Twilight of Empires

Tyving is the last, large city on the Trade Road headed north into the Lost territories, Fallow Marches, and lands North. Until two generations ago, it was not actually the de-facto border of the Asterian Empire, but ended up that way when Goldenrod County was abandoned. It is the seat of power for both Earl Tyving Sorland IV and the regional Imperial Governor: the former doing his best to keep his lands profitable, and the latter wanting to show impressive enough results that he can be reassigned anywhere else. The combination has led to a stable, if not thriving, territory.

Over a thousand years ago, at the time of the initial Imperial expansion, Tyving was the site of a tiny “kingdom” (“I'm King, and everything I can see from the top of my watchtower is mine.”). The Imperial army trampled the place flat, and left it to House Rivan to deal with. The Rivans, being a clever folk, constructed a riverside trade town, which expanded into a city as the overland trade route between the Uruk Mandarinate and House Glamourous sorted itself out.

In the centuries since, Tyving's fortunes have waxed and waned, but never too far from an “adequate” baseline. Right before House Riven got itself disbanded, Earl Tyving Riven XVIII married a politically advantageous daughter of House Sorland blood, and in time, when things started looking really bad, managed to get himself adopted into his bride's house. Thus Tyving did not suffer the fate of An Rivan.

As with most large Asterian population centers, Tyving is between 75-80% human, with most of the non-human populace belonging to the varying goblin races. The city has very well defined Elf and Uruk districts, most of whose inhabitants are actually citizens of the Principalities and the Madarinate. Four-legged folk (Capritaurs, Keshanti, Wargs) are quite rare, as are Halvelings. The city's population is steady at around 80,000.

The key features of Kalting's economy, since its inception, have been trade, and the apricot harvest. Technically, Apricourt Barony is over on the west side of the Castella River, but they owe their allegiance to the Earl, and the bridges are solid. Most of the staple foodstuffs the city needs are grown in the immediate region and attendant baronies, though the current custom is have the areas immediately north of the city focus on beef and dairy: if some aspiring warlord decides to make a run on the city, one can quite simply walk those resources to safer pastures.

Trade volume in the Riverfront district has been increasing over the last decade: Tyving is the “official” furthest point that trade vessels can travel up the Castella (as opposed to Imperial Reach, the physical hard stop on river traffic).

Being a border city, and territorial stronghold, Tyving has a solid military presence, and decent enough walls. The Earl's guard numbers nearly one thousand and is a solid defensive infantry unit. In addition, the Governor has one century of heavy horse cavalry and two of light chocobos. Riverfront is also home to a River Guard base, with as many as a dozen combat vessels assigned to it at any given time.

Up until last year, Barony Verm, just downstream of the city, was the main base of operations of the major mercenary company Red Banner. At this time, they are contracted to the Sultan of Arasha, and tied up in the big war down in the Hazad Caliphate. (Verm is perfectly safe, as the town is literally comprised three-quarters of Red Banner veterans!)

The above map is currently depicting major locations and important roads only.

• Apricourt Barony: A small but thriving town on the west side of the Castella River, surrounded by the apricot groves.
• Bergamini Pier: Home base for the River Guard. Pretty much an autonomous fortress in its own right.
• Caitlan: (Not depicted) A sub-district that is home to the city's Pumakin population, known for it's nigh-life. The Street of Soft Lamps is adjacent, not inside the bounds of Caitlan. Shrines to both Perih Vashai and Grimalkin are located here.
• Castella's Shrine: located across the river between the North and South bridges, this monument serves to honor the Named spirit of the Castella River.
• Castle Tyving: Home to the Earl and his military forces
• Cavalry Gate: Formerly the South Gate, until the Imperial Cavalry set up shop in Fort Guillet.
• Fort Guillet: Headquarters of the Governor's cavalry. Earl Tyving blocked the construction of the fort attached to the city walls, thus it is located a half mile out on a prominent hill.
• Grand Market Square: Home to the Merchan't Guild, the Mercenaries Guild, and most of the land-based trading concerns.
• Herdsman's District: Located outside the walls through the North gate, and surrounding the Trade Road as it approaches the city. Includes the slaughterhouses, the dairy warehouses, the butteries, and the cheesemongers. Odds are good there's a shrine to Madness here.
• Hong Shu: Headquarters of the Uruk Mandarinate trading interests. A bit more organized than the Elves over in Minas Ethyl. As a note, most NON-Mandarinate Uruks live up by the Tanner's Gate.
• Lane of Soft Lamps: Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more, say no more!
• Miller's Gate: Primary point of entry for grain-based goods. The Temple of Retemed(Golden Sheaf) is nearby, rather than in the Temple Square.
• Minas Ethyl: A smaller, well defined district housing the Elven trade factors, interfering Elven nobles, and their troops.
• Ministerial District: Home to the Imperial bureaucracy and the regional Governor. Your taxes… doing something. Not work, certainly.
• Riverside: This walled off district handles the river-based trade entering and leaving the city.
• South Market Square: Primary focus for local and immediate regional trade.
• Spriggan Row: (Not depicted) A narrow neighborhood between the Riverside wall and Castle Tyving. Primary neighborhood for True Goblins.
• Tanner's Gate: The smelliest district, also outside the walls. The Imperial Alchenist's School had a research facility here: it is best one not swim in Scintillating Lake.
• Temple Square: Multiple temples here: Flowing Waters, The Muse, Purity, Roads, and Sun. Also a shrine to Shralindra and a dispensary run by monks of the Oh God.
• Windlass Ridge: A busy village a mile outside Miller's Gate. The long hill west of the community is lined with eighteen windmills, with serious discussion on hiring a good shaman to extend the ridge line to allow for further construction.

• ​Ang Li: Mandarinate Uruk from the Mandarinate Mercantile association, twin sister to Ang Po. Li is the minute details and butt-kicking one.
• Ang Po: Mandarinate Uruk from the Mandarinate Mercantile association, twin brother to Ang Li. Po is the sociable and long-term planning one.
• Beryl Quistis: Viscountess, human woman of middle years with access to good cosmetic enchantments. Her family was elevated from a merchant background, and she is using her title to gain connections and access to politically gate-kept contracts.
• ​Inga Shiningfist: Head receptionist at the main Tyving Mercenaries Guild branch. Former merc herself, she is a lean, iron-postured woman with faint scars and utter poise. She's also blessed by the Sun god, and an expert archer and pugilist.
• Tenneth Rivalson: Human male around twenty, untitled nobility with one of the four Great Houses. Holding a grudge because Lady Topaz has not included him in her list of husband candidates.
• Richard T: Functionary within the Ministry of Mercantile Intelligence. Dry wit, seems to be the irritating type that gets things done.
• Topaz Leone: Viscountess of Apricourt, human woman in her late twenties. Family was elevated when great-grandfather, Champion of Vines and Groves, saved the barony region from economic catastrophe and an apricot blight. Topaz is shopping for husbands.
• Tyving Sorland IV, Earl: Ruler of Tyving and the surrounding region. Probably a bit too focused on near-term issues to make a great leader, but he's holding things together.
• Zhen: Siamese pattern cat with the Ministry of Mercantile Intelligence. Appears to have the ability to disappear.