Valcrest

Valcrest is the capital and most populous city of the Valeran Holds, a nation in the world of Abexilas, located within the northeastern valley of the continent of Iristoya.  It is the main hold of the Kingdom of Valera, serving as the center for most governance and commerce for the nation.  Valcrest stands as the largest Iristoyan city of the Voyager's Era, at a population of 184,000.  Situated at the seat of the Corbeaugelé Mountains at an elevation of 81 meters above sea level, the topography of Valcrest features uniquely staggered cliffs, mountainous terrain, heavy snows, and especially lush greenery in the south meadows and in the caves below the city.
Valcrest was founded shortly after the dawn of Abexilas in the summer of the year 3 VE, (April 13th, 2024) by Duke Haname Mono-Platono, the Hand of the King at the time, under orders of King Avryee Avestar as the city of Valera.  Avryee and his followers, who were originally for the most part settlers from another realm. But also found company from some peoples from Rathnir and Eldham. In the dawn of their settlement their warriors fought valiantly to secure the valley from competitors and established the Kingdom of Valera to defend the first of the Valeran Holds.  Since its founding, Valcrest has grown rapidly into a vast, developed city, notable for its grand red-roofed buildings, extensive transportation projects such as the Valcrest Metro, and the high-tech Casino Infinita, a major driver of the city's tourist economy. Other notable places within valcrest include: The Valley of Peace, The Grand Basilica, McGreegs, and the Infrastructure guild HQ. 
== Ancient History ==
Before Abexilas Valera existed within the realm of Marcusa. There they saw their world crumble around their kingdom. So they (unknowingly) built an escape, which brought them to Abexilas.
== Rise of the Hold ==
===== The Starbound Wanderers =====
At the dawn of Abexilas and the landing of the great comet, which is said to have brought many different folk to the world of Abexilas, King Avryee Avestar and his followers known as the Starbound Wanderers came from realms beyond to establish a nation which would protect their people and serve to uphold their shared values of peace, strength, loyalty, and prosperity.  The Wanderers traveled as nomads across the world of Abexilas for three years, driven out of their camps and settlements by the various warlords and newborn empires jockeying for land and power.
One night, it is said, King Avryee was shown a vision by their goddess Eirene from the heavens, showing him a brilliant light in the sky hanging over a land rich with minerals and fertile soils.  Avryee took this as a sign from the divine, and led his followers west, following the guidance of the stars above.  After traveling for forty more days, the Wanderers finally landed on the northeast shore of Xrayem Iristoya.  He ordered the boats he arrived on burned to signal no retreat, as this was his people’s new permanent home.  Not yet satisfied, however, Avryee chose to continue north towards the mountains.  He ordered his trusted General Haname, a combat master adept in the ways of strategy and tactics, to make camp with the best of his warriors in case he returned.  The soldiers who remained in this camp would go on to found the city of High Haven.
The Wanderers continued north, settling in a great valley in the meadows just south of the Corbeaugelé Mountains.  Avryee, entranced by the beauty of the valley, declared that this would be the site of his new grand capital, praising the stars above for their guidance.  For days, there was great rejoicing and revelry among the Wanderers in their newfound home.  However, it would be short-lived, as within little time Valera was able to carve out their definitive place and borders in the Valley.
Mystic warrior clans from the west had begun to establish settlements across the southwest of the valley, drawn to its meadows by an arcane power.  The clans, although dispersed and unorganized at first, gradually coalesced under a powerful caste of crystal-worshiping mages known as the Kingdom of Amestris.  Conflicts erupted between the Wanderers and the clans.  Lacking the tactical ingenuity of his General Haname, his exhausted soldiers were no match for the dark magic of the amethyst mystics, and the overwhelmed Avryee was forced to retreat north to the mountains.
===== The Mountain Dwellers =====
Crestfallen at the seeming loss of their holy capital, Avryee and the Wanderers fled north, making a new camp to recuperate their losses and return south.  As the rebuilt army prepared to march south, they were struck by a terrible blizzard.  Dozens were lost in the thick snow, setting back their return by weeks.  Only after the weather cleared, it is said that King Avryee saw a figure watching them from the edge of a mountain cliff.  He then disappeared for seven days.
Upon his return, he revealed to his men that he had made a new ally, a clan of wise mountain-dwellers known as “The Ravens”.  In a twist of fate, many of these dwellers had been among Avryee’s men, split off from the Wanderers during their long travel north, or scouts that had been sent north that never returned.  The Ravens were led by the Prophet Laurent Corbeau, a paragon of wisdom and tradition, whose loyalty King Avryee had won in a battle of wit and knowledge of the arcane.
The Ravens respected wisdom and loyalty above all. They were not traditionally accustomed to large scale battles and preferred to resolve conflicts in duels due to their small population.  In fact, Avryee claimed he never saw a city among the Ravens dwellings, but that the peaks of the mountains were dominated with dozens of their forts. Nevertheless, the mountain-dwellers were able to provide vital military knowledge to Avryee’s forces. With the help of the Ravens, the Wanderers were able to recuperate their losses and prepare to retake the valley from the clans of Amestrian mystic warriors.
===== The Battle for Valera and the Ignition of the Prime Flame =====
With the newly combined forces descending from the north and the miracle arrival of General Haname and his forces from the south, the Amestris mystics were driven back to the west of the valley after a hard fought skirmish in the dead of a winter storm.  At the decisive moment of the battle, it is said that a great light thundered down from the twilight sky, setting ablaze an enormous tree and triggering the rout of the mystics.  According to legend, the fire imbued the divine power of the stars into the weapons and armor of King Avryee’s forces, bestowing upon them the strength and spirit they needed to take back their home.
Their home reclaimed and the battle won, King Avryee Avestar officially established the new Kingdom of Valera under the noble house of Avestar, and made the new city of Valcrest the first of the great Valeran Holds.  The great divine fire was contained by the victorious Valerans, and its embers were preserved and nurtured into what is now the Prime Flame, the fire which burns at the heart of Valera within the Church of the Eternal Flame.
Prophet Laurent Corbeau would lead the Ravens back to the mountains, where he became Duke of noble house Corbeau and founded the Valeran Hold of CorviNidum.  General Haname would go on to unite the noble houses of Mono and Platano and become Duke Haname of the Valeran Hold of High Haven.
== Population and Architectural Boom ==
==== Rise of the Valeran Architect Monks ====
Led by the famed Master of Builds, the High Wizard Count Miesneus of House Mezos, the same Wizard who built the shrine that brought them to this new realm of Abexilas, the builders of Valcrest united to turn their new home into a metropolis of beauty and splendor.  Using an ancient technique imbued within them by heritage and the power of the Prime Flame, architects of high repute and faith were able to move stone with their sorcery and construct enormous, beautiful buildings at record pace.  These builders are the most elite of the Valeran Architect Monks, practitioners of the ancient mystical technique known as Light Mattika.
Miesneus, Along with One of the most prolific Architect Monks: the renowned priest and Valeran Knight Sir Charles Constantine of House High Haven, and a handfull of other dedicated creators, Created the city as we know it now. as well as the extensive transportation infrastructure of greater Iristoya. With Constantine even gaining leadership to the Abexilas Infrastructure Guild.  Another notable Monk is the Valeran citizen Kaschera, whose attunement to the Prime Flame was so great they were able to reform great masses of land with their magic. 
Some of Valcrest’s designs were retained from remnants in the mind of buildings featured within prehistoric Old Valera, brought across the veil between worlds by a holy beacon of light.  Valcrest today is a combination of builds old and new, and these early days were a renaissance of ideas and architecture.
==== Valeran Economic Crisis ====
The rapid expansion of Valcrest in its first year came with major costs.  The enormous construction and infrastructure projects stressed the new Kingdom’s coffers, and the newly appointed Master of Coin Wolfkay’s Valera International market was not able to supply the needed funds in time.  In order to prevent the nation from going bankrupt, King Avryee established emergency tariffs on the import of goods to Valera, and enacted new economic policies with the main purpose of centralizing the nation’s funds within the government and preventing more wealth from leaving the Valeran Holds.
These policies lasted for several years, but after some consistent major donations from immigrating wealthy citizens, the emergency acts were able to be rescinded in the year 7 VE.
== Valeran Expansion Era ==
The Valeran hold, after Establishing their two main Cities, a fort deep within the mountains, and good relations with their neighbors, Valera went on to explore the world outside of iristoya. Here they found many conflict areas. In some lands they befriended local kingdoms and found great comraderie in them. Valera took the protection of these kingdoms against their neightboursmet along the way, they decided to protect their lands. The nations taken into protectorates of Valera are: Parts of Danmalis, Kesias, Ardenton, NewDakartha and Kolostena (now Cookism). Furthermore also establishing some colonies of their own in the names of: AvestarHold, Blancotown, Lunastrolis and Steamsreach, 
== Main Valeran Alliances ==
===== Valera's most notable alliances are =====
The Valdic Union - Bardonia - Ashkavar - Amiris - 
== Government ==
Valcrest is primarily managed and governed by the King. Sitting Along with him there is the Small Council of Valera, with most notably the Master of Build and Master of War holding important ruling positions over the Architecture within the nation and the Millitary. The city's agriculture and public services are managed by Lord Culterpress Dawn, the Master of Grain.  Infrastructure, construction projects, and city expansion is overseen by Count Miesneus Mezos, Master of Builds.  Civil disputes and major crimes are judged by the Master of Lore & Juris R.M. Temsyod in the Royal Court of Valera. 
== Notable Places ==
=== Casino Infinita ===
Casino Infinita was built and founded by Miesneus and CroDani in the Fall of 12 VE. The Casino remains a huge staple of Valcrest, and brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue a week. After CroDani's departure, the Casino is now run by Staxx and Purple, with Miesneus taking a position on the sideline but still remaining a significant part of the Casino.
=== Royal Court of Valcrest ===
=== Grand Basilica of Valcrest ===
=== Church of Valera Royal Library ===
The Church of Valera Royal Library was built sometime before the Fall of 6 VE, however during construction the Great Fire of Valcrest took place, taking much of the library's second and third floors, only sparing the stone foundation. The building was finally completed by Bearhound in the Fall of 17 VE, and was immediately occupied by R.M. Temsyod, the Minister of Lore for Valera. The building now hosts many different books, purchased and found from across Abexilas.
=== Abexilas Infrastructure Guild ===
=== Valcrest Battle Arena (Relocating and resizing) ===
=== Helmet Kicking Park ===
Helmet Kicking Park was build by Miesneus in the Summer of 6 VE. It's most prominent feature is the Honorable Builder Statue, built to commemorate all the builders who have lost their lives while building. The park withstood the Great Fire of Valcrest, and still today remains a prominent greenspace located within the city's core.
=== Ban Manor ===
=== Valcrest Metro ===
=== Voma Tower ===
Voma Tower is named after Major General James B. Voma, a prominent military commander during the early periods of colonization. The tower sits where his house used to be in Old Valcrest, and is the tallest building in the Valeran Commonwealth, measuring 144.5m tall.