Kingsgardt
The largest city in the Helcynngae Peninsula, Kingsgardt has been the capital of the Heldring and home to their rulers since the time of legends. Dozens of kings have sat the throne here, negotiating treaties, subjugating regions, and declaring war on enemies. Five hundred of the best-trained soldiers of Aethelmark’s house guard — called the Kingsblood — are based in the royal keep within the city to protect the king and his family with their lives.
Built upon a massive granite rock amid the southern foothills of the Hatlu Peaks, Kingsgardt is a truly imposing edifice that stands watch over the road that runs the length of the peninsula. The city bustles with life and trade. The royal keep is clad in a dark blue stone with red-golden slate tiles on its roofs. Nearby, the Temple of Thyr and Eostre is constructed of white marble that the Heldring imported from Courghais.
History and People
Each of the original seven clans of the Heldring was centered in a different town or village in the peninsula. The mythical king who united the Heldring was named Thurbald the Great and was said to have been of the clan Uthael. When he became hledwalda, he chose to establish a new city as the capital of all of his people, which became Kingsgardt. He was not the first to build on this site, however. It appears that a fortress, if not a city, has been located here for as long as humans have occupied the Helcynngae Peninsula. No one today recalls the first builders on the rock of Kingsgardt, though it is clear that the foundations are truly ancient.
The vast majority of the population of Kingsgardt are Heldring. Many live here in the city, but many are those who are merely passing through, merchants looking for trade or nobles, great and minor, seeking an audience at the hledwalda’s court. A small population of mountain dwarves has also settled in the eastern quarter of the city, and the southern quarter, near the market squares, hosts a modest number of folk from elsewhere in Akados.
Religion
The Temple of Thyr and Eostre, near the royal keep, is the center of all worship in the Helcynngae Peninsula, where the high priests of the two gods sit in ecclesiastical court and lead services attended by thousands. Priests, monks, and adepts are trained here, and then sent forth into the countryside to minister to the Heldring.
Smaller shrines of Eostre and Tyr can also be found throughout the city, perpetually filled with devoted worshippers of all races. Several services are offered each day and provide residents near-limitless options for worship day or night.
Trade and Commerce
Although the capital city is toward the southern end of the peninsula, merchants and caravans make the long trek down the road to trade with outstanding craftsmen and one-of-a-kind artisans. Kingsgardt has one of the largest open-air markets in southeast Akados and boasts more than 500 merchants in the maze of colorful tents and awnings. It is said that if it can’t be found in Kingsgardt, it doesn't exist.
Government
The hledwalda has personal authority over all of Kingsgardt, but administration of the city is usually granted to a reeve, often a relative of the king. The reeve then appoints such offices as are necessary to see to the city’s orderly management.
Major Threats
Although well protected by the king’s personal house guard, the city is not without threats. Hill and frost giants from the Hatlu Peaks, filled with the desire for the fabled treasure within the vaults of the kings, occasionally descend from the tall mountains to invade the city. Never has a single giant made it past the outermost city walls, with the ballistae and catapults from the towers that loom over the open fields surrounding the city ready to strike them down.
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Kingsgardt, City of (Capital)
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