Ceter
The capital of the Free Republic of Ceter, it sits on the south side of the island, connected straight to Nore through The Underdepths. This passage is often run by various ships, as the whole pass is filled with enough water to allow the ships to sail from port to port, without ever leaving the cave system. Some would argue Nore to be a district within Ceter, given its close proximity and lack of central authority, instead relying on Ceter's.
The main gate is an amalgamation of pieces from ship hulls, prows, and masts, which arches over the ever-open entrance. The wall is constructed from a similar fashion, except all the masts line the top of the almost circular wall, spinning with their sails. This wind power is used to turn the sawmills needed for ship construction, as the city is the main hub and rest stop for the Ceterese, despite being land locked. It is built this way to ensure nothing is wasted, as it is built from the old ships that are no longer fit for service. While this may make the city and its walls look impressive, it does mean they are often rickety, unstable and weak. Surrounding the walls is a grassland, flat and clean, it spreads for miles across the horizon, where it eventually reaches the edges of the island.
Upon entering the city, there is the main plaza, a marketplace bustling with people from all over the continent, all the stalls are thrown together with pieces of old ship and driftwood, with tattered and ripped sails used as shade or rain cover. On the left of this, is the Octopus Tavern, a triple-mast ship with octopus tentacles wrapping around the bowspirit, facing the marketplace from the side. The Tavern is a popular place for anyone in the city, often filled with rowdy sailors recently returned from the sea or underpasses alike. The only part of Ceter that lays beneath the ground, is Nore, which is accessed by a grand stairway on the right side of the main plaza, opposite to the Octopus tavern. Straight on from the marketplace however is a large lake, often surrounded by large timber ships that are either to be dismantled, or to take people across this central lake. The lake is deep, dark, and surrounded by myth. The majority of the city is atop this lake, which reaches almost to the wall in every direction, meaning most of the houses and buildings are placed atop wooden pillars plunged deep into the lakes soil. Connecting these are either floating walkways bobbing on the waves, or pillared wooden bridges, giving the city a very shanty feel.
This plaza is often the main staging area for festivals, such as the Luna Festival of the Ocean. Directly opposite these stairs, connected to the plaza sits the University of Ceter. The building sits looming, at five stories tall, the entrance is an ever-open doorway that leads straight into the great hall. In the centre is an ancient ship, four decks high with two masts that reach to the ceiling. A plaque resides next to the ship, with “Our founder, Captain Cetari” written in ancient Seratan. The captain not only founded the university, but the city and country as a whole, as the first pirate republic in the northern realm of Antir.
The University follows a typical Ceterese design, with the main hall in the centre, a lecture theatre attached in the rear, and smaller research rooms off both sides of the main hall. Each room specialises in different areas of study, ranging from Alchemy to Experimental Elements. This is the main research hub for the trio of Fluctuation Crystals.
Demographics
Ceter is a melting pot city, consisting of a number of races from the Ceterese themselves to the Havdirian and the Haamori Mārua. The vast majority are pirates or some profession relating to that, such as shipwrights or weaponsmiths. Often seen as the city for people who don't belong.
Government
As the capital of the piratical world, the city (and by extension the country) use a Pirate Republic system of government. A leader (known as the Magistrate-Captain) is elected by ballot from the Council of Captains every two years. There are almost no taxes, since the only government expenditure is on the guards and outposts. Whenever there is a need for a larger sum of money, the Council or Magistrate-Captain will often collect a one-time tithe, although this has to also be passed by vote from the Council of Captains. There are very few laws governing the nation, instead relying heavily on the Code of Treatment, which details the relatively free and peaceful nature of the land.
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