Le'Ceil
The River City
On windy meadows, 'pon tranquil seas. The sky is a great blue beast of whimsy. The meadows and wetlands of the river plains yield at the intersection of two rivers, on the shores of the Grand Lac. Bridges weave their way across threads of streams and scattered islands, adorned with lights on tall wooden polls. Five different tongues cajole one another in the open-air taverns that overlook the water, and solemn woods stand vigil on the isles off the coast. This is Le'Ceil, the city of entwined rivers. Founded by the stranded sailors of the Second Azon Expeditionary force, the settlement functions as a major way-station and trading hub for those who sail the Tyne. The confluence of the Tyne and the Cyr Rivers form a large body of water, with a handful of small islands scattered across the lakes. These islands are home to a handful of small communities. The area around Le'Ceil is considered "The duchy of Irwin" in service to Aertas. Le'Ceil still bears remnants of their Azon heritage. Hints of gerric-inspired architecture, old warships re-engineered into bridges and piers. Most obvious of their Azon heritage is their particular regional dialect, which infuses a number of Old Gerric words into their vocabulary. They are a city of merchants and fishermen. Positioned at a nexus of water travel, they see travelers from all corners of the Midlands. Calum guilders, Orchish nomads, Aertan clerics, hedge mages, elven pilgrims, halfling tinkers, frontier outriders, and hinterland farmers all mingle among the tables of the Waystation. If you wish to contact someone, it has become common practice to pin a message on a large wooden board in the center of Le'Ceil. Inevitably they will either arrive and find it, or some traveler will carry the letter with them in the direction of it's destination. The Waystation is renowned for it's reliability in this regard, even if its methods are unreliable. They pay tribute to Aertas, though they make it back many-fold through the tariffs they are able to impose on traders thanks to Aertan protection. With this protection gone, many angry traders demand that they reduce or eliminate these tariffs.Government
Two powerful families were granted the title of Count by the Mountain Queen after the annexation of Le'Ceil. Their lands extend to the opposite borders of the Tyne, right where Le'Ciel rests. Le'Ciel itself is governed by a Viceroy, whose family is descended from Aertan nobility. The two counts compete with the viceroy as much as they do each other. Their bitter feud over control of Le'Ceil has lasted just as long as the city itself. With the closing of Aertas, the Viceroy is exposed, without support from the Mountain Kingdom. He fears that one of the two families are going to move against them, and thus he feverishly plays them off each other to prevent this. This politicking has always been done, but usually the Viceroy was in a position of strength due to Aertas' backing.
Two Great Families:
Vesolin - Descendants of the captain of the Expeditionary Fleet's captains. They control the navy, and collect tariffs. Ravouix - Descendants from the Expeditionary Fleet's Centurion, their military commander. Control most of the orchards further inland.Viceroy:
Tarnastus Irwin - Viceroy of Le'Ceil and Duke of Irwin. His fragile power and fragile peace give him severe anxiety, but he clings to his control over Le'Ceil. Determined not to let the riverlands become a war zone.Geography
Le'Ceil wraps its way around of Grand Lac, spanning it's way across the delta at the mouth of the Cyr. Three primary districts compose Le'Ceil:
The East Shore: Where the bulk of the city is congregated.
The Island Chain: The communities inhabiting the scattered islands of Grand Lac are considered a part of Le'Ceil, as through bridges and ferries they are quite well connected.
The West Shore: Also known as "Selk's Cliff", the fishing communities on the West Shore are considerably dingier than the east. The craggy bays permeating the shores make ideal havens for smugglers and river pirates.
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