Estarel

Estarel is the capital of the Human Kingdom of Eziris, and is a marvel of innovation and infrastructure. People are drawn from all over the Kingdom and beyond to witness a revolution predicted to change the world. As the heart of innovation on the Continent, the city is home to the newest innovations and state of the art technologies. As such, Estarel's infrastructure is some of the most advanced in the whole of the Continent, or at least of the human kingdoms. So too is its architecture; a great fortress-like city jutting unnaturally from the desert landscape which surrounds it, a man-made mountain of steel and smoke.

Demographics

The population is primarily human, especially since the Great War, Most elves have long retreated back into Entheas Forest, and dwarves prefer their mountain halls, while goblins tend to keep to themselves because of the prejudice of other races. However, it is certainly the most diverse areas, with humans from across the kingdom seeking refuge here, and many from across the Continent drawn here by the innovation and technology it has to offer. While Estarel, as the capital, is by far the richest area of the kingdom, there is still a significant class divide. With the rise of technical industry and the beginnings of mass-manufacturing, the need for skilled labour is rapidly decreasing, limiting the options and potential of the working class, forced to work long hours for little pay. Most work all day in dark factories At the same time, corporation owners are making huge profits, especially with high demand for ammunition and weaponry due to the war, a fact of life that has caused great tension and civil unrest amongst the people of this city.

Climate, Geography & Architecture

Eziris is one of the hottest and driest regions of the Continent, due to its geographical location. Verging on the on the Barren Lands, Eziris' southern edge is surrounded by dry, desert-like terrain, with parched, cracked earth, and in places full on sand dunes. The northernmost parts more closely resemble savanna, with dry, rolling grassland- that is, what hasn't been desimated by war. Much of Eziris' border is now a scarred and blistered effigy of its former landscape. Estarel itself, being quite central, is a mix of this two states- not quite desert, not quite grassland. It is notably flat and desolate, although this was ideal for the founders who built the city. Its location was chosen due to the presence large underground lake, vital for providing the prospective city the water they needed. Due to its arid terrain, the streets of Estarel, in poorer and outlying areas where they hadn't bothered to cobble, are dry and dusty, packed down hard by foot and hoof, and dust and sand creeps in houses through doors and windows as an unshakable, unwelcome guest. Its tier like structure erupts from the cracked gums of the desert like a jagged tooth, battlements and towers staring ominously and defiantly down at any who seeks to invade or conquer. In the poorer districts, lower down, smog clings closely to the densely packed buildings, brick walls blackened by soot and steel supports rusted and tarnished. However, the higher one ascends, the contrast is astounding. Here, tall sky-scrapers and balustrades gaze haughtily down and the working class below, marvels of structural engineering. The tallest building of all, crowning the city, is the newly constructed 'Centre of Innovation', a towering office commissioned by Governor Clockton to grant employment to the best designers and inventors the city has to offer in bringing his newest vision to life...

Innovation

At this very moment, innovators and engineers here are working on a revolutionary new machine- The Iron Horse. Designed to bring Aycia into a new interconnected era, it would allow the transportation of goods and supplies across the Continent. The Great War has stagnated worldwide trade, dividing old trade routes and forcing merchants to travel long and dangerous distances to avoid Wizard territory- something rail-travel could revolutionise. While their furnaces would never match the fury and power of dwarven forges, and their craftmanship could never compare to that of the elven smiths and carpentors, one thing that sets Estarel apart is its automisation and manufacturing. In recent decades, rapid advancements of technologies like clockwork and steam engines has lead to the erection of great factories, pumping out products and weaponry at a rate never before seen to match the demand of the war effort. With no magic of their own, the people of Estarel, and the kingdom as a whole, are resourceful, and look to technology to level the playing field in a world dominated by arcane power.

The House System

Estarel, and by extension Eziris, is run by a council, formed by the heads of the most important houses. These seats are filled by the head of the most important and influential houses. Every household must be registered by name and symbol under the Statute of Unity, and the heads of the oldest and largest houses and granted seats on the council. Presently, the chairman of the council is Asbolus Clockton, a renowned and respected inventor, voted in by the other council members for his innovative strategies regarding the war effort and use of technology. Additionally, a controversial new law demands every house to put forward one able bodied man to conscript to the army, and urges everyone to play their part elsewhere in whatever way they can, whether in factories, hospitals or training camps.

While against the law, unregistered migrants and refugees are incredibly common here, especially as renewed attacks by wizard armies threaten the outlying villages and settlements of the region, many now under the control and oppression of the foreign power. As these armies close in on the capital, officials mostly turn a blind eye, knowing the hardships their people are facing beyond the safe boundaries of the city, but many of the noble houses are calling for crackdowns as food and resources become increasingly scarce.