Fa-Gyelso
This miserable fish-stinking excuse for a city just refuses to let it self become a ruin...
Four Islands, One City
Said to be the place where the Eladrin first arrived in the Eastern Continent, Fyr-Elfhafen is built on a group of small islands in the mouth of the River Drakkenhed. The entire city evolved in a way so that each island contains a specific set of inhabitants:
- One island for the richer nobles who wish to indulge in finer cultural activities, alongside large temples to the many deities worshiped by its more refined citizens. Here lie the ruins to the once magnificient Great Temple of Melora.
- One island for the artisans and craftsmen. Higher up the river mouth, this island is the main entrance to the city for most. It does not yet possess stone walls like the other islands, as the houses built on it are constantly changing. Here is where the Great Market of the city lies, with the greatest abundance of goods, brought from the sea, mountains and rivers alike.
- One island for the harbor and shipwrights. From the several lumbering villages, into the great common market, into the hands of the best ship builders, Wood travels a long way in this city. An entire island dedicated to sailors and shipwrights, eventually filled with taverns and brothels. A few simple temples - Minor Temple of Melora - are visible above most rooftops, for the most superstitious sailors.
- One island for the Main Keep and the poorest of the citizens. Built with the exact purpose of defending the city from northern raiding parties, this island's main focus is military defense, integrating the barracks, main fortress and the Guiding Beacon. The poorest citizens eventually gathered here, being driven out of most other islands due to lack of room. In order to survive, most became part of the city's military or maintenance forces.
As a great center of trading, the city used to be very lively before its destruction. Nowadays, the new citizens bring life back into the city, alongside tension against the old citizens. The survivors of the city's destruction are visibly less lively. A lot of the new inhabitants chose to build houses and stands in the river shores rather than in the islands themselves, creating a different disorganized population center.
Although after the Great Southern War there is formally a new lord of the city, most of the old citizens are hopeful that an heir to the previous Monarch would appear. The new ruler is not very efficient at implementing order and services, leaving small armored groups to create their own small feudal systems of favors, effectively letting them lead the city's population. Although the new guards from the Ebenenn Kingdom do enforce the rules while on patrol across the settlement, most of the lifestyle is dictated by local customs and the will of each armed faction residing within the city limits.
With a long-standing culture of harvesting timber from forests to make ships, the city has developed a custom of replenishing its forests using its deceased as food for the new trees. This allows new trees to supply the city with much-needed wood, while supposedly allowing its inhabitants to come back again to help in the city's endeavors. The greatest occasion of this tradition happens once every year at the beggining of spring, on the border of the The Mourning Woods. In honor of the forest's name, the ritual of burying, replanting and cutting down the trees was eventually named The Mourning Return.
The city used to have an effective system of ferries across its island, allowing for transport of cargo around the islands without using the bottleneck-bridges which connect them. With most of them destroyed, alongside the harbor, it is difficult to properly maneuver between the islands.
The city does not use slaves as they have for a long time been subjected to said threat by the northern raiders and deep-sea pirates. However, any captured enemies used to be executed and now are sent to the capital of the Ebenenn Kingdom, where the use of slaves is accepted.
As a diverse center of commerce, where travelers come and go frequently, or stop by during their travels, it is normal to see armed individuals in the street. The carrying of weapons is permitted in the city, but anyone seen unsheathing a blade or using a weapon will be treated as a criminal.
Demographics
Before its destruction, its population was primarly human, with elves being the second major populational group. Halflings, and other humanoid races were not uncommon, although always a minority, being mainly seen around the city as specialized craftsmen or as unlucky entrepreneurs whose failures reduced them to beggary.
After its destruction, the new incoming population from across the continent promises to be more varied.
Listen here Lad... between all the different scamming merchants and all the various brothels, I honestly can't tell you what I've seen more of. But I can assure ye' both are definitely worth paying for.
Government
Since it used to be a Kingdom Capital, it was run by a Monarch, advised by a Council.
Each island had a representative in the Monarch's Council, and decisions were made according to the advice and suggestions of every member in the Council.
The Council included: a Military Tome, a Divine Tome, a Craftsmen Tome, a Commerce Tome, a Treasury Tome, an Information Tome, a Health Tome and a Naval Tome.
After its destruction, it is now directly ruled by a Nobleman, Gale Lionhart, elected by the new ruling kingdom's Monarch. Although the Nobleman is the one formally in charge of the city, its inefficiency led to the city being effectively ruled by the several guilds and armed groups which make the money move within the city. As the process of reconstruction and re-population is still on-going, there is still not a fixed monopoly of power over any sector of activities, and any lead in influence is easily replaced by severed heads for any group finding themselves lacking in caution.
Defences
Apart from the island of craftsmen, all others are surrounded by high stone walls with large towers, in order to defend against sea raids. The island of craftsmen has some old wooden and clay defenses, with an occasional wall made of stone. there is an armored gate at each end of any bridge, making it possible to shut close any of the three walled islands.
Industry & Trade
As a coastal city between forests and mountains, it is difficult to establish a decent amount of farming grounds to feed the entire city. Most of the food is either directly taken from the sea, or imported from the center of the continent, where farms are abundant. Salt and fish are the main export into the inland settlements, in return for various items, including stone, precious to the maintenance of the naval settlement's defenses.
As the main port of the western coast in the Eastern Continent, Fyr-Elfhafen is a center for naval commerce, mainly with the southern coastal cities, as the northern waters are famous for its raiding fleets.
From the neighboring villages wood is exchanged for food and other commodities which are harder to obtain near the mountains.
Infrastructure
Islands are connected by several high-bridges which allow smaller ships to sail between them.
The Harbor island has its sea coast filled with shipyards, adjacent to huge storing buildings, and maintenance ramps.
The Island of Manors and Temples possesses some of the finest materials, made from prestigious artisans. It includes temples,shrines and other places of cult and knowledge.
The Home of Craftsmen and artisans houses a huge variety of activities, providing almost every basic need to the average traveler.
The Island of the Keep is said to have hidden treasures and knowledge in its depths, once kept by its ruler. Although now in ruins, broken in half and with its light laying on the sharp rocks of the island's shore, for centuries immemorial, the The Guiding Beacon once stood here.
Assets
The city used to be rich and affluent, but after its destruction, most of its valuable assets now come from the new citizens migrating in.
The Ebenenn Kingdom, who attached the city to its territory after the Great Southern War, is supporting its recovery, but the lack of functioning ports slows it down harshly.
Many of the new citizens decide to dedicate their time plundering the ruins in the outer islands, scavenging for anything not previously stolen or destroyed. This led to a growing black market of interesting items ranging from magical items taken from temples without further need for them, or accursed items from long-dead disciples of the occult.
Guilds and Factions
There is a constantly changing group of guilds and factions within the city, as the underground struggle for power continues as new citizens reach the city in hopes of easy success.
Although groups like the Craftsmen and Fishermen Guild, with ties to other cities, are popular and welcoming to promising new citizens, other shadier groups lurk in the city's narrow corners and abandoned ruins. Some armed groups, like The Lion Guard, mainly composed of mercenaries, are known to complement the local garrison of guards in helping the local populace, while earning a steady income of gold that keeps them in check.
History
Fyr-Elfhafen is said to have been initially founded when humans settled down at the mouth of the river Drakkenhed. Eventually, Eladrin arrived from The Abyssal Current, bringing exotic knowledge and traditions, and while some remained in town to live with the native humans, most traveled inland in every direction.
Using the foreign techniques taught by the Eladrin, the city grew as it more effectively built ships and defenses. Eventually walls were put in place to protect the city from now interested eyes.It sustained incursions from the northern raiders, deep-sea pirates and occasional goblin incursions from The Hollow Peaks.
With time, Fyr-Elfhafen became a big metropolis, balancing the resources it could harvest from both land and sea.
During the Great Southern War it was sieged by the naval fleet of the Southern Continent, having most of its islands' buildings destroyed and plundered. To this day, only the island of Artisans remains active, as the rubble and ruins on the other three islands do not allow it to be inhabited by more than beggars and thieves.
After the Great Southern War, Fyr-Elfhafen was assimilated into its neighboring Ebenenn Kingdom, losing its status as a capital. Under new ruling, it is now under re-population and reconstruction.
Architecture
Most of the houses and buildings are made out of either wood or mud-based mortar. The fortress and walls in the outer islands are made of stone, imported from the center of the continent. Most of the temples and Manors are also made from imported stone. Although most of the city has a human-esque style of architecture all around , the Fortress and the Guiding Beacon retain some elvish touches in its architectural style.
Geography
The city is built in the mouth of The Drakkenhed , on top of a set of small islets. Located in a riverbed, its surroundings are mainly green lowlands, with forests in the distance.
Natural Resources
Most of the natural resources gathered by the city's inhabitants come directly from the sea, as far too few farms are established in the city's vicinity to feed it. Most of the wood it uses for its ships and crafts are imported from the neighboring villages which cut down trees from the large forests in exchange for more expensive goods from the sea.
RUINED SETTLEMENT
3385
Type
Large city
Population
Previously around 10,000. Nowadays: 2,000.
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
by Romulus
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