Prinstead

Prinstead, originally and sometimes still known as Prince's Stead, is a city within the eastern reaches of the Kingdom of Grasynnia. Long the center of an independent principality, it was conquered by and annexed into the kingdom not long after the accession of King Merxellis Dragonbane to the throne. Bordering the traditionally orcish lands of the Marrens as well as the Gobnor Swamps, the goblins' domain, the stalwart principality long stood fierce, and still maintains strong local pride and identity. The city is best known for the now government-sponsored Prinstead University, one of the largest educational institutions anywhere in Galessia, and the alma mater of many of the realm's finest wizards.

History

Prinstead was founded as a direct consequence of the war between the Kingdom of Dergeria and the orcs of the Marrens, over seven centuries ago. After the orcish warriors were pushed back into the Great Rainforest in the east, and the Dergerians moved to annex the lands, a road was constructed from these new lands towards the west. The person overseeing this project was a prince of Dergeria, fifth child out of seven. Along the road's planned route, the prince discovered a beautiful location: a valley between the edges of the Verdant Hills, perfectly enclosed by picturesque vistas and a natural stone arch. Falling in love with the location, the prince ordered a manor to be built there, which once completed came to be called the Prince's Stead, becoming his permanent residence. A village soon formed to facilitate the prince's desires and house his servants, and once the road was completed, merchants and travelers passing by would only serve to increase this growth.
After the prince who built the village succumbed to age, he was succeeded by his three children, ruling together. They formally separated from the Dergerian royal line and established Prince's Stead as a principality of its own. However, this budding nation had difficulty finding its footing: it was frequently beset and besieged by orc and goblin invaders from neighboring lands, who would take the town's food and treasure by force. One of the three rulers, Almyra, decided to rally the people to defend their stead - which resulted in failure and the deaths of many townsfolk. Following this humiliation, Almyra left Prince's Stead in search of a solution for her people. When, years later, the townsfolk witnessed a dragoon leaping through the air and easily skewering goblin invaders on a lance with souplesse, they were awestruck to discover that it was Almyra. During her travels, she had encountered a secret order of dragoons called the Ehar Draconis, learned their ways, and trained in their art. While she could not rule the principality due to the commitment to her order, Almyra remained in the town to protect it from any further threats, causing it to grow rapidly in its newfound safety. She has since entered local heroic folklore as Lady Almyra Skypiercer, and inspires great local pride even centuries after her death: there is a statue to her within Prinstead to this day.
By the time of the Dergerian Golden Age, Prince's Stead had become known as Prinstead, and grown into a sizable city spilling out of its enclosed location - the old town now known as the Guarded Quarter. Scholars of Oghma had taken up residence within the Guarded Quarter, and had been educating the people of Prinstead for several decades. The word of the quality of their education reached beyond the city's walls, and thus, the Prinstead University was soon founded. It defined most of the city's history from there on, attracting scholarly and wizarding hopefuls from all across the realm.
After the Dragonbane Conquest of Grasynnia, the princes of Prinstead were concerned about the new dynasty's expansionism, especially after the conquest of the nearby Barony of Whitt. However, with the strength of the Princely Guard and the wizards of the university, they considered themselves as having the advantage. Once Merxellis Dragonbane took the crown, he immediately took action to make Prinstead into Grasynnian land: he promised the university large sums of money if they were to support his conquest. The university leadership was swayed, and when the Strategist King's armies came to call, they made good on their promise. The principality fell without much of a fight: the university had told the populace that this was the only way to prevent all-out war and potential annihilation. The princes were deposed, and the Dragonbane banner flew over the city: the university assumed local leadership under their aegis.
Following this, Prinstead was used as a staging ground for the invasion of the Marrens during the Zenith War, serving as the location for barracks, field hospitals, and various storages. Local noble Wilfred of Engham became a notable figure during the war, before going on to become the puppet king of Dergeria after it. There was also a quite active counterintelligence movement within Prinstead, trying to sabotage the invasion of the Marrens - since many locals had roots there. This was largely dismantled two years later however, with the arrest of various important figures within the resistance movement, including a young Markrag Chiptusk. Since the war's end, Prinstead has returned largely to normalcy, with students flocking in once again.

Politics and society

While formally under direct rule of the Grasynnian regime as with all annexed lands, Prinstead gets some leeway due to their assistance during the conquest, and due to this, the rector of the university is in charge of daily rule. The city is ruled with a lot of emphasis on order, procedure, and civility: decision take a long time to be made, but crime is very heavily cracked down upon. As a result, the city is relatively safe and pleasant for visitors and students, but a slow and suffocating bureaucracy for townsfolk to deal with.
Most of the Guarded Quarter is taken up by the University and its grounds nowadays, with the old princely manor repurposed as faculty residences. Most of the modern city exists beyond its confines, though it has largely ceased growing since the war deported many people and caused refugees to flee elsewhere. Prinstead's local culture yet lingers despite everything, as the statue of Lady Almyra still stands, and her tales of heroism are still told in the city's taverns. There is a festival held in her honor every year on the 5th of Sanas, which attracts people from across the region.
Prinstead used to be home to a large halfling population, originating from the bordering lands of the Verdant Hills. However, as with all halflings of the region, they were deported during the war in the event that has come to be known as the Halflings' Plight. After their departure, humans are the largest people group by far, though due to the presence of the university, various different peoples can be found in some number within the city's walls.
As with most cities dedicated to education, Oghma and Mystra are the most worshipped deities. However, among the proud Prinsteders still honoring their old traditions, many choose to instead venerate their local hero, Lady Almyra Skypiercer, lifting her even further into the status of a legend. This behavior is discouraged by local authorities, who officially wish to not upset the Divinium with worship of a being not listed among the Thirty - many assume there are other unofficial motives behind this decision.