Angeleor
Founded by House Angeleos of the Plains a long time ago, Angeleor is now the second-largest city in the kingdom of Eleonis and its current capital. What began as one small keep on a river island in the middle of the river Vadion has prospered and grown into a thriving city, inhabited mostly by officers of the Eleonian Army, merchants, craftsmen, wealthy folk and those who work in the castle but do not live there.
Since the city was founded by House Angeleos and has been its residence and seat of power ever since, the city has never had the need to form a separate city government and is instead governed by the Lords of the Plains. Surrounded by tall, strong walls with evenly spaced watch towers all along it that are manned and guarded day and night, Angeleor is a very safe place to live.
Angeleor is sometimes called the city of three bridges, as there are three stone bridges connecting the two halves of the city on either shore of the Vadion. Whilst the city walls do not cross the river, the breaks in the wall that let the river flow through are fortified by stretches of wall that stretch a little ways into the city. The City has five gates, the North and Selenian Gates in the North City, and the South, Leandorian and Harbour Gates in the South City.
The bridges in Angeleor are the last crossing of the Vadion on its way to the Silver Sea that is not a ferry. The bridges are the reason ships from the sea cannot sail further upstream. As a result, a seperately walled off River Harbour was established in the western part of the South City. Here, wares and merchandise are transfered from sea vessels to smaller river ships and vice versa. Duties and taxes from the harbour have helped turn Angeleor into a comparatively wealthy city.
The two main parts of the city are the North City and the South City, separated by the Vadion and the Castle Island. Each half of the city has several distictive parts.
Castle Island
It is officially considered a city district and the oldest part of Angeleor. As the name suggests, it is the river island upon which the castle of Angeleor, the residence of House Angeleos, is built. The impressive, multi-storied structure covers the whole island and is surrounded by its own set of walls. Castle Island can be reached either by boat or by one of the three bridges, nowadays known as the Riarcosbridge, that connects to the eastern end of the island.
North City
The North City is generally considered the poorer part of town, with the poorest quarter, known as the West Rim being located along the north-eastern city walls. Here, poor houses, orphanages and cheap brothels are found. This part of town is also infamous for several notorious bands of thieves who pick wealthy people's pockets in the markets of the South City and are rumoured to have their headquarters there.
The North-East Quarter is slightly better off, though still nowhere near as wealthy as the South City. Affordable taverns, inns and shops are located here, with the inns being most commonly found around the Selenian Gate, where travellers and traders from western Eleonis tend to enter the city. Interestingly, there are very few inns near the North Gate.
All sorts of craftspeople call the North City's craftsmen district their home. From weavers to carpenters to blacksmiths, if an angelean citizen needs something made simply and affordably but of good quality, the craftsmen district is the place to go, unless one is ready to wait for market day.
The last, wealthiest and most renowned part of the North City is the Northern Promenade, located right along the Vadion's shore between the bridges of Angeleor. More high-end craftsmen set up shop here, and several inns and better brothels are located here. Most famous among them is an inn known as the Riarcosbridge-Inn, found right at the northern head of said bridge, which is particularly popular with the soldiers and offers excellent food and board, quite to the standard of South City patrons.
South City
It is the wealthier part of town. Its most recognizeable section is the separately walled-off River Harbour, where trade ships dock and transfer their wares. To enter Angeleor on land through the Harbour Gate, one has to pass through the Outer Harbour Gate, the bustling shipyards of the River Harbour and finally the Inner Harbour Gate. The entrance to the harbour basin from the river is unofficially called the River Gate due to its guarded nature.
Right inside the Inner Harbour Gate, a visitor finds themselves in the West Market, which is the name of both the main market square here and the entire district. Wares from the Harbour, as well as high-quality craftsmanship and finery is sold to wealthy people here. The wealthiest merchants of Angeleor live in West Market, many of whom show their wealth through the grand architecture of their homes. Interestingly, inns are few and far between in West Market, as the wealthy like to stay among themselves.
On the opposite side of South City, the Acadean Quarter is found. This part of town grew around the old Temple to the Acadean Gods and is home to the minority of Angeleans who don't keep the old Faith of the Four Elements but instead believe in the Seven Gods of the Acadean Empire. While they are a small minority, believers of both faiths peacefully coexist in Angeleor.
South Angeleor, not to be confused with the South City as a whole, is where non-angelean merchants commonly find the lodging West Market does not offer. The South Market is where food and produce is primarily sold. Bakeries and butcher's shops are primarily found here. Thus, South Angeleor it the place to be to find good food and local delicacies.
Lastly, mirroring the Northern Promenades are the Southern Banks, where artisans like goldsmiths and wood carvers have their shops. Also found here is the public school of Angeleor which all angelean boys are required to attend for at least four years to ensure a basic level of education. Girls may also attend this school, but some families either cannot afford to send their daughters to school or simply refuse to do so.
Angeleor is an old and impressive city, fortified by tall walls built from the light grey rock of the region, protected by five gates.
Some say it is actually seven or even eight gates, since the South Gate and Harbour Gates are technically double gates, and the entrance to the harbour basin is sometimes called the River Gate.
Most buildings are timbered houses, some simple, some with more intricate patterns and painted or carved beams.
Only the houses of the wealthy are, if only partly, constructed from the same stone the city walls are made from. Walls are often white-washed or plastered.
In some ways, Angeleor looks similar to many other cities in Eleonis, as the timbered, half timbered and stone houses are built similarly throughout the kingdom.
Still, due to the city's relative wealth, the buildings tend to be bigger and in pristine condition. Even the poorer parts of the city are kept in somewhat decent condition.
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