Etekamo
The clouds form a ring above Etekamo, which is visible even from a great distance. Beneath this ring, strands of smog swirl above the city like grey-brown roots that descend from the sky and into corners of the city and out to sea in a brown wave of haze. Ships that approach the city often punch through this smog on their way in - but the air suddenly clears at the port's threshold.
The city is massive and sprawling. Twin dockyards flank either side of the massive black-water river, which turns the sea around it ashen-grey. Massive stone bridges cross the mile-wide river, hopping between then many dozens of swampy islands that have become miniature cityscapes. Some of these islands are tiny neighborhoods rising out of the river; others are quite sizeable city districts. Among the bridges, fleets of barges and ferries zip along the river. Floating fields and gardens punctuate the river, making it into a veritable maze. Huge swarms of Giant Lobster are herded through this maze by herders on stilts of gondolas.
The city itself is a mess of houses, market squares, shops, and temples. The buildings cluster together, squat squares capped with domes and spires. It is a mixture of wood, stone, and cement, forming together into a labyrinth packed tightly with people. But the chaos has internal order to it: every neighborhood has its own culture, dominant families, local militia, and social order. Some are dominated by the Windweavers, who live on isolated islands in a ring through the city and whose neighborhoods are often safe and self-sufficient. Some are riverworkers, farmers and fishermen who often try to make their own little slice of rural life in their neighborhoods. Some are chemical workers, whose cramped neighborhoods are a mishmash of cultures across Empire of Zerua, and whose chemically-burnt bodies unmistakably mark their professions. And some are the wealthy, who live in walled districts that act like their own little luxurious cities.
Etekamo has something for everyone. It is one of the top ten largest cities in the world: there is something for everyone here.
Demographics
It is said that over 1,000,000 humanoids live in Etekamo. 35% of the population are Dryads, 32% are Humans, 30% are Hybrids (mostly Half-Dryads), and 3% are Other.
Etekamo is ridiculously densely populated, and demographic numbers are in constant flux. This is both because of seasonal work migrations, and because of the extremely high death rates from disease and conditions.
Government
Etekamo is the seat of power for the Vice-Kingdom of Ibaisha, and the Princess of Ibaisha (currently Princess Maina Eramzir ). The Princess is the absolute authority over the city, though most day-to-day governance is done by the mayor. Mayors are appointed by the princess and operate as employees of the monarch.
Defences
Etekamo's ancient walls still stand, but are not well maintained and do little to actually protect the city. The only actually maintained fortifications for the city as a whole are the sea-side fortress. The Dragon's District, the Gold District, and the Crown District (the wealthy districts of the city) have their own stone walls and fortifications, though.
Industry & Trade
Etekamo is a mix of artisanal, agrarian, and industrial production. Wet rice and maize farming is big all through the swamplands, and floating fields span the width of the river. Giant Lobster ranching is huge, with herds numbering in the tens of thousands. Small workshop production is common here like in any city, though much of it is coordinated through corporate offices rather than guild halls.
The great factories of Etekamo are not for textiles or metals or clay: they are the great riverside chemical plants. These plants harvest volcanic ash from the water, isolate the chemicals, and process them in great vats to produce bleach, cooking powder, soap, soda, ash, and lime. Soda ash is then used to produce large quantities of glass for export and use. Gold and other precious metals are also filtered and smelted for coinage. This is dangerous but profitable work that attracts unemployed youths from across Ibaisha (and leaves many permanently scarred or disabled).
The center of Etekaman finance is the Ibaishan Stock Exchange, found in the Gold District. This stock market is the largest in the world and has attracted major operating centers from all of Zerua's corporations. The Big Three that rule the local region (Ibaisha) have the strongest presence here: The B&G Corporation (black and gold corporation), which runs the chemical plants and banks; The Aludarzir Corporation, which controls shipping and luxury imports; and The Iskariba Family Company, which manages the gunpowder factories and Windweavers.
Infrastructure
The city of Etekamo may be haphazardly designed in most ways, but beneath the chaos there are carefully designed systems for managing water, waste, and wind. These are designed more for the city as an economic unit than the average resident and not all Etekamans have sewer or water access, but many do.
More unique to Etekamo is the wind-channels and Windweaver isles: in order to control air pollution and purify the city of industrial, draconic, and volcanic poison, Windweaver colonies are positioned strategically around the city. These windweavers move wind in a specific, coordinated way to circulate air through the city and channel polluted air either out to sea or upriver to be either fully purified or pushed to the volcano. The reliability of the winds and air current around the city allow local households to reliably siphon winds to cool their homes with chimney-like towers.
Once the poisoned air is isolated and removed from the greater air stream, it is moved through large artificial canyon-canals to its final destination. These wind canals serve as garbage dumps and sewer passages. Farms have popped up throughout them to recycle these nutrients. And, more tragically, slums have popped up in and around these wind canals as the housing prices for Etekamo has increased. These slums are used as the dumping grounds for lepers, Gem Plague victims, and people who have been severely injured by the work of the city. In short, a way to hide away those people who are seen as undesirable. These slums technically do not exist in the eyes of the state, and the city averts its eyes; but the wind canals nonetheless infect near every snake in the city with Gem Plague and serve as plague cauldrons for all kinds of epidemic diseases.
Guilds and Factions
The Guild is dead. Long live the Corporation.
The Princess and Empire rule above all, but below them the corporations run much of the city. A group of twelve corporations run much of the trade and business around here, but the "Big Three" rule above them all and have become synonymous with the city government. The B & G Corporation runs the banks and the chemical plants, and has a strangehold over much of the economy; the Iskariba Family Company runs the city guard and windweavers, and is buried into the government to such and extent that the two are indistinguishable; and the Aludarzir Corporation runs the dockyards.
As for a few middling companies: The BLCG company manages all gambling in the city, and it is an open secret that they are deeply connected with the criminal syndicate known as The Circles. The Faluzwa Company manages much of the leatherworking and butcher's shops. The Krishta Corporation is the biggest name in agribusiness, but is a deeply internally divided company which the Big Three often fight over.
History
Etekamo was founded in 916 ME after the 914 ME eruption devastated the region. By 1050 ME, Etekamo had risen to prominence as the largest and most prosperous of Ibaisha's cities. Much of Etekamo's history is synonymous with Ibaisha's history: Etekamo was the cradle of The Circles and the fortunes of the city and the kingdom were deeply connected.
Architecture
Etekaman builds often have raised foundations, squat bases, and small spires or towers with sloping roofs. Corbelled arches (arches that point upward sharply at the top) and recessed windows (windows that are sunken in the structure wall) are common. Buildings often cluster together, with little to no space between structures. Architecture is dark, though more carefully designed spaces make sure to make the most every window.
Most houses have basements, cellars, and even sub-basements, beneath their raised foundations. These underground spaces tend to be quite wet, especially in the mid-river parts of the city. The wet and mucky floors make them uncomfortable living spaces, but they do have natural refrigeration during the summers. Wet-ground cellars can even be built to fully refrigerate dairy and other spoilable goods.
Speaking of cooling, most houses have chimney-like structures known as windcatchers, which siphon cool winds into the house. Better-to-do houses have movable grates over these that allow them to be closed during winter.
Larger monumental buildings often have domes, spires, or spires on top of domes.
Geography
Etekamo sits on the estuary of the great Belikoi river, which is a massive river that is black with volcanic ash. Etekamo sprawls across the river islands, the swamplands, and the great banks of the river
Founding Date
916 ME
Type
Metropolis
Population
1,000,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Etekaman
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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