Kamakura

Nestled in the Rainy Valley, Kamakura is the luxury capital of the world. The capital of the halfling territory, this city is in a near constant spring-like state thanks it it's location. The Rainy Valley is aptly names as well, as about 7/10 days it is raining with bluish grey skies. And let's not forget the beauty of the whole place, the slick metal rooftops clanging at the calm sound of rain, the clean and meticulously planned cobblestone streets filled somewhat sparsely with cloaked figures, the oddly geometric buildings, all of it just comes together to make this place wonderful. Plus, when visiting you can always come and enjoy an onsen built in the beautiful outskirts, perhaps relax yourself after a long journey. A truly lovely place.

-An excerpt of an islander's report on the mainland

Demographics

Species: 93% halfling, 4% human, 3% other
Wealth: <1% unemployed/homeless, 20% labour class, 20% middle class, 60% upper class
Age (in halflings): 0-180: 25%, 181-315: 35%, 316-450: 25%, 451+: 15%

Defences

Unlike other cities, Kamakura has no walls to defend itself with, however it's location in the Rainy Valley helps it's defence significantly, as it can only really be approached from a few controlled angles. There is a city guard responsible for keeping order in the city and defending it from any potential attacks, though the likelihood of this city getting attacked is lower than most right now.

History

Created during the final years of the Age of Independence, this city was founded by the then king of the halflings, who declared it the capital not only of the halfling territory, but the future capital of the world. It took about 100 years to build the city and another couple of thousand to get it to it's current size (including the creation of the below ground part of the city) and reputation as a city of luxury and beauty, in a near eternal spring thanks to it's location. During the Age of Turmoil it was the chief military base for the halflings, and after the rise of the Edo Empire it was under strict control of the Emperor for 300 or so years, and even to this day a close eye is kept on it. No notable battles happened here save for the prompt military takeover, lasting only about three hours, conducted by the Edo Empire.

Architecture

The above ground architecture of the city still fits the broad style of human architecture, with tiered roofs, short buildings, and an emphasis on form which function coming in a close second, but the buildings of this city were built with a few notable changes. First they were built to withstand near constant rain, and as such their roofs are all metal, usually tin, and their foundation is much more strong. Additionally, they are a few feet elevated from the ground so as to prevent flooding. They also focus on odd geometry, as the first halfling king liked the style and the city has run with it ever since, not so much to honour him but because the style does truly look good, even more so from above.

Geography

Kamakura is nestled in the centre of the Rainy Valley, the surrounding region is the Seikigahara Hills, particularly the part of the region with the most grass. The city itself is, to an extend, built into the sides of the valley, using them as supports for certain buildings and carving out small to medium portions of it, and it is also the foundation for the underground half of the city, wherein much activity takes place as well.

Alternative Name(s)

Kamakura of the Rainy Valley

Type

City

Population

~325,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Kamakuran