Rexxentrum

Government

King Bertrand Dwendal rules the city and the Dwendalian Empire from Rexxentrum. He delegates lesser matters to Arbiter Sydnock Truscan, while citywide guild business falls under the purview of Guildmaster Kai Arness.
King Bertrand Dwendal rules the capital himself. No starosta holds office within Rexxentrum. Prime Arbiter Sydnock Truscan oversees all major matters of law that do not require the attention of the king, while Guildmaster Kai Arness works with the various guilds of the city to ensure smooth trade both within and beyond the walls of Rexxentrum. Beneath Sydnock is the head of Rexxentrum's Crownsguard, Watchmaster Brunda Gleshin, who ensures that the laws of the empire are enforced in the streets of the capital.

Defences

Crownsguard patrol all major streets, while the bulk of the Righteous Brand soldiers within the empire are stationed in the King's Bastion to defend the capital city.

Industry & Trade

Rexxentrum is the largest city in Wildemount and the seat of the Dwendalian Empire's power, enabling massive volumes of trade in and out of the city. Most any goods, services, and places of business can be found within the city walls.

Rule with a Golden Fist

The resource-rich economy of Rexxentrum supports a powerful guild and merchant class, who work directly with the Crown under the watch of Guildmaster Kai Arness. Any permanent place of business is required to join a corresponding guild, paying an annual fee on top of their taxes to the Crown, and to follow the guild's requirements for conditions of operations. Some complain that these conditions are often manipulated on a case-by-case basis to remove competition between similar interests, but cries of corruption within the guilds fall on deaf ears. This has led to a rapid growth of mobile businesses on street corners and shops that move between districts to avoid inspection by Crownsguard or guild members.

Guilds and Factions

Grand temples to empire-approved gods can be found throughout the city, while the most powerful guilds in the empire vie for power and influence. The Cerberus Assembly takes an active role in political affairs, while the deep-rooted Myriad weaves tapestries of crime and corruption throughout the city.
At the core of all imperial politics are the nobles, politicians, and wealthy elite who live within the city or own property there. Grandiose displays of wealth and power are common among the inner wards, while sprawling poverty consumes the outer districts and slums beyond the protective walls of the city. Cobblestone streets twist and mingle through the bustling neighborhoods, cart merchants and street performers vying for the attention and patronage of passersby throughout the cold summer months and the even colder winter.
Glowing orbs of arcane fire flicker at the tops of dark iron lamp poles at major intersections, lighting the evening air, while colorful flowers adorn the inner archways of each neighborhood entryway. Buildings cluster close and reach toward the sky, often snow-dappled with long wooden slats placed between rooftops for riffraff to skitter across the city unseen. Although the city teems with life and activity, it is also full of lawkeepers and military watch, with griffon riders occasionally circling overhead above the ever-patrolling Crownsguard and the nearby Righteous Brand headquarters.
The massive and beautiful center for arcane study known as the Soltryce Academy is located in the Candles, a thin crescent of a neighborhood marked by the tall and imposing tower homes of all eight leading members of the Cerberus Assembly, each unique and imposing in its own way. The beating heart of the city, and of the empire, lies positioned within the arc of the Candles in the terrace of Castle Ungebroch. From within the castle halls, King Bertrand Dwendal and his council of chosen authorities oversee all matters of state.

Magic Masters

Much of the empire's prosperity over the centuries stems from the Cerberus Assembly, a union of the nation's most powerful mages working directly for the Crown. These arcane practitioners and scholars aid the king in engaging foreign interests, in developing magical technology to better oversee the land and enforce his will, and making use of the rare relics that the Crown confiscates from unearthed sites of pre-Calamity might. This arrangement affords the assembly homes in the Candles and across the major cities of the empire, as well as access to every Dwendalian political figure. Thus, members of the assembly are extremely influential and, by the nature of their arrangement, very carefully watched by the king. Most civilians swap rumors of demonic pacts and demigod-level magics at the assembly's disposal, adding to their aura of mystique among the common folk. When an assembly mage walks the streets of Rexxentrum or attends the halls of an establishment within the city, it is an event that everyone will be talking about for days to come.

A Growing Unrest

In the wake of frustrated citizens, neglected concerns, and a clear caste system, the common folk of Rexxentrum are disenfranchised. The rallying call of war has brought some renewed imperial pride, but whispers of discontent have continued, coalescing into a small group of rebels within the capital that call themselves the Locksmiths. Wary of the history of failed rebellions in the empire, they gather information and gradually inspire the common folk to question authority, waiting for the right moment to ignite a revolution with a chance of success. With the Crown distracted by war and the populace brimming with poverty and discontentment, that time might come sooner than anyone thinks.

History

The majestic capital of the Dwendalian Empire was founded in the year 514 PD. The central location and plentiful surrounding resources of the region made Rexxentrum the most favorable place to oversee the rule and expansion of the freshly established Dwendalian Empire. Over the next three centuries, Rexxentrum grew to become the largest city in Wildemount, and the cultural and military center of Western Wynandir.

Politics and Persecution

Historically, public displays of unease under the king's rule were often met with brutal punishment. However, the previous king, Everard Dwendal, loosened the laws applying to public discourse. This gave rise to a number of political figures who gathered the unhappy populace behind their philosophies. In response, King Everard established the Augen Trust, a network of spies working for the king to blackmail or corrupt these politicians. With these high-profile dissenters under the thumb of the Crown, controlling political discourse became easier, and politics within the empire became a tense game of cat and mouse. Forthright nobles and frustrated guild heads unswayed by propaganda, gold, or threats still dissent publicly, testing the boundaries of their influence. King Bertrand's patience with public objections to his policies grows ever thinner, and he is enacting even more stringent laws against public criticism of the Crown.

Geography

The city spreads across the tallgrass fields south of the Pearlbow Wilderness, its walls forming a distended pentagon. Farmland around the north and east sides of the city are dotted with farmsteads and small rural communities that provide food for the capital. The northeast side of the wall curves around a trio of immense, fortified towers surrounded by barracks known as the King's Bastion, where the central force of the Righteous Brand military trains and resides. Within the outer walls of the city are seven major districts: the Mosaic Ward, the Mudtop Ward, the Tangles, the Shimmer Ward, the Academy Grounds, the Candles, and Castle Ungebroch

Founding Date

514 P.D.

Type

Metropolis

Population

205,200 (81% humans, 8% dwarves, 6% halflings, 5% other races)

Location under

Zemni Fields

Owner/Ruler

King Bertrand Dwendal

Owning Organization

The Dwendalian Empire

Characters in Location

• King Bertrand Dwendal