Alard's Rest (ah-lurds rest)

The capital of the Serene Republic of Dalkar rests on the island's southern coast, on the fertile plain south of the ringed central mountains. Its geography has allowed bountiful harvests for centuries, supporting a constantly growing populace - though nowhere near the size of most other capitals in the world. The Serene Republic - and likewise its capital city - is far more reverential than most toward nature and protecting the balance between wilderness and civilization. They are outdone in this aspect only by the elves of Crann Riocht who actively foster natural harmony and have specifically shut themselves out to most foreign travel to preserve their natural environment.
In the years following The Smiting settlers from the northern reaches and those who were magically relocated here on Dalkaria found abundant plains in the southern portion of the island. Many scholars believe that at least one supercity resided here in pre-Smiting times, which is why the newer settlers would have discovered it completely uninhabited. The towns of the north, what now makes up the Demesne of Ice, were at the turn of the Ages - and many continue to be to this day - ruled by Giants and populated by isolated giant-kin such as goliaths and firbolgs. Due to their complete isolation, their numbers were not affected by the Smiting, and most were blissfully unaware anything had happened in the outside world.
In looking for a place to settle on the great southern plain, the first firbolg and human group came upon the place where the Oriel River met the Midor Sea. They set up their camp in this place and never left, eventually transitioning it to a proper town named after the leader of the expedition, Alard. Firbolgs still make up a decent portion of the city's population, though influxes of humans, halflings, dwarves, and other peoples have occurred over the centuries, as the city grew and became a more exciting prospect for settlement and relocation.
Alard's Rest is a humble city, especially for being the capital of its nation. It is not a hub of technology or arcane study - though it boasts a small academy, as many cities do - and does not have the niceties and finery of most large cities. Yet, it is described by everyone who visits as one of, if not THE most friendly cities in the world. The people tend to be laid back and hospitable, quick to trust outsiders instead of being wary. That is not to say the city is an easy target; Alardians uphold the fierce tradition of fighting that ran through the giants' blood of the city's founders when called upon to defend their city against attack.

Demographics

The original founding group of this city was primarily firbolg and human. Firbolgs have continued to be a large portion of the city, both descendants of the original settlers and immigrants from the Demesne of Ice seeking warmer climates, but their share of the population has slowly declined over the decades and centuries. Today, the most prominent group in Alard's Rest is the humans, with firbolgs and halflings making up the next two largest groups. Like many urban areas, there are numerous other races present in the city - both established families and newer immigrants.
The geography of the Serene Republic and the area specifically surrounding Alard's Rest allow for a large slate of industries to thrive in the city. Because it is coastal, fishing and trade are important economic activities for the city, but the vast plains surrounding the city also allow farms, shepherds, and even wineries to flourish and proliferate.
Like most somewhat sizable cities, Alard's Rest has several economic strata within its population. There are some people in the city who are very poor or impoverished, though the community ideals of the city make sure these folks can at least stay warm in the taverns and eat at least once a day. Fishers, farmers, and a variety of other laborers make up the next class in the city - with enough money to survive comfortably but very little left over for extravagance or indulgence. Merchants and some smaller business owners make up a sort of middle class that provides comfortable living and some modest amount of flashiness. The truly aristocratic members of Alard's Rest are few (mainly due to the city's sense of community and disdain for greediness), and they tend to be larger business owners or bankers.

Government

The government of Alard's Rest is a council of mostly elected officials, numbering nine in total. One member is always from one of the city's few noble families, to make sure they are somewhat protected and not completely ignored in the city's policies. The rest come from a variety of trade guilds and neighborhood committees, as voted into office by their peers. Each of the councilors serves six-year terms, up to a max of 18 years, and the positions are staggered so only one or two races are held each year.
All taxes and other laws are petitioned by citizens or businesses, then discussed in the council and voted upon. Any new laws or increase in taxes requires six of the nine councilors to vote in favor, while smaller changes and government appointments are a simple majority (+1 person in case of even number tie) of those present and not abstaining. It is not uncommon to see "lesser" government positions or small policy changes confirmed by votes of 2-1 or similar margins, despite the nine people on the council.

Defences

Though it is somewhat far from the dangers of the Forbidden Forest, Alard's Rest is fairly heavily guarded against invasion or roving beasts. The city is surrounded by a stone wall on all inland sides, though with relatively few watch towers compared to most other fortified cities. The main towers flank the two gates into the city on the east and west sides, and there is only one tower on the northern side. The current wall is a fairly recent addition to the city, built in 1466 2A, when the city was experiencing a massive boom and had outgrown the previous walls. The previous walls - most of which have been dismantled and converted to housing or businesses in their areas of the city - were far more defended, reflecting a time when the city had to worry about beasts and invaders, especially from the west.
The coastal area of Alard's Rest is likewise fortified, with several watch towers spaced throughout the harbor facilities. Each of these towers is topped with a trebuchet that can attack ships before they approach the harbor. Most of these trebuchets are dusty and filled with cobwebs, denoting years of disuse - though they are tested once a year on a designated day when all ship traffic is halted.

Infrastructure

While the city strives to make its residents' lives easier, they are also compelled by the cultural appreciation of nature and hesitance to urbanize too much. Many central streets are paved and well-maintained, but there are also plenty of trees planted throughout the city, and most houses have small garden plots either in a backyard or on their roofs.
The Oriel River provides a source of clean water for the city, as well as a mechanism to propel some waste and sewage out to sea. There are a number of wells in the city that supplement the freshwater supply, mainly in the neighborhoods further away from the river.

History

Around 1 2A, denizens of the northern Demesne of Ice began to venture southward in several waves, through the Abundant Forest to the plains and southern coast. They were tired of eking out a living in the harsh icy climate and wanted to search for more hospitable locales in other parts of the island or the world.
One of these immigrant groups was led by a firbolg named Alard, among many other firbolgs and goliaths from the north. This group encountered a group of humans, halflings, and other peoples that had been displaced after The Smiting on the southern edge of the Abundant Forest. Together, these groups ventured forward to explore the plains of Dalkaria.
Along their journeys, the group encountered many threats and dangerous inhabitants of the island such as giants, dire wolves, and gnolls. They successfully defeated or escaped from these groups many times in their journeys, scouting almost the entire southern plain between the two forests and bordered by mountains and sea. As they were heading eastward back toward the Abundant Forest, their leader succumbed to an illness - now believed to be malaria or something similar that the firbolgs were not previously exposed to in their tundra habitat - and died just as the group came upon the Oriel River. The group marked the site of his death with a large tombstone, commemorating the years he led them through adversity.
While some of the group continued on their travels and eventually joined others in founding towns, a large portion of the initial group - about 1,000 according to historical records - decided to settle down and found a town where their leader had perished. A very small small subset of the settlers had semi-religious feelings toward this founding, seeing Alard's death as a sign from the gods that the group itself needed to settle down there. The vast majority knew they would settle down eventually anyway, and the site of their leader's demise happened to be a fertile area of plains where a river met the coastline. The small group of those who saw omens and signs in the founding did not last much longer after the city's founding, as their message was drowned out by the more logical group. Still, this notion of divine providence was noted in the city's history, and several monuments have enshrined this part of history for all time.
After the city's founding, it began to grow steadily, both through its own population as well as a variety of immigrants that came to the city. Some of these were part of other nomadic groups that had been wandering the plains of Dalkaria, while others were folks from across the sea who came to the island looking for a new life. As the city grew, its core demographic of firbolgs were careful to expand the farms and grazing lands to support the new population, ever mindful of protecting the balance between nature and civilization.
For the longest time, Alard's Rest was the westernmost city on the plains of Dalkaria. Anything west of the Oriel River was too dangerous, due to roving giants and dangerous monsters. These threats would occasionally make their way past the river, and Alard's Rest - as well as several other towns east of the river - was attack several times throughout its history. In 940 2A, the leaders of Alard's Rest sent emissaries to the other eastern towns pleading for them to join a unified government to provide common defense against these giants and other beasts. After a couple years of conversation, the towns joined together to form the Serene Republic of Dalkar. The new government financed groups of settlers and soldiers to venture west of the Oriel River and set up permanent towns between the river and the forest, to help protect the existing towns of the Republic.
Apart from the continuous steady growth, there have been several periods of marked population booms, largely due to groups of new settlers joining the city. The most recent of these booms was about twenty years ago, in 1466 2A. Residents of various kingdoms and towns in eastern Ayndrinor began fleeing the wars that were dominating the area, the wars that eventually lead to the creation of the Everyn Federation. Though this group makes up a very small portion of Alard's Rest's population, they have been very vocal in opposing the city's - and the nation's - friendliness with the Federation. This is a small spot of tension in the city and nation, but it is one that the refugees and their descendants feel very passionate about.

Architecture

There are a variety of architectural styles present in Alard's Rest, owing to the vast array of cultures that call this city home. Immigrant groups have brought their cultural notions and architectural ideals to the city for centuries, reflecting the buildings of other parts of the world. The firbolgs and goliaths who are native to this island and represent a closer tie to nature tend to have more organic buildings, with moss or ivy on the exterior and some sort of garden or yard where they can grow vegetables and raise small animals like chickens. Many buildings reflect the somewhat Norse culture of the giants and giantkin that called this area home.

Founding Date

9 2A

Type

Capital

Population

26,904

Inhabitant Demonym

Alardians

Location under

Dalkaria

Owning Organization

Serene Republic of Dalkar