London (luhn-duhn)
The Eternal City. Albion's Pearl. Luxian's Light.
London has had many monikers throughout history, most of which avoid the realities of a major city, namely that they tend to be rat-infested open sewers overflowing with the effluvia of humanity.
Or at least that's how the elves would describe it.
In truth, London is a major hub for just about everything imaginable. There are the legitimate markets, both magical and mundane, of course, but there's also the pale, clammy underbelly that creeps down alleyways and beneath the city proper, in and among the ancient city's ruins and catacombs.
So it has always been.
So it will always be.
Demographics
As a trading hub, London sees a lot more unusual people than most of the rest of Albion. While there are plenty of fae, feylings, and elves like the rest of Albion, London also sees a significant number of kender, hurokin, and beastfolk. Dwarves and gnomes don't tend to settle in London, seeing it as too noisy and too far away from the business they prefer to conduct, but there are certainly some around. Likewise, elementals of all stripes and concubi tend to avoid cities in the earlier eras (pre-1900) due to bigotry. Of course, some enter regardless.
Financially, there are massive fluctuations over time, from absolute, enforced equality, to wildly out of control inequality.
Districts
Guilds and Factions
History
London was once little more than a bridge over the river Thames, until a part of the Roman exploratory team decided to set up camp there, calling it "Linden Grove", which over time became known simply as "Linden". Native Britons traded with the Roman explorers, and over time the camp became a trading post, then a village, and so on over the next thousand years.
By the 1000s, London was already a thriving city, convenient for its riverside ports, road networks, and lush countryside. Some of the first magical schools were formed during this period, turning magic from something that was taught by a master to single apprentice, into something that could be taught at scale.
By the 1700s, London was an internationally known metropolis, fascinating millions who would turn up for regular holidays and events which couldn't be seen anywhere else, such as The Great Hunt, May Day, or public druid ceremonies for the solstices and equinoxes.
By the end of the 19th century, London's influence was on the decline. The economy was in shambles, poverty and crime were rampant, and the ruling classes cared only for their own interests. From January to June of 1900, workers staged the largest protest in London's history, bringing the government officials to their knees and forcing a dramatic redistribution of wealth. Nobility was abolished entirely, having been on the decline since the early 1700s, and massive public works projects were undertaken to improve the everyday lives of London's population, no matter their station.
Well into the 21st century, London is still a major hub for trade, both magical and mundane. While its influence never regained the heights seen in the 1700s, it is considered a city unparalleled in its acceptance of all manner of fey and elves, and its development of magical theories and technology.
Architecture
Climate
London, like most of Albion, is very damp, with warm, wet summers and cold, frosty winters. London in particular tends to run to the extremes of Albion's climate, due to its underground network of tunnels, caves, and catacombs.
The architecture is SO interesting to me, so thought out with the different classes too!