Ergensos

Ergensos is a mighty city, built on the coast of the Channel of Ergensos. It is currently the largest city in the Jarldom of Havdir, due to its great position in relation to fishing grounds, trade routes, and fertile plains southeast of the city. The city walls are of solid stone, mined from the nearby stone quarries in the Hoarfrost Peaks. The walls meet at the great harbour, which is so vast that it's capable of holding a fleet of 100 ships at port. This has often meant the city is the national naval base, regardless of where the current High-Jarl was from. Where the walls meet at either side of the harbour, stands two lighthouse towers, which have wood-lit bonfires at night. The port leads into a small cove, so the seas are always calm and capable of taking in ships.
The Jarl’s (and current High-Jarl's) palace in Ergensos overlooks the harbour and the pristine bay. It is built upon a man-made plateau of stone. The Palace itself is constructed of both timber and rock, where the base, pillars, and lower halves of the walls are made from stone. There is a strong oaken door as the entrance, which leads into the great hall. The hall has stone hearths on both the left and right side walls. Towards the end of this great hall is the Jarl’s throne, hand crafted from Ergensie carpenters and woodworkers, made only from the finest oak wood in the region. Each pillar is circled by an iron cage of fire to light the hall and neighbouring rooms of the grand palace. The smoke from the hearths and cage-torches is funnelled up into the roof and channelled through a chimney in the centre of the ceiling.
Directly in front of the palace plateau there sits a plaza encircled by market stalls, traders and entertainers. Most of the goods and food on offer is of Havdirian nature, for they rarely travel and trade out of their lands (a point that dissenting merchants often remark, referring to the splinter City-State of Pontemar). Because of this; fish, pearls, oats and grains, and cattle (both meat and livestock) are of most prominence. Occasionally there will appear gems and exotic weapons, as well as fruit foreign to their lands, but since Havdirian are usually uninterested in these such goods, they are seldom bought.
This plaza looks down to the harbour below, allowing anyone standing at the edge of the plaza a view of most of the ships at bay. Spread around the palace and plaza are a many number of other buildings, mostly houses and taverns or inns. Behind the palace, stands the stave-wood church of Ergensos, entirely made of timber and adorned with carvings of creatures and plant life alike, some long since extinct or gone unseen for centuries.

Type

Capital

Population

213,120

Related Ethnicities

• Havdirian

Inhabitant Demonym

Havdirian

Owning Organization

Jarldom of Havdir