An Eliaheer

Location
An Eliaheer is a port on the southern coast of the mainland to the north and east of the Jaktan Peninsular. Until recently it was nothing more than a Jaktan trading post, but in the last 20 years or so it has grown to be a port of some importance.
History
An Eliaheer was founded in 879 AFJ on the command of Grand Duke Helderitt of Jakta. The intention was to open up trade with the barbarians of the Icey Waste. It soon became apparent that this would be an uphill struggle, but that the trading post was a very useful stopping-off point between Jakta and the eastern lands, primarily Milmar and Enrieme.
The post was subject to intermittent raiding by the local barbarians, although generally the crews of ships in port and a militia formed of the merchants and their staff was enough to deter them. However, in 988 AFJ, as An Eliaheer grew in importance it was clear it was becoming a more attractive target for barbarian raiders, and the decision was made to fortify it and assign a permanent garrison.
With the formal conversion of Jakta from a Grand Duchy to a Kingdom through the Peace of Kelmar, a large strip of land north and east of An Eliaheer was formally claimed by the new kingdom as the Kelmark. However, the reality is that the actual exercise and effective rule over the claimed land has been an excruciatingly slow process, is very much still a work in progress, and is not seen by Jakta as a high priority.

Who Rules
The Jaktan appointed governor is the official ruler of An Eliaheer. For the last 12 years, the post has been held by Count Tarvise De Molayne. The governor is advised by a Council whose members are drawn from the merchants based at the city, leading citizens, and the Commanders of detachments of the Knights of Tyr and Odin based at the port.

Who Really Rules
Count Tarvise is an effective governor, but is seen by many of the merchants to rely too heavily on the advice of the Knights and not listen enough to them. He does, however, leave the merchants alone to get on with their business and thus does not incur any great deal of hostility. He has also managed to build enough of a power base within the port, and a network of support at Jakta, so that he is in fact virtually an independent sovereign. Although he is a noble of Jakta, he has enough influence that it would be a very brave or foolish King who would try to replace him.

Population
An Eliaheer has a permanent population of about 30,000, but there are normally at least a further 5000 merchants, seamen and other travellers also present in the town.

Terrain
The port sits in a wide, shallow bay. The actual harbour has been significantly improved by an ongoing programme of dredging. It is bounded to east and west by strong moles, each with a fortified tower at the end, and an artificial island between them to further enclose the harbour and provide shelter. The island in turn is fortified on the seaward side, and acts as a jetty for deeper draught ships on the landward side. There are plans to construct a swing-bridge to link the island to the west mole, but this has yet to come to fruition.
The hinterland consists of rolling grassy plains, typical of all the nearby barbarian lands. These support reasonable herds of grazing animals, although predation from both barbarians and parties from An Eliaheer have reduced their numbers in recent years. For the same reason, there are less monsters and apex predators than in more remote barbarian lands.

Climate
An Eliaheer has a climate which is very harsh and cold in winter, but warm and wet in summer. Jaktan merchants joke that if there is ever a summer day in the port when it doesn’t rain, they’ll ask the Priests of Odin to declare a miracle. This has an advantage; with no natural source of fresh water, most buildings have cisterns to collect rainwater. This ensures there is no shortage in the event of a siege, and enables every building to have (by regulation) an effective firefighting capability, often through built-in pipes and sprinklers.

Ecology
The waters of An Eliaheer are warmed by a strong current from the southeast. These combine with mineral-rich waters entering the nearby seas, flowing down the Remvar River from the Niandi Mountains. These two factors lead to plentiful marine life, supporting a good-sized fishing fleet based at the port. Fresh shellfish and salted fish are a notable delicacy in many of An Eliaheer’s restaurants.

Economy
An Eliaheer’s economy is almost entirely based around trade. Salt, salted meat and fish, jewellery, woods and ores are purchased from the barbarians and shipped south, mainly to Jakta although some goes to Kamara, Enrieme and the Archipelago. In exchange, weapons, civilised goods and trinkets, and even cash are bought up from Jakta to pay the barbarians for their goods. There is also a secret but relatively thriving trade in slaves to the Sarassid Lands, even though the governor does his best to stamp this out.
In recent years, An Eliaheer has started to develop as a shipbuilding port, an operation which was started when the previous governor, Count Delith Von Azlar, decided to improve and expand the then rudimentary chandlery and repair facilities at the port. This means that the port now has its own sizeable merchant marine, in contrast with the previous situation where trade was carried in foreign or chartered ships.

Social Structure
As a relatively new settlement, An Eliaheer doesn’t have any kind of deeply rooted social structure. There are clearly separate merchant and military groups, and a healthy number of artisans and craftsmen providing services to both passing trade and the shipbuilding industry. Very few ex-barbarians have moved to the town and settled within its walls. However, there are reasonably-sized ex-patriate merchant communities from Milmar, Enrieme and other nearby lands.

Religion
The official religion of An Eliaheer is identical to that of Jakta, and there are temples to most of the main Jaktan gods in the port, although Odin is dominant. Most of the merchants and Jaktan emigres follow this pantheon. The governor, however, is a believer in religious tolerance, and this allows barbarian visitors to carry on the worship of their own gods and spirits, although a ban on human sacrifice is rigidly enforced.

Foreign Policy
As part of the Kngdom of Jakta, An Eliaheer notionally has no foreign policy. The reality, however, is that it has developed its own set of contacts across the region through trade, as well as using its independent war-fleet to reduce piracy in the immediate area.
An Eliaheer has also developed local relationships with some of the more forward-looking barbarians. There are some who just wish to raid, and they meet a firm response from the port’s garrison in the form of both defence and retaliatory flying columns. Others are more keen to trade, and the port is keen to foster those relationships, even if promises of non-interference fly in the face of the official policy of claiming and absorbing nearby land.
There is also the ongoing issue of the Jaktan Succession. When Gortig von Telram took the throne after the Royal Family seemed to be destroyed in the Great Fire of Jakta, Count Tarvise initially continued to show loyalty to the crown. However, the emergence of Queen Shrekana as a survivor of the inferno, and the discovery of Sir Reginald du Cote d'Is as the incendiary who started the fire on Gortig's orders changed his opinion. An Eliaheer has now sworn loyalty to Queen Shrekana, although Count Tarvise is also working behind the scenes to support any diplomatic initiatives which might prevent open conflict. 

Armed Forces
The most professional elements of the armed forces are provided by the Knights of Odin and Tyr, each of which provides 30 knights, 30 sergeants and 250 infantry.
The Jaktan An Eliaheer Legion is still present, consisting of 60 warhawk riders, 700 of various types of cavalry and 400 crossbowmen.
There is a strong militia, supposedly of all able bodies males, which gives a nominal strength of about 6000. In practice only about half of these have military training, and their equipment is still less than ideal although Count Tarvise has made efforts to improve the situation. The militia can probably count on 2000 men to come to arms if required for the defence of the city.
Officially part of the militia although in practice entirely independent are the merchants’ personal bodyguards, numbering about 500 in small well equipped units. To these can usually be added another 1500 or so mercenaries in the employ of the merchants as convoy guards etc.
It is not unknown for the governor to hire small groups of barbarian mercenaries, but normally only in limited numbers to reduce the risks of betrayal.
An Eliaheer also employs quite a number of marines, but most of these are at sea at any one time, so only those of the ships in port would be available for the defence of the city.
Most of An Eliaheer’s marines are employed by merchants to protect their cargo vessels. No definite figure is available, but it is estimated that the directly-owned merchant marine consists of around 50 large and 200 small vessels.
The military naval forces available currently consist of 15 cogs, 10 caravels, 11 heavy and 15 light galleys, 7 dromons, and two Carracks (the Jagvarsbane and the Odin’s Glory).

Important People
Count Tarvise De Molayne – Governor

Lady Ferra De Molayne – Count Tarvises’s wife

Sir Ibral de Jemrin – Commander of the detachment of the Knights of Tyr based at An Eliaheer

Sir Veltar Von Kezrin – Commander of the detachment of the Knights of Odin based at An Eliaheer

Father Windrell Odwenson – High Priest of the Temple of Odin

Gildar Henvar – Head of the merchant House of Henvar, trading mainly in salt and salted foodstuffs (primarily meat and fish). The most powerful merchant in the port and head of the mercantile faction on the council.

Sir Hermann von Starmack – commander of the An Eliaheer Legion

Borson Rildank – officially Inspector-General of the Harbour. In reality, he runs an effective internal intelligence service for Count Tarvise, with the focus very much on ensuring control of An Eliaheer remains with the Count and doesn’t return to Jakta.

Sir Hedvin von Kaspan – Captain of the wharfside Customs Patrols

Sir Gerhand Jandar – officer in the An Eliaheer Legion, particularly renowned for his efficient deep patrols of the border area.