyards provide lucrative income for the families that control them, are are highly sought after commodities of Ducal favour.
Founding Date
350 SI
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
The City of Rivers, The Ducal City, Corbilo (Formerly)
Type
Capital
Population
14,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Nantais
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Related Traditions
Characters in Location
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