Nnique (/nike/)

The capital city of Tareli, Nnique is a city within the Querian Empire and widely considered to be the oldest on the Continent.

Districts

Nnique currently boasts 23 primary districts. At the center of the city is the largest district, the Temple District, named for its large number of religious buildings and places of worship. Due to the size of the population, many districts contain a mix of residential and commercial facilities and are named for the primary population or original purpose.

Lowtown

The southern sector of the city, Lowtown is the oldest; containing much of the infrastructure and population of the city pre-Empire. Most notably, a section of land directly bordering the Temple District, aptly named "Oldtown", contains the ancient remains of what the town was during the Endless Night.
Lowtown contains primarily residential and agricultural districts, with one large mercantile district trading locally sourced or made products at low prices. Perhaps most infamous of the districts is the Black Market district, where controlled or magical substances are smuggled to be traded in and out of the city, and though this is a widely known fact, members of the district have paid law enforcement to look the other way, and have tight links to the local criminal guilds who provide protection.
It is important to note that many travellers, refugees and settlers from other lands who end up in Nnique will often be housed in Lowtown, in one of the worn-down residential districts, and are largely ignored by the city's elite.

Hightown

Built and expanded upon with the introduction of the Querian Empire, Hightown is home to mostly ambassadors, rich merchants and court-appointed council members. The Council District contains city hall and the residence of most lawmakers and people of importance, and a small Court Magi District trains and houses selected Magi to be elevated to court in the future.
Though the reputation of its western residential district is primarily positive, reports from younger residents and people who have moved away suggest that the rate of violent crime is high; perhaps as high if not higher than that of the infamous Lowtown districts. This may be due to a divide in living standards between this district and their neighboring towns, or perhaps between the more affluent members of the district itself and its younger, less well-off members.

History

The founding date of Nnique is widely debated, with no evidence seeming to exist of its initial creation. Scholars believe the city to have been built shortly post-Cataclysm, and a combination of ruins towards the edge of the city and surviving architecture provide evidence of that belief. The earliest documentation of the city comes during the Endless Night in a fragment of a commoner's journal, describing Nnique as a 'haven for the broken', suggesting the city may have initially been founded as a shelter for refugees from the Cataclysm.

Pre-Empire Settlement (0 N.A. - 150N.A.)

Early residents within Nnique were largely Querians whose ancestors had sought a stable shelter and support network during the Night. During this time the city was largely self-governed by a council of representatives who organised those who were capable of working or already working into groups to provide for the city.
As the population of Nnique increased, these groups branched off into their own self-governed organisations, and by 96 N.A. the city council was taken into the supervision of the newly rising monarchy in Queria. It was at this time that the city was named capital of Tareli, and under the new monarchy the resources and funds to increase the city's bounds were received. A city hall was built on the northwest end of town, replacing the much smaller town hall that had already existed, and representatives of the old council were joined by those elected by the monarchy.

Early Querian Empire (150 N.A. - 300 N.A.)

During the early days of the Empire, Nnique had grown to be a cultural center for peoples from all over the world. Districts within the city had arisen containing settlers and traders from other countries, and this would only increase as the reigning monarch crowned herself Empress, beginning a crusade to increase her influence across the Continent.
With the size of the city and the funding coming from external sources, a class divide began to grow within the city and, with it, rose a handful of crime-based guilds and gangs. While the average quality of life had risen, those who could not keep up with the demands of this new regime were left in the dust, and their districts began to fall to crime and decay. The expansion of the Empire was also draining resources from its settlements, and this era, between approximately 190 N.A. and 250 N.A., was considered the height of crime and corruption within the city.

Modern Day (300N.A. - Present)

As the Empire settled into its new power, so too did Nnique settle into its new governance. The Council was slowly replaced with one entirely consisting of Empire-vetted representatives, keeping the illusion of a self-governed city while still directly answering to the Empress. The underground crime culture settled to a couple of districts that became renowned for their danger (though residents argue otherwise).
These days the city of Nnique is a bustling, populous settlement boasting a combination of ancient and modern architecture, a rich and mysterious history, and the largest population of foreign settlers in the Empire.

Founding Date

Unknown

Type

City

Population

2.5 million

Inhabitant Demonym

Nniqiann

Location under

Querian Empire

Owning Organization

The Empire of Queria