Antoma

Introduction

The city of Antoma sits to the north and west of the river Nemus which begins up in the mountains to the east and flows through Icallany nestled in the mountains to the west while it is still young. The river is deep and narrow where is passes to the south-east of the city, and it is crossed by a broad, ornate stone bridge just before the city gate on the road from Purnastus along the coast to the south.

To the north roads lead out of to the north to Obsecum and to the west into the mountains and to the city of Gollotta. Mid-way along the Gollotta road is the town of Ferrenus, which fronts the logging and charcoal activities of the Berrecha forest to the south of the town. Antoma provides the main export point for this logging, the city's port was once well suited for these exports, although now most freight is carried by road.

The city also supports a strong farming community across the rolling hills to the north, and winemaking from the vineyards of the rolling slopes to the south. Towards the sea to the east, wetlands provide peat marshes which have traditionally provided fuel supplies for the local inhabitants. These peat marshes still provide the farms to the north, but these are being overtaken by the charcoal supplies from the west in modern times. These natural resources make the city a strong manufacturing base, particularly for farm implements and tools, which it also exports by road and sea.

Demographics

The city population is around 75,000, which is smaller than many cities of ["Arthea"]. The main population is human, but there are around about 5000 elves living among the humans. Halflings also make up around 2000 of the inhabitants, but this flows as there is a large halfling community that has become a suburb in recent times as both the city and the halfling lands have grown. There is no gnomish population, and only around 150 dwarves live in the city.

Halflings tend to be farmers, or tend to work in the farming support industries. Elves seem to gather to the south-west and are often employed as craftsmen or providing magical services to the nobility. Dwarfs in the city are mostly brought in on contract to work as architectural consultants (a role they've played since the earliest days of Empire), miners or guards.

History

The city was settled during the earliest times of the expansion of humans through this region circa 300-400, but there are no records of these earliest years. The earliest human records of Antoma date from around 650 where Amastia was formed into a single kingdom. At this time the first accounts of the state of the kingdom were prepared, and Antoma was listed as little more than a large village with a simple port. These records show that taxation money was brought in to allow the expansion of the town's port; there was a demand for charcoal and the ores and other resources of the mountains, and using boats helped moved these supplies around much more easily than relying on road transport.

The roads network took a while to catch up with the port. The road from the village of Ferrenus was well made, but it was not until the empire was formed that the old wooden bridge was replaced by the magnificent stone structure that still stands four hundred years later. The bridge was built as part of a set of civic construction across the empire that was intended to demonstrate it's magnificence while improving transport and communication links. It's style is very much in line with the early imperial construction; it carries the same pillared style that is reflected in the early civic buildings of some of the largest cities across the south of Arthea.

The town of Antoma became a city after the fall of the Amastus Empire. Amastia prepared for trouble from her neighbours; there were concerns at the time that Cerlain would invade to re-form the empire with the power structures that Amastia already had, and as a result the rulers took steps to fortify all the northern towns. The town's simple earth bank was replaced by a solid wall, which provided the good defences and signalled that this town was now a city. The wall was stone to the north and the east, but the southern stretch which overlooked the river, and the western part of the wall which faced away from Cerlain was made from wood.

City Layout

Districts

The city is divided into five districts; there are three districts making up the old city, which are as old as the city itself. The two newer ones were established shortly after the second empire was founded, and grew out of part of the industrial growth of the old town.

The three core districts are the city, and two more which lie outside the wall and were once little more than affluent suburbs. The districts are:

• The Edgmar district which lies to the north of the city,

• The Linton district which is the largest and forms the north-eastern and eastern stretches of the city

• The Village which is the central and south-east district, and is where the administrative centre is based.

• Cullers Hub which stretches around the east and south of the city, stretching to the river and beyond the road. It used to be the centre of the port activity, but is now the main trading and markets district.

• Palarays Meadow which lies to the north-west and north of the city. It has spread in recent times along the road, and provides both commercial support (inns, taverns, stabling etc. and commercial storage) to help the loggers and charcoalers travelling to the east and the main road to sell on their goods. In long years since it was the meadowland for the townsfolk of Antoma, hence its name, but became a rural dwelling soon after the Empire began. It has become much more heavily developed over the last century.

Suburbs and Outlying Areas

There are several settlements nearby, there are farming communities and the rolling hills to the south are home to a thriving halfling community.

• Truedale. This is the halfling community which sits on the opposite side of the river to the south-east of Antoma. The settlement is possibly 6-8,000 strong, but is spread over a much wider rural area than the city. It fills the dales here between the river and the road.

• Waldrath, this is a barony set along the road to the west beyond Paralays Meadow. It is a farming community.

• Molkham, another farming community, this is set half way to Ferrenus, maybe 8 miles along the east road.

• Covley, this is the halfway stopover village between Antoma and Golotta. Its a very small place but has both a Kings Guard station and a large commercial inn.

• Ferrenus this is a commercial logging and charcoaling station two miles to the east of Covley along the road.

• Northwald is a small but growing village settlement along the north road towards Obsecum. This place begins just a couple of miles along the road, and was just a couple of farmsteads in the 1350's. Now there are about thirty dwellings, including a small smithy supporting the local farmers. It spreads along the road for a mile, and the houses are separated by meadowland and peasant farms. In 1407 the village was made into a barony with the appointment of its first feudal baron.

Landmarks

Political

CategoryPlaces