Alteria

Alteria is a large city of the former Petrenean Republic, now known as the Shimmering Shores, which is now the capital city of the small Kingdom of Alteria. Once relatively hosptiable, the city is now famous for its frigid climate, located as it is in the foothills of the Transoccident Mountains, which have been subject to inordinately cold weather ever since the Great Collapse.

Geography

Alteria occupies a position on a plane just south of the Transoccident Mountains. The city is largely built up around its primary fortification, a star fort, though it has both an inner city and an outer city surrounding the citadel, the boundaries for which are defined by the presence of the city walls. As is not unusual, the outer city is largely populated with half-folk - especially Sylphs, who don't mind the weather. Unlike in nearby Petrenea, these half folk have equal rights to the mostly human population of the city.

The city has a prominent industrial quarter in the inner city, near its northern side, where iron and steel goods are produced. It also has a prominent temple to Xia Leng which incorporates both chapels for the consecration of arms and armour alongside training colleges for several of the Martial Schools of the Former Petrenea.

Economy

Owing to the unusual weather, Alteria relies heavily on trade in furs, lumber, and the products of agriculture, supplied to it along the river to its vassal city of Port Arbita. It does a decent trade in weapons as well, primarily as export. Many born in the city become adventurers and many adventures from elsewhere come to the city to study at its famous schools of Petrenean martial disciplines. Isolated from any kind of organized enemies by distance, Alteria is even known to hire out whole companies of mercenaries to other polities.

Politics

With the collapse of the former Republic of Petrenea after the Great Collapse, the leadership of the city defaulted over to the former nobles of the city, leading to a brief but bloody civil war that ended in the ascension of a powerful warlord to the position of King of Alteria. Alteria readies itself for war - partly because of the teachings of Xia Leng - in order to expand that influence, as it is surrounded by a great frontier of independent towns and villages between it and its closest neighbours, Baghar and Petrenea.