Upper Halls
Following the Lakeside District is the Upper Halls. This is the oldest of the three city districts and holds a place of honor among the local Geldarians.
Here is where the first Steelforge clan company build their mining camps and trading posts. Which is why this district is considered the “cornerstone” of the city. It is also the home of the city’s Senate chambers, the Arbiter and their Watchman garrison, and other city government buildings.
The architecture takes a slight shift from what appears in Lakeside. Here, the curved arch doorways are still present along with the slightly domed rooftops. Meanwhile, far overhead, cavern ceilings are supported with ribbed vaults.
These distribute the weight to columns set at precise points throughout the district through delicate white stone buttresses. This and other parts of the construction are used as examples and lessons to new apprentices and journeymen of the Whitestone Mason Society that are just learning the trade.
Seat of the City Government
The Upper Halls also contains the seat of government for Etrillon. Like all Geldarian cities, Etrillon is a city-state that is run by a Senate and a Triumverate. As set down from the founding of the Geldarian Republic, the Senate is comprised of 20 to 100 citizens depending on size of the settlement. Etrillon currently has 65 senators in their city Senate.
The Triumverate is a council comprised of three citizens chosen from among the populace who has demonstrated skills in stewardship, strategy, and planning. These are individually called triumvirs.
Both members of the Senate and the Trimumverate are elected positions with ballots cast by citizens every five years for Senate members and every three for the triumvirs of the Triumverate.
Daily matters are handled by praetors chosen by the triumvirs to represent them in district or other matters. This left the triumvirs to handle matters of trade and negotiations with other Geldarian cities.
The Senate concerns itself with matters of taxation, city stewardship and other domestic matters. This council also controls a stipend that is granted to the triumvirs for their dealings of trade and other external matters for Etrillon.
Mysterious Springs
Nestled in the back of the district is the Spring of the Lost Lady, an ancient ruin and hot springs discovered by the original Steelforge clan company.
They have restored the ruin as best as any scholar can determine. Stone has been cleaned and kept in good repair, including the blue-green jade statue of the Lost Lady herself.
Water of the hot springs isn’t boiling but is extremely warm. The combination of mineral content and a natural purification because the porous stones act as a natural filtration system.
It isn’t drinkable water as the minerals are too heavy. However, it’s been long known that a dip in the water provides regenerative benefits. Unfortunately, this only works within the chamber of the hot springs itself. Water removed from the hot springs quickly transmutes into plain, purified water.
No magic has been detected as the cause of this mysterious effect. But Forgemaker priests confirm there is a mysterious, unnamed, holy presence involved. One that looks favorably upon Etrillon itself.
The locals won't name her. Not a bit, other than to call her "Little Sister" and say she's one of Augustin the Forgemaker's saints. I've always suspected the locals actually do know her name and she has some relation to Augustin, but the priests are keeping that very quiet...
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