City of Palynor
"Despite what you may have heard from other mages, the city does offer more than just the academy. Head over to the Guild Quarters; If you're good enough, they may just offer you a job on the spot!"The city of Palynor is a large fortified city, located on the mouth of the Cazven river, in the western region of the kingdom of paxolia. It is the capital of the Kingdom of Paxolia and its largest city. It is also the second largest city within the Kinvalian-Paxolian Commonwealth..-A local tourist guide.
Demographics
Nearly all of the city's inhabitants are of a mixed paxolian and kinvalian ancestry, as is the case for most of the population living along the coast of the kingdom. A few Rumalians, Shoranian and Gysians also call the city home. The city also has a large mage population, but most aren't long-term residents, and instead usualy only stay for 6 months to a few years, mostly for the duration of their training at The city's Mage Academy.
Government
The city is ruled by a council made up of 8 members, who each come from the richest families in the city. They are lead by the Mayor, apointed by the king, to act like a tie-breaker when votes occur on new legistations. He is also the representative of the city outside of its walls. Historicaly, and for the sake of tradition, 3 of the 8 council spots are occupied by mages, with at least one of them being the Mage academy's Headmaster.
Defences
A large and thick stone wall surround the city on three sides, reenforced with internal metal plates. It has multiple gatehouses and tall guard towers, each armed with a harpon, which are anti-airship weaponery. The side of the city overlooking the river's mouth also has a wall, but it is smaller and contains fewer guard towers. A single gate, protected with heavly metal doors, leads out to a series of stairs carved directly into the cliffside, which lead down towards the riverside, where the port is located.
Industry & Trade
The city's economy is heavely based on the tax revenue generated by the mage Academy, as well as the tourism it generates, However, other local industries, such as metal and leather working, as well as lumber also contribute to the local economy. Numerous guilds in the city also produce various high quality items, such as weapons, armour, Talismans, and even potions. In fact, some say that the some of the best potions in Arros outside of the City of Vrahlis can be found here.
Infrastructure
Sky-port
Palynor has a large skyport located 10 minutes outside of its walls, complete with a newly built luxurious terminal, mean to show the wealth of the city, and the renouned skills of its craftsmen. The sky port contains more than half a dozen landing spaces for Winged ships, and a few elevated towers complete with manual elevators to bring the people down at ground level.Sea port
The city's port is located bellow the cliff overlooking the river, and can be accessed from the city via a large staircase carved into the cliffside, or via three elevator systems, one of which is powered by steam power engines. The port itself is fairly large and sees most of its traffic in fall, as unlike the waters of the Jasuan sea, the river does freeze over during winter, limiting interior trade during those few months. As a result, many sailors rush to deliver their goods before the river freezes.Districts
Guild Quarters
Located in the north of the city, near the city's Mage Academy, this relatively small neighbourhood is packed full of guildhalls and workshops, which employ both humans and mages ingreat numbers. Some prestigious guilds have either headquarters there, or have set up a chapter in the area, such as The Guild of Fethir.Points of interest
Suriat of Jasua
Near the centre of the city, a large plaza surounds a towering choranian temple, one of the largest in an Arrosian city. Its walls are made of white and grey stone bricks while its multi-domed roofs are made of wood, all painted in different colours, with intricate designs carved into them. It is one of the most important landmark of the city, as it is tall enough that its colourful roof is able to be seen from many kilometres away. Interestingly, its architecture is heavely inspired by the Rumalian style, which is because the architect who conceptualised the building took inspiration from the Great Temple of Sazagar, the city he ws originaly from.The Mage Academy
By far the city's most important and popular institution is the Mage Academy. Its main building, built in the form of a large stone castle, is located on a slight hill that overlooks the rest of the city from the north. Its numerous annexes and adjacent buildings are located behind it, including student residences, all form a large campus ground that stretches for hundreds of metres in all directions.Tourism
Religious Pligrims
Many thousands of foreigners come to the city, usualy for three reason. Firstly, the city has the oldest suriat in Arros, which contains many religious relics, some of which are believed to have belonged to Laris Choran himself, making the city an important destination for Choranian pilgrims.Mage Students
Secondly, the city contains the most renowned Mage Academy on the whole continent, an institution that attracts thousands of mages every year who dream of being accepted into the institution and obtains the coveted title of Calexi Mage, a very prestigious honour with numerous perks for those who obtain it.Guild Workers
Finaly, the city contains numerous guilds, some headquartered there, some who just have a chapter hall in the city's Guild Quarter, a neighbourhood in the north that houses hundreds of different guilds. Many guild members travel to and from the city, and many workers travel to the city to sell their talents to those guilds.Geography
Located on the northern shore of the Cazven river, on a cliff that overlooks its wide waters as it empties itself into the Jasuan Sea. Massive, largely untamed, woodlands lie just to north and east, called the Peryn Forest, while the foothills of the Vekhonian mountains, and the Crusader Coast stretches off to the north-west. To its south, the perynorian hills, low-lying and thickly wooded, separate the cazven river valley from the flat lands further south, in Shorai.
Climate
The city's climate is relatively humid all year round, with warm and rainy summers and cold, snowy winters. In Fall and early winter, strong storms come from the west over the Jasuan Sea, and while areas further north are more affected, Palynor is often hit by remnants. These generate brief periods of high winds and strong rain or snow.
Founding Date
1778 bc
Type
Capital
Population
475 000
Inhabitant Demonym
Palynorians
Owning Organization
History
Founding and early prominence
The city was officialy founded in 1778bc, but small fishing settlements existed in the region since the end of the Long Winter. This nonetheless makes it one of the oldest settlement on this side of the continent, as it is just a half-century younger than Vrahlis. The growth of the kingdom of Paxolia transforms the city of Palynor into a major port on the Narrow Sea. In 1722 bc, the city becomes the kingdom's capital, and a few years later, the mage academy is constructed to help with the influx of mages into the city.
Palynor Becomes religious
A few centuries later, Choranism was introduced to the city, as Laris Choran, followed by his followers a few months later came to the city on their way to the Dorroman mountains in 1418. In the 12th century bc, Paxolia would participate in numerous religious wars into Rumalia, and the city of Palynor became the most important point of entry for Enaskian armies into the continent. However, because of a dissagrement during the third such war, paxolia was sacked by the army it was supposed to host.
Political Changes
In the year 1237 bc, the kingdoms of Paxolia and Shorai to the south would unite their crowns and become the kingdom of Greater Paxolia. Palynor became a co-capital with Sirok for a time, until a civil war breaks up the new united kingdom. Then, in 1157, the kingdom of kinvalia invades and annexes Paxolia, making it a province. Despite sustaining major damage and depopulation, it recovers within the decade and retains its importance as a major port and provincial capital, as well as a prominent centres of magic learning. After the fall of Kynrivel, in 918bc, the city of palynor becomes the capital of Kinvalian Paxolia, and its population booms as many people flee the advancing Esnian Empire to settle in the city.
Esnian Rule
In the winter of 832 bc, the city is besieged for 4 months. After running out of supplies, the local garrisson decided to surrender, but the Esnian army sacks it anyways. The city looses half of its population, either to the sack itself, or mostly to the flight out of the city afterwards. While the city would take about 2 centuries, most of its 800 years under Esnian Rule was peaceful, allowing the city to prosper and thrive like it never had before. Esnian rule of the city would end at the tail-end of the Second Ag, as a rebel army takes control of the city, and their subsequent victory at the Battle of Anorai, assuring paxolia's independance.
The Rekyans wars and Recovery
During that time, and in the following decades, Palynor benefits greatly from being relatively isolated from the chaos unfolding on much of the continent. Still, a substantial amount of its population, especialy its mages, would venture south and east, leading a hand to their comrades fighting the blighted monsters. This would dampen the city's growth for a time, but being otherwise unaffected by the war allowed Paxolia to grow rapidaly in prominence once again, at the expence of other nearby cities, most notably Kelena and Sirok.
Kinvalian Rule
In the year 56bc of the Third Age, the kingdom of paxolia unites its crown with the Kingdom of paxolia, ressurecting the Kinvalian Empire of a thousand years in the past, as the Kinvalian-Paxolian commonwealth. Palynor woudl benefits greatly from this union, as both its economy and military strenght would be greatly expanded in the following centuries, up until today.
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