Araniil

Overview

Araniil, in the province of Daranas, is the capital of Ayrwll, and has been so since the beginning of the Federation Era, when the Federation of Ayrwllyan Nations had its seat of supreme government here.

Stats

Population 

97,563,724

Area 

2,676 sq km

Average temperature 

Ashavoth 30 (midsummer) - 23°C

Zilassyl 1 (midwinter) - -15°C

General Appearance

With a nearly a hundred million residents, the capital of Ayrwll holds more than 5% of the entire population on an area of slightly more than 2,500 square kilometers. Quite in contrast to the rest of the Ayrwllyan idyllic countryside, where in some of the more rural areas one might find oneself almost magically transported straight into a medieval realm of fantasy, the megapolis of a capital has a skyline rising hundreds of meters high in some places. Tokyo comes to mind when describing it, and just like Tokyo, so Ayrwll is experiencing what might be called severe "westernization". It is here that most international corporations with stakes in Ayrwll have their headquarters (several major IT businesses have even moved their global headquarters here, drawn by the attractive subsidies). The lingua franca, officially, is French, though English is on the rise, and less internationally-minded citizens frequently can be heard scoffing that more people speak English than Tharell in the city.

Pollution

While Araniil, compared to the rest of Ayrwll, might well qualify for the most polluted place of the nation, that says fairly little when keeping in mind the republics flawless track record in environmental protection. Unlike other huge cities, while Araniil is not perfectly pristine, it has hardly a problem with its water or air, thanks to the hundreds of billions worth of dollars that Ayrwll virtually pours into the Araniil sanitation systems.

Not for nothing does the Ayrwllyan Office of Tourism claim Araniil to be "the only world city in California where the air is still cleaner than at home!" although in the generally beautiful region of California, that is an unlikely claim.

History

Colonial Era

• 13 AC

The town of Daraniil is first mentioned in annals. It is a medium-sized colonial town that has grown fairly rapidly in the first two decades of colonialism to a population of almost 10,000.

• 75 AC

With the arrival of elves and other races in the south of Ayrwll, as well as further humans, a second migration wave into the north of the country begins - straight into Daraniil. The town soon boasts a burgeoning population of 50,000, which in that time merits the name "city".

• 101 AC

The colonial regents of the province of Daranas moves its seat of government into Daraniil.

Feudal Era

• 255-267 AC

The city is hit by the Civil War. Literally. Here in the north, the fighting is rampant, and the city of 200,000 is decimated and partly destroyed by primitive incendiary weapons. These are the dark days of Daraniil and the surrounding villages.

Federation Era

• 298 AC

With the founding of the Federation, Daraniil, by now the largest city in all of Ayrwll, becomes the central seat of the Federal government. Its position as national capital is soon cemented.

Imperial Era

• 685 AC

Even before the Empire of Ayrwll is declared, Empress Katya Daranin makes it quite clear that she will continue to reign Ayrwll from this city that is now home to eight million souls.

Notably, it is at this time that Daraniil is renamed to Araniil, a name that it will continue to bear. A common misconception is that Araniil was renamed by President Arancaytar Ilyaran, but in fact it had borne this name for two centuries already. Aran (pl. erain), in Tharell, means "Emperor", a word more than likely derived from Quenya.

• 685-860 AC

The Imperial era has left Araniil virtually exploding in size. New suburbs are constantly being constructed and then expanded into city centers, until the core of Araniil covers a densely populated cluster nearly thirty miles in diameter. Araniil now counts nearly fifty million inhabitants, and with the opening of Ayrwll's borders has grown into a world city.

At the time when President Arancaytar Ilyaran announces the founding of the Neutral Republic, he is surrounded by seven million listeners on the grand Central Square and in the surrounding streets, the largest congregation that Ayrwll has seen.

Democratic Era

• 967 AC

Current.