New Winstam is a coastal city on the European continent, it is known as the industrial center of the Empire partially due to its abundant nearby iron and coal as well as being a deepwater port. The city has gained partial autonomy thanks to its quick rise to power as well as protest against restrictive township laws. The city will retain its autonomy until those laws can be amended to fit the current state of the city. The government of the city consists of an absolute Mayor, various Ministries who have partial independence on their affairs, as well as an observer from the Imperial court. Other powers in the city include various guilds that have formed after the city's rise, as well as a rather promiment academy that managed to come into existence from a schoolhouse in Winstam.
The city is surrounded by mountains with the breeze mostly flowing inland, making smog a consistent problem for the mountainside areas. On top of the mountains lie a series of fortifications giving homage to Winstam's past as a border town. A small stream used to flow through the village of Winstam, but it has mostly been clogged and dried up nowadays, restoration efforts by the citizens of Winstam are ongoing. The sea around New Winstam is gentle and used to hold many species of fish, though the biodiversity of the seas around New Winstam has decreased, fishing is still a minor industry in some parts of the city. Rain and storms are rare in New Winstam but the freezing weather stops the city from becoming a popular tourist destination.
Most of New Winstam's buildings are made out of concrete with roofs made out of various kinds of wood, with many of them being in tenement conditions. This is not true for skyscrapers however, as they are mostly made up of a steel skeleton that is covered with wood. That wood is commonly sourced from abroad as an import along with raw goods, food, and sugar.
New Winstam has chronic issues with crime, squalor, and various vices. Though not usually enough to warrant direct intervention from the crown, especially with the city's autonomous status, there has been growing concern from foreign investors due to a rising prominence of epidemic and endemic disease. These issues have started to get horrible enough that members of the clergy have proclaimed it a holy mission to cleanse the city of taint, various charities have also brcome interested, but they do not know enough about the city to make effective changes.
In short, New Winstam has grown too quickly for the people involved to catch up and a myriad of forces have taken residence in the city.
