@The Royal Bakery is one of the oldest and most productive institutions in Raverie. Rather than a district, it is a vast, self-contained complex occupying an entire city block, organized around a large open courtyard. For over two centuries it has supplied the city and the wider kingdom with cakes, chocolates, cookies, and confectionery, blending human craftsmanship with extensive mechanical automation.
Though its name recalls the age of kings, the bakery today operates as a civic-industrial landmark. It is both a symbol of continuity and a critical economic engine, exporting sweets across Aevorin while remaining deeply woven into Raverie’s mechanized infrastructure.
The air around the bakery is perpetually warm and heavy with the scent of chocolate, caramel, and spice.
At the heart of the bakery lies a large stone courtyard, open to the sky. Decorative vents embedded into the surrounding walls continuously release warm air from the production wings, keeping the courtyard clear of snow even in winter.
The courtyard functions as a logistical buffer zone, allowing materials, finished goods, and personnel to move between wings without crossing active production halls. During peak output periods, the courtyard hums with coordinated activity as automatons, carts, and workers move in carefully timed patterns.
The bakery is divided into multiple wings arranged around the courtyard. These wings retain a Romanesque architectural style: thick brick walls, vaulted ceilings, stone arches, and deep-set windows. Over time, the structure has been reinforced with visible metal braces, load-bearing frames, and internal mechanisms.
Each wing is purpose-built to support heavy machinery and continuous operation without compromising the integrity of the historic building.
Elevated glass walkways run along the upper levels of the production wings. These corridors allow supervisors, inspectors, and approved visitors to observe operations without entering work floors.
From these walkways, the scale of production is fully visible: long mixing tables, synchronized mechanical arms, and carefully regulated ovens operating in rhythmic cycles.
Vertical shafts connect storage levels, preparation rooms, and production halls. These lifts transport flour, sugar, cocoa, and spices between floors in sealed containers, minimizing contamination and allowing precise control over ingredient flow.
The shafts are integrated into the building’s structure and are considered critical infrastructure during high-output periods.
Beneath the bakery lies a network of cool stone chambers used for storage and stabilization. These undercroft spaces are essential for chocolate tempering, ingredient preservation, and holding finished goods prior to packaging.
The stable temperatures of these chambers make them one of the most tightly controlled environments in the complex.
Much of the bakery’s output is produced through tandem systems where automatons handle repetitive precision tasks while humans oversee adjustments, quality control, and delicate finishing work.
This balance allows for scale without sacrificing consistency. Fully automated lines exist, but most high-value products rely on this hybrid approach.
Production machinery is designed with interchangeable components that allow rapid adaptation to seasonal demands. During festivals or export surges, modules can be swapped to alter shapes, textures, or secondary flavor profiles without halting operations.
These changes are planned months in advance and tested extensively before deployment.
The Raverie Cake is the bakery’s most iconic product: a spiced chocolate cake known throughout the kingdom. The core spice blend is protected by layered security measures, including mechanical locks and compartmentalized documentation.
No single individual has access to the full recipe in one place. Variations exist for export and seasonal runs, but the original formulation is treated as a cultural asset rather than a mere product.
Chocolate production requires exact temperature control. Rare failures in heat regulation can cause premature solidification within pipes or mixing basins, leading to blockages and system shutdowns.
When such failures occur, entire sections of a wing may need to be cleared and manually reset, disrupting output schedules.
The reputation of the Raverie Cake and the bakery’s confections makes the complex a frequent target for espionage. Competing cities and private interests attempt to steal recipes, production methods, or mechanical designs.
Most attempts are subtle, involving documentation access or ingredient analysis rather than direct theft.
During major festivals, demand increases dramatically. Production schedules tighten, shifts lengthen, and machinery operates near maximum capacity.
These periods place stress on both human workers and mechanical systems, increasing the likelihood of errors, accidents, or deliberate interference.