Taeor
Population: 250,000
Outlook: Taeorians don’t believe in government or society beyond family and friends. They are an anarchic people, but loyal to those they value.
Language: Taeorians speak Taeorian Lower Vannic and some speak Traygar, a dialect recognised by smugglers and pirates across the southern Arclands.
Geography and Weather: Taeor is hot and is situated in arid coastal plains. It is buffeted by sandstorms and Taeorians endure either driving winds or still, oppressive heat.
Politics: All political power rests in the hands of a single crime lord known as the Silk. The city runs on corruption and organised chaos. Rival gangsters and criminal oligarchs control the streets as long as the Silk allows it.
Taeor is a sprawling port on the southern coast of the Greater Arc Sea, renowned for its smugglers. It is situated in an expanse of coastal desert and scrubland that stretches to the feet of the Arching Mountains. A temporary town of tents and caravans exists around the city, growing and shrinking as wandering traders and nomads pass through. The city is run by an enigmatic crime godfather known as the Silk of Taeor, and his job is primarily to ensure that the city’s crime syndicates coexist with as little conflict as possible. There is no fear of prison in Taeor for those who have coin, and any arrest can be mitigated through bribes. Taeor is generally disliked across the Arclands but Golans in particular despise Taeor as it is the primary marketplace for stolen Golan artefacts.
Maintaining a minimal level of law and order are the Bastion Guard of the Silk, a militia that is only permitted to catch criminals not under the protection of the cartel. Taeor in Old Vannic means ‘tower’ in reverence to the Watchtower at the city’s heart; it was one of several fortifications that the Van Empire placed along the coast between Harenis and Arc, the purpose of which has been lost over time. The Van built a large harbour at Taeor and a road that leads several miles inland to the Watchtower, across rough scrubland and coastal desert. Everything else that has emerged in the sand around these original Vannic buildings has been entirely unplanned. The elegance of the Vannic architecture contrasts with the chaos of Taeor. An inner core of the city caters for the Taeorian wealthy, who live in opulence in a well defended district surrounding the citadel called the ‘Island’. Beyond the comfort and security of the Island are many square miles of markets, bazaars and small, walled courtyards and villas. They are connected by maze-like streets where the din of the city combines with dust and baking heat to overwhelm the unseasoned traveller.
A Fire in the Heart of Knowing
Our debut Arclands novel is available here. Read A Fire In the Heart of Knowing, a story of desperate power struggles and a battle for survival in the dark lands of Mordikhaan.
Type
Large city
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