Venator Mercurius

The city of Venator Mercurius was made in honour of the Olympian God Hermes, or Mercury as he is known to the Venatorian Empire. The city functions as a center for trade throughout Venatorian territory, and so it honours Mercury as he is the Protector of Merchants.

Demographics

The vast majority of the residents in Venator Mercurius work for the various trade guilds and merchants associations. Either trading these goods themselves, or ensuring the transportation and production of these goods goes as planned.
Many also find work in the various inns and hotels throughout the city that were made to accommodate the merchants that travel to this city regularly to exchange goods and coin.

Government

The Venatorian Empire recognises the importance of Venator Mercurius to their economy and so they keep a watchful eye on the city. There are laws in place prohibiting certain substances and materials from entering the city, such as Blacklight metal and Dionysian Cactus fruit.
Taxes are generally low within the city, in order to encourage merchants to buy and sell within the city. Despite the low level of taxes within the city, the sheer amount of trade that happens within the city grants the Venatorian Government with large amounts of money. A large amount of this money is used to ensure the security of the city, by paying large amounts of Venatorian legionnaires to protect the city and maintain the walls. The rest of this tax money goes back to Venator Turrim so that it can be put towards public projects and arming the growing army of the Venatorian Empire.

Defences

Venator Mercurius is protected by a large number of Venatorian Legionnaires, who patrol the city and ensure that no prohibited items make their way into the city.
If Venator Mercurius were to be attacked by an invading army, the city would be more than capable of defending itself, thanks to its large walls made out of white marble, with watchtowers in place to spot any approaching threats. These watchtowers are equipped with large warmachines, from catapults, to balistas to cannons.
Venatorian patrols are often accompanied by Venatorian Dire Wolfhounds, dogs larger than horses with a bite that can pierce armour. They loyaly follow their masters and protect the city from bandits and violent thiefs.

Industry & Trade

Most of the inhabitants of Venator Mercurius work as merchants, selling to travellers that have come to the city in order to buy and sell their goods. From paladins from the Order of Helios looking to sell vampire ashes to alchemists, to Zestósian wine merchants looking to sell their product, all have a place as customers within Venator Mercurius.
Blacksmiths and silversmiths find work in Vulcan's Hammer, where their skills are put to good use making weaponry, musket parts, gears for balistas and jewelry.
Some citizens find work at the water purification plant, ensuring that the aqueducts are maintained and that fresh clean water continues to flow into the city.

Infrastructure

Aqueducts have been built into the city, diverting water from the Otesta river in order to provide the citizens of Venator Mercurius with clean, fresh water. The water is treated with limestone in order to purify it.
The roads both within and leading up to Venator Mercurius are in pristine condition, in order to make it easy for carriages to transport their goods into the city.
Watermills built into the aqueducts are used to grind grains such as wheat, barley and corn into flour so that it can be used for baking.

Districts

There are four districts within Venator Mercurius: the Market District, the Processing District, the Hospitable District and the Civil District.
The Market District is were all trade happens. Merchants travel from all across the continent for the vast selection and low trade tax that Venator Mercurius has to offer. Almost anything can be bought here, from gunpowder, to exotic wildlife, to magical artifacts.
The Processing District is were raw ingredients from all over the continent are taken to be transformed into a more marketable product. Volcanic sand is taken from Mount Etna to be turned into glass, sulfur is added to charcoal in order to make gunpowder, and many more products are made in this district.
The Hospitable District is where inns and hotels are located within the city for travelling traders to rest. They range from basic accommodation to luxurious sanctuaries.
The Civil District is where the Venatorian Empire manages the city. They gather collected taxes, organize legionnaires to patrol the city and send both taxes and status related letters to Venator Turrim.

Assets

The largest store in Venator Mercurius is The Trickster's Bounty, a general goods store with an incredibly large selection of both common and exotic goods. If someone is looking to by something rare, they often look in The Trickster's Bounty first.
Vulcan's Hammer is a large smithing workshop, that makes everything from glaives, to musket firing mechanisms to even wedding rings. They have both premade and standard items, but they also take commissions. They are known for their skill and speed in crafting works of art in metallurgy.
The Treasures of Bacchus is a store selling the finest alcohol from accross the continent. From Zestósian wine, to Iliosiac rum and mead. It sells every single high quality drink on the market, and stores them all in decorative glass bottles.
The Booming Brew is an alchemy shop that sells both potions and body parts from monsters. Wyvern bones sell particularly well, as many people believe that carrying a wyvern bone will bring them good luck. In terms of potions, they mainly sell healing potions, with invisibility potions and strength potions also being popular items. Most healing potions are sold to the Venatorian Legions, though adventurers also buy many from them.

Guilds and Factions

As the city was built in the honour of Mercury, The Church of Hermes has a large temple within the city. Many worshippers of Hermes consider the city to be sacred, and travel to the city at least once a year.
The Adamant Sickle trading company has heavily invested in the city, setting up multiple shops within the city, such as The Trickster's Bounty. They also have shares in some of the hotels, such as the The Argus Slayer's Rest. The Adamant Sickle is the richest trading company in the entire continent of Eregost, as is well known for their thriving businesses.
The Silver Spears are a mercenary group that finds work in Venator Mercurius by guarding the caravans of travelling merchants. They are paid handsomely for their work, and it is relatively safe for mercenary work.

Founding Date

864

Alternative Name(s)

The Trade Capital of the Venatorian Empire

Type

City

Population

12,000

Owning Organization

Venatorian Empire

Related Traditions

• Dionysia