Cities Of Charta

1. Trasa

Trasa is generally the first city you will visit in Itropa. The most populated city in Charta, Trasa is Charta's only port town. Most new immigrants to Charta live in Trasa for a while first, before moving on to other cities. Trasa is the hub town of Charta, the mid-point between the other major cities. As something of a melting pot, Trasa is home to beings of all races, occupations, and social standings.

The History of Trasa

In the year 1 of our current calendar, explorer Nathos Kaural discovered the continent of Charta. Kaural and his crew overcame starvation, harsh weather, disease, and wild animals to build Fort Kaural. At least that's the way Kaural recorded it. It was later discovered that Kaural actually took over the fort from the original owners, the native citizens of this continent, the Marae. The Marae are a species of sentient shapeshifters, who were not prepared to fight back this invasion.

Over the next few decades, humans, elves, and many other races from other continents sailed to this new world, first settling in Fort Kaural before branching outward into other cities. In the year 73, the first major war with the Marae began. This war lasted for seventeen years, when a peace treaty was finally made. For several years, the Marae lived alongside the varied races of Kaural. But as new immigrants continued to pour in from other continents, they brought with them diseases for which the Marae had no immunity. A large percentage of the Marae population was wiped out before innoculations were discovered.

Again, that is the way the events were recorded, but modern historians are skeptical. As the Marae are immune to most diseases, it has still not been determined whether this particular disease was engineered. In any event, by the year 142, tensions between the Marae and the humanoids were at an all-time high. Another conflict finally erupted late that year, when a group of human hunters killed accidentally some Marae who were disguised as deer. This unfortunate event triggered the second major Marae/humanoid war, which lasted eight years.

Peace finally won out in the year 150, when both sides agreed to a treaty. Fort Kaural was officially renamed "Trasa", which is the Marae word for "peace". However, the Marae continued to distrust the humanoids, and few of them ever integrated into humanoid society.

In the year 198, Trasa was decimated by fires of undetermined origin. The city didn't have enough money to rebuild, and for a while it looked as if Trasa would forever be a city of burned-out rubble. Then, in 201, BotCo Industries picked Trasa as the site for their robotics factory. BotCo financed the reconstruction of Trasa, which transformed it into the beautiful city it is today.

Trasa is now mostly populated with humans and elves, but other humanoid races live there as well. As Charta's only major coastal city, Trasa continues to be the gateway to the new world. Immigrants arrive daily, escaping war, famine, and disease to seek a new and better life in Charta. Many of them settle in Trasa, making it the most rapidly-growing city in Charta as well.

2. Caoerovia - This is the most civilized Marae city in Charta. Populated only by Marae, beings of other races may have trouble even speaking to the town's citizens. See the "Races" section for more of what to expect from the Marae.

3. Alta - Far to the north, Alta is home to the wealthiest Humans and Elves. Referred to as the "City of Higher Beings" and "The Jewel of the North", Alta is considered by many to be the perfect place to live. Alta is the hub of culture and society, home to the Swordmaster's Guild, the Virtuoso Music College, and the Science Guild.

4. Grunthar - Lying in the middle of the desert, Grunthar is a harsh town, populated by Orcs and some Dwarves. It is a harsh society, where strength is considered your prime asset. The leader of Grunthar is known as the "Grag Prime", a position which changes hands frequently. Each year a tournament is held to determine Grunthar's strongest warrior, and the winner rules the city for the next twelve months. However, direct challenges can often bring about early retirements for the Grag Prime. The current leader of Grunthar is the Grag Prime Arathnon.

5. Kora - Nestled in the middle of the forest, Kora is home to nature loving elves and humans. Citizens of Kora are great hunters, as well as protectors of the forest. They respect the balance of nature and include themselves as part of it. Typical Kora citizens live life as simply as possible, and are very accepting of visitors.

6. Mil - Home to Gnomes and Halflings. This town was once a graveyard, it's crypts emptied and turned into houses. Citizens of Mil prefer to keep to themselves.

7. Valos - A nearly lawless city in the frozen north, filled with criminals and beggars. Valos was once a prison for Alta, until the prisoners took over and declared their independence. Valos is ruled by Lord Teykor Vermon, a former prisoner who led the riots against the guards.

8. Ynara - Hidden deep within the forest, Ynara is home to nature-worshipping elves. Their love of the planet is so great that they will even go to war to protect it.

9. Fertilund - A quiet farming community located northwest of Trasa, much of Trasa's food is grown there.