Vertigrandia

Vertigrandia is a large port city on Merriad Major. It is situated on south-east edge of the island, where the River Syln flows over the edge. It is famed for its incredible skyline. The first clear sighting of land for westbound ships includes the myriad towers and spires of Vertigrandia. Like Skysong, there are many different styles of architecture represented in the city, but Vertigrandia is more clearly organised in districts, while skysong essentially has everything built on top of each other. The result is a more elegant, less chaotic-looking city. The dock district is expansive, for despite the apparent disorganisation of the city, elven sensibilities do not allow for the chaotic multilayered moorings that may be found in Skysong

It is considered by some to be Merriad's version of Skysong, as it shares the role as a major port, dense multicultural city, and academic hub. However it differs significantly in ruling system - Vertigrandia has an Elven royal family and a complex system of district mayors and local councils, while Skysong is semi-democratic, but in reality mostly controlled by the lobbying power of powerful guilds, but heck if I've planned any of that yet.