Gorville
Gorville is the capital of the island kingdom of Ikitur, which is situated just off the northwest corner of Ayndrinor and consists primarily of various dragonborn clans. The city of Gorville is located on the south-southwestern coast of the island, sprawling between the mountains and the Yaegar Ocean coast. Its growth and central population density have long been hampered by the scarcity of fresh water in its area, which puts Gorville in the rare situation - in Ayndrinor anyway - of being its nation's capital but not its nation's largest city.
The city at Gorville was founded in 628 1A and has lasted through the whole First Age, The Smiting, and into the current time. Its constantly small population limited how much technology or research could be amassed here, which prevented Gorville from ever becoming a supercity - which in the end saved it from decimation. For a large portion of Gorville's history, it was an independent city-state that got along with its neighbors and tried to cooperate to prevent everything from being overrun by the tundra's undead. In 2874 1A, however, the crown of Gorville was turned over to Peter VI who began an ambitious militarization project aimed at unifying the rest of the island's settlements under Gorvillian rule. This campaign was eventually successful, but over the following few centuries the Gorvillian kings were unable to keep a tight rein on the other cities, and the government shifted to a more decentralized confederacy where each city had a strong say over its policies and relied on the central government for very little.
In recent centuries, other cities in the kingdom have begun to grow at a faster rate than ever before, which has led to technological and arcane advancements as more scholars and inventors settle here. These inventors have largely been located outside of Gorville, but the capital benefits from their developments nonetheless due to the Parliament that meets here and the other cities' desire to see the capital beautified and modernized despite any rivalry or animosity that may be between them. Speaking of the Parliament, the compound that contains the buildings for the delegates is one of the largest neighborhoods in Gorville and takes up most of the central district. The king's palace sits nearby and has vast gardens and many out-buildings.
The monarchy of Ikitur is traced through the lineage of the ruling family and often branches out to the nobility of other cities, though they all inhabit the palace in Gorville. The palace has seen many renovations and changes over the centuries, both to modernize or repair things but also to accommodate the different styles of rulers from other areas. The royal family and the monarch are largely symbolic, but have been a tradition on the island for almost 1,600 years now and are part of the draw for tourists and travelers to visit Gorville. The current King is of brass dragonborn descent, like a good majority of his family.
Demographics
Like most of Ikitur, Gorville is predominately dragonborn, with all varieties of colors represented in the city. There are also humans, halflings, and dwarves present in larger numbers (about 10% of the city each). The current royal house is composed mostly of brass dragonborn, though the family has mixed heritage with several of the current King's cousins being other colors. The non-dragonborn in this city started off as traders or ambassadors from faraway lands, but their descendants stayed in the city and took up all manner of jobs, making them an indispensable part of the community today.
Due to the expansive plains and mountains surrounding Gorville, a lot of its economy is based on farming, mining, and the production of various goods from these materials. The mountains on Ikitur seem to hold a high concentration of copper and zinc, compared to a relatively low concentration of iron; for this reason, brass is an abundant alloy in Ikitur and is used liberally on building interiors. Another fairly large section is the trade and mercantile industry, which distributes farm goods to elsewhere in the kingdom and to foreign lands and also brings other raw goods to Gorville from elsewhere in the kingdom and the world. Most of these workers are lower class but have all the necessities they need, while the courtiers surrounding the monarchy tend to be aristocratic and own the various businesses or lands around the city.
Government
The city of Gorville is directly administered by the monarch and their family. Usually, the monarch appoints a cousin, uncle, or sibling to the role of mayor, but on occasion - such as with the current King - they take on that responsibility themselves due to not having or not trusting any close relatives. The current state of the kingdom does not leave the monarch with much to do apart from ceremonial duties, so there is ample time to commit to running a city. To aid in this, most mayors (be they monarchs or their relatives) appoint a small cadre of advisors to assist in their administration. These advisors become part of the Court and are elevated to the aristocracy, if they were not already there to begin with.
As part of the law that governs Ikitur, the King does not directly appoint the judges that interpret the laws and carry out punishments. All judgeships in the kingdom are decided by a majority vote of the rulers of the seven settlements - of which the King is part. These judges serve for ten years and can be reappointed as many times as the Council of Nobles sees fit.
Defences
Gorville does not have any formal perimeter walls, since there are no real threats to the city except in extremely dire circumstances. The biggest threat on the island is the undead and creatures from the northern tundra, but there are forts, other towns, and lots of land that separate those dangers from Gorville. The smaller harbor on the city's southern edge does have a few guard towers with ballistae to watch over the harbor. The only other defensive structures to mention are central Watch barracks and the fourteen smaller garrisons throughout the city, most of which are the size of a large inn and provide enough accommodations for around 30 guards each. Each of these garrisons has a small cellar with two jail cells, where criminals are sometimes held overnight until they can be transferred to the central prison with more guards for protection.
Infrastructure
Most of Gorville has paved roads, though only the major streets and the areas near the noble households are maintained well enough to allow smooth carriage and cart passage. The city draws its fresh water from a series of wells and a small network of aqueducts that redirect under-mountain streams. The scarcity of fresh water is one of the major factors that has limited Gorville's size throughout history and continues to do so to this day. There are a few basic mills and machine-run processing plants in the city, mostly dealing with agricultural product or smelting of ore.
Architecture
Like most of Ikiturian society, the houses and buildings are relatively plain and modest stone or brick on the outside but sport lavish and intricate decor inside. Most people believe this has something to do with the dragon ancestry of much of the city's and kingdom's inhabitants, but it has been the dominant culture here as long as anyone can remember. Non-dragonborn from other lands do bring their own cultural ideas to the city, and a traveler wandering around Gorville's wards might spot the occasional Victorian row house or Tudor cottage amidst the general monotony of buildings. Even the temples and main government buildings are relatively plain, mostly in a Romanesque or Norman style, but inside sport luxurious wooden furniture, ornately painted fresco walls, and brass accents everywhere possible.
Founding Date
628 1A
Type
Capital
Population
11,248
Inhabitant Demonym
Gorvillians
Owning Organization
Comments