Mountaintwin

Mountaintwin, the City of Two Wizards, the Twin Towers, the Free City is known for their scholars and knowledge in arcane arts. It hosts two Mastermages, rulers and some of the most powerful wizards in Ferdlan, whose knowledge and capabilities are limited only by their bodies. The University of Two Mages is one of the best arcane academies in Ferdlan and definitely the best in Settan. Its students are only those with the highest capabilities, motivation, and creativity. Those traits make later great wizards who can change and impact the world's development and knowledge in arcane arts. People from all over Settan come to the Great Library in the university in search of answers and knowledge.

Demographics

Humans - 30%

Halfings - 25%

Dwarves - 20%

Gnomes - 5%

Durans - 3%

Tutans - 1%

Spheretouched - 1%

Dragonborns - 1%

Others - 15%

Government

Power in Mountaintwin's government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary. The executive power lies in hands of two Mastermages, the Whitemage and the Blackmage. Those two titles pass down from Mastermages to their pupils when the time comes. These two powerful mages are also principals of the University of Two Mages and act as representatives of the Twin Towers. They are the highest rulers in the city, so every change in the major law of the city has to go through them and be accepted. Their responsibility is also sustaining magical wards guarding the city and repelling any great arcane threat.
The second most important structure of the government, which acts as the legislative power is the Arcane Council, consisting of 10 members. Each two of the members are a man and a woman chosen from each of the city's districts by citizens of each ward. They meet together every week to discuss city's matters and every month they have a meeting with the Mastermages. They are responsible for creating any law project and managing the minor law. Each pair of the councilmen can nominate candidates for official roles in the city, which get later chosen in voting. The council takes care of trade connections, the military power of the city, and natural resources management. The Arcane Council also functions as an ultimate power over Mastermages in case of conflict between those two.
The judiciary system is organized into small cells that operate in each of the wards. Trials are directed by three judges, all of them being residents of the district and chosen by the councilmen from the ward.

Code Legal (the shortened version):

Crimes against officials:

Unjustified murder of an official: Death

Non-lethal assault on an official: Yearly imprisonment or up to a 10-year exile.

Influencing an official using magic without appropriate consent: 20-year long exile

Bribery or blackmailing of an official: Fine of a minimum of 100 gold pieces or 5-year long exile

Crimes against the city:

Treason or espionage: Death or permanent exile

Thievery, arson, forgery, vandalism: Two-week imprisonment plus payment covering the cost of repairs and 100 gold pieces fine.

Inflicting chaos: Imprisonment or fine adequate to the size of the crime

Crimes against citizens

Unjustified murder of a citizen: Death or permanent exile

Assault on citizen: One-week imprisonment

Damaging property, robbery, burglary, blackmailing: Payment covering the cost of any repairs and up to 1,000 gold pieces fine.

Influencing a citizen using magic without appropriate consent: Fine of a minimum of 10 gold pieces or monthly imprisonment

Mastermages of the Free City of Mountaintwin, Sovereigns of the Arcane Lands of Two Wizards, and the Protectors of the Free People of Mountaintwin are rulers and leaders of the city. They were mostly considered to have been quite good rulers for some time, as they had only three major incidents that happened during their rulership while their predecessors had multiple every year. The Blackmage Veora Bazar is a woman mage that mastered the arts of evocation and conjuration under her master, the previous Blackmage Orthal Percivuis. The Whitemage Rudfork Shudempfeizer is a dwarven mage specializing in the arts of abjuration and illusion, by which he infuriated his master, the previous Whitemage Olgha Dragonwind, who tried to course him into the art of transmutation.

Defences

Mountaintwin has a few spells that passively protect the city from certain dangers. They are commonly referenced by the citizens as spell walls. The source that powers those spells is unknown and kept secret by the Mastermages:

Albreit's Dragon Demise - this is the most known spell wall that was cast by the Blackmage Albreit Thunderdome. Its effect keeps dragons (and only dragons, as dragonkin are not affected) from entering the city. This barrier's effect was described as the sudden flash of green lighting mixed with a thunderous noise that throws dragons almost a mile away from the city.

Talia's Divine Marker - this spell is recognized by everyone when it is activated. Whitemage Talia Malice has ensured with it that demigods will not mess with Mountaintwin without everyone knowing about it. Upon entering, a flash of white lighting is seen and a demigod is branded with an eight-pointed star.

Myzgart Dead Keeper - this spell was cast by the Blackmage Myzgart Thornak. It destroys the connection between the undead and the necromancer upon entering of the undead servant into Mountaintwin.

Infrastructure

Whole city is built around two peaks: Samun Peak and Weart Peak, on which there are built Twin Towers (named Samun and Weart). They are the highest buildings in the Mountaintwin. Two parts of the city are connected by enormous white marble Tower Bridge.

Districts

The city itself is divided into multiple wards. From a long distance, many people notice the Twin Towers and Tower Bridge, a magnificent structure connecting two peaks. It's about a hundred and fifty meters wide and over six hundred high, as its holding structure became another, separate ward of a city when people entrusted spells created by the founder Mastermages, which hold the bridge. Noone has yet managed to dispel them, not for the lack of trying.
The Bridge Ward consists of numerous levels of houses and mansions that are built into the extension of the Tower Bridge. Looking down from the bridge there are numerous balconies that extend out from rich establishments and villas. Easily to see those buildings are most definitely home to the rich and wealthy, who decided to settle beneath the majestic structure that is the Tower Bridge. Even though the outside of the Bridge Ward is surely a beautiful sight, the inside is far worse. First of all, the roads would be swallowed in complete darkness if not for the lighting system that has been developed by a group of innovative students about a century ago. Since then, the dark and dangerous streets of the Bridge Ward could be finally lit by the magically powered, light-blue lights.
Beyond that ward, there are also Black and White Ward, which are areas of buildings built on both mountains. There are located two parts of the University of Two Mages, most of the workshops and experimental sites, which are designed to protect the city from uncontrolled spells and technologies. Everything there is always steep and most of the commercial transport is enabled by airships. The university itself is divided into two enormous c-shaped buildings located on each mountain. Both of the mountains' infrastructures consist mostly of official buildings, cheap accommodation for students, workshops, and airdocks that appear every hundred meters of the mountains' height.
The Base Ward is an area built at the base of the mountain and further inland. Its infrastructure consists mostly of regular living sites, smaller shops and establishments, and the market of Mountaintwin, known for its numerous shows, parades, and festivals. Wide streets that circle around two mountains are placed between narrow and high houses that are rowed against each other. This ward is also surrounded by a city wall, which is not necessarily the most efficient. It was built due to the tradition that requires the city to have a wall and decorative needs.
The River Ward is located along the Arcane River. It is the smallest of wards and it is populated mostly by wealthy townspeople, mainly merchants that made quite a fortune on their business in the Dock Ward, and churches.
The Dock Ward is located along the coast of the Noth Sea, blossoming with trade and production. That prosperity is increased even more due to the connection to the Levitrain line, which goes through the city and connects it with multiple important settlements and locations. This is an area of workers, traders, sailors, and newcomers. Narrow sandy streets connect every corner of the ward like a maze, which smells of fish, water, and spice. The commotion is constant here, as everyone rushes to their errands and manages their business. The wide dock itself is home to numerous ships coming from every corner of the Noth Sea. It is always full of different people, wagons full of foreign goods, and the noisy merchants and entertainers.
The Twin Towers themselves are reaching high over any building, rising up from peaks of two mountains located near each other. They are also said to be the source of many spells that protect Mountaintwin from the great dangers of Ferdlan. The most known spell disables any dragon to enter the city. It does not affect dragonlikes apparently as any dragonborn can freely surpass this barrier.
The Samun Tower, also known as the Black Tower is located on the Black Peak, one further north, is a tower that was built by the first Blackmage Samun. Now it is home for Veora Bazar, the current Blackmage. The tower itself reaches about 200 meters in height and about 40 meters in diameter. It has been built in a way that it looks similar to a spiral staff with smooth black stone at the top of it. The surface of it is smooth and flawless and light comes inside only through magical windows designed by one of the Blackmages, which work perfectly identical to a window but only for one side. The inside of the giant orb at the top is mostly unknown as it is used as a private chamber for the Blackmage. It is said that its interior is completely under the control of Blackmage's thought and anyone leaving it to remember everything, but is magically incapable of describing anything inside.
The Weart Tower, home to the Whitemage Rudfork Shudempfeizer, the White Tower, located on the White Peak, one further south, is designed to appear almost palace-like. Its white surface is highly decorated and it has multiple additional extra little towers that are attached to its sides at different heights. Its diameter of 30 meters and height of 300 meters make it look like it would fall down onto the city at any moment, but the magical architecture of a tower makes it impossible to move from the peak. The top of the tower is open to visitors, but barely who makes it up the top, as the only way up is possible by the stairs. Any way of magical transportation from the stair makes a person teleport to the base of them. The view though is very astonishing and rewarding. Once atop one can see every part of the city and the sea to the east. Cold Mountains located to the west sometimes can be seen if clouds and fog do not cover them.

History

The legend of the Mountaintwin speaks of two ancient mages, ones of the first ones, who built astonishing towers on peaks of the Twin Mountains. Samun, the Blackmage, has built a tower darker than night, while Weart, the Whitemage, has built one that was brighter than sun. During this week when they were building the towers a great storm came and brought massive fog to the area. None of the wizards has known about the second one while building their own tower. After fog came down and wizards noticed each other, a conflict erupted. A conflict that lasted for millennia, passed down from master to student. Never have one wizard won over another. Only when two young students became Mastermages, a human boy and girl, things changed as a powerful love came in place of eternal conflict. They broke the tradition of their masters and decided to build a city around the Twin Towers.
Since then, the city has blossomed under the rule of the Mastermages, leaders of Mountaintwin. There was a time when it has been under the control of the Kingdom of Vilia, but those times have passed, as Mastermages became unsatisfied with the restriction of kings of Vilia. They separated from the nation and when it was threatened with invasion, Mastermages have shown their power and the wide extent of their might and power.

Points of interest

Mayhem Tavern - most famous tavern in the city

Geography

Black and white mountains are about a kilometer above the sea level

Founding Date

-1054 BG

Founders

• Brack Vorundar
• Melania Mooneath

Alternative Name(s)

Twin City, Two Towers

Type

Capital

Population

274,034

Inhabitant Demonym

Twinian

Location under

Settan

Additional Rulers/Owners

• Rudfork Shudempfeizer
• Veora Bazar

Ruling/Owning Rank

Mastermage of the Free City of Mountaintwin, Sovereign of the Arcane Lands of Two Wizards, and the Protector of the Free People of Mountaintwin

Owning Organization

The Free City of Mountaintwin

Characters in Location

• Hugo Monthero