Araendale

On the choppy sea they hunt the shoals of leaping fish, but sometimes they don't come sailing back to the stone piers and long docks. Then the fisherfolk mourn them into the night, the taverns somber, a dirge on every tongue. But life must go on, for they are in Araendale, mighty city of stone on the shores of the yet mightier northern sea.

Demographics

The wealthy live in a district on a ridge above the other districts, and to the western side of town. The middle class district surrounds the wealthy district, and the poor and professional districts are intermingled sprawling down to the docks and the fish packers.

Government

The seat of the southern duchy, it is under the oversight of the Duke of the south. The city also has an appointed mayor, and a council composed of its preeminent businessmen.

Defences

Southarbor Keep looks out over the harbor, its impressive battlements and the war machines that dot them serving as a deterrent for pirates. There is a standing force of royal soldiers at the Keep at all times.

Industry & Trade

The main business in the city is in trade and fish. Fisherfolk set out from the port, and many processors pack and sell their wares along the docks. Merchant vessels from The Republic also dock in the harbor, making the city something of a hub of trade in the north.

Infrastructure

The city is built up around a harbor, extending out into the water with impressive stone piers. Fish processing businesses line the docks, and there are competing boatyards at either end of the harbor. Wide roads run between the harbor and market square, which is often crowded by vendors, and substantiated by more reputable shops in the buildings. Sewers run under the wealthy part of town, and also Southarbor Keep. They spill out into the river that runs through the center of the city. The river is spanned by three bridges down the length of the city.

Assets

Half of the fish industry in the north, and a thriving and exotic market.

Guilds and Factions

Politics are dominated by a guild of dominant merchants and factory owners. A small coalition of fisherfolk sometimes challenge them, but they are not rich enough to pose any serious threat. The merchants' guild has both the mayor and the duke in their pocket. Smaller communities in the districts have formed that take care of their own when the city's government chooses not too.

History

The city's roots go back much further than can be remembered, but it began to grow in size and prominence as trade with The Republic picked up following the wars between the North and what had at that point been the southern city states. It became a duchy in 3000. A year later the city was all but leveled in a fire. It was rebuilt, with most structures other than the piers being completely replaced.

Architecture

The architecture of larger buildings is mostly stone, ranging from the rough stone of the piers to the refined masonry of the Keep. Most of the houses in the wealthy district are also stone, and many of the middle class houses as well. However, the fish plants and the houses in the poor district are mostly wood.

Geography

The city is located on the edge of the icy delta just above the northern mountains. A branch of the Rasmir river runs through center. The land around is flat, and to the south it becomes treacherous and boggy. Mists rise up out of the delta sometimes, covering the city in a thick fog. In the summer the plains become verdant, and gardens flourish, but in the winter they become barren and windy.

Natural Resources

Fish are the main resource of export, as well as ships from the boatyards.

Type

City

Population

80,000

Owning Organization

The North