Free City of Amistad

One of the few city of the ancients still populated by the people who lived there. The elves that once thrived in the old civilization were decimated by the great cataclysm and are being supplanted by the humans. The city is poised on the mouth of a Delta and build on small islands both natural and manmade. Hundred of small canals cross through the city that have been reinforced with stone works or bridged over. Some are small enough to be leapt over while others are large enough to allow the passage of ships to the various rivers that run through it and empty into the sea. It is its location along the coast and entrance of several large river ways that makes it a trade hub.

Demographics

Human, Elves

Government

The city was once part of a monarchy and still seats a Duke, though the title is honorific as there is no longer a kingdom. Since the collapse of the old world, leading citizens took charge and the duke rules with a counsel of freely electred representatives. Voting is done every three years on the winter solstace with representitives for all aspects of governance. Positions of Power can be run for by citizens who have lived in the city for 5 years or an outlying district for 8.

Defences

Most of the city is distributed along canals and water ways, making a strong ground assault impractical at best. The river approaches are garrisoned by bridged forts miles outward from the city and upstream to safeguard the passage of goods. A ring of forts outside the city proper mark where a wall was once raised that has fallen into disrepair over the centuries. Amistad boasts a strong navy of galleys and can rapidly levy a force of merchant militia ships if need be. They maintain a small, professional force knights to serve as the Duke's retinue, and their archers raised in the woodlands and river basins are legendary. They also have access to mercenary forces and the wealth to pay contractors if the need becomes that dire.

Industry & Trade

Survived the critical first few years of the great cataclysm by being far away from the impact zone and rellying on fish. Fishing is still integral to the livlihood of the city but now most industries are to facilitate trade. Goods are exchanged within the market places and on the docks. Merchentmen move the goods up river and along the coasts. Low taxes and light tarrifs encourage exchange and they have the infrastructure to move goods and protect trade far away. Unique to the city, the art of elven smithing hasn't been lost and their jewelry is equisit as a result. Their swords are particularly lightweight and elegant, prized by nobility and foot soldier alike.

Infrastructure

Goods are shipped en masse through the waterways that criss cross the city. A central dock exists around a prominant island at the mouth of the natural harbour where the city centre is located. Small islands were reinforced with ancient concrete and apartments built over them. Where conveinent, aspects of the city were built over bridges and numerous tiny islands made into one. Mason and engineers straightened, deepened or curved canals to create water roads for transportation and travel.

Assets

The city has no natural resources besides an abundance of fresh water and fish. Its prominance as a trade hub comes from an ideal strategic location, strong traditions of trading and seafaring, and beficial comerce laws.

Guilds and Factions

Immumerable merchant guilds try to secure each other's interests in a competative world. The rule of law, a rare thing post cataclysm, is maintained by the Prince's Guard (knights and footsoldiers) and town militia (local commanders voted upon to oversee levies). The Elves that remain occupy a full third of the city but live secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city, prefering to stay within their ancestral mannors in the old city districts. Their interests are represented by several guilds that safeguard the coveted smithing practices, as well as art and writing of the old world.

History

A walled city on the mouth of the rivers in old world. After the cataclysm, many fleeting the ash cloud and bandits followed the river to the city and took refuge there. When the worst was over, they began to rebuild and became the first beacon of a world in recovery. One of the few settlements left in working order with a functional society, it attracted traders quickly and became a source of wealth and stabilty far from the roving bandits inland.

Architecture

Old world archetecture resembles classical Latin and Greek structure to highlight the ancientness of it. Newer construction is higher middle aged Italian, with white walls and wooden roofs. Structures are usually small depending on the size of the island supporting them. Larger island support larger buildings and some islands have been merged with bridges and artifical islands to support the bigger plazas, marketplaces and apartments. The bridges and walkways are carved and polished stone with high archeways for gondolas.

Geography

Many rivers and streams converge into a delta at the mouth of a lagoon at the edge of Lothringun, more to the south. The lagoon is part of large natural harbour and leads out to the monster infested ocean and weastern coast lands. The waters are quite shallow, natural for galleys, although dredging in the old world allowed seafaring and ocean going ships to dock in the island near the centre. Outside the city clearing, the low land and wet climate creates a natural marshland and thick woodlands follow the rivers until the scorched earth of the Blightlands.

Natural Resources

Fish from the lagoon and fresh water from the rivers. Outlying districts have access to woodlands for hunting game.

Type

Large city

Population

300,000