Mt. Aekland Stronghold

Mt. Aekland Stronghold is the largest and most powerful of the Eizean Strongholds. It is the most central power in the continent, and commands the largest modern day fleet of Skyships. Mt. Aekland has the longest lasting culture of the Strongholds. Throughout Eizean history they have been at the technological forefront of developments. The first functional skyship set off from what would become the Aekland Skyport.
Mt. Aekland was the first location to discover the Eizean Lay Crystals that all the technology is based off. Their crystal mines run the deepest and have consistently been the richest on the continent. Both The Aekworth Academy and The Institute of Magisterial Arts are among the most ancient teaching organisations in Eizea. The Academy in particular holds records from the Pre Cataclysm era that offer a patchwork vision into life before the devastation occurred. Less than one thousand years ago nobody lived in mountaintop strongholds, there was no distinction between high and lowborn. However, where other continent were faced with distasters of a physical nature such as earthquakes and stormgs. The cataclysm brought a wave of otherworldy entities to Eizea instead.
During the years of the cataclysm Primarch Warrick Aekland spearheaded the construction of a great fortress up on the mountain ranges. He would initiate the construction of most of the others too, however he left their developments to other people while focusing purely on Mt. Aekland Stronghold. The grand bastion was finally complete mere years before the effects of the cataclysm began to subside. However when the crisis was over the lowlands remained dangerous so the population continued to live in the heights and eventually developed the fortress into the city it currently is.
Mt. Aekland has a political structure strictly segmented into two categories; Civilian and Naval. The civilian council governs the day to day running of the fortress, proposes developments and controls trade and the treasury. The Naval council is made up of the longest serving admirals of the fleets. They are in charge of the security of the stronghold, manage policing, customs and criminal justice. This system was implemented by Primarch Aekland himself and sealed with ancient magics. In the time since, this two sided structure has only been an embarrassment to the Stronghold. The Civilian Council is often riddled with corruption and has a history of incompetent members leading their people into times of famine and civil crisis.
The sole reason Mt. Aekland remains in the central position of power on the continent in the level of excellency held in their navy. There is a strict cultural standard among their military forced from the highest in the Admiralty to the lowest level of officers. Their control of their lowland holdings has been exemplary. The history of the Aekland Navy holds none of the barbarianism that those of lesser Strongholds do. Never has a lowland town been wiped from the map by the guns of an Aekland ship. The maintenance of this relationship from an early era has been critical in the current strength of the Stronghold. The more cooperative trade based exchanges with the lowlanders continues to sway lowborns to migrate into the Mt. Aekland's regions, this higher population of those that produce timbers and food keeps Aekland well supplied and fed.
Mt. Aekland has also encouraged the kind of developments that build the cultural power of their land. They funded the creation of the Eizean Hall of Fame as well as offering continual support for various initiatives to benefit the continent as a whole. Their aim is to become the sacred cultural center of the continent, and they have been partially successful. While the eventual goal is to head a united Eizea, that dream is a mere seed in rough soil. All of this is extra layers of protection against a potential assault by other Strongholds. Another reason is the quality and quantity of the crystals that exist under Mt. Aeckland, widely viewed as the best around the Aekland Navy controls the trade and movement of these items strictly. Much of the Stronghold's economic prosperity has been due to this trade.