Eidelstehlen

The Iron City

Eidelstehlen, the great iron city, lies on the edge of the Southern Anatolian Mountains. The rich veins of mineral wealth found in the region has catapulted the city to be one of the most wealthy in the world. It's people are hardy and hard working and support a culture based upon furthering wealth, business, and personal success. The city itself sits on a mountain, carved by an ancient civilization. The multi-tiered city is a wonder to both behold and travel through as the richness of the homes and shops increases the further up the mountain you go.
The nickname "The Iron City" is two fold in meaning. Eidelstehlen's wealth comes from it's rich mineral veins mined throughout the region, particularly ores for making iron, bronze, and steel. This, coupled with the city's seemingly impossible to breach walls, has given ride to the name The Iron City of Eidelstehlen. Many in the world look upon the city with both awe and envy as it reaps the wealth of the land.
Like most of Eindurand, Eidelstehlen has a strong Creotian following. Many small churches sit upon the mountain city which is home to the largest Creotian church in the world. The tenets of hard, honest work, personal glory, and competition can be seen in abundance within the tall city walls. Be wary though, thievery and villainy aren't tolerated any more than the lazy.

Demographics

Eidielstehlen is occupied by Humans who are traditionally Eindurandi in appearance. It is also home to the largest population of Ifreet outside of Astrellas, and a small populatio of Elves. The city itself is constructed upon a carved mountain, with 4 distinct levels to the city. The closer to the base of the mountain, the less wealthy residents become. Poor, unskilled laborers live and work at the base of the mountain amid the markets and trading outfits, while renowned athletes, high ranking guilds, and the aristocracy live in grandeur atop the mountain's peaks.

Government

Eidelstehlen lies within the Eidelstahl territory of Eindurand. Currently this territory is governed by the Anatolian Trade & Commerce Guild (ATC for short). The ATC oversees most daily goings on throughout the territory, including Eidelstehlen. The only reason that Eidelstehlen is considered the capital city of Eidurand is due to its size, wealth, and defensible location. The governing guild has always leased out buildings to the Guild State for a handsome reward, In return, the Guild State allows the governin guild autonomy over the capital city. The ATC must abide by the Guild State laws, including the constituional rights granted to citizens, but beyond this it is allowed to govern as it sees fit. Currently, the ATC runs a loose aristrocracy which concentrates power upon the wealthy and influential.

Defences

Eidelstehlen has never been breached from outside forces. At each level of the city, there are walls stretching from one side of the mountan to another. At the base, a single wall surrounds the city in perfect semi-circle. Atop all of these walls are ramparts and towers to keep watch over the city and several anti-siege implements designed to deter attackers. This is all designed to defend the city should any force break through the infamous Wall of he Mountain. Set a few miles from the city, the Wall of the Mountain is a massive fortification that stretches across all three roads leading in or out of the city. This perimeter wall started as a singular defense, but varou wealthy Guilds have added to the defense. In all, a traveler must pass through 6 thick stone walls overlooked by defensive fortifications before they set their eyes upon Eidelstehlen itself. Only twice in history has the Wall of the mountain been breached. Both forces attempted to seige the city, but were soon forced to retreat or surrender due to Eidelstehlen's overwheling defenses.

Industry & Trade

Industry is the life blood of Eidelstehlen. It's access to rich minerals both under the city and in the surrounding mountains fuels the city's thirst for metals, precious stones, and industrial materials. The area around the city makes farming difficult forcing the city to rely heavily on food provided from other regions. A few hardy farmers have been successful at growing resilent crops or raising adaptable livestock such as sheep and goat.

Infrastructure

Eidelstehlen is built upon 4 distinct districts, each of which rest upon some part of a mountain. The lowest district at the base of the mountain is home to unskilled laborers and unsuccessful artisans. The second level is residential, with a mix of specialty shops and mildly successful artisans. This second level is home to Eidelstehlen's "middle class". Residents who arent rich enough to be called wealthy, but not poor enough to live at the base. The Third level of the mountain is Eidelstehlen's wealthy aristocracy along with several guild chambers. This third level features beautiful architecture with multiple public works. The peak of the mountain is home to only the most prosperous Eidelstelans. Great Manors and estates overlook the valleys below. Both the Guild State National Hall and the ATC Guild Headquarters are found here along with the world's largest Temple to Creot outside of Adu'Sallah.

Assets

Eidelstehlen is perhaps the richest city in the world in terns of wealth and concentrated assets. The Surrounding hillsides, lush with precious and industrial minerals, fuel the city's burgeoning market. The city itself was built around this idea. Large market squares and ample warehouses sit along side forges and factories ready to turn rock into metal. Supporting this trade is a myriad of artisan shops ranging from the everyday tailor to the weapons and armor smiths. Banks ready to store the guilds precious wealth or loan money to new entrepreneurs can be found throughout the city.

Guilds and Factions

The ranking guild of Eidelstehlen, the Anatolian Commerce & Trade Guild, not only runs the government activity throughout the city, but owns a significant portion of the industry within the city. Several other smaller guild operate within the city, usually in areas not already bought by the ATC. Eindurand's national laws that forbid theft, corruption, and guild espionage are strictly enforced within the region, particularly in Eidelstehlen. Along with the business minded orginizations, several religious communities thrive within the city. The Creotian Sacred Forge operates a healthy church and apprenticeship program in the city's second teir, and the newly build Eidelstehlen University is known to focus upon Geology, History, and Architecture.

History

Eidelstehlen is a yung city compared to many within Eidurand. The regions was first settled by miners looking to harvest the mountains resources. The mountain that would one day become Eidelstehlen was found some 200 years ago, already carved. SSome prior civilization had come and turned an otherwise steep mountain into the foundations of a city. The three districts upon the mountain rest upon large cliffs that had been carved out and plateaued, with ancient foundations already built. The Human settlers simply made use of the mountain as a base for mining the area. The small mining community seemed to grow into a burgeoning city overnight. Word of gold, emeralds, and diamonds in the region attracted all who sought to grab their share of the riches. In an instant, Eidelstehlen became one of Eidurand's central hubs.

Architecture

The thick evergreen forests that are found in the region provided ample lumber for the building of the city. Stone mined from the mountain itself was used to form the halls and forges, the shops and homes. Due to the ease and quickness of construction, most homes at the base of the mountain as well as the second district were made from thick wood and tarred roofs. These simplistic designs became a staple for the city. The only problem was that there was limited space. Most homes within the city are at least 3 to 4 stories high. Residents built their homes on top of shops, gild halls, and even the sides of small cliffs. Other simply built their homes into the mountain itself, letting the existing stone serve as their walls. The more elaborate buildings in Eidelstehlen borrowed traditional Eindurandi design. Rectangle buildings with three to four levels, topped with tiered domes and steeples. Elegance was forgotten for the sake of durability, efficiency, and expedience. Despite the lack of eelegance found in other cities, Eidurand still has a simplistic beauty.

Geography

The region of Eidelstahl is mountains with thick, evergreen forests and rocky, fast flowing rivers. From the top of Eielstehlen, a traveler could see for miles to the mountain ranges to the east an the hilly terrain in all other directions. Tall, thick evergreens provide the city with lumber, and help prevent erosion from sprintime flood. Being so high in the mountains the chilly air can be a burden to some. Winters in the region are particularly harsh as the ground is almost always covered in a blanket of snow. A Single river runs from a natural well-spring under the mountain. It's cold waters blossoms from the mountain side at the peak of the mountain and creates a wondrous waterfall into the valley below. The cold spring water rolls on away from the base of the mountain, and eventually vanishes back underground.

Natural Resources

Farming is both difficult and dangerous in the region. The local terrain refuses to grow all but the most resilient of crops, so most food into Eidelstehlen has to be traded from elsewhere. Most food that comes from the region is in the form of livestock produce like meats and milk products from sheep and goats. What Eidelstehlen lacks in food, it more than makes up for in mineral resources. Gold, silver, tin, copper, diamonds, and marble are just some of the resources founf in the region. It is rumored that a vein of Magicite was found close to the city, but such rumors are unsubstantiated.

This rare painting shows a glimpse of the Wall of the Mountain. Pictured here is it's southernmost gate.

Alternative Name(s)

The Iron City

Type

Capital

Population

Roughly 320,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Eidelstehlan

Owning Organization

Eindurand