Editing Walled Cities

[[File:Walled_Citys_by_MG.jpg|thumb|300px|(Left to Right): Oteslia, Manus, Salazsar, Pallass]]
The '''Walled Cities''' are the dominant Drake cities located in the southern part of [[Izril]].

== Background and Layout ==
The Walled Cities are super-cities like Chicago<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2-07/ Chapter 2.07]</ref> and are surrounded by three-hundred foot walls, which are enchanted<em> </em>with magic that hardens the stone and self-repair.<ref name="S02.1">[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/05/28/s02-the-antinium-wars-pt-1/ S02 – The Antinium Wars (Pt.1)]</ref> The magical enchantments radiating out from the walls fortify the ground around the Walled Cities making them impenetrable by conventional tools or siege equipment. Even [[Antinium]] Workers are incapable of digging into the ground.<ref name="S02.1" />

Each Walled City maintains massive stockpiles and are able to grow, produce and even herd animals within their massive confines, making it extremely difficult to wear down on supplies.

The Walled Cities of Izril speak of an era long past, when Drakes fought their distant ancestors from atop those battlements. However, of all the Walled Cities from older times, only the six remain.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/11/14/wistram-days-pt-5/ Wistram Days (Pt. 5)]</ref>

Salazsar, the youngest of the Walled Cities, was built 21,000 years ago, after the initial founding of other cities. In this time, the [[Belavierr Donamia|Witch of Webs]] was already infamous, and the [[Plain’s Eye Tribe|Plain's Eye Tribe]] was already prominent; this is at odds with later information that correlates the Time of Hiding, when Gnolls fled underground and made great war with the Drakes and their Draconic Titans, with approximately the same period.

The Fraerlings of [[Dretonamis]] remember an age when there were eight Walled Cities, in an unknown time before the Creler Wars. 

The Heromakers of [[Hraace]] trained the "Heroine of the Seven Walled Cities" as a famous figure, whom they placed on a level with the Dread Tyrant [[Nerrhavia]]. 

There were once seventeen Walled Cities at the same time, meaning at least three that have not been mentioned yet. More cities may have already fallen at that point, or not have been built yet.

== The Six Walled Cities ==
[[File:Coats_of_Arms_Walled.png|thumb|300px|Coats of Arms in tower shield format for the six Walled Cities, by [[Fanworks/Enyavar|Enyavar]]|alt=]]

# [[Fissival]], the '''City of Magic''' (Famous for its magic, having an academy that rivals Wistram)
# [[Manus]], the '''City of War''' (Famous for its soldier and military tradition)
# [[Oteslia]], the '''City of Growth''' (Famous for its food production)<ref>according to Rudss in [https://wanderinginn.com/2019/04/27/6-11/ Chapter 6.11]</ref>
# [[Pallass]], the '''City of Inventions''' (Famous for its potions, weapons and inventions)
# [[Salazsar]], the '''City of Gems''' (Famous for its finances and gem mining)
# [[Zeres]], the '''City of Waves''' (Famous for its ships)

=== Rivalry ===
The residents of all Walled Cities are often comparing their cities against each other, finding strong points in their home city where other cities are lacking. This (often justified) local pride can turn to contempt for other Walled Cities among the [[nobility]], especially with regard to long-time rivals. Salazsar and Pallass are currently considered such rivals, as are Oteslia and Zeres. The tendency of Drakes to insult each other often leads to wars against between the cities.

A common ranking order of the Walled Cities in economic/financial issues would be from richest to poorest: Salazsar, Zeres, [placement of Pallass and Fissival unsure], Manus, Oteslia. Another ranking order according to military strength places Manus and then Zeres as strongest ones, while Fissival and Oteslia are considered weakest. A rank by age is not possible due to a lack of undisputed records, although Salazsar is the youngest at "only" 21,000 years old. Oteslia and Pallass are also on the younger side, having been founded within Taletevirion's lifetime. 

Establishing such pecking orders are, however, only of interest for Drakes inclined in ranking each other: A "lesser" Drake city couldn't ever compete even with "weak and poor" Oteslia.

== Fallen/Lost Walled Cities==

*[[Grunvel]], the '''City of Pacts''' (The only Walled City built out of friendship with the [[Dwarves]])<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/02/24/8-10/ Chapter 8.10]</ref>
**Located in the north of Izril.
**Fell after Mershi and Imlerith at least. 
**At least 43,000 years old. 
*[[Imlerith]], the '''City of Crossroads'''<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/06/03/9-00/ Chapter 9.00]</ref>
**Still exists within the Crossroads of Izril, where it is sealed by ancient magic.
**Located in the south of Izril, at the northern edge of the Great Plains.
**Fell after Mershi did, but before Grunvel. 
*Irvoryth, the '''City of the Branch'''
**Founded on the branch of a World Tree - perhaps the Tree of Vale.
**Ten times the size of Oteslia. 
**Located, presumably, in northern Izril, within the Vail Forest.  
**At least 43,000 years old. Destroyed along with their Great Tree.
*[[Lesegoth]], the '''City of Shields'''<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/03/15/8-72/ Chapter 8.72]</ref>
**Was besieged for 30 years by a coalition of armies for treachery, including immortals and the greatest [Alchemist] of that age.
**Ultimately destroyed by one of the few Tier 9 spells to have ever been cast.
**Some survivors fled to the Crossroads of Izril, where they were hunted by Bograms.
**Snatcher was present when it died. 
**Located in southern Izril; it is north of Imlerith and the Great Plains, but south of the Bloodfields.
**At least 43,000 years old. 
*Maakdel, the '''City of Letters'''
**Collapsed by an Elder Creler by the end of the [[Creler Wars]]. What remained of its walls were detonated by [[Silvenia Ettertree]] when she joined the Demons.
**At least 43,000 years old.
*[[Mershi]], the '''City of Stars'''<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/11/25/interlude-the-tribes-of-izril/ The Tribes of Izril]</ref> (Where the [[Blade of Mershi]] originates from)
**Disappeared under mysterious circumstances when a magical darkness fell over the land for a hundred years.
**Fell prior to the arrival of Humans in northern Izril.
**One of the first of the Walled Cities to fall. 
**They were grand and powerful even among the Walled Cities.
*[[Naamreles]], the '''City of Purity'''<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/07/09/9-52/ Chapter 9.52]</ref>
**Presumably located in northern Izril.
**Their tools and methods of purification helped to repel the Putrid One. 
**Must have fallen within the last 10,000 years, after the era of the Putrid One.
*???, the '''City of Dreams'''<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/04/28/8-19-h/ Chapter 8.19 H]</ref>
**Former home of a famous [Dragonbane Swordlegend]. 
**Likely the Walled City that was destroyed by the Putrid One, between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago.
*Liskaldreth<ref>{{VERef|The Roots (Pt. 4)}}</ref>, the '''City of Graves''' (currently [[Liscor's Dungeon]])<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/05/11/8-22-he/ Chapter 8.22 HE]</ref>
**Waged war against the other cities, including Mershi.
**The fallen city of Imlerith denied entry to its citizens and attempted to drive them away.
**Created Skinner, Snatcher, and Stalker and used them as creatures of war.
**Entombed themselves along with their great treasures, and built a labyrinth of traps and monsters to defend their fallen city.
*???, unknown Walled City located east of Imlerith, within the Crossroads of Izril.
**Possibly the ruins of the City of Dreams.

== Government ==
Walled Cities are not all ruled by the same methods of government. Some espouse elected officials, while others are managed by a body of powerful individuals, or, in some cases, even a hereditary leader.<ref name="S02.1" />

The Walled Cities have protocols for immediate group [Messages] in the event of emergencies.

=== Administration of Cities ===

*[[Fissival]], the '''City of Magic'''
**Led by "Fissival's Three", a body that consists of the ''Draconae Magis'' for magic, the ''Draconae Duxel'' for war'','' and the ''Draconae Pricepe'' for civil governance. It also has a number of [Mage Lords] and [Mage Ladies] with a great deal political and economic power of their own.
**They have a vast academy, the Draconae Scholarium, which has many [Students] and [Teachers] but lacks for the true magic of Wistram. 
* [[Manus]], the '''City of War'''
** Led by the Security Council, a purely merit-based organization of high-level [Commanders], [Warriors], and so on. They also have their own Wall Lords and Wall Ladies, the greatest of whom may be members of the Security Council. 
** They have officer-academies which train [Strategists], [Military Officers], and even [Negotiators] and [Diplomats]. They also train [Saboteurs] and [Infiltrators] for covert missions, and run "Shadowscale" operations using mind-wipe magic.
* [[Oteslia]], the '''City of Growth'''
** Led by the First Gardener, who is chosen by unknown means. The Druid Circle of Oteslia is led by the Treespeaker, who also has a voice in governance. 
** They have minimal information networks or skilled military agents in war, but maintain staunch operational security within their own city, even using memory-erasing magic and alchemy to keep internal secrets.
* [[Pallass]], the '''City of Inventions'''
** Led by a Senate of elected officials with their own politics, the Assembly of Crafts. 
** The military is a separate branch, which may be overseen by a high-ranking [General] or even a [Grand Strategist] if one is available. They make decisions largely independently of the Assembly.
** They are home to the most capable spy network of the six Walled Cities, the Eyes of Pallass.
** Their Wall Lords and Ladies have the least political and financial power of any of the Walled Cities, being nobles mostly in name. They are still fairly rich and may have high positions in the military, the Senate, or a Guild. 
* [[Salazsar]], the '''City of Gems'''
** Led by a squabbling collection of noble families, each of which runs corporations rooted mostly in mining the gemstones and precious metals that are there to be dug up.
** Their Wall Lords and Ladies have the most political and financial power of any of the Walled Cities, and there is no higher authority which commands them.
** They have powerful military regiments and are the last bastion of skilled [Assassins] in the south of Izril, being home to the mercenary organization known as [[Symphony]]. 
* [[Zeres]], the '''City of Waves'''
** Led by a hereditary ruler, the Serpentine Matriarch or Patriarch, who is most definitely ''not'' a [King]. 
** They also have the Sharkcaptain, a warrior who is chosen by the reigning sovereign, and the Admiralty who each have dominion over a specific aspect of Zeres's affairs. One of the Admirals is always levelless. 

== Military Strength ==
The armies of Walled cities are large enough to make use of the [Colonel] class under their [Generals], a relatively rare class in most armies which lack the size and organizational structure for it.<ref>{{VERef|10.35 - Pt. 1}}</ref>

=== [[Oldblood Drakes]] Battalion: ===
One of the things that separates the Walled Cities from the lesser Drake city-states, is that only a Walled City has the population and the pure bloodlines to field an entire battalion of Oldblood Drakes warriors.<ref name="4.16">[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/02/24/4-16/ Chapter 4.16]</ref>

==Trivia==

*Although no army has ever taken a Walled City by siege, several coups and betrayals from within have been the only way for the famed cities to fall over the millennia.<ref name="S02.1" />
*Pallass is the most northern of the current six Walled Cities.<ref name="4.16" /> Naamreles, Grunvel, Liskaldreth, and likely Irvoryth are all known to be further north.
* The Walled Cities' origin dates past recorded history.
* The nobility of the Walled Cities always hire high-level [Chefs] with the [Expert Cooking] Skill.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/07/04/2-34/ Chapter 2.34]</ref>
*[[Pisces]] believes that the walls of the Walled Cities contain Dragon bones in them, as only they could hold such enchantments without waning in power.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/06/23/s02-the-antinium-wars-pt-3/ S02 – The Antinium Wars (Pt.3)]</ref>
*The current Walled Cities' soldiers wear color-coded armor, except Fissival's who wear robes, though still default to white.<ref>{{VERef|10.47 S (Pt. 2)}}</ref> Pallass is yellow, Manus is orange or red, Oteslia is green, Salazsar is purple, and Zeres is blues.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/10/15/9-60/ Chapter 9.60]</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Izril]]
[[Category:Walled Cities|*]]
[[Category:City-states]]