Volgen (the City of)

The City of Volgen is the capital of the Kingdom of Borealis, the biggest city in Thessea and one of the biggest trading, manufacturing and cultural hubs of the Realm. The last royal census measured the city's population at 344, 485 people. It is the seat of Borean royal family, nobility and central government.

For the Grand Duchy of Volgen, read here.

Outline

Volgen can roughly be divided into two main parts - the Thane's City and the Sprawl. The former is the walled-off city proper; the latter is the conglomeration of suburbian townships and villages that surround the old city - home to the city's agriculture and industry. The biggest one of these districts is Veerhoften (~9000 people) - the city's main trade gate and river port, connecting it via river Sybarin with the rest of the province and the Sun-stained Sea.

The Thane's City is famous throughout the Realm for its awesome spires and towers, most of the city's architecture reaching upwards to the heavens and built from an intricately ornamented white marble. The walled-off city has three main gates to all sides but the North: to the North, it connects to the outside world via a grand aqueduct, that carries the newly-born waters of Sybarin from their cavernous source within the Copper-leaf Mountains (and, conveniently, the Vateragide - nigh impenetrable fortress and treasury of Borean kings).

Landmarks
 * The Royal Palace and its Annex: a gorgeous, cyclopean structure at the heart of the city. The main part – the Palace – is an exquisite lattice of marble spires, viaducts and gilded domes, all connected in an elegant ensemble, every part and stroke of which leaps towards the heavens. It is linked by a grand viaduct to its sister building – the Royal Annex on the Eastern bank of the Sybarin river. It’s cylindrical shape and darker colours – together with a menagerie of gothic sculpture and reliefs that covers its outer walls – contrast with the pure white of the Palace. Originally intended as a colosseum for trials by combat and entertainment before the unification of Borealis, internal structure has changed over a dozen times, with only the central amphitheatre remaining, now serving as a gathering place of the Queen’s Council and place of the Crown’s public proclamations. Other parts of the Annex are offices of the Kingdom’s administrative apparatus and councillors.
 * Lowland Forum – located in the Thane's City's southern Low Land district. While not as vibrant, sprawling and authentic as markets of Altaforte, Mercuria or – Talgur forbid! – Sina, you can still find most of both necessary and luxury goods and services here, while enjoying thorough protection of the Volgen guardsmen and buyer-friendly trade customs. Flows seamlessly into the city’s Veerhoften river docks through the South Gate.
 * Lumengaard – tower of the Volgen’s designated white wizard, located in the middle of the prestigious Kanal district. Substantially damaged by Firestarters’ cannons during the siege of Volgen a decade ago. Currently houses Intet the Weaver – former understudy of Pauina von Rosenkreuz and a virtuoso artificer, who is almost obsessed with mysteries of the Deepglow and dwarven craft.
 * Deepglow – a system of catacombs underneath the city, once built to hide away artists and artisans from mad king Boreas IV’s persecution. It has since then acted as a shelter for diaspora of Kharad dwarves and houses their ambassadorial quarters.
 * Celestial Colonnade – a public place of worship – a spacious square with columns dedicated to each deity of the Talgur (except for Axxerarat). Age and constant stream of wax from worshippers’ candle offerings have long made the columns made like candle-light abominations of wax themselves.
 * The Tor Vatar - "Thane's Gate", is the Western and most important gate of the Thane's City. It is used for most, if not all, ceremonious processions of the Borean nobility and features, on both sides of the long passageway through it, elaborate statues of former Borean kings and Talgur deities.