Mathe
Originally only a few huts across the bay from a fishing village with the same name, located on the fringes of humanity, its people little more than savages, the city of Mathe has grown into one of lesser known jewels of Tarien since its founding and incorporation into the Empire of Eldoria. And while some of oldest families of the now sizable yet rustic original fishing village may still consider themselves Mathians, the centuries have generally erased the fact that Mathe stole its own name. Now the city finds itself not only the capital (and namesake) of one of the Kingdoms of Prydith, it is the second largest in all of the Kingdoms and a major center of commerce, thanks to its deep harbor that runs practically up to its shore. As a result, the city sees some of the largest ships on Tarien - those that ply their trade in the great Darsiac Ocean, running routes up and down the coast of Prydith and across the waves to Azermathia.
The trade has been a great boon to the city, for while it remains blessed with the fruits of the sea by Jendredi, the surrounding land offers little in the way of agriculture and the silver mines from the Wind Wall Mountains to the north have not offer a significant yield in over a century. Fortunately, prospectors have recently discovered veins of a gray metal that, when smelted with iron, improves its strength and durability. Dubbed "Mathian Steel ", it requires sharpening less often and resists rust. The presence of this commodity has driven a number industries from those that smelt the ores together in a secret recipe to smiths making some of the finest weapons in the Inner Seas, all of which get exported through Mathe's mighty harbor. In recent years a small but steady trade with the Nomads of Narmouth has begun exchanging precious gems that the Wemics have found in the desert for the trappings of civilization that Mathe can offer.
A Square in the Eldorian Ring
While the city may date back to nearly the first crowning, much of its construction is more recent. The city took advantage of the destruction wrought by the Battle of Mathe to move its crescent shaped wall back nearly a thousand feet. The wall itself, and everything for blocks behind it, had been reduced to rubble during the magically charged battle and everything in the area was completely rebuilt. Of the old wall, only a foundation remains, ringing the city with a band of sandstone and giving everything beyond its arc the name the "Outer Ring". While some buildings on the interior date back to before the battle, the city suffered a direct hit from a major hurricane within the living memory of most of its citizens. The twenty-foot-high waves that struck the city flattened warehouses, churches, and manors equally, devastating the inner part of the city. While some of it has been rebuilt, much of it remains ruin and rubble. The resulting concentric circles have resulting the names of the Tidal Ring for the newly rebuilt areas around the harbor and the Rubble Ring for those areas not yet rebuilt. Between the Rubble Ring and the Outer Ring, lies the Eldorian Ring for its the oldest in the city and the only one with any buildings dating back to the time when Mathe was still part of the Empire.
Founding Date
23 AC
Alternative Name(s)
City of Rings
Type
City
Population
20,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Mathians
Location under
Included Locations
Owning Organization