Vel Anir is without question an almost entirely human city. From its leadership to the beggars in the streets, nearly everyone who lives there is some race or subspecies of Human.

Though there are no laws that prohibit others from living there, centuries of war and cultural isolation have made it so other species often feel extremely uncomfortable within the walls of Vel Anir. More than a few Elves from Falwood have stated it is always better to stick to the outlying villages around Vel Anir, and many Dwarves claim that they would rather just camp in the plains than find an inn inside the city. This underlying xenophobia seems to permeate all strata of society, and even the lowest commoner in Vel Anir seems to be less than accepting of other species.

This attitude towards outsiders, particularly those of different species, is born of Vel Anir's tendency towards military conflict.

Although the city is currently at peace, this is a relatively rare occurrence. Over the past few centuries Vel Anir has been at war with nearly every foreign power within a thousand miles. The Elves, the Dwarves, Cerak At’Thul and even the nomads of the steppe have all been at odds with Vel Anir over the past two centuries.

The prevailing attitude throughout Vel Anir was simply that other species were jealous, and thus the city had to protect itself however it could. In this time of peace it means that other species are allowed in the city and might even be treated kindly, but by and large most folk are either suspicious or more secretly hateful.

This attitude has not changed with the Revolution, though the government itself has taken a far more openly peaceful state. There have been great strides to be more 'accepting', though such things will not take root for some time yet. Most of the population having grown up in an age of anger and xenophobia.

Vel Anir is a fortress city and a major military power on the continent of Liadain. The king and the High Councilors have been devoting the city's resources to training and maintenance of their armies. It is said that the Anirian Guard is one of the finest infantries in the entire world and that its navy could give even the Merfolk a run for their money when it comes to dominance of the sea.

This military is the very core of the entire city, and its economy is entirely geared towards maintaining that status quo. Swordsmiths and armorers dot the city like fleas on a rat, tailors and tanners slave away tirelessly, and every young man joins the Anirian Guard when they come of age. Uniquely, even women are encouraged to join the Guard, and if they pass the training they are treated like any other soldier. Though unlike for men there is no requirement set in law. For most commoners the military is an exceptional job – it pays well and offers a chance to move up the social ladder of Vel Anir.

Unlike Alliria this city does not derive its power from trade, rather it uses its power to garner trade. Throughout its many wars and conflicts Vel Anir has managed to force dozens of smaller settlements into unfavorable trade agreements. Most of these deals are simple enough: Vel Anir offers the settlement military protection, and in return they receive a portion of that year's harvest. Through these means the city manages to survive, forcing smaller towns and villages to feed its sizable population and allowing it to maintain its military.

This policy is still maintained even with the Republic, though as of late they have found a struggle to stop several outlying cities from becoming independent states. In order to combat this the new Republic has seen fit to give each city increase political power, and worked on distributing wealth rather than hoarding it at the top.

Vel Anir has often been hailed as the greatest Human city in Arethil. The entire fortress is constructed of thick quarried stone. Its massive towers, huge walls, and every stone building are a matching design of the same rock. Everything was carefully structured and built, perfect parallel roads, houses built on exacting grids, and manors completed within only certain sections and zones of the city. At a glance it becomes obvious that Vel Anir was designed from scratch to maintain and survive a siege. The entire fortress is structured in a way to aid in defense during war. There are dozens of lookouts, vantage points, and circling alleys that are perfect for defenders.

This careful planning is key to the appearance of Vel Anir. Its imposing stone walls and its impressive facades are what set it apart from other Human cities. It was designed with a singular purpose, and that purpose has been kept over the centuries of its survival.

Of course, Vel Anir is not just a city of pure stone. Decorating the bastion are hundreds upon hundreds of flags and banners. This livery denotes the Seven Major Houses of Vel Anir, each featuring a symbol and motto. These banners fly over nearly everything in the city, decorating inns, homes, and of course the individual manors of the Seven Houses. These banners are a way of declaring one's allegiance to a specific house, and they add quite a bit of color to an otherwise gray city. One can almost always tell the demeanor, politics, and ideals of a place simply by the banner they choose to fly.

This is an incredibly important part of just how Vel Anir functions and appears. Of course the greatest and largest of these banners decorate the walls of the city itself, representing the King and his royal line.

Vel Anir is indisputably an achievement of engineering and construction. The fortress itself stands even with the great Citadels of old, and even the Dwarves have admitted that they would be hard pressed to match the fortitude of its walls. To many Humans, even those who do not dwell in Vel Anir, the fortress is a mark of just what humanity is capable of. It is often spoken of with great pride, and the pure majesty of its appearance cannot be understated.

The Walls – The walls of Vel Anir are famous around the world. Crafted and hewn from the finest quarried stone, the walls are truly massive in their size. Decorated at all times with the banners of the king, they are a symbol of human triumph and prosperity.

Designed and constructed to withstand all but the most powerful magics, the walls are twice as thick as a man is tall. They tower over the buildings around them, standing tall enough to obscure all but the Keep of Anir. The very sight of them has been enough to turn away several armies, and raiders rather attack the surrounding settlements risk an assault on the city itself.

Over the years the walls have borne the brunt of many sieges. Catapults, trebuchets, and even the powerful magics of the Elves have all failed to breach the thick stone.

Anir Square – Anir Square is the part of the city that could be considered the very lifeblood of Vel Anir itself. This are is dedicated to a dozen different purposes, though it mainly serves as the primary market for vendors, smiths, and the assorted craftsmen that attempt to ply their ware within the city itself.

Most often the square is filled with the hustle of daily life. Smiths attempt to sell their armors or swords to passing nobleman and even commoners. Men and women scramble to make what they can, often selling fruits and vegetables as well as whatever they have managed to craft.

The square is also the site of any and all public executions that take place in Vel Anir. These are arranged on a monthly basis by both the king and the High Councilors and usually consist of the hanging of thieves. Every now and again someone of higher status is executed and for them beheading is more common. Either way the executions are always a spectacle and draw great cheering crowds.

The Keep of Anir – The central set piece if Vel Anir is the singular massive keep. This citadel of the great fortress is the ancestral home of the king and his family. The Keep has housed the line of Anireth for as long as anyone can remember, its great stone halls standing guard against all those who would seek to harm the royal family.

Architecturally the Keep of Anir is of course incredibly similar to the rest of the city. It is made of the same hewn stone, built with the same rounded corners, and adorned with the same banners of the king as the wall of Vel Anir. Everything about the Keep is a reflection of the city itself, down to its highly defensive structure. It is clear from one glance that it was originally built to withstand a siege. Not just a pretty little manor house, the Keep serves as the last line of defense should an enemy army ever make their way into the city itself.

The Keep also stands as the home of the royal family. Despite its role as a defensive citadel it is still lavishly decorated, every room adorned with the finest tapestries, Elven wood, and golden luxuries. The king, the queen, all of their children and cousins live within the keep itself.

After the Revolution the Royal Family were allowed to stay within the Keep. Though some of it's halls have been ceded to the new Republic.

Vel Aerelos - Standing directly opposite the Keep of Anir and serving as a reminder of the absolute excess and splendor humanity is capable of is Vel Aerelos. This huge ten story building serves as the main point of government for all of Vel Anir. Unlike the rest of the city, Vel Aerelos is not made of plain stone. Instead it seems to be constructed of a multitude of carved and inlaid rock. Every corner, every edge, every surface of the building is decorated in some way. There is not a single piece of this building that does not catch the eye, and in a city of great architecture it is this that truly draws one's attention.

Whereas most of Vel Anir was built to allow for a better defense, Vel Aerelos completely and entirely ignores those principles. Instead the design of this building simply displays the absolute splendor that Vel Anir is capable of producing.

Vel Aerelos is now where the High Council meets and deliberates.

Vel Tenebria – Though Vel Anir stands as a gleaming example of Human architecture, beneath the city itself lays a remnant of something that most have long forgotten. Not a city itself, but a ruin that had been dug into the earth long before humanity ever even dreamed of constructing the great walls that now stand.

Vel Tenebria cannot be described as a city, nor truly a town. More accurately it is a collection of carved caves and caverns, each connected through a complex series of maze like tunnels. The walls within Vel Tenebria sing of a magic long ago lost, and the rooms found within are often decorated with intricate mosaics depicting battles and death on a scale unknown even to the most veteran of soldiers. There is something hauntingly beautiful about this place, though most do not even know of its existence.

Those that do tell nothing but stories. Tales of shadows and death, of stalkers within the night, of safety from the Nobles and a path that most peasants can only dream of. Some fools not smart enough to hold their tongues also is also say that the halls of Vel Tenebria are home to the Asure Anir, a guild of assassins that lurk in the forgotten realm until they are called upon.

Whether or not these stories are true is difficult to say, but few who venture to confirm them return.

Vel Anir is and always has been a city of blood and steel. Since its very founding day the method of just how the city would survive has been clear. The military comes first, no matter the expense, no matter the cost. This was a decision made by the first king, Cinira Anireth. The men and women who became the founders of Vel Anir came from the steppe, where brutality and war were not only a way of life, but the only possible way to survive.

Vel Anir was a way not to escape that, but the method by which it was honed into perfection. This was how the city came into being, this was its purpose. Conquest and supremacy were at the very heart of what Vel Anir hoped to achieve, and through the centuries it can be said they have more than met this goal.

The military of Vel Anir is easily one of the strongest and well trained in Arethil. Its army is large and well trained, its navy dominates the Cortosi Coast, and all those capable of magic born within the walls are trained for combat. This singular military drive has lead to dozens of conflicts over the centuries, and more than once Vel Anir nearly came to ruin.

Through it all however the city somehow managed to survive, and now it stands as one of humanity's greatest achievements.

Many of its neighbors still despise Vel Anir, forced to pay tribute to the city in the form of food and conscripts. Others see them as protectors or valuable military allies, taking advantage of their powerful armies and navies to better suit their own agenda.

For their own part, Vel Anir is hardly free of conflict from within. Though initially united, long ago the Royal Family of Anireth and the Seven Houses fell into great conflict. No one is entirely sure what happened, but it was during the deep of long winter that the Seven Houses banded together and formed a powerful alliance. Their retainers struck in the night, slaughtering the King's Guard and taking the then ruler of the city hostage.

Instead of deposing the King however the Houses made him their puppet, using the Royal Line as little more than a face of their power. It of course didn't take long for the Seven Houses to fall into contest with one another, their alliance breaking and competition beginning.

This game of Houses existed in Vel Anir for nearly two hundred years. Each House waxing and waning in power depending on shifting alliances, marriages, and other factors. Over the years, this bred resentment, anger, and hatred from citizens, Dreadlord's, and Vel Anir's own military.

Just over a year ago, some of these elements came together and held a great Revolution. Lead by the Anirian Guard, and backed up by a sizeable amount of Dreadlords, the Revolution succeeded in overthrowing the power of the Great Houses. Those who did not capitulate were either executed or imprisoned, and the powers who took hold established a Republic in the place of the old Government.

Many arguments were had over what was to be done with the Houses and the King himself, but eventually it was decided that a new system had to start off on the right foot. The nobility of Vel Anir was offered amnesty in return for cooperation. The King, the Great Houses, and all other nobles would retain the majority of their holdings and wealth, but would tithe a great percentage to the new Government.

This tithe was then used for the rebuilding of Vel Anir, funding the new Government, and various other necessary projects.

Though this new Republic has only been founded a short while ago, there is a general hope that things will improve and get better. Anirian lands are experiencing turmoil, but the city itself is beginning to rebuild and strive to be a better place.

Even if some still call for a return to the old ways.

Once a monarchy, then an oligarchy, Vel Anir is now a Republic.

Ruled by the few who are elected by the many, Vel Anir's new government stands as one of the few democracies currently in Arethil. Not overly complex, the cities government is run by a High Council composed of elected officials from the city itself and all satellite territories that it controls.

Officials elected to the High Council are voted on by their respective districts. Generally this corresponds to simply a count of landholders and occupants within certain cities, towns, and of course boroughs of Vel Anir itself. These elections are overseen by the Anirian Guard, and take place every five years. Currently there are nearly a hundred members of the High Council.

The Council oversees everything in Anirian Territory and is lead by an executive system of ministers chosen from elected ranks by a vote of the Councilors themselves.

Of course, just because the new Republic stands in place, does not mean that vestiges of the old system don't still remain. During the Revolution, many of the Great Houses and most of the nobility capitulated to the rebels. Though some of their property and wealth was seized, most of it remained. Due to this, a great many Councilors in the Republic are those same wealthy people.

That is however not to say that the Council is made up entirely of Nobles. A great many positions in the new Government were filled by former Soldiers, Merchants, and even more ordinary folk. This of course has lead to the Council being very diverse in both opinion, and priority.

Despite this, the new Republic has proven itself to be quite effective.

Though debates rage for hours at a time, the Council has yet to be deadlocked, and in general has shown itself to reach a quick consensus when it matters. Despite some of the large disparaging opinions held by Councilors.

"I want him dead.

Who does he think he is? What does he think he is? That damned Niasin Urahil and his despicable, horse-faced little harpy of a wife. How dare they do this to me. How dare they cross me. After everything I did for his father, after everything I did for that... that family.

The very thought disgusts me.

I brought them opportunity, I gave them a chance. All they needed to do was cast their vote for the war. All they needed to do was support this one measure in the Council Chambers but he just couldn't do it. The stupid bastard doomed us.

Now those fucking knife-ears are going to run wild in Falwood again. We won't be able to stop them. In a year's time they'll be at our doorstep, and then... then it'll be the end of this city.

All of our power, all of our might will just ebb away as those foul little creatures rush towards us. It disgusts me to think they still let them in the city, disgusts me to think that I must receive them in the Council Chamber.

I must do something about this. I have to make sure they never come here."

By all accounts Vel Anir is a city of power and might, a display of just the majesty that Humanity is capable of when it truly comes to it's best. The world over most humans sing the praises of Vel Anir and it's King. For many it is seen as a place of progress.

Where once it was a war like state, the public perception within Arethil has mostly shifted to a more positive outlook. The current peace that the city practices is well liked, and Humans from all over the world flock to Vel Anir to begin their life anew. Few of course understand the true politics of the city, but most are hopeful that they can find their place.

Other species are more apprehensive about Vel Anir, their longer memories reaching back far enough to recall the massacres that had been conducted at the hands of the Anirian Guard. Still, most are willing to give the city a chance, and there is a general hope that the peace continues.

Some, however, are not as optimistic. Those who know the true story of Vel Anir over the recent centuries watch carefully, waiting for the lash.