Keadin
As they travelled nearer to the city, the stinging smell penetrated the nose. Like tidal waves relentlessly crashing on red-hot steel. Then, as the weather cleared, they saw it: a glowing orange boulder, the size of a lake, lodged in the mountainside. Blue-white lines drew the eyes down to the lower districts where the streets are clouded by a thin mist. At the bottom of this all, a brown bay with bright blue mats that do not look healthy at all.
History of Keadin
The founding of Keadin
After the Silver Rain, the world started to heat up over the course of a couple of years. A magical pulse of warmth rolled across the continent a few times per day. This made the dwarves curious about the source of the heat, so each clan sent out envoys to locate and investigate the source of the heat. Over time more envoys arrived at the heat pylon and they banded together and set up a small settlement. They sent back word to their clans, who in turn sent more resources and dwarves. The settlement became more permanent, and the dwarves started carving out the city in the mountainside. The glacier on the mountain melted further each year, allowing the town to expand further down. Until eventually the glacier had melted completely and the valley was flooded with water, giving the settlement a natural harbour connected to the great bay. They built a small port and started to locate the best places to find food and water. The settlement grew to be a prosperous town due to the knowledge, skills, and cooperation of all the different clans. After the first trading ship was built in the year 46, the dwarves decided to name not only the ship but also the town. They decided on the name Keadin. To celebrate the shared contribution of both the Kádi and Dîn dwarves.
The early history of Keadin
Now that the world's climate has warmed, the great bay is no longer frozen for half the year, and only freezes over during the coldest month of Frostpeak. Ships became the fastest and most efficient way to communicate, travel, and trade. The strategic and central location of Keadin, combined with the varied skills and knowledge of the inhabitants, led to it becoming the main urban centre of all of Ûnduleah.
The orange heat pylon emanates warmth through regular pulses. It also appears to have other magical properties, but despite the combined efforts of all the clans, what magical properties and uses it has exactly still remains a mystery. However, it is believed to be a gift from the Goddess Arutixe, the goddess of nature, warmth, day, and emotion.
The arrival and betrayal of the humans
When the humans came, they brought seeds and taught the dwarves how to cultivate them. The flat grasslands of Unem were an excellent location so many farms popped up around Keadin that supplied the town with its food needs and Keadin became a major food exporting city.
The humans however, noticed the immense potential power the orange heat pylon could hold to the one who could control it. So they plotted, and in a surprise attack in the pylon hall, they attacked the dwarves. They captured the dwarven scholars studying the pylon, and killed the ones who defended the scholars. From there, the rest of the dwarves fled the city to their clans and the surrounding villages. Taking the dwarves by surprise, they conquered the city within a day since it wasn't built to defend against attacks.
The humans started building defences around the city, and the first counterattack from the dwarves proved unsuccessful as they were not used to fighting against organised people using palisades and guard towers.
The recapture and banishment of men
After regrouping, the dwarves arrived in numbers, attacking the many areas that weren't properly built up yet. Their superior knowledge of the layout of the city allowed them to bypass many of the defensive structures and they banished all the human men, as they held their masculine macho nature responsible for the coop. They allowed the women and non-masculine humans to stay or leave as they wished. As long as they did not help any man enter the city. After this recapture, the dwarves built up a complete stone wall around the city's upper, middle and lower districts. They also further developed the city into an artisans hub where trade, creativity and community are held as highest ideals.
Districts
A rough overview impression of the layout of the city. Created by me.
Community through distinction inside.
While cleanliness, professions and prestige distinguish the different districts, people from all districts are welcome throughout the entire city. There are strict norms to regard anyone from any profession with respect. Most of the more precise and cleaner jobs are performed in the palace district. Though even cleaners are allowed to freely walk in, and anyone is free to talk to the rulers if they have time. Only the Dialogue Room, Magic Library, Pylon Hall and the Bluesteel Forges are closely guarded and not open to all.
In a city of hundreds of people, however, there will always be some distinction between classes, and the dock workers and labourers of the lower district rarely visit the palace district and vice versa. And of course, no human men are allowed inside the city walls.
Discrimination outside.
Inclusion and community don't extend limitlessly. Human men - or more precisely: humans who present themselves masculinely - are strictly forbidden from entering the city walls. While human men are allowed in the port district outside the walls, all they will find is a polite conversation covering distrust, disdain and apprehension. It usually serves a man better to let a woman conduct his business inside the city, rather than doing it himself on the outskirts. Giving rise to a unique profession: Feminine emissary. (These femmisaries must keep it a secret to the Keadin inhabitants that they represent male employers, for doing business directly for men is also frowned upon). These are usually well-connected women from Keadin itself, or unknown female dwarves from outer towns.
Palace district
The ruling class reside here. Once simple, carved out homes now form a vast and impressive network of tunnels and towers. The heat of the pylon is stifling, so the architecture struck a balance between cooling functionality and regal impressiveness. The libraries, pylon room, dialogue room and the blueforges are located here. These are the only buildings that are heavily guarded and off-limits to the general population. However, due to the heat not many working people come up here for a stroll.
The upper district is the oldest part of the city, much of it carved into the mountainside, right around the orange heat pylon. It started as small hiding holes, but over time was carved into a stunning complex of towers and temples and workshops dedicated to studying the pylon. Wood outlines every wall and floor to keep the stifling heat somewhat at bay. Towers and exterior buildings are built from wood, painted stark white, with open roofs and special cooling chimneys. Streets are oriented in such a way as to maximise wind flow. The most important buildings are built from white pylon stones to block the heat and other magic. Seawater is pumped up to the pylon, and runs through channels in the floor of the pylon hall. This water is warmed and is then further channelled through an intricate pipe system to the homes and workshops in the upper and lower districts.
Activities:
Politics, studying magic and science, distributing heat, important meetings, bluesteel forging, greenhouses, keeping and practising legends and religions, and libraries. Heavily guarded.
Vibes:
A sweltering heat dampens the shimmering regal energy, only given minor relief by the open, airy architecture. The vast white halls and sharp towers make it shimmer brilliantly like a diamond. Accents of bright red give it an aura of regality. The many guards give a sense of unfair exclusivity.
Upper district
Neatly maintained buildings and beautiful bridges, towers and gardens provide sleeping quarters for the more wealthy and ruling inhabitants. Guests, too, are brought here to sleep. Some heat-bound and prestigious activities are undertaken in this part of town, such as glassblowing and forging. It is too hot, however, to do any labour-intensive work for extended periods of time.
As the glacier beneath the heat pylon melted and more dwarves arrived, the city expanded further down the mountainside. These are old, carved-out and wood-built houses, small and modest. Rarely painted but usually built from light colored woods and stones. Nearly all buildings have cooling chimneys as well. The district is dotted with beautiful bridges, towers, hot water channels and waterfalls. The heat of the pylon is hot enough here still to make forging and glassblowing easier and cheaper. However, during the day, most inhabitants are off working in the other districts, and during the night, not much activity happens here either.
Activities:
Master blacksmiths, glassblowers, luxury food makers (breads, wines, chocolates), sleeping quarters for the aristocracy, cartography/caligraphy, lawmaking, master tailors, candle makers, bookbinders, luxury bathhouses. Almost no guards.
Vibes:
An eerily quiet neighbourhood that is júst too neat. Its beautiful gardens, waterfalls, bridges, and buildings look like they are not serving anyone.
Lower district
The bustling, productive part of town. Most of the workshops, inns, shops and living quarters are located here. The splashing of the waterfalls covers this district with a thin blue-white mist, making everything slightly damp and always shimmering.
As the glacier melted further, the city expanded further down toward flatter areas. This part of town is located quite a bit below the middle district, underneath the waterfalls. The hot water splashing from the waterfalls covers this district in a thin blue-white mist. The buildings here are made of stone and consist of workshops, taverns, town halls, squares and houses. Everything is always just a bit damp and hot. It's the most productive part of town.
Activities:
Stonecarving, roadbuilding, carpentry, roofers, plumbers, pipe cleaners, cleaners, road and bridge builders, leatherworking, taverns, blacksmithing, brewers, butchering, medicine, theatres, bathhouses. Pottery and brickmaking. Ice cellars. Brothels. and training of guards
Vibes:
The sensory cacophony is born with enthusiasm and vigour. Overwhelming sensory experience of heat, the sounds of water, workers and people, a shimmering blue air, and a constant dampness.
Port district
A vast network of wooden piers and verandas gives a suitable place for ships to dock, and trade to flow. Pulleys and carts haul the goods up to the higher districts. The hot, foul wastewater flowing into the lagoon makes the water smell and look very unhealthy. Men are allowed here, and it is the centre of the underground.
At the edge of the lower district, behind the city walls, lies the port district. The lagoon provides a natural harbour, which is further shielded from the sea by the crescent islands. Piers, cliffs and towers are the main structures, along with pulley and conveyor systems for moving goods to and from the higher levels. Ships can dock at the many wooden piers, and the port expands with vast wooden verandas big enough for gatherings and market stalls. The hot wastewater flows nonstop into the lagoon from the city channels. This means the lagoon is always warm and never freezes. The smithing waste also creates big brown mats of rustic algae blooms on the water. Making the water look brown and murky and very few living things can survive in the waters.
Activities:
Central market, shipwrights, merchant guilds, dock laborers, charters, warehouses, inns, street performers, fishing, gathering blueflakes, smuggling, sex trafficing, dungeons, and executions.
Vibes:
Excitement, wealth and deception hang in the stinky, humid air. Keadwinny people come here only to make the dealings they need to. Very few people enjoy staying here for too long.
Outer districts
A few hours to the east of Keadin, the terrain flattens, and here the many farms of Keadin are found. The farms are so vast that Keadin can even export much of its yields.
Activities:
Farming, traficking, trading.
Natural resources
- Heat
- Bluesteel
- Tools and weapons
- Stone and iron are only mined in smaller quantities outside the city, for fear of destabilising the city.
Bluesteel
The hot wastewater that fills the lagoon causes it to remain hot throughout the year. This, combined with the vast amounts of rust in the wastewater, led to extensive bacterial and algae blooms in the water. Big reddish-brown bacterial mats float in the ruddy water. Blue snowlike flakes drift down from these mats onto the sea floor. Collecting these blueflakes has proved to be a dirty, but worthwhile endeavour, as these blue flakes can be melted into a particularly strong steel alloy. Only the forges of Keadin are hot enough, however, to successfully smelt these alloys. Giving Keadin a monopoly on bluesteel, and making the blueflakes practically worthless outside of Keadin.
| Exports: | Imports: |
|---|---|
| Bluesteel weapons and tools | Fruit |
| Tools and weapons | Wood |
| Pottery | Stone |
| Stone/Iron | Meat |
| Jewellry | Luxury goods |
| Flour |
Aesthetic impression of the capital city's inner center. Generated based off my prompt by bing AI
The image with the different districts mapped out like that is a great touch!
Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.
yay. Thanks! :)