The Halcyon City of Everyn (hal-see-on, ehv-er-in)

The official government of the city of Everyn was made up of the Genitor (specifically a gender neutral term to encompass all people) and a vast, ever-growing array of bureaucrats and functionaries. The Genitor served for ten years before a new election was held. There were no limits on how long a person could serve, so if the people deemed the Genitor worthy they could continue being elected for life. Unlike other monarchies and despotic governments, the Genitor of Everyn was typically loathe to appoint their friends or family members to city posts, fearing the rumors of nepotism would ruin their reputation and sink their chances of being reelected. The aristocratic families of the city enjoyed a somewhat privileged position, but they were not above the law and could not buy there way into or out of anything.

Above all, the Halcyon City was known for its insistence on pacifism and tranquility. Violence against other people or their belongings was not allowed in the city, and violators were arrested and fined steeply. Only the Watch were allowed to carry weapons, and these were limited to cudgels, spears, and bows. Visitors to the city would be informed of the policies upon arrival, and any violations would see the offender kicked out of the city and not allowed to return for at least a decade, depending on the seriousness of the offense. Now, all of that being said, there was still violence and crime in Everyn; the citizens are people after all. But the overall trend of the city was toward less violence and crime, allowing the Watch to focus their efforts on curtailing (or containing to specific locations) the actual violence. Understandably, the underground in Everyn has thrived for a long time. If one knows the right people and pass phrases, one can find fighting pits any night of the week. Weapons are at a premium here and must be procured from the black market - and, as a consequence, body armor apart from simple leather is likewise tough to procure.   This pacifism and tranquility extended to external affairs, as well. The city refused to get involved with trade disputes or the various land wars that occurred over the centuries. The Everynese maintained a sturdy perimeter wall, and the Watch were all trained to fight masterfully. When attackers inevitably tried to take the city, they were repulsed from the gates, and all attempted sieges ended in frustration for the aggressors. Everyn had plenty of food and clean water, and the weapons that were available to the Watch were of the highest quality and often enhanced by arcane magic. The downfall of Everyn, therefore, came from within and not from without. Its walls were not breached by any siege towers, its gates not battered by any rams. No, the great city of Everyn fell as a result of astute political marriages and having "sleeper agents" within the city that allowed it to be conquered and subjugated.

In the early days of Everyn's existence, the aristocrats organized themselves into a city government. From among their ranks, the people would choose a virtuous and exemplary leader. They initially called this arrangement the Noble Chain and the leader was a Exemplar, but this was changed within the first two decades of the new system. With the city adopting a culture of pacifism and tranquility, the ruling class settled on the descriptor of "halcyon" to describe the city, and the leader's title was updated to Genitor to reflect that they were a guiding and loving parent to the people (and also because it was gender neutral and could apply to all people).   Over the centuries, the government underwent several small tweaks to change how voting happened, how nominations happened, the functions and underlings that worked for the Genitor, and other such adjustments. But the core system stayed the same: the aristocrats, who all strove to display their virtuosity and charity, would nominate several from among their number to be the next Genitor, from which the people of the city would vote and anoint a new leader. Genitors were always allowed to serve for life if the people deemed them to be continually exemplary, but in practice this happened rarely. In over 1400 years of existence, only seven Genitors served more than three terms (total of thirty years), and only five have died of old age while holding the office. All other Genitors were replaced at some point or another by others, though it is not uncommon to see the same person returning to the post after missing one or two cycles, having redeemed themselves in the eyes of the citizens and proffered a second chance.   The leadership of Everyn has been held by men, women, non-binary folks, transgender people, elves, humans, half-elves, tieflings, halflings, gnomes, half-orcs, dwarves, huundari, and one notable lizardfolk. In short, the city has always been incredibly cosmopolitan, and both its aristocracy and its leadership reflected this core trait.

The Halcyon City and its system of government were dismantled ignominiously almost overnight once the Dumein Dominion gained control of the city. The Genitor was removed from power, with the Dumeiner King Oswold IX naming himself leader of the city. In the five years since that time, it is still unclear what role the aristocracy will have with the Everyn Federation going forward. King Oswold has named himself the Emperor and has appointed a mayor from within the Dumeiner nobility. This mayor and his office have struggled to run the city, as they are not from here and do not understand its bureaucracy. The functionaries and existing sectors of the city government have continued to function as normal, despite having ineffectual leadership, in part because they do not communicate with the mayor; most of the city's functions continue almost in secret or by automation despite the mayor's best efforts to bring everything under his control.