Clefmoor

Capital of the Gnomish Republic and a hub of maritime trade in spite of its location. The city sits on the bed of an expansive hollowed-out grotto, protected from the sea by a series of heavy tidal dams, which gives the city a large earthen roof which protects it from the elements and the sun. This seawater pools in a secondary reservoir below sea level and is directed through the city for various industrial and domestic uses. Thanks to the stability of the republic, the city prospers and is a popular destination for the nobility of the more southerly countries during the hot summer months.

Demographics

The city is normally a majority gnome with a significant minority of dwarves, particularly in the dwarven quarter, but in the summer the city swells up with wealthy humans escaping the heat and agricultural toil that the summer brings.

Government

Clefmoor is governed by two councils of wealthy landowners, industrialists, and traders. Ostensibly the Clefmoor Council is the body which passes laws and decides matters for the city itself and the Great Moot is the body which concerns itself with the welfare of the Republic at large, but the distinction is rarely so well-defined in actual practice. Although membership to the Clefmoor Council is limited to residents of the city, and Great Moot members are excluded, most powerful families maintain a household in the city to secure a spot on the Council. As a result, the Clefmoor Council ends up being a more influential collection of representatives from the richest families and rarely limits its scope to the city itself.

Defences

From its position in the grotto, Clefmoor is nigh-unassailable from all directions except the sea. Fortunately Clefmoor's tidal dams also double as city walls, including towers with ballistae and large stone gates facing the docks. These fortifications work in combination with the Gnomish Navy, which is widely regarded as the strongest naval force in the region, whose sailing technology and weapons are rivalled only by the few Draconic ships which make the one-way journey to Elion from Draconia.

Infrastructure

The seawater held back by the city's great seawall is allowed through in small amounts and streamed through the city through underground channels which supply water for household and industrial needs, and turn water wheels which supply mechanical power for machines and manufactories throughout the city.

Type

Large city

Population

18,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Clefmoorians

Location under

Clefmoor Republic

Owning Organization

Gnomish Republic