Midlake

Midlake is the capital of Düach, notable for its geographic location and uniquely adapted architecture. Originally built on an island in the centre of Düach Lake, the sole lake in the country, the city was forced to find innovative ways to expand as the population grew.   The city's location was chosen three thousand years ago out of the need for strong defences for the country's capital. For an army to breach the city, they would have to cross the lake--which would make their approach very visible--scale the sheer cliffs, and then the city's walls. It was very effective, and during decades of conflict with their neighbours, Düach's capital remained unbreached.   During the centuries of peace afterwards, however, Midlake reached the point where they were going to run out of space for the growing population. The best architects of the time collaborated on designs to scale the city upwards. Many storeys were added to the existing fortress, and many new tower blocks were built. Outside of the wealthy neighbourhoods, new buildings were built on top of existing ones, with artificial platforms creating elevated streets and pathways. There were a few teething problems early on, but these were ironed out quickly and the subsequent designs have proved their stability. Most of the original architecture from this period is still intact today.   There was however a limit to how long Midlake could feasibly expand this way. Eventually, a new strategy was adopted. Additional bridges were constructed across the lake, connecting the few villages around the shoreline, which officially became part of Midlake. Düach Lake has some notable deep chasms, but most of it is relatively shallow, enabling lakebed supports to be included in the bridge design. The city built along the new bridges and along the shoreline as far as the topography would allow. Now, Midlake is divided into the Inner City in the island, the Crossings (bridges), and the Outer City.