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Venicia, the Gem of the
Seas, sits on the northern-most island of the Nekorb continent mass. It is a very
beautiful city, both architecturally as well as socially. It is the cross-road for sailing
vessels bound or incoming from the Eporue continent.
The population of Venicia is 11,635 inhabitants.
The city
of Venicia is famous for its extroidinairy gardens, fountains and grand canals. Most of
the city is not traversed by road, but rather canal, its streets being carefully planned
canals. Cargo and people are transported by elegant gondolas or skiffs (mini-barges).
Venicia is also known as one of the two Rose Cities. Its sister city is nearby Roma. Venicia sports the red rose, while Roma displays a yellow rose.
History says that when
the two cities were totally elven, the two cities were once fierce rivals for the incoming
trade vessels. Such was the rivalry that they came to blows between the inhabitants of the
two cities over the issue. To resolve the conflict, the city rulers at the time decided it
was in both cities best interest to share the wealth garnered by the trade entering and
leaving both cities. For many centuries after that agreement the two cities split equally
all the taxes collected from incoming and outgoing trade in both cities. To symbolize this
shared tolerance, the two cities became Rose Cities.
Because of the popularity and beauty of Venicia, it became the primary trading center and over time, the people of Roma settled in their competitiveness. Today, Venicia pays an annual tithe to the city of Roma in quiet acknowledgement of that long ago treaty between the cities.
Venicia has
no real wharf district, although it has deep-water facilities for the larger of the
merchant ships that come to call. Venicia is a city of canals and elegant walkways.
Architecturally, there is no city in Metaphaze that can compare to Venicia, its fine
towers and elegant buildings seeming to rise like reeds from the water.
Venicia has often been called the gem of the seas. The magic glow arising from its numerous wizard towers can be seen for miles out to sea. Reds, blues, greens and yellows, all mix together to make an impressive sight that can be seen on all but the worst nights.
Venicia as a trading center is one of the best in the Nekorb continent. It is rivaled in the world by only Bruxelles, Eporue.
Venicia is a major manufacturer of fine glass.
Its main exports are ships, glass and jewelry.
Its main imports are gems, wood and stone.
Venicia sports a population equally split between elven and human occupants with a healthy mix of the other races as well. Being near the sea elf capital, many of the merchants to the city are of that race as well. It is generally assumed that since the sea elves do not take up quarters in the city that they have lodgings and other facilities off-shore.
Alberto's
One of the tallest wizard towers in Venicia is the tower of the wizard Drenskellar. It is an impressive 200' in diameter dark tower rising 600 feet above the city. It's walls are void of any windows from the bottom to the top and the apex glows a fierce red like flames. Those who have flown to the top say that the glow all but blocks any view of the tower top and some force pushes you away from the top, keeping anyone from making a landing. The base of the tower has one great metal door, its surface burnished to a fine mirror-like sheen so fine that many stop to admire themselves in the reflected image. It too is locked, the magic surrounding it glowing a iridescent blue and pulsing like a heartbeat.
Two other towers vie for position as 2nd and third tallest in the city. Both are upwards of 400 feet tall, but not so near as large around as the Drenskellar tower. Two wizards of the city occupy them both deeply involved in research and not inclined to host any visitors. Both are teachers at the University of Notre Dame in Bruxelles and may be seen on occasion about the city in their red robes.
Potter, Uriah Mudslinger, a pot-bellied whiskered dwarf who always seems to have an extra layer of pottery mud on his clothes runs the "Huge-n-Wide Pots" pottery.
Venicia is governed by a Council of Merchants.
The members of the council are elected by the major quadrants of the city. There are 9
city quadrants.
To keep peace with the sea elf population, two members of the council are accepted from the sea elf populous as emissaries and with full voting privileges on the council.
One member of the council is a non-voting emissary from the city of Roma. A left-over relic from the days when the two cities shared equally in the rewards of open trade.
The city is protected by a valiant and always vigilant Militia composed of paid mercenaries and volunteers from the local populous. Most young men and women in the city serve 1 or more years in this militia and stay on active duty for all their lives after doing so.
Gaea, Megan Morleana, High Priestess
Belenus
Wang Mu Niang-niang
Oneiros
Sati
'Maize God'
Gucumatz
Virthar
© Robert J Becraft, 1996. No portions of these web documents may be reproduced or copied without the expressed consent of the author.