Shirefell
Shirefell is the Capital of the kingdom of Shirefell, due to it's resources of being by two major rivers and on the ocean.
Shirefell has always been, different. While it was involved in the war, and still is to this day, the citizens never fled, they fought for their city, and they won.
It is the one Kingdom that openly allows magic folk to have rights, laws, protection and jobs.
Demographics
Shirefell is one of the few cities where magic races, such as tabaxi and genasi and kalashtar, are allowed to be free in regards to political rights. It's fairly evenly distributed between each and all races.
In general, the city is split up into various sections of wealth and industry. On the outskirts on all sides are farmlands, with small military encampments. Then, further in, we have townhouses, Tudor style with beams everywhere, and white plaster walls. Mixed in with these town houses and residential areas are shops and Inns, with the castle in the middle. On the eastern side of the castle, there is the marketplace. On the northern and southern sides of the castle, there are grand manor houses, and finally on the western side of the castle there is a military base.
Government
The Queen of Shirefell rules the Kingdom, with various advisors and political secretaries that help her work.
The Queen acts as a ruling leader, setting laws, going to meetings, and generally holding the role of both Queen and Mayor to the town. The actual Mayor has little to do with royalty, as the Mayor does not agree with their rules.
In general, laws in this city must be proposed by either the majority of the people, or by one of the secretaries of state. There must be a vote from selected members of The Great Committee, and at least 2/3rds of the committee must agree.
Defences
The castle itself has a large stone wall surrounding it, 15ft thick and 60ft high, with slits in the walls for archers to defend themsevles. On each of the castles corners, there is a large stone turret jutting out of the corner, with more places for archers. On the top of the castles walls, there is room for a couple of small catapults, able to launch large rocks at enemies from a huge range away. Around the city itself, there is another large wall, 5ft thick and 35ft high, with a large moat and bridge over it, allowing people entrance.
Industry & Trade
Since this city is on the edge of Quarth, and is surrounded by sea on 3 sides, one of the most important exports is shipping and fishing. It also helps that on the fourth side, there is a river, which helps with fishing and shipping of goods to the rest of Quarth.
Shirefell has set up various trade routes with the islands to the north of the mainland, for rare mining supplies up on The Leavesden Isles, with the town of Sunder, as well as tropical spices and food from The Leavesden Isles and The Isle of The Damned. Import wise, they aren't near any major mountains or valleys for easy mining, so they have to import a lot of their metal and ores.
Most inhabitants work with some form of craft, and mostly trade between themselves rather than fueling the economy with gold, which is something the Queen and ruling government despite, but at this moment they have no way of preventing trade between the inhabitants. A few fish for a hair cut, a handcrafted desk for a sword, that sort of thing.
Infrastructure
First, we have The Great Harbour, created some time in the 3rd Age. A large multi-pier harbour surrounding a solid third of the cities perimeter. It houses large ships of old, from the war, and has various warehouses that store treasures.
In the eastern side of the town, there is a watermill on the river, and an artificer's house, who uses energy created from the watermill in their contraptions. It's the second city to have a house with a thing called electricity, which has been used to light these crystals that light the house of the artificer. The only other person to be able to do this was said to be in Glendaswood.
Shirefell has large, wide cobblestone roads and wide pavements. This city was designed predominantly for pedestrians, as it was built back in the 3rd age, but it has plenty of room for horses and carts/carriages.
In the mind, Shirefell houses large blast furnaces and room for smithing and smelting. Shirefell isn't known for it's mine, but you can't look down upon their equipment and technique either.
Guilds and Factions
As there is in every town, there is a Guild Hall, where adventurers from all around can meet and share tales and quests for the town. The head of the guild is Sir Ragnorak The Mighty, an old half orc adventurer from Shirefell.
We also have The White Rose. Shirefells faction has almost completely fallen apart, with only a few straggling members left. The head of The White Rose in Shirefell is Goerth Leedal, a human from the area who still believes in the ways of old.
Shirfell also houses Elder Warlocks of The Eclipse, a sect of old warlocks who worship Sehanine and the Great One, whi still are allowed to openly practice and use magic to help the people and convene with the gods.
History
Shirefell was the start and end of The Great War. The revolution started in Shirefell, when the people and Order Of The Moon rose up against corrupt politicians, and started The Great War. It started in The Barracks, where the people invaded and started to kill members of the army. Prostitutes in the whore houses poisoned their political customers, rich women who sympathised with the cause also did the same. Then, once the people had either recruited or killed half of the army of Shirefell, they moved into the city, then onto the castle. While this was happening in Shirefell, it started happening all over Quarth. It was the spark that incited the war, it was the spark that fueled the blazing bonfire of change.
Tourism
People travel all over Quarth for spring to visit it's world famous lavender fields, which blossom fully in the springtime. Each field has been rumoured to have fairies and pixies living in them, which only come out and introduce themselves to particular folkx. The lavender fields light up the city, bringing it's name to truth. The Amethyst of Quarth.
Shirefell also houses The Great Harbour, a thousands of year old architectural feat, created sometime in the 3rd age. Shirefell is the main harbour city for the northern half of Quarth, and it's harbour houses many ships and warehouses full of foreign treasures from far off lands. The harbour area has large piers and many old royal ships from the Great War. In particular, it's fish market is famous across Quarth. Every morning, between 3-6am, the fish market is open, with fresh catches from the previous night and that morning. Shirefell crab & lobster is especially well known. Steamed, with wild garlic and local butter, it is an absolute delicacy fresh in the morning, or for afternoon lunch. Shirefell harbour houses A-Salt & Battery, a fish shop that is said to serve the best battered fish and chips across the land. There are queues around the shop most days, and they usually sell out by 3:30pm, so people get there early!
In Shirefell, the main fancy hotel is an old converted manor house from the 6th age. It houses 11 bedrooms and a large estate-garden, with tudor style hedge boxes making up the majority of the garden, with different features and wildlife in each room. People stay there for the history, the gardens, and the hauntings. It is said at night the ghost of Mistress Evangela wanders the halls, her shackles can be heard clinking in the halls in the early mornings. It hosts monthly ghost hunts, which visitors pay gold to stay in the manor overnight on these hunts, with a themed banquet and hide and seek at night.
Architecture
Architecture wise, Shirefell is a mix of medieval and tudor. There are large three storey townhouses with white plaster walls and dark oak support beams running everywhere, as well as being used for decoration. In this town in particular, all of the windows are coloured stained glass, a quiet rule between the citizens of Shirefell, a way to represent their beauty and spirit and fight.
Geography
Shirefell is on a large plains biome to the north of the land. It is usually fairly mild there, due to its proximity to the sea on three sides. It has access to fresh water via a network of rivers coming off the large river running through the land, on the fourth. Shirefell is known for it's lavender fields, due to their importance in ritual magic around these parts and in potions and herbal remedies. People often describe it as the Amethyst of Quarth.
Natural Resources
On three sides of Shirefell, there is ocean. This allows for easy fishing, whaling and other sea-food based produce. On the fourth side, there is a network of rivers connecting to create fertile land for large fields for farmers. There is one mine in Shirefell, out to the west of the center of the city. A natural cave entrance was found after a small explosion in an artificers basement, and they've been exploiting the cave and creating a mine of it ever since.
Founding Date
3rd Age
Alternative Name(s)
The Amethyst of Quarth
Population
10,321
Inhabitant Demonym
Shirefellians
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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