Kopastad
Kopastad is the Cirethian fortress of the north, bastion of hope against the Goblins of Chedonc, safe haven for travelers on Bloodgold Road. The large town is a merchant hub. As the only really safe place to stop between Garn and Bos, and the first spot of civilization for merchants traveling through the Dead Lands (or the last stop before traveling through the Dead Lands), Kopastad has a thriving "tourist" industry, with plenty of inns and bars, and lots of craftspeople with whom the merchants of Bloodgold Road can do commerce.
In addition to the various merchants and craftspeople making money from Bloodgold road there are a large number of fishermen who catch the strange, white fish that occupy Stone Lake.
The city guard also makes up a large percentage of the city's population. In part this is because the city started its life as a military fort, partially because the frequent Goblin raids necessitate a large number of guardsmen, and partially because the city guard is also the city's government. Lead by Irand, Inquisitor of Cir, they do little to tolerate crime. Petty crimes are often punished by whipping, and more serious things can lead to anything from banishment to execution-by-Goblin, where the criminal is tied to a post outside the city and left for the Goblins' enjoyment (though this is generally only for the worst of criminals and blasphemers).
Finally, demographically the city is fairly strange. On one hand, being in Softor (a region which tends to have a high volume of Humans, since most of those in power are Human) means there are a lot of Humans. But on the other hand, being one of the primary stops along the Bloodgold Road means that they get a large variety of visitors, Alarian escapees, Unioners doing various business, and all sorts of other travelers. This all combines to form a place where there is great diversity and also great division. Humans typically fill the richer parts of town, particularly the districts near the castle, but at the same time there are many merchants who are particularly wealthy who live near the castle and are very not Human. And because, legally speaking, the hierarchy is based on rank in the Cirian church, not on race, there are plenty of non-Humans who have become fairly highly ranking among merchants or the city guard.
Over all, Kopastad is a place of diversity, if not always unity, Cir, commerce, trade, and Goblin attacks.
Demographics
Dominated by Humans, who almost solely occupy the area inside the walls. The only others who live inside the walls are particularly rich merchants.
Other than that, pretty much everyone lives outside the walls of the city. These people are of many types, as Kopastad tends to be a bit less focused on religiosity and a bit more focused on tolerating anyone willing to raise their sword in defense of the city.
Government
Theocratic Autocracy. This is the primary military fortification in the northern part of Softor, and it is lead by the military. But it also functions as the religious center for the area, housing the largest temple to Cir for a very long way. So Cir's followers are most of the population and people generally do not speak out against him here.
Defences
Large, granite walls with towers. A castle, also granite. The walls even go out into the lake to cover the docks, though there are special water-gates to let fishermen and other boats onto the lake.)
Industry & Trade
Bloodgold Road runs straight through Kopastad, so merchants of various kinds come together here. The frequent travelers mean plenty of inns and bars. Lots of merchants means lots of craftsmen. And because they are on a lake, there is a large contingent of fishing vessels that provide a large portion of the town's food. There is some farmland on the outskirts of the village, but farmers tend to have a bit of a rough time with the bi-weekly Goblin raids.
Infrastructure
Basically, the military is in charge. Don't upset the public order. Also, because they serve Cir, acting against his tenants (particularly breaking the laws of magic or worshiping other gods (though gods who can be considered Cir's allies are fine)). So other than that, as long as you aren't of a race that might be assumed to be opposed to Lawful Good, you are fine.
That said, there are other institutions of importance. For more domestic affairs there is a mayoral office and its subordinates, and the Cirean Order has a priest who lives in the Cirean temple and oversees the less militaristic religious needs of the people.
Guilds and Factions
Other than the permeation of Military and Religious personel, there are a large number of merchants in the city who tend to have a lot of say in matters of state. Not an official guild, per se, but more of a Zaibatsu sort of relationship.
History
When Bloodgold Road was founded it went through this tiny town. Soon, the town was the main stop for merchants going through the Dead Lands to or from Alaria and Union Bridge. The town grew so fast that there was not time to construct another layer of walls, so a large part of the town actually sits outside of its considerable fortifications. These are the people that really feel it when the Goblins attack.
Architecture
Inside (and including) the walls, everything man-made is built out of beautiful, white granite. The walls, castle, and Cirean Temple are by far the most impressive structures in the city, made of enormous, perfectly shaped blocks of granite, but everything from the roads to the street lamps are built of granite. They say that Stone Lake used to be the granite mine from which all of this was mined, but then the mine flooded and granite production ceased.
Geography
Adjacent to a lake, surrounded by grasslands and rolling, small hills, with the ominous Itchfoot mountains on the skyline to the north, and the tops mysterious, gigantic white trees of the White Forest to the south.
Natural Resources
Long, long ago, when Kopastad was first being built, they found a large deposit of granite nearby. Once the Bloodgold road was founded with Kopastad as one of its major stops, this granite was mined almost entirely to build the walls and castle to fend off the repeated Goblin assaults. The city made a lot of money on granite sales through Bloodgold road, digging deeper and deeper until they eventually hit an underground water source. This source flooded the quarry, turning it into a lake. Though some people occasionally still go into the lake to try to get some granite, it is primarily used now for fishing. Fishers should be aware, however, that casting a line that goes too deep could get you some strange and dangerous results...
Maps
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Kopastad
Type
City
Population
50,000ish
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
