Cayford
The Land:
The land of Cayford is that of the frigid north of the kingdom of Oratrova. Built above the rocky Chrysos mountains where the Pagos River begins and heads further north where it ends at Pagomenos Lake. The city itself is heated by an underground caldera that forms into hot springs underneath the city. This keeps the city at a relatively warm temperature compared to the surrounding snowy mountains. This means that any snowfall on the city is simply rain which only minorly inconveniences these folk, seeing as their streets are made of stone as opposed to other cities that are either still trying to get their footing or have neglected their people. These mountains, however, are filled to the brim with precious gems and plentiful veins of metallic ores.
The City:
The city itself is composed of layers that reside on large carved out stone shelves that ascend the mountain. The first two layers are comprised of a mix of residential areas, guildhalls, and businesses while the top layer is a mix of noble villas and government buildings, as well as holding the council offices.
The citizens more than makeup for the bleak grays and whites of their surroundings by making sure their buildings are created with the most garish of colors. A combination of bright blues, reds, yellows, and pinks that serve to overcompensate for the environment and show visitors that the city isn’t one comprised of bleak people.
The People:
The citizens of the city are a hardy bunch, a mix of humans, dwarves, and gnomes descending in population in that order. They spend most days working their jobs, which to some seem dangerous but to them is merely labor. They work toiling away in mines and at the businesses that keep their city running. There is also a sizable portion of office workers that run the governmental buildings on the top shelf.
Born from necessity due to the dangerous conditions that citizens work in, the city has an extensive and sometimes overbearing network of bureaucracy that governs almost every aspect of professional life in the city. Some guilds oversee just about every aspect of constructing in the town, running your business, and employing other citizens. All of these aspects are heavily regulated and the citizens have learned to respect the laws that govern them.
The Government:
The ruler in Oratrova is called the Rom as a mock to the old Remian Empire which once stood to overtake Oratrova, but failed embarrassingly and was soon destroyed for their hubris. After a Rom dies, the council comes together to instill the next Rom. The current standing Rom is a dwarf by the name of Gregor Nebulous, the first of his race to take up the seat. It is commonly believed that the council simply put him in this position to act as a scapegoat for their unpopular decisions. This has led to a general attitude of discontent with the seemingly corrupt leadership of the city and a call for the monarchy system to be reinstated.
Criminals:
While the city may be governed and full of laws, this only leaves more opportunities for corruption which none other than the Void Community loves to take advantage of. They have instilled leadership in this city for generations and are nearing a majority hold on one of the most powerful kingdoms in all of Estir. The prospect is terrifying, but it isn’t far from coming to fruition. Just another couple of generations stand between the Void Community and control over the majority metallic export on the continent.
Trade:
If you asked a noble in Marchesa where they got their fine jewelry, they would delight you with the grand story of how it was perfectly mined away from the Chrysos mountains. If you ask a Cyprorin soldier how their blade’s steel was so damn strong, they’d boast “Only the finest from the frigid north.” And if you asked a tinkerer in The Capital of Meihts where they got such fine gold to allow them such intricate clockwork, they would exclaim. “Well, I don’t have time to read the receipt but its damn good metal.” As his mind would desperately be trying to cling to life from the fifth consecutive night spent toiling away at his tiny machines. No matter the example, the point to take away is that Oratova and its capital Cayford control the metallic and jewel export in all of the lands.
No one dare anger them for fear of losing their supply of metals, however, Oratrova also partially relies on its neighbors to the south to provide them with essential supplies such as food and leathers in case of a, particularly nasty winter crippling their citizens' ability to live off of the land and consequently throwing them into a bout of famine. This dependability leaves Oratrova in a tense position, because, however unlikely, the southern kingdoms could do to Oratrova what Oratova did to the Remian Empire, and simply starve them out. If Oratrova were to survive such a move, and they just might, seeing as they are a damn stubborn bunch, they could descend upon the southern kingdoms with a fury unknown to any mortal man with the aid of the Dragon of the North. A rumor, nay, a legend that is told to southern kingdoms children before they go to bed to keep them from acting out. Not even the parents believe this myth. But the fear of this mere possibility keeps the kingdoms from waging war with the northerners.