Silverspire
Capital of both the Kingdom of Silverspire and the Empire as a whole, the city of the same name is the largest in all of the Imperium. The old city with its high towers for which it is named is contained within a series of concentric circles of walls. But at a certain point continuing to build new, larger wall structures became impractical as by the time new construction efforts began in earnest the plans would need to be altered as the city had even further expanded. So the new city surrounds the walls of the old and also extends across the great bridge to the other side of the Silvered River.
The Kingdom’s territory includes the fields immediately surrounding the city in all directions. It extends south to the hill communities of Dale, and west across the farmlands to the watchtowers on the Empire’s borders as well as the northern section of The Westfold. These lands are some of the richest farmland and thus most densely populated and farmed areas in the whole of the empire. As a result the Kingdom of Silverspire is the most populous of any in the Silverspire Empire, with the only competitor coming close being Bluespire. Technically it does not field the largest army, as a good section of the professional soldiers belong to the Imperial Guard, but at least so long as House Pointe is in charge the Kingdom would never do anything to put itself into conflict with its Dragon Lord.
Which brings up the point that the Elder Dragon Lord, Argostan the Resolute, makes his home in the largest tower of the city of Silverspire. The silver dragon spends a good deal of his time flying far afield, observing the goings on of his vast empire and interacting with all of his interesting subjects, and leaving management of the city and kingdom to the head of House Pointe. However the Dukes of Silverspire do not style themselves as full royalty like the Princes of Bluespire, for the true monarch of the kingdom is always officially the dragon.
The delineation of military forces between those belonging to the Dukes and those of the Dragon Lord is fraught, as the Dukes simultaneously serve as Regents of the Crown. Dutchess Serena has the liberty to control both sets of soldiers, but the Imperial Guard is only hers to command in matters of Imperial safety, not personal or familial affairs. So for example, she could dispatch the Guard to aid in fighting off raiders from Norinia, but she cannot use them to wrest control over more territory currently belonging to Southscape or Softsong. For matters pertaining only to her kingdom, she must use only her own armies.
The city of Silverspire also boasts the Argentine Temple, seat of power for the state religion, the United Congregations of Light. This allows the city’s nobility to exert a good deal of pressure on the church to preach messages in their favor, but power is a two way street. If House Pointe and the other nobles of the city wish to remain in power it would behoove them to stay in the good graces of the clergy.
And finally yes, there are other noble families which reside in the capital. With the amount of commerce running through the city there is enough wealth to go around. These lesser houses compete with one another for position within and beyond the city’s walls. As things currently stand and have stood for some time House Pointe remains firmly in control, however the other houses look to either chip away at Pointe primacy or utilize it as a handhold to pull themselves upward. The Dukedom itself is also a hereditary position, and the current Dutchess has publicly stated her refusal to marry or bear an heir. She has delegated these duties to her sister, Lady Margery, making her easily the single most desired marital match in the whole of the empire. Though the kingdom is very stable in its current status, the question of succession being left in the air keeps the other noble houses very much on edge and scheming against one another. In the past noble families from Silverspire have swooped in to take control of other kingdoms, whether by marriage or coup, using their inroads with the Pointes to smooth the transition of power. The opportunity to pull off a similar maneuver for the Dukedom of the capital and Regency of the Empire is simply too tempting to pass up.
Silverspire is clearly the most important seat of power, the entire empire is named for it. It holds the most economic, military, and cultural power of any kingdom and is not afraid to exert them internally and abroad. Every lord outside the city wishes they had a foot in the door and every lord inside the city is fighting and scheming to move up the ladder closer to the top. Dutchess Serena seems to have a firm hold on the reins of power for the time being, but in spite of her refusal to wear a literal crown it still finds a way to rest heavily upon her brow. Silverspire is where the great game is played to the highest degree.
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