Castella
Castella is the fortress-capital of the Kingdom of Espen and the oldest surviving city after Alada. Founded in 1042 by Cadmus "The Lion" Castella has a population of 850.000 living across an archipelago of 13 islands dominated by the main fortress-city center.
The Fortress
The ancient fortress of Castella is a fortified structures sitting on top of Mount Trabideo. The fostress is surrounded by a 40 meters tall wall (currently 10 of those meters are underwater)
The Hollows
The 12 islands around Castella proper are called "The Hollows". During the burn the Castellans using their advanced knowledge of masonry built hollow platforms, that were backfilled, on the peaks and plateaus around the ancient castle that they rose higher and higher as the waters rose. It is estimated that during the last 5 years of the reign of Ana the Virtuous that ended in the middle of the Burn, over 350.000 slaves and 50.000 Castellan indentured workers were sacrificed for the construction of the "Hollows" either working the underwater quarries or falling of the high walls to their demise. These artificial islands allowed the city to create enough living space to host a population for over 3 million people living in those 5 to 10 stories deep underground complexes on top of bedrock.
In effect the rich live above the ground in the ancient city and manors in the Fields (top of the Hollows) while the poor underground or in floating fishing villages anchored around the Hollows
The Fields and Agriculture
The tops of the holloes are fields used for agriculture mostly wine and horses and livestock. Largely inefficient and prone to famine. Fungi culture, Seaweed fields and fishing became the staples of the lower classes. Rice and grain is imported from the Thierry States
The Mist Plague of 1859
Yellow tinted mist came from the ichor sea, Killed more than half of the remaining population
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