Eadain
Eadain, city of islands, is the capital of the republic of the same name. The city is built on several islands, with its Lighthouse and Great Harbour as famed landmarks. Across the city are shipyards, warehouse districts, great temples, and old ruins.
Eadain was founded by King Edan in the first years after the Eternal Twilight. Of old, his people worshiped the Preic Gods, but after the destruction of Parretoa, they denounced their faith. Encouraged by Burbric Empire priests, Edan and his people converted to the Faith of The Great Balance. When the darkness ended, he settled on the island where the Edanian Palace stands today. From there, a city grew, and the city-state of Eadain was born.
Over the years, inspired by northern merchant kingdoms, the city established itself as one of the great trade powers on the Sunset Coast. The city expanded quickly, but wary of the disaster that struck when they worshiped the Preic Gods, they left the ruins of the old Preic temple untouched. The city's geography, spread out over several islands, attracted many tourists, and it did not take long for people, far and wide, to hear of the fabled island city of Eadain. The great Lighthouse of Eadain, together with the Great Harbour embraced by the sea walls, like two great arms, made for a fabulous sight that all great travelers wished to behold.
After long centuries and years of rebellion against the Burbric Empire, the merchants' influence in the city grew, and the king of Eadain became a mere puppet. After the 9th century AP, it was no longer the king who appointed his successor, but the Edanian Council, which consisted of the most powerful guild members of the city. In the 10th century AP, Eadain became a tributary of the Republic of Assaen, and a professional army was raised, consisting of mercenaries and citizens between the ages of 16 to 20. The mercenaries were housed in an old manor outside the city walls. In the 12th century, Eadain became a vassal of the Republic of Callaern, completely losing its autonomy.
Today, the magistrate of Eadain rules from the Edanian Palace, while the Shipwrights' Guild effectively controls the harbour district. This guild's responsibilities have greatly outgrown its original task; it oversees the maintenance of the Edanian war- and trade fleets, as well as tax collection. Many nobles insist their influence should be decreased, but given the guild's influence in the Edanian Council, the magistrate has very little he can do about it.
Whispers have begun to circulate among the people of Eadain, speaking of strange occurrences at the Great Lighthouse. Ships, once laden with trade, now return abandoned, their crews vanished without a trace. At night, flickering lights appear in the upper tower, though none dare approach for fear of the curse said to haunt the place. It is said that an exiled merchant has come to the city, bearing knowledge of an ancient secret buried beneath the Lighthouse—one that ties the Shipwrights' Guild, the Edanian Palace, and the city’s forgotten past together. The truth of these strange events, and the threat they pose, may lie in the ruins of an old temple deep below the Lighthouse, a remnant of a time long before the First Folk.
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