Editing Alfein

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== Nicknames ==

Evernight, The Jewel of the North, The City of Nothern Lights


== Population ==

1,392,821 (50% Humans, 10% Partial Humans, 20% Bathas and other Smallfolk, 10% Far Folk)


== Description ==

For a land as undeveloped as Winterweir, Alfein is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, at least from afar.  Built to resemble one of the lost ancient cities of Alacarn's Empire, the city is one that could never hope to rebuild its glory should it ever be sacked again.  Many of the citizens themselves refer to the Old King's folly in spending so much to build the vast columns, temples, and statues that fill the place.  In the less prosperous wards, the fountains are fouled and the walls are covered in excrement and graffiti.  Many buildings made of crude stone are also hidden amongst the cracks of the more glorious.

== Leadership ==

The city of Alfein is home to the court of [[Queen Alusan]] the ruler of Winterweir and her court.  It is also home to [[Grand Justicar Rowenna]], a psychic twelve year old girl whom leads the Church Tyros.  Alfein is also where [[Parliament]] meets and the Judiciary.  Queen Alusan serves as the city governor in addition to ruler of Winterweir, delegating many of her activities to [[Elsabeth]], her Champion.


== Economy ==


The City of Alfein is a thriving trading mecha with countless goods imported from the rest of Alacarn while raw materials from the abundant northlands is traded in turn.  The Merchant Lords of Alfein are very rich and often manage to purchase titles for themselves into intermarry into the lower classes of the nobility.  These rich young fops are often cruel and vicious in their 'pranks' on the poor.


== Law ==


The Law in Alfein is, surprisingly enough, one of the fairest in the whole of Alacarn. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean much given the rest of Alacarn is a place where the rich and powerful do whatever they want with no repercussions.  Instead, the overworked judiciary attempts to actively work towards fairness for all and has only inspired a more intelligent brand of criminal.  With the low level of Detective work developed on the world, it is often up to the Priests of Tyros to find the truth.  The most interesting bit of Alfein's law is that all citizens are entitled to a trial and legal defense.


== Notable Locations ==


'''The Citadel of Justice'''-  A vast tower that contains hundreds of rooms for trials, the disposition of prisoners, teaching of legal classes, and also places for prayer in devotion to Tyros.  The Citadel of Justice should, in theory, be beyond reproach.  In practice, it is a place of countless deals and favor trading acts of corruption with people constantly looking to skirt the law.


'''The Grand Arcanum Tower (aka the Convevo Arcanum)''':  Theoretically, a place where all magic in the universe is taught to students.  In fact, the Grand Arcanum of Winterweir is more a collection of stuffy old professors and lack the ambition of their predecessors.  The vast libraries and secret compartments of the extra-dimensional space filled tower contain more than enough power but few are willing to test their limits as they once did.


'''The Halls of Tyros'''- A vast and beautiful domed city within a city that contains the Church of Tyros' heart.  It is here that all of Winterweir's greatest religion's leaders dwell in contemplation of the Justice God.  It is inhabited by mostly genuine priests as opposed to legal priests (see the Citadel of Justice).  Many visitors from the churches of other lands attend here daily.


'''House of Parliament'''-  The House of Parliament is the center for Winterweir's 200 Lords and 200 common citizens (including Knights).  The place is nearly as powerful as the Queen and constantly scheming for more power as they defend their rights to war on one another plunder their domiciles.


'''Palace of Light'''-  Queen Alusan's great castle that is only used to a quarter of its capacity.  The Queen must devote most of the funds to the maintaining of the kingdom's finances and has not nearly enough to spend on the frivolity of the nobility that the Old King envisioned.

== Districts ==


'''The Cleric's Ward'''- The Clerics Ward is separate from the Halls of Tyros and contain all the temples for other deities.  It is a place mostly visited by the common people as they tend to avoid the grandiose worship that goes on in the Halls.  Many come here to pray for good fortune or to seek the blessings of the priests thereof.


'''Foreign Quarter'''- A place filled to the rim with hundreds of other miniature districts representing all the other Great Kingdoms and many Petty Kingdoms that people have never heard of.  The people of the outside world tend to care little for the Foreign Quarter's inhabitants and the feeling is mutual.


'''The Merchant's Quarter'''- A district filled with huge walled Merchant Estates that are really miniature compounds with their own private armies.  It is also a place where countless businesses are run from and only a little actual shopping is done.  The Merchants Quarter also has '''The Grand Arcanum Tower'''.


'''The Queen's Ward'''- The place where the Queen's Palace is located.  The Queen's Ward is loaded with mammoth numbers of Clerk's offices, Grand Hotels (more proper than inns), estates that are rented or owned by visiting nobility, and where the city Guard Barracks is.  The Queen's Armory is also located which contains not only weapons for the citizens to defend the city but also is where the standing army that does so is kept.


'''Sybus' Caress''' - A Red Light district that is ruled by the mysterious '''General Venom''' that heads the '''Serpents Gang.'''  Sybus' Caress contains the city's brothels, casinos, and drug parlors.  Unlike in other lands, these activities are not illegal and where many come for a good time even amongst honest citizens.   It varies in quality from dives to tremendously beautiful centers for the absolute most discriminating in taste.


'''The Shadows'''- If you increased the number of guards by about 1000% percent, sent in cleaners to work for a week, had everyone put on their best clothing, and somehow managed to get everyone to act a good deal nicer then the Shadows would just barely qualify as a crime ridden hell hole.  The Shadows are ruled by gangs of toughs that can openly murder whoever they like and evil is a way of life for survival.  The Shadows are abandoned by the rest of Alfein and no one is even trying to save the people who live here.


'''The Furnaces'''- Winterweir's Foundry district.  Large amounts of smoke come out of here as they have adopted modernized (mostly from the Industrial Era countries of Almania and Lartan) manufacturing techniques.  They're honestly doing a pretty poor job of it and the factories function at only a fraction of what they could but they're learning.  Black smoke pours from this area at all times.


[[(Winterweir) In Search of the Unknown]]