Mestro

Demographics

The city-state of Mestro can boast with the most diverse population on Progonos. There is not a culture that does not have at least one person to somehow represent them here, even if for a brief time. The opportunities that lie await in such a colourful, evolving settlement draws many travellers to try their luck here and some of these stay for good after their business is done.

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Still, the majority of its inhabitants originate from various other city-states of the western Archean Basin, there are southerners, and a smaller number of people who have arrived from the Bay of Towers, looking for business opportunities with less competition than what they have back home.

Government

First citizen Ordano's dream is to bring forth the most magnificent city in all of Progonos, one that can perfectly function without leaders, so the people could go on about their own business not having to bother bowing before anyone anymore.

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While he labours over thinking up the foundations of this dream- government, he continues to hold control over the city. He is aided by a small group of wise statesmen whom he also invited himself, hoping that they may help him in the great plan.

Defences

In terms of terrain, Mestro is completely unprotected. It stands in an open field and the surrounding mountains are not close enough to provide some sort of obstacle for the enemy or battle station for the defenders.

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First citizen Ordano saw no better option than to fully place his faith into the men who would fight for the city. Once again, he thought that the most magnificent city in making deserves nothing better than the best and luckily he is rich enough to employ men-at-arms of that calibre. Two Moonphases ago he successfully petitioned the archons of Xondos to send a detachment of soldiers to Mestro for guard duty.

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Certainly, the sons of the Iron Bull will prove to be a most valuable asset in the inner and outer security of the city, but the question is, how will they get along with the free-spirited Ordano, or the various mercenary groups that often stop by...

Industry & Trade

Any resource that Mestro doesn't have any direct access to, it can easily obtain through the rewarding trading deals that the First Citizen struck with the merchant faction of the Pioneer Company.

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Ordano also made sure to invite talented southerner craftsmen as well to further his city into becoming as wonderful as it can be in all possible aspects. Today, each artisanship had its own interest group formed to ensure their freedom and safety in their dealings. Nothing even close to this can be found anywhere else in the civilized world of Progonos.

History

About a hundred Sunphases ago, Mestro was nothing but a humble trading post at the crossroads, one that one may find at any other parts of the world what travellers and trading caravans frequent. With the people moving about in the region, especially with the discovery and the settlement of Riverhome, traffic increased even more.

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It was a man named Vando, a charismatic merchant and his eldest son Varric, who were brave enough to take the appropriate steps in adjusting their home to the new age. Soon enough, Mestro grew up to be a medium-sized town, continuously evolving with the help of foreign masters, but control was now exclusively in the hands of Vando and his family.

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He was succeeded by his son, and after a brief governorship Varric was succeeded by his own youngest son Ordano, who is the current leader of Mestro. Although as any visionary, he is hardly ever fully understood by his peers, they all honestly admit that the First Citizen has a knack for having those visions materialize in reality.

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At present, Mestro is among the most major powers in the Archean Basin, a mercantile city-state equal to in power, wealth and influence to those of the Bay area, despite being a land-locked settlement. More and more people start to recognize its significance in terms of travel and transport as well.

Architecture

Mestro was built according to the style of the archean people. It appears to be less grandiose and appealing than Corvia, Aeneia, or Konneva for example, mostly because it is still a very young settlement. Some parts of the city are newly built, some remained in their originaly, less advanced state, while others are a mix of the two, one built upon the other.

Geography

Mestro is situated near the westernmost border of the fair Archean Basin, where it meets with the lands of Riverhome, and the South

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Natural Resources

There are ample fields fit for farming that surround this city-state and two rivers also flow by in less than a day's journey away from the walls. It isn't any poorer in this regard than any of the other settlements of the region.

Alternative Name(s)

The free city

Type

City

Inhabitant Demonym

mestran

Location under

The Archean Basin