The capital of Ethadia sprawls across the southern shore of Strymün's main harbor—a natural bay so perfect for shipping that the city's founding was essentially inevitable. Approximately fifty thousand people live here, making it the largest settlement in the Gindrik Sea region.
The City
Regina grew organically around its harbor rather than following any planned design. The oldest districts cluster near the waterfront: warehouses, counting houses, taverns, chandleries, and the other businesses that serve maritime commerce. The Aldric Palace occupies a promontory at the harbor's eastern edge, positioned to observe all arrivals.
Wealthier neighborhoods climb the slopes behind the waterfront, arranged roughly by age and status. The twelve Family compounds form a loose ring around the palace—each a walled estate containing the main residence, offices, and quarters for household staff and guards. Beyond them, prosperous merchant homes give way to artisan quarters and eventually to workers' housing on the city's outskirts.
The city has no walls. Like Bonnetaz, Regina relies on water for defense—though here the calculation is maritime rather than environmental. Enemy fleets would need to enter the harbor to threaten the city, and Ethadian defenses focus on the harbor approaches.
Architecture
Ethadian building favors stone foundations with timber upper stories—practical in an earthquake-prone volcanic region. Roofs are typically tile, imported or locally made from clay deposits in the Greenwood. The overall effect is Mediterranean: white and pale yellow walls, terra-cotta roofs, narrow streets climbing steep slopes.
The palace and Family compounds are more elaborate, featuring carved stonework, imported marble, and elaborate gardens. These displays of wealth are competitive; each Family strives to outdo its rivals without crossing the line into ostentation that might invite Crown intervention.
The Waterfront
Regina's commercial heart stretches along two miles of harbor frontage. Wharves extend into the bay, capable of servicing a hundred vessels simultaneously. Behind them, warehouses store goods awaiting transshipment—everything from Kuzagt salt to Gorathi timber to items whose origins the harbormaster doesn't record.
The Merchant's Exchange dominates the waterfront district: a massive building where traders conduct business, banks maintain offices, and information changes hands. Membership in the Exchange requires substantial fees and Family sponsorship, limiting access to established merchants. Those excluded conduct business in the surrounding streets, legal but less reputable.
Districts of Note
Palace Hill: The Aldric compound and administrative center. Access is restricted but not forbidden; petitioners can approach the palace gates during daylight hours.
The Ring: The twelve Family compounds, each a small fortress in its own right. Social invitations here are political currency.
Temple Row: Major temples clustered along a single thoroughfare, convenient for the pious and the superstitious alike.
Sailor's Rest: Entertainment district catering to maritime workers. Taverns, brothels, gambling houses, and establishments that combine all three. Surprisingly orderly—the Families have investments here and maintain security accordingly.
The Gutters: Worker housing on the city's western edge. Not dangerous, merely poor. The population here works the industries that wealth enables: shipbuilding, rope-making, sail-lofting, and the hundred other trades that keep Ethadia's fleet operational.
Politics
Regina is Ethadia writ small. Crown and Families maneuver constantly, each seeking advantage without destabilizing the system that enriches everyone. The current queen is aging, her heir is young, and the succession is not as secure as the palace claims. Several Families smell opportunity.
This internal competition has external implications. Each major foreign power has cultivated relationships with specific Families, hoping to gain influence in Ethadian affairs. The Kuzagt favor House Valdren, which handles most Bonnetaz trade. Gorath has connections to House Mircalis, despite their mutual distaste. Even the Free Isles have their preferred partners among the aristocracy.
Queen Morvena has maintained balance for three decades. When she dies, that balance will be tested.