Drakmort

Drakmort is the name of an independent city-state situated on the Western side of Drang. Originally a boomtown constructed around harvesting the remains of a slain Tarrasque, the city quickly expanded into a thriving trade and travel hub due to its proximity to the Jormund River.
The modern city of Drakmort is divided into several districts, overseen by the eight Guilds of Drakmort which preside over the city's infrastructure, economy and citizenry. The Guilds, in turn, are ruled and mediated by the ancient bronze dragon Tanin D'or, who forcibly seized control of the city in 791 ME and has ruled it ever since; though ostensibly the ruler of the city, Tanin D'or is seemingly content to outsource most of his control over the city to the guilds, leading some to refer to the city as a "non-practicing dictatorship".

History

The settlement of Drakmort was first erected in the year 691 ME within the desert of Drang: following a particularly virulent Shadowstorm, a travelling desert caravan was shocked to stumble across the massive corpse of a Tarrasque, its cause of death unknown, beached upon the shoreline of the Jormund River. Quickly, the creature's corpse attracted a wide variety of opportunistic travellers, merchants and miners, eager to harvest the plentiful resources of the Tarrasque's body, such as its meat, bone, and scales. Temporary encampments were erected during the harvesting process, which over time slowly merged into a more permanent boomtown, dubbed Drakmort in reference to the deceased reptilian creature at its center.
Over the course of the next century, Drakmort expanded from a small trade town to a bustling metropolis, due in part to its proximity to the river facilitating easy navigation by boat for merchants and traders. A wall was erected around the circumference of the city to protect it from the elements as well as the hostile monsters native to the desert; the Tarrasque's massive rib bones were repurposed into towers marking the outposts along the wall, and the enormous skull was placed as the city's front gate, with new arrivals having to enter the city by walking directly into the creature's gaping mouth.
In 791 ME, on the night of the city's centennial celebration, the city was attacked and seized by the ancient brass dragon Tanin D'or, declaring himself as the city's new ruler. Following the initial seizing of Drakmort, the citizens of the city were quick to discover the dragon's unusually lax approach to rulership: after founding the eight Guilds and appointing their first guildmasters, Tanin D'or would proceed to spend the next 208 years out of the city's public eye, dwelling reclusively within the Northern palace constructed in his honour and enforcing his rule only to resolve inter-Guild conflicts and collect taxes, presumably to fill his hoard. In spite of his lack of enforced authority, few have ever attempted to stage a coup against Tanin D'or, likely due to the fact that a) the Guilds have demonstrated a great degree of efficiency in ruling the city as Tanin D'or's proxies and b) he's a fucking ancient dragon.

Demographics

Due to its status as an independent merchant city, Drakmort has attracted an eclectic and diverse variety of inhabitants over the centuries, making it one of the largest (if not the largest) melting pot in Crestfall. Unfortunately, while diverse, the city is not necessarily known for its equal opportunity, as race and class divides are present across the city's many districts. This is perhaps most exemplified in the outer district of Goblintown, a ghetto-like shantytown which exists outside of the city walls where the city's poor and downtrodden tend to reside.

Economy

Due to its auspicious location beside the Jormund River, Drakmort is in large part supported as a hub of trade and commerce for travellers in and out of the desert. While not formally affiliated with the Hegian Empire, the city is also a popular rest stop for the Reclaimers sent by the Empire to comb the desert for riches, and as such many of the businesses in the city's richer districts cater especially to those who wear the red sash.
In addition to the Reclaimers, the city is a popular spot for independent adventuring parties; as such, those who earn the favour of the Merchants' Guild are given special access to the gated merchant district of Fortune Square, the only district within the city where magic items may be openly bought and sold.

Districts

For a full list of districts, please consult the Map of Drakmort.

Type

City

Founded
691 ME
Leader
Tanin D'or
The Guilds of Drakmort
Affiliations
None