Bellancourt, Montaigne (BELL-ann-core)

The capital city of The Free Republic of Montaigne

Bellancourt, Montaigne (Bell-an-court), The City of Lights

Bellancourt is one of the oldest cities in Europa and one of the few capitals that stands mostly as it was at the time of the Wizard Wars. Wide boulevards sprawl out from the center of the city where la Chateau Laurier stands mostly as it has for four centuries. While the castle is the residence of the current Queen and royal family, it also houses the People’s House which serves as the center of government where the Grand Council sits. A not-so-quiet rivalry between the Queen’s Court and the Grand Council permeates the city’s upper- and middle-class areas, however, once one finds themselves in the darker reaches of the city, one hears more of the Court of Thieves. Despite the City of Lights being the eye of the storm for the conflict between Royalists and Republicans, it is one of the liveliest cities in Europa.

Demographics

Bellancourt is home to a large number of fey, split between the Light and Dark subraces. Light Fey tending to be nobles and live in the Castle District immediately next to Chateau Laurier. However, Dark Fey permeate the rest of the city through its middle- and lower-class areas.

Government

A mayor is elected every four years, however, they are mostly resigned to cleaning up after the Dark Fey gangs and revelers as the Castle District is mostly patrolled by the Queen’s large contingent of Royal Knights.

Defences

The Royal Knights of Montaigne are an order of warriors who date back to the first monarchs to rise from the Wizard Wars. They serve to protect the Royal Family and have a great deal of influence within Castleside Court. They are a sore point for both the Mayor and the Grand Council, but since the Royal Family is footing the bill for the policing of these areas, it has been difficult to propose an alternative.

Infrastructure

The city is built around la Chateau Laurier with three enormous boulevards that go northeast, northwest, and south. The boulevards were expanded after the Revolutionary Wars so that each direction can sport three carriages across, often with a media decorated with gardens or statues.
These boulevards, along with other large roads, have extensive magical lighting that is managed by the Royal Lightsmiths who have given Bellancourt its nickname, the City of Lights. In recent years, new displays of eletech Radian Lanterns have begun showing up on the streets.

Districts

Castleside Court -Chateau Laurier -Royal Gardens -Noble Estates Water Courts -Canals -Place du Liberté (Liberty Plaza) -Citizens’ Gardens -Temple of Lucetius The South Boulevard (The Row) -Casinos and Gambling Houses Court of Bells -Notre Dame de le Destin (Our Lady of Fate, Temple of Kelesta) -Theatre des Sphères (Theatre of the Spheres, Temple of Sephira)

Le Palais du Dœur (The Palace of Hearts, Temple of Peitho)

-Other major temples aside from Akmon and Tanith The Low Courts (The Court of Thieves) -The Trickster’s Maze -The Golden Market -

Guilds and Factions

While there are calls for an official guild charter, currently charters and privileges are managed by the Crown and the Noble Houses. While Queen Valerie has been generous in charters to artisans who prove themselves, the aristocracy of Montaigne clings to its rights and privileges to be the patrons of the arts and sciences.
However, those rights and privileges mean very little in the Low Courts and many underground and unlicensed workshops work without interruption if they have the right backing in that part of the city.

Criminal Factions

The Low Courts are only really referred to as such by those who live in Castleside Court. Everyone else knows that they are more accurately called the Court of Thieves due to the mosaic of criminal organizations, gangs, and independent thieves who bring items to the black markets. The most famous, the Golden Market, is run by a mysterious figure known only as Mademoiselle Ombrage (Madame Shadow).

Points of interest

Entertainment

The Theatre des Spheres is a grand auditorium and temple with a domed roof that opens at night. Carefully constructed to provide near perfect acoustics for performers, the stage and seating transforms between prayer time and curtain time thanks to the ample following. The Row is known as an entertainment boulevard that stretches from the rich casinos closer to Castleside Court all the way into the Court of Thieves where it is dotted with gambling houses.

Dining

If there is one thing Bellancourt’s residents agree on, it is that all dining in Bellancourt is ‘Fine Dining’ compared to anywhere else in the world.

Fine Upper-Class Dining

Fine Middle-Class Dining

One restaurant that has become increasingly popular is La Petit Bouchée (The Little Bite), an unexpectedly favourite restaurant of Queen Valerie Laval.

Fine Lower-Class Dining

Foreign Embassies

Eisen and Avalon both have prominent embassies in Bellancourt in favorably placed areas of Castleside Court.
What used to be the Ruskovian Embassy is now a tennis court.

Landmarks

Chateau Laurier Place du Liberté

Parks & Promenades

Royal Gardens Citizens’ Gardens The Trickster’s Maze

Maps

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  Bellancourt

  The capital city of The Free Republic of Montaigne

Type

Capital

Location under

Europa

Owning Organization

The Free Republic of Montaigne

Characters in Location

• Dominic Donbartolemeo Del Toro