Sovereign

*Written by* Moby\_Dick*.*

### Territory

Sovereign is a massive city built on the Sovereign River, between Old Vetus and Ardelaine. The climate there is fair, with mild winters and forgiving summers. As the city was mostly planned before it was built, it is organized in concentric circular avenues.

There are 14 avenues, plus a 15th "avenue" being the city wall's walkway. There are radial smaller streets that don't always line up, and addresses are made of the avenue, side of the avenue (interior/exterior), and the angle of the house from the north, rotating clockwise. For instance, "3rd avenue interior, 122nd degree". The North-South axis (dubbed "Union Road") is a broad road, with a significant amount of traffic. At the center of the city on the Vetusian side stands **the Sky Dome**, and on the Ardelannois side stands **the Sunshine Castle**. These are the only two buildings officially in the first circle, and the only ones besides the gates built on the axis. The second radius consists of guilds buildings and government offices.

### Important Places

* **The Sky Dome** - The political and commercial center of the Commonwealth. It hosts the Senate, the Commonwealth Central Bank, the Vetusian High Court and a significant amount of trading guilds, corporations, notary offices and shops. Most important commercial trades that occurs in Sovereign or in the Commonwealth goes through at least one office in the Sky Dome.
* **The Sunshine Castle** - A massive palace made out of glass and copper with limestone foundations. It is the house of the Ardellanoise regency, most ministries and civil offices. It also hosts a magnificent botanical garden and a zoo, where one can see most of the species of animals and plants that have been found all over Vetus, and even recently some from Novus.
* Sovereign is also home to a variety of palaces, like the **Palm Tree Palace** and the **Marble Palace**.

### Society

The People of Sovereign come from all over the known world. Some families have been here for centuries, or even moved during the building of the city, calling themselves native to Sovereign. However, Sovereign was built in previously uninhabited place, so no one has ties there further than a few centuries. The political organization of Sovereign is fundamentally identical to that of the Commonwealth: it is directly governed by the Senate, aided by civil servants.

### Culture

As the capital city of the commonwealth which includes a multitude of different cultures, Sovereign is naturally culturally diverse. The government of the commonwealth goes out of its way to represent all of its members within the city: People can find influences of other cultures within the architecture, the cuisine, the holidays and in other aspects as well. Since the city is home to the social elite, government officials and other wealthy individuals, artisans from all over the continent visit the city on a regular basis for the opportunity to sell their wares at high prices which fosters the cultural diversity even further.

Throughout the city there are many amphitheaters. Plays about the history of the commonwealth are performed in these theatres for the purpose of entertainment most of the time, but on some occasions other plays inspired by different mythologies are also performed. Every five years athletes, representing the different regions of the commonwealth, compete against each other in a variety of sport-events for the entertainment of the public. These sport-events usually last four to six weeks and are followed by two weeks of festivities in the theme of the culture of the winning team.

### People

Most people in the city are reasonably wealthy by global standards, as it is probably the most expensive place to live in the world and wages are scaled accordingly, although South Sovereign is considerably less expensive than North Sovereign, due to the ease of importing goods from Ardelaine driving the cost of necessities down. Ardelaine also has a more lax policy about suburban housing, whereas North Sovereign stops perfectly at the outer walls, which eases the price of real estate.

It is without a doubt the most diverse place in the world, but most agree that if you had to define a typical Sovereignian, they would enjoy comfort and prosperity.

### History

Sovereign was built from the ground up in the decades following the creation of the Commonwealth, or the moment when Ardelaine joined the Vetusian Trading League. Even though most people in Ardelaine see the building of Sovereign as a symbol of unity and equality, historians agree that the Vetusian Trading League likely had prior plans for a similar trade center, and they merely moved its location.

The history of Sovereign is deeply intertwined with the history of the Commonwealth, as it is the place where everything started.

### Playing as a Sovereignan:

It's hard to talk about the average Sovereignan, as the city is probably the most diverse place in the world.

Although, as a Sovereignan, you likely enjoy luxury. The lifestyle in the capital is without equal, and you probably got used to nice clothes, jewelry, palaces, great food and luxurious baths.

Both the names and appearance of people from the capital can come from anywhere in the world.