Puertana
Demographics
Aside from Santania with its all-human population, Puertana has the widest human majority on Acitern. Like the rest of the continent, the next largest populations are halflings and gnomes, but the halfling population is larger than the gnomish one by a wide margin.
A great many travelers find their way here, a vast majority of them merchants arriving by ship. These often come from Polisia, Bjornland, Kemet, Sakkal, and even sometimes Jiayuan. This creates a certain diversity among these foriegners, with half-elves, half orcs, minotaurs, tabaxi, and sometimes even half-nymphs among them.
Government
Puertana is the capital of Llanuria, and is thus the domain of the Llanurian king. He rules over the city, much as any feudal lord, although most Llanurian monarchs tend to leave much of the actual governance of the city to ministers they appoint to the role.
Officially, the city guard is a civilian organization that is organized and run on their own, without even so much as an official charter. In practice, the monarch almost always appoints someone to watch over them. This usually goes a long way towards preventing corruption in the organization.
Defences
Puertana isn't quite so well defended as other cities on Acitern, such as Santania or Tarke. There is a wall protecting the noble part of the city, but this security is shaker than it is in other cities, mostly due to the waterfront. As the waterfront isn't built in any naturally defensive location like a bay, it is vulnerable to naval attack, and this vulnerability extends to the city.
Instead the Llanurian method of defend their capital is far more active. The Llanurian army chases down invaders long before they reach Puertana. Particularly, it's their cavalry that fills this role, often performing hit-and-run attacks. Thus, the vast plains aid in defending the kingdom.
Industry & Trade
The city of Puertana depends on trade much like the Aurandian capital of Tarke. As such, it brings in ships and goods from cities such as Tarke, Hjalwick, Samaphis, Enkidd, Pasedonis and even sometimes Ganhuang. This makes it one of the most diverse markets in Covenant, especially since plenty comes in overland, as well.
It is, however, not as rich of a port as Tarke. Despite being much closer to many foreign trading cities, Tarke still receives more ships. Favorable ocean currents make the voyage far simpler than one might expect. The voyage to Tarke also takes roughly similar amount of time, so between this and its greater wealth, merchants often choose to go there, instead.
Infrastructure
Puertana is, first and foremost, a port city. It is constructed on a gentle coastline. There is a long, sandy beach, and a low cliff that separates it from the plains above. Due to undersea terrain, this is one of the few places on the coastline where larger ships can dock. Even so, there is web of docks, warehouses, and other structures built on wooden platforms well away from land.
Most of the city is built on the land, however. The neighborhoods nearer to the ocean are more upper-class. This is where the royal palace is found, along with manors many nobles keep for when they visit the city. Few other than nobles find themselves here, as merchants and adventurers tend to remain in the outer neighborhoods. There are roads built as thoroughfares meant to lead straight through.
The districts furthest inland are primarily meant for overland trade. Here there are markets, inns and other businesses designed to support such activities. This is also the largest residential part of town, as most of the common folk live here, although a few do live in buildings closer to the waterfront.
History
The earliest history of Puertana isn't very well-known. The earliest history of Llanuria mentions that the first people to tame horses tamed the very land, but the city of Puertana is not mentioned, nor is any community by the sea. Still, this is more legend than history.
By the time the first king of Llanuria was crowned, Puertana was already the largest community in the southern kingdom. It is believed it was first settled by fishermen, but grew so prosperous that the first kings made their home there, making the city the capital of Llanuria.
The city has remained mostly peaceful ever since its founding. Most invasions have simply never gotten that far. This has kept Puertana strangely sheltered from the strife that often breaks out across Acitern, and keeping the city very stable considering the actions of their neighbors.
When the lich hero Karad Blackheart invaded Aurand as the first step to converting the rest of the continent's population into his undead legions, Puertana was one of the first places his enemies went for allies. Vidar Elf-Child and his companions went to the Llanurian monarch to gather support to lift the siege of Tarke.
It wasn't hard for them to convince the king to support the Aurandians. The Church of the Light was already opposed to Karad, making the king's support easy to obtain due to religious reasons. They were the first allies found, and their own inclusion made convincing those on the rest of the continent a simpler prospect.
Architecture
Much of the architecture of Puertana is very simple. As there are few native sources of wood and stone, that can make construction difficult. Most buildings are made of plaster framed with wood. The roofs are normally slanted and covered in tiles. Unlike most other cities in Acitern, this is more due to tradition than necessity.
Still, they are capable of bringing in non-native materials via ship. These tend to be reserved for the most important structures, including churches, and the homes of the wealthy. Some of these buildings are built in facsimiles of foreign styles, with Polisian aesthetics being among the most favored.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments