Crabbe-by-the-Sea
The capital of the kingdom-now-province of Wessil sits in a dense jungle where the Wessil River reaches the coast of the Gulf of Viskii. Settlers tried to found a city here for several decades at the beginning of the Second Age, but they were continually thwarted by the uninhabitable jungle. Once the city was founded - and named for the clan that did so - it grew quickly and its location on the coast made it a valuable trading port. As money and trade flowed in, the city was able to grow their military might and expand the fledgling nation's territory to more fertile and hospitable grounds, conquering the nearby town of Croppschire to gain access to the vast farmlands and crop production.
The ambitious goals of the small nation clashed with the sovereignty and similar expansionism of the neighbors, which led to a series of wars over several centuries. Territory was traded back and forth between three nations, but the capital city and Croppschire remained safe and secure. This remained the case until the very recent Everyn War, when Wessil put up a strong fight against the expansion of the Dumein Dominion but eventually lost. In the two years since the war ended, details of governance and the extent of autonomy are still being worked out.
Demographics
The majority of the population in Crabbe-by-the-Sea is human, though like most cosmopolitan cities there are a large variety of other races present as well. The largest industry in the city is trading and similar services like warehousing and transportation. This includes bringing crops and livestock into the city from further away places, as well as transporting various goods from the port to other areas in the larger Everyn Federation.
Like most cities, there is a vast spectrum of livelihoods and incomes in Crabbe-by-the-Sea. Most menial laborers tend to be lower class, but some business owners and merchants have risen into the middle class. There is also a small aristocratic class that vies for control and influence in the city and larger province. The ruling family maintains a somewhat large court that these aristocratic families engage in to play out their politics and influence peddling.
Government
The hereditary monarch (now governor) that rules the larger province of Wessil is also the direct leader of the city of Crabbe-by-the-Sea. This governor is served by a bevy of advisors who do much of the legwork of running the city, appointed by generally nepotistic means from among the large court of aristocrats. Some of these advisors represent the other towns of the province, while many are tasked with monitoring various industries and aspects of the city.
The judicial arm of the government - both on the city level and provincial - is led by a series of judges who are nominated by the advisory council and confirmed by the governor. There is no formal mechanism for reviewing or removing judges, but the few times it has happened in the past were done by the monarch during large civil uprisings caused by miscarriages of justice.
Defences
Crabbe-by-the-Sea has not needed the protection of exterior walls for several centuries, since the last black dragon attack in 1262 2A. The last century has seen the city start to dismantle parts of the wall to make room for additional housing and business expansion. The port facility has a few watchtowers with longer-range siege weapons, though not quite as advanced as other cities.
Infrastructure
Like most cities, Crabbe-by-the-Sea is fairly advanced in terms of infrastructure. Streets are paved, cobbled, and well maintained, and larger public squares feature mosaics set in the stone pavement. The city has a series of public wells to provide clean water, as well as aqueducts that carry water from upriver to the exterior neighborhoods. Various mills and other processing facilities are powered by water or wind, spread throughout the city.
The port facilities and shipyards are somewhat large and provide a decent facility for ships. The shipyard itself is relatively small and tends not to berth ships too often. The port would be larger, except that the city is comparably poorer placed compared to its competitor city Mont Brandis.
History
In the beginning of the Second Age, groups of settlers began searching for locations to found cities. The coast near the river delta was an enticing spot, but the jungle proved very inhospitable. Groups settled the area of Croppschire fairly early on, but the jungle area took another few decades. It wasn't until 86 2A, that the area was cleared and settled, and the city began to grow.
Around 220 2A, the city had grown and had become an important port on the coast. This wealth brought power and influence to the city, and the monarch began to expand inland - conquering Croppschire within a few years while creating the nation of Wessil. With this "bread basket" secured, the fledgling nation began to focus on growing its trading power with external partners. At the same time, the nearby kingdoms of Brandis and the Dumein Dominion also began to expand and militarize. Brandis's proximity meant direct conflict between that nation and Wessil, but Wessil was able to form a closer trading relationship with the Dominion.
In 283 2A, to ease the trade relationship between themselves and the Dominion, Wessil sent settlers to found a town along the main trade route: Crowsbane. This town became a waypoint for travel between Crabbe and the northern reaches of the continent, allowing the city and nation to prosper and foster relationships with other nations. This trading outpost was a point of conflict for several centuries, the flash point in the continuous wars between the powers of eastern Ayndrinor.
As these wars raged and conflict took hold of the inland areas, the people of Crabbe-by-the-Sea and Wessil in general showed resilience to overcome all obstacles. The nation - and the coastal capital city - continued to grow and flourish through all of this and only faced occasional challenges. The jungle continued to be oppressive and threatening, with dangerous beasts descending on Crabbe every now and then - including dragons.
Between 837 and 1262, a whole clan of black dragons threatened the city at various times. The first of these attacks was by an adult dragon who wanted in on the wealth and prosperity the city had found. The dragon destroyed much of the city before it was slain by the guards. Decades later, the dragon's two younger offspring descended on the town to avenge their father. They did quite a bit of damage, but the city had made anti-dragon preparations in the meantime, so it was a much less destructive encounter. Rumors persisted of a massive black dragon deep in the jungle who lorded over the others and was the true source of the attacks. This dragon sent several younger dragons to attack the city every few years, trying to weaken their defenses.
Finally, in 1262 2A, the massive elder dragon attacked the city itself. Whether it had grown tired of seeing its brood fail, or it finally wanted a piece of Crabbe to itself, no one knows. But one autumn day the skies darkened, and black acid began spewing down on the citizens from above. Large parts of the city were dissolved, including most of the palace. The royal family managed to escape through a secret passage, and the dragon ruled over the city for several weeks. In the end, a small army of mercenaries and parts of the town's guard stormed the dragon's lair and took it out, ending the threat to the city. The royal family came back from temporary exile and began the process of rebuilding, though they could not use most of the palace grounds due to lingering pits of acid.
As the city rebuilt and recovered, its status as a major trading hub helped amass the wealth it needed in its resurgence. The queen at the time sent a contingent of mercenaries out into the swamp to seek the dragon's true lair and clear out any wyrmlings left, in addition to bringing back whatever treasure they could. Only half of the party returned, several weeks later, reportedly having killed a dozen or so wyrmlings and ostensibly cleared out the nest. They reported that the treasure was all submerged in pools of acid, and it was impossible to retrieve. The lost treasure of Rastynex is still a fabled haul to this day, and many adventurers and mercenaries have scoured the jungle trying to claim even a small portion of this legendary hoard.
The city of Crabbe-by-the-Sea eventually recovered from its dragon attacks and remained staunch and resilient in the face of continued continental and regional wars. But that all came to an end a decade ago, when the Dumein Dominion launched their largest invasion force ever to conquer all corners of eastern Ayndrinor and unify them under a central banner. Wessil was determined to resist as long as possible, and it took several weeks for the outlying towns to fall. Crabbe lasted almost a year once the siege actually began, and it took a massive embargo by the Dominion navy to finally choke the city into submission.
In the two years since the end of the Everyn War, many details of sovereignty and authority are still being ironed out. The Federation allowed the current king to stay in power and become Governor instead, while maintaining some nebulous amount of control over his decisions and policies. The next few months and years will shape the future of Wessil's role in the Federation for the foreseeable future - be it a harmonious partnership or a tense rivalry.
Architecture
The humid jungle home of Crabbe-by-the-Sea has defined its architecture more than the cultures of the people living or migrating here. Most homes resemble traditional Japanese homes with thin walls to allow airflow and breezy courtyards to keep occupants cool moving from one room or area to another. The few larger buildings are similar form but on a larger scale, reminiscent of pagodas.
Founding Date
86 2A
Alternative Name(s)
Crabbe
Type
City
Population
12,396
Inhabitant Demonym
Crabbers
Owning Organization
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