In vivolia one rule stands above all others If you have money you have power, and no people earn more money than the gamblers of vivolia. Gambling has become something of a job for the people of vivolia where they attempt to make as much money as possible to bring home to their families. In vivolia they say if your arent gambling you are losing money. They more money you earn while gambling the higher prestieg you have and can even eclipse bankers, landlords, and shop owners in power.
The Highest honor one can recieve in vivolia is to be invited into the high roller casino the Royal aegis. In order for this to happen one must make a specific amount of money in other casino's be invited by a family head or have at least 5 high roller vouch for you. Once in you are only allowed to stay for a day unless you gamble a specific amount of money. Thoes who do this for a year and are able to make a profit are dubbed High-rollers. Unlike gamblers high rollers become exempt from the betting requirement at the royal aegis and are seen as the upperclass of vivolia able to own land and if they make enough money supplant one of the 5 families as leaders of vivolia as well as head of the casino's/properties they own. This is almost never done by gambling alone but by sabatouge, help from other families via investments, and sometimes crimes. If the high rollers are caught attempting to sabatouge a family or commiting crimes they are stripped of their high roller status and their money is confiscated, but police may look the other way in exchange for favors or invitations into the royal aegis.
Law and order in Vivolia is very sporatic a non gambler may be arrested for setting foot on the lawn of the Royal aegis or for bad mouthing a high roller, but a high roller may be pardoned for kidnapping, extortion, and even sexual assult. Money is everything in vivolia and thoes who dont have it dont have the freedoms others do. When a crime is commited the police of vivolia are called in and they arrest the perpertrator. The perpetrator is then brought to one of the families towers depending on where the crime occured and a family member will reside over the trial as judge. There is no jury and the only person who decides if you are guilty or not guilty is the judge and this can lead to many unfair trials as well as cries of kangaroo courts.
Due to the focus on money and power in vivolia personal freedom to do what one wants is the focus of vivolian culture. Many laws are based around this idea of freedom so in essence anything goes as long as it does not harm another. However harm is something that is not very well pinned down, in one case a gambler had charges pressed against them as they had littered on another gamblers yard and the litterer was found guilty as the judge stated that the gambler's property and their for the gambler was harmed. However a slave that was bought by a banker from a high roller was treated horribly and beaten daily, so went to the police to press charges but since the slave was owned by the banker and thus their property no harm was ruled and the slave was forced to go back to the banker.
Slavery and child marriage are all legal in vivolia, as many times hopeful gambler put themselves and their families as colateral for loans from the casinos or banks. If they are unable to pay back the loans the men are sold as labor slaves and the women are sold in the form of other unscrupulous slavery. The kids may be sold to the same slavers as the adult women, but there are times where instead the children may be bought as spouses for the rich. In some cases the family is labeled as slaves for multiple generations as multiple generations may be put as collateral.
Currency in vivolia is called chips and they are only exchanged and accepted in vivolia. The chips are in the same values of the common currency, and in order to not be arrested for suspected theft or espianoge one must make certain to exchange thier money for chips at the banks. Once the money is exchanged tourists are free to roam the city and vist all casinos but the royal aegis. Once the trip is over the tourist will go to the bank in order to change their currency back but will be struck with a conversion tax which cuts 10% off the total coverted value. Those that take their chips out of vivolia will find that no place will exchange the chips outside of vivolia as every year the currency is changed in design in order to keep outsiders from leaving vivolia without exchanging their chips back. Attempting to use old chips in a casino or bank will cause the individual to be charged with fraud and potentially be punished with 40 years of slavery.
To gain wealth and be the top tourist destination in the realm
Near limitless money, the vivolian wall, ownership of lots of land outside vivolia, legions of slaves, and magical items that were put up for collateral.
Settled at about 300 BA vivolia started as a small town of dragonborn who migrated from the mountains. They set up shop as a go between from the archives to the Kingdom of the Western Penninsula (where the Current Day Golden Empire is). The Dragonborn set up some shops and they lived a quiet life. Over time as the shift of the mountains took place more and more dragonborns started migrating to vivolia and the city grew. On 200 AA Campoth Nakax built the first casino in vivolia called The Siren, so named after the last vessel he captained.
This saw a dramatic upswing in the prosperity of vivolia and with the Nakax family taking its cut they grew in power and prestige. Eventually becoming the de facto head of vivolia. It wasn't long until Dachash Brenrinn who would fund the construction of residental buildings and other municipal buildings took notice of the new prestige of the Nakax family and a feud started between them that would last almost 300 years during this time both sides would buy mercenaries and thugs to attack the other family and its supporters. Finally in 590 AA the feud ended when a delegate from the archives died in an Nakax attack, and both sides agreed that there will be 5 families which will be the heads of viviolia. The families will be picked based off of who has the mopst money; setting up the plutocratic oligarchy that is now seen in vivolia. The 5 families at the time were the Nakax, Brenrinn, Belcrath, Saxan, and Gurliann Families.
The balance of power remained like this for a time as families came and went. This was brought to a halt when an upstart family named the Lorrakas built a large casino named the Royal Aegis in 1256. This large casino quickly became the de facto high roller casino and as such large amounts of money rolled into the Lorrakas Families pockets. Years Later in 1564 the Lorrakas family had made so much money from this casino that they had eclipsed the other families many times over. With thier extreme wealth the lorrakas patriach Imbenes Lorrakas staged a coup in order to over throw the other families and place himself as the king of Vivolia. He with 2 legions of mercinaries marched on the towers of 2 families the Payax and the Froskan and massacred the families within. By the time he was able to get to the Brenrinn and Nakax families they had already fled to the country. For 1 month the Lorrakas family ruled with an iron fist, but unwilling to let this coup be unanswered for the Brenrinn, and Nakax families returned with a group of mercenaries their own. Together with the people of vivolia they staged a revolution and overthrew the Lorrakas family. Once back in power the two families returned the country to its old ways, and 3 new families were found to take the place of the old families, while 3 new rules were created.
1. A family may not own more than 2 casinos in order to stop any family from having too much money.
2. There can be no more than 1 high roller casino in vivolia.
3. The High roller casino is jointly owned by all 5 families.
With the new rules set up vivolia has withstood the test of time and while families come and go the city of Vivolia stands strong.
75% Dragonborn
15% Halfling
9% Gnome
>1% Other
The city-state of Vivolia
The military is made up almost entirely of mercenaries with little to no standing army. If vivolia were to be attacked mercenaries flock to the city-state and are paid small fortunes which create a huge influx of soldiers bringing a quick end to any war.
The Religion of Vivolia is varied as missionaries would often go to the city in order to bring the sinners away from the vices of the city so many set up temples but not many gained large amount of following aside from Pelor, Melora, and the Raven queen.
20%- Bahamut
20%- Leira
20%-Tiamat
10% -Moquel
10% Garl Gittergold
10% Yondalla
5%- Melora
2%-Pelor
2%- The Raven Queen
>1% Other
In secret many nations harbor a great dislike for Vivolia as they see the decadence of the families and high rollers as well as the slavery that they put debtor into abhorrent, but none want to get on the bad side of the nation as the money that the nation has as well as the ties to criminal organizations that they have make being their enemies a fatal mistake. The only 2 nations that are outspoken of their dislike of vivolia is the Elven Conclave as they hate everyone and the Elysian Empire as they dislike many forms of vice such as gambling.
The city-state has a basic subsitance level of agriculture. THier entire industry is based off of tourism as many go to vivolia for their casinos and resorts.
No real education is done here aside from basic math and literacy
Sewage, Aquaducts, the Walls of Vivolia, The vivolian Port
