Maadigan stands on the Mulcur River at the last point where ocean trade can reach inland. Ocean-going ships crowd its docks but do not venture farther. Beyond the city, the river belongs to smaller craft and slower travel. All movement between sea and interior passes through Maadigan.
As the capital of Hireotha, Maadigan divides itself by design. The inner city gathers close around the palace. Streets are wide and well kept. Patrols move on schedule. Lanterns light the avenues at fixed hours. Power appears openly through routine and presence.
Outside the inner city, Maadigan spreads along riverbanks and canals. Streets narrow and noise increases. Order becomes flexible. The Pirate Guild and the Thieves’ Guild both operate here. They function within the city’s economy rather than outside it. Their marks appear on doors and moorings. They are shallow and easy to miss. Those who know them understand their meaning. Crime follows rules. It is regulated, taxed, and often ignored.
The Royal University of Maadigan sits on higher ground between these districts. It is the most respected center of learning in Cendomvita. Scholars and students arrive from every kingdom. Libraries smell of dust and old leather. Debate fills the halls. The University does not govern the city. It shapes how people think and argue. Its graduates move into councils, courts, and trade houses.
Wealth and poverty exist side by side in Maadigan. Merchants dine above the river. Families crowd into damp rooms below. Gold and hunger share the same streets. The city treats this imbalance as permanent.
Maadigan’s economy rests on trade, politics, and education. Goods move through docks. Decisions move through chambers. Ideas move through classrooms. Each supports the others.
The city endures because it understands itself. It enforces rules where it must and bends them where it can. The city does not ask who you are. It watches what you do and how you move within its systems.