Capcora
Capcora is the capital of the Free City of the same name. It is the center of both governance and commerce within the Free City's bounds and hosts the majority of its population and wealth. It lays in the southwest corner of the Jakonian Peninsula, and was built shortly after the collapse of the Nameless Empire as a free trading post with the islands of the southern part of the peninsula. Capcora has recently seen substantial upheaval, but hopes to restore its fortunes with ambitious new projects overseas.
Demographics
The majority of people within the Free City of Capcora are humans, scattered both within the metropolitan area itself and the surrounding farmland. The humans are recognized as the only true citizens of the Free City, with full rights under the government for matters of law. Numerous humans from other nations and cultures have also arrived in Capcora over the years, finding it a place to settle down, drawn by the wealth of trade and commerce. The establishment of the Foreign Quarter originally existed for the benefit of the non-native humans, but in time it became a place for other races to settle too. Although strict laws prohibit the other races from exiting the Quarter at night, Capcora has grown to include a surprising number of high elves and halflings in addition to the halfbreeds created by human and elf intermingling.
Government
The Free City of Capcora is led by a hereditary succession of Lord Mayors, who are the official rulers of the city and surrounding lands. However, in addition to the Lord Mayor there are twelve Councilmen posts that make up the Ruby Council, the true legislative body of the city. The Ruby Council is headed by a Councillor Supreme, who acts as a tie-breaking vote and often steers the course of the rest of the Council. Each Council position is an elected position, with elections occurring every five years. Each seat represents one of the nine neighborhoods and districts, with the additional three seats representing the University of Capcora, the Foreign Quarter, and the Imperial Seat. The Imperial Seat and University Seat are currently considered "free" seats which anyone can run for, regardless of class or social standing. All city offices, bureaucracies, and judicial branches answer directly to the Council, which oversees any decisions made.
Defences
The city has long erupted out of the original walls built to defend it. These original walls remain intact, protecting the center of the city and the majority of the markets and town docks, but for the most part, the amicable relationship between Capcora and the Jakonian Empire has allowed them to focus primarily upon the defense of the city from sea based attack. Threats from Bahami corsairs has instead caused the city to invest most of its finances towards the construction and maintenance of the Red Citadel, a fortified island complex that protects the city from sea-based attack with the most modern anti-ship weaponry available. The city and the defenses themselves are protected by the Capcoran Regiments, the standing military force of the Free City.
Industry & Trade
Capcora possesses a sizable manufacturing community, producing their own weapons, armor, and warships. Although not as fine quality of gear as found among other races, the Capcoran arms industry is still the highest standard that human blacksmiths and workers can hope to obtain. Ships produced in the shipyards of Capcora are well renown for their standardization and easily replaceable parts should any break or wear out. The Capcoran shipyards are believed to be the busiest in Emicara, with most of their customers within the Jakonian Empire.
Capcoran trading ties are incredibly strong across the whole of the Circle Sea and surrounding areas. Although they frequently are forced to compete against Augustinian and Riveraineville merchants, they have a competitive advantage in being loyal to the Church of the One Sun. This grants them exclusive contracts with merchants in the Jakonian Empire and the Kingdom of Forard that other city states lack. The markets similarly thrive with the expansion of trading interests overseas, and the city remains a place where a person can find nearly anything.
Infrastructure
Capcora features paved roads, and while they are not paved with gold as old rumors once suggested, some are in fact lined with it, namely the road to the Ruby Palace, center of wealth in Capcora and home to the Lord Mayors. The roads all the way to the Jakonian borders are paved, and facilities are kept well maintained. The city possesses an effective sewage system, and even running water and plumbing in some of the wealthier parts of the city. Small fortifications are built along the borders of the nation, but the most impressive of these is the Red Citadel, which stands watch over the passage of ships into Capcora's harbor.
Assets
The markets of Capcora offer great wealth and items from all over Emicara and beyond. Unlike the other Free Cities of the Circle Sea and Jakonian Peninsula, Capcoran merchants are some of the few to dare to venture beyond the borders of the Endless Ocean and to the mysterious lands of the south. Most of these times the would-be explorers fail to return, but others come back with extraordinary goods that cannot be replicated or found anywhere else. These finds are frequently found in the market, bringing a newfound commerce to the city.
The city leadership itself technically maintains ownership of all of the shipyards and other "essential" businesses of the city, but in de facto terms this means direct ownership by House Maddern. Numerous private businesses exist in the hands of merchants and opportunistic traders, particularly in the Foreign Quarter, which offers merchandise and produce of distant and strange lands from in Emicara. The influence of House Maddern essentially means that the military assets of the house are brought to bear when defending the city, and particularly when it comes to fighting corsairs and pirates.
Guilds and Factions
The politics of Capcora are the politics of the Free City itself, and its limited overseas outposts. House Maddern and the office of the Lord Mayor is the wealthiest and most powerful of the factions that exist within Capcora, focusing upon ruling the city and expanding the reigning house's wealth. However, the Warp of the Seven has created two new factions that hope to usurp House Maddern and expand their control into dominance over the Free City.
The first of the would-be usurpers would be the faction led by Roland Minear and his backers. Although he is simply an interim to the position of Councilor Supreme, he has been a rallying point to those who would like to see meaningful change. The Minear faction believes that it was the disastrous behavior and ruthless suppression conducted by House Maddern which led to the Warp. They believe that the hereditary status of the position of Lord Mayor should be reformed to an elected one to be selected from among the merchant classes of the city. Overall, they seek to maintain the status quo, but to open up the highest levels of the city's wealth to the upper middle class.
The second of the usurper factions consists of the people who have proudly declared themselves Radicals. The Radicals wish to see the entire notion of the Free City state face reformation by liberalization of laws spearheaded by the Church of the One Sun, and the opening of borders and trading routes. Some accuse the Radicals of being sponsored by the nation's enemies in Augustin and Riveraineville, but they maintain that they are simply a populist movement. They receive significant support among residents of the Foreign Quarter.
Founding Date
27 AF
Type
Capital
Population
156,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Capcoran
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments