Nightingale
Nightingale is the Capital of the Kingdom of the Vale founded by Gethuer upon the Ruins of an even more ancient city which had fallen to ruin long before he brought his people into the Vale. It is the center for all political and intellectual action in the Vale while also acting as the lynchpin connecting the Northern and Southern ends of the Vale. It strategically sits at the Intersection of the East-West and North-South Highways ensuring a steady supply of wealth, resources and trade goods.
"When Getheur led his people away from the destruction of their ancient homeland following the fall of Hrennon, he took auspices to ensure that his people would be able to find a home. Having made the proper sacrifices, he went to the top of a near by hill to await a reply from the Gods. The reply came in the form of a great flock of nightingales, at their head flew one with feathers of deepest black. This flock lead Getheur and his people across the continent, up the mountains and into the Vale. There the flock split and it seemed the nightingale directed its captains and lieutenants to disperse and take small groups of the flock away in different directions until only a portion remained. Getheur did the same and dispersed his people across the whole of the Vale in pursuit of the birds. Then he followed the remainder of the flock until it came to the ruins of a large city, the only remaining structure of which was a lone fortress in the center to which the nightingales flew. They circled the top of the castle three times before roosting the rafters of the highest tower. At this Getheur declared the journey of his people complete. He made a sacrifice to the gods in thanksgiving for being delivered safely and ordered his people to enter the fortress for the night. The following day he once again made sacrifices and declared that the city they would found would be called Nightingale for the sake of the birds that led them to the site of their new home. From that point the city grew. Riders were sent to discover the whereabouts and condition of the other portions of his people." -- The Summarized Histories of the Peoples of Peirama
Demographics
The Population of Nightingale is overwhelmingly Valen humans and elves with some dwarves from out of the high mountains on either side of the valley. The Elven portion population stays primarily in the forests of the outskirts of the city as hunters and woodsmen, however there are several old families among them that maintain a presence in the innermost sections of the city to act as the voice of the Elven clans in the government. The Dwarves are dispersed in the suburban and rural areas which house the main industrial zones as well as the mines and quarries the fuel the engineering and industrial efforts of the more city based dwarves. The city has a large mercantile sector as Nightingale is situated near the mid point in the vale and merchants from both ends of the Vale can meet to exchange the goods that are brought from all over the world.
Government
The city, while technically directly owned by the King or Queen of the Vale as part of the Crownlands which dominate much of the central vale, is overseen by a Grand Mayor selected by the King to govern the city as a whole in his stead, though not with the absolute authority that might be expected of such a chosen servant. Instead, the the Grand Mayor must deal with the mayors and headmen of each district and village who are elected to oversee their own neighborhoods of the city.
Defences
The city of Nightingale is defended by rings of concentric walls that increase in complexity and strength as they move closer to the middle of the city. There are nine layers of defenses before the innermost citadel. Each layer has a ditch before the primary defenses which is crossed by causeways at the gates in the walls. Running along the inside of each of the defensive lines is a ring road which follows the boundary of that ring.
The three outermost rings of the defenses are general not considered to be walls by the local populace because of their weakness when compared with the more internal walls, but are important parts of the overall defensive works. The first of these three is just the ditch, but the second has a wooden palisade which surrounds the whole of the city. The third is a palisade backed with an earthen rampart. Each of these three have watchtowers at the gates and at strategic points around the wall.
The next three defensive lines are what most of the locals consider the first of the walls. These are wooden walls set atop stone foundations, reinforced with stone towers and gate houses. The main difference between each of these three is the number of towers in each successive wall and the third layer has the addition of blockhouses at strategic points which allow for more rapid reinforcement of the wall in times of war.
The final three walls are fully of stone with numerous towers and bastions built along them. These walls are almost identical with the only real difference being shorter circumference of the interior walls. Rather than adding more towers as the available space is more restricted, each of these three has the same number of towers and bastions arrayed closer together on each subsequent wall.
Beyond the outermost walls there lays a ring of castles which guard every approach to the city. Many of these castles were built on or along the roads that run to the city, but others were built with the intention of being outposts which can move to reinforce any of its neighbors which may be besieged. The castles are frequently granted to the most capable of the kings subjects to hold.
Infrastructure
Nightingale is the meeting point of the King's Highway, a series of highly maintained and patrolled, paved roads that run throughout the the Vale and its neighbors. Originally built on the track of ruins of even more ancient roads, The King's Highway has been fortified with a sturdy foundation, covered with paving stones and cambered to allow for drainage. The Roads spread out from the city in every direction from the city connecting the entire Vale together and to the world.
Districts
There are several rings to the city divided by layers of concentric walls and defenses. In the center is the Citadel, surrounded by three layers of "Urban Walls" where there is at most a few hundred yards between two walls. This is where most of the populace lives and where almost all of the wealth and administration is. Next is the three "Suburban Walls", These walls each separated from the next by at least a mile, but never more than three. These layers of the city provide much of the farm and pasture land for the city making Nightingale almost entirely self sufficient should it ever be besieged. Beyond these walls are the "rural walls" which encircle the outer hinterlands of the city which provide the wood, game, and even the stone and some of the metal ores for the city. Only the districts within the Urban walls are considered part of the City proper while the others still within the outermost are considered suburbs or hinterlands respectively, though are administered and referred to as thought they were part of the city proper.
The Inner most portion of the city, called the Royal Park, is home to the Citadel, which acts as both the Royal residence and seat of power, the Parliament Building, the Temple of the Mother and Father, as well as numerous other buildings which play key roles in the day to day operation of the kingdom such as the Ministries of Commerce, War and agriculture. There are also a number of gardens within the park which are open to the public and there is even a market square at the meeting point of the North, South, East and West Branches of the Kings Highway. All of the buildings and grounds within the Royal park with the exception of the parliament building are property of the Royal Family, though they are left open to the public barring the personal residence of the royal family.
History
Nightingale has always acted as the major seat of power in the Vale. As one of only three walled cities and the only major city in the central Vale it has always acted as a bastion from which the royal family has gathered its strength. While the Vale has not always been as unified as it is now and has had its fair share of civil wars and splinter nations, Nightingale has never completely fallen to assault. During those few instances when the outermost defensive works were taken, the sheer size of the walled in area of the city and its numerous walls means that an attacking army must breach each wall, giving ample time to man interior defenses and pull men and supplies back from other parts of the walls. The city did almost fall during the invasion of the Tellekinids, the great Horde besieged the city with some 200,000 men easily overrunning the outer lines and sweeping into the inner districts. After many months of siege the first two stone walls of the city were breached and only the Royal Park continued to resist. It was only by the fortunate death of Hurgik, the commander of the attacking army, and the timely arrival of reinforcements that the city was saved.
Points of interest
Despite the size of the city and its position near the Demys River in the lowest part of the Valley the entire city is built atop a hill where the Citadel rests on the highest point for many miles in every direction. This hill is largely imperceptible most of the time, however when one actually measures the walls of the city one finds that each each is the same height as the others. Each concentric wall appears to be taller than the one beyond it while the citadel towers over the the central walls despite being in actuality not all that much taller than them.
The Parliament building is the only building in the Royal Park which is not property of the Valen Crown. Instead, it is owned directly by the parliament itself and acts as the palace where the houses of parliament meet to debate and vote, the primary residence of the Prime Minister and as the main storehouse for governmental records. the King or Queen themselves are only permitted to enter the public areas of the building. The only exception is private viewing booths from which they may observe any meeting as is the right of any citizen of the Vale. Legally the King or Queen may only address Parliament or enter the floor by special invitation from the Speakers of the House, though tradition holds that any Member may petition for the Royal to address the house and such a request is never denied.
Geography
Nightingale is built on a hill in the upper Demys river valley. Proximity of the river provides good access to trade as well as provides the life blood of the numerous farms and forests in the surrounding area. Many mills have been built along the river. The rolling hills of the valley
Founders
Population
30,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Nightingalians
Location under
Ruling/Owning Rank
