Anville
The capitol of Anville is known as the "City of Kings." Prior to the sundering, and the formation of the Imperium the city served as the Kingport for Orlais. The Iron Keep, now called the Imperium Seat is a well fortified castle located on the cliff overlooking the expanded city and its grand harbor. Its heavily fortified walls have withstood six attacks over its uncovered history. The Keep underwent substantial repairs following Anville's annexation into the Imperium. Once the architects completed the work, the city would remain a regional captial for the Imperium under the governorship of Jean-Frederick Couleur for nearly forty years until the eventual transfer of the Imperium capitol by Emperor Zeed 234 AR.
Anville is organized into eight districts. These are typically referred to as quarters, despite the misnomer. The Imperium only recognizes four of these districts by name: the Noble Quarter, the Merchant Quarter, the Adventurer's Quarter, and Harbor Quarter.
The Imperium Seat The Emporer's palace, with many fortification from the Orlesian kings of old. The former Orlesian royal palace is built on the rocky plateau whose shape gave the city its namesake. The palace spreads over sixty rooms and three stories tall with a central rotunda. Along with its private garden, with a beautiful white marble fountain restored to its original condition, the Imperium Seat is centered in the upper baley with several watchtowers warding the the cliff side wall in overview of the city's docks. The Imperial Guard have a garrison stationed at the eastern wall along with the double portcullis in the reinforced gatehouse that doubles as barbicon for the Seat's defense. The Gold Road begins here at the "Emporer's Way" and leads into the middle bailey with its Mill Tower and the Noble quarter. The Emporer's Way is only known gate into the castles upper bailey. Mages from the Imperial Mages Cabal are used to enchant wards, and provide detection services for the guardsman running sweeps of incoming supplicants through the Emporer's Way.
The Noble Quarter The most aflluent part of the city, where wealthy merchants, nobleman, and faux arristocrats play at the game of houses. High end apartments and inns dart the main road which loops through the district, provide lavish lodging for the debutant or traveling deligate. Servants and messengers frequent the streets here at thier master's bidding, and the guardsman walk the alleys and corridors here with dedication. A few luxury shops and stalls are available along the Gold Road, but merchants here pay a premium in permits to sell among the district. This keeps the ramble and trash out of the streets. A mill tower serves to grind most of the districts grains, and maintained with strict inspection to avoid potential incidents with the emporer or his house. Of further note is the Imperium Library where many texts of various origins are housed.
The Merchant Quarter The merchant district expands to the East but also fills out the outermost bailey before the walls reach the cliffsides to the South and North forming a crecent moon around the noble quarter and its bailey. As the most influencial trade city in the Imperium, merchants from far lands, traders, and enchanter sell some of the most rare and unique items in either thier grand bazaar or the Noble Artisansry Guild's shops located along the noble quarter's walls. The district is heavily patrolled. Despite the risks thieves are caught here daily. There are two gates out of the lower baily and the merchant quarter. The lower gate, called the Sea Gate by most, is found on the southern wall. One of Anville's guard barracks ajoin this wall near this entryway and the Sea Gate is locked and barred by dusk. The eastmost gate called the Coin Gate by most follows in the Dragonfall Plaza nicknamed the adventurer's quarter by most citizens. This gate is closed before eighth bell, and is a tollway after that time until a stroke after dawn.
The Dragonfall Plaza Also known as the Adventurer's quarter, the Plaza is one of the first districts without the thick castle walls in the surround. In the plaza green center is a statue with Zar'thur'grax the Terror, an adult black dragon that fell in the age before the sundering. Its skull remains on display in the Imperium seat but a statue of the dragon, supposedly to the scale, was carved in that age and restored with a black basalt stands for all in the district to see the triumph of Mann over thier draconic foes. The spectacle of this statue has distinctive affected the districts appeal, and now caters to travellers and adventures. Several middle class shops dart the plaza providing wares to traveling adventurers. The Anville chapterhouse of the Adventurer's guild is nestled against the western keep wall. A stone fighting arena known as the Pit attacts upwards of two thousand spectators during feast weeks, and gladiatorial sport has become a well respected and lucriative profession. Many Golanaar come from the Frostvale to try thier hands in the Pit. There are five well-renonwned Inns in the district. The Golden Lion is one of the oldest and still harbors many motiffs of its Orlesian heritage. The Flower of Orlais shares similar motifs and is the largest inn in the Dragonfall Plaza. The Knight's Rest, The Forge and Hammer Inn, and The Horse and Herald Inn all draw a majority of the adventurer's lodging in the city. There are several popular taverns: the Wolves' Den, The Golden Hen, The Rusty Coin scattered along the two main throughfares through the district. There is a minimal stone wall that might deter bandits or goblins that encircles most of the area, but it is not designed to protect against seiges. There are number of smaller gates; most notably, the Blood Gate near the Pit, and the Traveller's Gate along the Gold Road with othe only full show of a proper gatehouse along the wall.
The Eastern Commons Beyond the walls of the Dragonfall Plaza are the commons to the North and East. A lower income district of houses and homes that might be considered to be a town in its own right. It was hastily built up in the past two generations as many of the Imperium's ciitzenry flocked to its new capital. A shrine to The Light used to stand in the central square of the district, but was destroyed during the demonstrations that drove most religious followers from the city. In its place is the statue of His Empyrial Majesty, Emperor Elric Varadris. Space is a premium and over the past few years old properties have been bought out and two story low income apartments have risen in thier place. The commons bazaar is a swap meet of farmers, craftsman, and humble merchants selling wares for the everymann. The Eastern Commons doesn't have a designed exterior border but eventually gives way to farmsteads and fields as the Gold Road continues east.
The Northern Commons Similar to the Easter Commons, this area is still very much a slum. However, many Elyrians and Kyb seem to find thier way into the "Wayward Quarter." The booze in the taverns are cheap, the company is poor, and the music doesn't stop at sunrise sometimes. You have to be crazied, or looking for trouble to rest your head in the Northern Commons. Some say a thieves' haven is located in the Northern Commons, but there have been no official discoveries by the Anville Watch made public knowledge.
The Harbor Quarter The last of the "quarters", the Harbor Quarter, also called the Seamann's Quarter, expands to the south from the Sea Gate along to the raised reinforced channels at the river's edge. The district wraps around the western cliff face below the Imperium Seat. A watch tower sits a the base of the cliff to watch for any would be assailants seeking to climb up the cliffside to infiltrate the Imperium Seat. The district contains many warehouses, an elaborate wharf for merchant vessels to offload thier cargo, a excellent sheltered harbor for vessels to moor, a large dock for repairs and provisioning, several sea side taverns to choose from, but strangely only two Inns: The Port in the Storm, and Deckhand's Bunk. A commoner brothel, the Rose's Kiss also marries itself within the districts mire of cooridors and passageways. The watch patrols the docks and the Harbor Quarter well, and a sizable fish market sells much of the catch to those looking to buy. The finer fish are dedicated to fishmongers up into the Noble district for those with refined tastes and deeper pockets.
The Waterfront District Property is cheap and so are the taxes here, but during the summer during the Moons' Twinning, if the Valen River is already gorged from unseasonable rains, the banks flood into this lower area. The district is rife with disease, and the poor. It is sometimes referred to as the Beggar's Quarter.
Anville is organized into eight districts. These are typically referred to as quarters, despite the misnomer. The Imperium only recognizes four of these districts by name: the Noble Quarter, the Merchant Quarter, the Adventurer's Quarter, and Harbor Quarter.
The Imperium Seat The Emporer's palace, with many fortification from the Orlesian kings of old. The former Orlesian royal palace is built on the rocky plateau whose shape gave the city its namesake. The palace spreads over sixty rooms and three stories tall with a central rotunda. Along with its private garden, with a beautiful white marble fountain restored to its original condition, the Imperium Seat is centered in the upper baley with several watchtowers warding the the cliff side wall in overview of the city's docks. The Imperial Guard have a garrison stationed at the eastern wall along with the double portcullis in the reinforced gatehouse that doubles as barbicon for the Seat's defense. The Gold Road begins here at the "Emporer's Way" and leads into the middle bailey with its Mill Tower and the Noble quarter. The Emporer's Way is only known gate into the castles upper bailey. Mages from the Imperial Mages Cabal are used to enchant wards, and provide detection services for the guardsman running sweeps of incoming supplicants through the Emporer's Way.
The Noble Quarter The most aflluent part of the city, where wealthy merchants, nobleman, and faux arristocrats play at the game of houses. High end apartments and inns dart the main road which loops through the district, provide lavish lodging for the debutant or traveling deligate. Servants and messengers frequent the streets here at thier master's bidding, and the guardsman walk the alleys and corridors here with dedication. A few luxury shops and stalls are available along the Gold Road, but merchants here pay a premium in permits to sell among the district. This keeps the ramble and trash out of the streets. A mill tower serves to grind most of the districts grains, and maintained with strict inspection to avoid potential incidents with the emporer or his house. Of further note is the Imperium Library where many texts of various origins are housed.
The Merchant Quarter The merchant district expands to the East but also fills out the outermost bailey before the walls reach the cliffsides to the South and North forming a crecent moon around the noble quarter and its bailey. As the most influencial trade city in the Imperium, merchants from far lands, traders, and enchanter sell some of the most rare and unique items in either thier grand bazaar or the Noble Artisansry Guild's shops located along the noble quarter's walls. The district is heavily patrolled. Despite the risks thieves are caught here daily. There are two gates out of the lower baily and the merchant quarter. The lower gate, called the Sea Gate by most, is found on the southern wall. One of Anville's guard barracks ajoin this wall near this entryway and the Sea Gate is locked and barred by dusk. The eastmost gate called the Coin Gate by most follows in the Dragonfall Plaza nicknamed the adventurer's quarter by most citizens. This gate is closed before eighth bell, and is a tollway after that time until a stroke after dawn.
The Dragonfall Plaza Also known as the Adventurer's quarter, the Plaza is one of the first districts without the thick castle walls in the surround. In the plaza green center is a statue with Zar'thur'grax the Terror, an adult black dragon that fell in the age before the sundering. Its skull remains on display in the Imperium seat but a statue of the dragon, supposedly to the scale, was carved in that age and restored with a black basalt stands for all in the district to see the triumph of Mann over thier draconic foes. The spectacle of this statue has distinctive affected the districts appeal, and now caters to travellers and adventures. Several middle class shops dart the plaza providing wares to traveling adventurers. The Anville chapterhouse of the Adventurer's guild is nestled against the western keep wall. A stone fighting arena known as the Pit attacts upwards of two thousand spectators during feast weeks, and gladiatorial sport has become a well respected and lucriative profession. Many Golanaar come from the Frostvale to try thier hands in the Pit. There are five well-renonwned Inns in the district. The Golden Lion is one of the oldest and still harbors many motiffs of its Orlesian heritage. The Flower of Orlais shares similar motifs and is the largest inn in the Dragonfall Plaza. The Knight's Rest, The Forge and Hammer Inn, and The Horse and Herald Inn all draw a majority of the adventurer's lodging in the city. There are several popular taverns: the Wolves' Den, The Golden Hen, The Rusty Coin scattered along the two main throughfares through the district. There is a minimal stone wall that might deter bandits or goblins that encircles most of the area, but it is not designed to protect against seiges. There are number of smaller gates; most notably, the Blood Gate near the Pit, and the Traveller's Gate along the Gold Road with othe only full show of a proper gatehouse along the wall.
The Eastern Commons Beyond the walls of the Dragonfall Plaza are the commons to the North and East. A lower income district of houses and homes that might be considered to be a town in its own right. It was hastily built up in the past two generations as many of the Imperium's ciitzenry flocked to its new capital. A shrine to The Light used to stand in the central square of the district, but was destroyed during the demonstrations that drove most religious followers from the city. In its place is the statue of His Empyrial Majesty, Emperor Elric Varadris. Space is a premium and over the past few years old properties have been bought out and two story low income apartments have risen in thier place. The commons bazaar is a swap meet of farmers, craftsman, and humble merchants selling wares for the everymann. The Eastern Commons doesn't have a designed exterior border but eventually gives way to farmsteads and fields as the Gold Road continues east.
The Northern Commons Similar to the Easter Commons, this area is still very much a slum. However, many Elyrians and Kyb seem to find thier way into the "Wayward Quarter." The booze in the taverns are cheap, the company is poor, and the music doesn't stop at sunrise sometimes. You have to be crazied, or looking for trouble to rest your head in the Northern Commons. Some say a thieves' haven is located in the Northern Commons, but there have been no official discoveries by the Anville Watch made public knowledge.
The Harbor Quarter The last of the "quarters", the Harbor Quarter, also called the Seamann's Quarter, expands to the south from the Sea Gate along to the raised reinforced channels at the river's edge. The district wraps around the western cliff face below the Imperium Seat. A watch tower sits a the base of the cliff to watch for any would be assailants seeking to climb up the cliffside to infiltrate the Imperium Seat. The district contains many warehouses, an elaborate wharf for merchant vessels to offload thier cargo, a excellent sheltered harbor for vessels to moor, a large dock for repairs and provisioning, several sea side taverns to choose from, but strangely only two Inns: The Port in the Storm, and Deckhand's Bunk. A commoner brothel, the Rose's Kiss also marries itself within the districts mire of cooridors and passageways. The watch patrols the docks and the Harbor Quarter well, and a sizable fish market sells much of the catch to those looking to buy. The finer fish are dedicated to fishmongers up into the Noble district for those with refined tastes and deeper pockets.
The Waterfront District Property is cheap and so are the taxes here, but during the summer during the Moons' Twinning, if the Valen River is already gorged from unseasonable rains, the banks flood into this lower area. The district is rife with disease, and the poor. It is sometimes referred to as the Beggar's Quarter.
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Capital
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