Elfame

Demographics

Elfame is primarily inhabited by ethnically Seelie citizen, though as the capital of the Seilurid Empire, it also sees numbers of Bourguignon, Norman and Sibir citizens, with smaller communities of foreign migrants. The level of wealth in Elfame is higher than average as it is the home of many nobles and entrepreneurs. It also has a much higher degree of literacy than the rest of the Empire due to being the seat of many if the Imperial Academies, which attract prospective students from all over eastern Achaea.

Government

The matter of authority in Elfame is a complex one. As with all major cities in the Empire, it is nominally ruled by a baron who oversees the day-to-day plights of the city. However, as it is also the seat of the Emperor and the Cabinet, Elfame is technically under the direct rule of the Imperial throne. In practice, Seilurid Emperors rarely interfere in the internal affairs of the capital and let it be managed by the Baron in charge as they have little free time to waste with such things. As the territory of House De Fay, the Baron of Elfame is generally a member of the De Fay bloodline, which helps make this relationship smoother whenever the Emperor is a De Fay as well, but inversely even rockier when they are not.

Defences

For much of its history, Elfame has been a walled city. These protections, while by now antiquated, have been expanded and modernized several times over the centuries as the city grew in size and the technology advanced, leading to a highly subdivided city with a strong citadel in its oldest districts. While these walls are of little use against modern artillery, they make the city a death trap of overlapping, maze-like fortifications for unsupported infantry. The true protectors of Elfame however are the Arphenraug, a regiment of the most elite infantry in the entire Empire. As the Alphenraug are the sworn protectors of House De Fay - and by proxy the very Imperial Throne itself - and as Elfame is the home of the De Fay, these spartanly-trained and well-equipped crack troops defend the city with unparalleled fanaticism against all enemies, internal or external. The 1ère Division de Dragons de la Garde Impériale is also generally stationed in or near Elfame.

Infrastructure

Elfame's infrastructure network features a mix of new and older features. Immediately visible are its black streets of tar-coated macadam which create a smoother, dust-free pavement for carriages compared to classic roads. The sewer and aqueduct system has recently been expanded in order to accommodate the population growth. Lights and heating are provided by manufactured gas. Coal-derived gas was replaced by a steam/petroleum system to reduce gas emissions that were previously choking the city, but there has been no serious push to replace the extensive gasworks with electrical systems yet.
On a greater scale, Elfame is also a central nerve in the Seilurid railway network and sees regular traffic of both passenger and merchandise trains from across much of the Empire, with direct lines to La Hire and Tabris, the Bourguignon and Norman cultural and political centers respectively. This is in part due to its status as the capital, but also due to the presence of one of the largest deep-water ports in the Empire, flanked by the Océan imperial naval yards on one side and protected from attacks by its inland status. The shores also feature a petroleum refinery built by the oil extraction and processing giant Sang Noir, which is directly linked by pipeline to the Errant oil fields in the neighboring Prés d'Or Ouest province.

Architecture

As an old city, Elfame features a mix of traditional and modern architecture. The Old City features very tightly-packed stone or brick buildings coursed through by sinuous, winding streets, some of which are too small for larger carriages or automobiles to pass through, though areas that were damaged by fires - a quickly out of control calamity in densely-built old cities - tend to be rebuilt with more accommodating standards.
The more modern sections of Elfame are a textbook example of high-class Seilurid architecture as a whole, and one of the most grand. Essentially all large buildings, bridges, but also fences, balconies but also street items such as lamp posts, benches and post boxes are made of cast iron. The iron is often painted in pure white - one of the Imperial color, but bright colors are also somewhat common. Iron beams are often arranged into complex aesthetic assemblies. Latticework is common, as well as ornamental reliefs in fences and facades featuring flowers or animals.

Founding Date

300s

Type

Capital

Location under

Achaea