Sicerrone

"Our beloved capital was the heart of our nation, and it will be once again. Our people are the blood that fuels it and we have not been defeated, only slowed. We will rebuild it larger and greater than our fathers could imagine and the world over will envy what we create here." - Lucius Besson, Duke of Sicerrone and Marquis of La Patria

What is now known as Sicerrone is the second city of La Patria to be known by that name. The first one, now referred to as Old Sicerrone, was the previous capital of La Patria and was destroyed by the forces of the Fourth Archmagi during The War of Magi Ascension. Old Sicerrone had been razed to the ground and remains a ruin up the river from the current city. Lucius Besson became a hero during the war and took over the mantle of Marquis from his father upon his return. He decreed that the city would be rebuilt downriver in the gulf by Jerun's Strait. They repurposed what materials were worth doing so from the old city and called upon favors from their wartime allies to assist in the construction. With the Dwehrlen and Ehlen at their backs, it took just a few decades to complete and populate, and the city has been flourishing ever since.
Now moved to the gulf, Sicerrone was now positioned right where the waterways meet between La Patria, Das Konigreich, and The Freelands. This was an essential location that established Sicerrone as the premier trading capital within Nora. The Ehlen and Dwehrlen can take well-established roads or sail Jerun's Strait directly into the city harbors. Tamaha and Vasileio have a clear line straight through while it is a short sailing trip down the coastline for the Ehrlen of Mahangangahere. Being centrally located to most nations brings an appeal to the city as a meeting ground for merchants, saving valuable time on what some might consider an impossible trip for a trading vessel.

Tight Construction

The actual city was built originally in sections like many others before it. First to be constructed was the Manor of the Marquis along with its own private docks and secluding walls. From there it spread across the southern side of the river to include an embassy, guard barracks, and noble housing before developing the rest of this side of the river to provide common housing and some entertainment structures for future residents. The northern side of the river was reserved for elaborate docks and warehouses by the coast, spreading to cover craftsman facilities and halls for the various guilds across La Patria. Flowing inland is the marketplace of Sicerrone, said to only be rivaled in size by the markets of Bakison. It is surrounded by a string of solid buildings for permanently established storefronts with the center open to be filled with tents and stalls from any vendor who secures a seller's license. The spots are first-come-first-serve which has led to many conflicts in the marketplace. Needless to say, the markets are heavily supervised by the city guards.
Stretching up the river from the marketplace lies a series of bars, inns, and restaurants to serve the many visitors passing through. These buildings are often intentionally grouped to offer a variety and encourage competition with one another. It is among these that the Ivory Tower can be found, an immaculate structure to serve as a hub for Arcane Magick practitioners and constructed as an antithesis of The Collective that destroyed Old Sicerrone. Further inland, the city becomes a patchwork of common housing and occasional ramshackle buildings. This is where the impoverished citizens of Sicerrone live as the area is marred by a hasty move to finish construction of the city and receives heavy foot traffic from those skirting the marketplace or guild halls.
Sicerrone is surrounded by thick walls and guarded checkpoint gates to serve as both points of protection and tax collection. The guards have been trained thoroughly and given all the resources they need to ensure that the city will remain safe and prevent what happened to the previous capital. The river flowing through the city has been reformed as a canal with several gates to allow smaller vessels to travel through the city in a controlled manner. Beneath the river and the city blueprint lies an elaborate sewer system, designed to keep the city streets clean and sanitary with such a dense population within its walls. It is down here that The Undermarket can be found, a not-so-secret black market operating directly beneath the city.

Current Leader - Lucius Besson City Emblems
The sigil for the city is the Golden Roc, a Magickal Beast local to La Patria. Sicerrone guards carry elaborate halberds and wear yellow tabards with the golden bird sewn into them so that they can be easily recognized by foreigners. The city allows many trade goods to pass through its walls, but Golden Rocs and Crystal Ibexes remain protected species of the nation and any materials from their actual bodies remain strictly forbidden and can be punished with a range of extended imprisonment or even death.
Population Variety
Whereas the previous capital was almost entirely comprised of Humans, they now make up roughly half the population of Sicerrone today. Dwehrlen and Ehlen tie for second with an evenly spread mix while it is not uncommon to see Dahlen and Ehrlen roaming the market streets. Ohrlen, Hidefolk, and Shellfolk are rare, but not entirely unseen.

Cultural Explosion

Trade between Nioyaathep and Vasileio was previously thought impossible due to massive distance between the two nations. The cost of travel would be too high to justify any attempt. Through a combination of it's pristine location and relaxed taxing of imports, Sicerrone has attracted traders from every known nation. This has allowed a bridge of interchange to stretch all the way from Nioyaathep to Vasileio. Unintentionally, this has led to the largest advance in cultural exchange in the world's histories. The city's market has become a melting pot of all cultures with vendors shaking hands and trading products and ideas with those who they would have never been able to reach before.