Petrenea

Petrenea is the former capital city of the Petrenean Republic, now known as the Shimmering Shores, a small metropolis which is the largest population center in the entire conflicted region. The city is known by the epithet Ancient Foundation, and claims to be the oldest settlement in all Wisteria, a claim complicated by the lack of neutral records on the matter and the rival claims of the Imperial City and Whiterock, never mind that the Confederacy of Sages finds the very concept ridiculous. Petrenea remains among the most influential cities in the region and the Petrenean City state includes many smaller villages and towns as well as the nearby port city of Albassaria.

The city is highly fortified, and has a largely human population, though of late it is also teeming with Tengu and Ratfolk refugees. There is a non-negligible cohort of Illegitmati - a somewhat scandalous term for half-folk, who under petrenean law and custom are bastardized by default.

Geography

Petrenea has a large circular "outer wall", which at one point simply marked the boundry to its internal Old City, but nowadays is almost considered the formal boundry of the city itself. They patrol the area around the city heavily to provide support for the villages, farmsteads, towns, and other holdings that they rely on for agriculture, and even patrol a road between the city itself and the nearby city of Albassaria.

The city is prized for two key features - the Lycium of Petrenea and the Temple of Silence. The Lyceum is the supposed birthplace of the formalized theories of Way of the Elements and is famous for the Magi Lycia, a regiment of formally trained warrior-magi who form the elite core of the Petrenean Army and the City Guard, as well as occasionally becoming famous adventurers or mercenaries working on their own. The Temple of Silence is among the chief temples of the Awakened One, being the head of the School of Great Works and supposedly having been founded by Sharputra himself.

Economy

The Petrenean economy is surprisingly robust, and the city does well for itself, mostly because of its vassal city Albassaria which trades heavily with other cities along the coast and even as far north as Bastonia by way of the markets at Southport. This trade is especially in rich spices, exotic lumber, and reagents and produce called from post-Great Collapse monsters now prevalent in the region. Demand for Arcwhale Oil from the Bastonians trumps almost all other trading concerns.

Politics

Petrenea was once the center of politics for the whole area now known as the Shimmering Shore, which was once properly known as the Petrenean Republic. While the republic has collapsed the city retains its republican roots - it is still governed by a Signoria of prominant nobles, guild heads and merchants. The city also frequently sends envoys to the other cities along the coast of the former Republic like Port Arbita and Pashkhara, even up-river to Roekka, to treat with those cities and pull together some semblance of a unified front against the beasts from beyond the Great Rift.