Alldris - City
Demographics
Though most Aldrians are of Teutoni decent, the close proximity to the Theraonian border and a growing economy have given rise to waves of Theraonian immigration. This goes for the nobility as well as for the commoners - the patrician houses de Luna, de Tristalio and de Castillio are all descended from Theraos. There are also large minorities of Bomanians, Verdinians and Mirradhinian decent, mostly descendants of merchants who settled in Alldris for one reason or another.
The nobility of the City of Alldris - and by extension the principality of Alldris - are not, with a few exceptions, landed nobility. Instead they are Patricians, nobility whose power derives from the ownership of goods, money and shares in profitable businesses. This is common in the Teuton City States, were the lack of central government have created small independent nations centered around a walled city. The patricians do not share the martial tradition of nobility in most other nations, and are often viewed as decadent and weak by the landed nobility of neighboring lands, a reputation that might be unfair as many prominent captains and leaders of mercenary bands have been raised in patrician households.
In Alldris, all Patrician households can vote in the election of the Prince-Mayor, and all Patricians are eligible to run for senator and other government positions.
Government
THE PRINCE-MAYOR
Alldris is an elective principality, where the patricians vote for who gets the title of Prince-Mayor. The Prince-Mayor is the head of the executive branch and can appoint officials and and ministers to fill various roles in a myriad of committees, boards and authorities. They may also elect new judges and have more or less complete control over foreign relations. Once elected, they rule for life. The officials under the Prince-Mayor are traditionally patricians, but there have been many exceptions in the last decades.
These are some of the most important official positions in the city.
Post: Currently Held By:
Prince(ess)-Mayor: Mari de Luna"> Ruler of the city and head of the executive branch. Seated at the Palace of the Prince-Mayor.
Judge Supreme: Claude Rollo - Chairman of the council of judges. Seated at the Courthouse.
Steward of the City: Papelian de Luna Handles the economy and logistics of the city. Seated at the Palace of the City.
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Officials subordinate to the Steward of the City:
1. Master of Commerce: Einar auf Klint - Oversees the ebb and flow of commerce in the city, proposes new tariff rates to the senate, makes sure trade can be conducted as smoothly as possible. Seated at the Chamber of Commerce.
2. Harbormaster: Tyne Skalich - Oversees the maintenance and repairs of the piers and seawalls, and promenades, keeps logs over all visiting ships and boats, makes sure the city's reserves of maritime supplies are well stocked. Seated at the Harbor Office.
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Chancellor of the City: Ulrecca di Tristalio Handles the diplomatic relation with other nations and foreign affairs in general. Resides at the Palace of the Prince-Mayor.
Watcher of the City: Umberto the All-knowing - provides the Prince - Mayor with intelligence about everything and everyone, in the city and abroad.
Vice Mayor of the City: Ulrecca di Tristalio - Rules the city in the abcense of the Prince-Mayor, or in the intermediate period of time between the death of the Prince-Mayor and the next election. Resides at the Palace of the Prince-Mayor.
Grand Marshall - Henrich Brücke. - Commander of all armed forces of Alldris. Answers only to the Prince-Mayor. Seated at the Admiralty.
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Officials subordinate to the Grand marshal:
1. Master of the Walls: vacant - Oversees the repair and maintenance of the city's static defenses, such as the city walls and the seaside forts.
2. Captain of the Company: Captain Edlass - Oversees the Alldris Companions, the mercenary company that's been in service of the city for two centuries and have become a de facto standing army.
3. Cheif of the River: Calio Harja - Oversees the defense of the Vita river that flows into and around the city. They are responsible for patrolling the river and guarding the river harbor from enemies.
4. Admiral of the Fleet: Admiral Lothar auf Swarchen The commander of the Alldris fleet.
5. Grand Quartermaster: Gustavo Binder - responsible for the provision and logistic of the armed forces.
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Grand Scholar - Master Edolas - Oversees all universities and institutions of higher learning in the city. Resides at the Palace of the Prince-Mayor.
Captain of the Guard: - Lucius Kampf - Cheif of the City guard and responsible for keeping the peace among the citizenry. Seated at the City Watch Headquarters
Sheriff of the Guard: Alsonso de Luna The city's criminal investigator. Cooperates with the Captain of the Guard but is otherwise independent. May employ deputies. Seated at the City Watch Headquarters.
THE SENATE
The Senate is the legislative body of Alldris. They consist of a hundred and one senators who are voted into office by the patricians. They must be patricians themselves.
Most major decisions in Alldris are argued, debated over and voted for on the senate floor. Usually the senators are divided along unofficial "party" lines, where influential families compete over who can win the loyalty of as many senators as possible. As of now, the major divide in the senate are between the Progressives and the Traditionalists.
The senators are elected or reelected January 2nd every year. There are no term limits.
The important positions in the Senate are:
1st Consul: Opus auf Callus - The Consuls fills a sort of Chairman role - they moderate the debates, presents the motions, and makes sure the Senate sticks to the subject at hand.
2nd Consul: Vacant
3rd Consul: Vacant
THE TEMPLE ORDER
The clergy are as is common in the west separate from the secular government but nevertheless holds great influence over the government in Alldris and acts both as advisors to the rulers of Alldris and as ambassadors of the Archdeacon. Even though the Septim Temple is the greatest temple in all of Western Etianism, the Alldrian Deacon resides in the smaller but older White Chapel, one of the oldest buildings in Alldris, roumored to have been around since the days of the City's founding five thousand years ago.
The current Alldrian Deacon is Lovena the Chaste
Defences
An array of seaside forts around the Alldris guard the city against enemy fleets. The oldest and grandest of these is The Spear. The ancient fortress dates back to the days of the Empire and is the headquarters of the Grand Marshall.
Three walls circle the city by land, the outer two having been built as the city expanded beyond its borders.
Inner wall, also called the King's Wall, were erected by Crassus the Cruel, the only king that ever ruled Alldris in the post-imperial era. The wall have fallen into disrepair, the architecture far inferior to that of the Old Wall.
The middle wall, called the Old Wall, were erected by imperial architects and is in a good condition despite periods of neglect. Its white walls, thirty meter tall at not including it's towers, are a landmark well recognized by citizens and outsiders alike.
The Red Wall, so called due to the color of the stones used to build it, is the outermost wall of Alldris. It is a testament to the new prosperity Alldris achieved during the last centuries. The architecture is a big improvement from that of the King's Wall, built sturdier and with better materials.
Industry & Trade
The city have always been a major trade port, but last two centuries the city have risen to prominence due to the western colonies. A huge share of the imports of new world goods goes through Alldris. From there the inland trade routes spread the wealth to to cities further into the continent at increasing profit margins. The markets of Alldris are teeming with coffee, tobacco, spices and herbs grown in the colonies.
The industry of the city have started to break away from the old guilds and tradesmen and several manufactories have been established, taking advantage of the large number of immigrants streaming into the city. They mostly consists of weaving mills, ironworks and distilleries. The local guilds fear that the phenomenon might grow into other fields and eventually replace the need for skilled artisans.
Infrastructure
Alldris is built on several rocky islands in the Vita river delta. Bridges connect the islands to each other, and the largest islands are divided by channels that run through the city.
Not much is left of the old Imperial architecture. Some bridges, forts, foundations of palaces and the vast network of sewers are some of these remnants, created by a civilization whose building method still remains secret - though many scholars assume these methods to be magic in nature.
The sewers in particular are noteworthy, lacking any equal in the known world. Hey run deep and connect the islands below the river floor, making it possible for the sewer workers to get anywhere in the city without crossing the water. Sometimes the sewers are used by thieves and assassins to access rich households. To counter this the city guard regularly patrol the sewers, a job that has become synonymous with punishment within the guard.
The Wharf at Wharfport produce both mercantile vessels and warships alike and is one of the most prestigious wharfs in the world. Though the city itself owns a big part of the wharf, the lion's share of the docks is owned by the Rendellfamily.
History
Alldris was the first city to be founded by The Empire on the mainland and served as a staging point for the imperial conquerors to conduct campaigns into the continent. Eventually it grew until it served as a sort of secondary capital of the Empire and the marketplace where all the loot from the conquered nations got passed through before ending up in Island of Acionia.
When the higher strata of imperial society in Acionia fell into civil war and the Imperial mages and warriors returned to their island, the power vaccum caused the former imperial province of Teutoni to fall into chaos and dissaray. When the Acionians never returned, Alldris, robbed of the imperial trade network, fell to ruin. Most of the inhabitants fled, died or moved to the countryside. At it's lowest point the population of Alldris fell below ten thousand - almost one percent of the population during the golden age of the empire. The imperial buildings fell to ruin during long years of unrest and war. The city was looted many times by rampaging warlords, many of whom tried and failed to reestablish imperial order.
But the city never quite lost its potential as a trade hub. With the ideal location and old imperial defenses, several wealthy merchant families established themselves in the city and came together to repair and maintain the old imperial walls and forts. This was the foundation of Alldris as a merchant republic.
In 870 BDW the merchant Illur Khlent, the chairman of the council of Alldris, established the Senate. This was deemed a fair way for all wealthy merchant in Alldris to get a say in politics.
In 521 the military threat from the neighboring Theraos tested the Alldrian democracy. By a slim margin Chairman Crassus Cletos, later known as Crassus the Cruel, was elected as a temporary dictator of Alldris to combat the infighting among the merchant families. This was the beginning of a dark chapter in Alldris history. Crassus began a reign of terror marked by displays of public torture and executions of dissidents, heavy taxation and a decline in the quality of life.
After a long and destructive life the last king of Alldris died - poison, according to rumors - and severe restrictions were implemented by the senate so that no person would be able to make themselves king of Alldris again. Instead a the ruler would be chosen from the senator's ranks by lottery. This system lasted nearly two decades, until the present office of the Prine(ss)-Mayor was founded in the year of 239. By this time the city population had reached the 100 000 mark and it kept growing at a steady pace before skyrocketing after the Dragon Wars as refugees from the war torn Teutoni(Area) countryside arrived form the east and the north, founding the modern Alldris district of Archammer.
Alternative Name(s)
Alrium (Ancient Acionian)
Type
City
Population
C.a 760 000
Inhabitant Demonym
Alldrians
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Related Reports (Primary)
- Elize becomes the city, Hieronymus flies and Mercedes prays
- Elize haggles, Hieronymus walks through a door and Mercedes does not get the hint
- Elize kills a man, Mercedes kills 10+ men and Hieronymus draws a caricature
- Hieronymus does not want an affair, Elize cries for days and Mercedes does not get along with her aunt
- Hieronymus enters a blood pact, Mercedes abstains from an orgy and Elize pretends everything is fine
- Mercedes can see the color of sound, Elize marries against all odds and Hieronymus is rudely interrupted
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