This page describes the city of Arverynn. For the state, see Lordship of Arverynn. For the river, see Arverynn River.
Arverynn is a major city in Sarda. Founded in 900 AA to be the new capital of the Ynnic Empire, Arverynn has been one of the largest cities in the Ynn and the capital of the ruling powers of Sarda for much of its history.
It is located at the confluence of the Arverynn and Lunynn rivers which run by the city's western limit. Great walls contour the city's perimeter with particular emphasis on the east.
Founding and Imperial Apex[]
Arverynn was founded by Emperor Calrodiy I in 900 AA at the site of the Battle of the Arverynn. A frontier capital, Arverynn could ward off incursions from Veykoda, while its central positioning between Sarda and Dolindha made it a trade hub between the Empire's main regions and gave Imperial battalions a base that could strike at either in case of rebellion.
Previously a town named Bauros stood where Arverynn was founded. Emperor Calrodiy I ordered the renovation of pre-existing buildings and the construction of a great artificial mound named Vyrisar Hill. The Teal Keep was built on top to provide lavish housings for the knights and military.
From its original fortified core around the Teal Keep, Arverynn sprawled in all directions, with broader walls being raised to cover its perimeter. Arverynn became the largest and most populous city of the Ynnic Empire, and historians debate whether or not it surpassed even Nanru Nakar, the queen of Ruinborn cities.
Shrinking and Resurgence[]
Since the Dark Ages of the Ynn, Arverynn underwent the same urban decline as the rest of the Ynn, and by the Age of Greentide it resembled a collection of villages and communities rather than a sprawling city. This was in part because the mages of Arverynn casted illusionary magic to hide the abandoned buildings, replacing them with gardens, meadows or trees. This helped maintain a sense of grandeur and prestige, and gave Arverynn a "green" and sparse look, yet the enchantments eventually faded which revealed the true state of the city.
A Sarda Summer, painting of an Arverynn street in the summertime (1642).
In 1443, the Lordship of Arverynn was forced to bribe Alaran yen Cestor to avoid a siege of the city. This left the realm in debt and hindered the city's growth, but allowed it to survive unscathed as Sarda's largest urban center. The city would finally prosper again after the lordship’s restoration to an empire in the 1600s-1700s. Even during The Decades of the Mountain in the late 1700s, Jahanon síl Lethir spared the city from pillage and allowed it to flourish under his reign.
The Cityscape[]
The Upper City[]
Upper City or Karamsto refers to Arverynn's fortified core, dating to its origin in 900 AA as a bulwark against Veykodan attacks from the east. The Upper City is comprised of noble houses and army barracks, and is surrounded by an inner ring of walls connected to the Teal Keep.
Vyrisar Hill[]
Vyrisar Hill or Vyrisar Kar is a massive artificial mound raised from 899 AA to 900 AA as preliminary fortifying effort for the Teal Keep's construction. Once Arverynn expanded, the part of the city located atop Vyrisar Hill became known as the 'Upper City' because Vyrisar Hill's elevation allowed it to tower high above the rest of Arverynn.
The Teal Keep[]
The Teal Keep or Drelvenvezl built in 900 AA by the architect Vyrhendir yen Polere as a large palace to be the seat of the Imperial court, including lavish housings for the generals and knights. As the city expanded, the Teal Keep's defensive role ceased and it became known as a home for philosophy, art and academics under the emperor's patronage.
During the Dark Ages of the Ynn, the Teal Keep stood firm, watching over the sparse quarters and dilapidated districts of Arverynn like a castle watched over nearby villages. As the Lordship of Arverynn expanded and grew richer, the keep was further renovated with new living quarters for soldiers, walls infused with runic magic as well as bedrooms for the courtiers.
Lower City[]
The Lower City or Kodamsto sprawled around Vyrisar Hill. New, smaller mounds were erected and they were enclosed by a wide ring of outer walls. The Lower City is where the bulk of the population lives and is divided into several districts, each with different specialties and niches to allow for administrative divisions of the city.
Drantnik District[]
The Drantnik or "Shield Bearer" district is the closest to the Teal Keep both physically and hierarchically, and it was here that the nobility of both the city and beyond resided with their scions practicing to become squires, clerks, priests and artists.
The district's main square is floored with white and gold tiles and contains at its center the statue of Lord Calsanqir yen Stenur upon a white marble fountain as a famous landmark.
Havak Buyovec District[]
The Havak Buyovec or "Foreign Smith" district houses most of the Veykodans of the city, who forged the runic armor enhanced with Veykodan magic and Veykodan magical blood that was able to repel Cannorian bullets. Once regarded as savages, Veykodans came to provide the main protection for Ynnic soldiers and contributed to Arverynn's resurgence through the deeds of the Veykodan Guard, so they were deemed worthy of receiving their own district.
The district was kept under surveillance to ensure Veykodan religion and culture were suppressed, at the same time the district still bears a Veykodan imprinting in its hill-fort layout and the more primitive building techniques of its oldest houses. The district is dominated by a green pyramidal mound. Water flows alongside the mound's stairways from a fountain dug around the large cypress tree at the top.
Various Veykodan beasts such as Sabertooth Tigers, Wooly Rhinos and Underwater Lynxes are kept in the district under the care of licensed tamers. Walls surround the district to ensure none of these beasts threaten the rest of Arverynn should they escape.
Osvoyr District[]
The Osvoyr or "Open" District acts as the main hub of trade and entertainment for the city which was open to people from all walks of life looking to make a fortune. The district consists of various stores targeted at both the higher and lower classes with luxuries and essentials.
Krarh Nor District[]
The Krarh Nor or Cannor district consists mainly of the immigrant and visiting Cannorians in the Ynn which arrived to find work or sell their goods. Built along the riverbank, its wharves receive shipments from Cannorian homesteads in Veykoda thanks to the Arverynn River and its sub-tributaries. It also hosts foreign embassies and the majority of non-Ynnic, non-Veykodan Ruinborn who end up in Arverynn.
Ynnic Ruinborn Elves find people hailing from Cannor to be more reputable than their own tribal Ruinborn brethren, whom they refer to as Buycev. At the same time Cannorians aren't seen as trustworthy as the Ynnic Ruinborn proper (that is, Dolindhans and Sarda) due to their attempts to spread foreign religions and their origins in the so-called "Netherworld", the lands beyond the Cliffs of Ruin.
The Ynnics commonly send Intelligence agents such as initiates of the Order of the Mountain Eye to observe individuals wearing religious insignia as well as other signs deemed suspicious by the state.
The Countryside[]
The Imperial Hills, painting of the fertile countryside of Arverynn (1647).
The city is surrounded by the beautiful countryside which includes the banks of the Moon Field to the northeast, consisting of arable land for staple crops, while the vineyards of Horpanas produce quality wine. Zalagon Pananek, the Farmer's Law applies order upon both the farmers and hunters in Arverynn in order to resolve disputes and claims on land due to the Ynnic society having a large agricultural tradition.