Balkehir

"It's terrifying to be able to see the end of the world from my front lawn, but I've always said there's no worse way to live than without remembering you'll die."
"Dyana, we're trying to have brunch, can you please stop being morbid?"

— Conversation between a local and her foreign assistant

Balkehir is one of four extant Laslin cities, and is by far the largest of these. It is also the one closest to the edge of the world, rising out of the ocean only half a kilometre away from the abyssal waterfalls.

Infrastructure

The city is built atop thick limestone and concrete slabs, with some rare areas built atop floating wooden supports. The stone sections are kept stationary at sea level by several colossal pillars of various materials - those in the old quarters of the city aren't wholly understood, while those in newer districts are typically cement with metal reinforcements.

Districts

Balkehir can be subdivided into innumerable districts based on construction date, demographics, and functions, but the most frequently used divisions are;

The Old Quarter

Where the city first began, the old quarter is located on Balkehir's southern side and offers the grandest views of the world's edge. It is supported by colossal pillars of an unknown material, which is far sturdier and more resistant to the tug of the edge than others, and which has also allowed the old quarter to boast far taller and wider buildings. It boasts the seat of government in the city inside of a converted lighthouse.

Dock Quarter

Just north of the Old Quarter are the main city docks, boasting dozens of piers, warehouses, and shops. While the wharf itself boasts the same sturdy pillars as the old city, the majority of the piers are floating wooden structures that are regularly replaced. To protect from harsh waves and tidal currents, a thick seawall stands a good way from the wharf, with retractable elements to mitigate flood risk.

Merchant Quarter

Often considered an extension of the Dock Quarter, the Merchant Quarter boasts the majority of the boutique stores and market alleys in Balkehir, and is an excellent place to hawk your wares and pick up goods. Unlike the previous districts, the Merchant Quarter is supported by pillars of cement, and has noticeably shifted during the past centuries, with many sections of it below sea level and showing many signs of erosion and leaking. This has done little to curb the enthusiasm of its tenets, who have established some floating stalls in the more flooded streets.

Entertainment Quarter

A far later addition, the Entertainment Quarter is the home of laughter and excitement in Balkehir, boasting many theatres and coliseums for high and low art of all kinds. Somewhat uniquely, the Entertainment Quarter boasts a number of canals, which allow for both thrilling boat races and serene tourism aboard locally-manufactured canoes. A result of this design is that the Quarter noticeably shifts during storms, and the layout of canals and streets changes frequently enough that many foreigners get hopelessly lost.

Industrial District

Less a concentrated region and more widely spread, the Industrial District is a loosely-affiliated smattering of streets and docks that boast the heart of the city's production. Much of this comes from fishing due to the city's location, but it also houses many cultivated forests for wood and a handful of mining businesses, though the latter operate off-city on the many islands that float past year after year. The prominence of logging gives the District a reputation for being the most verdant and lush in the city, in stark contrast to the belching fires of the many smithies and the waste from various manufacturing houses.

Taufa District

Constructed over the course of a hurried 5 years, the Taufa District is a slapdash affair of limestone and wood, designed to house a calamitous influx of refugees from a nearby Laslin city. A consequence of its quick construction is the necessity of repairs and renovations, which turn the District into a never ending buzz of activity and manual labour.
Some streets have a reputation for shady dealings stemming from desperation, and while such things have settled and decreased over time, the perception lingers. Despite this, the melting pot of the District creates a great deal of joy, and the main square is home to regular festivals and ceremonies from many cultures that attract people from throughout Balkehir.

History

It isn't known who constructed Balkehir or when, but it has stood on the world's edge for several centuries. The earliest records about the city date back approximately 1'200 years ago, but even then it was clearly larger than the known extent of the Old Quarter, suggesting it had been around for decades or centuries prior. These records additionally place Balkehir as being one kilometre from the world's edge.
During the past millennium the city has been greatly expanded, often to accommodate influxes of refugees from islands going over the falls or, more rarely, during the fall of other Laslin cities. The last such city to fall was the nearby city of Taufa only 29 years ago, and Balkehir took the bulk of its fleeing citizens. Many of them and their descendants live in the so-called 'Taufa District' of the city that was constructed for them.

Governance

Balkehir is a mostly-independent city state, though it operates in a loose union with the other Laslin cities and brokers many alliances with passing islands and empires. It is run by a council, whose members are selected in a number of ways;

• Nobility: The major noble families of the city are each allowed to send one member to council meetings. The number of houses changes over time with the ascension of new nobles and the decimation of families, but aristocrats consistently make up the majority of the council.
• Industry: The second largest group on the Balkehir Council are those representing the major businesses in the city, such as the largest logging and construction groups, as well as the owner of the city's largest theatre. This section is in constant flux as the economy shifts in response to the world, and competition for spots among minor businesses is fierce.
• Democratic: Finally, a handful of spots on the council are reserved for elected officials, whose number is determined in proportion to the population of the city. Each individual serves for a five year term, but it is not unheard of for many to serve "for life" or to be forced out of their position between elections due to political jostling.

Type

City

Population

273'100

Inhabitant Demonym

Balkehira

Included Locations

• Nicalen's Lookout

Owner/Ruler

Ninian X

World's Edge

The ocean moves inexorably towards the calamitous waterfalls of the world's edge, which plunge into an infinite and unknown abyss of stars. People, boats, and even entire continents are pulled towards the end, moving at rates that are barely perceivable per day but can be anything up to a hundreds of metres per year if forward movement isn't prevented.
Laslin cities are some of the few structures in the world known to resist the tug of the edge, largely attributed to the mysterious pillars that support their old quarters. Their newer sections, built without this mysterious material, undergo constant maintenance and repair to keep them anchored to the core, but these preventative measures have been known to fail in the past.
Most recently and devastatingly was the collapse of the Laslin city of Taufa, which happened suddenly when one of its core supports gave way, with the old quarter dragging the rest of the city into the ocean with it. While Balkehir was able to mobilise quickly to save quite a few, especially from the more distant districts which had not given way, the majority of Taufa's residents were last seen floating towards the waterfalls.
Now, all that remains of Taufa are a handful of ruined pillars sticking ruefully from the sea, visible from the outer west edge of Balkehir, reminding the city of the importance of maintenance, and the dreadful consequences for failure.