Hey it's that thing I mentioned 500 years ago
Entry: Imperial City of Gryphusberg, from Shining Frost's Un-Abridged Guide to the Cities of the World, [1] published 30 AD
Gryphusberg or
Gryphus Peak is the capital and largest city of the Empire of Gryphus. Situated in the southeast of the country, between the Bergträne River and the mountain that lends its name to the city, Gryphusberg is a thriving hub of industry, commerce, transportation, art, science, and administration.
History
Gryphusberg formerly served as the capital of the post-Imperial Kingdom of Griffonia, ruled by the Blackfeather (
Schwarzenfeder) dynasty for most of Discord's reign. During the Age of Chaos, Gryphusberg was, like most settlements, a relatively small affair, beset on all sides by an ever-shifting and nonsensical landscape filled with deadly beasts. It is believed that the layout of the city was forcibly changed by Discord's actions at least three times over a three-hundred-year period. The wider Griffonian kingdom, meanwhile, was a kingdom in name only, as few messengers and soldiers could actually reach the locations of the king's nominal vassals on the other side of the chaotic wilds. Nevertheless, due to its advantageous location (most of the time…), Gryphusberg became a local trade hub for the
Herzland region.
One of those who frequented the markets of Gryphusberg was Garrick Goldenfeather, a young itinerant merchant whose reputation for reliable and relatively fast deliveries had, until the end of Discord's reign, been his only claim to fame. However, when the last Blackfeather king of Griffonia, Gerhard III, died of alcohol poisoning acquired during the raucous celebrations of Discord's fall, the scribes of the Mountain Palace (
Bergpalast), his residence, were forced to locate a distant relative of their liege to continue the succession. The only one they could find was Garrick Goldenfeather, the only scion of a cadet line of the Blackfeathers descended from the bastard son of King Dietrich II. Thus, the future Emperor of Gryphus took the throne, and Gryphusberg's future was forever changed.
In the thirty years since the ascension of Garrick (called the Golden, or even the Great, by his people), Gryphusberg has increased in size fourfold from what it was in the Discordian. The
Bergpalast has been expanded to cover much of the eastern flank of the Peak on whose slopes it sits, becoming a truly imperial edifice. The city itself has grown so large that it has begun to merge with the nearby port of Aukland, providing the capital with direct sea access, and linking it and its merchant emperor even more closely to the burgeoning international trade networks.
In 7 AD, as part of the Great Reorganization of the realms of Gryphus for integration into the Empire, Gryphusberg was designated the Imperial City, becoming its own administrative unit, separate from the rest of Griffonia, and subject to its own laws.
Demographics and Culture
Owing to its status as the best-connected and populous city in Gryphus, Gryphusberg is also the most diverse city in the Empire, a far cry from the overwhelming griffon majority that it possessed upon Garrick's ascension. Now, griffons make up only a bare majority of the population of 350,000, with the rest being members of other species.
The earliest and largest minority population in Gryphusberg is that of the diamond dogs (
diamanthunde), who first moved
en masse to the city after the Pacts of the Packs were made. Over 75,000 diamond dogs currently live in and under--especially under--Gryphusberg. There are so many, in fact, that they have quite literally carved out an entire quarter of the city for themselves: the undercity (
unterstadt) of Grand Diamondtown (
Große Diamantenstadt), so named to distinguish it from the other Diamondtowns in cities across the Empire. This massive network of natural and artificial tunnels and caverns has increased the living space in Gryphusberg by over a third, and also boosts the local economy through the mining of industrial metals like copper, tin, and iron, and the farming of numerous species of edible mushrooms. The
unterstadt is, contrary to the beliefs of certain political figures, just as clean on average as the city above, if not moreso, given the constant effort to reinforce walls, ram loose dirt into place, and fix any potential structural weaknesses that could cause a dangerous collapse. In recent years, the area has become famous for its restaurant scene, with establishments such as Big Mama's Dining Den reportedly being visited even by royalty.
Große Diamantenstadt even plays an important role in the Imperial City's defenses, with several large civilian emergency shelters and military outposts and supply caches situated throughout the
unterstadt.
The second-largest minority are the crystal ponies (
kristallpferden), many of whom migrated north for economic opportunities during the days of reconstruction after the
Winterkrieg, though just as many came for other reasons as well. They live in all areas of Gryphusberg, but tend to cluster around the southern fork of the Bergträne that runs through the city. The area is known as the Ruby Ford, after an early community leader of the crystal ponies in the city, Ruby Dazzle, who helped organize the first settlements of her people along the Bergträne and oversaw the construction of three of the Ford's famous Gembridges. The bridges are unique in their construction; they were grown from relatively small seed crystals with powerful crystallomancy, the energy for which was provided by dozens of crystal ponies who volunteered for the projects. So far, there are bridges made of diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire, and most recently, fire opal. Plans have been made for at least three more bridges, made of more exotic stones--tourmaline, purpurite, [2] and ammolite have been suggested.
Various Neighponjin species live in the Downriver district, closest to Aukland, which has a larger population. Like the diamond dogs, the Neighponjin have brought their distinct architectural style to the city, and many of the houses in the Downriver district would not be out of place in Kyoto. Also like the diamond dogs, they have become famous for their cuisine, which has spread well beyond the lower Bergträne area. Recently, it was announced that the crystalmancers of Ruby Ford were being contracted to construct another Gembridge in Downriver, this time out of high-quality Neighponjin jade.
In matters of religion, Gryphusberg has become the largest center of faith in the Empire, in addition to its other leading roles. A shrine to the Crystal Heart, parish church of the Lady of the Lake, and yak runestone are all present near the city center, and the Imperial Cult has announced plans to construct a Cathedral of the Savior-Emperor near the
Bergpalast. On a smaller scale, many residents have home-shrines to their ancestors or to Neighponjin kami in their houses or the houses of important community members.
Industry
Gryphusberg has long been the beating heart of the Imperial Industrial Revolution, even before the invention of the Archimedean steam engine. The location of the city between two forks of the Bergträne allowed mills and early factories to spring up once machine tools became commonplace, using hydraulic power to drive their machinery. In addition, the river provided a convenient avenue for shipping the finished products to the great markets of Aukland. Now, the river provides a constant source of water for the steam engines as well. Many of the Empire's largest factories make their home in the Imperial City, drawing thousands of workers from across Gryphus, Kristalland, and beyond.
To keep the managers and owners of the city's factories honest, in recent years, many laborers have begun organizing into leagues or guilds, which represent different sectors of the workforce in negotiations with the bosses. They have scored several notable victories in their quest to ensure that no working being is underpaid, overworked, or unsafe, to the consternation of some aristocratic voices.
Education
Gryphusberg is home to the largest concentration of primary and secondary schools in the Empire; unusually, most of these schools are regulated by a single authority, the Capital Education Bureau founded by a minor imperial edict in 18. Thus far, only a few cities and towns have adopted this model, but it seems to work well for the Imperial City, according to polls.
For higher education, citizens have two main options: the Imperial University of Gryphusberg (
Imperatorliche Universität Gryphusberg) and the Imperial Gryphusian Officers' Academy (
Gryphusisches Imperatorliche Offiziersakademie) attached to the larger War Academy. IUG, as the civilian institution is known, is well known as the site of the main workshop of Chief Researcher Archimedes and Vice Chief Researcher Genevieve Talonuelli, from which countless revolutionary inventions have been birthed. This alone attracts thousands of students each year, eager to learn from the ones considered the finest minds in the Empire. GIO, the military academy, attracts more warlike students, and a surprising number of diamond dogs. In addition, a few dozen foreign officer candidates, mostly Neighponjin and Yakyakistani, have graduated from its halls, bringing the Gryphusian way of war back to their homelands and adding to their nations' strategic annals. The two academies have, as of late, developed a fierce talonball rivalry, which has led to many a drunken brawl between their students.
Transportation
It is often said that the best way to get around Gryphusberg is on the river. The Bergträne has been the city's lifeblood for centuries, enabling trade and civil traffic alike and allowing thousands to traverse the urban landscape quickly and relatively easily. Gondolas, barges, skiffs, and more ply the twin forks, passing under historic bridges such as the aforementioned Gembridges of Ruby Ford and the
Königsbrücke of the northern city, built by King Augustus ("Gusti") the Grey during Discord's reign. The recent publication of Archimedes' nautical steam engine design promises to breathe new life into the already expansive river travel industry.
On land, the central part of the city is built on a grid, a product of the ancient First Empire's prowess in city planning. Beyond this core, however, the streets can be somewhat chaotic, and maps are usually necessary for non-natives. The recent construction of a city railroad in Gryphusberg has helped alleviate some of the street traffic, and enabled rapid transport between the capital and other cities, such as Kristallstadt.
OOC Footnotes
[1] In contrast to the far shorter work that is Twinkle Sprinkle's Abridged Guide to the Cities of the World, written by Frost's wife. If you get that reference, yey
[2] Purpurite, from the Herzlandisch/German "purpur," meaning purple, is tanzanite. I changed the name because Tanzania doesn't exist in this world, and decided to go with a simple descriptive name.
@Questor have
