Fenrir
“As the brilliant streaks of pink and yellow begin to peek over the Occidental horizon, the first sounds of a day in urban Fenrir begin to stir. The harsh, grinding metal of one of the King's Glaive marches pompously down the street, the bells of the Axiom Church begin to clang… this city has awoken, and so have our heroes.”
Demographics
Government
The city of Fenrir - and thus, the entire Occidental Kingdom of Chaelwyth - is comprised of Uthilith's last remaining theocratic society. By the Truthbearer's "divine right of kings" (which is in of itself a lie), the Flodfald family has held a religious monarchal throne since the city's inception in CY 411.
Axiom Enaldirianism - a sect of Enaldirianism - is a form of belief that eschews the revelations of Saint Cethleann Cichol in favor of word straight from the Flodfald Throne. Time and time again, divine learnéd casters have attempted to depose the Flodfald Throne by exposing their lies, but they've become so ingrained in Occidental society that all attempts have ended in utter failure.
The city guard is known as the King's Glaive, of whom are stationed everywhere throughout the city of Fenrir. The King’s Glaive has been subject to several investigations under the U5 for human rights abuses, but nothing seems to have ever come to fruition underneath it. Strangely enough, quite a few of the investigators who’ve come to Fenrir to look into these allegations have never returned to the outside world, evidently ‘moving to the O.K for the foreseeable future’.
Defences
Fenrir is a classic archetype of a "walled city"; however, it does not possess the same fortification that places like Misty Run or Starkhammer do. The walls exist for two reasons - to prevent the poor from easily leaving, and to prevent "undesirables" from entering the city. If an individual possesses enough coin, it is extremely easy to bribe the guards into entering the city.
Many who support the Flodfald Family - typically wealthier individuals who live in Candor Park or Riverside Walk - advocate for the further fortification of the walls in the instance the Eastern Kingdom of Chaelwyth decides to attack Fenrir. This is entirely a fear response based on propaganda from the Throne, as the Eastern Kingdom believes that trying to deal with the Occidental Kingdom's capital in any substantial way would be a waste of money and resources for an institution that will likely not change whatsoever.
Infrastructure
Fenrir has the weakest infrastructure of any major city in the world. Aside from the Palatial Square, no area of Fenrir has all of the following: properly paved roads, maintained sewer systems, or accessible public transportation.
The city was built atop an extensive series of catacombs, where the majority of corpses in Fenrir are buried after death. Each neighborhood possesses its own entrance into the depths. It is forbidden by law to enter without explicit permission of the King's Glaive, due to the dangers that lurk within.
The city was built atop an extensive series of catacombs, where the majority of corpses in Fenrir are buried after death. Each neighborhood possesses its own entrance into the depths. It is forbidden by law to enter without explicit permission of the King's Glaive, due to the dangers that lurk within.
Districts
The Palatial Square is where the nobility exclusively resides. They make up less than .5% of Fenrir's total population, all the while holding the vast majority of the settlement's wealth.
Midtown is Fenrir's traditional "downtown". It is filled with businesses and slumlord apartments - and is a favorite place to live of many young Occidental adults at the heart of Fenrir's only sanctioned urban center. This neighborhood also houses Scales Park - the Occidental Kingdom's sole urban greenspace where many Siltbottom residents will take up residence during the day.
The Bell Quarter contains the neighborhood primarily comprised of Axiom clergy, all centered around the Veritas Cathedral.
Fortborough contains the Academy of the Glaive, Fenrir's military academy intended to train members of the King's Glaive for service in the armed forces and as a city guard. The district also carries many guilds and state-funded specialty businesses. There is also a Gladiatorial Stadium here, as many Fenririans enjoy watching Bloodsport.
Candor Park is an upscale neighborhood home to many decorated retirees of the King's Glaive. Aside from the Palatial Square, it is the most 'old money' district in Fenrir - and many citizens strongly resent it.
The Hearthstone Shipyards are Fenrir's major docking points where traders from Iacchus Argentum and Tempora come to exchange cargo. Although the neighborhood is among the smallest in Fenrir, it has one of the highest Glaive presences due to being stationed upstream from Port Lydia.
Riverside Walk is the Occidental Kingdom's major hub for finance, business, and trade. It is the second-most affluent district in Fenrir, lying along the Hearthstone River towards the south. The majority of people who live here only live in Fenrir seasonally (late summer through early fall), as that time of year coincides with Fenrir's annual economic peak.
The Siltbottom Slums lie along the northern part of the Hearthstone, and they are considered to be the 'roughest' part of town with the highest murder rate per capita in the world. Combined with a lax King's Glaive force, this area is riddled with crime and contains many shady characters.
The Flodfald Gardens district is an intensely overcrowded neighborhood full of ramshackle structures that do not follow the tenets of O'sha. Though the name is supposedly idyllic, the few trees that grow within the borough are old Scrying devices utilized by the Glaive to keep an eye on Venomous Rose activity (who have long since abandoned this neighborhood after their hideout was razed).
Sabre Meadows is a Fenririan suburb, containing one of the city's only performing arts centers. Although it lacks the infrastructure of the Palatial Square, it's substantially more comfortable than a lot of the other non-central districts. It also possesses the Waning Moon Inn, a popular tavern owned by the acclaimed chef Anthony Bourdaign.
Little Iaccha was founded by Iacchan immigrants in CY 777, following an exodus of Sakhan residents who left because of a strange plague infecting what would one day become the Sanscomb Forest. They were welcomed by who many historians would claim to be the O.K.'s only benevolent King - Flavius Flodfald. This neighborhood, although currently quite poor and the smallest of the bunch, has some of the best Iacchan food from beyond the continent itself.
Saint's Row is a name granted in jest by many disgruntled citizens (and approved by a King who did not understand jokes), as this neighborhood once possessed multiple non-Axiom churches and temples. During Mordecai Gorecrest's reign over Tempora, he (while being puppeted by Arden Riverfall) convinced the then-King to destroy any non-Enaldirian churches and sects. The King did so and executed a large population of Sibylline worshipers by burning their temple during a service - and those that remained managed to change the cultural consciousness to reflect this new name.
Although the Arable Cliffs are the poorest part of town, they aren't as directly dangerous as the Siltbottom Slums. This is due to the pseudo-feudal system that exists within the district - the King has granted nobility titles over various parts of land, and the nobility in turn hires intensely militaristic individuals to oversee peasants and laborers who carry out the farmwork. The cliffs are the world's number one domestic rice producer, and crops from here are exported all over Uthilith.
The Undertown - in the years since the burning of the stronghold in the Flodfald Gardens - has established itself as the epicenter of Fenrir's criminal underbelly. There are rumors that the King's Glaive precinct in this area has been bought out by one or more of the various syndicates, leaving the district practically ungoverned by Occidental law. Drug abuse is rampant here, particularly surrounding the usage of a substance called Patch.
Archvale is home to the Occidental branch of the Arcanist's Circle, a mage's guild who oversees the ethical use of magic in the world. The few academics who haven't been taken by the brain drain to the Eastern Kingdom tend to reside in Archvale, teaching private lessons and remaining under the radar of the Glaive.
King's Crossing is by far the most diverse neighborhood in Fenrir, as the Nirkhumish Embassy and Merchant's Guild are afforded a degree of protection over the residents here. It contains enclaves of Drow and Dwarves, both of which contribute in major ways to the local economy. However, many of the citizens here still struggle to make ends meet.
Guilds and Factions
Due to the authoritarian nature of Fenrir’s government, the city has an extensive network of underground (and therefore illicit) dealings. In a way, the city of Fenrir really has two faces of power – the Flodfald Throne, headed by King Adelard II, and the Venomous Rose, Uthilith’s largest thieves’ guild headed by a woman known solely by “The Lady Maud”. Fenrir is constantly plagued by rumors of Her deeds, as the King’s Glaive uses the Venomous Rose as a scapegoat for almost every bad thing that goes on within the city. This guild generally participates in the underground drug trade that spreads across the five major civilizations and attempts to recuperate assets from the noble classes of the Occidental Kingdom.
Fenrir is home to most of the Occidental Kingdom's guilds; however, many of these guilds are heavily taxed and regulated by the Flodfald Family to some extent. There are a few magical guilds who aren't recognized by the Throne due to being either hidden or unintrusive to the mission of the Flodfalds, but the remainder are heavily scrutinized. Some guilds - like the Occidental Merchant's Guild - are overseen by Fenrir's nobility like The Noble House of Malatesta.
Fenrir is home to most of the Occidental Kingdom's guilds; however, many of these guilds are heavily taxed and regulated by the Flodfald Family to some extent. There are a few magical guilds who aren't recognized by the Throne due to being either hidden or unintrusive to the mission of the Flodfalds, but the remainder are heavily scrutinized. Some guilds - like the Occidental Merchant's Guild - are overseen by Fenrir's nobility like The Noble House of Malatesta.
Geography
Fenrir sprawls along the banks of the Hearthstone River, a sprawling channel of freshwater that runs through all of Chaelwyth. Despite the best efforts of the Eastern Kingdom, the portion of the River that runs through Fenrir is highly polluted with byproducts from magical industrialization and waste, as the city government lacks the infrastructure to pay druids for regular purification. The vast majority of Fenrir sprawls on heavily deforested land, where nothing beyond a ramshackle assortment of buildings was put up for use (minimal roads aside from the wealthiest parts of the city; sewage is solely a private commodity; other beneficial goods and services are primarily provided by the Axiom Church).
Climate
Fenrir's proximity to the Hearthstone River (and a ley line crossing between The Nine Hells and the Elemental Plane of Water) that provides it with a humid continental climate, with exorbitantly hot & humid summers and frigid winters with plenty of windchill.
Maps
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The Occidental City of Fenrir
Founding Date
Lone Moon 1, CY 411
Founders
Type
Capital
Population
281,405
Inhabitant Demonym
Fenririans; Fenners (derogatory)
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
Related Traditions
Characters in Location
Related Materials
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