Mardlem Castle

Mardlem Castle (/mardle/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Large City located in the Gumada Provence of the Hobben.

The name Mardlem Castle is derived from the Sylvin language, as Mardlem Castle was founded by Dwongrastr Robertshaw, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Mardlem Castle has a yearly average temperature of 25°C (77°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a warm 30°C (86°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a cool 20°C (68°F). Mardlem Castle receives an average of 276 cm/y (108 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the summer. Mardlem Castle covers an area of nearly 160 km² (64 mi²), and an average elevation of 2580 m (8464 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Mardlem Castle was founded durring the late 10th century, by Dwongrastr Robertshaw. The establishment of Mardlem Castle suffered from several major issues, resulting in the need to develop many solutions to basic problems. Problems such as a lack of fresh water, logistical support, poor quality tools, and the odd monster or two. Howeaver, these were overcome in time.

Mardlem Castle was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the late 10th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Mardlem Castle is no diffrent. The city's buildings feature delicute timber framework hidden behind layer upon layer of finly ground plaster bleached to an almost glossy white sheen, with green clay tiled roofs and decorative brass-leafed trim. Even the smallest, poorest looking structures appear to be expencive thanks to the extreem elegence of the organic shapes and paterns going into their lofty, spire-y, vagly gothic designs. The more well off folks live in identicle homes, save for even shiner trim and a more whimsical appearance to their structures flowing forms.

Mardlem Castle is is constructed arround a series of broad flagstone mainstreets which form concentric circles, with smaller strait roads linking the circiles to each other at varrious points. The city rests behind a set of well fortified walls, with gatehouses, watch towers, and battlments. Mardlem Castle's walls are, howeaver, fashioned from stone and timber. While unorthadox, the design looks to be functional to a reasonable degree. With luck, the untested design will remain untested for years to come. Mardlem Castle's unusual yet seemingly effective fortifications are in an unremarkable state. To some, this is the ideal sate for defences to be in. In need of absoutly nothing, and ready to serve the city as needed.

Right off the bat Mardlem Castle hits you in the face with its success. Everyone, even the peasants, are dressed in well made clothing. Every tool and implement you can see is finely made, and people will boast to you as obvious strangers of the wonders which can be found in their markets. More interestingly is a total lack of beggars, and plenty of new buildings are going up even as you speak. Somehow this city has come into quite a lot of wealth, and recently from the looks of things. Precisely how it has gained its wealth is a mystery. Mardlem Castle is, in a word, disorder. People seem to be allowed to do as they please with little harmoney to anything. It feels less like a city, and more like a spot people just happened to place their homes. Yet there are small elements here and there which show the underlying structure of the community. It’s just so complex, organic, and flowing one can only understand what is a piece of the puzzle, but not what its neighbors are.

Civic Infrastructure

Mardlem Castle possesses a Aethary Link for its accademic, government, and financial institutions. Public Aethary access is available through one or more of these intitutions.

Mardlem Castle has an animal control department which works to enforce local ordinances relating to the control, impoundment, and disposition of animals.

Mardlem Castle has an Office of Civil Groundskeeping, which works to enforce local ordinances relating to the construction and upkeep up of all plant life, water features, and other natural decorations within Mardlem Castle. They are also responsible for the maintenance of these features. Notably, the OCG is not responsible for Mardlem Castle's parks.

Mardlem Castle has an Office of Civil Vicary, which is responsible for providing a livelyhood for all officialy recognised religious figures within Mardlem Castle.

Mardlem Castle has a government-funded child care program, overseen by the local Department of Nursemaids, which is responsible for providing childcare to working-class citizens according to local ordinances.

Mardlem Castle has a Gravedigger's Guild, which is responsible for collecting the dead and laying them to rest according to all applicable laws and religious customs.

Mardlem Castle has a Guild of Nurses, which is tasked with caring for the elderly and infirm in accordance with local ordinances, religious values, and customs.

Mardlem Castle has a Department of Firefighters, which is responsible for organizing fire fighting efforts during a fire and enforcing local ordinances relating to fire safety.

Mardlem Castle has a Highwayman's Guild, which is tasked with maintaining the roads and highways leading into town as well as keeping them safe for travelers.

Mardlem Castle has a Hall of Slayers, which is tasked with maintaining the roads and highways leading into town as well as keeping them safe for travelers.

Mardlem Castle has a monistary of an order of Civil Monks, who provide divine-related services to the general public and maintain Mardlem Castle's public wards, blessings, and other arcane systems.

Mardlem Castle has an Arts Academy which provides higher education in many fields including math, language arts, philosophy, engineering, and other such disciplines.

Mardlem Castle possesses a Galvanic Power Grid, which brings galvanic current to most if not all buildings in town, and permits a great many consumer goods to function within the Large City. Mardlem Castle's grid is powered by an arcane means.

Mardlem Castle's old civil lighting system was converted to Galvanic Lamps recently, and expanded to provide nighttime illumination to all city streets.

Mardlem Castle has a first rate hospital which caters to anyone in need of long term medical care.

Mardlem Castle has a library, which keeps a large collection of books, scrolls, and archives all manner of physical items. While not open to the public, the librarians and scholars employed by the library will assist anyone with their research needs, and wealthy individuals can purchase membership to access the library's materials themselves. In spite of being generally closed to the public, the library has a room with several Aether Linked devices available to the public during business hours.

Mardlem Castle has a Parks and Recreation Department, which is responsible for the construction, management, and usage rights for all of its parks and parklands. They are not to be confused with the Office of Civil Groundskeeping as they do not hold authority over nor responsibility for Mardlem Castle's natural decorations nor waterways.

Mardlem Castle has a Guild of Roadworkers, who are responsible for maintaining the roadways and public paths within town. They also have the duty of enforcing all civil laws relating to the roadways.

Mardlem Castle has a public schooling program overseen by the Hall of Sages who has the responsibility of ensuring access to affordable high-quality education in all basic classes (Reading, Writing, Mathmatics, General Sciences, General Arcana, and Social Education) is made available to all citizens.

Mardlem Castle has a public septic system, which allows its citizens to have indoor bathrooms. The septic system is overseen by the League of Sewerkeepers, who posses the legal authority to enforce all laws relating to the septic system, and are also tasked with its maintenance and upkeep.

Mardlem Castle is home to a University which provides higher education in a variety of fields, and also serves as a research institute for those same fields.

Cultural Notes

There’s a relatively new religion in Mardlem Castle which is rapidly gaining power. It might be a sectarian offshoot of a major faith, the unique product of a new prophet, or an outside faith backed by wealthy and powerful foreign supporters. Depending on the demands made on believers, the new faith may be a matter of concern only to the existing clergy, or it might be a major flashpoint for conflict in the community.

Mardlem Castle's chapel was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is known for its buildings being predominantly formed through the combination of basic geometric shapes. However, it shown in the detailing given to the structures such as its characteristic tall columns, intricate detail, symmetry, harmony, and balance in their designs to an astonishing degree of precision. Decorative elements for the buildings tended to be built into the structure itself, making great use of fluting, frescoes, inlays, and embossing.

Due to the actions of local Kami, autumn is skipped in Mardlem Castle.

The Achaierai near Mardlem Castle are known to be a mutant strain of the creature.

Mardlem Castle's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in winter and involves sex to channel Invocation energies of tier 3 via throat chanting.

Economy

The following information was obtained via the Imperial Census Bureau as part of the Eyom Economic Outreach Program. It differs from Standard Imperial censuses in that many of Tom's citizens, regardless of culture, work in more than one occupation or hold more than a single job. The Imperial Census Bureau has ruled that a job is a job, hence, the intigers within the data presented here can count an individual more than once.

Mardlem Castle Census Data: Year 2000

14276 of Mardlem Castle's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 758 work in Agriculture
• 3210 work as Craftsmen
• 1168 work as Merchants
• 2140 work as Service Workers
• 1429 work as General Laborers
• 587 work as Skilled Laborers
• 2169 work as Civil Servants
• 1278 work in Cottage Industries
• 786 work as Artists
• 751 work in Produce Industries

20308 of Mardlem Castle's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 3007 (8%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

POI

History

The the a labratory of Elven High Magic, an a labratory imbued with potent amounts of Elven High Magic energies was created near Mär Cáwnḱer Ni̋ēkēä by in time immemorial, reportedly some time during the early 2nd century.

History