Cranktown
A Tinkerer's Town
Cranktown is a city of builders, tinkerers, and mechanists nestled among the ore-rich hills between the mountain ranges of eastern Sol. The city is perhaps unique among those in the eastern reaches of the continent as it capitulated to the Empire of Daeruin without a fight. While many other cities in its neighborhood were dragged into the empire, Cranktown joined of its own accord and saved itself a bloody siege. Now under the protection of the empire, the city has much broader access to resources, which it uses to fund building projects and research into new, unorthodox technology. Cranktown is the center of technological development in the empire. Since the new administration took power, its innovative tendencies have been geared more towards militarily practical inventions, perhaps in an attempt to appease their new overlords. The culture of the city is focused on hard work and community. The residents of Cranktown work what many might consider harsh hours and harsher labor, but each night the city lights up with merriment. The taverns are filled, and the breweries are working overtime to keep the citizens happy. In Cranktown, the everyday motto is "work hard, play hard."
Demographics
Cranktown is a mixed city, though the bulk of its residents are of Gnomish, Dwarvish, and Halfling stock. These make up the majority of its citizens, artisans, workers, and families. Historically, there have often been many Droth, Shan, Goblins, and Orcish residents who come to the city to ply their trade in the highly competitive environment. As well, the last century has brought in a fair few Dark Elves from elsewhere in Daeruin seeking a break from tradition.
Government
Unlike most cities in the empire, Cranktown remains nominally self-ruling and quasi-republican in its administrative structure. Prior to imperial rule, the city was run by an elected leader from among the influential folk of the city. While this is still essentially the case, any elected ruler must swear fealty to the Emperor upon their ascension, lest they be removed from power. This freedom was granted to the people of Cranktown as a reward for their submitting to imperial rule without a fight. In general, centralized power is not part of the tradition of the city. Decentralized democratic rule is the preferred style from lordship over the city to workplace organization.
Defences
The walls of Cranktown are high and ascending, built with sophisticated battlements loaded with advanced weaponry from arcane cannons to supercharged ballistae. It is well-suited for a long siege, though it prefers to avoid it whenever possible, hence the capitulation to the empire. This caused some in the city to wonder why their rulers bothered building such advanced defences just to submit to the largest empire around. The rationale appears to be that Daeruin can be reasoned with while a barbarian horde or virulent plague cannot.
The aforementioned walls are supplemented by towers always manned by watchmen. Part of the city is built into the mountains, making it virtually impossible to truly attack from outside. As well, a system of tunnels and sewer paths exists beneath the city, making fast travel easy for military support units.
Industry & Trade
As perhaps the most prominent city in the Steel Valley, Cranktown is supremely positioned for domination of regional trade. Cranktown naturally has abundant access to deposits of steel, iron, and precious gems, including diamonds, which are considered invaluable to collectors, jewelers, and healers alike. This metallic abundance has caused there to be a bustling industry of smiths, jewelers, tinkerers, and artificers all working to create vast amounts of steel and steam-based products. This rugged industry is not the only one of its kind in Cranktown. A significant brewing industry has boomed in the city as well, to supplement the vast numbers of hard workers within its walls. After a night of rough toil in the steelworks or the foundries, workers relish the chance to spend their earnings at local taverns, breweries, and inns. The honey found in the hills and mountains of the city helps produce the finest mead in eastern Sol.
Infrastructure
The industrious city is home to a drawbridge, high walls with sophisticated battlements, wide brick roads, and a number of blast furnaces used to produce many steel goods among the finest of their kind in the empire. As well, Cranktown is the only location in Daeruin where one can readily find firearms. They have secured a royal monopoly from the Emperor, making their gunsmiths the only certified producers in the realm. Beyond that, Cranktown also has a functioning sewer system and water filtration, bringing fresh water from the nearby mountains.
Guilds and Factions
Cranktown is home to many prominent guilds, which wield significant influence in its culture and politics. As a city with no tradition of aristocratic nobility in the strictest sense of the term, save for the current imperial overlords who mostly leave them alone, the notables of the city have always been its working class. They have historically banded together in unions, guilds, and factions to push for their interests and hone their craft. These guilds give out certifications to aspiring apprentice artisans who then have access to proper mentors and masters of the various disciplines. The most common guilds in Cranktown are those dedicated to tinkering, smithing, brewing, mining, jewelry, and stonecutting, though others do exist, including mercenary bands.
History
Cranktown began as a trading post connecting the various towns in the Steel Valley. Due to its location in the rugged region, it attracted all kinds of smiths and others who worked with metal. However, it slowly grew into a bustling town known for its trade, opportunities, and rapid growth. Its acquisition by the Empire of Daeruin was quick and painless. As quickly as the demands of submission came from the empire, they were accepted by the lords of Cranktown. They figured it was better to quickly capitulate and get back to work, focusing on growth and prosperity, rather than suffer a protracted siege they may not even win in the end. It's likely the brutal Siege of Duervale played into this mentality.
After the easy period of transition to imperial rule, Cranktown only grew faster. Now being among the most cherished cities of the empire, especially for their lack of resistance, the city attracts visitors and investors from all over the empire and beyond. It has benefited from the protection of Daeruin as well as its vast network it now has access to by being in the imperial fold. As well, Cranktown still retains much of its traditions, including rule by citizens rather than high lords.
Geography
The city is nestled in the hills and mountains of the Steel Valley. This rugged terrain offers natural defenses and vast resources simply waiting to be harvested. Given the city's immense growth, it has started to expand into the mountains themselves, carving out entire sections of the city from the mountains its rests against. Water is very easy to come by in this prime location, made even easier by Cranktown's aquatic industry, and its residents consider the view to be among the finest in the world.
Climate
Standing between two mountain ranges, winters can be quite frigid, though summers are fairly temperate. Given the distance from large bodies of water, such disasters are virtually unknown to the people of Cranktown. However, the winters can be truly difficult for those without sufficient housing.
Natural Resources
The lifeblood of Cranktown's economy is found in its resources. Stone is virtually endless. As the city expands into the mountains, it gains resources while also making space at the same time. This kind of abundance has come to be amusingly called double-dipping by Cranktown's residents. Beyond stone, steel, iron, gems, and fresh water are to be found in great quantities, fueling the economy and keeping the infrastructure of Cranktown well-maintained year-round.
Type
City
Population
93,140
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Cranker
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization