The City of Galdos

**The city of *Glados* , originally named *Valdodicus* , has a rich history. Build gradually, following theb ‘*The Fall of the Affluosa*' - a hedonistic society of peace that feel to its own hedonism- *Galdos* stands as center to the Kingdom of *Vendir*.**

* *Glados*- the beginnings:

With the *Affluosa* gone, Valdodicus had become an abandoned ghost town, left to slowly rot and crumble as moss and veins swallowed it up. As word spread around the land that Valdodicus was empty, many homeless travelers and squatters traveled from far and wide to come to *Valdodicus* in the hopes of scaling the city gates and claiming a home. Hundreds of them, over many months, marched across the land- breaking into *Valdodicus* and squatting in homes, taking the city as theirs.

Just outside of the city, at the spot that would one day be *Burial Byroad*, there was a large stretch of farmland- a full community of wealthy, successful farmers. As the hordes of squatters moved into *Valdodicus* they found it to be full of the rotting corpses of the last of the *Affluosa*. With little care for anyone else, the many new arrivals merely tossed the bodies out of the city’s walls- piling them up and abandoning them all over the farms. While the farmers were angry and frustrated there was little they could do, as the squatters hid behind the now locked gates of *Valdodicus*; no longer deeming it their problem.

For many years *Valdodicus* was a lawless land of scum, the new arrivals driving it down into the ground. They reveled in debauchery, the once glamorous city streets driven into dirt and squalor as the residents drank themselves stupid and smashed all that they could for fun. All around the land the City of *Valdodicus* became better known by a new moniker: ***The Lawless City of Shame.***

It was a great stain on all the Kingdom, and a source of great embarrassment- rife with crime, death, plagues and poverty.

But each passing generation of the new community of *Valdodicus* residents took more pride in the city and wanted to help turn it back around. Each new generation romanticized the bygone days of the *Affluosa* even more and wanted to turn the city back around to make it more like how it used to be. Each new generation was further away from the moral depravity of their ancestors and wished to regain some of the glory the city once had in the ancient days of the Affluosa. They hoped to turn the city back into some kind of democracy, with leadership and laws

Tensions began to brew between the elder and younger generations. One of the younger citizens, **Thaydos**, proposed that the only way to save the city from the depravity that the elder generation seemed determined to drag it into was to slaughter the elders. But the other youngsters of the city felt this was far too harsh and leant into the very same criminal activity the elders loved, and went against everything the younger generation claimed to want. But **Thaydos** would not be persuaded, continuing to push his opinion that the elder generation simply had to be wiped out: a necessary evil act in order to achieve a better tomorrow. **Thaydos** grew into something of a cult figure, his opinions growing ever more popular around the city. Soon the young generation divided into two sides: Those who wished to slaughter the elder generation, calling themselves **The Dreamers**, and those who saw it as a step too far, calling themselves **The Resistors**.

One fateful night **Thaydos** and The Dreamers came to a harsh but, to their minds, necessary decision: The Resistors would have to be slaughtered en masse, so that The Dreamers could then also kill the elder generation. In the streets of the city one rain-stricken night The Dreamers orchestrated a brutal and sudden attack, each and every one of them drawing their weapons and viciously slaughtering every single Resistor and every single elder, across the city, in an epic one night battle that future historians would come to call ‘*The Battle for a Better Tomorrow*.’ Every elder and every Resistor was murdered in one, night-long, fell-swoop. The streets were paved in blood for months. The population of *Galdos* was now down to a mere two-hundred-and-two, but all of them Dreamers loyal to Thaydos.

But many Dreamers had also died in the fight, including **Thaydos** himself. To the minds of those who survived, it had all been worth it. The Lawless City of Shame could now be re-shaped into something better.

With Thaydos dead, a woman called **Abarella** became the de facto leader of those who were left. In the spirit of capturing the ‘better tomorrow’ they were hoping to build, Abrella renamed the city ***Galdos***: the ancient Affluosa word for “**a place of safety.**” ***Galdos*** was divided into **six distinct districts**. Each district would have its own leader, with the population of said district able to VOTE for who would be the leader of THEIR district. All six leaders would work together as a council. Decisions, laws and rules would only be made if all six members of ***the Council of Galdos*** agreed.

* The Six Districts of the City of Galdos were:

The Richer Districts:

1. ***Antwin***: The richest district. Many of the poorer folk of Galdos, who resent that almost everyone from *Antwin* is rich enough to pay their way out of punishment- going to The Monastery instead, referred to *Antwin* by the derogatory nickname of “The Womb Full of Faceless To Be.” This is in reference to the fact that Antwin “gives birth” to rich people destined to become Monks at the Monastery.
2. ***Thaydos***: Named in memory of the leader of The Dreamers, *Thaydos* is the most affluent part of *Galdos*, and where the Royal Family lives and runs the city from. It was where The Council of *Galdos* would come together to vote on matters.

The Poorer Districts:

1. ***Valdodicus***: Named in reference to the city’s original name, Valdodicus is a region that has been left mostly unchanged since the end of The Third Era of Galdos- a historical site to remind the people how much better the city is now. Given it is in a state of disrepair, Valdodicus is one of the cheaper places in the city to live.
2. ***Slouch Corner***: A poor and rundown, relatively average, corner of *Galdos*.
3. ***Blood Road***: This district gets its name from the fact that the ground of *Blood Road* was where there were the most deaths during The Battle for a Better Tomorrow, and where the blood took the longest to be washed away. Though it is a more destitute and rundown region, the history of what went down here makes it a key part of Galdos’s heritage. As the most deaths of the Battle for a Better Tomorrow occurred here, signaling the city’s transition from a lawless land to one of strict authoritarianism, Blood Road is often nicknamed ‘The Birthplace of Modern Civilisation’ and there is a yearly festival in honour of this in which criminals are flayed and tortured in the streets for the peasants to watch with glee.
4. ***Krobekk***: An impoverished slum, similar to Slouch Corner, that’s situated between *Antwin* and *Thaydos*. Many of the richer folk of *Galdos*, who resent having to walk through this district to get from *Antwin* to *Thaydos* and vice versa, refer to *Krobekk* by the derogatory nickname of “*Poverty Bridge*”. This is in reference to the fact that *Krobekk* is the “bridge” between two nice parts of the city, but is full of people living in poverty.

By this point in *Galdos*’ history the elected members of ***The Council of Galdos*** for each district were:

1. **Valgos**, for *Antwin*
2. **Yessika**, for *Thaydos*
3. **Krumm**, for *Valdodicus*
4. **Alistarr**, for *Slouch Corner*
5. **Breonie**, for *Blood Road*
6. **Ike**, for *Krobekk*

* Monarchy's beginnings:

But running the city via council was getting harder and harder with each passing year. There were six members, one for each district, which was fair. And each had been voted for by their district’s residents, which was fair. But, because six is an even number, there were regularly ‘three vs. three’ ties, when it came to votes- meaning very little was actually achieved. Democracy was slowing down progress, and the city remained ‘stuck as it was’ for years, much to the detriment of those who lived there. And all because of the pathetic squabbles of the council. It was clear that one member had to be chosen to be the leader. A leader who could make the definitive choice if there was ever a tie during a vote. The matter was taken to all six districts, with every citizen able to vote for which of the six council members they felt should have the extra power.

*Valgos* spun mistruths and disinformation throughout the city that persuaded and manipulated the masses into voting for *Yessika*: the woman *Valgos* truly felt was the right one for the job. It worked, and *Yessika* was voted in.

Not long after, warmongering *Olgossi* who had been conquering their way across **Twilo** reached the city. War had come to *Galdos*’ gates, and the people were struggling to cope. The council were acting too slow, insisting on voting on every little thing before they acted. The war got worse and worse, with many innocent *Galdos* citizens losing their lives. As Leader of the Council of *Galdos*, **Yessika** begged the other council members to grant her Temporary Emergency Powers. This would allow her to lawfully make decisions without having to wait for the council to vote first. The other five council members were not keen but, as the situation grew desperate, they had little choice. Under *Yessika’s* leadership the City of *Galdos* successfully fought off the Army of *Olgossus*. By the skin of its teeth, *Galdos* had won the war.

The people felt so happy to be free of the years of war that **Yessika** became the most famous, and adored, resident of *Galdos* since **Thaydos** himself all those centuries ago. With the city battered and in-ruin, the lives of many were now destined to be tough and impoverished. Wanting to give something for the masses to cling to, the Council of *Galdos* deemed it wise to let **Yessika** retain her Emergency Powers- as this would be popular among her now adoring masses, and the Council needed the people to respect their decisions for fear of revolt in these trying times. As the following years rolled by it made sense to give **Yessika** more and more power until, day by day, the Council of *Galdos*’ power and influence crumbled away and they became all but insignificant- eventually crumbling altogether. **Yessika** now had total power of the city, and the people were happier for it. Drunk on power, she declared herself The First Queen of *Galdos*- dismantling democracy and instating a monarchy. From this day forward leaders would not be voted in. Instead her family would always lead, for they were now The Royal Family of *Galdos*. With **Yessika** being so popular in the wake of the war, the masses happily embraced the change in status quo. The Architect was hired to re-design, re-tool, re-build and renovate the already grand and opulent *Hall of Thaydos*, the building where the Council of *Galdos* had their meetings and took their votes, into an extravagant castle from which **Queen Yessica** and her successors could rule.

By the time The Architect’s work was done, **Queen Yessika** had passed away from old age. It was named in her honor, *Yessika Castle*, the same day her son, **Filsior**, was sworn in as ***The First King of Galdos.***

From then on, The Royal Family of *Galdos* ruled over *Galdos* and *Vendir* for centuries to come. Each monarch was married off to someone from a rich family, normally from one of *Galdos’s* richer districts or the nearby city of rich aristocrats ‘*Prosperia*.’ This led to the poorer people of *Galdos* coming to nickname *Prosperia* ‘The Farm of Future Royals.’ The couple would then rule over the land as King and Queen (or King and King, or Queen and Queen) until both their passing- upon which their eldest child would take over as Ruler of *Galdos* and *Vendir*.

The latest of the monarchs being ***King Elrik***, who rules to this day.