In setting explanation:
The city of Pal Tenda is set on the Gateworld of Sacrisca. The city is a major trade port along the East-West sea trade routes of the continent of Lagriyen. Within the current era, the world of Sacrisca is locked in an ice age. The whole of the planet experiences cool to cold winters, and a mild summer. The northern third of the continent Lagriyen is buried under glaciers over two kilometers thick. The ice sheets and the vast wilderness just south of the ice, make travel difficult across the continent. All of the major rivers run north to south as well.
The Ten Kingdoms in the western end of the continent created a substantial market for trade goods from Wei Gou in the far eastern part of the continent. This encourages thousands of sea voyages between the extremes of the continent monthly. Each civilization has well developed economies and commerce.
The Angku Republic, an island nation located in the seas south of Lagriyen, developed extensive sea travel, and were the first to establish the trade routes between the other rich economies of Sacrisca. The wealth represented by this commerce drew the attention of pirate, corsair, and privateer. From the operations of several of these pirate fleets grew the hegemony of Mra, located along the southern coast of Lagriyen. The original settlements of Mra started out as a series of colonies from the Empire of Khahi located on the far side of the world of Sacrisca. These settlements were meant for colonization of the largest continent on Sacrisca, but the cold climate stunted the initial growth of the Mra colonies, so the local populations turned to piracy as a way of life, finding it to be quite profitable. These acts of piracy inflicted a high cost on commerce for the Ten Kingdoms, Wei Gou, and the Angku.
These pirate attacks brought reprisals and naval patrols from all three powers against the Mra over the centuries. The pressure from these sea powers caused Mra to become more unified and powerful over time, leading to great naval power. The Mra used that greater naval power to wage sea wars against the three major trading partners. Eventually all three powers found the only way to counter the Mra’s growing power was an alliance.
While magic allowed each nation to communicate strategically, the far distance between each nation did not allow easy mutual support through martial force. After a treaty was negotiated the plans for a strategic port closer to the Mra threat was decided. This was the origin of the city of Pal Tenda. Pal Tenda was founded at the mouth of the Triatic River, with each allied nation building their structures and settlement. The only requirement is that each settlement fulfilled the treaty obligations of their founding nation.
The Wei Gou established the Gardens of the Moons upon the flood plain to the east side of the river. The Gardens had the appearance of a small walled city with terrace gardens upon its walls. The port was small but well defended. The Ten Kingdoms looked to the hills along the west bank of the river for a strategic, secure position. The granite hills ran all the way down to the sea’s edge by the mouth of the river. Upon those hills the Ten Kingdoms built a walled fortress with a protected port out of the sea caves below. The Angku Republic was the largest sea power of the treaty members so sought the best portage for both warships and cargo ships. In the mouth of the Triatic River lay three rocky islands. Upon each island the Angku built sea forts and connected each with a sea wall.
From these simple beginnings Pal Tenda grew into a major city and navel power. Representing the strategic intent of the three allied nations, Pal Tenda served as a main trade hub and military counter to the growing power of the Mra Hegemony. War was a constant threat, with incidents by sea and by land, a monthly occurrence between the forces of Pal Tenda and Mra. The city also became a hub for trade coming out of the wilderness settlements further up the river.
Creators explanation:
Creatively, Pal Tenda is set up as one of the major cities for the stories in the setting. Its history and location make it a major trade hub within its world comparable to historical Constantinople or modern Singapore. In addition to the realities of sea trade, the setting’s use of gates to allow sea travel between the worlds makes a city such as Pal Tenda an exceptionally powerful center for transportation and commerce.