Thaum

The City of Thaum is the centerpiece of the setting. It has many names, among which is the City of Miracles, referring both to its name (Thauma = miracle in the ancient tongue) and the long history of high-quality magicians that the city's academy produces. The city itself makes up the core of the Duchy of Thaum, which besides the city also includes the counties of Ampour and Bintec.

Thaum is located within the Sublime Empire, and ruled by the ducal house of vis Ahn os Thauma (from Ahn, at Thaum), one of three branches of the now extinct vis Ahn dynasty.

General information
The Duchy of Thaum is made up of several regions. The city itself, home to the absolute majority of the population, stretches across a grand navigable river which is an importan route for trade in and out of the core Empire. Parts of the city are not under the direct control of the duchy, but by traditional vassal barons, of which there are 6. The city is also surrounded to its north and west by countryside, under the control of the two counts of Ampour and Bintec under the ducal throne. Out in the water, connected by a large bridge, are the 5 islands of Scion, ruled by tradition by the thaumaturgical guild. There is only one city (Thaum) in the territory, but there are villages and a handful of small towns located in the lands of the counts.

Thaum does in fact keep a military at hand: the Ducal City Guard, under the direct control of the ducal throne. The leader of the city guard is a Lord Captain, presently Inswall Meric. The Meric family has traditionally been given the title of "Lord Captain", though it is more meritocratic than most noble titles. The city guard is a form of gendarme, performing both policing duties across the entire territory, as well as being trained for warfare should it be necessary to defend the state. They are the most common police unit in the state, but the barons and counts keep their own police forces for their lands known as Constabularies.

The current ruler of Thaum, Duchess Cestine, was never meant to be ruler. But due to the death of her father and older brother in an accident at sea, she becomes the new duchess.

History
As a founding member of the Sublime Empire, the history of Thaum is closely connected to the grand continental realm.

Before the Empire
Some of the Hidden Order believe that Thaum, or specifically Lodri castle, was a key component of the Apotheosis ritual.

It's not entirely clear when Thaum was initially founded, but it was probably one or two centuries before the founding of the Empire.

During the chaos that preceded the founding of the Sublime Empire, when Sorcerers were blamed for the troubles and hunted, a group of sorcerers found refuge in the realm of Thaum. In exchange for their services, the ruler of Thaum gave the sorcerers the five islands of Scion, to be administered by the sorcerer's guild under Thaum's rule.

Ducal districts
Large parts of the city remain under direct Ducal control: about 1/3rd of the city area, as well as some lands outside of the city limits.

The City Baronies
While a large part of the city is directly ruled by the ducal family, there are 6 general districts of the city that are ruled by barons under the ducal throne. These districts have over time become somewhat specialised in their purpose, something which has been encouraged by the barons. Districts often overlap with the land title owned by the baron in question, but not always: while exclaves and enclaves across the city may be owned by a certain baron and "belong" to a certain district title, it's still physically located in another district.

Dyna
The Dyna district is ruled by the Dayard family and is split in two, with a northern and southern part. The southern part includes dense residential neighborhoods of mostly middle-class citizens, giving ample tax income to the baron - the northern part is more diverse, and includes the grounds for distilleries, wineries, and breweries owned by the Dayard family.

Elysos
The "black sheep" of the city districts, Elysos is where to go for entertainment. The baronic family Lacarde makes a lot of money from pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants, and even more questionable places such as drug dens and brothels that they have successfully kept afloat in spite of the ducal family and the city guard.

Jovi
Under the rule of the Fernos family, it is the youngest district of the city, where the Fernos family expanded the first railway networks, awarding them the title of Barons. Rather than infringing on other baron's lands, the Fernos house was awarded unspecified lands around the railway directly from the then duke, which has been regulated and changed over time to accommodate newly constructed neighborhoods. The district was named after Jovi Fernos, the first Baron of the family.

Being the youngest title and district in the city, Jovi is unusually coherent and confined within one area, unlike many other barons whose titles include enclaves and exclaves all over the city.

Troyce & Triskarmis
The "twin districts" of Troyce & Triskarmis counts as one baronic title made up of two relatively small districts and is ruled by the house Antileos. Troyce can be considered a suburb to Thaum and is home to much of the rich upper class. Triskarmis, meanwhile, is the centre of finance in the city, home to many banks and company headquarters.

Eurol
Unfazed by the industrial revolution, Eurol is the district of artisans and is home to creators of high-quality goods and art coveted by people around the empire, and the ruling vis Steiram barons are all too happy to support the arts. Probably the classiest district.

Lodriboerg
The industrial heart of Thaum, the house of Ione-Lodriboerg is more akin to a classical capitalist dynasty, but has in fact been the rulers of this district for centuries. The center of the district by the ancient and massive Lodri castle, who's ruins encompasses the mansion of the family.

The Lands of the Counts
The lands just outside of the city, mostly dominated by the Thaumic plain, is split between two counts whose families, Karpe and vis Bintac, have long been rivals.

Ampour
Not as large nor as flat as Bintac, the lands of the counts of Karpe are instead covered in lush forests and hilly terrain. Some mineral mines are found here, giving the count an important source of income.

Bintac
A large agricultural region, Bintac (with its capital town of the same name, and ruled by the house vis Bintac) is by far the largest part of the free city's territory. While Bintac alone cannot grow enough food for the city, it produces well-known wines that are highly regarded both inside and outside the Empire

Isles of Scion
Unlike the other parts of Thaum, the isles of Scion are not ruled by nobility but by a guild - the Alchemists' guild to be exact. Here you will find the Thaumic Academy of the Material Arts (colloquially known as "Tam"), also run by the guild.