Udeche

Udeche is a modes but culturally diverse capital. Many who live here full-time are native to the city, while others rotate in and out as part of diplomatic or administrative duties with the Council of Rodia. It has a good mix of all the ethnicity.

Udeche is ruled by the Chancellor of the country. A Civic Assembly, elected by 10 years, is made up of guild leaders, landowners, and other appointees, make all the major decisions for the city, while the Council of Rodia and the Chancellor make all the decisions that keep the country running.

The city is known for its neutral stance in larger political conflicts, and it plays host to seasonal summits were representatives from across the continent meet to resolve disputes, sign treaties, or plot strategy.

• Administrative services and diplomacy
• Fine-crafted goods such as artisan textiles
• Cultural exports (art, theater, and scholarly texts)
• Maritime trade

While not industrialized, Udeche makes steady coin from hosting neutral negotiations, archives, and on a small scale magickal consultation.

Udeche is a compact, well-planned city, known for its multi-tiered aqueduct system that is powered by gravity and a series of pressure valves. The streets are cobblestone and kept clean by a rotating team of municipal caretakers. Public lanterns are well-maintained and checked regularly to ensure they remain glowing through the night.

Running water, public bathhouses, and sanitation systems are all present, but quality is dependent on the district. Ivy Hill and Shadow Mile enjoy the most advanced amenities, while the Old District relies on older but functional systems.

Old District

The Old District of Udeche is a charming area with worn stone streets and warm light from old lanterns. Here one can find family-owned taverns, herbalist shops, and traditional marketplaces, all pressed close together. Elders sit on shaded benches and children race through alleyways. The air smells of baked bread and aged wood. And if one knows where to look, one will find a living museum.

Docks Ward

Situated along the bustling waterfront, the Docks Ward is a hive of activity, of salt, fish, sweat, and coins. Crates line the wharfs, ships bob in the harbor, and gulls scream overhead. Rough labor and raw commerce define this district. Taverns don't ask questions, and some of the finest black market goods in the region move through its backrooms. Warehouses, shipyards, and docks facilitate the city's maritime trade and commerce.

Great Tower

More monument than fortress now, the Great Tower stands as a symbol and testament of Udeche's strength and resilience. Once a defensive fortification, this historical landmark has thick walls are cold to the touch and lined with old inscriptions. The lower levels host a museum and archive while the top is used by city watchers as a strategic vantage point and lovers take the panoramic views of the surrounding area.

Ivy Hill

Ivy Hill is a peaceful, green, and fragrant. Ivy-covered mansions dot this area, along with picturesque parks that have decorative ponds and marble fountains. Here one can find street performers playing soft chamber music in the evening. Many of those who live here have opened their homes for diplomatic receptions and/or high-society events

East District

The East District is a vibrant district of color, movement, and noise. Here one can find street criers selling food, puppet shows, live music, open-air plays and constant conversation. Artists create murals on the sidewalks and the sides of building while local brewers push carts of experimental drinks. It's a riot of creativity that never quite stops.

Shadow Mile

Aptly named for the shadows cast by the glass towers that houses banks, and corporate offices among other commercial businesses. Fast-talking dealmakers and well-dressed spies cross paths here. It serves as the beating heart of Udeche's economy, where business deals are made and fortunes are forged. The Shadowsong Order has taken up residence in this district and, for once, the residents have reacted positively.

Northgate

Located at the northern side of the city, Northgate gives edge-of-the-map vibes. Gear shops, survival training halls, and climbing guilds can be found in this district. Guides can be hired to lead expeditions into the wildlands beyond. There's also a rough camaraderie among the people here. They are less polished than those in the city center, but are fiercely loyal.

The Great Tower: Is used for surveillance and archives.

The Crystal Registry: A vault-like facility in Shadow Mile where The Shadowsong Order hoard and store enchanted artifacts.

The Hall of Echoes: An amphitheater with perfect acoustics used for public addresses and judicial hearings.

The Aqueduct Network: Draws from underground reservoirs and keeps the city running clean.

Udeche began as a refugee hub after a massive tsunami hit the northern coast of Rodia. Its terrain is defensible from both nature and human attack. The harbor gives access to the city which helped the city grow. Within fifty years, it was formalized into a proper capital and became the seat of the Council of Rodia.

The city endured two major sieges, one by rebel warlords during the Splinter Wars, and the other during The Cinder War: A World Shattered: Fourth World War. Both times, the Great Tower proved pivotal to the city's survival.

Tower Gardens: A serene arboretum that wraps around the base of the Great Tower.

The Glass Steps: A translucent staircase in East District said to contain visual echoes of past performances.

Ralish Alley: Known for rare bookstores, banned plays, and unlicensed magick.

The Flooded Forge: A partially sunken blacksmith’s shop in the Old District. Still operational, now more legend than business.

Stone and pale brick form the backbone of most buildings.

Roofs are steep and shingled, often painted in soft hues—sky blues, pale greens, and creams.

Ivy is cultivated across much of the city’s facades, especially in Ivy Hill and East District.

Doors and shutters tend to be wooden with iron banding, often hand-carved.

Shadow Mile is an exception, all glass and alloy, leaning into modernity and scale.

Udeche is nestled between low-rolling hills to the west and sheer cliffs to the east. The harbor opens on the west side of town.

Temperate coastal, with mild winters and warm, breezy summers.

Fog rolls in often from the sea, especially in spring.

Thunderstorms are rare but dramatic, often leading to power failures in older districts.

Coastal herbs used in alchemy

Stone quarries nearby provide building material

Sea salt harvested in small operations

The aqueduct system taps into a deep, magickally-filtered spring, giving Udeche famously clean water