Raven Valley
Settled within a large clearing in the heartland of Afrington territory, Raven Valley has long been a town of warrior-families and legends of yore, where those who are remembered in prose and poetry for ages to come are born and buried, and from which the legends of today train to serve the Empire with their every breath.
Demographics
Human (40%), Dwarf (37%), Elf (10%), Halfling (5%), Half-Orc (3%), Gnome (1%), Dragonborn (1%), Tiefling (1%), Kenku (1%), Half-Elf (1%)
Government
The acting Head of the Guard has a direct line of communication with the Emperor, and acts in his stead, yet their job is usually quite undemanding, as a city of trained warriors and skilled craftsmen has led to a remarkably low crime rate.
Defences
The city is guarded by a quite typical wall, yet aged and tempered over time from repeated attacks by the drakes of old before their eradication. A guard force of roughly 350 stands at any given time, but is largely unnecessary due to the large amount of knights that reside here.
Industry & Trade
Most of the industry and trade here revolve around the noble families and warriors/knights. Advanced metallurgy, smithing, and fletching to supply troops with quality gear. The greatest exports are special metal blends, or quality ores, and luxury goods are regularly imported at huge markups for nobility to buy in a bid to impress each other and satisfy their own ego.
Infrastructure
The city is filled with the hustle and bustle that one would expect for a city of legend and warriors. Blast furnaces roar and spew out quality steel as farriers take care of horses and fletchers maintain bows. Magical shops sell scroll, trinket and bauble to mages as armories sell sword and shield to warriors both young and old. A massive bridge, the Black-Feather Bridge, crosses through the Salt Barrow and into the heart of the city, being intricately made and maintained, and always awash with the sounds of horses and carts, and the babbling of the river underneath.
Districts
The various districts of the city are all quite unique, showing the age of the city and the slow expansion it has seen as it has grown over time.
Raven Court
The Raven Court district is the oldest in the city, where the first warrior-families of old settled and mingled. The houses here are reminiscent of castles, but before stonework and masonry were as detailed and intricate, yet renovations over time give new life to the historical and aged look of the old houses of wood and stone, where new windows with intricate sills and frames catch the glimmering morning light, and intricate balconies and decks make for socialization places. Almost everyone who lives here is either among the richest in their respective trade, or is of a noble family, whether minor or major.Elmshade
As the city grew and became notorious for the families residing here, many craftsmen who had sworn allegiance to the families had moved here with them, and made their own houses, shops, and stores, just a stone's throw from where the warrior families lived. Eventually, it became a full fledged district, with beautiful stone streets lined with Elm trees, hence the name. Even to this day, many skilled craftsmen reside here, honing their craft.Castle
The castle in Raven Valley also acts as a military garrison and place of command. In times of war with the Estraits or Oplars, it is not uncommon for the emperor to relocate to this castle to be closer to the front lines and more in control.Lavender Road
The district is named after the road that passes through it, which once grew large amounts of lavender. To this day, there are still a few farms out past the city to the west that still grow Lavender, but in times past, it was used for dying uniforms and clothing, which, despite what one might think, actually yielded a light grey color, which was suitable for tabards or undershirts, and was quite common among those who could afford dyed clothes. Now, under Afrington control, the common dye is red, which is harvested from the Madder plant in smaller village farms.South Town
During the early 300's, more and more laborers were needed to maintain the growing population, beyond what Elmshade could provide. Many workers and families immigrated here to help, knowing that the protection provided was worth it. This also led to Raven Valley having a larger amount of farmers near it, as many of the laborers that moved in were general farmers and laborers, which was actually a welcome addition to the city, which hitherto had mostly skilled labor, and were required to buy food from elsewhere, and construction took quite some time.Eastgate
Heading out to the vast forests and plains of the heartlands of Irrelion, this is a district of many shops and yards for construction. The eastern forests provide ample wood of quality and size, which is used for carts and lumber, and farms sprawl out, supplying plenty of food. In modern times, this is a common place for travelers to rest if they're coming from Ironwall, or from Claydor territory.Westway
Heading out to the southern mountain ranges, unlike most other cities, this district hasn't devolved into a slums for miners and cave-delvers, and instead sees skilled stonemasons and craftsmen turn the hauls from the mountain depths into useful artisanal goods and metals.Hayreach
Home to the many horses of the soldiers that reside here, this district is filled with farriers and stable-workers who care for the steeds of noble families and warriors. Near to, and along the river, are store-houses that buy and store hay, which is delivered by barge from the north, and floated down the river by the farmers who grow the grasses for the hay, and the stables employ skilled workers to take care of all the needs of the horses to ensure they are battle ready.Salt Barrow
Much like the houses of Hayreach, the houses on the river take deliveries from barges that float down the river, except instead of them being from farms, they are from the mountains of the north, from which the river originates, and which is rich in salt deposits. These deposits are mined into blocks, and put onto ramshackle log barges to float down the river, where it is sold to storehouses on the riverfront, and then sold and distributed out to other businesses here, most of which use the salt to preserve meats and fish.Sunset Ward
A small district on the edges of the city, the few businesses here are the subject of much controversy. While officially, they are theaters and bars, it is all but stated that these businesses are a front for prostitution, which has been the subject of much gossip when the sons of renowned nobles are spotted here.Miner's Long
A miner's district like the Westway, small specialty forges line the streets, dotted with a few larger blast forges. The small specialty forges are run to purify expensive metals to high qualities, or to make specialty steels for custom-order arms and armor. The mines to the south from which the metals are pulled are owned by the town itself, which has left it open to all to go and mine, which, aside from minor historical feuds over rich deposits, has independent miners or workers contracted by smiths going in and traversing pre-existing tunnels, making their own, and pulling ores and minerals out.Assets
Within the castle, small stores of resources are kept in order to help in case of winter famines, which are far and few between, as most residents can afford to buy food from elsewhere in case local harvests are subpar. Many nobles keep personal stockpiles of arms, armor, and most importantly, metals. The metal stockpiles come from them buying high quality ores and waiting to have a purpose to use it for, or using rare metals like gold or silver as stores of wealth or for bulk trade.
Guilds and Factions
The Broken Hoard
This crackpot ragtag group of adventurers, miners, and other unique individuals have come together in a bid to discover the long lost treasure of the first great warrior, who was said to have buried his greatest treasures nearby before his death. Even after decades of no progress, the group retains hope.The Iron Alliance
A group of religious adherents that follow a strict moral code that requires them to help all those who request it. Made up of sons of lesser nobles and knights who seek to join a group to further their name by method of good virtues and actions, they regularly feed and heal the hungry and sick.History
In the days before and at the start of recorded history, a legendary warrior, whose name has long been forgotten to time, his very gravestone eroded blank centuries ago. Those who idolized him came to the very plains where he was buried, and sought to be buried next to him themselves, and as old warriors moved close by, awaiting their death, their families would occasionally move with them, and them perhaps have kids and keep living there. Over time, the scattered households moved into a centered community, which developed into a town on the riverside, and grew in size and power as old warrior families continued their lineages and formed bonds and alliances with others. During the onset of the Blood Age, it was the last city conglomerated into Alinith Veymore's growing territory, which would become the Afrington Empire not long after Raven Valley was taken. Of note is that, despite the massive amount of warrior families living here, no battle was fought and no blood was shed when Veymore came to conquer. Many swore allegiance and fealty to Veymore in exchange for a promise that they shall become nobles in his new empire, and the minority that did not agree with Veymore were allowed to sell their properties and goods at fair prices and to leave in good faith for other lands.
Points of interest
Tavern: The Ghastly Skull
Located within Southtown, this simple log cabin tavern and inn is ran by Jarana Eversharp, a young dwarf. Her penchant for decoration is apparent, as every wall and surface is covered with intricate paintings, tapestries, bits and baubles. Towards the back of the tavern, and to the side of the large fireplace sits a grandfather clock, simple in its construction, but old enough to be likely one of the first dozen or so ever built.Blacksmith: The Callous Workbench
Within Elmshade, Rurik Eversharp, father of Jarana, runs his own business, an old and aged smithy, lined with specialty tools that Rurik is too stubborn to ever get rid of, and pieces of armor in various states of construction and repair. The building itself is old and weathered, the stone walls no longer having solid edges between bricks, instead the lines blend together as the erosion brought about by many rains have smoothed them. Rurik's specialty is armor, being uninterested in weapons, he is one of the most notorious smiths in all Afrington territory, and is regularly commissioned to complete pieces for nobles and knights.Alchemist: The Naga's Talon
Owned by an old man by the name of Johannes Smithson, the store has been completely renovated in recent time and stands out among the more aged buildings that surround it. Sitting on a side alley in the Eastgate district, Johannes himself always greets his customers with an affirming grunt, and sometimes a blank stare, his voice and eyes long dilapidated with age, but his hearing, smell, and touch still keen as ever, he can make any concoction or tincture without so much as a second thought as to what he needs to do.General Store: Quirks and Mart
Nuraval Slatehand, a shrewd and middle-aged dwarven man of mouse-like stature and complexion runs this general store right along the outside of the wall in the Eastgate district. A shrewd trader with a penchant for making deals, he has many connections, and gets great deals on many things, which he sells to adventurers who may be quite desperate for a resupply, as any nearby cities are quite a journey away. His store is built of fine birch wood, and intricate pillars and rafters line the interior, holding goods both common and uncommon.Tourism
Tourism is not exceptionally common within Raven Valley. The most common form of Tourism is of great adventurers, warriors, and soldiers who come to visit the grave of the ancient warrior, to pay their respects, as a rite of sorts.
Architecture
While most buildings use simple building methods using nearby woods, intricate details are often inlayed into these otherwise simple structures. Those with more money tend to incorporate some of the stones of the nearby mountains into their houses, whether it be slate roofing, stone fences, or even marble countertops.
Geography
In a mostly flat area situated not far off from two separate mountain ranges, a river from the north flows through the city, bringing clear and clean water down, making boats able to travel downstream into the city, and allowing some level of fishing. To the east, the mountains part and vast swaths of land lined with flowing grasses and dense thicket and underbrush sprawl out towards the very heart of Irrelion.
Natural Resources
Aside from what is available within the nearby mountains, the water of the river is a great asset, as many other major cities sacrifice being near water in exchange for security, Raven Valley's location means it can sacrifice that security with few worries, and having water is a huge boon to the city. Nearby trees supply wood of decent quality for construction, and the fields supply enough food that the city hardly worries about a famine.
Founding Date
N/A, incorporated into Afrington Empire 613
Population
74,682
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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