Dumein Keep (doo-mine)
One of the most militarized cities in the world, Dumein Keep was not always the bustling city it is now. The early years were tough, as settlers struggled to tame the swampy coastal environs and make the area livable. Eventually, as Everyn was already thriving and other cities on the continent had been established, they were successful in constructing a magnificent mansion on the marshy coast, which then grew into a respectable city with ambitions of grandeur.
From this keep, many wars of conquest have set off across the continent over the centuries. Until recently, these wars were back and forth, with territory trading hands among the various nations. The current monarch, Thegn Oswold IX, surrounded himself with good advisors and revolutionary tacticians, and thanks to this he was able to take over the whole of eastern Ayndrinor and create the Everyn Federation to rule over this unified territory.
The history of warfare and militarism in Dumein Keep has produced a very interesting and unique culture. Because all men ages 16-30 were required to be in active military service, the women of the city worked all the jobs and ran the households. Many soldiers lived at home with their families instead of in barracks, so they were always around to raise kids or help with running the house, but the women were the ones in charge. Because of this dependence on women in running the city's businesses, Dumein Keep has some of the highest levels of gender equality in the world. There have been many queens that ruled over the city and empire, and being a woman does not disqualify anyone from any position. This cultural phenomenon is strangely only present in the capital city; due to the slightly less militaristic attitude of peripheral towns, they adopted more traditional customs with men working most manual jobs and the duties split between men and women.
Demographics
Humans are the majority of the population of Dumein Keep, though their prevalence has declined slightly over the centuries as settlers from other parts of the world have moved here. Interestingly, there is a large population of and entire city ward inhabited by lizardfolk. Their ancestors lived in the swampy areas in the First Age and were nowhere near advanced enough to be affected by The Smiting. When human settlers came upon the area and decided to build a city here, they made truces with the lizardfolk and joined their culture with that of the native denizens. While many of the lizardfolk today still practice somewhat primitive agricultural trades, the majority are fully integrated into Dumeiner society, and it is not uncommon to see a lizardfolk officer in charge of Dumenier units.
With all men of the city engaged in daily training and martial practice, the women are the laborers of the city. A great many workers belong to the lower class, where manual labor is the typical feature of a job. These are sewer workers, street pavers, warehouse and cart hands, tavern servers, and many more. There is also a large fishing industry in the city, though no sea trading or other large vessels. The middle class of the city are the business owners and lower aristocrats who own estates or vineyards outside the city's walls. This also includes tavern keepers, as well as some artisans such as expert armor- and blacksmiths. The true aristocracy of the city is comprised exclusively of the royal family and the top military brass, who are seen as extensions of the royal family. The upper echelon of Dumeiner society lives in a secluded and walled off part of the city where they have large estates and many exclusive establishments for their entertainment including a theatre, a cabaret lounge, a high-end brothel, a brewery tavern, and a casino. For non-aristocrats to even access this area (whether for work or fun) requires a unique, hard to obtain permit signed by the monarch themself.
Government
The government of Dumein Keep is a confusing tangle of hierarchies and administrative domains. The most senior Oberst in the kingdom is in charge of all things military in the city, while all civilian matters are the purview of an appointed Mayor. Both of these officials also answer to the monarch, though they generally are allowed to operate autonomously. The city's bureaucracy is also bolstered by dozens of functionaries under the authority of the two officials. Some of these functionaries are members of the royal family and other influential aristocratic clans, providing some amount of nepotism. None of this hierarchy has changed since the organization of the Everyn Federation, as the Emperor prefers the current arrangement for running the city and nation.
Both the military and civilian sectors have their own judicial branches, which are somewhat intertwined in some cases. The judges are all appointed by the monarch but are typically recommended by either the Oberst or the Mayor - or another member of the royal family's bureaucracy.
Defences
Despite having never faced any attempted invasion, Dumein Keep remains a city of walls and guards. There is a perimeter wall made of stone that encircles most of the city, with a portion constructed of wooden palisades around the Lizardfolk Swamps. The massive central district is also walled and contains the eponymous keep as well as many training facilities and artisans to arm and outfit the military. There are also boundaries around the royal family's district where their palace is located amongst other aristocratic manors.
The interior walls and sectors tend to have few watch towers but do have guard houses where roads go in and out. These are manned constantly, and entry to some of the areas requires a special permit that is checked every time. The outer wall is dotted with watchtowers every mile or so, each within clear view of at least 2 other towers. The main road into and out of town is heavily monitored at all times, with a heavy guard tower straddling the road and a heavy portcullis ready to close off the entrance at a moment's notice.
Infrastructure
Dumein Keep has many of the amenities one would expect of a large city, including paved roads in most of the city, wells spread throughout the neighborhoods, and even a desalination plant on the coast. As noted elsewhere, all maintenance and upkeep on these city features are performed primarily by the women of the city, with most adult men focused on military training and duty. Soldiers are responsible for the roads and area within and directly surrounding the Fortified Quarter, however.
Districts
Most of the areas of the city are named for geographic location and some prominent features, such as: North Wall, Eastern Bayou, and Southwest Market. In addition, the southern edge of the town is home to the Lizardfolk Swamps, where the eponymous denizens live and work - many in the relatively primitive ways their culture has perpetuated for centuries - and the centrally located Fortified Quarter where the original keep still stands (though heavily modernized and remodeled) and the training grounds are located.
History
It took a few decades into the Second Age for any settlement to be established on the marshy coast of eastern Ayndrinor. More than a decade after nomadic groups had already settled various other parts of the continent, this area remained mostly uninhabited - except the Lizardfolk and other swamp-dwelling peoples. Sometime around 30 2A, a group of settlers wandered into the area and decided to found a settlement on a hilly area amidst the marsh. They made friends with the nearby village of Lizardfolk, whose descendants still reside in the city today.
No one is sure why or when the city turned to militarism, even the city's own history and mythos does not describe this. At some point in its first few centuries - though most scholars argue sometime after 150 2A, when the city had grown to several thousand citizens - the city decided to maintain a standing army and conscript all men in the city. Once this decision was made - and whatever factors led to its adoption - the outlook of the city changed drastically. By 200, the thegn at the time had begun a campaign of expansion to conquer other nearby settlements and bring them under Dumeiner rule. The trading towns of Crossfeld and Zennfield were the first to be brought under control of the burgeoning Dumein Dominion. The geographically nearby but hard to reach town of Velchester followed, though control of this town changed hands several times over the centuries.
The thegns of the Dominion had always dreamt of conquering nearby Everyn, but the massive city grew exponentially and maintained a population more than ten times that of the entire Dominion. And despite their noted pacifism, the Everynese people had constructed some very robust defenses to ward off potential invaders. A few feeble attempts were made over the centuries to march armies from The Keep to Everyn, but all of those attacks led to hundreds of dead Dumeiners and sieges abandoned in frustration. The Dominion settled for a containment policy to control all the trade passing from Everyn to other parts of the continent, collecting tolls and tariffs as these goods passed through Dumeiner towns. Everyn was rich with resources and coin for traders, so this did not hurt the merchants much, and it allowed the Dominion to continue growing and supplying their military with the best weapons and training they could.
With no threats to The Keep over the centuries, the city grew and grew, expanding quicker than most other cities in the world - except their closest neighbor of course. The people learned to cull the swampland and cultivate crops in the naturally harsh environment, and the abundance of land and opportunity attracted people from across the world. Despite these waves of settlers, Dumein Keep remained mostly human with a large population of lizardfolk that continued to thrive and grow alongside that of the humans. The military strategy and methods got more advanced, and the monarchs were happy to provide test grounds for new commanders by ordering new wars to the north or the southwest, hoping to conquer even more territory across eastern Ayndrinor.
Many centuries passed with not much changing around Dumein Keep. The military was kept strong and well drilled, always being prepared for one campaign or another. They developed a unique culture around warfare (in some ways akin to the medieval Norse), where those who died in battle were among the most honored of their people, yet soldiers were seen more as property of the monarch and commanders than individual people. Martial prowess was a goal most aspired to, and more proficient soldiers were rewarded with fast promotions or increased wages and better quality rations. Due to the number of men away from the city at any time and those who did not return from the far battlefields, the city developed a very lax culture surrounding marriage and progeny. Children were almost viewed as communal, to be cared for and raised by the community instead of belonging to one set of parents. Adultery and infidelity are frequent, but they are not viewed as taboo here like they are in most other places. The brothels and shady parts of town employed mostly men, enjoyment for the women who worked and lived in the city. Though not officially endorsed, many women of the city found herbal remedies to prevent unwanted pregnancy while their husbands were away, but there were no bastards in Dumein Keep, just more children for the city to raise and develop.
The centuries of warfare and aggression had produced little in the way of glory or expansion, when a young Oswold Dumein came to the throne in 1475 2A. With a slate of new, hyper competent advisors, Thegn Oswold IX focused his efforts on developing diplomatic relations with Everyn, an effort that had been eschewed for centuries by his predecessors. Within just five years of taking the throne, the Thegn was able to arrange several marriages between his cousins and several noble families of Everyn. When the time came for an attack on Everyn, these "sleeper agents" made sure the city was unprepared and even welcoming for the invaders. With the spoils of war, from Everyn and other cities, Oswold has become one of the richest men in the world. He still sends caravans of gold and artisans across his new Federation to help rebuild from the war, hoping to ease tensions and eliminate any rebellion or thoughts of insurgency.
The city of Dumein Keep is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance artistically, with the influx of gold and ideas from the continent's other nations. Despite Everyn being the seat of the new government, King Oswold IX still resides in his palace in Dumein Keep (though he has had a teleportation circle built to connect his palace with the main palace in Everyn for easy and quick travel). Public squares, public buildings, and the aristocratic district have seen sculptures, art, and other cultural constructions in the last year, though not everyone in The Keep is happy about this. Many see these artists as agents of chaos, hoping to tear down Dumeiner culture from within and distract from the rugged militarism with beautiful art. Others welcome this new expression of creativity in a city that was previously bland and strict.
Architecture
Due to the marshy ground in much of the city, houses tend to be more spread out with slightly sloping, shorter roofs. Some resemble bungalows, while others are more Frontier style. The temples, forts, and other larger, high occupant buildings like taverns are strategically located on more solid ground, allowing them to be built up as needed. It is not uncommon, however, for a tavern or other business to slowly sink into the ground and have to relocate after a few decades. Sometimes this relocation is a short distance to more stable ground, and sometimes it is to a different neighborhood of the city entirely.
The temples and forts of the city are quite striking visually, as well as being incredibly varied. The few barracks and bunkhouses in the city are relatively simple Norman constructions meant primarily for function with little care to the form. The constant modernization and remodeling of the central keep, on the other hand, have produced an eclectic style similar to the Sagrada Familia in that several different architects' styles can be easily noticed from the outside - from dark Baroque turrets on one side and colorful Islamic arch windows on the opposite side. The royal palace and surrounding aristocratic manors are best described as Rococo, while the city's temples vary from Romanesque to Gothic to Neoclassical.
Geography
The region in which Dumein Keep resides is a large coastal marsh. Among the particular area of the city there are several hills and higher areas that allow some respite from the soft swampy ground. Parts of the region are heavily wooded, almost like a bayou, while others are sparsely vegetated and more habitable.
Founding Date
31 2A
Alternative Name(s)
The Keep
Type
Capital
Population
40,358
Inhabitant Demonym
Dumeiners (also the demonym for the nation)
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
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