Polkua (Pol-kuu-ah)
Summary
In the northwestern regions of Fauverngarz, in the last hilly lands before Dorvar, there is an inland sea called the Wurm's Tail, the end (or beginning) of one of Fauverngarz's largest continential sea systems. On the western shores of the Wurm's Tail laid a series of artificial hills, the lands around them gouged out with veltron magic and fashioned into fortifications. The presumed city that once sat there, however, had long since been destroyed. Once a haunt for the Forsaken and bandits, it wouldn't be until the arrival of Nivak, Lady of the Glimmering Snow, that an earnest attempt at settlement happened. She and her fellow tribeswomen, needing shelter quickly to survive the coming hardships, made a bid for the old ruins. A mercy of a kind came in that very little actually lived there, allowing them to easily clear it out and setup their initial camp. They called their new home Polkua; 'daring hope/heart', insofar as being recklessly brave against the odds. In the gruesome struggle of their first winter, the survivors held onto their claim. When friends and allies came to bolster their ranks, they found the luxury to explore their newfound home better. While the surface structures had been eroded down to their foundations, the underground was a different situation. Intricate layers of largely frozen, untouched architecture stretched quite far into the veltron. Whoever had made the forgotten city spared no expense in detail, reinforcement, and design. As far as Nivak and her fellows were willing to explore, no hint of the original creators remained. That no terrible secret, or apparent threat, existed under their feet did well to calm their fears. It meant that a lot of the surviving infrastructure could be put to their usage, effectively kickstarting development of Polkua. Defunct sewage systems were cleared out, storehouses established, and survival shelters prepared. By the time of the second winter, they weathered the hardships with remarkable ease. Word of Polkua spread throughout the urzmatak tribes in the interim. A race of urni who lived on Fauverngarz, the urzmatak had no real city of their 'own'. Almost entirely nomadic, the rest largely lived in the cities of others. They gravitated toward Polkua as a result, entranced by the novel idea of a land they could call their own. Nivak welcomed them all, and so many urzmatak tribeswomen found a home within Polkua. It created an advantageous situation to the many tribes. Their sick or wounded could find somewhere safe to stay, as well as let their merchants store many of their goods. Other peoples could be directed toward Polkua, where tribeswomen would do business and advance the interests of their tribe. The rest of their tribe, following ancestral migration paths, could do so leaner, meaner, and stronger. Though they had no idea how long Polkua would last, for the time being, it offered them much. The urzmatak, being traders of opportunity, spread word themselves as they went about their lives. Other peoples soon found interest in Polkua, for better or worse. It allowed for more stable and regular trade, but also offered a tempting target of urzmatak riches. As a newly founded city, it had little in the way of allies, entrenchment, or possible help. For conquerors and raiders, it posed an all-too-tempting target. However, the urzmatak did not capably survive the wildernesses for no reason. As enterprising foragers worked in the lands surrounding Polkua, the huntresses went farther. They extensively mapped the terrain, deduced angles of invasion, and prepared for possible assaults. Secret traps, hidden magical arrays, and many more urzmatak specialties were laid in preparation. Their city may not have had mighty walls yet, but that did not mean it was defenseless. The beautiful, cold wildernesses around Polkua soon hid frightening layers of death for those who brought war with them. Be it their traps, or the skilled urzmatak themselves, many raiders were felled by them. The likes of the Relentless Herds and Packs, and even the Forsaken too, came to test Polkua's mettle. The urzmatak weathered it all, but Nivak, visionary leader as she may be, knew they couldn't outlast their problems forever. Try as she did to reach out to other cities, without enough riches to draw their eye, few were willing to bother. At least, until Moratahn, Wytche-Queen of the Iron Woods, showed interest. Polkua's position and unaligned nature made it highly appealing to Moratahn. She needed a city that could act as a fortress against the nations of Dorvar and their rapacious greed. In return for becoming her stalwart shield, Moratahn would extend her own help and name. Such a thing in Fauverngarz is unspeakably valuable, and Nivak wasn't a fool to the potential arrangement. It also illuminated a threat that, until then, Nivak hadn't paid much attention to. Having no love for Dorvar or the machinations of those around her, Nivak pledged Polkua to Moratahn's goals. In return, the Wytche-Queen's favor bestowed much upon the growing city. Precious metals, veltronware, woods, and more from the wytche peoples helped to bolster Polkua's industries. Rare and special access to the Iron Wood forests, too, meant Polkua would soon have strong metalsmithing. Those who might've scorned or raided Polkua, as well, came to fear the Wytche-Queen's looming presence over the city. The greedy and foolishly bold are ever endless, and so Polkua's troubles ever remain. While the bigger forces yet wait on the edges, they too are vying for a play of their own. Coupled with everything else, Nivak and her kin prosper and struggle in equal measure to continue their city. They've managed against some truly astounding odds, but a certain future is far from their eyes still.Demographics
Infrastructure
There's a marked divide in Polkua's infrastructure, showcasing two distinct styles of architecture: its original makers, and the new inhabitants. Most of the original construction only survived in the underground, leaving the likes of storage halls, sewage networks, and even craftswoman shops of a kind. The overall make of these original areas is quite intricate and detailed, as well as being built to a 'large' scale. Whoever made the city before Polkua was either large in stature, or had massive population concerns. Or both.
Since the era of Nivak and her first settlers, they've done what they can to repair and put into service this ancient infrastructure. It's allowed them to kickstart Polkua's development and focus on areas they still missed, rather than doing it all at once. While its been a boon, they're also constrained by how the underground was originally designed. They're also leery about making modifications without understanding how it was built. A potential cascade is an ever-present concern.
It is a problem that, for the most part, they aren't bothered by yet. As Polkua grows, and they near reaching the maximum capacity of the underground infrastructure, changes will be needed. Not to mention, having not fully explored its farthest depths, they're not absolutely certain what is underneath them, either. The mystery of why the prior city was abandoned, or what ultimately became of it, remains unanswered.
Starlight Markets
Trade is the heart of Polkua, and once one enters past the gates, they are in the Starlight Markets. The urzmatak set up their ancestral trading posts all along the main roadways of Polkua, staking out claims in spots they believed best. As the city grew, these huts, yurts, and other nomadic buildings transformed into more complex buildings, fusing stonework and grander architecture together. The main thoroughfare of the Starlight Markets is dominated by the greatest of the urzmatak tribes and their ruling families as a consequence. Branching roads lead into other areas of Polkua, and so lesser or second-place tribes and their families set up there. Essentially, as one goes further from the main roads, they reach into smaller communities and more niche products. It is not unlike the arteries of a body, after a fashion. The markets form the largest activity area of Polkua, having anything from restaurants to exotic magical goods depending on the locale. Visitors can often become confused what is or is not exactly a 'market', as the urzmatak combine their homes and professions together. Because of the urni's sentiments, the Starlight Markets have a distinct 'day' and 'night' mode. During the day, great cloth sheets shield businesses, walkways, and anywhere a person has to be. Most wear concealing attires, and deal in their businesses in their otherly-lit interiors, away from the sun. As dusk approaches and daylight recedes, the sheets are drawn back, and concealing garments stowed away. They may even do so during particularly cloudy days. It is, after all, not light itself the urni are uncomfortable by. It is the sun that can see them they do not like.The Undervaults
The succinctly named Undervaults is the underground realm of Polkua. Created by an unknown civilization long-ago, the ancient infrastructure remains largely intact. Nivak and her kin put it to use once more, repairing what they could to bring it into service. For better or worse, the Undervault's nature made it resilient to erosion and the passage of time. What areas did decay did so because of other issues, making repairs simple. The areas that shattered apart were, essentially, irreparable. While the prevalence of veltron magic makes many underground structures manageable, the Undervaults are made of metal, not veltron. Intricately detailed, carefully shaped, and built to an almost alien purpose, the sheer amount of metal present is truly staggering. Whoever ruled the once-city above must've been massively wealthy or influential to have acquired so much. For all their grandeur, however, the urzmatak have lacked capable metal magics or smiths to tackle problems. Great warehouses were setup in massive halls, while sewage networks were cleared out. There are even the remains of old forge and manufacturing complexes the urzmatak have tried setting to purpose once again. Shelters, and even some housing close to the surface, keep a good portion of Polkua's people safe. The truest depths of the Undervaults have yet to be explored, leaving an air of mystery to the myriad people now living above.Wurm's Port
Although Polkua itself isn't directly on the inland sea Wurm's Tail, there is a direct route to what used to be a massive dockyard. Half-buried underwater and frozen ice, reclamation efforts saw the area stitched together by the urzmatak tribes. Essentially building their new port atop the old one, the titular Wurm's Port became an important feature of Polkua. As Polkua is a fairly neutral political entity, all sorts of parties that travel across the sea are certain to make stops at Wurm's Port. Whether they come by boat, or massive sled convoys traversing the ice, merchants are ever eager to visit. As Polkua itself is a hotbed of trade throughout the year, so too does the port stay busy. It's made enforcement of Polkua's policies, as well as projecting its power, all the more important. The growth of Wurm's Port has posed issues, especially as housing has cropped up. Outside of Polkua's natural fortifications, the port is both exposed and vulnerable to all sorts of problems. It's put quite the pinch on Nivak and the city planners, especially as foreign parties try setting up shop. A proverbial battleground has unfolded in trying to properly establish the port and safeguard its citizens. Foreign merchants, trying to muscle in on Polkua's markets, grab up whatever they can.
Founders
Type
City
Population
550,000+
Location under
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