Ballustrade

A human majority, but there is no racial hierarchy. Forced to live with very limited resources, a kind of pseudo-communism emerged, which eliminated much of the class system. That being said, as the population grew, more and more people were pushed to the fringes, forced to live in slums without a job to support them.

A council of elected district leaders control the governance of the city. They represent the Field Hand, Seafarer, Resident, Forester, and Proper peoples, respectively. As well, an extra seat is often given to the dwarf lovingly called Uncle Nyx, who represents the craftspeople. Each has an equal voice, and ties in decision-making are generally put to a referendum or a third-party.   Decisions made by the council are passed down to the quartermasters, district foremen, and any other necessary party, and then they are put into law. Each governor is then responsible for relaying the information to their district guard, which is ultimately controlled and administered by the Proper District.

The Ballustrade Fortress was originally designed to be a ground and sea-level defensive position in case of invasion. It was taken over and improved upon by the Dwarves who had come seeking refuge, some already planning for the worst when Ballustrade would eventually reemerge into Tarrorah. Additionally, sea walls, river canals, and watchtowers have been build up around Ballustrade in areas to this end.

Food and sustainable resource management are among the top priorities for the Ballustradi. Farmers of crops, animals, and fish are among the most numerous professions in Ballustrade, yet special recognition is most often given to skilled builders and carpenters, because they are using resources which are in a much shorter supply. Stoneworkers tend to also be common, as much of the homes and furniture is hewn from the various kinds of stone which can be found in Ballustrade. These workers tend to work in the largely Dwarven-run Ballustrade Fortress, alongside miners and quartermasters who distribute supplies around the city.   Otherwise, the people of Ballustrade are free to do as they please, so long as they are seen as actively improving the standard of living. Trading is limited, but specialized craftspeople who can provide more than the quartermasters are willing or able to distribute set up stands in their respective districts. The most common place to find these merchants and craftspeople is in Ballustrade Proper.

Originally a master of the seas, Balustrade's shipyard has been dismantled in order to make new houses. Still, however, the imposing presence of Ballustrade proper, the fortress on the hill, remains the largest focal point of the metropolis. Besides this, one would be hard-pressed to find it lacking any institution. From alchemists to zookeepers, sewers to farmsteads, Ballustrade has it all.

Ballustrade is set up into five districts, namely the Field Hand, Seafarer, Resident, Forester, and Proper districts. Each is represented by a single leader of their respective community, called governors, and each plays an integral part in the running of the city. The Ballustrade Fortress is included in the Proper District, but most of its peoples go to Nefun Onyxbreaker with their problems, and so he has become an additional unofficial governor.   Each district faces its own problems, but is only permitted to make minor changes to its running without consent from the council. This is not in order to suppress any district, but to make sure that all of the city's resources are being used as efficiently as possible. In fact, most proposals set forth by the governors are accepted, because the high standards and the necessity to conserve are generally understood by all. Factionalism beyond the council and on the district-level is strictly forbidden, as it has led to resource misuse and hoarding in the past.

Most buildings created after the Cataclysm are made out of stone, in various shapes and sizes. The design of one's house is an indicator of their own talent or wealth, or simply their social power. Wood is used sparingly and can only really be found within the walls of much older buildings, or used as decorative accents in particularly grand public architecture.   In order to combat the drabness of the stone buildings, some people painstakingly use small amounts of dye taken from flowers to produce multicolored wool blankets which they drape from windows or hand above doorways. These blankets can sometimes take generations to complete, as the flowers come in such small quantities per year. Otherwise, people will generally used what is perceived as inferior dyes by mixing things like fruit juices, animal blood, or dung.

Ballustrade exists on a roughly crescent-shaed plot of land on the coast of Tarrorah. Inside it contains four hills of varying sizes, the tallest of which being where Ballustrade Proper was built. Most of the land to the North and West is semi-flat farmland, with a river cutting through it. to the east lay the rockier hills, where the remaining forests are. Then, to the South is where the Bay of Ballustrade can be found. This bay cuts an oval into the shape of Ballustrade, but provides decent soil for growing foods on vines.

Wood and stone are pulled from their original pre-Calaclysm sources, though a variety of foodstuffs are grown and continue to be expanded around Ballustrade. Sheep are raised in large numbers in one area, and fish are also carefully farmed in the city's bay.