Laman
"Purpose of visit?" the guard asked. I explained I was planning on selling the wares I'd brought from the southern continent, and hoping to establish trade contacts while I was here. Nodding, he pointed at one of the attending officers. The young woman immediately brought over a paper from a stack behind her, muttering a few words as she walked. Light briefly flashed over the paper, settling into place with a dim glow. The guard nodded at her, accepting a runed pen and signing the paper before handing it to me. "You'll need to acquire a vendor's and trader's license at the Palace of Law before you can sell your wares on a public street. Once you're through the gate, continue all the way up East Market to Northgate Road. Turn left and cross the Greatspan; the Palace of Law will be on your right once you've passed Cathedral Circle. While you're in the city, keep your entry paper with you at all times. If you lose it and are asked for identification, you'll be detained while your name is checked against our records of entry. If you don't have anywhere to stay already, inns and other locations with certified beds for rent are marked as 'sleepers' on their signs. Welcome to Laman."
Laman is the political and cultural capital of Echelion, a hub of commerce, culture, and politics alike. Engines of intrigue and political maneuvering can be found as easily as experimental gnomish engines of locomotion (though the gnomes have yet to find anyone willing to field-test their creations). An entrenched noble class makes certain the rest of the city's residents know their place, while skilled workers can yet easily find decent living conditions, if not their fortunes. Magic flutters in the air around the towers of wizards incentivized to be less reclusive than their kind would prefer. Up and down West and East Market Rows, artists and merchants cry their wares, while pick-pockets and con artists work their own kind of businesses with more care than in other cities. Half-orc sailors and sea captains rub shoulders with traders and soldiers, while the Gryphon Knights patrol the entirety of the city, keeping the whole population in line through presence as much as action. Divided into four easily-distinguishable sections by the two main thoroughfares and the Shadowleaf River, those wandering where they likely have no reason to be appear obviously out-of-place. In the Builder's Quarter or the Commons such visitors are cause for excitement, viewed as possible opportunities for profit or news. In the Military Ward omnipresent members of the Gryphon Knights eye those who have no reason to be there with suspicious welcome. In the Royal Quarter the residents make it clear visitors they have no need for are beneath them by ignoring such people, if not having them escorted somewhere more appropriate. However, even among the noble villas and mansions, there are locations and reasons to draw the curious and ambitious.
Laman is the political and cultural capital of Echelion, a hub of commerce, culture, and politics alike. Engines of intrigue and political maneuvering can be found as easily as experimental gnomish engines of locomotion (though the gnomes have yet to find anyone willing to field-test their creations). An entrenched noble class makes certain the rest of the city's residents know their place, while skilled workers can yet easily find decent living conditions, if not their fortunes. Magic flutters in the air around the towers of wizards incentivized to be less reclusive than their kind would prefer. Up and down West and East Market Rows, artists and merchants cry their wares, while pick-pockets and con artists work their own kind of businesses with more care than in other cities. Half-orc sailors and sea captains rub shoulders with traders and soldiers, while the Gryphon Knights patrol the entirety of the city, keeping the whole population in line through presence as much as action. Divided into four easily-distinguishable sections by the two main thoroughfares and the Shadowleaf River, those wandering where they likely have no reason to be appear obviously out-of-place. In the Builder's Quarter or the Commons such visitors are cause for excitement, viewed as possible opportunities for profit or news. In the Military Ward omnipresent members of the Gryphon Knights eye those who have no reason to be there with suspicious welcome. In the Royal Quarter the residents make it clear visitors they have no need for are beneath them by ignoring such people, if not having them escorted somewhere more appropriate. However, even among the noble villas and mansions, there are locations and reasons to draw the curious and ambitious.
The Military Ward
Encompassing the roughly-northeast section of the city, from the north side of Northgate Road and the east side of the Shadowleaf River to the titanic curtain walls of the city, the Military Ward is the strategic and residential hub for active members of the Gryphon Knights. Each street has a barracks for the many members, and the central section of the ward is entirely taken up by three large buildings that comprise the central logistics points for the organization. The two outer buildings are given over to daily training exercises for new recruits and veterans alike, while the center building is both residence and office structure for leadership. Referred to by Knights members as East and West Central Training and The Old Man, respectively, they see the largest amount of foot traffic in the ward. The Old Man (the residence for the Knights leadership) is the most likely place for visitors to the Ward to have a reason to be.The Lock
At the corner of Northgate Road and East River Road, however, there is one other structure to be noted. Known to locals as The Lock, this triangular structure takes up an entire city block, its walls at least half as tall as the great curtain walls around the city itself. It is here that the most heinous of criminals and prisoners are confined; those who were not judged to merit execution, but deemed too dangerous in some way to direct to community service or other punishments. Only registered citizens of Echelion or Laman, or perpetrators of particularly heinous crimes against the nation, are sent to this prison. In recorded history, there has never been a successful jailbreak from The Lock. Prisoners are kept in cells in the middle three levels of the seven-leveled structure's inner walls, with the only entrances and exits for the building itself located on the seventh and first levels. For outdoor activity, prisoners are allowed in daily shifts into the large central courtyard by way of exits from the prison floors onto descending stairs set against the inner walls. Procedures and behavior at The Lock are run with the usual intense efficiency characteristic of Echelion and Laman; prisoners are not abused, nor is violence tolerated. They are expected to rehabilitate themselves for eventual release, however long that might take. Upon request, those who wish to educate themselves to this end are delivered educational materials from Primary Academy in the Builder's Quarter. Others who may want to join the Gryphon Knights to commute their service are thoroughly interviewed by senior members of the Knights; it is a lengthy process, and few pass it, but there have been several notable cases where a former criminal went on to great accomplishments within the armed force. While the standard expectation is eventual rehabilitation, those prisoners who engage in regular attempts at violence when already sentenced to The Lock or who simply make it clear they are not interested in becoming contributing members of the empire are sometimes deemed as beyond all possible efforts. These recalcitrant persons are given two remaining choices: banishment from interacting with the empire and all its domains and citizens both present and future, enforced by a magical geas; or the chance to fight for a one-time full pardon in the city's arena. This second option is a hold-over from previous eras of Lamanese culture, and it regularly comes under political scrutiny as having nothing to do with upholding the intent of any other existing laws. Members of the nobility who enjoy the rare bit of bloodsport in the arena have successfully blocked all efforts to amend it thus far, however. Those who successfully pass the determined conditions of their challenge in the arena are pardoned of all crimes, with the explicit understanding that future actions of similar nature will simply result in execution.The Commons
Southeast of the Military Ward, the Commons comprises what Otherworlders might call the 'low rent' section of Laman. Buildings and streets here are of the same stone as the rest of the city, but publicly-funded cleaning services don't seem to make it here as often as elsewhere. When asked, officials in charge of allocating such duties explain it as a result of 'difficulty assigning the correct resources,' and promise to look into it. Patrols of Gryphon Knights are seen less often here, especially the farther one ventures from East Market Row, and are quick to judge infractions they notice harshly; full arrests for minor offenses are more common in The Commons than elsewhere. Visitors stand out among the harder-edged and downtrodden citizens here and are frequent targets for pick-pocketing and other street crimes. For all of that, there are multiple reasons one might want to visit this section of Laman. East Market Row is an obvious attraction, literally one half of the city's assigned public selling and trading area. The inns, other sleepers, and taverns interspersed among the merchant's buildings, tents, and stalls on this side of the river tend to attract a rougher clientele than on West Market Row, but they offer quality services nonetheless. The Honey Dragon, in particular, is famous (or infamous, depending on one's preferences) for its namesake drink, a sweet alcohol that only begins burning one's throat after they've had time to swallow... when it's too late to reconsider. The owner of the combination inn-and-tavern refuses all offers to reveal his recipe for the drink, or for any of his several uniquely-flavored meat dishes. Lumber Way is populated mostly during the spring months; first by hordes of hired workers to help with the sawmills all along its length, then by representatives of organizations and wealthy individuals looking to purchase varying amounts of lumber in different varieties. Throughout the rest of the year, it is patrolled regularly by squads of Gryphon Knights performing random searches of the buildings to discourage squatters... or clandestine meetings. Along Northgate Road, a visitor can also find a block occupied by a small tent-city. The buildings here were destroyed in some unknown past siege or more catastrophic event. The flattened stonework now hosts whatever structures drifting population members are willing to put up. This is also the area to frequent if one wishes to pursue purchases or information that may not be entirely legal. The Gryphon Knights regularly walk through the area, but rarely manage to catch sight of someone doing something obviously illegal, so few arrests are made.The Arena
The physically-largest obvious attraction of the Commons, however, is The Arena. Constructed in a previous age along with the rest of the city, its likely purpose was roughly how it is put to use today. That the least-valued citizens are housed so near a source of entertainment is no accident; the reigning nobility and clergy are careful to continue manipulating taxes and laws such that those most likely to resent their government are also the most likely to be able to attend the public entertainment of The Arena. Although not as tall as The Lock, visible across Northgate Road, The Arena doesn't fail to impress. Three stories tall and occupying a city block in its own right, internal tunnels lead through the structure up to exits onto the tiered seating area. A near-warren of geometrically-arranged tunnels under the structure itself seems to displace the otherwise-orderly sewers of the city, the two systems never meeting. These are used to store creatures, props, weapons, and other equipment for the games. Not catering to a particularly bloodthirsty people, The Arena of Laman only holds bouts to the death on occasion. More often, the games are contests of strength and skill, with actual murder being a disqualifying act. Through some wonder of construction, the central area is watertight when its stone doors are closed, even allowing for mock naval battles to take place by filling the floor with water. Batti Ball is a popular sport in the city, a contest wherein combatants are allowed to make physical contact only with the person currently holding the self-named ball; the goal being to gain points by throwing the ball through a small hoop on the opposing team's side of the competition area. Matches become tests of endurance and martial skill, as the only hard-and-fast rule besides being able to only touch the current ball carrier is that one must avoid inflicting long-term injuries. Several teams sponsored by various noble families compete on a year-long schedule of twice-weekly matches which are constantly a hot topic of conversation among the public. At the moment the royal family's Sea Waves appear to be gaining a lead in wins over the others, the nearest competition being their traditional rivals, the Shadowleaf Riders. There are two notable exceptions to the lack of bloodsports in The Arena. Firstly, on rare occasions, a prisoner of The Lock is offered a chance at a one-time pardon of all outstanding crimes at the risk of their own life. Those who accept are generally outfitted with decent armor and weaponry of their choice and pitted against a predatory animal or volunteer combatant. While it may seem odd to outsiders, it isn't uncommon in these instances for someone who has been wronged by the individual to volunteer as their challenge, to prevent them from escaping justice. Secondly, and occurring more often, are duels. A pastime mostly among the nobility, and less-commonly among those lower-caste citizens who interact with them regularly, duels are still recognized as legal methods of resolving disputes. A holdover from a previous era of Lamanese culture, the nobility protect the tradition's legality; better-trained, better-educated, and more well-fed, they are usually favored by the method, and most non-nobles know it. A commoner challenged to a duel by a noble will usually simply cede the issue, rather than be maimed or killed over it. The laws in Laman allow for even outsiders to make use of the system, should they be so inclined. While a challenge offered doesn't force it as the method for resolving an issue, there is a strong cultural stigma among Lamanese, and even among Chelians, surrounding the act of disregarding a challenge. The challenger of a duel does take a certain risk, beyond the obvious: while the person issuing the challenge may declare the victory conditions of a duel (e.g. to first blood, to the death, or other more esoteric choices) the challenged party determines the method of dueling in terms of weapons and limitations thereof. Thus, when challenging someone, an eager duelist must be wary of situations wherein their opponent may select a method of combat which overwhelmingly favors the challenged.The Builder's Quarter
The Builder's Quarter is where most of the day-to-day excitement in Laman happens. Sales and trading deals are struck here, children and adults alike are educated, the city's wizards congregate (sometimes to the concern of 'more normal' citizens), smiths and other craftsmen ply their trades, and the city's gold and food reserves are cycled in and out of The Repository under heavy guard. Walking down any main street, a visitor sees places to sleep, drink, and be merry backed by the residential neighborhoods of those who keep such businesses going. The crowds are as varied as one could ever expect them to be outside of Basom: students amicably rub shoulders with sailors, off-duty Gryphon Knights compete for the best purchases of fresh goods alongside servants, and merchants of every variety cry their wares and services. Larger trade deals and other agreements are regularly struck in inns and taverns throughout the quarter, most establishments boasting at least one private room on the ground floor that can be used for such meetings. This quarter has the highest concentration of gnomes in residence among the population, their shops and consultation services all bearing "no refund" policies. As with the other sections of the city, there are of course several locations to take particular note of, depending on one's reason for being here.Smelter's Block
Constantly releasing plumes of smoke, Smelter's Block is exactly what its name implies. The entire city block is buildings given over to smelting and heavy crafting purposes. Mostly human in population, the artisans here are arguably the best in the known world outside of the dwarves themselves (although the elves have begun giving other races a new benchmark in beauty and functionality to aim for in the past couple of decades). They take pride in this, too, each staying current on developments from across the continent and over the sea in their particular area of expertise. The most well-known inhabitant of Smelter's Block is Eirtigan the Dwarf. Not actually a dwarf, Eirtigan earned his trade name for his unsurpassed skill in properly alloying and shaping that most legendary of metals, adamantine. His forge doesn't often burn, due to the rarity of the materials needed for his craft, but his services are highly-sought-after. Even when not bringing materials and requests to him, regular visitors provide the smith with income by paying for advice on how to best locate the raw materials needed to create the wondrous metal, and what to look for in terms of purity and other factors. Supposedly the aging human is looking for an apprentice but concerned about his ability to properly train a successor, given the lack of available materials with which to let any would-be student work.The Repository
The Repository is simultaneously the central storage area for the city's food reserves and the empire's currency reserves. Fronted at its two entrances by guard barracks which exist purely to secure the two-sided building, it accepts food supplies and rotations through its northwest entrance; the southeast sees the traffic of funds. No matter the entrance, a full complement of forty Gryphon Knights accompanies any delivery or withdrawing action, in addition to the several dozen veteran Knights who guard the location at all times. The guarding forces are amicable to tourists and others who wish to gawk at the structure, even allowing officially-arranged tours of the outer rooms, but are quick to suspect anyone who seems to be assessing the structure for other purposes. Of the two entrances, the entry devoted to food storage sees the most activity; the city is careful to rotate its food reserves on a continuous basis to avoid the possibility of spoilage. The site is overseen by two officials, who are nearly always high-ranking members of Bimseri's clergy. The current Overseer of Famine, in charge of maintaining the food stores, is Kemlek Harridan. A rotund man who overfills his robes, some suspect him of dipping into the food stores, but the truth is simpler: the man likes to eat. Most of the funds in his personal budget are assigned to what he calls 'Living Days,' days on which he travels the city sampling servings of his favorite dishes from various establishments. "A life spent hungry is a life unlived," is a favorite quote of his. The Overseer of Fortune, Kemlek's counterpart in charge of keeping the city's money and trade reserves counted and accounted for, is his opposite in every way. Atelaide Varimath, a tall, willowy woman, wears robes so austere they almost undermine her authority. She eats only when she absolutely must, and spends most of her time reviewing aspects of her side of The Repository at random; sometimes, a literal magnifying glass comes into play. Her personal budget mostly goes into savings and investments of various kinds; to what end, no one knows, as she has no living relatives to pass any of her possessions or property on to, and expresses no desire whatsoever to retire from her position or even take a vacation of any kind.Primary Academy
Across Second Builder's Street from The Repository, what appears to be a conglomerate of buildings built directly against one another sits on an entire block. Closer inspection of the patchwork reveals a host of buildings quite similar to the more residential areas of Laman attached to one another by clever stonework construction to form a single structure. Primary Academy, where every child in the city learns their basic schooling, was not constructed in its current form as part of the original city design. When it became apparent such a place was needed, there was much debate about whether buildings should be knocked down to make room for the required structure. However, no one knows the precise nature of the enchantments that overlap the building materials of the city, nor what effect damaging such a large part of the settlement may have upon the whole. Nor was anyone certain the buildings can be damaged by any reasonable effects at their disposal. It was a gnome who suggested connecting structures to one another to create the requisite building. Her name, in the unusual naming conventions of her people, was Primary. Thus, Primary Academy was constructed. Each room of the academy is, in fact, a repurposed section of a would-be home or business, while the main entrances were added as part of the construction, pre-existing openings covered over with careful stone- and wood-work. The hallways are in fact the remnants of the smaller streets and alleys that originally divided the neighborhood. For all of its resulting slipshod appearance, Primary Academy has gathered a wealth of libraries on many subjects of basic learning and attracted tutors in just as many more subjects besides. Basic education requirements are taught by government-appointed instructors, while multiple elective options are available for both children and adults who wish to pursue a continuing education, based on the availability of certified teachers registered with the city. Since its inception, there have been many gnomes involved in the school's staffing. Their inquisitive and imaginative natures have proven to lend well toward being excellent tutors and researchers, so long as a non-gnome overseer is provided to rein in their more "exciting" ideas. The current Overseer of Education is Samlek Termillion. One of The Lock's success stories, Samlek engaged in rather violent indiscretions during his youth in The Commons, eventually leading a street gang to public violence against a rival group in a conflict that spilled over into East Market Row and resulted in the deaths of many innocent bystanders. Sentenced to The Lock, he found a new way of thinking and living over the course of several years, reading his way nearly through the entirety of one of Primary Academy's libraries. He successfully petitioned to join the Gryphon Knights, where he distinguished himself in his efforts to help bring more order to the streets of The Commons. When retirement became an option, he applied for a position among the staff of the academy, wanting to help steer younger children before they made mistakes they couldn't take back. Thirteen years after that application was accepted, he is now Overseer, bearing the same goal. Most applications for new classes are approved as they cross his desk, Samlek holding the ideaology that a wider set of options means fewer students likely to opt for a harder life. As with all Overseers of Education to date, he has yet to approve an "Advanced Experimental Engineering in a Practical Environment" class, something applied for every year by at least two gnome members of staff, citing likely dangerous side effects as a concern.The Spires
There is one final location of note in the Builder's Quarter, and few visitors fail to notice it. Casting a range of shadows in all directions as the sun moves over the city each day, dozens of towers in varying design stand apart from the other buildings of the quarter. One or two reach almost as high as the city walls, while some appear little more than a cylindrical room that has a door on it, but most lie somewhere between the two extremes in height. Each is no more than twelve feet in diameter (on the outside), by city ordinance. As Echelion began expanding, the necessity of having access to powerful and learned magic users in a world where such a person could one day be an enemy was not lost on the empire's planners. No one knows precisely who hit upon the idea, but the government applied a novel solution to the need: they retained accomplished wizards with payments of space. Any wizard who can prove accomplishment in any area of magic which can be applied via practical purposes is allowed to claim a space in The Spires where they may construct a tower of their liking (within certain limits on external size). So long as they are on retainer, the kingdom and city treat the interiors of the towers as international territories and do not inquire as to what might take place there. Arcanists of all stripes gain a safe space in which to put down roots, where they will be actively protected from mobs of unenlightened villagers or other unwanted disturbances and where they have easy access to a major trade port through which to acquire difficult-to-find materials for their projects. In return, each is required to provide a certain minimum of services to the city upon request. By way of this arrangement, Echelion and Laman have been able to leverage regular access to advanced applications of magic to great effect. Visitors to the area are advised of the fact that they are leaving imperial territory by patrols of Gryphon Knights before approaching any towers. Two barracks on the block of spires are staffed with Knights for this purpose, as well as to protect the towers from conventional threats per the retainer agreement. One would be wise to be extremely cautious when stepping into a caster's tower in the area; no crimes reported as having occurred here will be prosecuted or acted on, as they occurred outside the purview of the Echelion government, and the requirements to be put on retainer make no mention of specific morals or ethics.The Royal Quarter
"Grand" was invented to describe the sort of sights one encounters in The Royal Quarter. Mansions and estates take up entire sections of city blocks, gardens having been transplanted into raised trellises on the properties. Cathedrals tower over surrounding streets, more glass visible on them than a common person could afford in a lifetime and carvings to each of the deities adorning their sides. Above all the others, and taking up an entire block on its own, looms the Palace of Law, reminding by sheer intimidating presence even the nobles that no one is above the rule of law and royalty. It seems likely that there has always been a caste system in Laman, even since its founding in a forgotten age. The structures here were not cobbled together from surrounding buildings, nor built on available space. They have the same overlapping enchantments on every stone, joint, and seam as the rest of the city, which means an entire section of looming buildings were constructed as monuments to some element of vanity as part of the city's construction. While those not of noble persuasion stand out as out of place here, there technically isn't any law stating one cannot walk the streets of The Royal Quarter. Having said that, one who doesn't belong here shouldn't expect to receive any acknowledgment from those who know themselves to be his better, either. Unless they called for him.Lux Arcana Academy
Equal parts place of learning and business establishment, Lux Arcana Academy is admittedly one of the most effective places in the world to receive a formal education in magic... if one can afford the tuition. With a base fee of one thousand gold pieces per semester, those of common descent are unlikely to ever attend a class here. Those who do, however, receive one of the finest instructions in magic they could hope for, the exorbitant tuition covering the costs of acquiring difficult-to-find research materials for experimentation, retainer fees for experienced magicians, and repair costs for damage to properties. Even non-graduates who attend a single semester (and can comprehend the learning) find they can easily qualify for the basic licensing required to offer their services for hire on either Market Row. Those who do graduate find a wealth of opportunities opened to them; more than one graduate of Lux Arcana Academy has moved directly into The Spires, easily passing the requirements for the retainer offer. Which is not to say that commoners and visitors might never see the inside of the academy's walls. Access to the academy's libraries is much less exclusive, requiring only a single gold piece to pay for a week-long pass to any one of the four libraries available. Students in the classes surrounding the enchantment of items are assigned requests from patrons of the academy as projects and exams, with the less-stellar results offered for sale to the general public at reduced prices (buyer beware: a failed enchantment isn't always able to be fully identified in terms of any unwanted side effects). Divining classes hold Open Houses on every First and Sixth Day of each week; for a silver piece, anyone can make a request for a divination, so long as the request is legal. Conjuration classes engage in mock tournaments as a class activity and for the entertainment of spectators once a week, pitting summoned and created creatures against one another; attendance only costs five copper per seat. In a dozen other ways, the Lux Arcana Academy capitalizes on its teaching, turning exams of all kinds into exploitable commodities. The students don't get a cut of any profits, but this doesn't bother them. Most are already well-off, and the public-interfacing moments give them opportunities to develop their reputation and fame among peers and possible trade contacts.Cathedral Circle
Looming over Westgate Road, Cathedral Circle isn't a proper circle of course; the inward-facing buildings form something closer to a triangle due to the bordering streets. Nine equidistant buildings, of identical size and pointed-roof structure, point their entrances at one another across an open courtyard. On seven of the buildings are carvings and reliefs depicting the seven known gods. The temple clearly meant for the Lady of Death bears only raven iconography, with not a rose in sight; this leads most to assume the structures were raised prior to the ascension of the current deity of death, as her forebear is known to have utilized raven symbols. The temple to Bastach, the only known official structure consecrated to the Sower of Sorrow, is surrounded at all times by a contingent of Gryphon Knights to prevent anyone from entering. No one in the city wants to draw the dark god's attention. ...No one who will admit to the desire, at any rate. Of enormous interest to deific scholars are the two temples whose symbolism matches no known deities. Deific servants and even the Lady of Death refuse to elaborate on the buildings' purposes, stating a desire to not enable the worship of unwanted powers. Ever curious and eager to leverage possible resources, the royal family has instructed the Gryphon Knights to allow the curious to research the temples under close supervision. Whether this may end in catastrophe or boon has yet to be determined.The Palace of Law
No listing of the Royal Quarter would be complete without touching on the Palace of Law. Ten-meter curtain walls with two portcullised entrances on each street surround a spacious inner courtyard meant to function as a kill-zone in the event of the city being successfully invaded. The various towers of the enormous keep itself appear to rise to just under the height of the city's outer walls. "Appear" is the correct phrasing, as none truly know the dimensions of the Palace of Law. Since the implementation of the Echelion empire's ingenious retainer program for casters, at least two accomplished arcanists can be seen walking the grounds on a daily basis, casting a variety of effects over the entirety of the structure and surrounding courtyard. What specific effects are applied, only specific high-ranking members of the government and the royal family know for certain. Visitors don't seem to have any trouble getting where they mean to, yet when anyone veers off a proper path inside the castle they find themselves quickly running into dead ends and exterior windows... which cannot later be found again. The path to a particular minister's office one day is likely to result in such a dead end if followed exactly the day after. Yet if a visitor allows their thoughts to wander ever-so-slightly, only keeping in mind their intended destination, they invariably reach their goal in good time so long as they are meant to be there.Demographics
Laman's permanent residents are overwhelmingly human in number. As a trade city, however, it isn't unusual to see members of other races on occasion. In particular, half-orcs find themselves feeling surprisingly welcomed as members of the city and empire in ways other cultures don't offer; Echelion plans to rule the entire world one day, after all. It can't be picky about who happens to exist within that world.
As in any society, however, there are the Haves and Have-Nots. The nobility and royalty live within the appropriately-named Royal Quarter, and make no pretense about the fact that they stand above others. It is telling that Cathedral Circle, the conglomerate of temples to each of the deities, is also located within the same quarter; ordained clergy, especially of Bimseri, are only a minor step down from nobility in Laman.
Below those who run the government and own everything, successful merchants and skilled members of the working class still stand above those whose main skills revolve around the ability to do as they're told. The latter category usually finds themselves either joining the Gryphon Knights, where they can at least make a living and earn some savings following orders, or dwelling within the Commons, Laman's 'low-rent' quadrant.
Government
The King of Echelion rules from the Palace of Law, but most matters of the day-to-day running of the city itself are handled by a multi-layered government of appointed royalty, nobility, and clergy of Bimseri. All matters of licensing, tax collection, infrastructure maintenance, and judgment of crime are handled in the large structure. Messengers of all varieties can be seen streaming in and out of the building, from bird to runner to magical sending. Also visible are the lines of people moving through the proper entrances to request licenses, file claims or charges of various kinds, report for court dates, and make appeals to or otherwise meet with individual members of office.
Before one can enter the city, however, he must pass through one of the gates from Freedom's Harbor, Westgate or Northgate by land, or the River's Throat or River's Tail Gate if directly disembarking from a water-going vessel. At any point of entry, well-appointed stations manned by Gryphon Knights wait to take down detailed descriptions, names, and planned activities of visitors. Entry papers, lightly spelled to prevent manipulation, are provided to those approved for passage and expected to be kept on one's person at all times.
A license is required for all public-facing businesses, whether run by visitor or resident. Patrols of Gryphon Knights randomly perform inspections of papers for licensing. Even preaching on a public street requires a certificate of approval unless performed in or around the Cathedral Circle. Those found to be practicing business of any kind without first following the expected city processes find themselves escorted to the Palace of Law by a group of Gryphon Knights to sort the misunderstanding out.
Understanding not everyone can have memorized the city's laws and customs, 'small' (roughly two centimeters thick) pamphlets of the basic steps to be aware of are available at all entry and exit points of the city, as well as at the Palace of Law, costing an easily-affordable fee to acquire and including an overall map of the city.
Industry & Trade
Laman is a hub city more than anything else. While a large part of the city's (and, in fact, the empire's) income comes from the spring timber harvests and exports of the same, the remainder is a conglomerate source of taxes on all forms of revenue within the city walls. Thanks to advantageous trade positioning, products and services of all varieties in the city cost only slightly above average; the increased price is offset in the minds of investors and traders by the sheer availability. Excepting slaves (capturing, keeping, selling, buying, or in any other way owning or facilitating the ownership of slaves is outlawed in Echelion, and is one of the highest prosecutable offenses in Laman), any product can be found in Laman, if one looks hard enough. The looking need not even be very difficult; thanks to the intense efficiency of the city's bookkeeping, one can browse an index of currently-registered public merchants and their generic types of stock upon request at the Palace of Law.
The spring timber harvests cannot be overlooked, however. Each spring, the thaw swells the river running into the city from deep within the forests that provide the timber for its navy and trade. Multiple private groups are contracted by the government ahead of time to begin felling trees in earnest in the weeks leading up to First Spring, and throughout the swelling of the river. As the trees are cut down, they are allowed to be carried on the swelling river, all the way downstream to Laman, where the River's Throat Gate is left raised for the entirety of First Spring. Hordes of workers are also contracted to work the riverbanks outside of and inside the city with long poles, turning logs that need it to prevent blockages. Appearing as insects along the literal flood of great trees, the polers keep the timber from catching on the riverbanks all the way down to the cluster of mills and other businesses that crowd the southeastern half of the river's path through the city. Log after log is poled aside into one building or another for processing, while the logs that pass through the open River's Tail Gate into the harbor are caught up by waiting booms and secured for the timber ships which will be selling the wood to other cities and nations.
Developing relations with the returned elves have provided revelations from the druids among that race that this practice has the potential to be catastrophic to the ecosystem of the river and forests; the Chelian government has so far managed to keep relations civil by agreeing to allow druidic overseers to accompany the felling teams, advising them of what practices they may and may not implement.
With regard to trade it should be noted, for those visitors such as exterminators and hunters inclined to make use of poisons in their professions, that the sale of poison is perfectly legal in Laman with proper certifications and licenses. However, any use of poison within any Chelian city's borders, even to kill rats or other pests, is illegal unless carried out by a trained specialist of the Gryphon Knights, and must be requested through official channels.
Infrastructure
Possibly the most structurally advanced inhabited city in the world, Laman boasts a variety of features other cities lack. Some are certainly present within any city but handled with a particular efficiency in Laman not seen elsewhere.
The first convenience a visitor will notice is the indoor plumbing. Nearly unheard-of, even in other Chelian settlements, every building has at least one faucet somewhere that will let out a burst of clean, drinkable water when opened. Maintained by the support efforts of the Gryphon Knights, the plumbing network is fed by a source other than the river running through the city; the actual source is kept secret as a defense against future besieging forces seeking to spoil the city's water supply.
The city's streets and siege walls are a marvel as well. The paved roads are obviously laid stone-by-stone, yet no unevenness can be detected while walking through the city. The walls are much the same, appearing to be of a single titanic stone at a distance but revealing themselves as cobbled-together as well up close. They, too, feel perfectly smooth if touched directly. Magic detection effects in the city show strengthening and bonding spells laid over every stone, join and seam on building and street alike. What mage or organization so enchanted the construction is a mystery, but attempting to unravel the enigma of these effects and how they layer into a greater working than their sum has led to the techniques used by Echelion to strengthen the durability of its empire-wide roads.
In the same vein of wondrous construction lies the world-famous Greatspan. Constructed even earlier than the city itself (based on the differences in the stonework and materials used), the stone bridge is all of a piece, even its two great supporting pilings seeming carved and shaped from the same stone as the rest of the bridge. Sages of all races, including an occasional dwarf, have examined the massive structure in attempts to determine its origin. All have turned away still mystified. The scrollwork carved into its low railings suggests fey or druidic roots to some, but those elves who have visited since the race's return insist it is a passing resemblance at best to anything they have ever witnessed. (Particularly frustrating to those who dig deeply into the bridge's history are a pair of journals kept in the libraries of the Lux Arcana Academy that mention 'Los Ciagnac's discovery of the Greatspan.' What the vanished city, situated hundreds of kilometers away, has to do with or might have discovered about the span is unlikely to ever be answered) Regardless of origin the structure, crossing the river in a single graceful curve, defies all explanation for how it yet stands. It is referenced throughout history, and is likely the reason Laman was first founded in a forgotten age, yet it shows no wear of wind or wave on its stones. It does not detect as magical in any way, yet resists all damage and weathering. Such is its imperviousness that residents draw comfort from its presence; a popular superstition among the Lamanese is that the city will stand only so long as the Greatspan does.
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