Jurane-Vorone
Jurane, the mountain-top fortress of the Marvingian Kings, center of their power, and the city of Vorone which sits underneath it.
Defences
The natural defensive landscape of Mt.Alter has deterred would-be invaders for as long as the mountain has stood in its place. The passes around Vorone are easily defended and would require oceans of blood to be spilled simply in order to breach them and make it to the city itself. Once an enemy, as bloody as can be makes it to the settlement proper, it now has to contend with another indomitable foe, the fortress of Jurane sits by ready to deter the attackers and send them back down the mountain with a hail of projectiles and its own sturdy defenses.
History
Jurane and Vorone have an interesting history, relics dug up during the land's settlement by the Rasenna indicate that the first people to call Jurane home were the giants as it served as a southern lookout outpost for the race before being abandoned sometime in the late Archaic Age. The Rasenna were next to call the land theirs as they settled and restored the outpost to proper order naming it "Statio Antes" or Outpost of giants. Over time the outpost grew into a small settlement and was populated mainly by reserve border guards and their families. Due to the makeup of the village, it became known as a destination for card players, naturalists, and mountaineers looking to escape the bustling cities of the north and south. In the later years of the Rasenna, Antes as it was now known, proved to be a valuable chokepoint in the conflict with the Hasdinians and even served as Emperor Nepotian's summer palace. When Nepotian was defeated and the west was won by the Hasdinians, forces under Radimane rushed to seize the lush mountaintop paradise and this is when Jurane proper was settled and Vorone soon after.
It was surrounding Jurane-Vorone that the Marvingi would properly settle and establish their enclave under the Krauling Emperors. Under Hjuro the Bold, the viceroy of the region under Emperor Karlo, the Marvingians became independent from the fractured Krauling Empire and became a kingdom of their own with its seat at Jurane-Vorone. Ruling from their mountaintop fortress, the Marvingian kings grew powerful but were briefly crushed by the last Rasennan emperor Arno and shortly brought into federate status by the Empire. After Arno's death, the Marvingians continued their streak of success and reaped revenge 15 years later when they were among the armies that destroyed Rasca.
After the sack came the Dykairos and after the Hedbards fell to internal dissent, the Marvingians saw their power fall as the citizenry of Vorone rose up in a revolt that destroyed much of the larger Jurane fortress. King Ralf and his mother Kirsa were dismembered by the mob, their bodies were thrown off the mountain with gold in their eyes. A powerful earthquake struck the region at this time and destroyed much of the remaining outcrop of Jurane and much of Vorone, signaling the destruction of the Kingdom of the Marvingians.
The survivors of the earthquake recovered slowly in the coming centuries, Vorone grew and soon Jurane was reoccupied and the region slowly regained its strength to eventually become the city we know today. In Jurane-Vorone, one can find the scars of a violent upheaval ready to remind any greedy and corrupt Reik or Reika what happens to a leader who hoards wealth and ignores the plight of their people, one need only be reminded of what happened to the eyes of King Ralf and his mother
It was surrounding Jurane-Vorone that the Marvingi would properly settle and establish their enclave under the Krauling Emperors. Under Hjuro the Bold, the viceroy of the region under Emperor Karlo, the Marvingians became independent from the fractured Krauling Empire and became a kingdom of their own with its seat at Jurane-Vorone. Ruling from their mountaintop fortress, the Marvingian kings grew powerful but were briefly crushed by the last Rasennan emperor Arno and shortly brought into federate status by the Empire. After Arno's death, the Marvingians continued their streak of success and reaped revenge 15 years later when they were among the armies that destroyed Rasca.
After the sack came the Dykairos and after the Hedbards fell to internal dissent, the Marvingians saw their power fall as the citizenry of Vorone rose up in a revolt that destroyed much of the larger Jurane fortress. King Ralf and his mother Kirsa were dismembered by the mob, their bodies were thrown off the mountain with gold in their eyes. A powerful earthquake struck the region at this time and destroyed much of the remaining outcrop of Jurane and much of Vorone, signaling the destruction of the Kingdom of the Marvingians.
The survivors of the earthquake recovered slowly in the coming centuries, Vorone grew and soon Jurane was reoccupied and the region slowly regained its strength to eventually become the city we know today. In Jurane-Vorone, one can find the scars of a violent upheaval ready to remind any greedy and corrupt Reik or Reika what happens to a leader who hoards wealth and ignores the plight of their people, one need only be reminded of what happened to the eyes of King Ralf and his mother
Tourism
To say Jurane-Vorone is a tourist destination is a bit presumptive, Vorone is home to any shop, tavern, hall, or brothel to fit the taste of a weary traveler. The slopes of Mt. Alter have given rise to a skiing trade unfound in areas for 500 miles. As it is everywhere, love of the drink is as attractive as any winter activity, brews of all kinds can be found in Vorone as can any drinking buddy one needs to keep away a lonely night. For the artist, the picturesque view of Jurane atop Mt. Alter is a captivating sight and many landscapes have been made depicting the radiant stars with lonely Jurane seemingly a castaway ship in a sea of dancing light.
Architecture
Built with a mixture of Jotnar, Rasenna, and Herodi styles, no place captures the imagination of adventurers quite like the spectacle of Jurane sitting atop the world on Mt. Alter. Vorone is built in a way around the streams emanating from the underground caldera of the extinct volcano it sits above meaning the roads are orderly and zoned quite well thanks to the attention given by Rasennan planners.
Geography
Jurane-Vorone is situated at the summit of Mt. Alter, a small peak cratered by supposed volcanic activity which produced the hot springs and generally exceptional climate Jurane-Vorone enjoys.
Natural Resources
The volcanic activity of Mt. Alter produced generally well tillable soil helped both the residual warming of the area which sits on an island surrounded by a much more alpine climate and by the residual fertility magic of Jotnar burial sites which help sustain high crop yields in the area.
Generally, Jurane is known for its mining activities deep in the heart of the proper peak of Mt. Alter while Vorone has easy access to the fields which produce the realm famous grapes, grains, and hops that make Vorone famous for its wines, meads, and beers.
Generally, Jurane is known for its mining activities deep in the heart of the proper peak of Mt. Alter while Vorone has easy access to the fields which produce the realm famous grapes, grains, and hops that make Vorone famous for its wines, meads, and beers.
Alternative Name(s)
The High Castle
Type
Citadel
Population
~8,500
Inhabitant Demonym
Juranians/Voronese
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments