Midgrove City

The Heart of an Empire

Stonereach is still young. Cormyr is a shell of its previous self, overrun by Loyalists. Midgrove City, however, stands as it always has. The beating heart of an empire; the centre of trade and progress.
-Jakub Tomasek

Demographics

Midgrove City is the crossroads of the Northern Emyr Expanse. Still majority human, as much of the Commonwealth is, that majority is more diverse than the surrounding towns and villages in Northern Emyr. The second largest demographic in Midgrove City are dwarves, mostly traders and transplants from nearby Blackhearth.

Government

Midgrove City, as every place in Northern Emyr, is part of the Imperial Commonwealth of Emyr. The city itself is overseen by it's mayor Nikoline Hedegaard who reports to the king, Jakub Tomasek.
Governmentally progressive compared to cities in the Southern Emyr Expanse, Midgrove City's governmental structure is more communal, offering town halls and public elections for mayor rather than appointment by the king.

Defences

No wall surrounds Midgrove, despite it being a target for Bloodletters. A regiment of a couple thousand Commonwealth troops maintains a barracks outside the city proper, while guards within the city are plenty. The city contributes roughly half of those guards to the king of Northern Emyr could a levy be raised.
The only fortified section of Midgrove City is the keep where the king and royal family resides, Hardingham Palace.

Industry & Trade

The absolute capital of trade in the northern half of Kal'Araan, Midgrove's history and reputation are built on trade and travel. Precious metals and stone flow out of Blackhearth through Midgrove before going out to the rest of the world, arcane students purchase magical components brought in from Haulder, and bounties of food are drawn up from the fertile soil to be sold in the numerous farmers markets throughout the city.
Alongside trade, Midgrove has historically had a massive presence of private military contracting, housing groups such as the Mithril Pillar. This trade has fallen to the wayside following the Battle of Westhill.

Infrastructure

With the only surface-source of water being Heron Lake, much of the city's water comes from wells dug deep below the surface. Sewers are present but pale in comparison to the scale of Stonereach or Valencia. The most impressive piece of infrastructure in Midgrove City is its roads. Rather than cobblestone or brick, they are a tiled hard concrete-like mixture. The roads that lead from Midgrove have existed for centurys without maintenance and are well-suited for cart-bound travel. This makes the city proper very friendly to trade despite not having a port.

Assets

While Midgrove City is not known for housing a great vault of riches, it generates the most revenue than any other city in the Northern Emyr Expanse. Citizens that reside there typically find more work and better pay than in the surrounding villages, leading to a strong baseline of wealth equality in the city proper.

Guilds and Factions

The Imperial Frontier Society and the Steelstriders call Midgrove City home, having headquarters in the city proper. Numerous trade organizations and companies line the streets, representing nearly every industry from across the Commonwealth. Bloodletters are not openly present within the city, but their agents for recruitment are sometimes found withing the less desirable parts of Midgrove.

History

The oldest un-razed city in Northern Emyr, Midgrove's history is one of Emyri history. Surviving the Emyrian Struggles, The Descent, and the fall of the Emyrian Empire of Man, Midgrove City has seen more conflict than most.
Historically, Midgrove City has been a place of social and governmental progress, holding the first election (and all subsequent ones) for the Chancellor of the Imperial Commonwealth of Emyr, as well as being one of the first cities to outlaw racially based contract discrimination.

Architecture

The oldest classical Emyri styles of architecture are visible in Midgrove, most notable of which being Hardingham Palace.

Geography

Built on the iconic flowing green plains of Northern Emyr, not much is of note for the surrounding geography. The city proper is built bordering Heron Lake, encapsulating about a third of it.

Alternative Name(s)

Midgrove, The Crossroads

Type

Large city

Location under

Northern Emyr Expanse

Included Locations

• Hardingham Palace

Owner/Ruler

Nikoline Hedegaard

Owning Organization

Imperial Commonwealth of Emyr