Royal Inquisition

The Royal Inquisition is a political institution outside the normal judicial system, tasked with eliminating corruption, treason, and political dissent within the city. They possess the exclusive authority to accuse nobles of crimes and refer them for trial before the tribunal.

Merchant Guilds & Banks

Vynn is home to many merchant guilds and trading charters, some of which hold significant power. Although the gentry class is not allowed to participate in government directly, they have other means of persuading nobles into backing their interests.

The Council

The council is comprised of all house heads of all noble families and it serves as the main legislative body. They hold power to make, amend and repeal laws. Additionally they are often summoned to discuss the city's affairs.

The High Table

The High Table is a closed council composed of the King, the Crown Prince, the High Inquisitor, the Grand Adjudicator, the Exarch and the Archon. These six men detain all the executive power in Vynn and the future of the city is dictated by their decisions.

The Tribunal

The Tribunal is a complex institution in charge of administering justice and upholding the law. It is subdivided into many branches with different reaches and scopes, ranging from common affairs to the nobility cases brought forth by the Royal Inquisition. At the head of the Tribunal is the Grand Adjudicator.

The Consulate

After the Calambrian Intervention put an end to The Great War , The Free City of Calambrion established a protectorate intended to prevent further conflict between The Free Cities, and mitigate the disastrous effects of Arcane Sapping. The protectorate instituted embassies in all cities and assigned consuls to monitor all their governmental affairs. These consuls were not to interfere in any way, but simply to ensure the protectorate's two imperatives were followed; There shall be no more war, and arcane energy shall not be sapped from the earth or any living thing.

The Sects

There are many religious churches, orders and sects, a few of which hold significant power. The most prominent of these is The Church of Tiran, whose seat of power, The Glass Cathedral, is the only non-secular building in the city's inner ring.

The Archonate

Historically, the Archonate was created with the primary purpose of safeguarding the Arcstones. It was led by an Archon selected from among the wisest and most accomplished wielders. It didn't take long from the Archons to leverage the influence of their station to encroach themselves into government positions, namely the High Table. Following the events of The Shattering the Archonate saw their influence greatly diminished, but not entirely extinguished, as the Archon retained their seat at the High Table as the foremost expert in all matters arcane.

The Nobles

The nobles are people of good birth. They are wealthy and from good families. Nobles are expected to dedicate themselves to government. Marrying a noble will not make you a noble, although your offspring will be granted the name of their noble parent, and be nobles themselves.

The Gentry

The gentry are those who are well off. Generally educated, these are merchants, bankers, businessmen and other influential people.

The People

The people make up the vast majority of the population, these are the laborers, artisans and farmers that comprise the backbone of the economy. Despite their numbers, their needs are often overlooked by those in power.

The Clergy

The clergy are those who dedicate their lives to serve those who they deem worthy of worship. These people do not technically comprise a social class of their own, but are nonetheless afforded special privileges unattainable to those outside their station.

Layout

The city is encircled by many concentric ringwalls which increase in elevation and split the city into well defined tiers and districts. These fortifications have earned the city the nickname "The Ringed City", sometimes also called "The Tiered City", and have contributed to the perpetuation of the marked class divide and structured social hierarchy. Water from Tiran's River is pumped and channeled throughout the city by canals. This water network used to span the whole city, but since the war the arcane energy necessary to operate the pumps has become a scarce and precious resource, as a consequence the canal network remains operational only in the inner rings. In the rest of the city the canals run dry and the people have adapted, setting up all kinds of infrastructures inside the ditches. The complex waterway system under the city has also become home to less desirable activities.

The Citadel

Though technically not a ring in itself, The Citadel is a part of the inner-most ring. It is the most exclusive and prestigious part of The Free City of Vynn where the king lives, containing the royal palace and all necessary appendages. It is purely residential.

Inner Rings

The Inner Rings, serve as home to the most influential people and organizations in Vynn. The purchase of propriety in this area is limited by law to those of noble birth.

Central Rings

The Central Rings make up the bulk of the city and vary greatly in wealth and prestige as they distance themselves from the center. Close to the inner rings, the richest members of the gentry class live in great opulence and abundance, doing their best to mimic the living standards and customs of the ruling class.

Outer Rings

The Outer Rings are home to the poorest in society, conditions here are grim, and the population is relentlessly ravaged by famine and disease.

Shattered Ring

The shattered ring is where the wretch of society are sent to rot. Mostly destroyed by war and completely devoid of infrastructure those unfortunate enough to find themselves here are often not long for this world, their day to day becoming a constant struggle for survival.

The Waterways

A vast labyrinthine network of pipes and channels engineered to pump water from Tiran's River all throughout the city's canals. Now mostly dry, it has become infamous for illicit activity, and criminal organizations wage constant war over control of the waterways.