Berk

Berk is the one of the Largest cities in Antia. Positioned on the Great Sea, is is the primary port city for the entier nation. Only years previous the city held a celebration as the official census passed 100,000 people. While predominantly human, the city has become a melting pot. Halflings are nearly as predominant as humans, followed by dwarves. The rest of the population is primarily a combination of elves, orcs, half breeds, vanara, and skarn.

Originally, it was a simple village built around a marble quarry. As the city grew, fisherman worked the waters of the ocean. This lead to the discovery of a point in the ocean where the air shimmered, distorting into a view of an entirely different location. This rift eventually was found out to be connected to the Eliad Sea, providing safe and reliable passage for ships between the open waters of the ocean and the otherwise landlocked Eliad Sea. This phenomina though garnered little attention until much later. When a king far to the south decided he needed a new palace built entirely of marble, requests came in record amounts. Seeking to get in on the trade, Antla comissioned a port be built. The need for more miners to work in the quarry, and more men on the docks, meant that over the next fifty years the city exploded. Before long, being so close to the Eliad Rift resulted in Berk being the port between far lands and the inner cities, opening up cities on the sea to the trade from the ocean.

When King Angelo of Antia died without a child or even a nephew, providing no direct descendants to the throne and the nation of Antia found itself with a hundred men claiming to be the next king. Battles were fought between nobles and cities, each trying to lay claim to the throne. By this time, the City of Berk had turned into a thriving metropolitan port city. While many had ambitions for the crown, a  council was called. They came to a consensus, nobody could manage business in the city while making a personal push for the crown. They could make a profit, sell mercenaries, but no legitimate claim to the throne could be made.

This, perhaps more than anything is the reason why the city has grown so rapidly. It has created a safe haven from the wars and the conflicts. Business has boomed, refugees from the Aresh Jungles easily find work as mercenaries in exchange for the citizenship of themselves and their families. Despite this, those unwilling to fight in wars, risk their lives, or simply unable to do so find themselves living in Old Town and the Rats Quarter. A class divide has grown, the rich drowning in coin while the many unable to find work scrimp and scrounge. This has resulted in a notable increase in crime, and in the number of thieves guilds and street gangs whichhave popped up.