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“Oh, Marcuria thou unkempt diamond,
Of Capitals thou art by truth the fairest!
Thy Council many seek, for knowledge
Kept within is Centuries sought and gathered
By men wiser than the Ages, brought hither
By word of mouth
Marcuria changed thou not the course of War
Between thine people? Diplomat. Wise Man. Magician, all this and more.
Thou hast without equal,
The mark of Merit and Virtue.”
(Written by Jemein Urthrin, the Poet)
The august Capital of Ayrede, the Unified Country, Marcuria lies on the hardy Southern coast of the Northlands, halfway between Tyren and Corescent. It is a port of call for merchants, traders, adventurers and pilgrims from all four Continents. A place of commerce and diplomacy for millions of humans and other species. Ayrede is a strong and proud land perched between the Plains of Nehdrah to the north, the land of the Tyren to the west, the Great Sea to the south and the forests of the Northlands to the east, and inhabited by humans, Dolmari, Tyren, Mole-people and Vener. Ayrede was formed after Marcuria emerged as the major centre for diplomacy and trade and became the banner under which the surrounding lands united as one. Ayrede is a democracy currently led by the Chief Council of the Ayrede Flag, Lord Ygvan Dellan. The High Council, composed of the ministers who govern by representation, resides in the Marcurian Hall of Assembly, flanked by the Palace and the barracks, The Ayredese are traditionalists and their form of government has barely changed over the last few millennia. In High Tongue, Ayrede means unification or assembly.
Marcuria is one of the largest cities of Arcadia, the capital of Ayrede, and a centre for trade, diplomacy and cultural diversity. Populated by a large variety of races, from human to Vener, Marcuria has grown from its origins as the birthplace of humanity to a city of all Arcadians, and the hub of the civilised world.
Founded twenty thousand years ago at the shore of the then unconquerable ocean, it is the first known permanent settlement of the emerging human race. Initially left to its own devices by more developed races, Marcuria grew large and fat and wealth. With new-found confidence, it passed through a period of expansion which gained it a reputation as a merciless aggressor, which soon brought violent attention from the Tyren in the west and the Dolmari in the north. After years of war, Marcuria was decimated and subsequently rebuilt with sufficient reinforcements to weather attacks from both sea and land. Peaceful times followed, whereupon Marcuria settled into the role it has in todays Arcadia. Although all surrounding areas fall under its jurisdiction, there is sufficient self-governing and few central taxes to appease all but the most disgruntled. The huge areas of farmland around the city benefit from the well-kept roads, markets and the busy export to other lands.
Nearby villages benefit from the military might of Marcuria protecting them against roving barbarians and Tyren armies. And Marcuria also provides the people of the Northlands with one of the best and busiest ports in Arcadia, allowing travel to distant destinations around the world.
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