Doranelle

The Free and Imperial City of Doranelle is an autonomous city-state and the capital of the New Empire, as well as the administrative center of the autonomous Doranelle Territory. Founded in 843 and purpose-built as the seat of government for the whole of the Empire, Doranelle is one of the most densely-populated settlements in Ovaicaea, and controls a sizeable amount of territory as a state with imperial immediacy. Within it resides the key institutions of the New Empire, such as the Emperor, the Imperial Assembly, the palace bureaucracy, army, treasury, and Imperial courts, as well as primary chapterhouses for the Confessor Order, Templars, and the Dorei Order.

Situated at the marshy headlands of the Dorei River valley, where the Balen Estuary meets the northern lake country, Doranelle has become a focal point of the arts, religion, commerce, and diplomacy. Despite its small urban population compared to other large cities, like Arena City or the great elven city states along the Eldunari coast, Doranelle boasts a robust and dynamic urban landscape and a growing economy, commensurate to the increased centralization efforts to strengthen the New Empire. Its dependency area supports a strong population as well, scattered across several towns, villages, and military forts.

Name
The city, being a highly multiethnic and multicultural place, has many names in many languages. The surrounding region is predominantly elven, from which it derives its name Doranelle, meaning "Jewel of the Dorei" in the Lunaran tongue common in the lake country. In this Moon Elven language, its full name is Dinas Doranelle. The Soltran language renders it as Citta Libera della Impero de Dorei-gemma, translating its name directly. Gnomish folk call it Cathair Saor an Ymperuille ua Tseod Dorey.

Other languages, however, retain the elven name. In West Dwarven, it is called Ville libre et imperale de Doranelle. The Tolossians call it the Freie Reikstad Doranell. Tudescans call it the Freod an Ealdricish Burh o Doranel. Ripanians and other eastern humans refer to it as Freie und Reichsstadt Doranell.