Chardon
Near the southern coast of the Moon island a small volcanic island is located. Quite special and different city named Chardon is located on this island. Chardon has about 3200 more or less permanent inhabitants. And what makes the city different from other "normal" cities is that it is built in a huge nature shaped column. The column is made of dark and hard volcanic stone and it is rather sure that nature has got some "help" for forming it. It is commonly known that when dragons ruled Meln, they built themselves a glorious palaces. Whole Meln has only few of those palaces left and tower city Chardon is one of the best preserved.
Diameter of the base of the huge stone column is about 200 meters and the column is over 900 meters height. The column resembles a little like stalagmite, which narrows towards the top and then just before the peak quickly widens and forms a plane upon which the city is built. From the plane another but smaller peak rises above the main city. On ground level the column has huge cave, which is the main entrance to the city. Inside the column the "main street" spirally circles upwards and towards the city which is located on the plane at the peak.
The city itself is mostly built from stone. Due to the special nature of the city, the architecture is very narrow and height. Buildings have many floors and are built very thickly close to each other. Whole city is like a huge maze. Narrow streets cross between the buildings and because of big altitude differences, the city is full of stairs and narrow corridors. Principally the city begins from the ground level, because the entire "stalk" of the tower has been hollowed full of caves, residences, workshops and cabins. The city has three parts, which are the Stalk, the Lower town and the Upper town. The Stalk comprises of entire interior and exterior parts of the "stalk" of the tower. The Lower town is the main city located on the lower and wider main plane. The highest peak of Chardon is called as the Upper town and it is a living area of most prosperous and respected persons.
Chardon is located on a rocky area about one kilometer away from coast, where a little harbor is located. Narrow road twists from harbor to the tower. In winter, when the Ring sea freezes, only way to move away or arrive to Chardon, is flying or walking along ice to the Moon island. Many wealthy inhabitants always use flying with trained giant eagles or even griffins to get in and out of the city to avoid long climbing through the tower and avoid encountering the rabble living in the Stalk. This way they also avoid possible thievery stalking along the way to the top.
Originally Chardon belong to a great and cruel dragon named Drakarsus, who ruled entire Moon island. Chardon was originally his palace. Many slaves and servants of Drakarsus lived in the Stalk and on the ground around the tower. Drakarsus was vanquished in the end of the New age of the dragons. Right after this Chardon started growing to its current form. When Drakarsus was vanquished, entire Moon island was freed from the reign of his terror and all attention was focused on the main island and its new ruler and the palace of Drakarsus was left in less attention. Former servants of Drakarsus begun inhabiting the palace and no one paid any attention for it nor sticked to its business. Many kind of people begun arriving to the tower. People without other place to go came searching shelter. More and more people arrived and the building of the city begun. Chardon quickly became a "refuge", where people didn't ask much about the past of a newcomer.
Since the defeat of Drakarsus Chardon has been independent and free city. It has ever belong under rulership of any nation and many have wondered the reasons for this. It is thought that there might be some kind of agreement behind the scenes between the nations of the Moon island and Chardon. Agreement that benefits all participants. Sharp-eared and skilled enough person hears many things in Chardon. Even things that entire nation could be interested of. In return of precious information the nation could pay with return services. These, however, are only guesses and no one is known to found any proves concerning any agreements or at least no one has ever lived long enough to tell about them.
The prosperity of a citizen in Chardon can easily be concluded by the location of his apartment. The more wealthy person is, the higher he lives. Many wealthy persons hire bodyguards with a hard money. Chardon has many unwritten laws, of which the most important is: "Take care of your own business only." Chardon is ruled by a harsh ex mercenary Bador Cerenis, who lives on a best place of the city in the highest peak in the Upper town. Bador Cerenis is very well known and feared in the city. Wherever he moves, he always has his three personal bodyguards with him. It is also known that he has some kind of secret hired army, which keeps silent order in the city. Problem makers could be literally thrown out of the city. Practically the power in the city changes only by takeover.
Least known part of Chardon is located beneath it. It is well known that there is plenty of caves under the city and there is also dark jails where Drakarsus kept and tortured problem causing slaves before killing them. Nowadays caves and jails are officially closed and no one ever speaks that someone would have been taken there, but everyone knows well where people in Bador Cerenis' disfavor disappear.
Something about Chardon's character tells that half-orcs or even orcs can be encountered there. Everyone is free to come and go. No matter what race and culture comer represents, no one asks anything about his past or reasons to come to Chardon. For this reason Chardon is full of renegades of their own race who have come to Chardon for searching a new life. Chardon might well be the only place in entire Meln where an orc and an elf can be seen sitting together in a same table drinking beer and planning their coming task. Chardon is also known place of mercenaries. There is a lot of demand and supply inside the city as well as outside of it. Numerous rival organizations hire skilled warriors to handle dirty jobs for them. Numerous adventurers and mercenaries arrive to Chardon for searching extra money by selling their sword and skills.
Outwards Chardon seems to be quite peaceful, though busy city, where everyone takes care of only their own business. The truth, however, is somewhat different. Unwary traveler, moving in back alleys or at night, might quite easily get killed, find himself in the middle of machination of two rival organizations or badly in dept for some known and powerful person. In Chardon everything is on sale.
Written by : MoR
Translated by : MoR
