Rieumark
Rieumark stands as the southern shield of Othvarand—a weathered, high-walled town set into a limestone ridge above the old low roads that wind through the Broken Thanes. It is the seat of Duke Jevran Corvayn, and the heart of the Duchy of Avenring. Though not large by the standards of Crodeux, it is grimly fortified, heavily garrisoned, and known for its quiet discipline.
The town grew up around an ancient Ashborn fort, long repurposed as the Duke's hold. Its towers bear no banners save the crescent and flame of Avenring, and its parapets are rarely empty. Stone barracks, stables, and drill yards take precedence over gardens or plazas. Even the market square is walled on three sides, and many of its merchants are former soldiers who trade in iron, grain, and leathers, essentials for a region that has had frequent border skirmishes.
Rieumark is not without its splendor. Its people are plain-spoken and proud, they do have a hearty sense of humor, and are known to be quite loud. But travelers who come expecting courtiers and culture find instead weathered riders, scarred banners, and oaths that reach back further than the the Crown can trace.
This is supplemented with a small circle of bards and chroniclers that quietly use the town as a central hub. They are tolerated by the Duke, perhaps even protected, though few understand why. These poets sing for for memory, recounting fallen banners, broken swords, and names lost to time. It is said they carry the true history of the Broken Thanes in their verses, and that even the hill-lords listen when they speak.
The Duke's court, held in the upper keep, is formal. Petitions are heard in a hall lit by spear-racks and watchfires, and only one banquet table stretches the hall's length. Beneath the keep lies the Old Vault, a sealed reliquary rumored to contain old Ashborn artifacts, something Corvayn is highly interested in.
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