Regions of Mundus: Metrotras
Introduction: Metrotras is the capital city of the state of Atren, and located in the country of Coswell to the north. Metrotras has the highest population of any city in Atren, with an estimated 1.01 million people. Metrotras is also the oldest city in Atren with a history that dates back almost 2 thousand years. Its name is derived from the name of a Rotis demigod known as Metrolas, son of the Rotis god of blacksmiths, Huniom. As the capital city of Atren, Metrotras is center of all trade and politics in Atren. While the Parliament and Ministry of Metrotras is located in Metrotras, and there is the Galbury Palace where the king or queen reigns, the royal family of Atren typically lives in the heartland of Atren at Angrec Palace in Belliers.
History: The history of Metrotras began as early as 46 CE with the invasion of the Nation of Rotis. Metrotras was set up as a settlement for Rotis citizens after the initial invasion; while the native Ceoborg people lived outside the town, Metrotras was exclusive to the Rotis people. The town was destroyed several times by neighboring Ceoborg tribes, and rebuilt larger and more prosperous each time. Since the Rotis culture originated in the landlocked Sorrel Scrubs, the Rotis people lacked a familiarity with boats, which made the early city susceptible pirate raids. By 300 CE, however, the city constructed the Iron Wall, a defensive wall around the city that stood for over 1000 years, and kept the original City’s borders clear even after Metrotras expanded beyond the Iron Wall.
By 400 CE, the Nation of Rotis fell into a decline and their influence faded from Atren. Metrotras was all but abandoned, but by that time many Ceoborg people had migrated to the city. The Ceoborg, who had more familiarity with the sea, began sailing from Atren’s shores. This was done with the help of their newest invaders, the Nota-Siras people, who swept into Atren by 436 CE. Compared to the Rotis, however, the Nota-Siras were more liberal conquerors: so long as the Ceoborg paid their taxes and worshiped their gods, the Nota-Siras were content to leave the Ceoborg people alone. They even defended Ceoborg settlements from pirates and other sea invaders, like the Cornu Invaders, who attacked on-and-off around 800 to 900 CE. Even after the sea raids stopped as the Cornu started to trade and assimilate with the Ceoborg, the Nota-Siras continued to rule the region in relative peace even as their culture blended with native culture.
In fact, this became a running trend with the Ceoborg people and the future country of Atren, which is arguably their greatest strength: rather than fight and resist invaders, the people of Atren welcome the baffled warriors and barbarians with open arms. Within just a few generations, the conquerors of Atren are absorbed by the surrounding culture until they simply become a minority in the swelling tide of Atren’s diverse populace. Even the Gnanon and Ceswal invaders, whose cultures greatly shaped the broader mindset for the people of Atren, even giving the country its name, eventually became one with Atren and became part of what the country is today.
Geography: The geography of Metrotras is a tricky subject, because like many great and ancient cities, Metrotras’ borders are ill-defined. While the City of Metrotras once made up the whole city, urban areas spread up and outward over the centuries until they dwarfed the core City. While they have now been contained by the Blue Belt (a series of natural rivers and swampland that effectively circle Metrotras that contribute to the city’s trade routes), both urban and rural areas outside the Belt also identify as part of Metrotras. The inner region of Metrotras is known as Higher Metrotras while the outer region is known as Lower Metrotras. The original settlement is simply known as “the City.”
Higher Metrotras has a scope of about 565 square miles, while Lower Metrotras is about 2,870 square miles. Since Metrotras was built up from a floodplain and bordered by swampland, the city is prone to quick but severe bouts of flooding before the water drains into the swampland. Man-made streams and water drainage systems prevent worst of the damage, but even so the city has been built to resist flooding: many buildings are raised high off the ground, and few basements exist. The weather is moderate here, but rains are frequent. Metrotras is famous for its thick fogs and cold. damp winters.
Demographics: As the capital city of Atren, Metrotras is a cosmopolitan city that has a diverse population. If anything, it is more diverse than Breham. About 52% of the population is human, 25% is Avesian, 13% is Spawn, and 10% is Phractos. The Degenerate population of Metrotras is negligible. While Gols do not live in Metrotras, since Metrotras is the political center of Atren, Gol diplomats and other influential Gols visit the city from time to time.