Vayzhik
Written by and bufiogarugi
/vɛɪʑɪk/
Vayzhik is the capital city of Kreshniva. This gives it the prestigious position of being Kreshniva's main trading hub. Many traders would jump at the chance to go to Vayzhik to have the chance to trade with the renowned Kreshman traders. However, due to the climate of Kreshniva being largely unfriendly towards non-Kreshmen, only a small portion are actually successful.
/vɛɪʑɪk/
Vayzhik is the capital city of Kreshniva. This gives it the prestigious position of being Kreshniva's main trading hub. Many traders would jump at the chance to go to Vayzhik to have the chance to trade with the renowned Kreshman traders. However, due to the climate of Kreshniva being largely unfriendly towards non-Kreshmen, only a small portion are actually successful.
Demographics
The majority of Vayzhik's population is of Kreshmen, as it is Kreshniva's capital city. However, there are some non-Kreshmen living in the city as well. It's most common to see Northern Actreines and Southern Actreines (mainly the ones from Saiba and Southern Stonad), because they're the ones who live in climates most similar to Kreshniva's. However, it isn't completely unheard of to meet someone there hailing from the other regions, thanks in part to the popularity of Warm Walkers and Sunbaked Stuffed Pastries.
As Kreshniva is a nation that highly values the merchant profession, many of Vayzhik's citizens take up merchantry. However, that is not the only profession popularly seen in Vayzhik. Banks are also important to Kreshniva, and as such there are a handful of banks throughout Kreshniva, many of which are Kreshniva-only banks. Kreshniva also plays a large role in managing and keeping track of the Actreine Empirical Bank. They do not manage the empire's treasury, though, as that is a task the Vel Tuturi prefers to manage on its own.
As Kreshniva is a nation that highly values the merchant profession, many of Vayzhik's citizens take up merchantry. However, that is not the only profession popularly seen in Vayzhik. Banks are also important to Kreshniva, and as such there are a handful of banks throughout Kreshniva, many of which are Kreshniva-only banks. Kreshniva also plays a large role in managing and keeping track of the Actreine Empirical Bank. They do not manage the empire's treasury, though, as that is a task the Vel Tuturi prefers to manage on its own.
Government
The Kreshman royal family manages and directs all political, social, and economic choices within the city, and therefore the dukedom that the city is part of.
Defences
Vayzhik has three rings of walls surrounding the city, each wall being from a different era of development. The innermost wall is the oldest, while the outermost is the newest. All three walls are still intact, though the inner wall is the one most showing its age.
Each wall has four gates. Some of the gates are permanently rusted open or shut, but the ones that aren't rusted are perfectly functional. Each gate is located nearby the main path for each of the major sections of Vayzhik.
Each wall also has multiple towers, which are positioned to allow mages to aid in the defense of Vayzhik. These towers have small windows on the upper floors, allowing mages to fire spells through them without allowing the intruders to enter the city through the windows. The innermost wall has 12 towers, the middle wall has 30 towers, and the outermost wall has 54 towers.
Each wall has four gates. Some of the gates are permanently rusted open or shut, but the ones that aren't rusted are perfectly functional. Each gate is located nearby the main path for each of the major sections of Vayzhik.
Each wall also has multiple towers, which are positioned to allow mages to aid in the defense of Vayzhik. These towers have small windows on the upper floors, allowing mages to fire spells through them without allowing the intruders to enter the city through the windows. The innermost wall has 12 towers, the middle wall has 30 towers, and the outermost wall has 54 towers.
Industry & Trade
Vayzhik is the capital city of a pseudo-kingdom that is hugely dependent on trade and merchantry. As such, trading is also a huge part of Vayzik's economy. Other important industries in Vayzhik include maintenance of the city and banking.
Infrastructure
The outer city is organized, and was clearly planned out. Compared to this, the inner city is much more of a disorganized labyrinth. However, both segments of the city share the same general divisions.
Organization
North
The northern portion of the city is mostly where the warehouses, government buildings, and prisons are housed. This is also where the castle is located, in which the royal family lives.South
Houses and inns are mainly in the southern section of the city. This allows foreign merchants and tourists (which Vayzhik receives a lot of) to easily leave the city.East
Vayzhik's military barracks are mainly in the eastern sector of the city. This is mainly for convenience of allowing the military to easily leave Vayzhik and be headed for another city or town (though the settlements to the west of Vayzhik are harder to reach, partially because of the dense Miazhol Forest).West
Vayzhik's main market is in the western portion of the city, though some shops are also ocassionally in other areas.Assets
- Kreshniva treasury
Due to the fact that Vayzhik is Kreshniva's capital, the royal treasury is stored in some of the older official inner-city buildings, including the original fortress and old court hall. While only the royal family and their financiers are allowed to directly draw from the kingdoms coffers, other government officials (be they leading road maintenance or town governors) are able to place a request to the royal family for funding for tasks and projects. - Kreshniva military
The core of Kreshniva's military often lives in or around either the barracks or the city, giving them the ability to quickly leave if they need to. The more elite units, however, would stay longer in the city, and thus they stay in the barracks of the inner city. As for the rest of Kreshniva's military, they often will be stationed at the other barracks or outposts spread across the Kreshman territory, as well as in or by port towns.
Architecture
While the stone used to build most homes within the city is simple, plain Alehtite, found all over Kreshniva, the homes themselves are not. The buildings are generally painted in bright colors, to the point of being considered gaudy by outsiders, and are adorned with whatever objects the family considers relevant. A military family, for instance, may have a sword or halberd decorating the wall, while a bakery may have spare bricks, or the entire back of the oven on display. The excessively bright colors and combinations are generally interpreted as compensation for the lack of life in their homeland, while the Kreshmen will say that they use the paints to fill the gaps in nature's color palette.
Geography
Vayzhik is located in the Miazhol Forest, nearby the southern coast of Kreshniva.
Miazhol Forest is a dense forest of tall pine trees. While the area around Vayzhik does get a lot of snow, much of it gets caught in the upper branches of the trees. With the number of trees that are in the forest, the forest floor doesn't actually get a lot of snow itself.
However, not all of Vayzhik is fully within the forest, due to its large size. As such, the portions of the city that are not under the forest's protection do often receive large amounts of snow. In any other portion of Actrein, the immediate suggestion is to use magic, just burn the snow away. But because of the abundance of Mana Stones in Kreshniva, many are worried that such methods would burn their homes down, and as such they resort to using shovels, perhaps employing a weaker mage for some of the larger jobs.
Often, the weaker mages will be tasked with clearing wide and empty roads, such as those outside of the city itself or the roads through the market area. The shoveling will be done on the other roads across the city, starting with the western sector, then going to the northern sector, then the eastern, and ending with the southern sector.
Miazhol Forest is a dense forest of tall pine trees. While the area around Vayzhik does get a lot of snow, much of it gets caught in the upper branches of the trees. With the number of trees that are in the forest, the forest floor doesn't actually get a lot of snow itself.
However, not all of Vayzhik is fully within the forest, due to its large size. As such, the portions of the city that are not under the forest's protection do often receive large amounts of snow. In any other portion of Actrein, the immediate suggestion is to use magic, just burn the snow away. But because of the abundance of Mana Stones in Kreshniva, many are worried that such methods would burn their homes down, and as such they resort to using shovels, perhaps employing a weaker mage for some of the larger jobs.
Often, the weaker mages will be tasked with clearing wide and empty roads, such as those outside of the city itself or the roads through the market area. The shoveling will be done on the other roads across the city, starting with the western sector, then going to the northern sector, then the eastern, and ending with the southern sector.
Natural Resources
- Wood (from Miazhol Forest)
- Water
- Alehtite
- Mana Stones
The Market
Vayzhik's market is the main attraction, thanks to Kreshniva placing high value on trade and merchantry.What They Sell
- Small trinkets
- Signet rings
- Simple blacksmith crafts (swords)
- Meat
- Potatoes
- Pastries
- Mana Stones
- Small gems
- Jewelry
- Woodcrafts (carvings or such)
- Simple clothing (belts and hats)
- Normal wear (hit or miss on whether theyd fit, most would get it tailor-made)
Most market stalls will only have clothing in certain sizes and styles, while store buildings will have a wider array of sizes. - Bolts of different fabrics (to be made into clothing)
- Different spices
While there are spells that can be used to preserve food, Kreshmen will often prefer using spices. This is partially because of how many Mana Stone veins are likely present in Kreshniva, and partially because the spices give the food a unique flavor.
Sights and Smells
Because of the multiple foods and spices for sale in the marketplace, these smells will frequently mix together, creating an aroma of freshly cooked food and baked goods. Often, if someone doesn't feel like going to a restaurant, they'll go to the marketplace and buy a snack or small dish from there."A sprawling city, Vayzhik is known for being a major trade hub for the Kreshniva Protectorate, as well as for being beautifully organized, with a simple plan to the madness of its layout."
Type
Capital
Population
150,000
Location under
Owning Organization
The Kreshniva Protectorate
Kreshmen
Northern Actreine
Southern Actreine
Saiba
Stonad
Warm Walker
Sunbaked Stuffed Pastry
The Vel Tuturi
Alehtite
Mana Stones
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