Cairveil
Cairveil is the largest city in Losana outside of the nation's capital. Built heavily upon trade, it has recently entered into a booming period of prosperity, as recent discoveries and developments have helped its port excel and thrive. The first of these was the reactivation of the Undercity, an enormous dwarven stronghold that once existed underneath the city itself. The second was the Battle of Spider Bend, which helped lift the webs and threats over the southern Sypi River that prevented international commerce from reaching the Cairveil port, which had previously only been used for minor local shipping. Now, Carveil receives goods from all over the world, which makes it a newfound hub of gold and wealth.
Demographics
The majority of Cairveil's population consists of Losanan humans, living in the Upper City and surrounding outskirts and farmsteads. The Undercity consists of similar amounts of humans, but its moist and subterranean nature have attracted the interest and habitation of a variety of other races and others seeking to remain out of the prying eyes of the guards and Church. Lizardfolk, strange frog-like creatures, and a plethora of others who find the One Sun less than welcoming have found the Undercity home, and thanks to the increase in trading routes, more arrive every day.
Government
The governance of Cairveil falls into two different regimes. The first is the noble houses which has been granted the rule of the city and surrounding countryside by the King of Losana. These nobles administrate the realm via the use of magistrates and sheriffs who undertake their will, and carry out their demands. Most law and disputes are handled on a case by case basis, although the nobility allows some flexibility in the enforcement and jurisprudence that takes place in their lands. However, in practice, the nobility have turned over the enforcement of secular law to the Church of the One Sun, which uses its authority to pursue heretics and heathens within the city limits.
In the Undercity, however, the rule of law has not prevailed. The guards do not attend any of the posts in the lower harbor, and they are kept secure by private mercenaries and adventurers. A local militia has been formed of the Undercity residents, and they have elected a Undermayor, who is considered the final law of the land. He resolves any disputes that arise, and while he cannot enact laws, he or she does their best to contain violence and keep a low profile to avoid a direct intervention from above.
Defences
By necessity the defenses of Cairveil have had to be divided into two portions. Three regiments of the Losanan army defend the Upper City, helping to enforce laws in a pinch during times of guards being overwhelmed. In the Under City, mercenaries are typically hired to preserve order as the aristocracy has no claim to the properties and territories within. Beyond the military presence, there are also town guards who are assigned to enforce the law and investigate crimes against the community and the reigning aristocracy. Their juridiction extends to both the Upper and Under City, but it is rare that they enter the latter beyond the direct request of the Duke. Should the city come under direct attack by a major hostile force, an additional three to four thousand militia could be mustered to bolster the defenses.
The city walls of Cairveil have always been impressive, built of stone and in two rings. The outer wall acts as the bastion for the Bayou District, acting as the first line of defense. Although its walls are taller, the true siege works are in the inner wall, which uses its superior elevation and height to house various ranged weaponry, many of which had been developed by the finest of dwarven engineers. These devices provide support to the first ring of defenses, while acting as a formidable bastion in their own right. The Under City is more easily defended, as the great door can be closed in extreme emergencies, enclosing the harbor and populace in an impregnable stronghold.
Industry & Trade
Commerce has always been essential to the existence of Cairveil, having begun its life as a location for free trade in Losana. For decades it was one of the strongest Losanan city states, and acted as a mediator and negotiator for any conflicts that arose between the others. This position graduated nicely into a trading center under Jakonian rule, and the Upper City to this day remain the most supportive of the Church of the One Sun and nostalgic towards the days of the height of the Empire. Cairveil acts as the primary entry point of foreign imports into the heartland of Losana, bringing luxury goods from the Jakonian Peninsula and the Bahami Federation. Some local industries do exist, mostly around the farms and plantations that have been built in the surrounding countryside, but these are limited and typically service solely local demands.
Infrastructure
The majority of the city is only recently wealthy, and this has been displayed by the recent installment of paved roads and sewage systems. The discovery of an old sewer network in the Undercity has been since implemented for the city above, providing a luxury unheard of in much of the Kingdom of Losana: indoor toilets and running water. Carefully maintained by a consortium of skilled workers in the Undercity, it has proven a reliable transfer of wealth from above to below. The docks have also recently been swelled to ever greater size, and the Gateport has been thriving, building ever new docks and setting up sophisticated barges and tugboats to allow for the passage of the largest merchant vessels. Great effort has been made to deepen the harbor, both inside the Undercity and outside, creating a prosperous new port of call for merchant vessels.
Districts
There are multiple districts of Cairveil, each representing a different portion of its population. These districts are divided into two themselves, with two districts existing on the surface in the Upper City, and two in the Under City. Resting atop the uppermost levels of the hill that makes for the surface level of town is the Hill District. This is the home of the aristocracy's residences and the majority of specialty shops and artisan stores. The city governance takes place from the highest palatial estate, representing the wealth and citadel of the most powerful of nobles. Anyone seeking an audience with the local Duke would have to venture here to make their meeting.
The lower level of the surface Cairveil is known as the Bayou District. The majority of the city's human population lives here, within the Upper City's walls. The tenements and homes located here house the majority of the working class, and the primary inns and trade markets are located here. There are multiple warehouses and storage area, where traded produce brought in by land are stored, but many of these have become abandoned in recent years, due to the increase of such areas in the Under City.
The outer portion of the Under City is known as the Door District, named for the great citadel door that once sealed this place off from the outside world. Formerly a dwarven citadel, the massive barrier had been sealed for centuries until eventually reopened. The Door District is the oldest inhabited part of the Under City, as until recently, it was the only portion that received any sunlight, with most of it having to be lit. There are ample storehouses and docks here, making this the primary port of call for ships coming up the Sypi River into Losana. The size of the port has caused this to become the largest shipping and receiving center in the entire kingdom. As new wealth pours in, dwarves and humans alike have managed to carve out homesteads throughout the area.
The inner portion has only recently been reclaimed by settlers from above and is known as the Canal District for the waterways that make their paths through the structures within. Previously inhabited by thieves and monsters, it was cleared out when a party of adventurers reactivated the old dwarven security systems and automatons. These defenses quickly cleared the threats that existed, and the city guards and other mercenaries were able to complete the endeavor. The reopening of the Under City has allowed numerous lizardfolk and dwarves to begin settling within, out of sight of the somewhat racist humans of the surface. Old manufacturing facilities and residences have been reclaimed, as this has become the quickest growing part of Caiveil.
Points of interest
The Cathedral of the Hill in the district of the same name is the largest temple to the One Sun in the Kingdom of Losana. Construction started under the Jakonian Empire and took nearly eleven years to complete. The glass and the woodwork within are considered to be some of the finest crafts ever made in such a cathedral and pilgrims from across the lands of the faithful often visit to view it. Services are regularly offered for healing and blessings here to all those who can afford it.
The Borvalt Door is a wonder of dwarven engineering, marking the entryway to the Under City. The Under City itself is incredibly impressive, and some archaeologists and explorers claim that it is an artificial hill completely, with the spires within propping up the hill above. These "towers" act as residences scattered throughout, and it is believed that untold wonders remain yet to be discovered within, as less than a third of the Under City has been colonized. The canals that span between the towers act as means of transit, and this "sunless sea" boasts a multitude of docks and anchorages for those who wander within. Some say that monsters still remain in the furthest depths, along with malfunctioning remnants of the dwarves' old security systems.
Within the Under City is the Cairveil Archive. An automated dwarven database created by technology and magic long lost to even its creators, this device possesses access to much of the knowledge of early dwarven civilization. Frustrating to acquire information from, however, and lurking far beyond many of the dangers of the Under City, the Archive is still an impressive resource of information.
Founding Date
240 AF
Type
City
Population
58,000
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Cairveilan
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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