Daverne

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In the east of fallen Pinar lies Daverne, a city built for the shade. Located on a bend of the Melor River, Daverne was a city designed to bring the elves of the Dread Forest and the Orcs of the Sea of Planting together, allowing the two races to do business in a neutral setting. It grew quickly, and served as a nexus of trade between elves, Orcs, and the various peoples of the eastern region.
The city was originally built on land unclaimed by any Orc clan, so as not to disturb ancestral sites. However, in doing so, the elves inadvertently built a large portion of the city over top of a portal to the Shadowfell. Legends from before the Convergence state that the mingling of elvish magic and the power of the Shadowfell plane gave rise to the Drow, a race of elves who are wielders of both the arcane magic common to fey and the more subtle magics that arise from the shadows. As such, Daverne is regarded as the birthplace of the Drow, many of whom are rumored to be sealed far below the city.
In the present, Daverne is a city of refugees, housing many of the families that once farmed in the Sea of Planting, which was decimated by a drought and subsequent famine some years ago. It still thrives as a trading center, and has been home to several Orc clans, as well as other conclaves of races such as gnomes, dwarves, halflings, etc. The portal that so changed the Drow was sealed in 840 PC, causing a large boom of growth as the city expanded. It is assumed that, with the portal sealed, elves are now safe to dwell in the city without fear of becoming altered in the same way as the Drow, but few choose to do so.

Demographics

Originally a drow city, Daverne currently houses mainly Plains refugees of different races. Most of the races have claimed areas of the city for themselves, leading to a patchwork city with many sub-towns contained within.
The major presences include several clans of Orcs, dwarven families, and gnomes, as well as humans. The largest colony of Drow in Pinar dwells underneath the city.

Government

Each sub-town has its own set of rules and governments, usually mirroring the typical structure of their culture's law system. If the city as a whole requires a ruling, the heads of each of the sub-towns will come together and make decisions.

Industry & Trade

The majority of the city thrives on trade with Meloria or the towns to the east, exchanging food crops, cloth, and goods from the river for other essential items. This has become even more vital as the farms that once dotted the plain to the south have dried out and stopped producing.

Infrastructure

While the original infrastructure has long since been buried, the current city sports well-maintained roads, walls, and public spaces such as parks. As a waterside trading city, some of the business that comes through Daverne utilizes its docks, but there's still a good amount of traffic on the in-bound roads.

History

Daverne is considered by most to be the first large city of the Plains, with mentions of it in historical texts well before the other major city of Meloria was conceived.

Geography

Nestled in the crook of the River Melor, Daverne lies on the corner of the Plains, across the river from the Dread Forest.

Maps

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  Daverne

Type

City

Population

25,000

Related Ethnicities

• Drow

Location under

Plains