Eastcastle

Eastcastle is the second largest city in Skerritt, though it is just over half the size of the capital city of Southby. Eastcastle was founded around the same time as Southby, around two millennia ago, and the two cities had a strong rivalry for many centuries until a strong king in Southby managed to unite the kingdoms through marriage and subsequent treaties. Eastcastle's economy is strengthened by its strong maritime industry, even larger than that of Southby - though only because the latter has to focus its efforts more on the militarized form of maritime vehicles. Eastcastle's location just south of the Legobar Mountains and on the coast of the Gulf of Viskii puts the city in prime position to trade with many other cities and nations around the world, including its close neighbor, The Dale.
Despite its initial hostility with Southby and other regional city-state powers, Eastcastle is currently one of the least protected yet safest cities in the world. It is far isolated from any land force that may try to invade, with a  series of forts between the border and the city. Bands of raiders occasionally come over the mountains, but Fort Rohesia is so near Eastcastle that the city relies mainly on the soldiers stationed at that fort to provide protection from these raids. Eastcastle outgrew its perimeter walls around 800 years ago and hasn't bothered to build any new ones since that time.
Politically, Eastcastle is more or less an autonomous city with very little oversight from the monarch in Southby. Besides a long shared history of cooperation (after the initial friction), there are several laws and treaties that detail Eastcastle's obligations to the kingdom of Skerritt. The leader of Eastcastle is known as a Seneschal and is popularly elected in a moot of the local nobility every time the previous Seneschal dies or is booted due to public outcry and petition.

Demographics

Eastcastle is a fairly cosmopolitan city, with a good mix of races and cultures. There are, as one would expect to find in Skerritt, a majority of humans and dwarves, though they each make up roughly a quarter of the city's population. Eastcastle is also one of the city's where one can find a larger number of huundari, as they have historically lived in this friendly city and contributed greatly to its growth. As of the last census about five years ago, there are currently around 640 huundari in Eastcastle.

The main industries in Eastcastle are mercantile and shipbuilding, with a large number of workers also involved in agriculture, viticulture, and textile production. Because of this, the majority of Eastcastlers fall into a lower or lower-middle class, with a few merchants and highly skilled artisans making up a middle class, and the few noble families comprising a small upper class.

Government

The city is run by a Seneschal who answers (though very loosely) to the monarch in Southby. The Seneschal is responsible for the day-to-day running of the city and is advised by a city council made up of 7 elected representatives of various segments of the population. The candidates for these council places are decided by the Seneschal but citizens ultimately decide the office holder. Each council member serves three year terms, with at least two members outgoing every year. Any member of the council, as well as the Seneschal themself, can be recalled by the population if enough people express displeasure in the job being done. Otherwise, the Seneschal serves for life, at which time the local nobles and guild leaders convene a moot and decide who among them should be the next leader of the city. The people of Eastcastle have more sway over their guild representatives than the nobles, but they are still able to influence the moot in some way by petitioning their guild leaders who they think should be elected.

Defences

The inner part of the city, surrounding the civic buildings, central marketplace, and a small temple district, is the only part that is contained within walls. These are old walls, with some areas dating back almost two millennia to the city's early years. The vast majority of the city's spread is unprotected by walls, though there are tall watchtowers throughout the city where the Watch concentrates and bases its operations. The northern edges of the city are home to several barracks where Watch members and other trained protectors live to address the regular threats from the mountains. In the event of a large invading force, Fort Rohesia is only one day's march away, so the city should be protected enough by the various Watch groups until the professional soldiers arrive.
The port at Eastcastle is protected by several cannon-adorned towers, with gunpowder weapons atop each one to attack approaching naval vessels. There is a very small contingent of Skerrittese navy stationed here, and they have their own port facilities set slightly aside from the merchant areas.

Infrastructure

The city maintains all roads, which are paved. The main road through town is decorated with mosaic patterns in its pavers - which are kept clean at all times by magical enchantments - evoking an artsy and sophisticated vibe for anyone passing through. The city is on a coastline with no river near, so freshwater is occasionally tough to come by. The city has a series of wells dug below the ground and diagonally under the mountains to access aquifers and rainfall runoff, and a few irrigation aqueducts carry water from sources higher in the mountains to the farms and outskirts of the city. Eastcastle also has a large port facility with several drydocks and shipwright workshops.

Guilds and Factions

Eastcastle has a very strong and robust guild system, with some guild or organization representing every industry or group in the city. There are even some neighborhood or racial groups that serve the interests of the various enclaves around the city. There are also many factions and mercenary groups that help tackle the city's problems when the Watch is not able - though Eastcastle is a pretty quiet city for these types of groups in most times.

Architecture

From any hills overlooking the city or up into the foothills of the Legobar Mountains, Eastcastle looks absolutely sprawling, as there are very few buildings with more than two stories outside the city center. Most residences in a Colonial style with sloping slate roofs to deflect any rain or seawater that might fall against them and usually have some rooms in this attic space. The houses and businesses within a few blocks of the port and waterfront are built up on stilts, as that area tends to flood at least once a year during monsoon season. The nobility have varying styles of house, with some Georgian style manors and others that would be closer to Queen Anne style, depending the ancestral cultures and ties to other parts of the world. Nearer the port, the buildings are made of concrete and adobe, with very little masonry that could be eroded by the water (though the buildings themselves get eroded over the decades and need to be rebuilt every few centuries).

Founding Date

2397 1A

Type

City

Population

18,761

Inhabitant Demonym

Eastcastlers

Owning Organization

Skerritt