Coromare
Coromare is the capital city and largest trading port of the Kingdom of Litticala. It is situated on a bay on the east coast, at the mouth of the River Cando.
Name
The royal city should have a royal name.The name Coromare comes from the Calan phrase corona del mare, meaning "crown of the sea". The city was originally called Citta Cando, after the river. When Anaïs dolo Cando I claimed the city as the capital of her new kingdom in 136 BGE, the city adopted the nickname corona del mare. Over time, this phrase was naturally shortened to Coromare. Arnau dolo Cando officially changed the name of the city on his ascension to the throne in 82 BGE.
History
People have lived along the banks of the River Cando since ancient times. The oral traditions of the River Walkers cite small villages along the shore and throughout the marshlands well before written records. The town known as Citta Cando was settled around 313 BGE by the Cando, who also took their name from the river. Its location made it a prime location for trading, and the settlement quickly grew into a flourishing city. In 136 BGE, Anaïs dolo Cando I established the Kingdom of Litticala, with Citta Cando as its capital.Geography
Coromare is built along the banks of the River Cando, which divides the city into northern and southern halves. The river flows into the Makeyan Sea to the east of the city. The city sits on mostly flat land, although the rolling foothills of the Serpenti Mountains are visible to the northwest. The outlying villages and farms to the southwest grow sparser as one looks east, until the land is largely overtaken by a saltwater marsh.Demographics
As a busy port city, Coromare has a diverse and ever-changing population. The upper classes are almost entirely Calan families with deep ties to the kingdom and her nobility, though there has been an increase in wealthy Naleedites settling around the Temporalist University in recent years. The merchant and lower classes are a mixture of Calans, Naleedites, and Makeyans. Charyans are less common in the city, as they are not a seafaring culture, and the journey overland is long and dangerous.
The Naleedite population is proportional to the distance of each tribe's ancestral lands from the city:
The most common professions for the lower class are tied to the docks, whether in fishing, ropemaking, or hauling cargo. The city's bustling port needs many hands to keep up with the volume of trade passing between Coromare's merchants and the Guild. A more settled middle class is made up of craftsman processing the raw materials arriving daily overland and by sea. The wealthiest Coromarans tend to fall into two roles: great merchant houses that control vast trading empires, or nobility living off accumulated wealth.
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Calan | 60% |
| Naleedite | 20% |
| Makeyan | 14% |
| Charyan | 5% |
| Other | 1% |
| Tribe | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sheer | 50% |
| Mamari | 25% |
| Tal | 15% |
| Harbi | 10% |
Languages
The vast majority of Coromarans speak Calan as their first language. It is common for Temporalists to be literate in Naleedic, though it is spoken much less frequently. It is more common to hear Kelam in the marketplace than standard Naleedic. Merchants and residents of Dockside typically have some knowledge of Makeyani, but as The Guild provides translators for official business, the language does not have as great a reach as Kelam. Charyan is rarely spoken outside of the immigrant community, and most families speak exclusively in Calan within two generations of arrival.Defences
Coromare is a walled city, accessible overland through gates in Northgate, Whitebridge, Kingsfort, and The Marsh. The military is headquartered at Fort Melchiorre in Kingsfort.
The Palace District is walled off from those surrounding it, and access is controlled via Coronation Bridge.
The City Watch acts as a police force for Coromare's districts, with the exception of Palace District.
Infrastructure
The streets of Coromare range from narrow, neglected dirt paths between the shacks of Old City to the granite sett paving of The Marsh that keeps the streets from washing away in the rainy season. The majority of districts have employed some form of brick or stone paving for their roads, but the older and poorer districts often lack the funds to build or maintain nicer streets.
Four bridges span the River Cando. From West to East:
- Whitebridge, connecting Whitebridge and Kingsfort districts.
- Coronation Bridge, also known as Goldbridge, connecting Whitebridge and Palace districts.
- Twinbridge, a pair of footbridges connecting the two halves of Dockside district.
- Eastbridge, connecting the two halves of Dockside district.
Architecture
Architectural styles and building materials vary from district to district. Upper class homes are commonly constructed of brick and stone, while the lower classes make greater use of whitewashed cob and wood. Wooden roofs are ubiquitous throughout the city. Buildings rarely rise above two stories. The towers of the Palace, the Guild Hall, and the Watch Tower are exceptions rather than the rule.
The architecture of The Marsh trends towards the Charyan style due to the concentration of immigrants. These single-story buildings are typically constructed entirely of wood, with delicate carvings around the frames of doors and windows.
Alternative Name(s)
The Crown of the Sea, Citta Cando
Type
Capital
Population
20,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Coromaran
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Related Professions
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