Seavale
The bustling city of Seavale is arguably the true 'center' of the known world, due to its central geographic location, access to both the Pale Sea and the Flowing Sea, and direct shipping lanes to the Drak Isles, Downspin continent, and even the frozen north. Of course, the citizens of Terra, the City of the Crescent Lake, take this claim as a personal affront.
Seavale is a city of many faces and facets, at once a metropolitan hub of commerce, trade, and culture and also a teeming hive of corruption, with the Thieves Guild at its core. If Terra is an example of what the world could be, Seavale is an example of what it truly is, with the thin veneer of idealism unable to hide the greed and baser instincts of the mortal Races. This thin veneer of civility is mostly a product of the Thieves Guild, as they've found that even the most flimsy facade of legitimacy allows people to justify their involvement in the business dealings of the city.
Anything a person desires can be attained in this city, for a price and with the right connections. Likewise, anything with any sort of value can be sold, no matter how illicit or immoral.
Demographics
This port city is as cosmopolitan and diverse, with all of the Races of the known world represented roughly equally by proportion. Humans, Elves, and Dwarves make up the majorities, with Aragonians, Zamberians and more unique individuals taking up the minorities.
Government
Seavale is technically a city within the kingdom of Terra, so most of the laws and culture come from that seat of power. That said, Seavale is a cultural and economic powerhouse on its own and self-governs to large degree, with its own courts, enforcement, and trade agreements. The rare conflict between Terra and the governance of Seavale is usually mediated and settled without too much fuss, with minor sanctions, tax incentives, and subsidies from the crown being enough to smooth out disagreements.
Because Seavale is such a dynamic and constantly moving city, the government has had to grow to match. The bureaucracy has expanded to match the needs of tracking and approving all of the tariffs, fees, fines, taxes, tracking, shipping, policing, and storing of the goods that flow in and out of the ports 24 hours a day. Just the Harbormaster's office takes up roughly half of the entire city's bureaucratic structure, employing hundreds of shipmasters, cargomasters, dockworkers, inspectors, accountants, and other mercantile support positions.
The Lord-Regent sits at the top of the governmental pyramid, with the Guild-Lords under them. The Lord-Regent is ostensibly an elected position, but the laws and rules that govern the process of selection are so arcane and opaque, that most citizens have no idea how the position is filled. The Guild-Lords, as well, are ostensibly voted on by the members of their respective Guilds, but this process is rife with corruption and political maneuvering. Of course, the influence of the Thieves Guild cannot be understated in these proceedings.
Seavale is a balanced city, both stable and orderly enough to be a safe harbor of mercantilism, but also chaotic enough to handle the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the sea, the markets, and shifting political landscapes in the known world. This allows the city to be swift and nimble in its responses to both internal and external forces, from handling demand for fad products, to being able to move massive amounts of goods to where they're needed, to defending itself from threats, no matter the source. The governors and policymakers in positions of power understand this dynamic and react faster and more efficiently than any other governing body in the known world.
Defences
The walls of Seavale are tall and well-maintained, built from the same whitestone as the towers of Terra. They're well-manned and stocked, despite Seavale having never been attacked via land. The Seavale Flotilla, however, is second to none in size, speed, and sheer military force. The Terran Kingdom's Armada is also based out of Seavale and the forces have been known to be rivals during times of peace and completely in-synch allies during times of war. Seavale's standing military is predominantly made up of Marines, with the City Guard acting as stand-by defenders, if needed.
Industry & Trade
Fishing, shipping, trade, smuggling
Infrastructure
Seavale is renowned for its harbor and can handle any size, shape, or class of seafaring vessel. The Seavale SkyHarbor is on par with that of Terra's but pales in comparison to the Dwarves' on SkyTouch mountain. Seavale is generally clean and efficient, with sewers, public transportation, and all of the normal magical conveniences enjoyed by the urban elite. Wide roads and dozens of massive warehouses move and store the tons of goods that flow in and out of city like blood. The gates in the impressive city walls are well manned and regulated. Of course, Seavale has its own manufacturing infrastructure, with most of the raw goods being imported from other locales.
Assets
The coffers of Seavale rival those of the Dwarven banks hewn into SkyTouch mountain. Exotic goods, rare spices, gemstones, artifacts both magical and mundane from all across the known world, stores of weapons, armor, gunpowder, ships, and even raw materials abound in Seavale. Those hoping to take these riches for themselves should keep in mind that the City Guard will arrest you and throw you in jail to await trial, but only if you haven't accidently targeted something owned by the Thieves Guild... their justice is far swifter.
Guilds and Factions
There are a number of standard guilds in Seavale, familiar to any who have traveled the cities of the known world; the Smith's Guild, the Merchant's Guild, etc, but the Guild that pulls the strings of all of them is the Thieves Guild.
Architecture
Seavale's architecture is more varied than some other settlements, ranging from flotsam shanties to gothic mansions. The city's wards tend to look very different from one another, even using different building materials. The Greystones, as their name implies, consists of rowhouses constructed with a dark-tinged granite-like stone and brick. The Middles are mostly single-family homes constructed from wood panels.
Natural Resources
The rich Flowing Sea, rich farmland, nearby forests.
Type
Large city
Population
50,000
Location under
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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