Galacia
View on the Cannaregio Canal, Venice, by Franceso Guardi
Districts of Galacia
The city of Galacia has four major districts, two on the north bank of the Rio Gallenda, one straddling the banks of the river, and another on the South Bank. The eldest and wealthiest of these distrcits are on the northern bank, being comparatively newer heaving south. The Citadel: Built around the continually modified and improved upon old fortress of Galacia, the Citadel is a walled off interior section of the city hosting the Royal Palace, and the Royal Arsenal, as well as housing for the civil service, and the military.Old Galacia: Protected by the old Epinine Walls, Old Galacia is the first of the city's districts to pop up around the citadel. Old Galacia is host to the city's aristocracy, merchants, and some skilled craftspeople as well as its oldest markets and financial institutions.
River District: Built up along the Rio Gallenda the River District is where the city's ports, most of its markets, and other industries are located. This means that the River District has become the economic heart of the city.
The deGalacia District: Established as a work camp by Rodrgio deGalacia to build the Rodrigan Walls around the wider city, the deGalacia District has since remained the primary recruitment grounds for unskilled labor in major construction projects.
Important Locations
The Ravens Headquarters: The headquarters, and chief recruitment office for the Ravens, the largest and most successful mercenary company operating in Gallaca. They are often a good place to seek out employment.The Temple of Sielo: Dedicated to the God of the Sky, the Temple of Sielo serves as a local hub for those wishing for rains and good harvest. It is also the largest temple, and that most capable of providing services.
Victory Square: Founded after the defeat of the Felorans at the Battle of Toresilles, Victory square is the primary central marketplace and public scquare in the city of Galacia, and the core of its public life.
The Mercenary Guild: The Mercenary Guild is a common place to go for independent mercenaries and and small bands, to pick up contracts, get into contact with with employers. It has become the central hub of activity for adventuring parties as a result.
The Thieves' Guild: A professionalized group of the city's underclass, the Thieves' Guild is the quasi-legal front for criminal activity, and a centralizing place for roguish types. It is barely tolerated by the monarchy, who allows to continue existing only as it can reign in the activities of the guild rather than trying to eliminate every cutpurse and cutthroat in the city.
Siena Family Ironworks: The largest industrial center of the city, the Siena Family works is a large blacksmiths shop managed by the Siena Family, who are some of the finest craftspeople in the city, including a handful of mages capable of crafting magic arms and armor.
The Ragged Flagon: The primary adventurer's pub in the city, the Ragged Flagon is a common place for those seeking companions in adventure to meet each other, and plan expeditions.
Demographics
The city of Galacia has a population of 55,827, and is the largest city in Gallaca. The entire body of the city consists of Free subjects of the realm, as no serfs are allowed to premanently reside in the city, and the concept of citizenship doesn't really exist in Gallaca. The population of the city is primarily of the Gallegan ethnicity with smaller numbers of Lanternian, and Elleryc people living in the city, most nonhumans are halflings of the Elleryc ethnicity with smaller numbers of dwarves of the Cyrenic and Volgier ethnicity.
Government
The city of Galacia is part of the Royal Demesne of the reigning monarch, and as such is under the complete control of Isabel II Tortega. She is responsible for most of the legislation in the city, and directly appoints officials to act on her behalf. The city of Galacia has a modest civil service, predominantly tax collectors, and census takers, as well as a sizable military garrison.
Defences
Galacia maintains an extensive garrison for a city its size, with nearly 1,000 soldiers being garrisoned in the city when not on campaign, on top of a city watch of roughly 450 soldiers, and a part time militia numbering roughly as many. The city is also protected by its system of walls with the Rodrigan Walls, and the Epinine Wall protecting the city, and the Citadel protecting the palace, these walls have been reinforced with Ballistae to protect against aerial attack, and in the case of the Rodrigan Walls and the Citadel mounting cannon against ships and ground troops.
Industry & Trade
Galacia maintains a modest industrial base, relying solely on the efforts of skilled individual craftspeople to produce most nonfood goods in the city. The only major exception to this is the city's shipwright which is a significant manufactorial work. Galacia is near the end of the southern coastal trade route and well past its major Aeillan and Hadar ports. It is a major market settlement, but does not have quite the abundance of international goods of those closer to the core, but one can see a fair variety of manufacture goods and exotic produce in Galacian markets.
Infrastructure
The city of Galacia has little in the way of civil infrastructure. Galacia has no system of waterworks to pipe water into the city, and waste out, but must instead rely on wells and water drawn from upstream to drink, and relies on the river to push waste out. The city does however have a fairly well maintained road network with most of the streets being paved, and designed to move waste away from the wealthier quarters of the city. Streetlights are nonexistent, as are larger infrastructural assets other than the two walls that ring the city.
Guilds and Factions
The city of Galacia maintains a relatively well balanced power structure for those underneath the Queen. Power is shared, and competed for between the various mercenary organizations, the civil service, as well as a powerful guild in the form of the Seaman's Guild (responsible for navigators, sailors, and travelling merchants). Galacian politics is largely a dance macbre between these influences, largely kept in check by the Queen, but occasionally fueled by the intervention of the Thieves' Guild.
History
The city of Galacia was initially founded as a military headquarters by the Aeillan Army during their conquest of the region. However, as time continued, and Gallaca developed into a proper province, the military headquarters steadily expanded and took on political clout, which was reinforced when it was officially made a city, and given over to the governor of the province. Galacia, as a result became one of the largest and most important cities on the frontier.
When Gallaca was made into a quasi-independent client state of the Aeillan Empire Galacia continued its existence as the political capital of Gallaca. The city continued to grow, particularly when the shipbuilders of the Rio Gallenda began to congregate in and around Galacia. When the Feloran Invasions came to Gallaca, Galacia was one of the primary recruitment and manufacuturing centers of the Kingdom and, as a result came under siege three times before the Felorans were driven back at the Battle of Toresilles. Galacia would regain new life after the war, and after Gallaca became formally independent from the Aeillan Empire.
In the Era of Reforging, the city of Galacia would slowly go into decline as the Kingdom of Gallaca began to fracture, and as power in the Kingdom began to decentralize. The increasing violence necessitated the increasing fortification of the city, and the Rodrigan Walls were built encircling once again the whole city. Under the reign of Isabel II however, the city has regained much of its old importance however, as the Queen has begun to consolidate her urban power bases in an effort to disempower the nobility, and eventually to eliinate banditry in her nation.
Geography
The city of Galacia is built, in the traditional style of cities in Southwestern Galisea, with the political centers in the highlands. The citadel itself was established on the Palatino Hill, and the old city was established in the highlands around Palatino Hill, to the south of the Rio Gallenda. The River District was built up along the banks of the river, outside the old Epinine Wall. On the northern bank are the newest parts of the city with many of the city's poor located here as well.
Founding Date
AE 86
Type
Large city
Population
55,827
Inhabitant Demonym
Galacian
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
