Ignix

Description

Ignix, the Crown of the East, is a vast coastal city on the eastern seaboard of the Andalian continent. It is widely regarded as the most prosperous trading city in the world, sitting at the midpoint of the Fulminarian half of the continent. From the south, a countless number of fishing villages and merchant towns send their wares up to be peddled, and from the north mineral-rich Crow’s Beak peninsula comes a flow of precious minerals essential to the tradecraft of the Red Mountains. It also boasts a flourishing timber trade, as trees felled from the Northern Forest are sent to the shipyards of the city to be sent around the world.
According to legend, the city was founded by the first people to arrive on the continent from “across the seas.” Contemporary scholars rebuke this myth, however, as there is no land of origin they could have arrived from beyond the Horizon Line that exists on Andali. Truly, those who sail to the edge of the world seldom make the return trip. That does not stop pirates and adventurers from attempting to Every year, countless expeditions go out beyond the Ghost Line. Few return, carrying with them stories of far off lands, dead gods, and monsterous creatures.
The city itself is a huge expanse of industry and living spaces. Inns and taverns dot the inside of the city, offering plenty of places for those passing through to stay, while farms and homesteads line the outside in Cattlepass, the fields of farmland that generate food for the city.
Rumor has it that there are even Precursor ruins which run deep in the underbelly of the city, offering plenty of space for outlaws to hide in as they pass through on smuggling runs.

Geography

Placed at the midpoint of the Thunderer's Coast, Ignix was founded as a trade town, prized for its central location and protected harbor. Elaria's Way bisects the city north to south, running along the coast. The Synphiria River flows through the center of the city east to west, emptying into the harbor, providing freshwater for the population as well as a means to transport timber from logging operations in the Northern Forest to the city's lumber mills. Lands within 50 miles of the city fall under the governance of Ignix's vaia.

Geographical Features

Because Ignix was selected as Fulminaria's capital after the original capital, Kyrix, was destroyed, leadership was presented with a rare opportunity to plan a city designed to meet their needs as efficiently as possible. City planners took the original plot of Ignia and turned that into the central Imperial District. Surrounded on all sides by the flowing water of the Synphiria River, great bridges were then erected and from them a network of gridded streets expanded to create the other four districts of the capital.
The Bay of Ignia was the main draw for city planners when determining the location for the capital. It is the perfect harbor for Ignix Port, and offers easy access to the silver mines of the Crow's Peninsula to the north. Raw silver ores come in on the Silver Road or are shipped through various ports along the cost to be refined within the city and exported throughout the continent. The presence of these silver mines drives down the value of silver within the city and surrounding region, making electrum the favored coin of merchants in Ignix.
Beneath the city, a network of tunnels, sometimes called Undermountain, stretches deep into the earth. It is estimated to predate the city by over a thousand years and its construction still baffles scholars; entire lifetimes of study have been dedicated to it with no substantial conclusions drawn. Best scholars can estimate, the network was created by a mad mage some time in the distant past, and then filled with traps, monsters, and treasure beyond any adventurer's wildest imaginings. While some say the lower levels are little more than a lich's honeypot, others believe that the core of the tunnels may harbor some sort of Precursor artifact, though none can determine for certain. The upper levels, some of which were coopted into the city's sewer system, are rife with criminal activity, and therefore avoided by common citizens.

Government

Like any city in Fulminaria, Ignix has a vaia, a governor appointed by the emperor who rules over the city, levies taxes, and manages public works with their cabinet. Fulminaria is a meritocracy, and vaia generally serve so long as they are able to maintain a good standing with the emperor and the empire's people. Should they be seen as unworthy of the title, the people can beseech the emperor to oust them from office and replace them with someone more apt. While vaia on the outskirts of the empire tend to hold shorter terms, in Ignix vaia can serve decades, some serving as long as their emperor does.
While the emperor resides in the Imperial Palace within the district, the vaia of Ignix lives in the Residential District with the rest of the population.

Law & Order

The Capital Guard acts as the local police force within Ignix. Their duty is to capture criminals, settle petty disputes, give directions, summon medical or priestly aid, generally perform duties that promotes a welcoming environment within the city for those who know how to behave themselves.
Rulings on the city's laws are issued by Wardens, clerics of the Judge. Throughout both empires, the Wardens are respected arbiters of impartial, divine justice, using their connection to the Tribunal to exact fair judgement. They have the duty of running the courts and justice system, which operates out of temples to the Tribunal. Those wishing to face justice outside of the courts may request a trial by combat, but both parties must concent to its use and may choose a champion to represent themselves.
Vaia, Wardens, and the emperor themselves are protected by the Imperial Guard while in the city. The elite honor guard is sworn to lifelong imperial service and can be requested by these parties throughout the empire. Influential individuals are rarely seen without the protection of at least six Imperial Guard while traveling the streets of Ignix.

Crime

While the city itself is generally free from major criminal activity, the lands surrounding Ignix are plagued by pirates. Living in secluded grottos up and down the Thunderer's Coast, pirates menace the trade ways surrounding the Bay of Ignia. Nearing the end of the War, when the Battle of Black Sands saw Kyrix destroyed and their army decimated, Fulminaria was forced to lean on their navy and air supremacy to carry them to the end, going so far as to bolster their forces with warforged purchased from the Red Mountains. The strain of war lead to many crews deserting, abandoning any loyal navymen in mutiny and turning to piracy.
After the war, when trade slowly began again with the cities of Aurelia, the stain on the Thunderer's Coast quickly spiraled out of control, never before had been seen such . And because much of their would-be navy had turned to piracy, Fulminaria didn't have the resources to reign them in. Many of the pirate crews that deserted after the Battle of Black Sands still reave up and down the coast today; infamous crews have begun to gather something of an air of legend about them. The red fangs of the Sanguinar, the antlers of the Host, the empty black field of the Depthdrinker; seen on the horizon, these flags make any seaman worth their salt's blood run cold.
This is not helped by Bow's End, which is a known wretched hive of scum and villainy, just a fortnight northeast of the capital and positioned between the silver mines and the capital, making travel by land and sea treacherous regardless of path. No vaia has managed to clean up the town, either being replaced, killed, or succumbing to the corruption themselves. Most view the city as a lost cause until the empire can recover enough manpower to set a full upheaval of any organization with their vile roots planted in Bow's End.

Trade

At the mouth of the Synphiria River, Ignix functions as a major lumbermill, a ore refinery, and a trading port. Raw timber is floated down the river to the mills which cut it into boards and send it back up the river via barge or move it across the continent by ship; both air and sea. Precious ores are sent from the mines to the north to be refined and minted within the city, driving the value of silver down within two days travel of the port. Electrum pieces, also known as "blue eyes" or "blues" for their blue hue and the hole punched through their center, are favored in the city for this reason. They both hold their value, being a silver and gold alloy, and are easily strung together for ease of counting by threading a string through their "eyes."
The city also deals in a number of everyday necessities, luxuries, magic items, and other exotic wares. The Port Watch holds responsibility for regulating trade through the cities docks; weeding out smugglers trafficking illicit goods in addition to their work maintaining the standards of trade.
Air traffic to and from Ignix is fairly common because of their close relationship with the Hollow Mountain. Some economists theorize that silver must be a vital component to the creation of Ironborn, though that is a closely guarded secret. Regardless, regular sky caravans are exchanged between the two capitals, though trade has slowed since the downfall of Archduke Hesse. Unscheduled airtraffic is expected to make contact with the Port Watch via semifore or signal mirror on approach and must be able to land their ship in the water; there is no other docking space within city limits other than Ignix Port.

Defenses

Ignix, unlike many cities of its size, lacks defensive walls. Instead, it was built up on a large embankment in a style known as kuichigai-koguchi. It places the city itself high above sea level, forcing would be assailants to climb long ramps or stairs to reach the city, which is surrounded by regular watchtowers. The strategy is twofold, both defending the city from attackers, and protecting it from the regular spring flooding of the Synphiria. Though this does slow trade on a day to day basis, it has served the city will in repelling attack.
The city also boasts an extensive fleet of airships. At any given time, there are at least a half dozen zeppelins adrift above the city while more patrol the countryside. Before the Battle of Blacksands, the nation also had a large contingent of cavalry, for which the empire was named; because of the thundering sound the many hooves made as the cavalry crossed the plains. However, their cavalry was decimated in the battle, and what little remains are stationed with the emperor, traveling with them as the Honored Guard wherever they go.
Ignix also holds an enormous population of adventurers who would jump at the chance to defend the city, should their be gold and glory in it for them. The city, and the empire as a whole, also relies on a defensive pact; a strike against one is a strike against all. In recent years, that has been deterrent enough to keep war out of the empire.

Transportation

Built on a grid, Ignix is designed to be a highly walkable city, with main roads sporting wide sidewalks and room in the center for two lanes of cart traffic. Side streets are more pedestrian focused, with a network of one ways allowing cart traffic to reach nearly everywhere in the city. The heavy traffic, consistant during the day and well into the night, even on side streets, is monitored by the Capital Guard. The streets are paved with sturdy, interchangeable cobbles that make maintainance swift and easy, and well labelled.
Public transportation is available through several different options:

• Trolleys run on set schedules and routes throughout the city. One runs counterclockwise around the innermost circle of roads, just skirting the moat of the Imperial District, the other runs clockwise around the outermost ring, just within the embankments. While this is the slowest transportation option, it is still faster than walking and free.
• Barges travel in and out of the city via the Synphiria River; starting at 1cp per mile, you can secure passage up or down the river. Some barges will be of higher quality than others, and some might ask you work your way instead of paying, but they are by far the safest and most economical means of travelling the Synphiria.
• Carriages are available for hire and can take 1-6 passengers anywhere in the city for a modest fee of 1ep per block. Many will hire a carriage to take them to the general area or neighborhood of their destination, then dismount to continue on foot through the sidestreets rather than in a carriage, as the pedestrian traffic has a tendancy to choke the narrower sidestreets and inhibit carriage transportation. They can also be hired to carry passengers outside of the city at 2gp per mile. Carriage travel outside the city is considered a luxury by most.
• Rickshaws are a favorite of merchants for their economic pricing and discretion, carrying them from their docked ships to various destinations throughout the city; inns, taverns, pleasure houses and the like. They carry 1-3 passengers and cost 1cp per block.
• Palanquins are a more elegant alternative to ricksaws, though they are more a status symbol than a true means of transportation. They take as long as walking and are inhibitively priced at 2gp per block, carrying only 1-2 passengers.

Notable Locations

Ignia was originally founded at the mouth of the Synphiria River in the late 1900s and remained a relatively small milling town until the destruction of Kyrix and the migration of its surviving population towards the end of the 2000s. Though construction on the layout and Palace City was concluded in 2864, the city did not experience its first boom in population until the signing of the Accords, which finally saw the empty neighborhoods filled with refugees from across both empires, particularly surviving wood elves of Arborea who looked to get as far from the Gloamwood as possible.
The city is split into quarters that surround the central Imperial District, and each quarter is subsiquently split into districts, and either residential neighborhoods or industrial wards. There are 23 total districts and 339 neighborhoods and wards.

Imperial District

The oldest part of the city, the Imperial District is what became of Old Ignia when it was selected as the new capital. It holds the offices, palaces, and gardens of the city's elite, and is surrounded on all sides by the Synphiria.

• The Palace City. Home of Fulminaria's emperor, the Palace City is a grand expanse of gardens, audience chambers, libraries, and offices that surround the imperial throne room. Built in to the compound is the emperor's palace, where they spend their downtime while not leading their people.

Treant Quarter

Positioned against the Synphiria, the Treant Quarter is headed by a small section of docks, conveyors, and pullies that are built so that workmen can unload incoming barges and hook incoming log shipments from upsteam as they come into the city.

Dragon Quarter

The smallest of the quarters, the Dragon Quarter is built to recieve silver shipments from the mines to the north, then refine and mint them in the same quarter. Though the smallest, it is by far the most heavily guarded quarter.

Siren Quarter

Facing the sea, the Siren Quarter is the port of call for the capital. It holds the headquarters for the Port Watch and the network of docks offer over three miles of space for ships from all around the continent to dock for 2cp per foot of keel per day.

The Turtledragon Byway. A seedy tavern, the Turtledragon Byway is nonetheless a merry venue situated on the main docks of the port. It is known for its Turtledragon Ale, a special saison brewed with dragonturtle scales added during the fermenting process. Old Salty Sven, owner and head barkeep of the Turtledragon, assures patrons and city officials alike that the scales are ethically harvested, though he has yet to disclose his methods.

The Dancing Trout Inn. One of the less reputable inns, the Dancing Trout is where someone stays if they want to keep a low profile. Its upper floors look out over the bay and offer a mesmerizing view out to the Horizon Line. Some say it's the most romantic view in Ignix, many of whom are the courtesans of the Siren Quarter.

The Yawning Portal. Though Undermountain has entrances throughout the city, the most prominent of them is placed at the bottom of the Yawning Portal, an inn and tavern. A well within its walls leads down into the first level of the vast dungeon complex. Naturally, the inn is a popular attraction among visitors to Ignix and a common point of departure as well as a refuge for expeditions into the expansive dungeons below.

Dryad Quarter

Reknowned for its urban greenspaces, the Dryad Quarter is the main residential quarter in the city, hosting a vast majority of the citizenry.

The Arcane Sanctum. Once the foremost location for the exchange of magical items, Arcane Sanctums across both empires have been shuttered since Inquisitors of House Devereaux in Arcanus attempted to arrest the chain's owner and proprietor Beedle Derebin, claiming that each storefront across the continent opened to the same store through illegal teleportation magics. After the ensuing conflict, every Arcane Sanctum closed its doors and have not reopened since.

Green Nest. A rare urban temple to the Wanderer, the Dryad Quarter was designed to flow around the Green Nest, a druid grove of healers and soothsayers. Some believe that Ignix's success is blessed by the Wanderer for this, as the original city planners respected that they were treading on Their territory when they cut down great swaths of the surrounding forest of the Thunderer's Coast to make room for the sprawling metropolis they were creating.

Other

Undermountain. With entrances throughout the city, Undermountain is a vast, multi-tiered dungeon, consisting of interconnected chambers and lairs that stretch to unknown deptths beneath the city. Best scholars can estimate, the network was created by a mad mage some time in the distant past, and then filled with traps, monsters, and treasure beyond any adventurer's wildest imaginings. While some say the lower levels are little more than a lich's honeypot, others believe that the core of the tunnels may harbor some sort of Precursor artifact, though none can determine for certain. The upper levels, some of which were coopted into the city's sewer system, are rife with criminal activity, and therefore avoided by common citizens.

Inhabitants

Artisans

Because the empire lacks a noble class, as Fulminaria is a meritocracy, artisans are then favored for their demonstrated skill in their chosen profession. Artisans include any specialized profession, from artists and masons to economists and orators. Artisans are found in abundance within the Imperial District, and fifteen of them from any profession can be chosen to be placed on the emperor's cabinet of advisors. This makes them the target for lobbyists, as their influence on the emperor is felt throughout Fulminaria.

Merchants

Both foreign and domestic traders make a destination of Ignix. It is hosts a booming trade economy, welcoming both caravans and coastal shipping lanes to the city. 

Adventurers

Drawn by call of the Undermountain, Ignix has long been a destination for adventurers, even before it was the capital. The Adventurers' League has a dedicated presence in this city, second only to Helorix, and from that has sprung a number of adventuring parties, both official and unofficial, and likely a few secret societies as well.

Founding Date

2864

Type

Capital

Population

584,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Ignites

Owner/Ruler

Nicodemus Anduriel

Owning Organization

The Fulminarian Empire

Related Reports (Primary)

• Episode 5: Green with Apprehension