Drakenhold
It's not what you have that determines who you are, but what you do with what you have. The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have - Pelanus Macruius
The city of Drakenhold is the capital of the Draconis Empire and the largest known city (825 square miles) in the world. Drakenhold not only refers to the city but the region that it presides over. It is a city of extravagance and its rich always have their coffers full never hesitating to spend and an exorbitant sum of wealth. With the introduction of dwarven technology and research into the arcane, the industrial might of the city has bolstered. Drakenhold is thought to be impenetrable from outside sources because of its various defenses. Sanitary practices, regulation of waste and the influx of various foods from foreign lands have led to decreased pollution, infant mortality rates and an expanded diet for the people. Many come to Drakenhold to amass a fortune from trade, most have this dream crushed, as the competition is vicious for those who come unprepared and are left exploited or out of business but there is always some type of work to do in the city so if you have no job or profession as the saying goes, you weren't looking. An increase of birth rates, healthy lifestyles and folk searching for jobs, a safe home or new opportunities from numerous corners of the world, has caused a great surge in the population of the city region. This has caused Drakenhold to be very diverse containing various races, cultures, ethnicities, and religions, so disputes caused by these factors are not unheard of. Dragons are represented greatly around the city not only the architecture but in name and the citizens to remind everyone who's in power and who is revered.
Demographics
- Human (35%)
- Draconis (20%)
- Elven (15%)
- Dwarvern (10%)
- Other (20% largely varied to be significant)
Government
Imperial head
The emperor doesn't handle small responsibilities only concerning himself with duties of great import such as electing officials, keeping the peace in the region, developing commerce, major legislation (of which he has absolute power), taking care of the poor and judging the greatest crimes instead he elects a group of magistrates to handle specific tasks and any minor inconveniences, petty crime, collect taxes and report to him of any important findings. The emperor consults with a group of advisors the Captain of the city guard, Imperial treasurer, High judge, High chancellor, Crow master, Naval master and Commander of the Dragonguard to handle great events. When the emperor is absent from the capital a steward takes over his duties this can be a member of the royal family or a chancellor from The Cloud Court.The Cloud Court
The Cloud Court or the Imperial Court handle the taxation of imperial provinces and Drakenhold, minor legislation ( the emperor has the power to veto) and infrastructure, they also appoint a new ruler, from the royal family or closest relation, upon the death of the emperor. The court can also call upon The Rule of a Mad King if this is called the court will immediately vote to see if an emperor is unfit to rule or is too chaotic, 2/3 of the court must vote to agree and the Council of Judges must hold trial and ensure that the charges are reasonable, this event has not occurred in over 300 years because the power of the court has waned over the past few decades, but it is on the rise again. If an emperor is not crowned the court will obtain complete control of the military and the High chancellor will be appointed regent.Council of Judges
The Council of Judges ensures that The Cloud Court is kept in check, laws are being upheld in the city and preside over trials impartially and in open court. The council is headed by a High Judge and two prefects personally selected by the emperor himself, the remaining members are all magistrates.Defences
The city benefits from a vast array of defenses, including its natural barrier provided by the crater, to keep its citizens safe and ensure that trade continues to flow. The port district has walls that both defend against hostile fleets and prevent flooding. There are three main entrances into the city from the crater in the north, east, and west each defended by letzi's with walls 60 meters high and 30 meters thick on their outer walls each spanning at least a kilometer, The Drakenhold guard is garrisoned on each of the walls with around 1,500 men each. The city itself doesn't connect with the crater and has walls only 40 meters high and 25 meters thick that separate each of the districts lined with ballista to pin down enemy troops.
Drakenhold Guard
The Drakenhold guard is composed of 35,000 men, recruited from many different races, that are tasked with the protection of the city when it is threatened but mainly serve as law enforcement. Since the city is so large, the guard is stretched thin and has posts all around the city with its headquarters being in the Noble District. Because of the vastness of the city and the minuscule number of guards compared to the city population, the law can be difficult to enforce, so the guard has commissioned golems to assist in policing the city.Golems
The golems around the city are of dwarven craft and came in three types Sentinels, Beholders, and Seers. Sentinels were made to stand the height of the city walls, they seem to always be watching their respective areas but are not actually active and only ever activated when the city is besieged, the only people that know this are high ranking officers, so the purpose of the Sentinels most of the time is to display authority. Beholders are only active at night and patrol the city streets, they stand 8 feet and have 4 faces each face has the power to paralyze or freeze whatever it looks at. Seers are active during the day and are stationary constructs built atop towers which can dispel magic to prevent mages from casting and can cast offensive and defensive spells.Dragonguard
An elite force that protects the emperor, his family, and the entire Noble district of Drakenhold. The Dragonguard also serves as bodyguards to high ranking military officers, government officials and also as intelligence agents. They are hand-picked veterans and number 4,200.Dragonknights
The super soldiers of the empire they have roots in all branches of the military but are mainly a major part of imperial air superiority, becoming a Dragonknight is the highest military honor that can be obtained. They are the emperor's legion and number around 2,500 strong-most of them ride atop wyverns while their commanders and veteran members ride actual dragons. The Dragonknight's are stationed at posts on the rim of the great crater and on the floating islands above the city one of which their headquarters is built. by PeterPrime
The 11 Houses
The 11 Houses are the most prominent families in the empire and are the overlords of the 9 provinces. Three of the houses reside in the capital, House Drakon ( the royal household), House Grianor, and House Asigari each possessing their armies Numbering a total of 330,000 soldiers that make up the White Dragon legion which guard the entire Corona province.The Maw Fleet
The Maw Fleet guards and patrols the Serpents Maw the fleet consists of 100 ships 30 of which closely guard Drakenhold. finally, a magical barrier can be activated around the city which prevents entry vaporizes those who come into contact with it. Once activated the barrier can hold for an entire year if it is not weakened or broken before its limit when it is deactivated it can not be powered again for another 5 years. Very few know how it is powered and even fewer know where its source is.Industry & Trade
by AndreeWallin
Infrastructure
The city possesses many arenas for gladiatorial fighting, races, and other sports, theaters for plays and musical performances. The port can hold hundreds of ships and paved roads run throughout the city's expanse with light post powered by magic stones. Aqueducts are built to provide water to all areas of the city for drinking, bathing, and waste disposal. Sewers direct dirty water to the Cesspools to be cleansed and dumped into rivers. Plans have been commissioned to connect the dwarven under empire to the city undergrounds beneath Temeia district. There is one public airport that can hold a few dozen airships located upon a floating island that is accessed by a mana lift. There is a gateway in the merchants' district that can transport goods and people instantly to any major city in the empire connected to it but because it consumes a vast amount of power it is only activated once a month and only to the wealthiest people.
Districts
There are 11 districts in the city:- The Palace district where the Pearl palace and Cloud Court stand
- The Noble district were the residences of nobles are located
- The Temple district where various temples and church are located
- The 2 river districts of Brislam and Temeia which are residential districts for the common folk
- The Industrial district where most of the cities manufacturing is done
- The Red light district for those that need a bit of refreshment
- The Prison district located on the nearby island of Kasteron
- The Market district where all trade in the city flows
- The Harbor district where ships from around the world dock
- The Academy district where most of the cities universities and government buildings are located
Assets
The Sunforge, Grey works, Great port of Drakenhold, Kasteron prison
Guilds and Factions
Church of the 12, Church of the Dragon, Adventurer Guilds, Mages Guild, The 11 Houses, The Cloud Court, Union of Merchants, The Wheel, The Underground
History
Beginnings
The city was originally a grand project that the ancient Sun Elves of Mytheasia took charge of, the land the city was built upon was formed from a great meteor known as Netëtymä (roughly translates to another birth or rebirth in common) the elves discovered which they considered to be a blessing from the gods because of the precious materials and vast magical essence that resided in the meteorite itself and would name the city Vanyailwen , the area around the meteorite formed a very large crater and the land was barren and flat but fertile.Construction
The elves would begin terraforming the land around Netetyma to suit their needs flattening most of the southern-most side of the crater to give the city access to the sea, creating two rivers that flow through the city from different sources parallel to one another. Three exits were created in the North, west, and east which wold make way for walls 110 meters high and 50 meters wide which stretch for a few miles, the outer sides of the crater would be carved out to make it too steep for climbing. The city itself was sculpted from Netetyma and was situated on a terraced hill which the elves created with magic, on the upper level sat the Pearl palace the seat of the Elven monarch which was also a temple dedicated to the Elven sun god Alamror. Above the city islands float these islands housed garrisons,homes for prominent mages and the most important figures. All of these extraordinary constructs would not be possible with out skilled mages and a staggeringly large work force that was composed of many slaves (mostly human) that the elves would gather from all corners of the world.A New Power
The slave trading practice of the elves would eventually lead to the down fall of their empire when they came to anger the Dragonkin clans also known as the Draconis, by enslaving a princess of one of the great clans. The Dragonkin were a collective of races descended from dragon such as Draconewts and Drakken, they would gather armies consisting of the races enslaved by the elves, mostly humans from the northern realms, and march through their lands in a bloody crusade that would spell the end of the Mytheasian Empire. As its cities burned and people be slaughtered a new empire would rise from the ashes of the old under the name Draconis, the hierarchy would be shifted and dragons and humans would rule the lands. A new emperor would be crowned ,a Drakken, and the city of Vanyailwen would be renamed to Drakenhold.Architecture
Most of the city consists of elven designs, such as tall and slender buildings made of marble and wood with roofs of white, yellow, orange or light blue, Sun elf pyramids and those of Imperial craft which incorporated soaring arches, arches springing directly from column capitals, roofs of reddish hue, and domes which spanned seemingly impossible distances those of which were made from marble and limestone. Homes were made to include space for a small shop and apartment complexes are the main residential structures of the city.
Geography
Drakenhold is situated in the middle of a very large crater that has been terraformed by the ancient Sun Elves, there are two rivers that pass through the city, the city is situated by the sea and on terraced hills that set the foundation of its districts
Natural Resources
Meteorite stone (Hraavoim), Magical crystal (Sonatiel or Asmium), Limestone quarries, Adamantine, Mythril, Iron, Clay, Oil, Alchemical fields, Grain fields, Fish and various domesticated animals such as Sheep, Cows and beasts such as Drakes
Alternative Name(s)
Vanyailwen
Type
Megalopolis
Population
8,534,667
Inhabitant Demonym
Heartlanders,Drakites
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Crime and Consequence
The empire carries out harsh punishment, usually in public, on those who commit serious crime to deter others from following their path. Depending on the individual and if they have any criminal history the punishment or sentence may be lighter for small or non- violent crime and they may end up just paying fines. Branding is common practice and most are are branded on their hands, others who commit more serious crimes are branded on their foreheads, the marking of brand is related to whatever the crime was such as a "T" for thievery, in Drakenhold any branded will not be hired for work if it is for thievery or higher crimes, the guard have the right to keep the possessions of criminals. Littering : Branding, sent to work in the cesspools and arson charge or 5 years imprisonment if a water source was affected otherwise community service Theft: Pay reparations or branding and incarceration for 2-7 years. Smuggling: Branding and incarceration for 4-7 years. Treason: Torture and Death Murder: Torture and Death Desertion: Torture and death Arson: Pay reparations or branding and incarceration for 10 years. Rape: Castration and assault charge or branding and 10 years incarceration. Tax evasion: up to 4 years incarceration. Assault: up to 5 years incarceration or pay a fine. Exile is a situational punishment and is mainly used as a political tactic.Currency
The official currency of the empire is minted in Drakenhold by the Lorel bank, which is owned by House Lorel one of the wealthiest families in the empire, Drakenhold is one of few places in the empire that accepts foreign currency and will convert it to imperial standard. Copper Hoard: Usually referred to as "bits" are the staple currency for common folk in the empire countryside Silver Denar: Currency common in trades between merchants and as pay for soldiers and city workers Gold Drake: High value currency usually in the possession of nobles and merchants Platinum Dragon: Very rare coins only the wealthiest nobles and royalty possess To put it into perspective if you were to go to a decent inn at an average city 1 copper might get you a piece of bread if they're generous, 1 silver can get you a bottle of cheap wine, 1 gold can buy out their stock of the same wine, and 1 platinum will buy out half the city.Taxes
The city has various taxes in place to ensure its treasury is stable and allow it to keep such a large military force. There is a property tax of around 2.1% on average, but can raise or lower depending where you live in the city,that is paid monthly. All citizens are taxed 10% of their yearly income this can raise to 25% during a war, the income tax is the most hated among the populace because its rates can cripple whole families. A custom tariff is imposed at 1/15 the value of all goods imported and exported. There is a tax on sales of 2-4% but the government has trouble enforcing this tax on every sale instead a business is taxed based on how much it made a day. All ships must pay a fee to have docking rights this can be anywhere from 3 silver denar up to 60 silver a foot and 20 gold for exclusive rights for a year.The Underground
The underground refers to the area below the city and the organization that runs it. This is where many of the branded and the city's poorest souls live and is a major criminal hub. The Underground organization deals in various organized crime and assassination but many work as mercenaries. The Underground is home to the cities black market and many illegal auctions. Homes built here are cramped and stacked onto each other. Living in the deepest parts of the underground is terrible because of the waste that runs down from the upper levels, the Scar a seemingly bottomless pit where the dead are thrown and a strange plague that mutates and deforms the residents that live on the lowest areas, that is thought to be of magical source, because of this residents of the underground are called mutants or undesirables and are easily distinguished.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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Author's Notes
This is my first article on the site hope its not too much enjoy :) there will be more to come