Valedor, City of the Throne

The throne of the Valedori Empire looms over the entire capital city of Valedor. In part, this is because the palace of the controversial Empress Sabatine Aranetta is physically lofted over the entire city atop massive, ancient white marble columns that hold the majestic Palazzo Imperator amidst the billowing clouds. But the throne also rests like a heavy weight in the minds of those that walk the streets of the city; both the noble lords of the Political Guilds who would seek its power, and the revolutionaries of The Throne Breakers who would see it toppled.
The home of the empire is its grandest and oldest city. Valedor is built into layers of large ruined marble buildings dating back through the ages to a time before The Breaking. Throughout the Imperial Age, it has been restored and expanded upon by the finest architects and artisans - exalting the old designs and statuary into a grandeur that is unrivaled in the modern world. There are few man-made sights that rival the otherworldly beauty of the Cloud Canals, or the combined sheer immensity and fine detail of the Theater Operata or Saint Sahriel's Basilica.
In fact, it is sometimes called the “city of churches” for the dozens of cathedrals and basilicas that have been refurbished or built around reclaimed statues depicting the Saints of the Age of Antiquity. If there is a Saint that is known by the modern world, you can find a church to them in Valedor.

WHY PEOPLE COME HERE

Valedor is a city of the arts. The performances of the Theater Operata or even the feats of athleticism on display in the Running of the Bulls each year draw crowds from across the Imperial Fractals. In many ways, art is a symbol of wealth and power in the city - and patronage is alive and well in Valedor. Any bard or artist with skill can find a wealthy noble family of La Operata to fund their work or their study at the Royal Conservatory. More and more, these patrons are the Churches of the Saints themselves, who have commissioned some of the finest cultural and artistic work in the age. This has led to an arms race of the dramatic, in the forms of colossal sculptures and stirring plays in an eruption of religious symbolism that has ironically begun to erode the meaning of the faiths.
While faith and the arts draw in crowds of people to visit the city, there is one thing that draws in the most driven and cunning - the promise of power. Valedor is arguably the most powerful city in the world, though members of her sister city, Castile, would say otherwise. Influence within the Political Guilds of the city can mean appointments to government positions overseeing guild regulation - or even regional lordship throughout the Imperial Fractals. With the expansion of the empire via the Imperial Army and growing interaction with the Holy Kingdom of Shar and the Elven Diaspora, those in power in Valedor find themselves with the means to shape the future of this Imperial Age.

PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM HERE

In Valedor, it matters who you are and who you know. People from this city are well-connected and have often lived here for many generations. While that could be generations of squalor in the Undercroft or generations of wealth amidst the Political Guilds - and precious few in between those two extremes - it means generations of roots and reputations that fix people into the stations or roles of their predecessors.
Because of this, reputation is a currency in Valedor. Something that takes generations to improve through enrollment of children in the Brago Royal Finishing School or serving in the Imperial Army - while a wayward child joining the Armadi d'Arcana or a head of house accused of membership in The Camarilla can ruin a family. This unique environment means that people of Valedor often have shared social and cultural norms that appear strange to any who have never lived in the capital city. A perfect example of this is the concept of Vendetta - a lethal and legally recognized blood feud between two families, creating a thriving market of assassins facilitated by the Vindicta.

by Richard Wright

Parent Region: The Imperial Fractals
Ruling Nation: Valedori Empire
Local Ruler: High Conte Nicolai Camondo
Demographics: Heavy Human
Points of Interest: None
Districts: Palazzo Imperator, The Cloud Canals, Towers of Saint Enoch, Saint Sahriel’s Basilica, Opera Hill, The Silver Docks, The North Docks, Saint Gauwin’s Row, The High Market