Telleconia

Telleconia

Telleconia is the big city in the middle of the map, on the Meroshavain River. It lies in a humid continental climate zone.

Telleconia is the largest city on Alech'nor, and is over 3500 years old (older than Jerusalem, and half as old as the Thraekon itself). Its name is the Modern Common transliteration of the Old Elven TeH’ne’Ko’NHA, meaning, literally, “Our Last Chance,” but rendered more favorably by city authorities as “City of Salvation”. It was in fact established by the powers of that distant time for the purpose of preserving civilization on the continent, which was in danger of disappearing due to constant war. Within a relatively short time it became one of the leading cultural and economic forces on the continent, and has been so for most of the time since. The city is racially and religiously diverse, one the few places on Alech'nor that can say that.

Telleconia is situated along the north bank of the Meroshavain River, a little south of its widest point. The city is longer than it is wide, following a curve in the river. Inside the Outer Wall are 3.91 square miles (2500 acres). The Inner Wall is ten feet inside the Outer, and both rise 30 ft., the outer being 12 ft. thick, and the inner 6 ft. Both have walkways and towers along them, patrolled at all times by the City Guard (2,000 pike-wielding, chain-mail clad, helmeted guards, mostly lvl 1-3 Fighters, with commanders and captains as high as lvl 10). Living inside the main walls are about 150,000 people, mostly human, elf and Half-Elf, with dwarves (hill) next, then halflings, then gnomes, and then all others. The city walls have 3 main gates: North, South, and Port. Paved roads lead north and south from those gates, and from the Port District (outside that Gate), a regular service of large river barges transport people and trade across the Meroshavain River (think a longer and wider Mississippi River) to a smaller (but still large) city on the south Bank called Lower Telleconia. The population of the whole Telleconia Metropolitan Area is about 250,000.

The city is surrounded on the north bank for many miles by the towns, farms, orchards and ranches that supply the city and provide part of its goods for trade. The bulk of Telleconia’s wealth comes from being the central hub for trade between the north and south of Alech'nor, the river obviously being a major trade route and always full of merchant ships that go as far southeast as Borra, where trade caravans come over land from Yerdly and other places. On some remote parts of the river there are pirates. South of Lower Telleconia are the city states of The Client States region, which are heavily influenced/partly controlled by political factions within Telleconia. The city slopes slightly southward to the river; north of the city and its attendant towns the land becomes a high, flat plain that turns into The Grasslands, where, it is rumored, the Lost Cities are buried, the result of an ancient magical calamity.

The city is divided into 12 districts (not counting the Port District, which is neutral territory and composed mainly of inns, docks, and warehouses, and the Military District), equally divided among the two major political factions in the city: Preservers, a conservative faction who oppose expansion and are relatively isolationist, and the Reachers, a more liberal faction who want the city to expand its size, wealth and power. Certain old and wealthy districts within the walls have smaller sub-walls that cut them off from the riff-raff of the city. Near the center of the city is a large rectangular, park-like area called the Plaza of Harmony, full of statues to past glories and fountains.

The western half of the city is older and wealthier, and is Preserver, and the eastern half is newer, more working class and Reacher. The Preserver districts (from roughly west to east) are Allemein, Drothgrun, Hellonin, Thastulls, Etherton, and Weardsly. The Reacher districts (same order) are Bickle, Wallside, Stregan, Chell, Hambuck, and The Depths (the poorest and most lawless part of the city, farthest from the rich of Allemein and Drothgrun). Around and in the Plaza are the administrative palaces of Telleconia’s ruling Council, as well as the temples of the major religions and the major guild halls.

In center of the city, near the Plaza, is the Military District, in whose fortresses are housed the personnel and equipment of Army of Telleconia. Also nearby, on the other side of the Plaza, is the Academy of Wizardry, an elite arcana school for the rich and powerful, and also home to the Army’s White Wizard corps). Each district has commercial and industrial parts, as well as residential areas. Being so old, the city has been virtually rebuilt several times over the millennia, and sets on several layers of its former self.

Most citizens of Telleconia are either artisans or laborers in some kind of industry, or provide labor for the farms, ranches or Port, or make a living however they can: beggars, prostitutes, criminals, etc. Above this lowest social level are the illiterate laborers with no real education beyond their trade, the largest group. The next rung up are the skilled artisans, then middle class merchants, then the religious, then the military, then minor nobles, then moderate nobles, then major nobility (Telleconia was founded by nobles who wanted to protect their wealth …er, I mean, civilization, and still has a lot of them).

The Council of Telleconia has 12 official members, who are always major nobility and chosen (by other nobles) one per district, and a varying number of At-large Members, who represent the churches, military, and merchant class. One of the twelve is chosen by the others as Chief Councilor; the current Chief Councilor of Telleconia is a Preserver. Many of the Council are always jockeying to replace him.