Porte Drazon

Porte Drazon is the federal capital of Rizia as well as the capital of the Rizia Imperii district. The city and its suburbs constitute the third largest metropolitan area in Southern Merkopa. The city began as a pair of settlements by southern tribes, Drazon on the southern bank of the Zpana river and Porte Novo to the north. With the building of Palas Rezna, the imperial residence of the Rezna family, Drazon became the capital of the Rezenid Empire, while Porte Novo flourished as a hub of fishing and commerce, as well as trade with Lespia. During the Markian era, a stone bridge was built across the river to unify the two cities; it was later replaced by a cable suspension bridge, the first to be built in Rizia. Following the War of Rizan Succession, Porte Drazon and the land around it was designated the Rizia Imperii district. In the late 19th-early 20th century, banks and corporations began moving there to take advantage of the region's relatively lax tax laws. A large number of them settled in former Porte Novo, which today is dominated by high-rise buildings. The port remains one of Rizia's most important shipping centers, especially for exports. The main feature on the Drazon side of town is Palas Rezna, which expanded several times over the centuries to included multiple wings and sprawling grounds. Beside it is the House of Delegates, a more modern building constructed after the 1926 uprising. Outside the government zone's gates is a large square with a fountain in the center where parades and other gatherings take place. To the west of the palace is the Drazon Old Town, a pedestrian-only area under historic preservation. Its most prominent feature is the Archsanctuary of Zilba, an ornate Nurist house of worship built in the 1700s. In the mountains on the northern outskirts of town, a funicular railway leads to the Cave of Monarchs, a stone mausoleum housing the remains of Rizia's previous kings and queens.