Viercourt
The city of Viercourt is the capital of Coul.
Demographics
The average citizen of Viercourt is an upper middle class craftsman, merchant, artist, or other skilled laborer. The city is mostly human, with elves, dwarves, and other races comprising of a small portion of the population. The royal family of Coul resides in the palace centered in Viercourt, and many diplomats, envoys, and servants wander the city due to it.
Government
Laws are strictly enforced, but reasonable, with common crimes being outlawed(murder, thievery, the usual). The presence of royalty creates some additional laws. For example, it is prohibited for the people of Viercourt to bring any weapon larger than a dagger into the city, with bows and crossbows being outlawed completely. Those that make eye contact with the royal family must bow, and citizens are obligated to act as the servants of the royalty whenever needed.
The town is for the wealthy, and as such taxes are high. The money collected goes in part towards maintaining the palace and in part towards maintaining the surrounding city.
Defences
The entire city of Viercourt is surrounded by a wall stretching across over 3 miles of land. The outer wall is manned by archers and spellcasters at all time, to defend against any attack. At the bottom of the wall, a palisade of wooden stakes slow down prospective conquerers as they force their 15 foot ladder through a storm of spikes. Throughout the city, 6 guard towers provide an excellent view of those attempting to attack the city. Archers can fire down upon the incoming troops, and the design of the towers allows one skilled soldier to hold off an army of millions.
Finally, if all else fails, the invaders come upon the palace wall, upon which archers and the most deadly of spellcasters are placed. Countless palisades, a set of impenetrable gates, and traps strong enough to gut a giant bar the enemy from the palace. And throughout the city, a total of 2500 elite soldiers guard each entrance, man each tower, and patrol each wall.
The city of Viercourt isn't being taken anytime soon.
Industry & Trade
Viercourt exists as a place for the royalty to live, and for national business to take place. However, this creates an environment ripe for skilled people to make a profit. Merchants and grocers, craftsmen and artisans, painters and bards, all gather together to serve the city and make a profit in doing so. Almost no food is grown in or around Viercourt, and all of it must be imported from neighboring towns. Additionally, many skilled and specialized workers - often having just graduated from the Royal Academy - make their home and their trade here, exporting valuable goods to the residents of Viercourt and elsewhere.
Infrastructure
Viercourt's most notable structure is, of course, the palace. In it is housed the royal family, their servants, the royal guard, and members of the royal court. An inner wall surrounds the palace, where soldiers of the royal guard patrol the battlements at all times. The palace itself is huge, and made from limestone bricks mined in a nearby quarry, adorned with many sculptures, fountains, gardens, and other luxuries.
Additionally, inside the palace wall the Royal Academy of Coul lies. The Academy was built early in the history of Viercourt, and serves to educate young men and women of noble birth in many arts, such as combat, enchanting and the many other schools of magic, literature, history, geography, and much more.
At the center of the city lays a monument to Quarasian Unity, built in remembrance of the Quarasian War.
History
Viercourt was founded in 965 by Villkommt settlers. It started life as a small farming village, but as more and more people began to populate Coul and Quarez its prosperity grew. It became a trading town, where merchants from all over the world could sell their wares. Nobles began living in the area, and their presence brought further wealth upon the town. These effects compounded to form the city it is today, and was named the Capital of Coul after the Second Queen of Coul made her home there.
The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth kings and queens were crowned in Viercourt, the coronations taking place in the Viercourt Palace, with festivities extending out into the rest of the city. Each time, visitors and diplomats from all over Coul visit Viercourt to gain the favor of the new king or queen. The standing army of Coul marches through the streets in a parade, and the entire city cheer on the new king or queen.
During the Coulian-Midlander militarization, General Baumgartner oversaw the recruiting, arming, and training of Coulian troops from Viercourt in order to fight in the Quarasian War.
In 1203, a group of assassins famously infiltrated Viercourt's defenses. Four hooded killers infiltrated the city stealthily, and at night crossed over the inner wall, killing the guards as they went. A dark haired woman was seen entering the Fourth King's chambers, and when morning came he had been dead for hours. Only one of the assassins was surrounded, who committed suicide before he was captured. The attack was believed to have been planned by powerful Coulian and Moqueiran nobles opposed to the King's policies, which had begun to turn against nobles.
In 1213, an enchanted item being melted down without proper precautions in a privately owned forge caused a huge blast of energy, igniting a large portion of the city. Watermagi were able to work with the fire brigade to contain and eventually extinguish the blaze, but not before nearly 6% of the city was destroyed. In the fire, 4 people were killed, and thousands of GP worth of property burnt to a crisp.
Architecture
The city's buildings are mostly comprised of finely cut wooden planks, logged from nearby forests, and stone bricks mined from a nearby quarry. Buildings are usually two stories high, to preserve space, and garden window boxes are common among the estates of wealthier Vieren. The main roads are made of cobblestones, with the thinner, more numerous footpaths made of packed dirt. Both the inner and outer walls are made of large stone bricks, mortared together with a simplistic, but effective, concrete like paste. The palace is made of stone as well, but with many engravings and intricately cut pieces of rock. Rich wooden paneling adorns the inside of the palace and other elaborate buildings, usually well cared for by servants periodically cleaning and varnishing the wood.
Geography
The city is placed upon a slight incline, with the northwestern corner being the tallest. A lake, known as Lake Vier, presses up against the southeast side of the outer wall. The immediate area surrounding Viercourt is comprised of grassland and plains, with what few trees there once were long ago logged to build houses and other structures. Further out however, a dense forest remains, and has been providing Viercourt with wood for many years.
Alternative Name(s)
Viergericht
Type
Capital
Population
~18,500
Inhabitant Demonym
Vieren
Included Locations
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