Kidon
Towers of apartments rise over the cramped streets of Kidon. A canopy of laundry lines form roofs over the streets and alleyways like a jungle, with caped cats zipping along them like highways. All around is the stench of the massive harbor, the skeletons of ships in repair at the drydocks, and the massive pentagonal towers bristling with artillery. The street vendors serve food from across Desmia- lobster rice cakes from Adava, dumplings from Ralev, glazed sweet cakes from Esken. The dialects of Desmia converge into a common creole, with plenty of Selkie spoken in the dockside markets. Entire armies seem to be armed at the docks- crusaders staying for rest or repairs on the travel Westward and veterans returning home. Taverns and bars hang markers above their doorways to mark themselves as crusader-friendly. Inside, Desmians of every culture and military tradition bristle with weapons and armor from across the continent, as they sing what songs they share in common. In the words of Emesh , God of Knowledge:
"It is in Kidon that Desmian culture is forged. Avana and Pakray may write the literature of the continent, but it is in Kidon that you can see the many cultures find common ground. It is a liminal space, where identity is formed and negotiated; where the self and the Other are remade. Kidon may be small, but it is an purest form of a kind of uniquely Desmian space that holds immense cultural power. The Many Desmias becoming one"
The port is the center of Kidon, protected by five sets of fortified walls. Radiating outwards from the port are increasingly poorer or newer communities. Beyond the fifth wall, in the outer city, are the true urban poor. These slums lack the sewers and stone roads of the inner city to keep conditions sanitary, and are protected only by flimsy wooden palisade walls. It is in the markets of these slums where the majority of merchants from The Feywilds hawk their wares (some home made, some taken on raids of foreign lands). Vesper communities often run these markets- enforcing order, collecting taxes, and using their cut of the profits to keep reinforce the palisades and improve infrastructure. What little organized crime does exist is partially controlled by these Vesper clans, often with the blessing of the Kidon martial government. These clans often work closely with the local temples and community centers that run the community gardens.
The furthest outskirts of Kidon are the rural areas- for those brave enough or desperate enough to request land from the Kidan martial government. While the watchtowers of the area provide some stability and protection, those homesteaders that farm completely outside the city limits exist under threat of constant violence. The more established homesteaders often have specific allied bands of Feywild merchant-raiders that are given refuge on their farms and paid protection money; those newer farms fight regularly to survive.
The Elites avoid the countryside and the city alike, but keep to castles that dot the coastline.
Demographics
Government
Kidon is entirely run by the military- veteran auxiliary staff from the The Golden Crusade act as clerks, and fresh auxiliary staff coming from other Desmian areas often linger in Kidon to work as support staff (sewer maintenance, infrastructure repairs, mail couriers). Veteran warriors often retire to work as city guards and military personnel.
Defences
Five fully maintained sets of walls wrap around the city, complete with imposing defensive towers. Cannon and ballistae bristle along the walls pointed North. Intersecting palisades push out around the outer slums and villages, protecting the less fortunate from raids. Watchtowers radiate out from the city into the countryside.
Industry & Trade
Kidon's limited access to natural resources makes their ability to produce goods somewhat limited. Their strength lies in manufacturing- artisanal trades such as weaving, textile production, and book-making dominate Kidon's economy. While almost entirely reliant on imports, Kidon's artisan middle class has a thriving tradition.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure of Kidon is almost entirely military in origin- old barracks serve as the bottom floor of apartment buildings, old towers have been converted into workshops. Having always sustained a significant civilian population, Kidon's fortress system was built with a robust sewage system to provide sanitation.
Guilds and Factions
Given Kidon's reliance on imports and artisan production, Guilds are essential to life in Kidon. Guilds such as the Cobbler's Guild, the Weaver's Guild, the Shipwright's Guild, and the Printer's Guild work to provide city services and the protection of their members. Given the absolute authority of Crusading staff in the Kidon area, Guilds also act as representation for citizens and a source of protection from potential abuse by outsiders.
The Temples of Kidon act as the primary interface between Guilds and government- Guilds work to fund local temples, which in turn wield substantial clout with the Crusading establishment. Priests and Priestesses of the Kidon temples also provide references for returning veterans- giving preference to crusaders from Kidon for internal military positions.
Given the Temple-Guild relationships, Guilds will often encourage members to sent spare children on Crusade, so that Guild-associated children can return and occupy positions of government power.
History
The first fortress-settlement of Kidon began in -20DE, not long after the first generation of feywild raids. Early Kidon was essentialy a river-side hillfort with surrounding villages. As feywild raids became more devastating and frequent from -20DE to 500ME, Kidon was forced to create more extravagant defenses. In 580 ME, Crusade support and an offensive towards the Feywilds allowed the creation of the first organized fortress-city of Kidon. This was incorporated into and supported by the First Kingdom of Odala from 580ME-900ME, after which internal divisions and a Feywilds invasion saw the destruction of the kingdom. In 975ME, the city of Kidon was razed by outsiders, before it was rebuilt in 1000 ME.
From 1000 ME to the present day, Kidon has switched from being fully autonomous to being an Odalan vassal and back again several times. In 1450ME, concerted effort by the Feywild Empire of Nefka to destroy Kidon left the city almost destroyed, and a second invasion in 1680ME left Kidon completely abandoned for 30 years. The city was redesigned yet again in 1790ME to withstand larger Feywild invasions, and has yet to be destroyed again since. The city was attacked and parts were pillaged during wars from 1790 ME to 1848ME, but the fall of Nefka during the 1850's Invasion of the Feywilds has brought comparative peace to Kidon and removed the threat of eradication.
Feywild raids have remained a reality since the Fall of Nefka- and a constant source of terrible violence for any who live in the countryside.
Type
City
Population
~14,500 humanoids, 900 cats; many temporary residents
Inhabitant Demonym
Kidan
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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