Bret Harth
Standing on low cliffs near the ocean, Bret Harth looks over rows of piers and docks that can accommodate ships and boats of all sizes. One of the largest and safest ports along the eastern shore of the Crescent Sea, Bret Harth keeps its tariffs and docking fees lower than the other large cities to attract a steady traffic of merchant vessels. It is also the safest harbor for fishermen working the dangerous sea along Norshore. These factors combine with a wide variety of skilled craftsmen creating trade goods to ensure that Bret Harth remains a bustling city. As the capital city of the Kingdom of the North Heath, Bret Harth also hosts ambassadors of several nearby nations as well as the offices of a number of merchant companies.
Like most large cities, Bret Harth has distinct areas and neighborhoods. The docks and all of the buildings near the water at the foot of the cliffs are known as Oceanside and possess a series of stone towers looking out over the piers and the ocean. These towers hold troops and siege weapons tasked with protecting the city from any naval attack. The largest tower near the center of the docks also contains a barracks for naval sailors on shore leave. Ships of the navy dock at the central piers closest to this tower. Northern piers are larger and are close to the larger warehouses and are generally reserved for merchants and trading vessels. The southern docks provide spots for fishing vessels.
Roads climb from Oceanside past stone warehouses, inns, and other buildings to reach the main city on the cliffs above. The city center closest to the docks is known to residents as Center Harth and hosts a variety of stores, markets, and craftsmen. Sturdy stone buildings of Center Harth frame a number of open squares that contain wide gardens and provide space for open air markets. Ancient foundations here and deep catacombs beneath them predate any written history of the area. Several of the buildings are equally old and made of carefully fitted stone that has withstood millennia of harsh weather.
North of Central Harth is the Quiet District, which consists of ornate homes and gardens along the cliffs with views of the sea. The nobility as well as foreign ambassadors and wealthy merchants and landowners make their homes here. Roads stretch south from Center Harth along solid stone buildings that squat along the cliff line to form the Loud District, home to simple laborers as well as the stores and shops of craftsmen. To the interior of all these districts are the varied buildings of Heathhome, one of the largest districts but generally relegated to the poorer laborers and tradesmen. Buildings here are more sheltered from the coastal storms, so wood structures and wattle-and-daub buildings are mixed with older stone structures.
The present mayor of Bret Harth is Lady Briana Hearthtracker, an aging noblewoman with extensive interests throughout the city. Elections are held every five years but only property owners are allowed to vote. The mayor works closely with advisors to the king to ensure that the city is working smoothly with the military and the navy. Elected mayors must accept their role while making an oath of allegiance to the king in a public ceremony.
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Bret Harth, City of (Capital)
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