Beroba
Government
Beroba, as the most closely governed settlement in Arrboth, holds a variety of laws, some of which sound more sensible than others. Property damage can result in anything from a fine to execution depending on whether the property was artistic and the beauty it held. Blasphemy against the Goddess of Beauty is a similarly high crime, and summoning is outlawed barring training and fealty to the empire as a summoner for the crown. There is also a high tax on gold leaving the Arrbothi lands, though it does not include coinage. Apart from these, more sensible laws include the fines around theft, assault, manslaughter, and similar crimes that most other nations also frown upon.
Defences
The Oasis of Beran was not chosen to be defensible, with wars at the time still being highly mobile affairs between steppe clans and still holding many of the same traits to this day. However, on the wider scheme, The Varulosph is nearly impossible to penetrate to reach Beroba in the first place. Its sole shore is dominated by imperial ports, with swamps and volcanic mountains on either side of it, and deserts to the north. By the time any army reaches the edge, it is weakened from crossing the sea or the desert, and the Arrbothi armies have already mobilized in force to prevent them from ever reaching the capital. Scouts for the army across the borders make sure of this, as does the spread out and highly mobile nature of the army itself.
Industry & Trade
With its ample surrounding farmland and abundant rice fields, Beroba is fairly self-sufficient. Bronze and iron comes in from elsewhere in the empire to fuel armies and industry, and lumber is still relatively plentiful, at least for the needs of the capital. This all means that the city has its share of craftsmen and laborers keeping it running, from stonemasons and carpenters to smiths who fashion anything from weapons to jewelry. Farmers and ranchers are abundant, with most labor still done by horse, and the needs of the empire include significant amounts of food by decree to reduce reliance upon hunting.
Buildings are vital sources of work in the capital, and both those who perform the actual work of erecting them and the architects that design them are in high demand. Meticulously planned for aesthetics as the entire nation is, construction is taken very seriously both in regards to an individual building and how it impacts its neighboring edifices and the skyline. Dyes often need to be brought in to satisfy the immense aesthetic demands of the city, and these colors, gold, and glasswork can find their way even into residential homes.
Infrastructure
Beauty meets luxury and convenience on many of Beroba's streets. The roads themselves often glisten, and any infrastructure committed to must be meticulously maintained, sometimes even employing those with supernatural powers for the immense but seemingly undignified task. Fountains and aqueducts feed off the local waterways, along with picturesque bridges matching the streets. Archways and walkways connecting buildings are not unheard of either, allowing for a variety of views from above the street.
Inns, smithies, tailors, and various other professions are practiced freely in the city, though the local costs of living mean that these too are expensive. At the same time, this expense usually equates to quality, and anyone selling goods that did not at least look nice within the confines of the capital would surely be laughed out in days. Physicians and healers also practice in the capital, with Rusgan roots resulting in a combination of holistic and supernatural remedies.
Guilds and Factions
One of the strongest political influences in Beroba is, unsurprisingly, the advisors to the crown. Those who can influence them can ultimately have some sway in imperial decisions. Aside from this, caravans often form unions and guilds, which can have great sway upon local regulations. The most prestigious art academies barely need to go through advisors to meet their needs, though many of them are government-owned in the first place. Similarly, religious matters are directly tied to the government due to the nature of the empire, and so the only sway the clergy hold is as conduits for Mana's divine word.
History
Beroba was the first and most vital settlement founded by Arrboth Veng during his conquest of the steppe clans. While many consider its important central location a sign of Arrboth's foresight and divine vision, cynics and skeptics note that placing it near the greatest lake in The Varulosph doesn't exactly take tactical genius. The real ingenuity comes in how he used the claim as a challenge, daring the remaining clans to come to him with his claim upon the holy land. While forts and fortifications were erected from wood at the time, few were maintained as the wars ended and the empire gained more solid control of the surrounding lands. Those that still stood were deemed 'eyesores' and dismantled, remembered now only in writing and stories.
Despite this, the city has only grown since the first emperor's passing, becoming a seat of architectural marvel, learning, and beauty. While it will never be as practical and defensible as some towns on the other continent, it neither tries to be nor needs to be.
Architecture
At the expense of belaboring the point, aesthetics are vital to the empire under the Goddess of Beauty. Homes are frequently built in large connected complexes to maintain a coherent appearance, each with its own arched entrances, pillars, and decorated flat rooftops. Roofs are considered immensely important in Arrbothi architecture, in fact, as Mana is frequently considered to be watching from above during her visits to the Plane of Light. As such, many more important buildings have onion domed roofs or even glass domes revealing elaborate flooring in their interiors. Positioning of buildings relative to each other is also considered during construction.
This is not to say that the inside of buildings is ignored, of course. Murals and tapestries are common, as are paintings and huge arched ceilings. Stained glass is commonly used, and dyes baked into sandstone help give buildings lasting color and contrast. Delicately crafted courtyard gardens and shining pavement complete this opulent look on the outside. Of course, one cannot talk about Beroba's architecture without mentioning the Pillar of Light.
A part of the central palace rarely visited even by the emperor himself, the Pillar of Light is a shining tower of gold and glass meant to emulate and pay respect to the spire in the center of the Plane of Light. Magical lights allow it to shine even at night, giving the seemingly unintended consequence of making it a useful landmark when travelling The Varulosph. The tower reflects in the Oasis of Beran as part of its design, and it is maintained almost entirely by priests and the few summoners in the employ of the empire, along with the minor Light elementals they call upon. It is said that only these individuals can truly see the interior of the tower; that its shining lights will strike most men blind.
Geography
Apart from its central lake, Beroba is largely grassland, much of which has been converted into farmland. Even this farmland is meticulously handled to form intricate and aesthetically pleasing shapes from above, in keeping with the architectural principles of the city itself. Hills also dot the outskirts of the land, along with the forests that The Varulosph is known for.
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