Wuchun-Morios

“Where are you from?” she asked, and he hesitated just long for her to ask a different question, “Oh, have you been in Morios-Wuchun long?”
“I thought it was either Morios or Wuchun?”
“It usually seems to be but saying one excludes the other. Nobody knows which one is the original name of the city so I stick with both, just to be sure. Do you know what they mean though?”
He hadn’t, now that he thought about it.

— Amon Montag and Arya Arneck's first conversation

History

Pre-Founding

Before the Crash, the surrounding land had been occupied several times, though little is known about any of its settlers. An ancient though well-crafted and well-preserved system of tunnels has been found below ground, about half of it seemingly reserved and used in the present as a sewer system. Though kilometers of it have been mapped out, some say that much still remains unknown. Unfortunately, many of the above-ground ruins had been destroyed or damaged throughout the ages, so a few examples remain, mostly in use as museums, temples, or other public and education-purposed structures. Generally, archeological research shows that while the local residents approximately five and a half thousand years ago had been Humans and Halflings, there are traces of a strange but probably anthropomorphic people over 50,000 years ago, seemingly advanced in terms of technological and magical knowledge. Aforementioned Humans and Halflings seemed to have been, at least in part, a piece of the Lost Mortade Empire.  

The Crash That Started The Whole Damn Thing

Legend states, as does modern history, that a ship bearing people of different origins, such as Humans, Orcs, and Halflings. Due to either a storm or an accident, the ship had crashed upon the Long Shore and its members were stranded. Tensions between different peoples was high until a few thousand years ago, so it is quite unusual that the passengers huddled to survive together. While every version of the aition states that members of Human, Orc, and Halfling origins were all aboard the legendary ship, different versions claim the existence of different peoples on board, both in terms of nationality, ethnicity, and physicality. The settlement's oldest surviving buildings, not counting the ancient remains, were built about a thousand years ago; buildings as tall as three or four floors and the base of the Glasschurch, which was five stories tall originally. The walls were built 500 years ago. Throughout most of its history, Wuchun-Morios seems to have been artistically-inclined in most matters.   Relations with local tribes and nations were iffy at first and both had preferred, it seems, staying on their own territory. However, a hundred or so years later, historical documents crafted by said nations begin to note trade with the City, both in terms of travelling merchants selling their wares, trade between government representatives consisting materials and food, and also exchanging maps, technological, and magical knowledge. Several works of Capital-origin art from pre-modern periods have also been found in the furthest parts of the island, as well as a few on the Northern Isles. The first political system of this city was not run by one but by five and later nine people, all chosen by the people. The first laws were set into stone, literally, probably only a few years after the Crash, and had included amongst other things, bans on owning other people, murder of other living creatures, and a set of rules for building structures. It would seem that over the centuries the power trickled down from the Congress of Nine, towards Judges and Representatives, the latter title indicating many different positions. The Congress of Nine became secondary when the people had decided upon and adopted the idea of an Elected Royal in 1153ADK, or some 640 years ago. The title has grown in power since. The current Royal is Asher Kronell.  

The City

Even at a distance from the Capital of Apriso, you can see the mountain rising high. As you approach, sometime in the sixth or seventh hour of the afternoon, the occasional cloud passes the mountains by, the peaks not quite high enough to reach, the clouds not quite low enough o touch. The occasional, small stream of smoke or steam is released from the top, though even that slows to a stop as you find yourself amidst businesses and houses, small structures outside of the city walls, and soon in front of a large gate, one of seven, an access point into the Capital itself. Approaching, you had seen something shimmering and glass from within Wuchun, reflecting the light back to this area, and making it still warm, stalling the night's cold come. The houses around are mostly pleasant and plain, white or cream with small details in black or dark blues and reds. Nothing that extravagant can be found; the grocers are occasionally visited by friends and strangers alike, selling them fruits or clothes, or otherwise stories, otherwise the generalities needed for life. The road under you is paved, has been since roughly the same time at which you had encountered the city's first traces, and under your foot is caught a dirtied copy of the front page of an old The Moons' Port Volumes a local news-paper.

— A Guide to Morios, pg. 3

 

Origin	Percentage
Humans	39%
Halflings	33%
Orcs	11%
Elves	5%
Other	12%