Cities of Rindor (Part 1)

Virum - The capital city of Rindor, and home of the royal family, as well as the council of five. Virum was founded in the year 1000 AA (After the Apocalypse) and is the second oldest city still left standing today. Virum is also the largest city in the land, and its location as well as its size makes it the most important city for trade as well as politics. Virum, and the land of Rindor with it, is currently under the rule of the Duva royal family, with king Drefain Duva and queen Lanessa Duva as the official rulers. The Duva family have ruled Rindor ever since the great wars of ages past, when the barbaric tribes of the humanoid races were finally united under one rule. Other notable members of the royal family are prince Dugal and princess Helavena, the latter being the eldest and rightful heir to the throne.

Virum consists of two main districts on either side of a huge ravine, splitting the city in two, with three large stone bridges in between which connect the two districts together. The two districts are merely known as the Higher Tier and Lower Tier, due to the fact that the Higher Tier is on the northern side of the ravine (known as the "Ravine"). Recently, the Architects' Guild of Virum have decided to undertake a massive project which mainly centers around housing within the ravine itself, as Virum is constantly expanding. Exactly how they are going to accomplish this remains a mystery, although some suspect the use of powerful and expensive magic will be included. Daily, materials and crewmen are lowered down into the four-hundred feet deep ravine, and the sound of heavy labor is heard day and night.

General info:
Ruler(s): King Drefain Duva and Queen Lanessa Duva
Population: About 80 000 (58 000 humans, 10000 elves, 7000 orcs, 1000 night gremlins, 2000 other)

Thalder - The second largest human-based settlement in Rindor. Thalder is not as old as Virum, nor as large, yet remains a vital and important part of the kingdom of Rindor, mainly due to the vast amount of fertile ground surrounding it. Thalder has since its construction been a city which main profit has always been foodstuffs like grain and meat. For miles beyond the city itself, farmland reaches further than the naked eye can see, and farms dot the grassy landscape for miles upon miles.

Thalder itself is located atop a tall hill known as the Thalderian Barrow. The reason for this nickname is the massive network of catacombs built within, underneath the city itself. The catacombs serve as the city's graveyard, rather than wasting the precious fertile land. The city itself is built in tiers, the most important buildings like the fortress, church and barracks located on the top tier. Underneath, there is the second tier, which provides room for the guildhouses and the abodes of the city's nobles. The third tier belongs to the shops, handworkers and market stalls while the fourth and last tier provides housing for the common populace, farmers and the owners living away from their shops.

Thalder's population is steadily increasing though, and during the past hundred years, a kind of "Outer City" has started forming outside of the walls of the last tier. There simply isn't enough room on the hill for the entire city, and thus, many residents of Thalder have taken to constructing their houses outside the walls. While they're more vulnerable to attack outside the thick walls, the residents of Thalder rarely worry. After all, Thalder is a peaceful city, and has not suffered any attacks for hundreds of years. The city walls have seen little use in warfare, and are more commonly used to support houses and market stalls.

Thalder is not an undefended city however, and they have a solid, functional militia consisting of volunteers from the city and its surroundings. There are always military chores to be done, and the Thalder militia regularly patrols the city and surrounding farmland to ensure the safety of Thalder's citizens, and the farmers providing supplies to the city.

Thalder is ruled by a council consisting of three members, all of them handpicked by the previous councilors among the nobles of the city. This system has been in use since Thalder's early history , and the people have so far been quite happy with the leadership of its rulers. Taxes are fair, the people are well fed and safe, and the citizens are generally happy. The current rulers of Thalder are Tugarden Elacur, a veteran human mercenary who decided to retire to a life of politics after a nasty encounter with an ogre, which resulted in him losing a leg, Theranella Silverstream, an elven noblemaiden born outside of elvish society, but with traditional elven parents, and Vesten Oganella, an elderly human who after a lifetime of hard work managed to earn a place among the nobles of the city.
Together they rule the city both justly and honestly, making Thalder one of the most pleasant cities in the realm.

General info:
Ruler(s): Councillor Tugarden Elacur, Councillor Theranella Silverstream, Concillor Vesten Onagella.
Population: About 50 000 (5000 outside city limits) (28 000 humans, 17000 elves, 4000 orcs, 500 night gremlins, 500 other)

Whisperwood - Whisperwood is the capital city of the elven people of Rindor. Located in Western-middle Rindor, the enchanted woods of Whisperwood have for ages amazed and astounded its visitors with its natural beauty. Consisting of massive trees shaped by powerfuldruidic magic, Whisperwood has no traditional housing as of such, but rather a massive canopy network of hollowed-out wood.Elves do not harm the trees in any way to create their abodes, but rather use magic to bend the trees without causing any harm to the environment, making them living homes for themselves. In the past, several cities like these existed, though the wars of the apocalypse eradicated most major elven settlements. After a few years, most of the remaining canopy cities were abondoned, leaving only Whisperwood, to which most of the residents of the former cities migrated.

Whisperwood is today the centre of elven culture, and is a popular goal for pilgrims and scholars alike. The art of druidism has its roots in this serene city, and though no one but the elves really understand its nature, many find their closeness to nature quite fascinating. While the canopy of Whisperwood houses the majority of thecity's abodes, a foreigner's quarter has been established on its eastern edge. Humans, orcs and night gremlins who move to the city tend to prefer the safety of the ground rather than living dozens of feet above it.

Whisperwood's economy is largely based around farming. Though there are fields where crops for elven bread are grown though, elves mostly base their farming around trees, and the fruit they bear. Elves are also enthusiastic hunters, and a traditional elven dish is a both varied and delicious sight. Whisperwood has the largest export of fruit in the entire land of Rindor.

General Info:
Ruler(s): Queen Tirerifindel Stargleam
Population: About 40 000 (35 000 elves, 3000 humans, 1000 orcs, 500 night gremlins, 500 other.)