Stavia

**Stavia**, formerly known as **Innyria**, is an ancient city located on the banks of the River Innyr. Founded by Naerisi settlers in 380 BW, Innyria grew into a major settlement and the capital city of the newly established Freehold of Innyria following the Divine War. It was conquered by the Kingdom of Wyrsia in 777 AW, at which point it was renamed to Stavia. It has served as the capital of the Duchy of Stavia within Wyrsia since. Following the Republican-Wyrsian War, Stavia became the capital of the Republic of Southern Wyrsia in 1212 AW.

## History

Innyria was founded in 380 BW by Naerisi settlers on the outer fringes of the Faerian Freehold of Laenius It had fairly humble origins as a fishing village on the southern bank of the River Innyr, but an infrastructure project commissioned by a group of Naerisi and Faerian merchants saw a major road and important river crossing built nearby. Innyria subsequently became more important as a traveller's stop and urban heart in the otherwise underdeveloped region between the Innyr and Suttock Rivers.

Innyria received a large influx of refugees during the Third Human Rebellion and resulting Divine War, with scores of Faerians and Naerisi, in particular, fleeing northwards away from the advancing Human armies. Innyria became a symbol of non-Human resistance as its Naerisi defenders held off numerous Human offensives. Save for a handful of smaller warbands and scouting parties, Innyria's defiance stopped Human invaders from crossing the River Innyr, making mainland Laenius a safe haven of sorts. Increased Human attacks would likely have led to the fall of Innyria with enough time if it wasn't for Lyxis the Blind's invasion pulling away Human forces from the Innyr to desperately reinforce the east.

Following the conclusion of the Divine War, Lyxis the Blind began to redraw the borders of the North, creating the so-called New Freeholds. In a treacherous act, the local gentry of Innyria worked with Lyxis to defy Laenius which had refused Nytalyrian influence on its politics. As a result, all lands between the Innyr and the Suttock were taken from Laenius and war-torn Torrelis to the south, creating the Freehold of Innyria, named after the city. Lyxis' redrawing of the borders fueled a centuries-long rivalry between Innyria and Laenius, with the breakaway Freehold ending up on top as Laenius collapsed thanks to its own Human population.

As Freeholds fell one by one throughout the North for a myriad of reasons, and with the Nytalyrians cutting off most aid to the mainland, Innyria became something of an icon of resilience. With Wyrsic and Fühlgartian conquests being particularly devastating to non-Human countries, Innyria became one of the two remaining Freeholds in Enselonde alongside Hykkfjord. With this added prestige, the city also grew and drew in more non-Human fortune seekers, bursting its original boundaries and spreading across neighbouring hilltops and to the northern bank of the Innyr. Defensiveness was a big deal during these expansions. Innyria was split into four districts, each separated by fortified bridges that could cut off access to other parts of the city. Each district was elevated on hills -- sometimes artificially made ones -- with the valleys between them remaining undeveloped so that they could be flooded with water drawn from the Innyr if needed. One Wyrsian engineer sent to covertly survey Innyria's defences described Innyria as more fortress than city and stated it was impossible to take through force. Despite this militarism, Innyria still had a thriving civilian populace and all the amenities one would expect a city to have from simple farms and workshops to extravagant temples and marketplaces.

Despite its reputation as an unconquerable city, this did not stop the expansionist Henry III, King of Wyrsia, from giving it a go. In 776 AW, he invaded the Freehold of Innyria, marking the beginning of the Wyrsian-Innyrian War. When news became widespread of this invasion, most considered Henry III a madman, wasting the lives of his soldiers on a fruitless campaign. It took only a few days for the Wyrsian armies to reach Innyria due to the city's proximity to the Wyrsian border. As expected, the city's defenders had made all the preparations. Magical wards protected the walls and the levees keeping the Innyr in check had been burst on purpose, flooding the land around the city. Yet, Henry III laid siege, hoping that a few weeks of starvation could break the defenders' will. His siege would last a gruesome two years, marked by disease, constant harassment from skirmishers, and even small-scale naval action on the flooded surroundings of the city. Yet, slowly by slowly, bit by bit, the Wyrsians made costly progress. When one district fell, they had to restart from scratch, chipping away at the next district. By the closing days of the year 777 AW, the last pockets of Innyrian resistance fell. The shining beacon of Naerisi culture and defiance had been extinguished. Innyria was a shell of itself, damaged beyond recognition from the siege's brutality.

Following the Wyrsian-Innyrian War, the rebuilding of the city began. Innyria was renamed to its modern name of Stavia by Henry III, with local lands being rewarded to various nobles. A large portion of the city's Naerisi population -- those that had not died in the conflict -- either left for the rump state of Western Innyria -- which the Wyrsians had failed to subjugate -- or were forcibly expelled by the new Human administrators of the city. Only a small amount of Naerisi remained in Stavia heading into the 780s and onwards. Much of what made Innyria famous was torn down and replaced by the Wyrsians. While its defensiveness was impressive, it was not practical for trade or general livability. The floodable levee system, the separated districts, and most of the fortified bridges and walls were torn down and replaced with more contemporary alternatives or no alternatives at all. While practicality and saving on maintenance costs were named as the reasons behind these decisions, it was also a way to break from the past and remove the obvious Naerisi architecture, replacing it with more Human counterparts. These decisions by Henry III and local military administrators have been heavily criticized by non-Humans, as in the process of rebuilding Stavia, centuries of Naerisi history and architecture were outright destroyed in a fruitless Huminisation campaign.

Stavia became a more contemporary city following Henry III's reign. It served as the ducal capital of the namesake Duchy of Stavia within Wyrsia, and became particularly useful for the myriad of conflicts between Wyrsia and their Fühlgartian neighbours to the south, as their centuries-long rivalry would begin to form only after border disputes spawned from the Wyrsian-Innyrian War. In a sense, Stavia retained part of its militant identity with Virgil I -- the son and heir of Henry III -- constructing the so-called Highlands of Death south of the city: an impressive series of hilltop fortifications and castles defending the southern approach towards Stavia. Despite many attempts to take the Duchy of Stavia over the centuries, including the city itself, the Fühlgartians would never breach the Highlands of Death fully.

This only changed with the onset of the Republican-Wyrsian War. Following the Green Grove Campaign, the Fühlgartians circumvented the Highlands of Death altogether and threatened to encircle the entire Wyrsian from the northeast with the fall of Wyrgate. A panicked yet late northwards retreat followed with most of the Wyrsian army being trapped south of Stavia. The last pockets of resistance were fierce, yet Stavia was practically undefended by the time Ulrich Luftschwert captured it in 1212 AW. In fact, the city was entirely undamaged as the meagre skeleton garrison surrendered immediately upon the arrival of Fühlgartian armies at Stavia's gates.

After deliberation about what to do with occupied territory in Wyrsia, it was ultimately decided to split the country into two client states. Stavia became the capital of the largely autonomous Republic of Southern Wyrsia under the Crestian sellsword Gert Brokmann, who continues to hold onto the city today as Head of the Republic. Under Southern Wyrsia, the city has experienced an unexpected Naerisi resurgence. With the Duchy of Stavia being a defunct title, Brokmann set up elections for the position of Lord-Mayor of the city, handling the day-to-day operations and rulership of Stavia. This election was won by the Naerisi Finnor Clym. While Clym wasn't a Republican loyalist by any means, efforts by Brokmann's government to end Humanisation and re-establish Naerisi cultural influences over the city have caused some of the Plains Elves to flock into Republican ranks. Some would argue that Stavia is amidst something of a renaissance after ridding itself of the Wyrsian monarchy, with breathing room granted to non-Human minorities in the city. Since the outbreak of the Great War, thousands of Naerisi -- mostly from Western Innyria -- have moved to the city of their ancestors. Despite conflicts between Western Innyria and the larger Republican alliance thanks to the Innyrian Expedition, relations between Western Innyria and Southern Wyrsia are surprisingly cordial despite the former's tendencies towards isolationist diplomacy.

With the Republic of Southern Wyrsia and the resurgent Kingdom of Wyrsia coming to blows in late 1229 AW, it remains to be seen whether Stavia will remain Republican or be reconquered by Monarchists. A question often plaguing the minds of Monarchist commanders and diplomats alike is, should the Monarchist threaten to recapture the city, would the Naerisi come to its defence once more? And, if so, would victory against such a zealous and militant race be possible a second time?

## Government

The local governments in Stavia tend to overlap quite significantly. While the day-to-day operations are run by the elected Lord-Mayor -- currently Finnor Clym on his third five-year term -- the Head of the Republic Gert Brokmann can carry out special actions in the city via decrees, such as conscripting troops, levying taxes, or holding special elections. Stavia is also currently home to the Southern Wyrsian Senate which serves primarily as elected lawmakers, the Military Tribunal of Stavia under Fühlgartian General Pfeilmacher dealing with military law and discipline, the Innyrian Commission dealing with local Naerisi matters and the Wehner Attaché to keep tabs on Republican ideological loyalty in Southern Wyrsia.

This cluttered mess of governing bodies has led to confusion and frustrations amongst native Stavians, including Brokmann's government. The Military Tribunal and Wehner Attaché are looked down upon in particular, as many feel they are more of an obstacle imposed on Stavia by the Fühlgartians rather than a boon.

## Military

Stavia's local guard force stands at about 300 strong under the watch of Commander Kilian Arin. While this is a relatively small force for a city as politically and strategically important as Stavia, its main purpose is more about upholding laws and keeping order. The city watch is heavily fortified by regular soldiers and volunteer militias. Other forces inside the city currently include a detachment of the Fühlgartian 4th Army under Captain Emilia Lothwyn, volunteers from the Purple Army of Wyrsia under its figurehead leader Mylton Maxworth, as well as various smaller-scale citizen's watches and even a handful of hired Crestian mercenary bands.

## Economics

Stavia's location has always been at the heart of the city's economy, and this remains the case in the modern day. The main road leading into Wyrsia runs directly through the city, driving extensive amounts of commerce through its gates. Most of the city's income comes from tolls and tariffs, with dozens of caravans -- hundreds on a busy day -- making their way through Stavia every day, bringing coin and goods into the city. Naval shipping makes up a smaller part of the city's day-to-day operations, yet Stavia remains the main port on the River Innyr, even if few ships tend to sail it.

Somewhat surprisingly, Stavia doesn't produce much for export. The grasslands around the city are quite fertile, allowing for sizeable grain harvests each year, with leftovers being sold to other settlements. Most basic shops and services are provided in abundance. If anything, Stavia's economic model is similar to that of Whitecrest to the west, being centred around trading and shipping, yet mostly doing this with other people's goods instead of ones produced locally. Yet, whereas Whitecrest historically excelled at trading on water, Stavia has acted as a powerhouse in the overland movement of goods and people instead.

## Culture

Due to Stavia's long history and location, the city has acted as a bit of a melting pot. Particularly before the Wyrsian takeover, Innyria was a vibrant stronghold of Naerisi culture, with large and organised Faerian, Hyllidan, and even Dryadic communities within the city. Innyria's conquest by the Wyrsians destroyed much of this cultural diversity, with many non-Humans fleeing or being forcibly expelled from the city. Humanization efforts followed as previously done in Laenian cities to the north. Much of the old Naerisi architecture was torn down. While Stavia largely represents a typical Wyrsian city in architecture, some parts of the old Naerisi city on which it was built remain: primarily roads, bridges, sections of fortifications, and temples.

Especially in previous years, Stavia is amidst something of a cultural renaissance, with the policies of the Republic of Southern Wyrsia attracting Naerisi settlers from Western Innyria in droves. While still overwhelmingly populated by Humans in the modern day, sizeable Naerisi and Faerian communities have re-emerged in the past two decades, re-introducing many art forms lost after the fall of Innyria, including clothing styles, festivals, music, sculpting, and particularly literature.

Religiously, Stavia follows the Faith of All Gods, despite Fühlgartian pressure to make Syarus Worship the state religion of Southern Wyrsia. Brokmann's government has refused these barely disguised demands with overwhelming local support, particularly from the local Naerisi communities. The Divine Order of Enselonde freely operates in Southern Wyrsia, including Stavia. The largest temple in Stavia is the local Temple of Anir -- the God of Order -- which also serves as the seat of Walric Beorwoode, the Divine Order-appointed Bishop of Innyria.

## Battles

* Battles of the Innyr (36-34 BW)
* Siege of Innyria (776-777 AW)
* Battle of Innyria (778 AW)
* Stavia Campaign (1211-1212 AW)

## Locations

Stavia is home to four districts.

* The **Old Town** is the oldest and smallest of the city's districts and houses the wealthy and politically connected. It's home to many luxurious residences as well as a myriad of buildings of political importance, such as the Southern Wyrsian parliament building, meeting halls, academies and high-end inns.
* **Three Hills** is the second and largest of Stavia's districts. The name, while initially representative of the local geography, is severely outdated, as the original three hills have been greatly expanded with more artificial hills and landscaping. Three Hills houses most of the city's populace and is broadly representative. Most services expected of a major city are offered in abundance in Three Hills.
* **Overinnyr** is the third of Stavia's districts, housing the city's poor in relatively cramped conditions. It was a historically unplanned addition to the city, built by the destitute who could not afford to live in Three Hills. While the situation has significantly improved over the centuries -- with Overinnyr being fully integrated into the rest of the cities -- most of the district still consists of nothing but housing for labourers, with very few amenities besides the occasional tavern.
* **Royal Cross** is the most recent district built in Stavia, with construction starting in the late 7th century AW. Royal Cross was built to be less out of the way for traders and travellers on the main road between the two rivers to great effect. Royal Cross offers everything one might need from inns, stables, caravansaries, temples, marketplaces, and more. Most people only briefly visiting Stavia stay at Royal Cross, as it provides every service imaginable. It is the busiest of Stavia's districts by a good margin despite its relatively small size.

## Notable Residents

* Gert Brokmann, Head of the Republic of Southern Wyrsia.
* Finnor Clym, Lord-Mayor of Stavia.
* Walric Beorwoode, Divine Order-appointed Bishop of Innyria.
* Kilian Arin, Commander of the city watch.
* Tobias Pfeilmacher, General of the Fühlgartian 4th Army.
	+ Emilia Lothwyn, local 4th Army commander.
* Mylton Maxworth, Figurehead of the Purple Army of Wyrsia.