Beryl
Beryl is the largest of the Jeweled Cities. It sits on the mouth of the Red River, covering not only the mainland coast but also several nearby islands. The citizens of Beryl take pride in how they've 'conquered' the coast and built what is undeniably the most impressive of the Jeweled Cities in ambition and size.
Demographics
The people of Beryl are predominantly Gemspeakers and natives of the Gold Coast, though Beryl has grown large enough that it has small enclaves of Firelanders, People of Sun and River, Imperials, Roselanders, and even members of the Ivory Savanna Tribes, who decided to leave their families and stay within the walls of the city permanently. Outside the walls, in the tent neighborhoods around Beryl, there are enclaves of the Ivory Savanna tribesmen who come to trade their goods for items they do not make themselves, though most of these are transient.
Government
Beryl is, in many ways, the quintessential Jeweled City. The Prince rules the city with the help (and hindrance) of the Merchant Families. The Prince serves until his death, at which time the Merchant Families will elect a new Prince from their ranks. A Prince must balance his own interests with that of his rival families, lest his family lose influence after his passing. Merchant Families are given licenses and permits to handle different areas of civic and economic duties. There is a council of Beryl which is composed of members of the Merchant Families. In theory, they are elected to the council. In actuality, votes are bought before they are cast. The Prince has the right to veto anything that he disapproves of.
On paper, the Prince, Sandro Vasari, has total control, but it is a well-known but only whispered fact in Beryl and throughout the Jeweled Coast that the true power in Beryl is the Prince's powerful older sister, Salonia Vasari, who has his ear. Between the two of them, she is the far more dangerous one, though she holds no official title. Of course, none would be so foolish as to accuse the Vasari family's prince of being weak. At least not where there would be enough witnesses to vouch to that effect.
Defences
The Beryl Guard is stretched thin, even with its large ranks, as Beryl is a very large city to try to patrol. With Beryl spread out across three islands and the mainland, connected by a series of bridges, it actually is one of the least secure of the Jeweled Cities. However, what it lacks in natural defenses, it makes up for in funding. While the Beryl Guard is stretched thin, Beryl and its Council maintain a very large budget for mercenaries. This includes both mercenary fleets and companies that are tasked with proactively responding to threats before they can threaten the city proper.
There are still walls and towers and the advantage of having so many parts is that if one area falls, the city does not fall. Anyone who intends to conquer Beryl would have to fight for it, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Districts
The Dragon's Citadel
The Dragon's Citadel is the seat of Beryl's government, where the Prince's Palace and the council are, as well as many other administrative buildings. At the top of the palace, built at the highest point of Beryl, sits the Council Building, topped with many spires that each ring out when the day begins and ends in Beryl, before the call is picked up throughout the city. The tallest of these bell towers has a sculpture of a dragon sitting atop of it. Very few people actually live in the Dragon's Citadel outside of the Prince, his family, and the bureaucrats and servants they rely upon.The Garden of the Sun
This is the name given to the district built on the western-most of the three islands. It is named as such because of the view of the sun setting from the western cliffs. This is one of the nicer districts, with boulevards that are maintained and gardens that are fed water by the many servants of the Merchant Houses. The Garden of the Sun is where the families keep their villas, and so it is often quieter and less busy than most of the rest of the city.Dragon's Mouth
Dragon's Mouth is the largest harbor and its main one. Built into the mouth of the Red River, the Dragon's Mouth encompasses both sides of the delta. This is where most of the ships that travel the Shimmering Seas will stop, rest, and restock, before setting off once more. Warehouses are common here and the dockside markets are here, where small merchants can open stalls to hawk their wares to sailors. The Ostero family currently operates this district.The Smoke Towers
These forges and workshops work throughout the day and burn the excess fuel through the night, giving rise to the expression "...when the towers stop smoking" to mean 'never'. This district is mostly avoided during the night outside of the Beryl and Family guards because it is often where criminals will try to steal from the hard working laborers that were forced to stay late. Houses are cheap and the landlords who offer lodgings usually don't ask too many questions in the Smoke Towers.Fishermen's Wharf
Though it's more than a single wharf, Fishermen's Wharf is the name given to the northern island of Beryl. It is where the fishing boats go out at night or the very early morning to return in time for the markets to open. Many of Beryl's population lives here, as besides from having the largest food market in the city, it's where smaller families and independent sailors can easily keep their ships, without needing to pay the expensive fees of Dragon's Mouth. The Beryl Guard does a decent job of keeping this neighborhood safe.Irontown
Irontown is the name given to the neighborhood on the eastern island, where many Imperials dwell. This area is often a hotbed of unrest, because there are many Imperials loyal to the Empress and those with sympathies for the Broken Crown that reside here. The Beryl Guard has actually had to increase patrols just to prevent trouble from spilling out from Irontown to the rest of the city.The Temple of the Sun
The Temple of the Sun is the other neighborhood on the eastern island. This is largely made up of People of Sun and River. This group largely keep to themselves, but it has started to lose population following the annexation of Scarmouth. For many, they had been refugees from the lands that had been conquered by the Shadowlord. Now, with the Shadowlord destroyed and the region safe from his influence, many are returning to their homes in the Great Scar. Because of this, there is actually a good amount of abandoned houses and empty blocks that have seen an increase of criminal activity.The Dragon's Claw
The Dragon's Claw is a small neighborhood on the eastern island, on the southern tip, that is used by the Beryl Guard for its training grounds and barracks for the rank and file. Many of the poor who cannot afford rent will enlist in the Beryl Guard to avoid being thrown out to the Tentlands. This is the smallest neighborhood but there are many citizens who reside here, for its rates are affordable and the presence of the Guard means crime is relatively low.The Tower of Arete
This neighborhood is located along the west bank of the Red River and it is where many specialized trades are located, including doctors, lotusmasters, artists, etc. The Tower of Arete hosts the Grand Market of Beryl, which is where one can find exceptional quality items, with the quality maintained and guaranteed by the Merchant Families on severe pain of loss in reputation should it not be met.The Tentlands
The Tentlands is the informal name for the 'neighborhood' outside the walls of Beryl where many have erected temporary or permanent tents. Often, this is because they cannot pay to live in the city of Beryl and have been tossed out by the Beryl Guard for vagrancy, or because they are not citizens themselves. Some are temporary, such as the camps of the Ivory Savanna Tribes and some are permanent. There is an entire section that is sectioned off for the diseased, such as those suffering from leprosy or cholera, or anything else that would risk the wellbeing of so many trapped within Beryl's walls should they be allowed in.Guilds and Factions
These are but a few of the powerful families that operate in Beryl. There are many more, both small and large, that operate in the City of Towers.
The Vasari Family
The current ruling family of Beryl is the Vasari Family. It traces its origins back to the founding of Beryl, following the First Family Wars, when they had been removed from power and influence in Opal. They became one of the founding families of Beryl, though they were still considered a small family even then. They have clawed their way, through marriages and alliances, in the century since to expand their reach and have, for the last three Princes, held control. As such, they have their fingers in just about every industry and trade that goes through Beryl, and if they don't, it is one of their clients. Even their rivals have had to walk carefully following the Vasari's rise to power.Halici Family
The Halici Merchant Family controls the rights to trade in salt in Beryl, which has made them very wealthy. As they control the market for salt, it likewise gave them inroads to negotiate with the Vasari to have the license for the spice trade in Beryl as well, though it cost them a silver mine. This transaction was fairly recent, so it is unclear which of the families will walk away having the better deal. The Halici family has been a long established one in Beryl, as old as the Vasari, though they have been more constant in their positions. They've had a few Princes to their credit, but for the most part, they are often said to be a crownmaker, never the one who wears it. This, of course, rankles the pride of the Halici family and often the younger scions of the family will be quick to defend their noble history. They are nominally allies with the Varasi, as much as any family can be allied with another.Braleccae
The Braleccae family has stubbornly held onto its holdings despite the best efforts of the Vasari to seize them. The Braleccae were the leading family before the Vasari's rise to power. The two Families are both too big (now) to truly go to war with one another, and no one wishes to set off a Family War, but they are bitter rivals. The Vasari were always considered too small by the Braleccae to be worth entreating with as equals, and the Vasari have not forgotten, nor forgiven, the Braleccae for their slights. The Braleccae hold the market rights to blacksmithing, and they have for generations. With the Vasari in power, the Braleccae are careful to give them no excuse to take away this lucrative income for them. For they get paid not only when the blacksmiths use their forges, but on all transactions relating to the trade of iron, bronze, tin, and metals such as those. Their current Matriarch has outlived two of the Vasari princes. She can still remember her uncle, the last Braleccae prince. She doesn't expect she'll outlive this current one, though she is already making plans to wrest control of the city back from the Vasari.Setassitrae
The Setassitrae are an Opal Merchant Family, but they have a Matriarch, Lady Talia, in Beryl that oversees the import and distribution of raw silk within the city. In Beryl, they are considered a minor Family, but Lady Talia has already made great strides since she arrived seven years ago in building the Family's influence and profits.Ostero
The Ostero Family is a minor Merchant Family that has allied itself entirely behind the Vasari, for the last five decades at least. This has finally paid off for them, and the Vasari have granted them the profitable and respected positions as the Harbormaster of the Dragon's Mouth, the main harbor of Beryl. The Ostero family also have the license for shipwrights, and all shipwrights must pay them for the privilege of working in Beryl.Architecture
Under the Vasari's reign, many of Beryl's buildings have been rebuilt in stone and using the latest in architectural engineering to make them even more impressive, at least for the civil buildings in the Dragon's Citadel, the Dragon's Maw, and the Dragon's Claw. Outside of these neighborhoods, the only stone that most people find are the old buildings that remained. Most buildings are made from wood. People adorn their houses with gold-painted roofs if they can afford it, leading to the city to shine in the morning sun. Most people will have bells as well that they ring when the Dragon's Citadel rings its bells.
Geography
The city of Beryl is actually built on the mouth of the Red River, as well as two large islands that are connected to each other and the mainland by many bridges.
Founding Date
89
Alternative Name(s)
The City of Towers, the Crown of Jewels (only by themselves), the City of a Thousand Bells
Type
City
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