Civitae

The Civitae

The Civitae is a series of six Blue Elven ports-of-trade which lie on the subtropical coastal plains between Lume and the Gray Havens. These form the backbone of the Lumerian commercial empire, and Tributary Fleet. Most are highly prosperous and ruled directly by the Blue Viceroy of the Civitae, appointed by the Ocean Throne. These ports are famous for their sheltered harbors and coastal network of walls, constructed in response centuries of repeated Shackleborne incursions following the collapse of the Horizon Empire.

Ports of the Civitae:

• Civita Regia: The provencial capital of the Civitae. Seat of the Blue Viceroy of the Civitae.
• Civita Castelana: Famous because it is build precipitously into the side of a coastal cliff.
• Civita Liberia: The only city of the Civitae that has been granted a communal charter by the Ocean Throne, and therefore is governed by an elected council of aldermen rather than an Imperial Podesta appoitned by the Ocean Throne.
• Civita Castra: The southernmost of the 6 cities. The only one with a Shackleborn Embassy and a significant Shackleborn Exclave. This city is the exclusive location where Shackleborne may come to trade within the Lumerian Empire. It is also the center of the slave-trade within the Lumerian Empire.
• Civita Turria: The northernmost city of the Civitae. It carries on an extensive trade with the Golden Dwarves of Belegost . It has a significant Dwelven population from the glory days of this trade during the height of Horizon power on the Jadess Coast.
• Civita Burgia: Known as the City of Interdictions. This city is considered cursed by the pious of the Lumerian Empire. A century previous it experience a series of violent events known as the Cataclysms. A major earthquake nearly destroyed the city. What was left leveled by the massive tsunami that followed. As if this was not enough, a major portion of the Royal Fortress tumbled into the sea shortly there after. Conditions were terrible within the city afterward. The Shackleborne, realizing the city was easy prey, plundered the city of it's remaining riches and accidently introduced a plague which swept through the Lumerian Empire. As a result, the Assembly of the Valar High Priesthood voted to name the city cursed by the gods and laid it under permanent religious interdict. Since the blessing of the Valar was removed, all kinds of strange denziens have inhabited the city. Lumerian control does not exend far beyond the Podesta's outpost.