Stahlia (stah-lee-ya)

Stahlia, the capital city of Ortegue as well as the residence of the Ortegan Royal Family, is the oldest and foremost settlements in Silvarus. Although Seinh was the capital until 1402, Stahlia has always been the prime location for trade, immigration and academics.
The city's Donwich and Salazar are the largest harbour and docks in all of Silvarus.
Stahlia's political influence affects nearly every settlement on the continent. Until recently, it was also the only city with a navy and army (currently, Oviejara joins as the second settlement to have an army and navy; and Sylhabel is getting there). Stahlia's naval base is separate from the Ortegan naval base at Agoeness, but they work in tandem.
Stahlia has all the possible guilds, manufacturing activities, trades and academic institutions. Even if not headquarters, many guilds, trading organizations and institutions from all around Silvarus are likely to have a branch or some presence in Stahlia.
Immigration to Stahlia is at an all-time high. Whether people come from continents other than Silvarus or from settlements within Silvarus, Stahlia is a major attraction for jobs, earning a living or studying.
City guards protect citizens, and oversee crime and threats. A strong judicial system, one that most of the public has faith in, ensures punishment and reward. The military, which consists of an army, a navy and royal guards (an order that works for the royal family, independent of City Guards or the military), ensures the defence of the city as well as all of Ortegue.

Demographics

Stahlia is a racially diverse city, a melting pot of cultures. Common races include humans, half-elves, halflings, dwarves, dragonborns, tieflings and half-orcs, among a host of others.

Government

Stahlia (and by extension, the region of Ortegue) is ruled by a royal head of state, who is advised by ministers and judges.
While the royal head of state passes down the family, the ministers are appointed by contesting in a public debate and garnering the most public support. Judges are appointed based on prior experience.

Infrastructure

Stahlia is a modern city in many ways, built like a machine that works on values such as time efficiency and a commitment to public safety.
Paved roads, a well-integrated sewage system, public infrastructure such as libraries, schools, city markets and healing centres, as well as a major harbour and bridges connecting the Stahlian landmasses to Ortegue are some of the architectural features of the city.
All of this comes under the Ministry for Public Infrastructure as well as the Ministry for City Civil Services.

Districts

University District

Known also as just "the District," many of Ortegue's famed universities, research houses, libraries and artisan guilds are located here. Being the educational centre of the empire, the District attracts people from everywhere, and is one of the most renowned parts of Stahlia.
Students, researchers and scholars enjoy a discount on the housing in the District; many inns, restaurants and taverns also offer special pricing for them.
The University of Stahlia rests on a 300-acre ground of manicured gardens and paved paths, with special horsecarts readily available at intermittent stops for quick transit, as well as benches and reading pods both indoors and outdoors. The atmosphere is that of heightened intellectualism and creative energy; it is said that all of Silvarus's greatest minds must have traversed the length of the University at least once, waiting for inspiration.

Crystalwich

The northwestern tip of the city, Crystalwich is known for its mages guilds, healing centres and houses of faith. Since the main road in this districts leads directly toward the temple city of Seinh, this part of the city is considered the starting point for the five-day Pilgrimage of Seven Goddesses, which takes place during the New Moon Year celebrations.
Apart from places of worship and healing, this district boasts plenty of housing and community shelters that are open to people who cannot afford their own housing.
It is also the most greenest part of the city, perhaps because of its proximity to the Astara forests. Residents of Crystalwich pride themselves on their constant efforts to keep their district green and healthy. Recently, after much protest and chiding, the Stahlian administration built a wall of thick trees to keep out the smoke and pollutants from the neighboring Phobridge Mills from entering Crystalwich.

Phoebridge Mills

Also known as "Mills" or "Factoryside," Phoebridge is the industrial area that is crucial to the trade and infrastructure of Stahlia.

Corragon

TBD

Twyllendale

TBD

Qremery

TBD

Donwich Harbour

TBD

Salazar Docks

Ortegue's busiest economic zone and largest commercial docks, Salazar is a large complex that facilitates the city's wholesale trade, import & export, and its related economic activities. Financial guilds, loaning houses and merchant guilds abound in this area.
It is also controversially notorious for running on a special set of bylaws and a guards system separate from the rest of the city.
The Salazar Guards are a subsection of the City Guards, but they operate independently. Even though their jurisdiction ends at the borders of the borough, they are known to extend their influence all across the city, without interference or penalty.
Every trading company or merchant that conducts any business through these docks must register and abide by the Mercantile Trust Code, a set of strict laws decreed to monitor the value of what goes in and out of the city. While the Code was created specifically for use at the Docks, it has now applied through the city.
A handful of bylaws apply toward civil activities in this area. For instance, loitering is restricted to certain streets at certain times of the day. Similarly, the Named Group bylaw, which required dockworkers and merchants to wear certain arm bands in order to be easily distinguished, which also led to gatekeeping the general public out of this area, was repealed after backlash.
The Docks contain a limited number of accommodation quarters for dockworkers, along with cheap inns and taverns that cater to this crowd. Most of the richer managers, senior officials and guild chiefs prefer to stay in neighboring Tryveldore. The Stahlia Grand Stadium is close by (in Willodawne) and is frequented by dockworkers.

Stahlismaine

TBD

Lakelyre

TBD

Upper Lakelyre

TBD

Tryveldore

With waterbodies on three sides, Tryveldore is one of the most beautiful residential areas on the east end of Stahlia. A lot of well-off merchants and traders own housing in North Tryveldore, along with a few nouveau riche noble families. South Tryveldore, closer to the Salazar Docks, has townhouse complexes that are more suited to middle-class merchant families.
Inns and taverns are priced moderately high in this district. Being next door to the Docks, markets of all kinds and community centres cater to the residents's needs here; most Tryveldorians hardly leave their area, preferring to stay within their gated communities and working in the neighboring Salazar Docks.

Raleghan Meadows

Known also simply as Raleghan, this is the agricultural basket of Stahlia. The farmlands here extend all the way north for several hundred acres. In the past decade, the farms have been immensely successful and lucrative in their own right; besides providing for the entire city, a little of its surplus produce is distributed between Seinh, Shimmerport and Venturis. A few specialty farms cater exclusively to trading with Borrozia, Dizdruul and Sha'lenor.
The fertile lands at Raleghan are tended to by extremely skilled farmers and farmhands, who are specially trained in the art and science of agriculture by the Ja'rae Silquistis, a druidic coven native to the Arentheas forest of O'Lenor. The Emporer, frantic when the farmlands were failing and close to a food shortage and economic crisis, specifically called on this coven to provide their teachings for an unspecified reward.
The Raleghan farmers have sworn by oath to keep the Silquistis secrets to themselves; they are forbidden from passing it down through family or sharing it with anyone outside of Raleghan. There have been multiple instances of the Silquistis druids non-legally prosecuting and punishing those who break this oath, which has been controversial to the general public, especially when the Emperor decreed that the coven is allowed to mete out punishment as they see fit.

Castle Ortagarre

TBD

Swordsgarde

The political and administrative centre of Stahlia, it is in these government buildings that ministers, courtiers, lawyers and politicians work. A number of deluxe guesthouses, inns and R&R establishments are scattered through this area, its patrons mainly administrative officers and politicians.
The road between Swordsgarde and Twyllendale is routinely patrolled by Guards, as often important nobles, royals and ministers travel this route to fulfill their duties between the administrative offices of Swordsgarde and the Emperor's Court in Twyllendale.

Willodawne

TBD

Commodore Court

A residential and R&R area specifically built for Stahlia's naval force, Commodore Court is also known colloquially as the Cabins. Its housing is homogenous in architecture and style, with the differences in size or structure based on the rank of the residing naval personnel. Each housing complex or bungalow has specially appointed staff that take care of its residents and their families.
The taverns, inns and entertainment establishments here focus their services and attention on the naval patrons and their guests; a non-naval customer out on their own merit might not be looked after, or worse, shunned and shooed away. For this reason, many mainland Stahlians prefer to steer clear of the lavish facilities here, tempting though they are.

Navy Base & Navy Docks

A walled-off section with high security and constant patrolling, this is the home to Stahlia's navy, also called the Emperor's Naval Order. Members of the general public are not allowed in here, and as such, only naval staff and commanders are privy to what happens here. The naval docks harbor Stahlia's fleet.

Type

Metropolis

Location under

Ortegue

Included Locations

• The Hexed Finger

Characters in Location

• Phillupe Aelbehrt
• Tinesi Kelroth