Slatehelm

Slatehelm is a large city in the centre of the Coal Spines, in the nation of Kamenmech. It’s built in the crevice between two of the bigger mountains in the Spines, as the perfect place for mining operations. It’s currently the capital city of Kamenmech, and is reportedly the second-least diverse city in the Republic (after Isamos)

## **City Description**

The thick stone walls of Slatehelm are around 50 feet high, with walkways along the top for guards to regularly patrol the perimeter. They’re made of thick stonework, steel, and obsidian harvested from the mountains around them. The eastern side of the city has a large iron portcullis for entry, with two pairs of heavily armed guards stationed at the front entrance. They claim it’s for ‘public safety’, and any non-human or dwarf citizens will be detained and taken away for questioning. Both outside and within the walls large amounts of mining equipment and machinery can be seen, as well as miners being watched by intimidating-looking supervisors and guards.

Beyond the walls, the interior of the city looks fairly grim and dirty. The streets are covered in soot and grime, and the air is thick with a heavy smog. Factories are seen working away in the background, pumping out smoke and pollution as those within work hard to produce the mass amounts of steel that get shipped continent-wide.

The architecture seems to be of a modern-ish Victorian style, with many buildings in the lower-class districts made of basic brickwork and stone, built as close together as possible in an almost grid-like pattern. While the upper-class districts have more elaborate buildings, like well-built townhouses and manors, with Slatehelm’s king and other aristocracy living in large palaces higher up in the mountain, so as not to be living in the smoke and smog like the rest of the population.

## **Society**

### **Demographics**

Slatehelm is rather small for a capital city, comparable in size to Alearia or Ulloroth, and is almost entirely dedicated to mining and steel production.

Most of the population within Slatehelm is human, with about one in every ten citizens being a dwarf. No other races are seen in the city, except as slaves for the nobles there.

As the capital of Kamenmech and the second biggest city in Kamenmech, Slatehelm has a population of 20,422 citizens (as of 950 A.P, with a breakdown of the population being 92% human, and 8% dwarfs.

## **Background**

### **The 1000 Year War**

Slatehelm started as a small mining town in the middle of the kingdom of the Iron Sword, only becoming more of a focus within the region when a miles-long vein of iron was found within its mines. As the war went on it became a point to be protected, and massive forges and mining quarries were established to keep a steady flow of weapons supplied to the kingdom’s armies.

When the kingdom of the Iron Sword fell, and the nation of Kamenmech was established in its place by the king’s general to keep fighting, Slatehelm became the main base of operations for his army. Those there fought for centuries, with Slatehelm developing more and more into a proper city, and it was decided that it would become the nation's capital once the Treaty of Azthar was signed, and the war was declared over.

### **Nobility’s Influence**

When the leading general died, some 20 years after the war was declared over, his son stepped in to take his place in leading the nation. He introduced many laws and legislations that benefitted the nobility in the nation, while putting the lives of those he considered ‘lesser’ at risk. These legislations included allowing these nobles to own these ‘lesser creatures’ as property, in the form of guards, labourers and servants. As well as deeming any non humans or dwarves within the city stripped of their civil rights while inside. This has led to a much less diverse population within the city of Slatehelm, and a horrific quality of life for any of the less-human or dwarven people inside.

### **Steel Production**

Slatehelm kept it’s massive forges and factories running after the war ended, making trade contracts and supply routes to deliver raw steel and weaponry to all across the Republic. A lot of countries within, especially Zoltravni and Holhistan, are moderately reliant on the city as a result of this, with their much more industrial ways of life.

## **Trivia**

* Slatehelm is one of the only cities within the Republic where people are permitted to own other people. The others are Ulloroth (though it is a right reserved by nobility) and Zaecia.
* Slatehelm has the worst quality of air in the Arkadian Republic, with 80% of it’s citizens having some kind of breathing or lungs issues, and roughly 120 people dying of lung failure each year.