Val Niar

Val Niar is the capital of the Heartlands and the second biggest city in the world, although it's the third largest city population-wise. The city is famous for it's port, which is the largest in Leorden, and for the royal academy of magic, which is one of the only reputable schools for magically gifted individuals. The city itself is beatiful, owing to the intricate designs of the elves and the talent of dwarven builders. Because of the fact that most buildings in the city are made of a durable white material called Arken, the city is often called the white city. Some call it the eternal city, as that is what Val Niar means when translated from elvish.

Demographics

The population of the city is a mix of elves, humans and dwarves. Because to the inherent skill of elves they usually work as warriors, mages or lapidists. They are also known to love art in all of it's forms, which is why most musicians, painters, writers, sculptors, architects and dancers are elves. Their immortality also means that they can save money, invest and learn new skills over long periods of time. It is not strange then that most of the higher class consists of elves. 
Dwarves mostly work as artisans and smiths, although they are also excellent warriors. Many are also architects, builders, carpenters or merchants. They are not as rich as the elves but they lead good lives and their work is highly prized. 
Humans live short lives but procreate more than the other races, in contrast to elves and dwarves they do not possess innate skills or talents. Because of this they usually work as farmers and are not as privileged as elves and dwarves. This has sometimes led to conflicts within the city and the king of the Heartlands has been forced to mediate issues between the races to ensure continued peace and prosperity.

Government

The city is ruled directly by the king or the hand of the king, depending on the situation. Val Niar is home to the senate and is the king's personal fiefdom. The city is divided into twenty districts, each one managed by a guard captain and a magister. The guard captains are also called constables and are in charge of the defense, security and law enforcement in their district. They are all under the command of the garrison commander, also called the shield of Val Niar. Magisters are responsible for judicial matters, construction projects and the budget of their district.
Magisters and constables are usually elected by the people that live in their district but depending on the situation they may also be appointed by the king, hand of the king or the senate. The garrison commander is appointed by the senate or the king and has full authority over the walls and defences of the city, usually the commander is a veteran that can't fight or has retired from the field but has experience and knowledge in siege defense, negotiation and tactics.

Defences

"Since their construction, the walls of the eternal city have never been breached, I'm not going to let that change."
- The Shield of Val Niar to Knight General Marcus Antoninus

Val Niar has a standing garrison of 30,000 men, but in times of crisis most of the city's citizens are gathered to help in one way or another, resulting in the total defense force swelling to considerably larger numbers. The garrison consists of sentinels and guardians. Each district of the city has 1,000 sentinels that act as both guards and as a police force, these are well trained and well armored. However, the soldiers that most of the world commonly associates with the Val Niar garrison are the guardians of Val Niar. They are an 10,000 man strong, elite and heavily armed and armored force of veterans. There are also a few hundred mages from the royal academy that may be conscripted into the defense force when the need arises. In such cases they may help in different ways like bombarding the enemy or protecting and healing allies, but their magic might also be used for transportation, building, repairs and whatever else it is needed for.
Usually the city's defense force is under the command of the shield of Val Niar but someone that is higher ranked may decide to assume command. The city has tall walls and towers. Each district is separated by walls and gatehouses with double portcullises, arrowslits and murderholes. Additionally, machicolations have been built on all of the cities walls. Food, weapons and supplies are stored in various depots in the city's higher levels. In the event of a siege, supplies are transported magically or by citizens that for whatever reason can't be directly involved in the fighting.

Industry & Trade

The economy of Val Niar is comprised largely of trade with other nations. The elves that came to the heartlands several thousands of years ago chose to build the city of Val Niar on the site it is found today because of many different factors, but not least was the fact that it is located next to the sea, which they loved more than most things in Leorden. They were also excellent ship builders and sailers, which is why trade, specially maritime trade, is so important for the city. The fleet of the heartlands is usually docked in Val Niar, as it's port is the biggest in the known world.
Raw materials from the caves under the city or from the surrounding lands are transported into the city after extraction and in some cases refinement. There it is sold to merchants and different craftsmen so that it can either be resold or used to craft different goods. Due to the great surplus of natural resources around the city and in the heartlands in general, most of the products are exported, resulting in a massive income from trade for the kingdom of the heartlands.

Infrastructure

Elves have always appreciated organization, because of this the roads of the city are built like squares and made of paving stone. The city also has a complex system of sewers covered by stones, which was built many centuries ago but still keeps the city clean to this day. There are also public latrines and baths.

Guilds and Factions

Val Niar follows the same economic policies as the free city, and as such has a merchants guild to regulate trade. Actual trade policies however, are presided over by the senate. The merchants guild is comprised of elves, but also a few dwarfs. Being a member of the Guild affords power and wealth for a select few, but the membership is exclusive. A council of wealthy merchants and others administer the organization and hold meetings to maintain the functioning of the organization. Missing meetings is considered an insult and crossing the Guild is seen as a deadly offense. The guild is similar to several cartels, but neither the king nor his hand have moved against them publicly due to their extensive influence and wealth.
It is well known that the most prominent mage academy in Valahir, the royal academy of magic, is located in Val Niar. The academy exists to educate magically capable individuals the benefits and dangers of magic, as well as how to use it correctly. In the heartlands, these individuals are very respected and their services are highly sought after. The church of Atillon has repeatedly attempted to get access for their templars and inquisitors to hunt down and capture mages in the heartlands, sometimes by force. Despite their best efforts they were denied centuries ago. Due to this the heartlands are often seen as one of the only safe havens for mages, so most with the ability to use magic flee to the academy instead of waiting to be captured by the templars of the Atillon church. The academy started as a small branch of the government, but as the number of mages that needed education grew, so did the academy. Today it can house several thousands of students at a time.
Humans in the city do not have the same amount of wealth as elves and dwarves, this has caused several pro-human factions to arise. So far they are few and far between, and they disagree on many issues. A few are extremists that want to overthrow the government and install a fully human one in it's place. Many others believe in things such as the creation of a committee for the protection of human interests, lowering tax or increasing the subsidies given to farmers. Nevertheless they are kept under watch by the spy network of the heartlands.

History

After the coming of the elves many different groups migrated and settled down in different locations of Leorden, one of these groups came to the spot where Val Niar lies today. They had a deep love for water and were great mariners. In the ancient days different elven cultures would often clash, this was also true for this one. However, they took inspiration from other societies to craft a new style of warfare, unique to them. They invented many formations and tactics, and great generals expanded their territory by battling and defeating enemy tribes.
Val Niar would continue to be the capital of the heartlands as the nation grew and evolved. Numerous wars and invasions forced it's people to adapt. The military was effectivized, new institutions like the senate and the royal academy of magic were created inside the city's walls and trade flowed in and out of it's port. It still retains it's strategic and economic importance today.

Architecture

Most, if not all buildings are built with a material called Arken, it is a highly durable and resilient, and can be found in abundance in the nearby mountains. The city has been expanded from it's original design throughout millennia, with the inner reaches of the city retaining the ancient elven architecture while newer buildings seem to have a new elvish style which is partly influenced by dwarven architects.

Geography

The white city is located on top of and around a hill in the north of the heartlands, around the city there are a mix of farmland and normal plains. Since the city sits next to the sea it needs other sources of freshwater, to accommodate this there are many wells in each district that supplies citizens with drinking water. Before these wells were built water would be taken from fresh water streams coming from the mountains. The view in the highest parts of the city is known to be incredibly beautiful, and many couples go there at night to gaze over the fields or at the stars.

Natural Resources

Val Niar possesses several valuable natural resources. The surroundings of the city, like the larger part of the Heartlands, contains highly fertile land which is used to grow things like wheat, grain and corn, but also more exotic and valuable crops like grapes, olives, nuts and more. Under the city, dwarves work tirelessly to extract minerals like gold, silver, iron, coal and rare gemstones. There's also quite a lot of fish around the city's waters.

Alternative Name(s)

The White City, The Eternal City

Type

Capital

Population

~528,000

Owning Organization

Kingdom of the Heartlands

Characters in Location

• Arthur Ilvenar
• Hans von Königsmarck