Küsénka

Küsénka is a major city of the Lein Empire, sitting on the coast of the Eastern Sea, near the mouth of the Meidorién River. As such, it lies on the eastern end of the Imperial Jurisdiction, and is often compared to the city of Eosuri, as both are great mercantile ports - except one trades via the rivers, and the other trades via the sea itself.

Unlike Eosuri, which has been a trading hub for centuries, the growth of Küsénka mostly took place during the Lein Dynasty itself. The increased cosmopolitanism of the unified Lein Dynasty, first exemplified by the launching of several marine expeditions during the reign of Tairazun Loran Lein'an and reaching a peak during the reign of Tairazun Sora Lein'an, led to marine trade and the eastern coast becoming a major conduit of foreign trade; it was during this time that Küsénka grew into a major city, as well as a famously cosmopolitan area where different cultures and civilisations mix.

Geography and Population
The Meidorién flows into the Eastern Sea via a large, long estuary, known as the Bay of the Horn, and Küsénka's geography is dominated by its position here. Sitting about a mile and a half from the open sea, it is sited directly north of a massive natural harbour; as such, while the northern half of the city is generally built according to Taraksul city-planning principles, the southern portions are dominated by the needs of dockyards and wharves.

As a city, Küsénka is far newer than most other major cities, but it has nonetheless experienced extremely rapid growth - some of it being forced growth, when merchants and nobles were exiled there to help boost the local population and wealth. A census in the 56th year of Tairazun Sora, about 40 years after the completion of the expanded city, gives a figure of 55,800 households and about 270,000 people; three decades after that, another census gives 92,332 families and 411,800 people.