Gate Town

The city of Gate Town is many things to many people. To those in the south, it serves as a barrier to the orcs and barbarians to the north. To those in the north is a line that separates the true survivors from soft southerners. To the many adventurers who pass through, it is a hive of scum and villainy. It is all those things, but to those living within it is home.

Demographics

Gate Town, as with all of Mandia, has a human majority, with halflings being a large part of the population as well. The city's place in the mountains means it has a much greater proportion of dwarves in its population, while proximity to the city of Veille gives it a higher than average population of elves and half-elves. Due to the orcs of The Wilderlands, Gate Town has the highest population of half-orcs in the Twin Worlds.

Government

Officially, sole rulership of Gate Town is given to a noble house by the king or queen of Mandia. As such, the lawful ruler is the lord or lady of House Rendell. The relative isolation from the rest of Mandia's nobility makes Gate Town more independent than most Mandian communities.
Unofficially, the city is almost more of a kleptocracy than lawful community. The city's criminal element is very organized, falling under a single guildmaster. The balance of power between the Guildmaster and Lord of Gate Town shifts based on who holds those positions, but it has never been out of balance enough to oust one or the other completely.

Defences

The city's main defensive feature is also the main purpose for its existence: the wall and the Great Gate that gives the city its name. This stone bulwark keeps the orcs at bay with companies of archers and pots of boiling oil. The orcs have not attacked in generations for exactly this reason.
Gate Town is far less well-defended from the south, lacking even a basic wall. The main defense is the lack of any real reason to invade. The source of trade into Eroch is not valuable enough to risk attacking from the south. The invaders will have to contend with little more than the narrow streets and the waiting blades of the Mandian soldiers garrisoned there.

Industry & Trade

There are three primary sources of income in the economy of Gate Town. The first is mining and quarrying. The location in the mountains makes it a prime source of stone and metal, and provides most of the legitimate work.
The second source of income lies in criminal activity. The power of the criminal underworld and the lack of honesty among the city guard makes Gate Town an ideal place for the buying and selling of stolen or illegal merchandise. The Society of Whispers in particular has been making a great deal of coin moving such goods through magical means.
The third source is far less stable and dependable: adventurers. It is not uncommon for Mandian adventurers to go into The Wilderlands to fight orcs. Such individuals pass into and out of Gate Town all the time, selling strange and valuable items from both sides of the Great Gate. The value of these adventurers to the economy is debatable due to their destabilizing presence.

History

In the early days in the history of Mandia, orcs could come from their home in the Wilderlands and raid the communities further south. None knew where these creatures came from despite many years of searching. It was only when a nameless ranger tracked their movements that he discovered the narrow mountain pass they used.
The king of Mandia immediately ordered the construction of a fort, preventing the orcs' passage. They attacked the builders mercilessly again and again, forcing construction to be restarted many times. Eventually, however, Fort Northpass was born.
The men and women of the fort held the line against the orcs for decades. This changed when the king of Mandia exiled many companies of mercenaries to the harsh lands beyond the wall. These exiles soon fought against the orcs themselves, distracting them from the much tougher Fort Northpass. Eventually the fort, itself became seen as something of an exile until it was finally closed.
Of course, even though the soldiers left, the structures remained. The abandoned fort soon became a haven for bandits and outlaws of every type. The coin that flowed through there allowed it to expand into a community of its own, free of the laws of civilized folk. It quickly became just as dangerous to nearby towns as the orcs had been.
The nearby nobles were forced into action. They ordered the full might of the Mandian army brought to bear against Fort Northpass. The disorganized band of outlaws couldn't defend themselves from such a force. Many simply fled, and some fought, but most found surrender favorable to death.
This created many issues in the newly liberated fort. It had grown far beyond a mere fort, and there were a great many criminals whose crimes could not be quantified. After a great deal of deliberation with the nobles, the queen gave it to the noble House Rendell, and instituted a pardon for all criminals who didn't take up arms in the reconquest. Gate Town was truly born.
The history of Gate Town was, if not peaceful, then uneventful. The next event of note was the invasion of Ansarien Ill'conter. Gate Town was the last of Mandia's cities to fall during the mad elf's invasion. They knew that they couldn't fight him off, so the ruling lord surrendered without a fight.
As easy as it was to take, it was far more difficult for the insane mage to hold. His enslavement of Mandia's human population led to many rebellions, but nowhere more so than in Gate Town. When the forces of Eldain Mal'atre marched on the city, the rebels seized it from Ansarien's thralls and joined Eldain's resistance before he even needed to assault the Great Gate.
When life in Mandia returned to normal in the wake of Eldain's victory, the same happened in Gate Town as well. Despite all efforts, the city simply can't let go of its lawless side.

Architecture

Gate Town is in the mountains, and still near enough to the foothills to make timber plentiful. As such, both wood and stone are used in equal measure in the construction of the city's buildings. The narrowness of the pass prevents larger structures, such as castles from being built.
Most buildings are constructed first from a timber frame. The walls are then made of crushed stone held together by mortar. The lack of space prevents large, ostentatious buildings, so even the homes of the wealthy are relatively modest in design.

Geography

Gate Town was created in a narrow mountain pass-- the only known pass into the Wilderlands. This has it bordered from the east and west by high stone cliffs. On the very northern edge of town lies a high stone wall, with the Great Gate right in the middle.
Due to its geography, the city is far longer than it is wide. Also, the tight spaces necessitated developing wherever there was room. This led to a lack of distinct districts and a layout that is a nightmare to newcomers.

Type

Large city

Population

approx. 50,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Gateman

Location under

Mandia

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Mandia