Tourilac, the Silver CityTourilac gots its start as a scrubby trading outpost, supplying the hard-fighting northern knights with locally produced metal goods and particularly excellent pottery. As the centaurs began to learn to respect the northern boundaries, the rich northern lands started to produce a surplus of crops. Merchants in nearby Tourilac were only too happy to purchase some of the surplus to sell further south, where thick forests made farming more difficult. The advent of the roads and regular coins has only increased the city's fortunes. Tourilac brings up from the south all manner of specialty items and ships back, in return, food and its famous pottery. It is a city of merchants, some of whom are as rich as a baroness. It is a study in contrasts, with the grand homes of the merchant princesses a few minutes' walk from storehouses, animal pens, and teamsters' taverns.
GeographyTourilac is in the north-central area of the country. Three Royal Roads meet here (the result of much scheming on the part of Tourilac merchants) and a river flows south into the forests, eventually reaching Soustons. Currently, a portage road connects this river to Garonne's Red River; a canal is under consideration. The Garonnaisse oppose this idea heavily, worried that the canal might dilute the famous red waters of their river.
Notable SightsThe houses of the merchant princesses of Tourilac are well worth seeing. Baronesses and countesses often live in stark, military castles, reflecting their war-like duties to the queen. Tourilac's merchants live behind a stout wall and depend on those nobles to defend them. The merchants' homes are small palaces, built more to please the eye than to repel an attack. Cool marble, sparkling gold, and rich dark wood can all be seen decorating their manors.Tourilac is, in other ways, a microcosm of Saromatia. Goods from all over the nation end up here, to be traded and sent to other parts of the nation. Even some dwarven and centaur trade goods make it to market here.
TemplesThe Spring Maiden (as patroness of new endeavors) has a temple in Tourilac. All three Mother Aspects have temples of varying sizes as well. Shrines to every other Aspect, the Lords and Fortuna are also scattered throughout. Not all shrines are maintained by priestesses - some are just small enclosures with some religious statuary, where a faithful follower can go to pray and leave an offering.
GovernmentTourilac has a charter from Her Majesty to conduct its affairs as it sees fit, so long as it provides her with certain rents annually. A Lady Constable currently oversees the city, being ultimately responsible for basic maintenance issues: in-town roads, the city Watch, and so on. A Council of Judges sets taxes, creates laws, sets interest rates for borrowing money, and generally legislates. Tourilac employs many of the graduates of Vezias's School of Law; they draft all manner of contracts and then argue over the terms. There is actually talk of moving the School of Law to Tourilac.
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