As the main setting for this world, and the most influential nation on the planet, Norelva has dedicated pages as seen with the Politics Hub, History Hub, Culture Hub and Map Database, which all contain detailed information regarding the different facets of the kingdom. Please refer to them and the infobox to the right. This part will briefly cover the different cities of Norelva, in order of largest to smallest.
Norelva
Motto: "Honor, Integrity, Truth."
Govt Type: Parliamentary Monarchy
Language: Norelvan Common
Capital: Norelva
Population: ~430 million
Leader: King Evander Noret, PM Zachary Vylmen
The capital, itself called Norelva, is the political center of the nation. The Council and High Chamber, together with the Ministry Central Offices, are seated here, not to mention the Royal Palace where the king resides. The capital is a sprawling metropolis built on a scrutinous grid system, with public transport in the form of trams and taxis to move the large population. Gas lamps and rudimentary electric systems dot this somewhat flat city, with only a few small hills offering a higher view. Built in a mixed style, with older, Victorian-style buildings (such as the Royal Central Library and the City Hall) sporting bright white colors or brick facades contrasted by the Creole style and townhouse style used for the majority of newer homes: these tightly packed, attached houses form large neighborhoods with gardens and communal areas in the middle, and contribute to the city's welcoming and wholesome nature. The Avenue of Kings cuts the city in half, and offers a view from the port all the way up to the Royal Palace. The city is furthermore divided in several districts:
The Financial District is where the Treasury is seated, a fortified building housing the kingdom's gold, where the Ministry of Finance works. It houses offices, company headquarters, and some highly expensive stores.
The Downtown District is the beating heart of the city, where the City Hall, Nondenominational Cathedral, and Council and High Chamber are seated. It is decorated with gardens, parks and is the shopping and entertainment center. It borders with the Norelva Boardwalk, a long riverside tourist attraction filled with restaurants, bars and stores.
The Red Light District is the other beating heart of the city. Here, adult activities take place under strict supervision of local volunteers and the city police. Intended as a safe place for typically illegal activities, the police has publicly vowed not to perform arrests related to those crimes, but to keep the peace and provide assistance. Several associations for addiction roam the streets offering advice and consultations.
The Residential District is mostly made up of small, family-owned shops, homes and public services. This is where the Royal Central Library, main market and primary and secondary schools are. To the south, it fades into the High Income Residential District with larger, detached houses and villas.
The Industrial Districts, both south of the city and across the river, are the main centers of industrial production of the city.
The academic center of the nation, Sagplass is famous worldwide for the prestigious Royal University of Norelva, the ancient institution that trains sorcerers, academics and experts in every field. The university complex itself takes up a notable chunk of the city, with its different departmental buildings and wings, laboratories, study halls, libraries and student accomodation. The rest of the city relies on the university: stationery stores, book stores, student unions and clubs and shops selling magical trinkets and materials are the most present. Additionally, cheap restaurants and a large number of cafes and coffee shops are sprinkled around the campus. Housing is typically hard to find, and during vacation periods Sagplass empties almost entirely as students leave for home or holiday.
Hafenblau, stretched along the coast west of the capital, looks over the Ellorlon bay, a circular body of clear water protected by the tides and winds by a small ring of rocky fjords around its mouth. Hafenblau is a city of commerce and trade, where the majority of incoming vessels dock to deliver goods. Traffic of land vehicles is nearly constant and frequently develops into citywide gridlocks that must be moved via magical means. The Hafenblau-Gelfort Highway runs between the two cities and has slowly developed into the first major, high-speed land route in the world. Hafenblau additionally houses the Naval Academy, where young sailors are trained, and is the main port of the Home Fleet of the Royal Navy, the fleet that patrols and guards the nation's waters.
Located at the foot of the mountains and on the Elv river shore, Gelfort is the second commerce center of the nation and the hub for import and export from the north, through the tightly regulated Wyvern Pass. It is said to be a boring, plain city mostly consisting of financial offices and functioning as a secondary economic center of the kingdom. A number of Divination wizards here work for the government, attempting to decipher future economic conditions and adapt policy accordingly.
Resplendent and grimy, Rotluss is to Norelva what Las Vegas is to the United States. Renown for its debauchery, it offers bars, brothels, discos, casinos, expensive hotels and luxuries aplenty. Commonly filled to the brim with students from Sagplass during holiday periods. Most of the money taken from the casinos is taxed and goes towards welfare, particularly donations to associations fighting addiction and anti-gambling groups.
A village nestled in the large valley south of the mountains, Havrtal is the center for agricultural production of the nation, the source of hundreds of tons of grain, rice, wheat, vegetables, fruit and livestock. The fields of Havrtal stretch for kilometers and are tended to by giants, constructs and magically artificed automated machines. The village itself is rather small and traditional, sometimes referred to as cold and rude to "city folk".
The Dwarven Commune of Jarmein is technically an independent city-state separate from the Kingdom of Norelva. Following unionization after the War, the dwarves inhabiting this mining town protested and campaigned for independence, which the kingdom agreed to after lengthy negotiations. The source of vast amounts of metal, coal, and particularly mithril, including local production of adamantine, make Jarmein a vital part of the Norelvan economy, one that the dwarves are fully aware of. The commune is currently at peace and satisfied with the kingdom's acceptance, as such no effective difference exists in the extraction of metals from before unionization.
Since the time of the Scorching and the exodus of citizens that took place then, several colonies are under the administration of the kingdom, mostly across the Gulf of Kings. Three major colonies occupy the coast south of the capital, one north past the mountains and one south near the desert.