The Grand City of Malvarron
(New Revaelor)
The Grand City of Malvarron, in the centre of the Elvaran continent, is the Capital of the Great Empire of Malvarron.
Previously known as Revaelor, during the time of Tarryn family rule, the city was renamed to Malvarron in 1331 A.E following The Vanguard Revolution.
The current ruler of the City is Emperor Lucianno Malvarro, son of the founder of the Malvarron Empire, Augustas Malvarro.
The city is located in Mid-western Elvara, to the east of the Iron River. As the capital of the Empire, and the biggest city on the continent by far, Malvarron is in a strategic location. It is surrounded by fertile land with all farmers having to meet quotas to support the population of the city. Merchants may access the city by water, using the Ersatz Harbour, or any of the main roads of the continent which all lead to Malvarron. The city is a major trading hub, with waterway access to the Empire’s largest international port Bridgeport, in the south, and The Dwarven City of Ironheim in the north.
Palace Hill
High Town
Low Town
The Imperial District.
Shadesend
The Quadrant.
Old Revaelor
Little Ironheim.
The Wallows
Southend
Deadmans Hill
Revaelor was established by Ander Tarryn in 1 A.E, shortly after the fall of Mathidon. As a human, Ander had experienced firsthand the suffering that the people of Elvara had endured during the fascist rule of the elvish Mathidoni. He promised that Revaelor would be a place of refuge for any individuals in need of shelter. Most notably, he offered a place for those labelled as D’amakur according to ‘the old ways’. Revaelor thrived as a settlement, and like many of the settlements established after the Great War, it rapidly grew into an autonomous city state.
The city benefitted from an abundance of resources due to its rich soil and proximity to the Iron River. This meant that trade with the independent city states of Ironheim and Grayspire was extremely lucrative due to its relative ease.
The next few hundred years were a golden age for the Revaelorians. Life was simple for the many, yet prosperous for the few. The Astaeri expedition (759 AE - 776 AE) had achieved its aim of discovering the lands which occupied the region and the world of Ethera was getting a little smaller.
Economics, diplomatic relations and exploration truly defined the era which came to be known by scholars as the ‘Age of Enlightenment,’ and the centre of all that progress was the city of Revaelor.
However, hard times were on the horizon. The age of Unbearable Sorrow (1017-1331 A.E. marked the end of the good times for the people of the Duchy of Tarryn.
City wide suffering, starvation and plague paved the way for the political tensions directly responsible for the Vanguard Revolution (1331 A.E). Revaelor fell to the military might of General Augustas Malvarro, who later renamed the city Malvarron and the City became a beacon of feudalism.
Despite more than two-thirds of the city living in poverty, Malvarron is considered the most prosperous city in the Empire. It’s location at the centre of Elvara, and its proximity to the Iron River, enables it to be a powerhouse of national and international Since the Age of Unbearable Sorrow, the climate of Elvara has remained temperate. Therefore, the areas surrounding the City of Malvarron are able to produce a vast array of agricultural goods unrivaled by farmers in other areas of the continent. Some of these goods are exported to other cities in the Empire and to other nations such as The Ember Isles and Kuldrith, which have harsher, more extreme weather. This includes crops such as wheat and barley, livestock such as moorpig and fruit/vegetables. The continent is gifted with an abundance of precious metals such as iron, gold, copper and silver which are brought into the city largely from Ironheim where mining is an immense form of industry. This, along with the fact that the capital contains arguably the best artisans in the Astaeri Region, means that some districts in the city prosper greatly from trade, though this is often at the expense of peasants and commoners who are exploited for their labour.
Geography
The city is located in Mid-western Elvara, to the east of the Iron River. As the capital of the Empire, and the biggest city on the continent by far, Malvarron is in a strategic location. It is surrounded by fertile land with all farmers having to meet quotas to support the population of the city. Merchants may access the city by water, using the Ersatz Harbour, or any of the main roads of the continent which all lead to Malvarron. The city is a major trading hub, with waterway access to the Empire’s largest international port Bridgeport, in the south, and The Dwarven City of Ironheim in the north.
Districts
The city has several districts which, considering their size, could be considered small towns in their own right.Atop of the Palace Hill district sits the Azure Palace, once home to the Tarryn family, now home to the Emperor, his family and court.
Palace Hill is the richest district in Malvarron, with the mansions of some of Emperor Lucianno’s closest allies located here.
The Crimson Tower, home to the The Crimson Orderalso sits on the hill and has a clear 360 degree view of the city.
High Town is an affluent area to the west of Palace Hill. Home to lesser nobility, the district contains the infamous ‘Golden Palace’ and the largest temple to Solas in the city. The Temple dedicated to the Sun God is a beautiful golden pyramid, the tip of which aligns perfectly with the sun at midday.
Despite its name, Low Town is the twin of High Town in terms of both affluence and the style of architecture.
It is home to the administrative body of scholars, charged with drafting the Empire’s laws, the Presidium, and the largest church of the Congregation of the Eternal Mother outside of Grayspire.
The Imperial District is home to watchmen and Vanguard Officers. Black Cloak Keep, the headquarters of the City Watch can be found here.
Shadesend is the newest part of the city as it was only constructed in the 1380s when the City extended the city wall to the northeast in order to incorporate a refugee camp.
The District is home to the Augustine Arena, where the city’s population gathers on tournament days.
The Quadrant is one of the oldest parts of the city, though it has extended west towards the river as the population steadily grew during the thousand years of Tarryn Rule.
It is so named due to the four distinct sectors the district contains.
1. the Scholars Quarter,
2. the Artisan Quarter,
3. the Merchants Quarter,
4. The Mage Quarter
Old Revaelor is the oldest part of the City.
Buildings here are distinctive, as they are made from Jagged Coast Sandstone rather than the clay and wood used by other districts in the city. This gives the district a distinctive burnt-orange colour.
Here you can find some of the oldest temples in Elvara, built to honour all the Guardians,. Some individuals who follow the traditional ways of Elvara still worship here.
Little Ironheim is home to the Dwarven population of the city. The best ale and smithwork is said to be found here, as well as a giant statue of the guardian of the mountains, Dunitrias, which is made entirely from Iron mined from the mountains surrounding the Dwarven City of Ironheim.
The Wallows is the poorest area of the city. Frequently flooded due to the Ersatz Harbour, many of the building here are constructed on top of wooden stilts to protect homes and businesses. Here you can find The Night Market and the Drifting Rose. Home to many peasants and ne'er-do-wells, the Wallows is also the suspected source of the Malvarri drugs trade.
The largest district by population, the Southend of the city is home to commoners, and bustling businesses.
It is important for worshippers of Ethera that the dead are returned to the earth they were made from. However, the dead cannot be buried inside the city without a specialist mausoleum. These are expensive and usually reserved for the rich. Therefore Deadmans Hill, as it has come to be known, is home to the largest cemetery in Astaeria.
History
Revaelor was established by Ander Tarryn in 1 A.E, shortly after the fall of Mathidon. As a human, Ander had experienced firsthand the suffering that the people of Elvara had endured during the fascist rule of the elvish Mathidoni. He promised that Revaelor would be a place of refuge for any individuals in need of shelter. Most notably, he offered a place for those labelled as D’amakur according to ‘the old ways’. Revaelor thrived as a settlement, and like many of the settlements established after the Great War, it rapidly grew into an autonomous city state.
Population
The population of the City of Malvarron has grown significantly since the Duchy fell, despite the many deaths the revolution inflicted upon the people.
Following the rise of the Empire, the Second Great Elvaran War saw multiple autonomous city states fall to The Vanguard.
This displaced many people on the continent, especially after the complete destruction of Elvara’s second biggest city D’aethron in 1382 A.E.
Civil war in Errolone has also seen an influx of Elven dissenters and elfmarked peoples fleeing persecution. Treated as second-class citizens, these individuals have settled in makeshift camps both inside, and outside the capital.
Law and Order
The Black Cloaks
Law and order in the City of Malvarron is overseen by the City Watch, colloquially known as the The Black Cloaks. The primary function of the Black Cloaks is to enforce the Emperor’s law within The Grand City of Malvarron so that The Vanguard and the Crimson Order can maintain the law on the borders and in occupied cities. Watchmen have the power of arrest and decide on the sentencing of criminals for minor crime. As the Empire carries the death penalty, the Watch exercises a great deal of power over the people of Malvarron, preferring to offer them a literal stick rather than a carrot.The Criminal Underworld
Despite the brutality of the Watch, the capital is rumoured to have an extensive criminal underworld. Some even point to the existence of an Undercity of sorts, where criminals roam freely without the watchful eye of the black cloaks."Everyone’s heard rumours of a so-called Undercity, but I’m not convinced. You’d think if the criminal classes had founded an entire city underground that the City Watch would have found it by now and flushed them out. Unless, of course, the watch is made up of total idiots. I’ll let you make your own mind up on that one."Jon Danton, a Malvarri Artisan
The Regulation of Magic
The late Emperor, Augustas Malvarro, focussed on dark magic as the cause for all the tragedies of the ‘Era of Unbearable Sorrow’, and this a primary reason he could garner enough sympathy and popular support for the Vanguard Revolution. The regulation of magic laws within the Empire means that magic is illegal in the capital without a licence. Licences are scarcely given unless you are a trusted alchemist, herbalist, or healer, and anyone witnessed or reported to the Watch or the The Crimson Order, for practicing illegal magic risks the death penalty.Organised Opposition
Since the assassination of Emperor Augustas in 1381 A.E., rumours of an organised resistance group known as The Wardens of Ethera thought to be operating within the city and the wider Empire have been circulating around the city. Thought to have been established around 1335 AE by an individual known only as the Kirin. The order apparently seeks to overthrow the Empire and all of its ‘tyrannical’ institutions. These rumours were so convincing that Emperor Lucianno, upon learning of their threat, made a specific decree outlawing the organisation in 1394 A.E.From the Eighteenth Day of Silvana 1394, any individual found to be working for/with the organised resistance group calling themselves ‘The Wardens of Ethera’, is guilty of high treason under Emperor’s Decree XXXV. This decree extends to those who have supported, aided, or aligned themselves with the group in the past. Those guilty of High Treason can be held without trial and can be put the death for crimes against the Empire and its people.Consequently, the group is covert, and little is known about them. However, they do, according to the authorities, possess brands upon their person in the shape of a ‘W’ making them instantly recognisable to authorities should they ever be caught.-Emperor Lucianno Malvarro, 1394
Economy and Trade
Despite more than two-thirds of the city living in poverty, Malvarron is considered the most prosperous city in the Empire. It’s location at the centre of Elvara, and its proximity to the Iron River, enables it to be a powerhouse of national and international Since the Age of Unbearable Sorrow, the climate of Elvara has remained temperate. Therefore, the areas surrounding the City of Malvarron are able to produce a vast array of agricultural goods unrivaled by farmers in other areas of the continent. Some of these goods are exported to other cities in the Empire and to other nations such as The Ember Isles and Kuldrith, which have harsher, more extreme weather. This includes crops such as wheat and barley, livestock such as moorpig and fruit/vegetables. The continent is gifted with an abundance of precious metals such as iron, gold, copper and silver which are brought into the city largely from Ironheim where mining is an immense form of industry. This, along with the fact that the capital contains arguably the best artisans in the Astaeri Region, means that some districts in the city prosper greatly from trade, though this is often at the expense of peasants and commoners who are exploited for their labour.
Maps
-
The Grand City of Malvarron
Founding Date
1 A.E.
(Name changed in 1331 A.E)
(Name changed in 1331 A.E)
Alternative Name(s)
Malvarron City, the Capital
Type
State
Population
150 786
Inhabitant Demonym
Malvarri
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Did you know...
The Azure Palace is so named due to the hundreds of arched windows in its achitecture which are made from Shimmerglass, a rare irridecent mineral which appears green-blue in direct sunlight.
Dungeons & Destruction
The Mage Quarter in the Quadrant, was destroyed following Emperor Augustas' taking of the throne. Once home to experts in arcane magic, the magi who lived there were rounded up and imprisoned during the Magi Purge in 1332 A.E. According to reports they were shipped off to Tullis Island and interned at the Erragar school of Arcana, which the Empire had apparently turned into a specialist prison. Few managed to escape the Empire's clutches. The Quarter now lies in ruins.
D’amakur
Meaning ‘Dark Ones’ in the language of the Mathidoni, the term ‘D’amakur’ historically referred to humans born with the gift of magic. The Mathidoni believed to be born with the gift of magic was a blessing from the gods, an affirmation that the individual should occupy a high place in society. However, at that time they viewed humans as little more than savages and slaves, deeming them unworthy of the blessing of the gods. They therefore concluded that any human born with magical abilities was an abomination created by dark forces. In more recent times, the phrase, and its shortened version 'kur,' has seen as a resurgence in popularity as an offensive term for all magic users which the Empire deem a threat to the peace of the realm.
Further Reading
I like that is a page that links all of your details for the empire together. Lots of details on the maps. "Did you know" along the side. Links to lots of other related articles. I like the maps and quick details at the top. It makes me think about, what is a reader going to use?
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