Brineven City
People from the southern city-states are often surprised by the amount of green as they walk through the streets of Brineven. Even poorer homes often have a flower or herb box outside their windows and most homes have green space in the back, or share a small yard between them where children play. The predominant style of house is a white plaster with dark framing and tile roof. All of these things give the city a brighter and more natural feel than any of its sister-cities.
There is a resolution before the House of Council to change the city's name to Brinador, to honor the founder of Brineven.
Demographics
(approximate numbers): 79% human (13,000), 9% halfling (1,500), 5% alfar (800), 3% elf (500), 2% dwarf (300), 2% other (300)
Government
While Grand Duke Arthien is technically ruler of the city, he spends more time on running the grand duchy. He has appointed Lord-Mayor Ederic of House Cormaeril to run the city bureaucracy, which is distinct from the duchy bureaucracy. Brinador Hall is located in Central Exchange, just to the west of the grand marketplace.
Defences
Each district has their own district guard, led by a guard captain. The captains meet daily with Guard Commander Elias Caldorn at his offices in the House of Fair Judgment in Central Exchange. Here the captains work together, reassigning guards and patrols based on city needs.
Industry & Trade
Brineven City has many industries, it imports raw materials and exports finished goods. It is well-known for its fine woodworking, and Brin furnishings are sought out in cities across the Westlands. Outlying farms and river fishing provide much of the food the city needs, but trade is important to keep the city fed. Many trading coasters and companies operate out of the city.
Culturally, Brins are known for their love of theater, with many of the most famous plays and playwrights hailing from the city. It's Mac-Fuirmidh College is known as one of the great seven bardic colleges, and Neldath University is one of the greatest colleges in the land.
A curious invention, only decades old, came from Brineven City. A gnomish inventor, Bilbron Pilwicken, impressed by local artists using woodcutting to created prints, redefined the process and created presses than could be used for printing pamphlets and other written material. These printing presses have made the written word much more accessible to the masses and orders for these printing presses continue to come in from all over the Westlands.
Districts
Before the war, Brineven is broken up into 18 districts, each home to 1,500 people or more, now many districts have merged due to the loss in population. Fieldstone and Crown’s Crossing are now just known as The Central Exchange, while the Estates, Hightown and Roundhall have merged into Highhaven. Blackford Commons merged into Dunbar Commons and the Ardal Bridge District is considered part of Southbank. While Brinhenge Park, Saint Aldiss, Barge Row and Neldath Hill remain unchanged, Even Soldier’s Shelf is now governed directly as part of Palace Hill.
Palace Hill (Castle Brinador)
Home of King Arthien and the government of Brineven, Palace Hill is the highest point in the city. From the central tower, one has a spectacular view of the city as it sweeps downhill to the Glendyr River. The palace is located in the inner bailey, while Emerald Hall, the seat of the House of Council, along with the Brineven Treasury sits in the middle bailey. The outer Bailey houses the Royal Guard and the Feryth Aran. Outside the castle walls, called Soldier's Shelf are the Embassy Halls and the Dragon Citadel, central home to the forces of Brineven.Central Exchange
Just below Castle Brinador lies the Central Exchange district, the center of trade and business in Brineven, the Central Exchange revolves around the fortress-like Brineven Exchange, the bank of Brineven, and Market Hall, a huge indoor marketplace across from Brineven Exchange. While Market Hall is reserved for the truly wealth merchants, the Grand Market sees a continuously revolving slate of stalls and merchant wagons.Neldath Hill
To the west of Central Exchange rests Neldath Hill, home to Neldath University, one of the greatest centers of learning in all the Westlands. King Neldath was one of the first kings of Brineven, and he understood that his people needed to be educated. He funded the college which bears his name, attracting scholars and sages from across the empire at the time. The college has expanded over the years, and is one of the largest complexes in the city, second only to Castle Brinador. Older students who wish to study the arcane may also enroll concurrently in Archewood Hall of the Prismatic Order or Maddaford College of the Arcanum, both located on Neldath Hill.Highhaven
East and north of Central Exchange, Highhaven is the home of the wealthy. Most of the nobility of Brineven have homes in Highhaven, far from the stink of the docks, but close enough to the hustle and bustle of the Exchange. The largest homes and estates are in the western part of the district, where the land rises sharply up to Palace Hill. As you move east through the district, the homes get slightly smaller. Here the rising families of Brineven stake their claim, hoping to move to the western Highhaven estates. The southernmost neighborhood of the district is known as Roundhall for the Roundhall theater, center of Brineven culture. The Mac-Fuirmidh bardic college stands nearby.Saint Aldiss
This district was once known as sunnyside until the Sun Fane chose to build a large cathedral facing east. During the war, a lesser priest named Aldiss, barely out of acolyte robes, found himself facing one of the main wings of the bugbear army. The story says that Aldiss challenged the bugbear warchief to single combat. As the chief’s Morningstar smashed Aldiss’ chest in, a blinding flash erupted from the martyr and the bugbear army was blinded long enough for the Knights in Green to respond to the attack. The cathedral was rededicated to Saint Aldiss, and the entire district was renamed in the lowly priest’s honor.Brinhenge Park
Brinhenge Park extends outward from the Brinhenge, an ancient henge that predates the city. The actual henge, which is still used as a place of worship by members of the Green Faith, is surrounded by a ring of huge Shadowtop trees. Paths wend through the trees and greenery and gardens, both formal and natural, surprise walkers around many turns. In the southern portion of Brinhenge Park is a thriving elven neighborhood centered on the Temple of Silver Stars.Dunbar Commons
Dunbar Commons is an older section of town. The district wraps around Dunbar Close – formal gardens that have been maintained since the founding of the city. The district has a quiet, some say stodgy, feel to it. Here a traveler can find the Temple of Eiralys, who was once high priestess of Mons Voce and the Old College along with the Map House, which was once the location of the Vault of Wisdom, before it moved west to Neldath Hill. To the west of Dunbar Close, the district gets a bit livelier, Four Corner Square has been host to bards and street performers for the last fifty years, there is even a permanent stage set up in the center of the square which was once used by town criers.Oakenbank
The center of logging and woodcraft for a city known for its woodcraft, the Architecture and woodwork common in Oakenbank has no equal. The sounds of the smithies and the bustle of industry dominates the district. New Crown’s Crossing, a scaled down version of Market Hall doesn’t have the fine shops and expensive wares of its big brother, but most anything a common man could need can be purchased here.Barger's Row
The docks of Brineven overlook the Arthys River, once a major thoroughfare carrying trade to Darcos and Tarnauld. The river is still one of the safer ways to transport goods to and from Tarnauld, but the drop off in trade left many businesses bankrupt. There is a thriving Tarnish neighborhood here, surrounding a large guildhall named Tarn-Trader’s Place. Though the Tarn-Traders in Brineven would be eaten alive by their brethren in the city of Tarnauld. Many dive bars, taverns, billiard halls and other entertainments can be found “in the Row” and many gamblers, conmen, prostitutes and beggars infest the alleys and smaller byways of Barge Row.Southbank
Across the Ardal Bridge is the district of Southbank. Southbank fared poorly in the war and is now little more than a slum. Those who can’t afford to stay in the city may find rooms at the Nightgate Inn or have drinks at Sulchra's, if they can stand the stench of the tanneries and leatherworkers mixed with the smells of the fishmarkets. They say anything can be bought or sold in Southbank, if you know the right people.Guilds and Factions
Leadership
- Grand Duke Arthien Brunwin
- Lord Mayor Ederic Cormaeril
- Guard Commander Elias Caldorn
Religious
- Dylar Stargazer (male elf cleric) First Priest of the Seldarine Temple of Silver Stars
- Gideon Culfast (human male cleric), High Priest of Saint Aldiss Cathedral (Sun Fane)
- Janthra Dauntil (human female cleric) High Priestess of the Temple of Eiralys, Mons Voce
- Talshandra Byar (alfar female druid), chief keeper of Brinhenge
Others
- Master Bard Forell Lugaun (male human bard) Head of Mac-Fuirmidh Bardic College
- Sir Osgood Fairbain (human male banker), chief of the Brineven Exchange
- Headmaster Vilareen Nimral (human male scholar), Master of Neldath University
- Loremaster Graland Sefton (human male wizard), Head of Maddaford College, home of the Arcanum
- Edmund Etchells (human male sorcerer), head of Archewood Hall, home of the Prismatic Order
Alternative Name(s)
Brinador
Population
16,400
Inhabitant Demonym
Brins
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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