Tallwater

Tallwater (formally, the City and County of Tallwater), is an independent city-state located at the mouth of the Great Wisidivescor River on the West Rim of Hyperborea on Navia. Built around and over the mammoth waterfalls where the Wisidivescor plunges off the towering bluffs of the Hyperborean Shield, it is a centre of commerce, trade, and culture; more than four million souls call Tallwater and its environs home.

Demographics

Tallwater is predominantly human, although sizeable ethnic minorities exist both in enclave neighbourhoods and living side by side with all of the Common Folk of Hyperborea. Exotic Folk are typically found as individuals or small families.

Government

Tallwater is a constitutional monarchy led by a Duke (also Duchess or Dux, as applicable) who is appointed for life, and anointed with the Deus Rex investiture. When so invested, the Ducal figure is the supreme authority over the city of Tallwater and may command any and all of its resources and infrastructure to their bidding. They are appointed by the Houses of Government, who vote on a Ducal heir selected from candidates presented by those Houses.

While there is no process for impeachment of a sitting Ducal figure, a nod to history's Year of Ten Dukes provides some insight on how the replacement process works.

History

In 740, An-Helat's Council of Elders and Brokhmal University's College of Archaeomancy agreed to organize and fund an expedition to explore the West Rim of Hyperborea, and commissioned the building of the schooner Lady of Hoedenheim for the purpose. After a total construction and outfitting period of two and a half years, on 14 Mizento 742 the ship set out on its mission under the command of Captain Tobias Castle and his first mate, Peter Adler.

Architecture

Tallwater's relative youth as a surface settlement means that it has benefited from the centuries of civic planning perfected by the various kingdoms which spawned its city builders. A delightful side effect of this is that one might take an anthropological tour through the waves of immigration to the area based on the styles of buildings they left behind them. As these waves continued and concatenated, the inevitable result was the architectural and art styles known as "Tallwater Modern", which closely resemble the Nouveau and Deco styles of 20th century earth.

Geography

Tallwater is built on a coastal escarpment around the cataracts formed where the Great Wisidivescor drops a grand total of 901m before draining into the Dyscrasic Ocean. Atop this escarpment, there exist vast tracts of arable land and pasture for livestock (although these come with a daunting catch; for more on this, see "Highmoor"), while the coastal along the foot of the escarpment is mainly rocky and sandy, and poor for most kinds of agriculture.

Climate

The climate in Tallwater is cold and temperate, with cool summers and moderate winters. Because of its coastal location, annual precipitation is high; while the escarpment naturally channels drainage in warmer months, the heavy winter snows often accumulate on the Highmoor, causing heavy flooding in spring.

Natural Resources

While the neighbouring regions of the Highmoor and the Shieldwood trade their respective bounties through Tallwater, the city itself profits from lucrative fisheries and its command of the Red Age lock system which permit seagoing vessels access to and egress from the continental interior via the Great Wisidivescor.

RUINED SETTLEMENT
-100 IR

Founding Date

Antiquity

Alternative Name(s)

The Last City In the World

Type

Metropolis

Population

4.23 million (Greater Metropolitan Tallwater)

Inhabitant Demonym

Tallwaterian

Location under

West Rim

Included Locations

• Cape Largot

Ruling/Owning Rank

Duke