Davillon City, Ruby of the West

Introduction:

Within the savage northern land of the Edor continent, on a small peninsula facing east, between the Northen Artic Sea and the Blooded Ocean at its south, above a steep basalt cliff, Davillon stands alone, like a dark, old and dangerous queen.

Davillon, isolated from the civilized world, is a dystopian paradise full of secrets buried for years now. Far away from a sovereign power, the city is fragmented, parasitized ... Submitted to the good will and whims of the members of the social elites of this metropolis.
This city is, in more ways than you could expect, a crossroad... Between the Past and the Present, between Order and the Criminality, between Myths and Reality.

History of the foundation of Davillon:

Peoples, facing the unknow, can choose to challenge it, ignore it or feat it. It's a steady rules trough the ages. The Blooded Sea, and whatever was behind or beoyond, have always attract the curiosity of explorators, the greediness of glory-seeker or, sometimes last-born noble. Many have attempted the challenge of passing trough, somes have choose to turn back midway, the rest did never return.
Things started to change with a man a millenia ago: Archibald Haarlock, last born of the Lancovian dukal House of the Haarlock. Being last born, his future would have only ended within a priesthood's life or a low-ranked officier of the Navy or within the army. Unwilling to life both of these and being thirsty of adventure and glory, he enlisted himself for his nation's expedition fleet, destined to attemps a break-trough to the Blodded sea.
With a little fleet financed by what was left of his money and the Kingdom's funds, he took the bet to pass by the Artic sea instead of attempting, like others, a frontal assault against the omnius mass of water that took the life of many others mariners. This expedition was rather difficult, even with the preparation to face the harsh and violent weather of the Artic but, nontheless, they were able to face land, the Edor continent, after a good month of two of sailings. Longing the coastline for 4 more days, the expedition finnaly spotted a ruined citadel atop of a cliff. Haarlock (whose foresight was proverbial) choose to launch a search into the ruined settlement and its surrounding.

The investigation team, after climbing the cliff, trod the ruins of what they considered to be an ancient big burg. Most of the buildings still standing, probably due to the thick walls up to 1 meter (3.2 feets), varied from two-story houses to small palaces as well as the fortress and some places of worship, the latter still having their roofs. The surroundings at the periphery of the sites consisted only of a vast plains while the first attemps of fishing from the ships bring results more than expected. With what was deemed as a promised land, Archibald Haarlock, last-born of a minor nobility, had a idea. He quickly returned to the Lancovit Kingdom for preparing an another expedition... But for creating his own fief this time.
However, due to the difficulty to reach such lands and the big ammount of workload needed for the settlement to work. Archibalds had to use all of his rhetoric and political knowledge to convice his family and others wealthy and interested people to partake into the settlement. The Lancovit itself was easy to convice to pay not so much attention to this strange and sudden effort because, at the time, the country was facing a more life-threatening issues that would be call later the Dark Assault. With no "royal" supervision over this project, the Lancovian nobility and other nobles (or wealthy) houses from others country began to depart to Davillon upon the call of the Haarlocks, willing and wishing to establish a retreat far away of any troubles in their respectives countries.
If Archibald's Scheme was (and is still be in many regards) dubious, everything was done according to the law. Even if the Lancovit Kingdom would have tryied to establish a spark of authority (or, simplier, break the deal), it was far to late when the Crown had the opportunity to do so.... Also, why the wealthiest and influent nobles from the Lancovit would aggree to "give up" their little juicy and peacefull land to the King when they had already invested so-much into the settlement already ?
That's how the city was soon to be the hideout of the privileged, a place where they could take somes rests, distract themselves, plot at heart's content, hide their secrets and wealths, and unravell their "tastes" far away from views. The statu-quo between everyone was kept by the need to "do not rock the boat", with the risk to attract the attention of others country or somes Zealots of "Laws and Orders" 's God.
The events following the founding of Davillon are poorly documented and recorded: certainly due to the fact that each "Maisons" was a snake-nests of intrigue, conspiracies and riches that should not be revealed, as well as the useless aspect of such tasks for "a place of rest and vacation".
What is known within, that obscure mess, is that the Haarlock family continued to play a predominant role in the life and development of the city through the decades and centuries that followed: Between the vast financial sums gathered (from military campaigns against the Villain Kingdoms, plundering on Orbaumoise lands and acts of piracy against the Omoisian fleets), renovations of the old ruineds buildings and their studies, the first contact with the Twin Kingdoms of Gwendalawir as well as the development of a symbiotic relationship between the two entities... And, probably the most important and remarkable, the opening of the Bloody Sea to navigation ... All this, in a bit less than 8 centuries, was carried out by a member of the Haarlocks.
As for now, Davillon city is still that hidehout for the nobility and the wealthy, as well as any conspirator or politcal dissident. However, that little settlement is now a powerfull and skilled shipyard and trading city, the only connection between the Edor Continent and the rest of the world. But that nice and brimming of success is not much than plywood in the sea: Setbacks, pots and pans begin to accumulate behind the city, attracting certain powers wishing to take advantage of the crazy riches in the city. Whether it is the closure of the Bloody Sea, (again impassable) since the disappearance of the last Haarlocks, somes obscures funding in organizations classified as criminal, a series of embezzlement of money (by nobles towards their countries of belonging), rumors about experiments on human beings or attempts of demonic invocations ... The supremacy and self-governance of the city is called into question.

Climate / Geography / Biology:

The peninsula where Davillon is located is a cold and desert land, born from the ancient volcanic (and tectonic) acitivity. Due to that, a good part of the region is a "rocky" and barren land, a kindgom for mushrooms, mosses, lichens, and grasses. However, in the center of the peninsula, the land can flourish and explode into a palette of flowers and plants typical of northern climates. Installed atop of a clif, the city is the sovereign of an hilly grassland with, at then end of a traveler's field of view, the moutains forming the northern chain.
The fauna within the peninsula is not "that" dangerous for a prepared travelers. But it's not uncommon to have spot creatures having crossed the moutains. For defending themselves against such opponents, most farms are build like a little bastion (fortified farm) that can host the owners and the workers.
The climate in Davillon can be classified as "Subartic Oceanic climate" (explaining cool or mild summer, long and cold winter and variable weather). The temperature are within a fork of -5°C (23 °F) to 15°C (59°F). The peninsula where Davillon is located is a cold and desert land, born from the ancient volcanic (and tectonic) acitivity. Due to that, a good part of the region is a "rocky" and barren land, a kindgom for mushrooms, mosses, lichens, and grasses. However, in the center of the peninsula, the land can flourish and explode into a palette of flowers and plants typical of northern climates. Installed atop of a clif, the city is the sovereign of an hilly grassland with, at then end of a traveler's field of view, the moutains forming the northern chain.
The fauna within the peninsula is not "that" dangerous for a prepared travelers. But it's not uncommon to have spot creatures having crossed the moutains. For defending themselves against such opponents, most farms are build like a little bastion (fortified farm) that can host the owners and the workers.
The climate in Davillon can be classified as "Subartic Oceanic climate" (explaining cool or mild summer, long and cold winter and variable weather). The temperature are within a fork of -5°C (23 °F) to 15°C (59°F).

Architecture of the City:

Even now, it is easy (for an expert eye) to recognize the various waves of construction:
Davillon used the old ruins as foundations for the colony, these are massive stone buildings, sober and unadorned, varying from shades of gray to "blue stone", stone extracted from quarries at about 75 meters (246 feets) depths.
Somes pictures as references:
The massiveness of the adornished bulding.
Color for the basaltic stones used. Color of the "Blue Stones" used
Davillon from the Sea, when reaching the Harbor
General Idea of the Davillon's streets settings in present times

The fortress and what looked like places of worship were re-used as such: The bastion of Davillon is the decissional brains of the port city and the various temples and gravitating buildings around were dedicated to more current gods. For the other "old" buildings near the Bastion, they were shared between the wealthy of the city.
It is interesting to note that the Bastion itself took considerable time to renovate. During the works, the majority of the settlers and residents settled in what is now the "Districts of the Fallen" because, at this time, they were the best preserved buildings ... It was only after the renovation of the Bastion and migration of power to this new building that the Davillonaise nobility moved to the current "Upper Town" while the "District of the Fallen" ... fall into ruins.
New residents, in any case those who cannot afford to live in such residences, build their houses with local materials: the buildings are less massive, have more wood but respect (decisions of the authorities?) The range thematic of colors.
After the encounter and establishing a close relationship with the Kingdom of Gwendalawir, the natives of Edor Continents offered a lifting for this gloomy and "gothic" city that was Davillon: while the Dwarves was carving and decorating the walls, Elves planted and turned the city with greener and florar color.

Political power, governement system:

Since it's foundation, Davillon did never change so much on how the political aspect of the city is working.
At first, the 6 most influencial, powerful and wealthiest families formed a Council that was giving overall objectives to reach. For force someone out, you needed the approval of the 4 others members but that was not considering that the fired's family cannot elect one of it's kin once again. Following the growth of the city, and the more important gathering of "powerfull one", the city enlarged it's council up to 10, 20, 40 seats, while keeping the "presidential and unmovable" 6 top members. Theses 40 news posts are elected by the population for 4 years. The Haarlock's seat is now empty since a century now, bringing the "immovable" from 6 to 5. 
Everyone can "attempt" to gain a seat... However, the political campaign are expensives (especially bribery), so there is not much "commoners" seating within the Bastion. Two factions are present within the Council: the Reformation (seeking to improve Davillon and it's citizen) and the Traditionnalist (letting things as such, since it's working for those who are elected at least).
How the system is working is close to a Senate (or NATO, OTAN), where elected people can offer ideas, laws and project that will be voted and discussed by the others. For a something to be passed on, you need a majority from the elected and have half of the "immuables" supports. The Immovable does have a veto system but they need half of these vote to block something. That have produce, over time, a system of clan where the each of the 40 seat is siding with one of the Immovable, like a clan, to assure his position and at least a vote.

Trading, Economy and Army:

Being a place of trading, especially for Gwendalawir's goods that are uncommon on rare outside the continent, most of economy comes the Harbor. The shipyard and naval ingeenering is also seeking and of quality in the city because of the needed harshfull trip to reach the city.
Outside these two main activities, there is barely no industrial or commercial production specific to Davillon, exeption done of the Damascus Steel, seeked by nobles as fancy and decoratives weapon and the Siren's Toll Taperoom, having a succes within the Edor continent and within mariners.
There is no standing Army or Navy within Davillon, all the defense are made with the Council 's private army and vessels while the keeping of the laws is managed by a Civil Milica also supervised by the Council.