Tsonachla

We know it existed, we know that its most powerful family had ties to mining further afield. But how large was it? How many lived there? We don't know. It was an afterthought in the Kingdom, until they struck Planar Iron. Now look at it!

— Dätsalölayo historian

Tsonachla is the capital city of the Kingdom of Dätsalöl, located in the country's western reaches. It is located outside and around the Tsonachla Quarry, and the ores and minerals dug there are what put the city on the map.

History

Tsonachla is believed to have been founded by members of the Danzothe mining family, intended to act as a midway point between their mines in the southwest and the ports along Lake Strelish. It was otherwise unremarkable and rather small, inhabited mostly by the extended families of miners, and a handful of farmers.
This changed after The Collision, which caused a great deal of chaos. The town survived mostly unscathed, being far enough in land to avoid major flooding from the lake, and not having large parts of it destroyed. It did, however, have a strange mound appear just outside of town. After a few years of leaving it alone, the Danzothe's ordered a group of miners to dig into it. What they found was a new material - Planar Iron.
With this discovery Tsonachla expanded rapidly, as people came from across the country to examine the new iron, test its properties, and acquire as much as they could. The new Tsonachla Quarry became the centerpiece of the west, boosting traffic to the closest ports and encouraging more travel over the southern border for trade. While the initial vein of Planar Iron took many decades to be exhausted, the quarry soon found more metals and minerals deeper in the earth, fuelling the town's rise to a major city and industrial center.
Tsonachla's appeal was such that the royal family themselves established a holiday home in the city, lovingly furnished with locally mined metals and gemstones. This palace became their primary residence over the centuries, exacerbating an east-west divide in the country which helped to cause the independence of Kse Feorton. As this new country took with it the Dätsalölayo capital of I-onülish, Tsonachla was selected to serve as the new capital of the kingdom.

Type

Capital

Inhabitant Demonym

Tsonachayo

Danzothe Family

While the King of Dätsalöl is now based out of Tsonachla and maintains his powerbase there, by no means have the Danzothe family left the city. Quite the contrary. Despite holding only a minor noble title, that of a barony in the south-west, they hold a great deal of control in Tsonachla. Members of the family hold prominent positions in many big businesses, and their gold stockpiles have bought the loyalty and co-operation of competitors.
In addition to business power, they are rumoured to have great influence over the current King, Zoivas. His mother was herself a Danzothe, and his weakwill led many to believe his mother was really in charge for many years of his reign. While she has since passed, the Danzothe family has been known to leverage this connection to benefit their pockets.

Coins by Udit Saptarshi