Traiford
''You'll find everything you need hidden within Traiford. They have everything under the sun, and then some.''
Traiford is a large and bustling fishing and merchant republic located at the far western edge of the Ergo Wilds, next to the ocean. It's a much more recently established settlement being only 500 years old, having been developed into a trading city about 400 years ago. Traffic is large with merchants, hunters and fishers here, but that isn't all it's good for.
The City
The vast city of Traiford rests at the base of a large mountain range surrounding a small gulf in the far west of the Ergo Wilds, a fishing valley well known for its varying climates, and even more varying ranges of produce and fish. In its early years, when Traiford was originally built, it was placed here with the intention of being in a well defensible position, with the intention of protecting all of its inhabitants with care, to keep peace with its society. This, however, resulted in the city remaining estranged from the world for many years, until it began to trade its wares of agriculture and fishing with the rest of the world.
The entire economy of this city is driven entirely on its worldwide trade. Many different merchants, travellers and residents regularly pass through the streets of its vast walls in hunt of treasures, wares and produce of all kinds. As well as trading outwards, it also brings trade in, especially from the distant Ailyr Reach in Far Peaks. The most major exports from the city tend to be its fish as well as typically expertly handcrafted luxury goods and magical wares. The nearby mountains, and the aquatic deposits from within the gulf, inflated the rate of which they could craft these wares exponentially. It only took about 20 years for it to become the largest trading city in the world.
Outside of its trade, the city is an excellent place for residence, and about 60% of it is made up of residential districts and many varying places of interest for the people within to go to. It's wide protection and heavy law creates a large amount of peace within the city, driving forth many of the ''weaker species'' of the world, especially Tenters.
Not only does the trade and residential districts help to inflate the economy of this city, but the medical districts do as well. Although not as worldwide famous, Traiford is also well known for its medical testing and expertise in the pharmaceutical arts, persistently working around the clock to ensure the good wellbeing and healthcare of their people.
Architecture
Traiford is constructed with much more expensive taste than anywhere else in the world, greatly appreciating the art of building with the rich minerals of smoothed limestone and marble deposits found within the nearby mountain ranges. Gold is a favoured material among its residents as well, and this mixture of gold and white truly makes the entire city radiant. It's partially this noble, welcoming aura which brings in so many people, but it can also draw them away; sometimes the expensive look and tastes of those within the city can be too much for some people.
Unlike many of the world's settlements, Traiford isn't divided into segments or districts for individual people, it is entirely one clump of a city and people can go anywhere they desire with the correct authorisation. The nearby medical testing district could be considered Traiford's only separate segment, but it isn't directly attached to the city and is instead further north, away from the gulf and more towards open waters. It was built this way to keep anything ''unattractive'' or reducing of the city's proper appearance away from the city centre and residents, and while it is known of its existence, the majority of it's residence leave it at exactly that, ''it exists.''
Many of the homes that the residents find themselves living in are just as luxurious, if not more luxurious, than the other buildings found and around the city; and even better, are affordable to everyone with basic income. The governing officials that watch over the city wish to ensure that all of its residents get equal, luxury treatment, and so everyone is entitled to at least a four bedroom house with two bathrooms and two large gardens, front and back. A lot of the houses have a lot of space between each other, but with the ever increasing population of the city, more and more houses are being built semi-detached and terraced.
Government
Traiford is a city ruled beneath a large government of families, different governing houses of whom rule different parts of the city collectively as one. They all make joint decisions for the betterment of the entire city and will regularly check in with each other on each part of the city that they're currently looking over to ensure that the entire city is balanced. This does however reduce the ability to be a democratic republic, as those who live within the city do not vote people in and out of power; it is instead hereditary. Members of these houses who are within the family bloodline are entitled to be the next to take up that position of power. In the instance of there being multiple children, it is the eldest sibling who is next in line for the power of the house. If there are twins, they will both be placed into the same position of power in the very same house.
While residents of the city can't vote for power or people of power, they can vote for other parts of the city. They may vote for changes within the law and order of the city, architectural and contextual changes, even will sometimes be requested to vote for changes within the city's trading system. These votes do not come often, but when they do it is entirely down to the people of the city, and the governing houses will not influence or interfere with the final results, they will only make the results happen.