Zheford

Zheford is Amridge's second largest city, located in the southeast of the Aspect. Nestled in at the foot of the Neverending Mountains and joined by road to Ironstar to the south, it specialises in exports, education and pharmaceuticals. It has a major airship dock, found at a naturally formed structure above the city called the Plateau. Home to a great deal of headquarters and luxurious stores, this area is only accessible to its residents or the people who work at the businesses there. While tourists may attain a special admission document, these often apply exclusively to the airship dock and its surrounding facilities. Close to the Plateau, by the edge of the city, is a large waterfall that leads to a winding river, which provides fresh water to the people. The climate of Zheford is harsh and cold, but the city itself is built around and on top of a hot spring, used to keep the stone walls of the city's houses warm.

People and Culture

Zheford's focus on education (the Brightdawn Academy and the Zheford Alchemical School both based there, with various other schools and colleges having branches there too) means that most residents of Zheford are students or scholars in a variety of fields, most commonly history or alchemy. However, there are also a great deal of freelancers, engineers, merchants, and even some miners living in the city. The people tend to be on the wealthier side, much like the rest of Amridge, but don't live quite as lavishly as Skyeholdians.
Zheford was constructed as a marker for Amran independence. Officially finished about five years after the agreement was signed, the city was soon named the capital of the Mountain Hold and has held that title for nearly 1000 years. It soon became an important centre for education, heavily populated but not as flashy as other Amran cities, like Skyehold. The birthplace of the airship, Zheford soon became an important stop for traders that connected to Miennach, specifically Ironstar, as well as an exporter of Miennan goods.

Trade and Government

Zheford has rather high material taxes, which keep the city running. The local laws are each established by a different group, one that is comprised of the relevant experts. Therefore, matters of trade are regulated by a group of economists, while health issues are decided upon by trained healers and biologists. This is all regulated and led by Zheford's Triad Representative, who remains in charge of organising and employing the experts.
While the mountains surrounding Zheford have a strong abundance of Glowstone and other mineable resources, these reserves are hardly harvested for commercial purposes. Rather, the little portions of Glowstone that are collected in Zheford are used for experimentation and the production of magical potions and items.

Architecture

Zheford is also called "the Spined City" due to its unique architecture, namely the metal spires that adorn the roofs of the buildings. Each tall, slim, and perfectly round stone house in the city has one such spire that is added when it is first built, and often remains as long as the building stands. Different metals used also signify the owners' wealth, and with it the various districts of the city: The outer part has the Copper and Iron Districts, while the Steel and Titanium Districts form the traditionally residential areas and the Silver, Gold, and Platinum Districts are the more pricy areas. The houses on the Plateau do not have spires, mainly to protect any airship hulls from severe damage. So while the outer segments of the city are filled with short, greenish spires where the copper has grown slowly oxidised, the wealthiest quarters of the city shimmer and shine in silvers and golds, reflecting the light of the setting sun.

Founding Date

18th Myrkes, 416 CY

Alternative Name(s)

The Spined City

Type

City

Population

~100'000

Inhabitant Demonym

Zhefordian

Owning Organization

Amridge

"Having a city full of students and scholars does make the place stink of parchment and arrogance, but by Llem do they have the best parties. You've never seen a true festival until you've watched Zhefordian fire flowers burst into the sky while sipping a drink that tastes of memories."

—Karson Degerin, Letters to a former Lover (published 1397)