Clay
Do not stumble into Clay with your pockets full. Or your neck exposed, for that matter. "Wretched hive of scum and villany" falls short as a description of this place. The Ardent that inhabit it follow no rules and respect nothing but strenght, both physical and of personality. Keep clear of dark alleys and stay inside during national holidays, which tend to get violent.
The city itself consists of ramshackle shacks and huts, constantly growing and falling apart around a handful of preserved old apartment buildings.
Demographics
Mostly Ardent swampfolk, divided into 14 clans. Some Albor personnel in their Embassy, and 50 State Guard soldiers patrolling the nice part of town.
Rarely, Old World Human townies may come from their settlements in the wilderness to trade, but are usually shunned as enemy Analogic rebels.
Government
In recent years after The Freykorp Incident, along with the Ardent Corporation in general, Clay is run by a Veldheer. Such station is taken and maintained solely by your strenght and that of the people at your side.
Defences
The city is shadowed by the impressive Vesting Stronghold, manned by the Tau Regiment of the State Guard and Ardent troops. In addition, the gigantic tower Sword of the Regent allows them to keep watch way past the horizon and warn the stronghold garrison of any approaching enemy.
Industry & Trade
While the city sustains itself mostly by farming and raiding Analogic villages, it does have a small but thriving industry that produces weapons, munitions, fuel, and many low-tech everyday items such as furniture and clothes.
Infrastructure
The city boasts a massive armory and workshop for swampfolk to design and build their own weapons and tools (most prominently their personal aldonites), an equite factory to produce the robotic mounts, an Albor embassy, a Lupin embassy with a market attached for them to trade their loot, and a harbor.
Guilds and Factions
Besides the Ardent Corporation that runs the city and the 14 clans that comform it, there is Cult of Thorns presence in the northern neighborhoods by the river. Aditionally, Ardent economy is organized into three guilds: The Guild of Explorers handles the training of Lynxes and scouting of the frontier, the Guild of Warriors trains equite-riding Hussars and organizes raids of enemy positions, and the Guild of Artisans produces supplies for the first two.
History
During what was known as The Blue Period, Stender authorities herded the disparate swampfolk clans (until then living in somewhat isolated villages) into a central, urban area, so they would be easier to watch over. Thus was the city of Clay formed.
Generations later, during The Freykorp Incident, a large swath of the city known as New Pompeii (since then called "Ashtown") would be destroyed by the Ardent themselves, in an effort to hunt down remaining Stender forces.
Architecture
The dadaistic swampfolk native to the area favor asymmetrical, austere buildings with an almost steampunkish flavor to them. Monopitched roofs and trapezoidal archs are a staple of their architecture. Buildings close to the river are on top of stilts to avoid the regular floods.
Alternative Name(s)
Ardent Capital
Type
City
Population
~1000
Inhabitant Demonym
Freykorp
Location under
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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