City of Lorancourt
The City of Lorancourt is the largest settlement and the seat of ducal authority in the Duchy of Lorancourt. It is located on the southern banks of the Caldar River at a point where the river narrows between to steep rocky bluffs. It is at this point that the mighty river allows itself to be bridged. The Bridge at Lorancourt is the only bridge over the Caldar River east of The Junn Steppe and is a wonder of the known world.
The City is a busy and vibrant community of more than 12,000 souls living within its newly-completed walls. Large neighborhoods of Halflings, Dwarves and Gnomes exist peacefully and profitably along the riverfront and within the walls, as well as in the surrounding farmlands. Frieghters, carters and shippers do brisk and busy work moving tons of produce and materials both overland and along the river, both from north-to-south and east-to-west. Both river traffic and the travel and trade of the King's Road focus at the city's gates.
Demographics
More than half the population of the city is Human and another third is Halfling (living mostly along the river). There is also a large community of Dwarves and Gnomes living just outside the city's main gate that numbers more than 1,800 souls. Most of these Dwarves are Blackbeard or Redfist, and all are actively employed by the Duke.
Government
Directly ruled by the Duke of Lorancourt in the name of the High King of Imesse and the King of Lesser Imesse. The Duke employs several key officials and nobles to assist him in his administration of both the city and the duchy at large. Chief among these are the Castellan of Lorancourt, the Watch Commander, the Duke's Steward and the Lord Commander of the Bridge.
Defences
The City of Lorancourt maintains and quarters a full four companies of soldiers and one of cavalry. Two are stationed at the southern approaches to the towers at all times (both Blackguard Companies), while the others (Companies of Foot) are rotated through the rest of the city's defenses regularly, and the cavalry patrol the exterior roads and walls daily. The gates are closed every sunset, and do not open again until one hour after sunrise.
Industry & Trade
Just upstream of the bridge (to the west of the city) is a large river port. Drydocks, slips, quays and canals can tend to as many as 200 vessels every day. There are similar facilities on the north bank, as well.
Infrastructure
Much of the city is newly constructed by the Duke. The castle is nearly all new, with only the inner bailey and the old square keep remaining from the old fortress. The city walls are freshly completed and of the latest design using the finest materials available. Roads are paved with cobble and crushed stone. Many multistory buildings are of stone. The city inside the walls have sewers that can be opened to the flow of the river periodically to keep the city clean of refuse and odor. The city has no fewer than ten public fountains fed by deep stone-lined wells where the residents can freely gather fresh cold water whenever they need. There are four public bathhouses where residents can bath in a series of cold, tepid and near-scalding waters as well as purchase shaves, haircuts and massages whenever required.
Districts
The are several distinct districts here. Just outside the walls of the city are several neighborhoods called Walton (wall-town), the area closest to the castle itself is called Castle Hill (the old keep and bailey were built on a large motte and the whole was surrounded by a wet moat), to the southeast of Castle Hill is the Market Quarter, to the southwest of Castle Hill is the Bridge Gate district (the gate leads to the fortress at the south end of the great bridge). Beyond the Bridge Gate district is the River District, where the bulk of the river-born commercial and passenger traffic is centered.
Assets
All other assets aside, the bridge over the river is the single greatest asset in the duchy. With toll revenues exceeding 100,000 guilders annually, it is a staggeringly huge income generator. That is the reason for the duchy's obsessive focus on defense.
Guilds and Factions
The city is very supportive of the Duke, and of King Mak II. There are representatives of other political factions within the city (Hekmo, the High King, Wessridge and Len Doa all have offices and embassies in the city), but the amount of trade and business that is accomplished here is simply too profitable to risk with petty antics.
History
Prior to the formation of the duchy, Lorancourt was a briar seat for the King at Southridge. When Lomain was made Duke, he chose Lorancourt for his seat and over the last 15 years has spent tens of thousands of guilders to turn the sleepy little river town into an economic powerhouse.
Points of interest
The Bridge of Lorancourt is the primary point of interest. A stone and wood drawbridge spanning more than 100' and more than 30' wide takes one across the deepest (and narrowest) point in the river, then a stone-arch bridge carries one across the rest of the river to the City of Lorancourt itself.
Another point of interest is the Castle of Lorancourt. Actually three castles in one: the oldest portion is the original motte and keep of the first castle built here more than 200 years ago The curtain wall surrounding the motte defines the current "inner bailey" which is joined to the more modern "outer bailey" by a single newly-built gatehouse. This outer bailey is built around the new ducal "palace": a square-built five-story stone keep, 40' by 80' at the base and standing a full 65' high, this towering edifice is only a few dozen feet shorter than the older tower keep of the inner bailey which is built on a motte. Through a double gatehouse one comes into the next bailey (called the "new bailey") which covers more than three times the square yards of ground that the rest of the castle does. Ten new towers connected by strong curtain walls and a huge gatehouse surround the new bailey, and outside the walls is the old moat, since re-dug, lined with cut stone and filled with river water daily by a small windmill and chain pump.
The city has a large Temple of the Pantheon of Heaven faith. While quite large in its dimensions, it is not (yet) a Grand Temple. It is a temple administered by an Ecclesiast and is run by that Ecclesiast and five high priests and many other priests and acolytes. The Temple has shrines to eight of the Pantheon's divinities and is very popular with the local adherents to the faith.
There is a small but very beautifully constructed Druidic Holy House located on Castle Hill, very near to Lorancourt Castle. At teh opposite end of Castle Hill from the Holy House is a small but ornate shrine to Maranon for the few Maranonic faithful found in the city.
Tourism
There are a dozen quality inns and taverns in the city offering food, lodgings and baths to travellers. Most popular among these are the Carrigan House, the Walton Arms, the Fox Brush Inn and the Roaring Hearth.
Architecture
Much of the city is built of a dark basalt rock native to the area about eight miles to the south of the city, but some of the buildings and infrastructure is constructed of the reddish-tan sandstone found in the bluffs along the riverfront. These two distinct and contrasting materials give the City of Lorancourt a very lively and colorful look that is quite unique. Lorancourt Castle is built on the highest point of the city (made more so by the construction of the original motte upon which the old Keep was built), but much of the rest of the walled area of the city is also more than 150' higher than the average surface of the river. This means that many of the roads within the city have at least a slight slope to them and great care was taken to ensure that rain water (and waste) is always able to move down and away from the city with every rain.
Geography
The city is located at one of the narrowest points of the entire river. With steep bluffs on the north bank, and slightly more gradual heights on the south bank, this is an ideal and obvious location for a crossing point of the mighty Caldar River. With much of the river downstream of Lorancourt averaging a mile or more across, the 700-yards of river that The Bridge at Lorancourt crosses is the end of the section of river known regionally as the Caldar Narrows. To the south of the city begins the gradual rise in elevation that takes one from the fertile Caldar valley and into the high prairie of much of Lesser Imesse. Many small creeks and streams flow down out of this high prairie and empty into the river, but once past the source of these smaller watersheds, one is in a much drier and much more sparcely populated portion of the country.
Climate
Hot, dry summers with cold and sometimes very dry winters. Heavy spring rains can bring dangerous and destructive flash floods to many areas around the city.
Natural Resources
Plentiful sources of both sandstone and basalt rock for construction are found around the city, as are several deep and highly profitable deposits of very fine clay. Areas of annual flood provide fertile grounds for farming and ranching. The Caldar River is a source of almost unlimited fish, eels, fowl and small game. Groves of cottonwood, black walnut, maple, boxelder, chestnut and a huge number of very large and very ancient sycamores provide abundant timber resources that are used throughout the city and surrounding areas. The constant supply of fast-flowing water from the river makes industries such as leather tanneries and ore refining quite profitable.
Type
City
Population
12,000
Location under
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Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
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