Kroawne

Created by Zylvanness and CrazyJack

'Suddenly, from the twighlight, arose thousands of platforms, treehouses and bridges, a bustling city, hidden in the mist. Not a single one of these busy traders and townspeople gave a glance towards the newcomer that gazed upon the marvel that was Kroawne, their eyes alight with awe.'
Kroawne is the oldest and largest Paédor built city in Mirkireth, and is the capital of the Sorak Kroawne clan. Kroawne is generally considered the capital and/or most important Paédor city, certainly being the largest. The buildings, mostly made of wood, are suspended amongst the trees, The city has four main districts, the trade district, the living quarters district, the council chambers, and the forest floor.

Districts

The Trade District

The trade district is one of the largest districts of Kroawne, after the living quarters, and is home to the most bustling and diversified series of markets in the whole of Mirkireth. The majority of the traders in the city also live in this district. The district offers a massive variety in terms of trade goods, the main commodity being rare and magical plants, food and lumber, all of which are traded to outsiders for gold and other forms of currency. Paédor from other clans also take part in exchange, and trade with items not so commonly found in Sorak Kroawne lands, such as Zenith Fish from Varak Rivash, Umber from Vara Treshok, and gems and metals from Mashkra Falk'ah lands, along with a variety of other goods from other clans. The magical herbs and plants produced and traded in Kroawne include, but are not limited to, Mirkroot, Arkyth plants, Lumina Flowers and Atmos herb. In addition to this, vast quantities of Segora Tree and Breshyk wood are sold closer to the ground, where the wood can be hauled away with relative ease. The food is mainly meat brought in by the hunters that hunt in the jungles surrounding Kroawne. Finally, the glowsap of the Segora Beetle is also farmed and sold in large quantities, making the trade district one of the most luminous in the city.

The Living Quarters

The living quarters are located in the upper levels of the city, near the canopy. The vast majority of the cities inhabitants live here, and the farmers commute daily down from the trees through the trade district to the forest floor, hundreds of metres below. Most of the inhabitants of the living quarters are warrior class Paédor, the young males and females spending their days training, hunting and preparing for war, while the older Paédor farm the plants and herbs in the forest floor district, usually accompanied by the Paédor children, or those of them that are still too young to train with their brothers and sisters. In the evenings the inhabitants climb back up the trees to the living quarters, where leisure activities take place, such as drinking, feasting, singing and sparring contests between the warriors.

The Forest Floor

The darkest part of the city, the forest floor is where most of the unique plants and animals of Kroawne are located. Here amongst the giant roots of the Segora, which rise to the glistening districts above, and amongst the dense vegetation, the Paédor farmers tend their produce. Segora Beetle farmers drain the hanging hives of their glowsap, Arkyth plants are robbed of their leaves and mature Mirkroot flowers are plucked from their hanging vines. Baskets full of produce from the plants rise on ropes to the market district above, and in the jungles the sounds of wood chopping, as well as the shouting of the training warriors can be faintly heard through the eerie twighlight. Dozing Radag Beasts are lead through the twisting roots, fertilizing the plants as they go with their magical vapour, and the faint hum of the Lumina Flowers echoes through the district.

The Council Chambers

The Council Chambers are located on the lower levels of the city towards the forest floor, here the elders and clan chief reside and rule. The buildings in this district are the only ones in the entire city built from stone instead of wood. The buildings in which the Paédor blood-shamans reside and practice Resh'va (Blood Magic). In times of war the council chambers are the traditional place for all the leaders of the Paédor Clans to gather and discuss military action, leaders and alliances, which has resulted many times in fights, riots and ultimately, deaths, due to the reluctance of the clan leaders to get along, even in times of need. The Council Chambers district is the smallest in the city by far.

Government

The Paédor Elf clan Sorak Kroawne are the tribal elite which govern the city, the elders and clan chief govern, while most laws are based on ancient Paédor traditions and tribal rulings. All inhabitants of the city and surrounding towns pay a tax to the elders and chieftain, who in turn spend it on infrastructure, the economy, and the military of the clan.

Industry & Trade

The main industry in the city is the farming and trade of a large variety of plants, as well as jungle wood, both of which are traded for gold from outsider and other valuables from other clans. Many of the plants in this area have special or magical properties, and don't grow anywhere else in the world, so are therefore extremely valuable exports.

Infrastructure

The city of Kroawne is built in deep jungle, mostly in the middle and upper canopy of gigantic trees in the area called Segora Trees, which are larger than any human or elf made tower. Thousands of wooden treehouses and internal constructions weave throughout the canopy, making up much of the living quarters of the city. The city also has a large trade district below the living quarters, and even further down, on the forest floor, are the multitude of herb gardens and forests of plants which are cultivated by the Paédor farmers. Also in the lower section of the city are the elder council chambers, which the ruling elite govern from. In the jungles surrounding the city are a number of training areas and clearings which are used by the warriors of the city to hone their skills.

Architecture

The majority of the city is built using Segora wood, which extremely strong and flexible. The city is interconnected with thousands of wooden and rope bridges, connecting thousands of treehouses. Travel between the upper and lower districts is achieved through the use of wooden rope winch lifts, which carry the inhabitants up and down the gigantic Segora Trees. Due to the almost constant mist hanging over the city, it is illuminated using the liquid produced from the Segora Beetle, which is stored in lamps all over the city. The windows are also constructed from the colourful and transparent leaves of the Arkyth plant, giving the buildings a splash of colour, amongst all the brown and green.

Geography

The City of Kroawne is situated in the middle of one of the biggest Segora Tree forests in Mirkireth, and the canopy is dense and allows little sunlight through. The trees themselves are massive, the oldest ones reaching almost 300 metres in height. The trees are so large that each has its own mini ecosystem, with its own plants and even trees growing out of it, making the middle and upper layers of the city almost as thick with vegetation as the canopy. The lower section and forest floor are clearer, with giant roots rising like towers from in amongst the sprawling farms and plantations. The humid atmosphere in this part of the Mirkireth jungles produces a thick mist almost all year round, which the city is perpetually shrouded in.

Type

City

Population

c. 80,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Kroawnians

Location under

Mirkireth

Owning Organization

Sorak Kroawne

Defences

The city is naturally defended by the thick jungle and twisting roots of the segora trees, making any assault on the city extremely difficult, even for an enormous army.

Guilds and Factions

Sorak Kroawne Clan

Natural Resources

Segora wood and other jungle wood.

- Segora Beetle glowsap.
- Arkyth Plant.
- Mirkroot.
- Lumina Flowers.

Demographics

The Majority of the population are Paédor, with around 70% of inhabitants being lower/warrior class, and 20% being Paédor traders. 9% are traders and diplomats from other races and kingdoms, and less than 1% are the ruling elite, elders and the clan chief and his family.

History

Kroawne was built by the Paédor Sorak Kroawne clan in the years 2A.759-766, and has been the main home for the clan chiefs and their armies throughout the history of the Sorak Kroawne clan.