Krivendos

Though a fairly new city, Krivendos has seen several periods of rapid expansion. It started out as a small farming village in the middle of a valley, but as towns grew up around it, Krivendos became the center of local trade. It expanded to the shores of a nearby lake which opened up the town to more fishing and trade with the connecting river. When iron and copper ore was found in the lake, the town grew rapidly pushing out many local farmers as their farms were turned into housing. About 250 years ago, the king of Petrek constructed a castle overlooking the town and moved the capital to Krivendos. Trade ships became a staple feature, and as the lake bed was churned up, agate washed up on the shores. Entrepreneurs were quick to jump into the agate business, and wearing agate jewelry became extremely fashionable.
At just over 2 million inhabitants, Krivendos is the largest city in Petrek and arguably all of Tamaris. It is currently the seat of the government, though the castle is no longer in use. Instead, the king lives on the other side of the lake in a much newer palace. However, the city is not without its faults. It has burned down twice, and the second burning became the inspiration for many poems and paintings. Due to its low lying location, parts of the city flood whenever the lake overflows its banks.
Industry in the city is controlled by a ring of guilds that set premium prices and have forced laws requiring high tariffs on imported goods. Because of this, there is a booming black market, and the municipal law enforcement often use the black market to acquire goods, so motivation to shut it down is low. Most of the city is a shiny exterior with a rotten interior.