Troinae (/ trɔɪneɪ /)
Τροινέι
Jupiter Pluvius, ancient Greek city of Lebadeia by Joseph Gandy
As you enter the city of Troinae, you see before you another ancient city. The many statues, and great monuments to the works of philosophers past dominate the city's skyline. Much of these vestiges of an old world have lost their luster however, as when you look down, you see roving bodies of mercenaries using intimidation to keep the peace, and a disquieting sense of unease among the common folk.The city of Troinae, also known as the City of Philosophers is an old, prominent city known for its disproportionately large population of philosophers, lecturers, and other associated wise people. This situation led, formerly at least, rule by 'enlightened despots' who established their legitimacy through nominally superior virtues and logic instead of by divine right or military force.
Wards of Troinae
There are 7 major wards of Troinae, stretched across the River Tyros. These wards have grown up along the Tyros with the newest, least connected, and ultimately, poorest, stretching west along the coast of the River. The oldest districts are located within the city wall and near the Great Temple.Philosopher's Way: The Philosopher's Way, located on Capitoline Hill, on the banks of a branch of the Tyros, is one of the elder districts, and it's most powerful. Here are the homes of the philosophers, the nobility, and the wealthiest merchants, as well as the Palace and the Temple.
The Troinary: The Troinary is the second walled district, and is home to the city's markets, and the center of its skilled trades. Though the philosopher's claim all the power for themselves, the ascendant mercantile class has established a few influential guilds from this district.
Northgate: A trans-wall section of the city, Northgate is one of the last few districts that is, in part, within the walls, not populated by the relatively well off. It is a district in decline as the wealthy, philosopher class, and nobility have begun to push out the freemen in the district.
The Estates: Outside the walls, the Estates are host to the vineyards that produce wine for the city. The products of the Estates are highly sought after by other Aeillans.
The Rocks and the Mills: The Rocks and the Mills are the locations of the tiny manufactories that have just begun to spring up in the city, as well as housing for the people working in them.
Ragtown: Ragtown is a burgeoning slum at the edge of the city, home to much of the poor freemen, and a source for extra labor whenever the city's slaves cannot provide enough.
Blackwharf: Blackwharf is home to the ports of the city around which another slum has grown.
Important Locations
The Pantheon: Erected by Ancient Troinar King Eumenides of Troinae, largely as a monument to his personal glory, the Pantheon eventually became a temple dedicated to the whole of the Aeillan Pandroi Pantheon. Here one can obtain a number of clerical services.The Symposium: Located near the Temple itself the Symposium is a large, theater-like, building that has long been used by philosophers as a place to lecture to the masses, or to debate other philosophers.
The Black Wharf: As the centerpiece of the Blackwharf District, the Black Wharf is often used, largely for its distance from the city center, as a meeting place for illicit trade and illicit activity.
The Misthopídaea: The real power behind the Kingdom of Troinae, the Misthopídaea is the headquarters of the mercenary bands that keep order in Troinae.
Demographics
The city of Troinae has a recorded, settled population of 21,648 people. Only a tiny proportion of this population are considered full citizens with a large population of, largely poor, noncitizen freemen (12,151) people, and another large population (6,642) of slaves. The overwhelming majority of the population is human, particularly of the Tyroi Aeillan ethnic group. By law, free nonhumans cannot reside in the city of Troinae, though there is a large population of Orcish and Kenku peoples, that are held as slaves by the ruling classes, largely for manual labor.
Government
The city of Troinae is governed directly by the Philsopher King of the Kingdom, who rules essentially with an iron fist. Though nominally ruling as an enlightened despot, the day-to-day ruling of the city is almost exclusively conducted through the actions of the city's mercenaries who largely collect taxes that they use to enrich themselves at the expense of the local populace. There is a small civil service, though it has increasingly been displaced by the robber guards.
Defences
The city of Troinae's primary defense is the extensive population of mercenaries that have largely been enforcers of the will of the King of Troinae. There are roughly 500 mercenaries who live permanently in the city and serve as its primary defenders from foes both foreign and domestic. Additionally, there are 80 or so city watchmen who are supposed to keep the peace and maintain law and order in the city. The wealthier parts of the city are protected by the city's wall which is an impressive if aging structure.
Industry & Trade
Troinae is home to comparatively little in the way of organized industry, with the manufacturing power of the city almost exclusively placed in the hands of mostly independent, skilled craftspeople. Guild tradesmen have become more common in recent years, however, as people grow increasingly resentful of the iron-fisted rule of Filipe I. Most of the trade-in Troinae is conducted through the Tyros River, which serves as the primary route of intercity transit for it.
Infrastructure
The city of Troinae has only a limited infrastructure. Freshwater is supplied to the city by a single aqueduct, or directly by some of the smaller, cleaner, brooks that exist within the city. Roads within the walls are paved, and fairly well cared for, though they rapidly deteriorate outside the city wall. The sewer system is primitive and covers primarily the wealthier districts of the city. There are no streetlights or other works of magical infrastructure.
Guilds and Factions
Inside the city of Troinae, a number of dissident factions have arisen since the coup against the Exarchate. The largest and most influential of these is the 300, a group of Philosophers, nobles, and philosopher-nobles, who represent the old guard of the city's elite, who are angry at the rule of a 'foreign' king, and especially at the heavy-handed tactics that the King rules. The second is the United Journeymen, a Trade Guild that has been established to defend the interests of skilled workers in the city.
History
The city of Troinae was growing up in the early post-Yulani Period, with the establishment of the city coming at the hands of King Eumenides, an egotistic noble and the first of the 'Enlightened Despots' to come to rule Troinae. The old city became one of the most prominent city-states to exist on the Tyros River, resisting the expansion of the Ilosi Republic, and one of the last states to be subsumed into the Aeillan Empire during its foundation.
During the Imperial Period, thanks to the efforts of a number of rulers who favored the legitimacy of the learned, the city of Troinae became known as a haven for philosophers and other learned people. Each new ruler of the city was anointed by the city's philosophers, who were often the teachers of the future ruler. This period became something like a golden age for the city, as it, protected by the Empire remained stable and prosperous. This situation even continued when the city came under Feloran occupation after the Second Feloran War, and before the Third.
After the fall of the Empire, the city of Troinae fell into a genteel decline, as its position near the eastern fringes of the Aeillan territory meant as the Aeillan core contracted, it lost its relative peace and security and fell victim to the warfare between successor states. The coup against Troinae has exacerbated these troubles, hastened the economic decline of the city, and for the first time in nearly four centuries, the population of the city has actively gone into a steep decline.
Geography
The city of Troinae is centered on the hilly slopes overlooking the River Tyros. The wealthiest parts of the city are located on the hill, which makes it the defining geographic feature of Troinae. As time has passed, the city grew along the river, with districts generally progressively moving westward along the easier terrain. Agriculture occurs largely to the north of the walled-off city, with the south being comparatively undeveloped.
Map of Troinae by Javak
Founding Date
EF 191
Type
Large city
Population
21,648
Inhabitant Demonym
Troinar
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
