Sartonia
Living Beyond Valone
Sartonia is a Valonian city of Valonia Empire. A former east frontier town during the kingdom era, it's the first Valonian settlement after the capital Valone as an attempt to expend Valonian territory. Found in 284 BVE by the river of Dirwen, it was named after the famous king Sarton.
Sartonia stands between Valone and Vinor, it serves as a suburban city for valonians to take a quiet life away from crowded walled capital city. In fact, it's the closest one.
Government
Like many settlements over the orignial kingdom territory, also known as Valonia Province, Sartonia is primary ruled by Catasturion, with their legion stationing here ready to be called. They work together with the local office to take care of this city functional and clean.
Industry & Trade
Sartonia are the large suuplier of papyrus, the fiber plants used in papers, which is imported from the middle region of South Estisia. For internal consumption, they rely on freshwater fishes all year round and vegetables during rainy season caltivating on a decent floodplain.
In addition to these, they collect tolls from everyone who's passing through the Dirwen river, though heavily regulated.
History
Founding
It was the vision of king Ikanos to expend the kingdom beyond Valone. After his political reformation in 295 BVE, three years after his father's assasinaion, he saw the opportunity to further protect Valone from external threats. However, they had never did any conquest before - Valonia was always meant to be the city-state. Despite his reformed senate, it took years to convince his advisers and citizens to enact "the peacetime conquest" policy.
In 285 BVE, the legion started marching upsteam along the Dirwen River. There was possiblr no records if he encountered any native people there, but he finally constructed a military camp, which became the city center. The road connecting to Valone began afterward. However, Valonians had already migrate here on impressive rate, many due to finding opportunities to set up new life, make fortunes, or just to take vacations.
With more people came more builders. Using knowledge of Valonian construction, essential infrastructures like water and sewer system were built, and the town quickly became bustling - in only a single year. Sartonia had became self-sustainable with thousands habitants, and when Ikanos formed the local government with permanent legions, he declared it as the success.
These city founding knowledge gathered from Sartonia had been used for future settlements such as Eulesiria, Auqapus, and so on.
First Frontier
Sartonia became one of the popular city after Valone, but also important on military stretegy. It trained much of the legionaries to feed into the capital and the kingdom as a whole. It's changed when the Empire of Kritus declared war on Valonia in 32 BVE. The first city to besiege was undeniably Sartonia. However, the army led by Dominus The Conqueror had outnumbered them and thus be occupied within weeks.
The Fall of Sartonia contributed the shorter wartime of the War of the Old lord. One of the event that is the infamous Horsepower Genocide was believed to start here. The city was then reclaimed by Angus Iris of the First Sacked a few years later, yet unable to control it for long before his group dissolved.
In 15 BVE, Sartonia once again became strategic place after the The Uprise of Purple Blast erupted inside Valone. The same Dominus escaped to the city and deploy the legion to reclaim it back on the Third Siege of Valone. However, he lost the battle, and by the start of 14 BVE, Sartonia was liberated by the king Valus.
Post-War
Nowaday, Sartonia is no longer the frontier city. Instead, it acts as a eastern outpost of Valonia Province, and also become less crowded. Still, a popular city to take a visit and worth protecting for.
Nice settlement article. I love its backstory, and the fact it's a place to live outside the capital but still kind of a big city.