Courghais
The Imperial City of Courghais (which means “Heartstone” in Gasquen) is the seat of the overking of the Kingdom of Foere. Built on a peninsula on the eastern shore of the Star Sea, it rises up on the shoulders of a long hill overlooking the waters. The walls and many of the towers of the city are constructed of a white granite originally cut from the Rampart Mountains. During the day, the city shines white, but at sunset over the Star Sea on a clear day, some odd property of the granite transforms the slanting rays of the sun such that the city glows a brilliant, golden-red color and gives rise to its Gasquen name.
Designed in a manner intended to mirror the ancient capital city of Curgantium, Courghais is divided into several quarters. The Royal Quarter, which sits upon the highest part of the landward portion of the city, includes the Citadel of Caene with its Throne Tower that was built in homage to the Tower of Oerson of lost Curgantium. At the other end of the city, rising high above the waters at the end of the peninsula, is the Cathedral Quarter and the Cathedral of the Tesseract. The Docks are on the northern side of the city along the shore of the Star Sea, with the Merchant Quarter rising beyond that. Other quarters within the city include the Highborn Quarter (where are found the mansions of nobility), the Minstrels’ Quarter, and the Low Quarter. Each quarter is, in turn, divided into wards.
The Kingdom of Foere has been in decline for some 300 years now since the beginning of the Foerdewaith Wars of Succession. Province after province declared independence from the overking, and of those that remain loyal, the ability of the court to enforce its wishes grows weaker with each passing year. As wealth and power fail, the intrigues of the nobility in the city become ever more vicious and desperate. Increasingly, Courghais has become a city that boasts a veneer of virtue and respectability but covering a wicked and immoral heart. And with the overking and many of his nobility — including almost all of the Knights of Macobert — away on campaign against the Huun, those remaining in the city are resorting to the darkest forms of conspiracy and scheming to achieve whatever dominance they can over their rivals.
Religion
High above the waters of the Star Sea, the Cathedral of the Tesseract rises at the center of the Cathedral Quarter of Courghais. The cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of Foere and is dedicated to the entire Foerdewaith pantheon, although Quell, the original patron of Saint Macobert, and Mitra, the patron of the overkings since the Battle of Oescreheit Downs, predominate. It is by far the largest, most magnificent cathedral in all of the domains — current and former — of the Foerdewaith Empire. The cathedral is a massive temple of white marble columns with a burnished copper roof and serves as a beacon that can be seen for miles outside of Courghais — and even far out into the Star Sea. All gods of the pantheon are venerated here, and many of the bishops, deacons, and priests sent to minister to the peoples of Akados are trained within its walls. Pilgrims from far and wide travel to Courghais to visit the Cathedral of the Tesseract and to pray at the holy shrines of the gods of Foere. For those wishing to bring home a memento of their visit, sellers in the city’s markets and on the streets offer small statues of the gods and, so they claim, true relics of various saints and the gods themselves.
Government
Though it constitutes the seat and capital of the royal domain of the overking, Courghais is ruled directly by the lord commander of the citadel, an appointee of the overking and usually a Knight of Macobert. The lord commander also commands the overking’s royal army that is based here.
A group of quartermasters, ward captains, and watch captains — all appointed by (or with the approval of) the lord commander — administer the city and enforce the city’s laws. Justice within the city is overseen by a group of magistrates known as Listeners appointed by the overking, with each sitting in one or more ward or quarter courts. A city militia separate from the royal army based in the city maintains order within the walls and is the first line of defense in the event of attack (which would be extraordinarily unlikely here in the center of the kingdom).
Many guilds are active in Courghais, but by tradition they have no role in government, though the request of a guildmaster does carry some weight with the lord commander. While not to the liking of most of the guilds, their lack of any authority over the city goes back hundreds of years, and the critical position of Courghais in the economy of Foere makes it impossible to simply depart the city. As a result, however, bribery (and, on occasion, blackmail) has long been a tool used by the guilds to ensure that their voices are heard.
The Cathedral of the Tesseract is considered its own cathedral city enclave within greater Courghais. As a result, the laws applicable in the Cathedral Quarter are ecclesiastical and are enforced by the archbishop or the mayor of the palace (or other ecclesiastical magnates appointed by the archbishop). Similarly, clerics found to have broken any laws within Courghais, even if outside the Cathedral Quarter, are usually remanded to the cathedral for punishment, though in rare cases the overking has exercised the right to supersede religious jurisdiction.
Since 3515 I.R., King Ovar and his Knights of Macobert have been on campaign chasing Huun invaders who laid siege to Bard’s Gate. He took with him the well-regarded Lord Unstan Dary, the former lord commander of Courghais. In the overking’s absence, his son Prince Reynald now rules as regent with the assistance of the less-well-regarded Baron Pelorious Vandon (a younger son of a noble, and not a Knight of Macobert), who is serving as lord commander.
Recently, rumors began swirling about the city that King Ovar returned to the Throne Tower of the Citadel of Caene, flying alone into the city at night astride his black dragon. If he has in fact returned without the army, rebellion is a real possibility among many of the noble families of Foere.
Capital
Courghais, Imperial City of
Type
Capital
Owning Organization
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