Free City of Andaen, The ('an.den / 'æn.den)
Overview
Built over the ruins of a Crusader citadel by the same name in the aftermath of the Assault on Andaen, the Free City of Andaen is an economically powerful and politically prominent city-state straddling the Strait of Andaen, thus controlling access to the Haifatneh Sea from the vast ocean to the north. Andaen is known across the Continent for its vibrant international trade, its prime location for maritime travel, its double walls and sizable standing army and navy, and its status as the premier center of learning across the Haifatneh Basin. Though there are kingdoms and empires which surpass Andaen in sheer military power, Andaen's prestige and formidability are such that its inhabitants have enjoyed relative peace since well before the beginning of the Revival Era. However, Andaenites' fixation on material success, plus the nature of Andaen's sensitive religous history, also give the city a reputation for being spiritually poor despite life there being relatively stable and comfortable. By virtue of being a mercantile hub and thus a popular destination for temporary visitors and laborers, Andaen is also one of the only settlements across the Continent with a booming service industry.Demographics
Citizenship, Residence, and Demography
Legally speaking, Andaen's inhabitants are divided into three groups: Citizens, residents, and sojourners. In common parlance, sojourners are more often referred to as visitors, immigrants, itinerants, temporary workers, or simply "temporaries" or "temps." Citizens are land-owners or their families, and they enjoy all the civil rights offered by the government of Andaen though they must also pay taxes on both their business revenues (if they own a business) and on their real estate. Roughly 92 percent of citizens are ethnically Haifatnehti, though among these are individuals of mixed Haifatnehti-Crusader ancestry whether they readily acknowledge this or not. The rest are primarily successful merchants, or their descendants, from across the Continent; it is also rumored that a handful of Shadrusun hold Andaen citizenship as well, but those who are asked to substantiate these rumors are unable to say with certainty what land or city property is owned by these Shadrusun. Residents are those who hold writs of residence in Andaen but have not yet bought real estate, or have not yet earned permission to do so. The typical routes to earning a writ of residence in Andaen are owning a registered business or being registered as practicing a skilled trade. Additionally, a plurality number of residents hold a writ of residence by heredity, a document denoting that the individual's ancestry hails back to the city's reconstruction after the devastation brought by the Crusade and the Reconquest. Residents have access to basic protection and social services as do citizens, and must also pay revenue taxes, but do not have legal representation to the extent that citizens do. Roughly 65 percent of residents are established merchants and other business owners, while the remainder are craftspeople, physicians, surgeons, bureaucrats, and other specialists. An undocumented number of residents, perhaps several hundred, are thought to be mages and may have earned a writ of residency on this basis; some of these mages are (non-land-owning) graduates or faculty of Andaen University of the Esoteric Arts, while others have taken up trades or own business while also happening to be practitioners of magic. A slim majority of residents are ethnically Haifatnehti, with the rest mostly being from Near Takhet or Saukkan Ghat. Sojourners are all other people who are permitted to live in the city, usually in short-term lodging such as inns or longer-term yet still temporary lodging such as boarding houses. Sojourners are not expected to pay any taxes, but they must also pay out of pocket for access to the city's services, and they risk lacking proper representation if they should be considered to be on the wrong side of the law, nor do they have legal recourse against perceived slights by residents and citizens. Sojourners hail from virtually all ethnic or cultural backgrounds and non-business-owning walks of life, but more than eighty percent of them are either manual laborers or workers in the city's booming service industry.Socioeconomic Demographics
While virtually anyone who enjoys access to gainful employment or the city's services can expect to live at least a comfortable and secure life, there are multiple highly visible tiers of social status in the city, these tiers mainly being tied to wealth. The High Society or Upper Citizenry hail from wealthy families who have owned land in the City-Stae of Andaen for multiple generations. They generally enjoy lives of luxury, sometimes feeding off the wealth built by generations before them, and some of them own multiple properties. All of them own land within the walls of the City of Andaen proper. Many are ethnically Haifatnehti, but a number of others hail from the lines of Saukkanese princes, Takheti merchants, and the occasional entrepreneur from farther afield. Contacts with the Upper Citizenry are envied by those wish to move up the social ladder of Andaen. The New Citizenry, often dubbed the Lower Citizenry by their social superiors, are those who have earned citizenship within their own lifetimes or whose families only own land outside the city proper. While the Upper Citizenry dismiss them as uncultured and not well established, residents of the city view them with a mixture of admiration and envy. The Lower Citizenry are roughly as ethnically diverse as their social superiors, but they are either in the process of acculturating to life in Andaen's higher eschelons or openly oppose aspects of High Society culture that they find needlessly old-fashioned. The label business owner is normally reserved for business-owning residents, those who have not yet earned citizenship. The fortunes of business owners vary considerably, and their lives are highly competitive, but barring a personal fiscal disaster, they usually dress well and live comfortably. They are often also seen as the most ambitious, driven, and energetic inhabitants of Andaen; they are infamous coffee-drinkers and either try to make the most efficient possible use of each day or spend much of their free time bumping shoulders at cafes, higher-end taverns, and other social venues. They usually live in the second or third floors of their own shophouses (which in turn are rented from citizens), though a few live in long-term lodging outside their places of business. The skilled tradespeople are artisans and others whose particular abilities have been deemed important enough by the city government to merit writs of residence. The most common professions among them are shipwrights, smiths of all sorts, artisan carpenters, jewelers (minus most pearlists, those who work pearls into jewelry and other crafts), physicians, and various artists or artisans who've earned patronage from prominent citizens. A few skilled tradespeople are longer-term students at higher educational institutions; others still are thought to be mages who hire themselves out to solve unusual problems for those who can afford their services. Skilled tradespeople mainly live in long-term accomodations such as inns and sub-lets of shophouses, and the majority can afford to hire their own apprentices. The so-called lower tradespeople include apprentices as well as tradespeople and craftspeople in less lucrative fields. Their lives vary from busy to moderately strenuous, as they must work fairly hard to make rent payments or to earn their keep as apprentices. In the evenings, they can often be seen at cheap dining establishments alleviating their stress through drink and/or social activities, though others are more conservative with their wages and live humbler, quieter lives. The city's service workers mainly occupy so-called unskilled professions in the food, hospitality, and entertainment industries. Their wages are generally low and not necessarily stable, though a few entertainers enjoy rather high if inconsistent rates. A few among them work in the city's unlicensed--and therefore illict--businesses, including small gambling houses, brothels, and unlicensed vendor stalls in under-policed parts of the city. The city's service workers mainly live in economical boarding houses, having access to basic shelter, humble meals, and cheap drinks, though some get by partly on charity as well. The city's sailors and other manual laborers are roughly equal in number to the service workers, due largely to the city's voluminous maritime traffic and trade. Imports and exports are so central to the city's economic activity that manual laborers of all stripes are sometimes mistakenly referred to as porters. The city's manual laborers mainly live in cheap short- or long-term accommodations in close proximity to their worksites; sailors tend to explore the city's social venues when coin and time are sufficient, while manual laborers can live long stretches of their lives in one sub-district of the city. The circumstances of the unemployed vary considerably but are usually quite difficult. Most of the chronically unemployed physical and/or mental disabilities of one type or another, sometimes due to injuries related to manual labor or to armed conflict somewhere well outside jurisdiction of Andaen. A few of them are former businesspeople who have since fallen on hard times, but these people are more likely to sell their business--at a loss, if needed--and leave the city than to live within the city's walls in destitution.Government
Being a city-state, Andaen is a self-governing entity and not under the rule of any kingdom, empire, republic, or the like. The City-State of Andaen itself does have jurisdiction over tracts of land beyond its city walls, as well as either hegemonic or direct administrative control of several other locales within the Haifatneh Basin and Near Takhet.
Leadership, Succession, and Political Legitimacy
Andaen's rulership consists of a bureaucratic administration headed by the Council of Andaen, a small, self-elected decision-making body of eight prominent citizens plus a Chief Magistrate who leads their meetings and discussions. The eight voting Council members and the chief Magistrate could potentially be any prominent citizens of Andaen, but members are nominated, selected, and eventually given the terms of their retirement by way of non-anonymous votes among the Council; the Chief Magistrate officiates these meetings without personally voting. The appointment of exactly eight Council members is intentional: Should any Council vote come to a tie, it is the responsibility of the Council members to continue to debate the issue until at least one member can be persuaded to change their vote, ensuring that particularly controversial issues will be subjec to sufficient deliberation.The question of the political legitimacy of this self-elected Council is of much interest to scholars and politicians both within and outside Andaen; the most popular answers point to Andaen's ongoing economic progress and relative political stability, as well as publicity tactics which at least manufacture the appearance of popular support for new Council members. The Council was founded initially as an emergency measure in the aftermath of the Shame of Waharreh, a massive invasion from Takhet. Although Andaen's defenders successfully fought off the invaders, the city-state's Marshal-Regent(essentially a warlord under a different title) incurred extraordinary economic and human costs in resisting Great Waharrehand used draconian measures to maintain his hold on power throughout his reign. The deprivation that followed the Shame of Waharreh incited mass dissent and anxiety over Andaen's future. A small network of prominent merchants and scholars organized a popular movement calling for the Marshal-Regent to step down; historians debate whether the soon-to-be First Council of Andaen did so merely out of political opportunism or with the purpose of heading off a violent revolution. Though the First Council still had concerns of military concern looming overhead, they chose to invest in the future of Andaen's long-term development, prioritizing trade missions and the development of new industries to generate revenue. Though Andaen's security remained a cause for anxiety for the first few decades of the Council's rule, their gambit paid off in the long run, forging friendlier relations with states across the Haifatneh Basin and Near Takhet while also generating essential revenues for the city's civilian and military development. The political disunity of the Haifatneh Basin and the power vacuum that opened up in Near Takhet with the collapse of Great Waharreh also ensured that the Council could first prioritize commerce, job opportunities, and peaceful diplomacy, and then bolster the city-state's military might in time to begin asserting over some of its weaker neighbors. Though Andaen's status as a regional commercial capital has led to considerable socioeconomic disparities among its populace, the Council does know well enough to distribute enough resources and subsidies to the lower rungs of Andaen's society to stave off mass discontentment, and broadly speaking, they have successfully pushed a narrative that the Council's daring innovations have been responsible for improving the overall quality of life in Andaen. (For many inhabitants of Andaen, this narrative is broadly accurate.) The Council also upholds its political legitimacy through a dose of performative politics. Although both nominations and appointments of Council members are decided behind closed doors, the Council has traditionally expected nominees to tour the city of Andaen and publicize their bid for Council membership, strengthening ties with Andaen's various interest groups and getting a reading of public attitudes toward the candidate. This practice is encouraged even when there is only one nominee for a vacant Council seat, though some members of the public may privately complain that this process is ultimately a nicety on the way to a nominee's inevitable appointment.
Legislation and the Judiciary
Andaen's Council and bureaucracy govern the city-state according to the rule of law, with government officials including current Council members being held accountable to existing legislation and judicial precedents. (Whether this is entirely true in practice is another question, given the political and material power of the Council members and the closed-door proceedings through which they make major decisions of governance.) Major legislation is the product of Council meetings and decrees, with various bodies of the city's bureaucracy being charged with the implementation and enforcement of these laws. For relatively minor matters of city administration, laws and regulations are developed by city bureaus themselves and forwarded to the Council for approval, though in practice, proposals of lesser concern to the Council are seen only by the eyes of the Council's legal advisors and secretaries. Andaen's judiciary is divided into a High Court and several Petty Courts. The High Court's three judges are selected and reelected by the Council to serve fixed six-year terms; for the purpose of ensuring a measure of judicial independence (thus reassuring the public that the rule of law will be upheld), High Court judges cannot be removed from their posts during their terms unless they are found guilty of serious crimes against Andaen's security (such as sedition). The Council members are officially accountable to the law and can be put to trial. The High Court directly presides over cases of high crimes such as sedition and the most serious financial crimes; the High Court only presides over lesser cases if they choose to accept an appeal forwarded to them from a Petty Court. The Petty Courts are overseen by judges who are appointed on three-year fixed terms by the High Court judges, though Petty Court judges can be ousted at the discretion of the High Court judges with or without stated reason. The Petty Courts are subdivided into civil and criminal courts; civil courts are typically responsible for settling business disputes that do not involve financial crimes, whereas the criminal courts try and sentence defendants for most property crimes, violent crimes, and minor financial crimes. Petty Court judges organize hearings, hear from witnesses and experts, and decide cases themselves (there is no jury system in Andaen), either declaring the defendant innocent or guilty; in particularly ambiguous or controversial cases, these judges may assent to have a case appealed to the High Court to consult the greater expertise of those judges.Administration and Bureaucracy
Beneath the Council is a multi-tiered and expansive bureaucracy that is responsible for researching policy proposals on behalf of the Council, carrying out Council directives, and managing the day-to-day governance of Andaen. The Council selects the Magister of each Department and the Chair of each Bureau; these officials, in turn, appoint their own employees. The bureaucracy of the city-state's government consists of three departments (macro-level bureaucracies which each head multiple bureaus) and several bureaus of smaller, more specialized scopes. The Department of Commerce is the single largest division of the government bureaucracy, such is the complexity of managing affairs ranging from coinage and minting, to exports and imports, to taxation, to the policing of commercial activities of all sorts. The Bureau of Coinage and Valuation manages minting facilities and their output of silver coins and ingots, as well as assessing the values of trade goods, including local products and exotic fares, according to the silver standard. The Bureau of Trade, among the largest bureaus in the entire city government, monitors imports and exports, enforces tariffs, researches trade policy, and manages shipping and external traffic to and from the city's gates and harbors. This includes working with the Bureau of Maritime Affairs to ensure the efficient operation of the dry docks and maritime maintenance facilities. The Tax Bureau collects and conducts bookkeeping for property taxes, business taxes, and tariffs, and it performs tax audits both for routine purposes and occasionally to assist operations of the Bureau of Investigations. In extreme cases of tax evasion, the Tax Bureau petitions the Bureau of Investigations or even the Bureau of Enforcement to ensure compliance. The Department of Enterprise is chiefly responsible for business and real estate licensing, quality control for each industry. It also works in coordination with the Department of Commerce to set the direction of the development of Andaen's many industries, ensuring that security-critical industries and those industries with great future growth potential receive the support they need. The Bureau of Banking and Finance was originally established by the Department of Enterprise to deal in business loans and every step of the process of administering them, from accepting and reviewing loan applications, to setting loan payment and interest terms, to ensuring the smooth and timely issuance of loans. Its operations have since expanded to bookkeeping for the city government's foreign investments and working with other bureaus to assess the overall state of Andaen's financial resources. The Bureau of Banking and Finance also houses a robust accounting wing which ensures that loan funds are not being embezzled or otherwise misappropriated. The Bureau of Urban Planning administers the use of the crowded city's limited real estate. It is also tasked with surveying living conditions across the city's different districts, so as to inform the Council of potential issues with social unrest or future population growth. A significant body within this bureau manages issues related to land and maritime transportion to, from, and within the city proper. The Bureau of Entrepreneurship, its name seemingly redundant with the supervising Department of Enterprise, is specialized in regular dealings with the city's businesspeople, including the administration of business registrations and subsidies. The Department of Security was once concerned mainly with Andaen's security against external threats, but these days its chief priority is to ensure stability and minimize unrest within the city-state. The Bureau of Diplomacy employs lower-level diplomatic personnel and accommodates Council members when they conduct major foreign missions themselves. Services provided by the Bureau of Diplomacy include language training and cultural advising, intelligence-gathering on regional political affairs, and monitoring and advising on travel conditions. The Bureau of Enforcement manages the city's patrols and domestic security forces, with the exception of the few instances of Andaen's history in which martial law has been declared and these responsibilities have been handed over to the military. It is sometimes regarded as the "strong arm" of the Bureau of Investigations, given that Enforcement is charged with monitoring marketplaces, canals, the Underchannels, and other parts of the city that are susceptible to petty crimes, smuggling, dealings in illicit substances, and the like. Enforcement also runs stings and other anti-crime operations and staffs the city's dungeons. The Bureau of Investigations is more or less a twin of the Bureau of Enforcement, but while Enforcement is more concerned with the "rougher" side of law enforcement, Investigations carries out its functions in a more discrete manner and mainly concentrates on financial crimes such as corruption and misappropriation of funds. The Bureau of Justice mainly performs regular bureaucratic duties on behalf of the Court of Andaen, such as archiving court records, transcribing court proceedings, and studying laws and legal precedents for the purpose of advising judges, other government bureaus, and the Council itself. The Bureau of Magical Affairs is a small body acting as a liaison between the city government and those of the city's universities which educate and train practitioners of magic, first and foremost the famed Esoteric University of Arts and Lore. The Bureau's other main role is to occasionally offer expert witnesses to weigh in on trials in which defendants have been charged with violating the Four Sanctions. The Bureau of Mobilization is the civilian body which coordinates with the city's military leadership to ensure proper staffing, supply, and quarters to ensure the smooth operation of the city's army and navy, especially within the city proper and its periphery. The Bureau of Mobilization also propagandizes for voluntary recruitment drives for military and security personnel in times of relative peace and coordinates conscription in times of peril. Aside from the three Departments, the city government also includes several Independent Bureaus. The most prominent ones are listed below: The Bureau of Agriculture and Fishing is chiefly concerned with ensuring adequate supplies of food to the populous city and its surroundings, including by monitoring the health of fields, orchards, and marine reserves (to the best of its ability, given the limits of scientific advances in Tahuum Itaqiin), as well as providing optimal conditions for the harvest and sale of cash crops and luxury marine resources. This Bureau also provides the official point of reference for Andaen's solar calendar. The Bureau of Resource Management and Acquisition monitors the reserves of other natural resources, including timber and minerals, that the city-state currently has within its holdings. This Bureau also coordinates with the Bureau of Diplomacy regarding the known available and potential reserves of resources which could be accessed from other polities in the Haifathneh Basin, Far Takhet, and further afield (usually through trade). The Bureau of Welfare coordinates with the Bureau of Agriculture and Fishing as well as the Department of Commerce to meet the basic living needs of (most of) the populace. One major function is coordinating the distribution of bread and grains to feed the Sojourners serving as manual laborers in the city's shipyards, foundries, agricultural operations, and other key industries. Another is securing group housing for these groups, mainly by petitioning the Department of Enterprise to approve the construction and operation of such housing by private landowners. The Bureau of Welfare doubles as a propagandizing body to an extent, spreading public awareness of its programs to help maintain a baseline level of contentment among the masses.Districts
The city proper straddles the narrowest length of the Strait of Andaen, with additional defenses and maritime facilities set at either entrance to the Strait.
The Haifatneh Harbors District is situated on the west bank of the southern mouth of the Strait. Numerous docks and massive dry-dock operations line the harbors on a scale unseen elsewhere in the Continent, partially ringed in by the city's sea walls; included among these are more than half of the city's naval defense facilities. Past the docks, many government offices and guild houses are based here since the facilitation and regulation of maritime business is key to the city's interests. A few estates are situated in strategic spots on the district's highest reaches to maximize the view of the sea yet remain distant from the smells and noises of the fishing and shipping activities below. A number of sea walls dot the perimeter of the harbors, attesting to the city’s past troubles with pirates on the Haifatneh Sea.
Situated at the southern land and southeast maritime entrances to the city, the Sojourners' District is bustling with inns, market squares, and lower-end to mid-range taverns and street food stalls where patrons carry out extended business negotiations or catch up with old friends from afar. It has something of a reputation for drinking, gambling, and prostitution but is seen as offering far more reputable alternatives to the more illicit activities in the Underchannels. The city's bathouses, varying in decor and accommodations for all walks of life, are mainly situated here as well thanks to this district's proximity to the city's triple aqueducts. Though life here can get a little too exciting on occasion, the Sojourners’ District is widely regarded as the ideal place for anyone with wanderlust to meet like-minded individuals, share stories of their travels, and seek out contracts or itinerant or unusual jobs.
The Strait, running north-south from the vast ocean to the Haifatneh Sea is lined with entrances to the canals permeating the city as well as cafes and other entertainment venues. These cafes are the haunts of students, academics, and artists throughout the day, and entrepreneurs and relatively well-off busybodies frequent them in the evenings. Higher-end venues can be found where the views are most picturesque from the mid afternoon to night, or else where the din of the city's traffic and commercial activity is the most subdued; these are frequented by the wealthy merchants, politicians, and intelligentsia, many of whom can spend half a day idly chatting and dining or drinking while boats drift by. No residential properties exist here aside from a handful of exceptionally high-value estates which were built within context of the overt corruption of the city-state's early military government. The width of the Strait necessitates a ferry system to transport residents, visitors, and goods from one side to the other; the multiple ferry stops along the Strait, plus the ferry boats' access to the canals, have produced what is arguably the Continent's first noteworthy public transit system.
Branching out from the main Strait- and harbor-linked canals are the Underchannels. Despite the name, the Underchannels exist both above and underground; what differentiates above-ground “underchannels” from the mainstream above-ground canals is that the above-ground underchannels mostly lie under bridges and overpasses or are concealed by adjacent cliffs or construction, as opposed to the open-air designs of the main transportation canals. Either way, they are relatively hidden from the prying eyes of import regulators and city security personnel. The Underchannels, both those above and below ground, function as the hubs of smuggling and other illicit activities which facilitate the movement of illicit goods from the two harbor districts, both into the city and into the city’s next exports.
The Middle Districts are residential and light commercial zones comprising the western and northeastern flanks of the walled city, being in the “middle” in respect to socioeconomic situation rather than location. These districts feature much of the city’s new construction, reflecting the growth of the mercantile middle class; many buildings here, especially along major roads, are two- or three-story shophouses. Owners or leasees of these shop-houses conduct business on the open-air first (ground) floor, making these districts quite lively during the day but comparatively tranquil once most workers are finished with their dinners. The upper floors of these shophouses are typically the residences of these businesspeople, but owners will sometimes rent out a floor to apprentices, students, and the like. A few guild houses and estates of moderate wealth are present here, too, often featuring enclosed courtyards where residents and visitors can enjoy considerable comfort and privacy in the midst of the heat and business of the city. These districts’ needs are met partly by the presence of several cisterns of ancient Shadrusun design, which keep sources of potable water within walking distance for residents and businesses.
Situated in the mid-northwest of the city is the Galleries and Gardens District. In contrast to the efficient crowdedness of much of the city, the sprawling Galleries and Gardens feature ample green space which spaces out a number of monuments and museums to the city’s history. This district’s expansive, almost palatial design owes itself to having previously been the site of the Holy Order’s headquarters during Andaen’s days as a Crusader citadel. While the grounds run by the Holy Order were cramped with drill yards, barracks, and places of worship, much of this was utterly destroyed during the inordinate devastation wrought during the Assault on Andaen. A number of structures do survive from that era, however, with former fortifications and a few other constructions now serving as administrative spaces. Those who work in these buildings, however, often complain of the heat every season outside of winter, as the buildings feature foreign designs suited to some more exotic climate. In a number of the administrative buildings and museums, interior walls have been added to reduce room sizes; in others, entire wall sections have been knocked out and roofs have been redone for the purpose of improved ventilation and heat management. The exterior spaces of the Gardens exhibit a Crusader legacy as well, if one looks closely: The culturally Haifatnehti and Shadrusun garden aesthetics overlay squarish layouts, likely where drill yards or public squares for outdoor preaching and ceremonies once stood. More conspicuously, five triumphal arches with no obvious architectural function surround Armistice Square, an outdoor monument commemorating the signing of the so-called First Armistice, which in official histories marks the end of the Crusade and the Resistance.
Off to the east, the University Outcrop sits atop cliffs jutting out from the edge of the city. The most prominent feature of this district by far is the University of Esoteric Arts and Lore, a fortress-like place of learning which originally doubled as a deterrent to potential invaders on account of its reputation for training dangerous mages. The University’s architecture hints at a number of other practical concerns, too; for instance, many windows, especially in dormitories and offices, face eastward or northward so as to intake the most light, especially in the morning to encourage studiousness and consistent schedules. Whereas the Galleries and Gardens exhibit Crusader-style architecture to a significant extent, the Esoteric University and its immediate surroundings are of largely Shadrusun design: Though the campus lacks any ziggurats or other storybook staples of Shadrusun architecture, its buildings are topped with painted or glass domes unseen elsewhere in the city, and the curious angles and odd numbers of walls composing many buildings are thought to cause visitors and faculty alike to get lost easily. The Outcrop has since extended beyond the space originally dedicated to the Esoteric University, as several other institutions of formal and higher education have sprouted up in proximity to it at the encouragement of the city-state’s civilian government. Space here, too, is greatly valued, with some of the alleys separating campus buildings so narrow that students of one institution can toss notes through their neighbors’ windows, and in the evenings, a punchy waft of fried foods and seasonings makes its way skyward through the narrow lanes.
On the west side of the Strait along the northern coast, Northharbor District welcomes traffic from the vast ocean beyond. Whether this district looks welcoming, however, is another question: Access to the harbor is restricted by two lines of sea walls on account of Northharbor having been a key weak point in both of the two greatest battles over Andaen’s future. Visitors will also observe that the water here is considerably murkier than elsewhere around the city because metal forges and refineries, glassworking facilities, and other heavy industries pepper this district. On top of this, the air here is sometimes visible with sawdust, on account of the lumber shipping and shipwrighting operations here. Northharbor’s residential areas are almost exclusively home to these industries' laborers, for the environment here is decidedly undesirable to anyone else. For travelers seeking cheap accommodations irrespective of the environs, however, the boarding houses and hostels that typically host sailors and petty merchants are quite economical, at least as long as one keeps one’s eye on one’s purse.
Beyond the city walls, additional residences, small businesses, and cheap inns line the main roads leading into the city. Dispersed among these are the scattered remains of ancient outer walls and the stumps of old watch towers, all remnants of more difficult times for the city’s residents; little remains of most of these fortifications, and their ruins are often picked through for building materials for use in current projects. Further afield, the Haifatneh Basin’s distinct olive trees grow in pleasingly organized groves, and further still are farming villages producing flax for linen, herbs and spices such as bay leaves and cumin, and the wheat and other staple crops that support the city’s dense population; along the shores of the Haifatneh Sea, one can also watch pearl harvesters at work, even as the pearl harvesters themselves watch cargo ships pass them by on the way to the Strait.
The Haifatneh Harbors District is situated on the west bank of the southern mouth of the Strait. Numerous docks and massive dry-dock operations line the harbors on a scale unseen elsewhere in the Continent, partially ringed in by the city's sea walls; included among these are more than half of the city's naval defense facilities. Past the docks, many government offices and guild houses are based here since the facilitation and regulation of maritime business is key to the city's interests. A few estates are situated in strategic spots on the district's highest reaches to maximize the view of the sea yet remain distant from the smells and noises of the fishing and shipping activities below. A number of sea walls dot the perimeter of the harbors, attesting to the city’s past troubles with pirates on the Haifatneh Sea.
Situated at the southern land and southeast maritime entrances to the city, the Sojourners' District is bustling with inns, market squares, and lower-end to mid-range taverns and street food stalls where patrons carry out extended business negotiations or catch up with old friends from afar. It has something of a reputation for drinking, gambling, and prostitution but is seen as offering far more reputable alternatives to the more illicit activities in the Underchannels. The city's bathouses, varying in decor and accommodations for all walks of life, are mainly situated here as well thanks to this district's proximity to the city's triple aqueducts. Though life here can get a little too exciting on occasion, the Sojourners’ District is widely regarded as the ideal place for anyone with wanderlust to meet like-minded individuals, share stories of their travels, and seek out contracts or itinerant or unusual jobs.
The Strait, running north-south from the vast ocean to the Haifatneh Sea is lined with entrances to the canals permeating the city as well as cafes and other entertainment venues. These cafes are the haunts of students, academics, and artists throughout the day, and entrepreneurs and relatively well-off busybodies frequent them in the evenings. Higher-end venues can be found where the views are most picturesque from the mid afternoon to night, or else where the din of the city's traffic and commercial activity is the most subdued; these are frequented by the wealthy merchants, politicians, and intelligentsia, many of whom can spend half a day idly chatting and dining or drinking while boats drift by. No residential properties exist here aside from a handful of exceptionally high-value estates which were built within context of the overt corruption of the city-state's early military government. The width of the Strait necessitates a ferry system to transport residents, visitors, and goods from one side to the other; the multiple ferry stops along the Strait, plus the ferry boats' access to the canals, have produced what is arguably the Continent's first noteworthy public transit system.
Branching out from the main Strait- and harbor-linked canals are the Underchannels. Despite the name, the Underchannels exist both above and underground; what differentiates above-ground “underchannels” from the mainstream above-ground canals is that the above-ground underchannels mostly lie under bridges and overpasses or are concealed by adjacent cliffs or construction, as opposed to the open-air designs of the main transportation canals. Either way, they are relatively hidden from the prying eyes of import regulators and city security personnel. The Underchannels, both those above and below ground, function as the hubs of smuggling and other illicit activities which facilitate the movement of illicit goods from the two harbor districts, both into the city and into the city’s next exports.
The Middle Districts are residential and light commercial zones comprising the western and northeastern flanks of the walled city, being in the “middle” in respect to socioeconomic situation rather than location. These districts feature much of the city’s new construction, reflecting the growth of the mercantile middle class; many buildings here, especially along major roads, are two- or three-story shophouses. Owners or leasees of these shop-houses conduct business on the open-air first (ground) floor, making these districts quite lively during the day but comparatively tranquil once most workers are finished with their dinners. The upper floors of these shophouses are typically the residences of these businesspeople, but owners will sometimes rent out a floor to apprentices, students, and the like. A few guild houses and estates of moderate wealth are present here, too, often featuring enclosed courtyards where residents and visitors can enjoy considerable comfort and privacy in the midst of the heat and business of the city. These districts’ needs are met partly by the presence of several cisterns of ancient Shadrusun design, which keep sources of potable water within walking distance for residents and businesses.
Situated in the mid-northwest of the city is the Galleries and Gardens District. In contrast to the efficient crowdedness of much of the city, the sprawling Galleries and Gardens feature ample green space which spaces out a number of monuments and museums to the city’s history. This district’s expansive, almost palatial design owes itself to having previously been the site of the Holy Order’s headquarters during Andaen’s days as a Crusader citadel. While the grounds run by the Holy Order were cramped with drill yards, barracks, and places of worship, much of this was utterly destroyed during the inordinate devastation wrought during the Assault on Andaen. A number of structures do survive from that era, however, with former fortifications and a few other constructions now serving as administrative spaces. Those who work in these buildings, however, often complain of the heat every season outside of winter, as the buildings feature foreign designs suited to some more exotic climate. In a number of the administrative buildings and museums, interior walls have been added to reduce room sizes; in others, entire wall sections have been knocked out and roofs have been redone for the purpose of improved ventilation and heat management. The exterior spaces of the Gardens exhibit a Crusader legacy as well, if one looks closely: The culturally Haifatnehti and Shadrusun garden aesthetics overlay squarish layouts, likely where drill yards or public squares for outdoor preaching and ceremonies once stood. More conspicuously, five triumphal arches with no obvious architectural function surround Armistice Square, an outdoor monument commemorating the signing of the so-called First Armistice, which in official histories marks the end of the Crusade and the Resistance.
Off to the east, the University Outcrop sits atop cliffs jutting out from the edge of the city. The most prominent feature of this district by far is the University of Esoteric Arts and Lore, a fortress-like place of learning which originally doubled as a deterrent to potential invaders on account of its reputation for training dangerous mages. The University’s architecture hints at a number of other practical concerns, too; for instance, many windows, especially in dormitories and offices, face eastward or northward so as to intake the most light, especially in the morning to encourage studiousness and consistent schedules. Whereas the Galleries and Gardens exhibit Crusader-style architecture to a significant extent, the Esoteric University and its immediate surroundings are of largely Shadrusun design: Though the campus lacks any ziggurats or other storybook staples of Shadrusun architecture, its buildings are topped with painted or glass domes unseen elsewhere in the city, and the curious angles and odd numbers of walls composing many buildings are thought to cause visitors and faculty alike to get lost easily. The Outcrop has since extended beyond the space originally dedicated to the Esoteric University, as several other institutions of formal and higher education have sprouted up in proximity to it at the encouragement of the city-state’s civilian government. Space here, too, is greatly valued, with some of the alleys separating campus buildings so narrow that students of one institution can toss notes through their neighbors’ windows, and in the evenings, a punchy waft of fried foods and seasonings makes its way skyward through the narrow lanes.
On the west side of the Strait along the northern coast, Northharbor District welcomes traffic from the vast ocean beyond. Whether this district looks welcoming, however, is another question: Access to the harbor is restricted by two lines of sea walls on account of Northharbor having been a key weak point in both of the two greatest battles over Andaen’s future. Visitors will also observe that the water here is considerably murkier than elsewhere around the city because metal forges and refineries, glassworking facilities, and other heavy industries pepper this district. On top of this, the air here is sometimes visible with sawdust, on account of the lumber shipping and shipwrighting operations here. Northharbor’s residential areas are almost exclusively home to these industries' laborers, for the environment here is decidedly undesirable to anyone else. For travelers seeking cheap accommodations irrespective of the environs, however, the boarding houses and hostels that typically host sailors and petty merchants are quite economical, at least as long as one keeps one’s eye on one’s purse.
Beyond the city walls, additional residences, small businesses, and cheap inns line the main roads leading into the city. Dispersed among these are the scattered remains of ancient outer walls and the stumps of old watch towers, all remnants of more difficult times for the city’s residents; little remains of most of these fortifications, and their ruins are often picked through for building materials for use in current projects. Further afield, the Haifatneh Basin’s distinct olive trees grow in pleasingly organized groves, and further still are farming villages producing flax for linen, herbs and spices such as bay leaves and cumin, and the wheat and other staple crops that support the city’s dense population; along the shores of the Haifatneh Sea, one can also watch pearl harvesters at work, even as the pearl harvesters themselves watch cargo ships pass them by on the way to the Strait.
Founding Date
3502 CE
Type
Metropolis
Population
~15,000 residents and citizens; ~50,000 residents; 90,000 - 120,000 temporary
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Andaeni, Andaenen
Location under
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments