Oured (Ow Red)
Oured is the captial city of the Kingdom of Qethanvale.
Demographics
Oured is a wildly diverse city, with humans, elves, dwarves, and even tabaxi and orc.
Humans: 46%
Elves: 24%
Dwarves: 19%
Tabaxi: 4%
Orc: 3%
There is great wealth disparity in Oured, with most nobility living within the high walls of the Stormfall Citadel. The inner city -- the city within the walls of the city -- has an economic range from solidly middle class to extreme poverty, while the outer city, is primarily agriculture and large estates.
Government
The City of Oured is Governed by a local council and a Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayer is appointed by the King of Qethanvale
Defences
Oured is ringed my high stone walls. All together the outer walls have 13 gates, while the walls of the Stormfall Citadel have 7 walls. The river that runs through the city is bridged with a clearance of at least 40 feet, so that ships can pass under them. Garrisons are located at the north and south entrances of the city through the river that defend from river based invaders.
Every 150 paces are massive towers that have great visibility. Long distance, heavy mounted arrow turrent cap the towers as well as easy access for the cities hundreds of archers to man the tops of the walls for defensive purposes.
Discrete, well hidden trenches circle the outer walls of the city can be flooded with a thick, highly flamabable substance to create another line of defence.
Industry & Trade
Beyond the walls of the city are several mines for iron. The city has all the classic industrial infrustructure.
There are two main port facilities that are used for import and export trade, the primary Port of Oured and a slightly smaller and Stormfall Harbor.
Infrastructure
Oured had a classical infrustructure with wells, some small level of sewage, courtyards and a town square, additionally, there are well established roads and paths. Several water mills along the rivers are used for grain mills and water to the viaduct which feeds the under castle resevouir. There are five main brigdes as well as several more sectional bridges across the river which are the arteries between the eastern city and western city. There are dozens blacksmiths.
In 634, King Argyros ordered the construction of a massive construction project meant to make transit around the enormous city easier. Enlisting smiths, masons, and even mages, Argyros began construction of a raised cart path. Carts pulled along a grooved path would make a rotation around the elevated loop of the city in under two hours, making transit from one section do another a fairly simple task. Due to it's incredible price tag, the Argyros track, as it was called, was incredibly expensive for the first decade. Additionally, several city areas were excluded from the layout, most notably including the Stormfall Citadel.
Districts
The main castle, The Stormfall Citadel is the seat of power of King Volterion. Within the Citadel is the Thunderhead Keep and the Windfell Keep. Thunderhead Keep is the primary palace and castle of the King, while the smaller Windfell Keep is the fortification that houses the Lord Mayor's administrative offices for the city. There is a temple to the Twelve Whispers in the central most part of the Citadel that is presided over by the Stefn of the Whispers.
Beyond the inner most walls of the city which are the Stormfall Citadell's walls is the outer city, where much of the nobility and knights live. There are three markets and multiple wells.
Another wall divides the main city. Beyond the outer wall is the inner city, where most of the city's residents live. This district remains inside of the city's main walls and houses a vast majority of the industry and economics of the city.
The outer city has several small settlements that are outside of the walls. The outer city is where most of the city's agriculture is grown, though some residents of the lower city have small gardens and keep smaller livestock. Additionally, many large, wealthy estates are in the outer city.
Assets
The Stormfall Treasury holds the king's and kingdom's gold. It is a state bank.
There are four other banks that have warrants from the King that operate in cities and settlements throughout Qethanvale. There are also several regional banks.
There are dozens forges and smiths. Two have Royal Warrants that supply equipment to the Crown.
The Royal Jeweler maintains the ceremonial jewels of the Crown.
The physical assets of the Stormfall Treasury are held in vaults deep under the Stormfall Citadel.
Guilds and Factions
The primary training facilities of the Knighthood of all the military of the Kingdom are in Oured, though it is not the only site. The Knighthood is one of the highest guilds in Qethervale. Though only the nobility is eligible to squire and later earn the rank of knighthood. However these are typically the second or later children of nobles as the oldest have birthright to inherit the wealth and land of their families.
The Smiths Guild is a small but powerful guild that can keep a stranglehold on much of the city as without their skilled labor there can be little to no armor, weaponry, chains, or other iron/steel equipment.
The Organized Brotherhood of Seaman is also active in Oured. A guild of workers on ships and docks that advocates for safe and fair wages for employees. They also are quite good at strong arming the trade into Oured from other settlements, thus allowing the citizens of Oured to pay less for incoming goods.
Within the Stormfall Citadel, between the Thunderhead Keep, and the Windfell Keep, is the Court of Magisters. The structure really can only be described as a palace and from it, the actual Court of Magisters meet. This guild of Aefeodel's mages primarily serves to lobby for the rights of mages, sorcerers, and spellcasters, in a kingdom where the 'Old Religion' -- or Drycraeft -- is becoming more and more of a minority. Additionally, the Court makes recommendations to the Court Mage.
History
Oured predates the founding of the Kingdom of Qethanvale by centuries and likely even into the Fractious Era, before the Empress Gennen united the realm. Some written documents indicate that the Stormfall Citadel may have originally been built as a College for Mages though most of those documents may be apochryphal accounts and not contemporary to the supposed College.
Oured was a regional administrative city during the united age of the Empire of Aefeodel, before the Terrible Divorce.
Following the Terrible Divorce, in the first year of the new calendar, Efarant the Communicator, a former statesman of the old Empire of Aefeodel, was annointed King by the Stefn (Voice) of the Whispers (essencially the Pontiff).
King Efarant established his throne in Oured and refortified the city. Each subsequent king has modernized the defenses of Oured, keeping it one of the most well defended cities in the whole of the realm.
Points of interest
The Stormfall Citadel
The Cloying Wood, a dense forrest that sits just a few thousand meters beyond the outer walls.
The River Clent, which bisects the city and is a primary trade route in and out of the city as well as the main source of water.
The Whisper's Enclave - The cathedral of the Twelve Whispers
The Lenses of Baharute - The temple to the monotheistic god, Baharute.
The Gilded Gate - The tower within the Citadel that keeps and displays the ceremonial jewels of the Crown
Architecture
Oured has been praised for its successful incorporation of ancient structures and more modern precision hewn stone or wooden structures.
Climate
Oured, like most of Qetharvale, has a humid temperate oceanic climate, with cloud cover for approximately half of the year and an average temperature range of 23F to 68F.
Months 1-3 are considered winter though winter tempuratures and weather tend to stretch from mid 11 through early 4. Tempuratures during the Winter Stretch tend to hover around 25F, and typically see an average of 15 inches of snow fall spread across the entire Stretch.
Months 4 - 6 are considered spring, though spring tempuratures and weather tend to stretch from 4 - early 6. Tempuratures during the Spring Stretch tend to hover around 47F and typically see an average of 28 inches of rainfall across the entire Stretch. Additionally the Spring Stretch often sees high winds, often gusting as high as 50 miles an hour with a sustained wind sometimes as much as 28 MpH
Months 7 -9 are considered summer, though summer tempuratures and weather tend to stretch from early 6 through late 8. Tempuratures during the Summer Stretch tend to hover around 68F with an average rainfall of about 11 inches across the entire Stretch. Winds are typically light and sometimes stagnant. The atmosphere during the stretch, while typically warm and light, can however become rather turbulent, leading sometimes to powerful storms.
Months 10 - 12 are considered autumn, though autumnal temperatures and weather tend to stretch from 9 - mid 11. Tempuratures during the Autumn Stretch tend to hour around 45 degrees with an average of 21 inches of rainfall. Winds are typically light though they can be quite fickle during the Autumn Stretch.
Founding Date
1165 FA
Type
Capital
Population
368,000
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments