Karpella
Located along the southern bank of the enormous river Arlen, the city of Karpella is the capital of the Joint Kingdom of Dazscor & Aramore, and is the heart of trade in the north of the continent of Turoza.
Demographics
As a capital city, Karpella is a hub for all races and ethnicities of sapient species, and on the whole there is not one species that is predominant over the others, in terms of power distribution or population size.
Karpella's status as the capital of the Joint Kingdom means that there is a disproportionate concentration of wealth in the city, especially compared to other settlements in the Kingdom. The majority of these richest citizens have taken to having a residence on the largest of the city's two islands, partly because it feels more exclusive, as it is separated by the river channel from the rest of the city on the mainland, and also because it is closer to the city's and the Kingdoms seat of power in Karpella Castle.
There is a large merchant class that lives in the city, with a concentration of them in and around Medallion Square that sits in the shadow of the city gate. Medallion Square is surrounded by the Guild Houses of the various Guild and trade organisations that operate in Turoza, including the Guild of Coiners & Moneyers.
A large amount of the poorer classes live in and around the waterfronts where they can find work in the docks and warehouses that line the banks of the River Arlen. The poorest citizens have also taken to living directly in the shadow of the city's curtain wall, and some even live in small shantytowns constructed outside the city walls. These people tend to work in the large agricultural operations that spread out in a sprawling patchwork of fields to the south of the city.
Defences
The part of the city that is situated on the riverbank is surrounded by a huge stone curtain wall, with fortified towers all along its length. Access to the city is controlled through a single large south facing gatehouse, that is situated in roughly the middle of the curtain wall. The gatehouse itself has two portals, one that is used for traffic that is leaving the city, and one that is used for traffic that is entering.
Passage to the largest of Karpella's two islands is guarded by several fortified bridges, that can be barred to prevent access and delay or stop the spread of attackers during a siege to the city's islands from the mainland. A smaller curtain wall does wrap around the larger of the two islands to discourage river-born attacks. In addition, the channels that run between the mainland section of the city and the larger island, and the larger island and Karpella Castle's island are spanned by fortified archways, from which portcullis can be lowered that span the entire width of each of these channels to stop ships from sailing up them in event of an attack on the city.
The smaller of Karpella's islands is essentially a huge castle that is completely self contained, with the only access to the complex being through a fortified gate and portcullis that spans the channel between the two islands, or through a smaller postern gate that is similarly defended.
Industry & Trade
Karpella is the gateway city for trade in the north of Turoza, and is a hub of goods that move up and down the western seaboard of the Ocean of Memaran.
Infrastructure
As Karpella is blessed with so much river side real estate, there is a large amount of docks, quays and warehouse complexes that have been built in and around the River Arlen and its channels that flow between the mainland and the islands. This waterfront complex is purely designed for the flow of goods into and out of the city.
Karpella's status as a trading hub is also contributed to by the fact that the city's position on the river Arlen is perfectly suited for the movement of large heavy ships, as the river is wide and very deep at this point, and all along its length to the west where it eventually flow into the Ocean of Memaran. This not only means that a large amount of maritime traffic can navigate the river at the same time, but as the city is not situated on the coast, the area is the perfect berth for ships to shelter during the storms that frequently lash the coast of Dazscor.
Geography
The majority of Karpella is built along a section of the River Arlen, and is then spread across two islands that sit in the middle of the river. The first of these islands is by far the largest and acts purely as an extension of the city, though the districts on this first island tend to be of a higher class than those on the mainland. The second island is much smaller, though still quite sizeable, and is almost entirely taken up by Karpella's castle complex.
The city's position on the River Arlen gives Karpella ample access to water and fresh water fish and seafood, and is also wide and deep enough to allow large trading ships to travel up the river from the Ocean of Memaran.
The land around Karpella is flat and well suited to arable farming, which is not enough to make the city self-sufficient in the production of their own food, but goes along way to ensuring that food in the capital is plentiful.
Type
Capital
Population
c.55,000
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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