Redoran

"The gods smile upon this land, upon us. For this is the city of the Trebai" - From the Redoran Codex

Redoran (known as "Redoran Peak" in antiquity and "Victory" officially in the Fifth Era) was the largest city in Beurum, home to millions of individuals by the Fifth Era, and the center of Trebai civilization. The city sat at the mouth of the River Halvoy which opened it up to Obsidian Bay, allowing it to become extremely wealthy off of trade.
Redoran was not only an extremely important place on the continent, but also an epicener of Trebai culture and government. It housed the governments of both the High Kingdom of Beurum and the Trebai Ascendancy.
Sprawling outward along the River Halvoy, Redoran was composed of several districts, often separated from each other by various defensive walls.

Districts

Royal Court

The Royal Court was used primarily by the government and comprised the island of Thetre, which housed The Celestial Stone. One of the least densely populated but most recognizable districts in the city, the Court was known for its grandeur. Parades nearly always finished at the Triumphal Bridge, which crossed from the mainland to Thetre under the shadow of eight colossal statues. 
During the time of the High Kingdom of Beurum, the Royal Court housed the meeting place of the High Assembly of Beurum.

Oldtown

The boundaries of Oldtown were once the boundaries of Redoran itself, with the district being the original area of the city. Oldtown was home to some of the oldest buildings in the city, most of which were manors and keeps belonging to ancient Trebai noble families. In addition to this, the district was also home to guild offices, public parks, ceremonial squares, and temples.
Oldtown was also famous for hosting the University of Redoran, one of the most renowned educational institutions in Beurum.

Volker Park

Originally home to a massive compound belonging to the long-extinct Volker family, Volker Park housed the slums of Beurum. Volker Park was the largest and most populated area in Redoran, filled with newcomers to the city struggling to find work, criminal organizations, and impoverished workers. The district was also polluted with industrial waste from neighboring Redbelt. Though many attempts were made by various rulers to ease the lives of those that lived in the Volker Park, none were ever willing to pass the kind of reform truly needed to free them from poverty.

Redbelt

Redbelt was Redoran's industrial center, named for the red-bronze color of the many rusty tools and machines in the area. The area was home to numerous forges and workshops, some of them burning fires that had been continuously lit for centuries. Redbelt was especially important during wars, where it became a center of weapons and armor manufacturing. 

Valunce Heights

Valunce Heights, named for its location on a number of hills that provided a strategic position within the city, was the militaristic center of Redoran and all the Trebai. Most of the district was one large military base, which recruited, housed, and trained military personnel. It was the most important place if one wanted to defend the city, as well as if one wanted to take over the city.

Dockside

Always crowded with ships and imported goods, Dockside was a long district along the coast and river that hosted arriving and departing sea vessels. It was among the largest and busiest districts in the city thanks to the amount of trade that happened there daily.
The district was also reputed to be a place frequented by criminals and other ne'er-do-wells, who gathered in Dockside's many seaside taverns.

Merchant's Row

Merchant's Row was a massive, open plaza which sat between Oldtown, Volker Park, Redbelt, and Dockside. Crowded with market stalls and stores, one could purchase almost anything in Merchant's Row-- and have almost anything stolen from them by pickpockets.

Godswalk

Godswalk was a relatively late addition to Redoran, built in the Second Era at the height of the power of The Order of the Wanderers. Though the city was already home to several temples scattered throughout various districts, the priestly class of the time wanted monuments dedicated to all the main gods in one place. For this reason, Godswalk was built. The district housed many temples, as well as religious universities, monasteries, and homes of priests.
Extending akwardly out from the rest of the city, Godswalk was often considered a defensive liability had to be rebuilt after both the Imperial War and the Twenty-Year War.

Outer Reaches

The Outer Reaches of Redoran comprised any area that was part of Redoran, but not part of any particular district. Most of the Outer Reaches were beyond Redoran's final defensive wall, leaving them vulnerable to attack. The Reaches were home to farmers, craftsmen, fishermen, traders, and mercenaries.

Redoran Sewers

The Redoran Sewers was the name for a system of tunnels that transported dirty water and sewage out into Obsidian Bay. They were built in the First Area after large volumes of sewage dumped into the River Halvoy made the body of water dangerous and unusable.
While they greatly improved sanitation in the city, the Redoran Sewers had a dark side. Criminals, both petty and powerful, often used the sewers as hideouts. Special police and military forces were created for patrolling these sewers, but they often became prone to corruption. In addition, the sewer system was built over the course of several centuries and continually added on to as the city grew. For this reason, the district was near impossible to even map out, much less police.

Government

Though originally under the absolute authority of the High Kingdom of Beurum, the High Assembly of Beurum was introduced during the Imperial War that remained in operation by the time of the until The Twenty-Year War. Though this representative body allowed the city's inhabitant's greater say in their lives, the institution ultimately remained subservient to the current ruler.
At the start of the war, the senate was temporarily abolished. This abolition became permanent when the High Kingdom of Beurum was replaced by the Trebai Ascendancy. following the war. This new order was a collection of the city's elites who served the Imperator.

Defences

By the Twenty-Year War, Redoran was surrounded by a large, main wall, though people lived beyond it. Additionally, there were several walls within the city that made the central part of Redoran difficult to reach by attacking forces.

Infrastructure

Redoran featured, in some parts of its jurisdiction, a sewer system that transported water from the River Halvoy to its inhabitants. The city was also home to a system of docks that grew more and more complex over time. By the Fifth Era, a large amount of the populace lived on artificial land that had once been part of Obsidian Bay.

History

According to archaeological evidence, the area around Redoran was inhabited early in and perhaps before the First Era. The main activities of the settlements centered there were fishing and farming. By the year 4935, the town was a sleepy fishing village, whose residents "stunk of seawater but were not bothered by this, and exuded all of the kindness for which the Trebai are known" according to The Redoran Codex.
The founding of the city by Veshek Redoran marked the start of the First Trebai Golden Age, a period of economic prosperity and grand architectural projects. The period saw the building of several temples that would become ruins in the next few centuries, but be immortalized in Trebai mythology.
After Veshek Redoran's death, the city remained more or less a beacon of stability in the Western Commons, though most architectural projects slowed to a crawl. In the 5200s, The city came under the control of House Frauke, which resumed many projects despite most of its members being fairly corrupt. House Frauke would also be responsible for preserving some of the city's early history, a practice unheard of by other Trebai leaders.
In 5399, the city was attacked, sacked, and briefly occupied by the Neo-Chipahau, a faction of the Daphnea. Trebai leaders quickly regained control of their city and almost completely destroyed the Neo-Chipahau in retribution. Under the leadership of House Wolfhard, the spoils of this revenge were used to rebuild the city. In addition, Redoran was declared the seat of the newly created High Kingdom of Beurum as 5400 was decided to be the start of the Second Era.
As part of the rebuilding of the city, several massive monuments were constructed to celebrate the new era and Trebai triumph. Sverden architects were recruited to build eight colossi along the Plaza of the Ancestors, a massive, ceremonial road connecting the government buildings of the city to the market district. The project was completed after a hundred years.
Until the Third Era, new temples and monuments continued to be built. During the Imperial War, Redoran fell under the control of the Kantaran Empire after its attack on the city in 6533. During the next few hundred years, a number of public buildings were converted to temples to Kantaran deities, and important sites such as the Plaza of the Ancestors were shut down, though usually not destroyed. When the Kantarans lost control of Redoran, some of their additions to the city were destroyed, while others were repurposed.
In the Fourth Era, Redoran experienced a surge in population, as did most of the Western Commons. After the era's very beginning, relatively few new monuments were built because the city had little space for them.
At the end of the Fourth Era, Redoran nearly fell to the Five Dwarven Kingdoms, who came within miles of reaching the city. During a bombardment by the Makovai Provisional Navy, some of the colossi at the Plaza of the Ancestors were damaged, with the statues of Etermel, Yartos, and Famela being destroyed entirely. The government buildings used by the High Kingdom of Beurum were also severely damaged.
During the beginning of the Fifth Era, the Trebai Ascendancy declared Redoran their seat of government and constructed the Celestial Stone to house the High Auctoritan. Though the government attempted to repair the colossi, they ran into several problems regarding funding and engineering.

Founding Date

c. 4935

Alternative Name(s)

Victory

Type

Megalopolis

Inhabitant Demonym

Redoranians

Location under

Western Commons

Included Locations

• The Celestial Stone