Cape Hildegard
Cape Hildegard is the largest city on the isle of Cypruvalu in the southern Aquatic Kingdoms, and one of the most important cities in the Aquatic Kingdoms. It is best known for its seven prestigious colleges and universities, each considered among the best in the realms for their subject material.
Demographics
Government
Most major issues in the town are decided in thrice-yearly elections that are infamous for their startlingly long ballots. All registered citizens of the age of majority (as determined by species) are required to vote, with additional taxes levied against those who do not. This, along with high education levels, has given Cape Hildegard a robust culture of civic engagement.
All other decisions, as well as any emergencies, day-to-day governance, and the like are decided by the Council of Deans, which consists of the deans from each of Cape Hildegard's seven schools.
Infrastructure
In addition to one of the earliest known sewer systems in the Aquatic Kingdoms, the engineers of Cape Hildegard have built a system of geothermal tunnels to take advantage of the heat from the nearby hot springs systems and funnel it through the town. These tunnels run directly under many of the largest streets in the city, melting any snow and ice buildup and heating the adjacent buildings. Many of the buildings, especially in the south and central portions of the town where the geothermal tunnel network is most active, have significant basements that can be closed off in winter to prevent the hot air from escaping upwards.
The Harbor District is manned by a fleet of steam golems, iron-and-wooden constructs powered by a combination of hydraulics and magic that can load and unload goods from ships far more efficiently than mortal dockworkers. They are also capable of protecting the city in times of great need, though these have been few and far between.
Districts
Artificers' District
THe Artificers' District, true to its name, is home to the largest concentration of artificers, alchemists, spellsmiths, and engineers in the Aquatic Kingdom, and arguably the largest in Belcantas. The Inventor's Institute of Cape Hildegard sits near the center of the neighborhood; its main campus building is a marvel of modern engineering, with the largest known glass façade in the world (outside of rumors of the dragon-enhanced glass architecture of Dodiöu Réijmí).Brickville
Brickville is a lower-income neighborhood, so named for its small brick rowhouses that were built cheaply during the post-war Y400s CPX and have remained popular with laborers and especially students. University of Cypruvalu, at the southern end of the neighborhood, is the largest university in the Aquatic Kingdoms, with programs in academic studies as well as multiple forms of practical magic. Its presence has also drawn dive bars and cheap eateries to the neighborhood, giving Brickville itsCentral City
What originated as the meeting point between the Founders' four crews and cultures has grown over the millennia into a naturally vibrant and eclectic city center, oriented around Proclamation Square and the College of the Arena. The latest iteration of the College's eponymous gladiator and concert arena was built in Y1014, specifically reinforced and enchanted to host the epic and often wildly dangerous gladiator battles of the League of Magic's top-ranked contenders.Chapel Village
The inland neighborhood of Chapel Village is colder and less densely populated than the bustling coastal districts of the city. It is home to the College of the Holy Mother, built around the town's oldest temple to its patron goddess Hildegard. The Chapel Strings bathhouse and a small network of dojos still reflect the trends of the early Y800s towards Wood Elf-influenced architecture. Chapel Village is also home to Oddfellows' Bakery, run by a Half-Elf named Tchelio who is rumored (though never confirmed) to be one of the Heroes of Cape Hildegard.Harbor District
For most of the year, the Harbor District is a fairly average commercial hub and port district for a city of Cape Hildegard's size. Its taverns and other establishments cater towards traveling merchants and other tourists, with relatively few local residents. Ordinary trade slows down significantly when the Wizarding University of the Aquatic Kingdoms stops, once per season for one to two weeks at a time, as the massive fleet takes up most of the available dock space in the small, crowded harbor.North Cape
North Cape is hilly and quiet, with larger homes and more upscale options for dining and shopping. Its residents include former nobility, retired elder sages, and long-tenured faculty members at the nearby elite Hildegard University. A handful of Sun Elf aristocrats live on estates they claim to have inhabited since the town's founding in the Age of Integrity. Many of Cape Hildegard's most beautiful sights, and those relatively overlooked by tourists, are in North Cape. The bluffs and rocky beaches of North Cape, while typically too windy for sunbathing and much too shallow and jagged for maritime traffic, are perfectly suited for stargazing. The plum blossom trees that line Ozymandias Boulevard create one of the most picturesque sights in the city when they bloom in early May.Old Town
Old Town is the established center of the city, with many of its most important institutions, including the Council Assembly House (where the Council of Deans holds the majority of its public meetings) and the main gallery and auction house of the Art Lover's Club.Steel Alley
The relatively small Steel Alley neighborhood holds the highest concentration of Cape Hildegard's Dwarven and Gnomish populations. It is notoriously dangerous to walk in Steel Alley at night or in overcast conditions, especially while wearing dark or drab colors, since its relatively flat streets often transform into a makeshift arena for the experimental enchanted and steam-powered vehicles that some of its residents build and race.South Cape
The quiet, sprawling neighborhood of South Cape is the largest Orokhim enclave in the Aquatic Kingdoms. Colorful Orokhim tapestries, sturdy construction that makes use of the neighborhood's natural caverns, and a well-attended temple to Prometheus make this influence clear on the neighborhood.Watchtower Hill
Watchtower Hill is so named because it was once the site of an Age of Integrity fort, from which the soldiers of Cape Hildegard defended the city from its early threats, such as ferocious Elemental creatures and frequent attacks by rocs. The neighborhood has become somewhat more upscale in the past century, though it still houses the Watchtower Knight's Academy and its student barracks. Watchtower Peak is the city's largest park, and its eponymous peak is the highest point on land in Cape Hildegard.History
According to the story of the Four Founders, Cape Hildegard was established by four travelers and their ships' crews, who all landed at the same harbor while on world-spanning personal quests. The crews established temporary settlements and trading outposts while waiting for their captains to return from their pilgrimage to Mount Scivias. These settlements soon became permanent, growing and thriving over the years into today's Cape Hildegard.
Great Schism of 924
The Great Schism of 924 (also known as the Hildegardian Schism, the Wizardly Schism, or the Scholars' Folly) began when a group of students at Hildegard University, led by Stanford Hawthorne, formed a new sect of radical Hildegard worshippers that called themselves the Order of the Deepest Knowledge. They sought to open up new, more potent forms of arcana by taking power as directly from the Outer Planes as possible. This quest disturbed the establishment Orthodox Hildegardians, who had long taught that knowledge of magic must be gained through approved channels to hold legitimacy in the eyes of Hildegard. Several dozen students associated with this movement were expelled from their universities and forbidden to enroll at any of the Seven Schools in the future, including Hawthorne. This was a highly controversial decision that led to widespread student protests. When these protests turned violent, Hawthorne and several others were arrested for incitement to riot and eventually banished to the mountains outside city limits. This led to their more widely known nickname, the Order of the Banished Scholars.Points of interest
Seven Schools of Cape Hildegard
The Seven Schools of Cape Hildegard (colloquially known as the Seven Schools, or simply the Big Seven) are a consortium of the seven higher learning institutions of Cape Hildegard.Climate
Cape Hildegard experiences all four seasons quite distinctly, with large differences in temperature. Winters are cold with high winds and frequent snow and sleet. Snowfall typically begins in late November or early December and lasts at least through early March, although snowstorms in April or even May are not uncommon. Spring is brief, characterized by heavy rainstorms that continue sporadically into the hot, muggy summer months. Fall is almost universally considered Cape Hildegard's most pleasant season. Though heavy fog is common, particularly in the mornings and evenings, it is otherwise the driest of the four seasons, and temperatures remain moderate.
The plentiful fish and scarce predators of Cypruvalu have allowed seagulls, geese, ducks, pelicans, puffins, terns, albatrosses, and other waterfowl to flourish along the northern coast of Cypruvalu. These birds easily adapted to the city and remain extremely common. They are equally regarded by residents as beloved symbols of the city and public nuisances. Many residents hunt them for sport and meat; the puffin, in particular, is a delicacy.
Natural Resources
Curiously for a city so well-known for magic and technology, Cape Hildegard sits at least one hundred miles away from any ley line significant enough to draw power from. In centuries past, the Deep Ruby mines further into the mountains were a major source of power, and the ancient deep rubies still power much of the magic of the city, but the city's stockpile has been rapidly dwindling ever since the closure of the mines in the late Y800s. The production of Cypruvian steel, also once mined heavily in the mountains of inland Cypruvalu, has also significantly slowed because of a steady increase of Fiend and Aberration sightings near the Cave of the Banished Scholars.
The heavy clay soil of the city is not ideal for large-scale agriculture, though excellent building material for the brick buildings of the city is easy to come by.
The waters off the coast of Cape Hildegard allow for some of the most fruitful fishing in the world. Since seabirds flock to the area for the same reason, these too are considered a valuable food resource and a unique local delicacy.
"Knowledge Is Its Own Reward"
Founding Date
ca. Y350s ITG
Alternative Name(s)
Cape H
Type
City
Population
132,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Gardie
Location under
Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
Characters in Location
Related Professions
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