Adventure 1: Journeywoman, Page 10
Anne's first impression of Gerra is that it's a much looser and messier place than Khot-Sen-Lanua.
Gerra is messier in the manner in which it's urban area sneaks up on one a building at a time, then two or three buildings, then entire blocks appearing at once until the harbour is a dizzying collection of warehouses, market stalls, piers, and the houses of merchants.
But Gerra is also a much less compact city than Khot-Sen-Lanua. Instead of neatly defined islands separated by canals and bridges with well defined borders, Gerra is a city which has grown haphazardly with streets spiralling out from the harbour and river with minds of their own.
Though in her heart-of-hearts Anne will always adore Khot-Sen-Lanua, city of her birth, Gerra already strikes her as so much more
exciting and is eager to explore the city from top to bottom the moment she laid eyes on the first first roofs rising over the horizon.
The caravan however, would be setting up at a carvanasary on the outskirts of the city with Tarn seemingly disinclined to let his crew loose in Gerra. Presumably from fear of some of them not returning before the caravan's transfer to one of the barges that will take the caravan farther northeast towards the borders of the…
[ ] The Coastal League
Comprised of a number of cities running north to south along the western edge of the continent, the cities of the league are bordered to the east and north by a mountain range, and to the west and south by the oceans.
Formed by the threat of military conquest from their mutual rival to the north, the League brought together many different city states into a loose union focused on mutual defence.
Though the cities generally tend to their own domestic affairs, a council of representatives from each city state meet together regularly to set foriegn policy and coordinate the collection of standing armies, part time militias, and mercenary companies that protect the League from their rival.
[ ] The Riverine Federation
Located on the western edge of the continent and defined by the network of rivers that cross this area, this alliance is bordered on the south by vast tundras, to the east by the mountains from which the rivers flow, and to the north by an inland sea.
United in the desire to regulate trade policy for mutual prosperity, this Federation is focused on what trade regulation and economic cooperation can do for its members.
Member city states send representatives to a raucous biannual conference that sets trade policy. Domestic and foriegn affairs are mostly left to the city states, though the region's profusion of mercenary companies means military matters often fall under "regulation of economic affairs".
[ ] The Peninsular Alliance
A collection of city states populating the peninsula that juts off the western edge of the continent, this mountainous subcontinent is bordered on three sides by oceans and on one by a mountain range.
The successor to a bygone empire, these city states maintain the shared ties that helped them survive that empire's collapse. Though each city holds independence dearly and are often at odds, the greatest threat is that of an outside power dividing them.
All the cities maintain their ability to set internal defence, economic, and domestic policies, member cities send representatives to a rotating regional capital where they treat with representatives of outside peoples as a united foreign policy considered paramount to maintaining independence.
[ ] The Western Confederacy
Geographically defined by the thousands of lakes, rivers, and forests that cover the southwestern edge of the continent, these city states are bordered by a desert to the north, mountains to the east, ocean to the west, and boreal forests to the south.
United around a shared set of values, these city states are united in order to enforce a set of domestic policies that all agree on.
Though all are free to pursue their own foriegn, military, and trade policy, these city states are united in enforcing a few domestic policies. This may be something like the abolition of slavery, enforcement of religious toleration, anti-monarchism, or another belief that all agree allows intervention in domestic politics.
For this vote I want to begin the process of clearing up what kind of place that this confederation of cities is and then start giving them Proper Nouns instead of vaguely waving towards generic terms. I expect that this will round out much of the worldbuilding of the next week or so. (That and letting Anne has some kind of tutorial adventure in Gerra >: P)
For a write in (120 words) today I would like the rough outline of this confederation's geography, their reasons for union, and the general relation between the politics of the City States and that of the union as a whole. This vote will not yet be establishing proper names for this union and its components yet. (Generally they should only really be focused on coordination of one or two of: Economic, Foriegn, Domestic, or Military affairs) and the northern or eastern border must be mountainous to match the proposed route to the destination and ocean coast to the west to match previously established geography.
The previous two votes will be closed tomorrow as well.
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