Lera's Grace
The Crown of Celebration
Sprawling City, Cultural Beacon, and Festival Finale
Settlement Summary
- Population: 15,000 (swells to over 100,000 during Lera’s Parade celebrations)
- Government: Administered by Queen Calora Wistmeadow with support from the Lera’s Grace Maintenance Guild and a strong military presence
- Alignment: Neutral Good
- Languages: Common, Halfling, Elven
- Notable Locations: The Celebration Plaza, The Golden Amphitheatre, The Emperor’s Pavilion, The Maintenance Guildhall, The Festival Grounds
Notable Features
- The Celebration Plaza: A massive central square that serves as the focal point of the quadrennial festival. The plaza is surrounded by grandstands, markets, and stages for performances.
- The Golden Amphitheatre: A colossal venue for musical and theatrical performances, hosting the grand finale of Lera’s Parade. Its acoustics are said to be blessed by Lera herself.
- The Emperor’s Pavilion: A luxurious structure reserved for the Emperor and visiting monarchs, offering a prime view of the celebrations and a space for diplomatic gatherings.
- The Maintenance Guildhall: The headquarters of the Lera’s Grace Maintenance Guild, responsible for preserving the city’s pristine appearance year-round.
- The Festival Grounds: A sprawling area outside the main city designed to accommodate the massive influx of visitors, featuring temporary housing, food stalls, and entertainment.
Special Qualities
- Festival Epicentre: Lera’s Grace is the final stop of Lera’s Parade, hosting the largest celebration in all of Raethíl, drawing visitors from across the empire and beyond.
- Military Safeguard: During festivals, the city’s military presence is unparalleled, with contingents from every kingdom ensuring the safety of attendees.
- Overbuilt Infrastructure: The city’s physical size far exceeds its everyday needs, requiring constant maintenance to keep it in festival-ready condition.
Defenses
- Massive Military Presence: During festivals, thousands of soldiers from the Imperial Army and local militias ensure the city’s safety.
- Reinforced Walls: The city’s walls are robust and well-maintained, designed to withstand large-scale attacks.
- Temporary Garrisons: Additional military camps are set up on the outskirts of the city to house visiting forces during the festival.
Notable NPCs
- Queen Calora Wistmeadow: The halfling ruler of Westrun, Calora ensures the success of Lera’s Parade and the city’s upkeep between celebrations.
- Guildmaster Orin Brightmantle: A human leader of the Lera’s Grace Maintenance Guild, dedicated to preserving the city’s splendour year-round.
- Commander Ryneth Ashfall: A half-elf officer overseeing the city’s security during the festival, coordinating with forces from other kingdoms.
- Master Bard Elira Windweave: An elven performer who directs the musical and theatrical aspects of the festival finale, ensuring each event is unforgettable.
- Merchant Lord Taryn Greystone: A dwarf who manages festival trade and coordinates with vendors to meet the immense demand for goods and services.
Challenges and Opportunities
- Maintenance Costs: The upkeep of the city’s overbuilt infrastructure is a significant financial burden, even with the Maintenance Guild’s efforts.
- Festival Security: Ensuring the safety of attendees during the massive influx of visitors is a constant challenge, requiring careful planning and coordination.
- Resource Strain: The city’s small permanent population struggles to handle the logistical demands of the festival season, relying heavily on external support.
- Cultural Pressure: As the centerpiece of Lera’s Parade, Lera’s Grace faces immense pressure to maintain its reputation and deliver a flawless festival experience.
The Celebration Plaza
"Heart of the Festival"
The Celebration Plaza is the centerpiece of Lera’s Grace, hosting the grandest performances, speeches, and ceremonies during the festival. It is centrepieced by the largest and most intricate statue of Lera in the world, carved by Geria Tricksong, the demigod daugher of Samara Tricksong.
The Golden Amphitheatre
"Stage of Legends"
The Golden Amphitheatre is a marvel of architecture and acoustics, its grand finale performances attracting audiences from across the world. The Amphitheatre received additional funding from the Imperial Court, in honour of Westrun's respect for Lera, and the worship she received throughout the empire.
The Maintenance Guild
"Keeping the Grace Alive"
The Lera’s Grace Maintenance Guild ensures the city remains pristine and ready for visitors, even during its quiet years. The Guild is populated by various construction experts, carpenters, stonemasons, engineers, and other craftspeople dedicated to maintaining the city. There are meticulous strategies and plans, and the members are accompanied by a contingent of guards to deal with squatters, which are a significant problem in the city.
The Rental Pact
"A Place for the Homeless"
As part of the Maintenance Guild's services, they enacted the Rental Pact, which enables them to offer buildings for low prices as residence during the off season, as well as a continued revenue source for the city. The agreement requires vacancy during the Parade period, but offers fair lodging the rest of the time. Larger inns offer their rooms long term for cheap prices, and larger manors for lords or the wealthy are offered at higher prices, often used as oceanfront vacation homes.
The Festival Grounds
"A Temporary City"
Outside the main city, the Festival Grounds host thousands of visitors that even the oversized city cannot accommodate, offering temporary housing, food, and entertainment. Many storehouses in Lera's Grace hold thousands of rentable tents and temporary shelters for use during the festival.