Amor Daín
Amor Daín is the capital city of the Kingdom of Aldur and one of the Seven Great Cities of Elsweryn. It is one of the largest centers of trade in the south and houses famous landmarks, such as the White Palace and the Bronze Hall of Rheglar.
Demographics
The large majority of Amor Daín's inhabitants are human, with approximately one in every ten people being a dwarf. Other races enjoy a relatively small representation in the city.
Government
The capital is governed differently from the other cities of the realm. Instead of a mayor or reeve, the city is under the management of the Lord Regent, appointed by the king. The large population and economy of the capital means the Lord Regent is not able to tend to all matters by himself, hence the White Council has been formed. The Council consist of the most affluent merchants, nobility and other citizens of the capital. Complaints and administrative reports are often directed to the Council, instead of directly to the Lord Regent.
Defences
Amor Daín is thought to be one of the most well defensible cities on the continent.
About a mile outside of the capital lay six great towers, that are used to spot any advancing armies or threats to the city. They are armed with several heavy crossbows and the dreaded dwarven triple ballista. The towers were designed to be able to withstand a siege by themselves and provide a position to fire behind a sieging enemy's lines and disrupt any siegeworks from taking place. Each tower is constantly manned by a skeleton crew of 12 guards.
The walls of the capital are it's main defensive structure. Twenty evenly spaced towers dot the outer wall and several catapult and ballista positions harden the defensive ability of those great walls. Arrowslits pepper the assailants as kettles filled with oil, tar and sand can be heated up and poured down on any who try to scale the wall.
Should the outer walls be breached, several steps have been taken to ensure that the enemy will have to make a slow and grinding advance through the city streets. The foundations of some buildings have been purpose built to be able to be knocked down and destroyed to bring the structures collapsing down on the advancing forces. Streets have been planned in a way which directs invaders to defensive strong points and dead-ends. Several smaller guard towers dot the city streets, each armed with further crossbows, collapsible sinkholes, arrowslits and tarpots.
If the siegers manage to wade through all these defensive measures, they will find themselves at the foot of the White Palace and it's own defensive walls. The area outside the palace can be sunken down and flooded by knocking out the dams holding back the seawater, creating a deployable moat. The walls of the palace are also armed with several catapults and triple ballistas mounted on rail support systems, meaning they can be rolled over to the side of the wall, allowing them to fire straight down on the siegers below. The walls themselves are built of thick basalt stone, polished white and reinforced with steel beams on the inside. The main gate is virtually impregnable without the use of heavy artillery pieces or powerful magic. Finally, should the palace walls fall to the attackers, there is one final and arguably strongest defense that they will have to face: the adamantine clad Kingsguard of the palace, the king's personal bodyguards numbering in 300.
All these measures make the city of Amor Daín a fearsome fortress to try and take for nearly any force. There is however one weakness, that was never fully compensated for, quick aerial attacks are perhaps the one thing capable of quickly and efficiently crippling the defenses of the city, however, no city has had to face such and attack in the South in several millenia.
Industry & Trade
Amor Daín's main economical power comes from being a vital restocking and exchanging post on the Southern Belt Way. Other notable industries include the ironworks located in Miriar Cave and the vast markets of the Wreath, which offer services and products of many fields.
Infrastructure
The city is built in so called "layers" on the hilly terrain. The city is divided into four major, distinctive layers.
The Oldtown is the main residential layer of the city, housing over half of it's inhabitants and located closest to the city walls.
The Wreath is the central area of commerce and exchange in the city. It is located in the middle of the city and wraps around the Bronze Hall of Rheglar, hence named the Wreath.
The Skyward is the district reserved for the more well-off denizens of the capital, housing large manors and exotic and expensive establishments.
Whitehill is the last layer of the city and is the furthest one from the city walls. It primarily houses the White Palace and some other administrative buildings and few of the most extravagant homes of the city's nobility.
Assets
The city has an extensive underground sewage and tunnel system, built to allow the population to be evacuated during a siege or other destructive event, however the population of the capital has long since surpassed the capacity of these tunnels and escape routes. Some accounts though, claim that these tunnels have long been used to hide and stash away valuables by the White Council.
Guilds and Factions
There are two distinct factions in the capital, which are constantly in a direct competition. The Whitehall Guild is a group of statesmen and nobles, that have a large say in the politics of the city and are supported and patronized by the White Council. On the opposing end there is the Southern Belt Co-Operative, the alliance of the various traders, merchants and shipping masters of the capital, dedicated to free themselves from the restrictions and rulings set in place by the Council.
History
The now capital city of Aldur was once a small fishing town known as Amor Nuín. The city was initially founded by Daeron Isillien, who would be later crowned the first king of the new realm of Aldur.
Architecture
The architecture of the city is mostly based on the Ethilian Model, which combines gothic and neo-classical styles in a grandesque way.
Geography
The city rests at the bottom of the Aldurin Foothills and consecutively the Aldurin Valley. The terrain is flat and descending towards the coast, where it rises again to form the base for the palace, known as the Whitehill.
Natural Resources
The main natural resources of the capital are fish, iron ore and basalt stone.
Alternative Name(s)
The White City, Daeron's Hold
Type
Capital
Population
115 000
Included Locations
Characters in Location
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