Nordstar
Nordstar is a quarry city located right at the edge of the mountains that comprise Bellator's Teeth in the Oran Mountain Range. It's quarries were once the source of stone for large swathes of northern Antecea, utilizing the Nexus to eliminate the need to travel across the dangerous and volatile Ardlands. The city there at the time was called Petram, and it too was destroyed when the empire fell.
In 721 EP, a new city was built on the ruins of Petram and the quarries were reopened. Initially, this was to aid in the construction of the newly founded Lunar Forum's Citadel. It soon became clear though that the stone here ran deep and was of far too high a quality to pass up. Thus, Nordstar was founded. The largest hurdle, however, was shipping the stone to the cities of the south. The Ardlands were dangerous and the humans who had reclaimed the quarries did not have access to anything like the Nexus to subvert the journey. And so a massive undertaking began: a massive, raised highway was built that cut through the Ardlands, making it possible for large caravans to travel safely and smoothly over the rough terrain and avoid the brunt of the dangerous animals that stalked the badlands below.
The city saw several hundred years of growth, expanding into a sizable city despite its seclusion. The construction of the highway itself caused for a huge influx in workers, and beyond that there were many intrepid projects to the south that required copious amounts of stone as humanity continued to grow to new heights in the region. The builders of the city also reached out to the dwarves of Kal Nerroth and brought in a great number of dwarven artisans and engineers. Likewise, the safety of the city's walls attracted a number of wanderers and nomadic tribes who lived in the wilds who brought with them their trades of hunting and fur working. This lead to a sort of renaissance where, for a time, Nordstar was known for its fine fur and leather as much as it was its stone.
However, all good things must come to an end. As Crucible reached its zenith, the demand for stonework declined. Then, in 741 EP, freshly after Renaren's line was ousted, Stone's Landing was founded to the south as a colony of Crucible, whose easy access and direct ties to the city made it impossible to compete; despite their quarries producing a slightly lesser quality stone. With that, the need for Nordstar completely vanished, but the city remained. It became almost entirely self-sufficient, save for trade with Kal Nerroth and serving as a launching ground for trips into the mountains to reach the Lunar Forum (but even then, most travelers will opt to go by the sea). Despite being effectively cut off from the rest of the world, Nordstar thrived.
Today, it boasts an impressive military comprised of squads that regularly journey out beyond developed land to seek out and eliminate threats before they reach settlements as well as constantly patrol what little farmland there is from both roaming beasts and marauders.
Government. Nordstar is ruled by a democratic monarchy in which a king rules until death or they step down, but is selected and appointed by the people, who can also choose to remove him at any time if a majority rules that he is no longer in the best interests of the people.
Currently, the King of Stone is a man named Endren Faen, a human in his mid-thirties who succeeded the previous King Velum ten years ago. He was elected as a populace candidate who promised to expand Nordstar's reach into the Ardlands and has already developed several new farmsteads and expanded the army to protect it. He is popular for being a voice of reason and a staunch defender of the common man, though it was his noble blood (the Faens are an esteemed family in Nordstar) that ultimately got him the position. The previous King had shown clear favoritism in his rulings on trade disputes and land squabbles (a common complaint in Nordstar) and many were quietly relieved when the old man finally passed.
In 721 EP, a new city was built on the ruins of Petram and the quarries were reopened. Initially, this was to aid in the construction of the newly founded Lunar Forum's Citadel. It soon became clear though that the stone here ran deep and was of far too high a quality to pass up. Thus, Nordstar was founded. The largest hurdle, however, was shipping the stone to the cities of the south. The Ardlands were dangerous and the humans who had reclaimed the quarries did not have access to anything like the Nexus to subvert the journey. And so a massive undertaking began: a massive, raised highway was built that cut through the Ardlands, making it possible for large caravans to travel safely and smoothly over the rough terrain and avoid the brunt of the dangerous animals that stalked the badlands below.
The city saw several hundred years of growth, expanding into a sizable city despite its seclusion. The construction of the highway itself caused for a huge influx in workers, and beyond that there were many intrepid projects to the south that required copious amounts of stone as humanity continued to grow to new heights in the region. The builders of the city also reached out to the dwarves of Kal Nerroth and brought in a great number of dwarven artisans and engineers. Likewise, the safety of the city's walls attracted a number of wanderers and nomadic tribes who lived in the wilds who brought with them their trades of hunting and fur working. This lead to a sort of renaissance where, for a time, Nordstar was known for its fine fur and leather as much as it was its stone.
However, all good things must come to an end. As Crucible reached its zenith, the demand for stonework declined. Then, in 741 EP, freshly after Renaren's line was ousted, Stone's Landing was founded to the south as a colony of Crucible, whose easy access and direct ties to the city made it impossible to compete; despite their quarries producing a slightly lesser quality stone. With that, the need for Nordstar completely vanished, but the city remained. It became almost entirely self-sufficient, save for trade with Kal Nerroth and serving as a launching ground for trips into the mountains to reach the Lunar Forum (but even then, most travelers will opt to go by the sea). Despite being effectively cut off from the rest of the world, Nordstar thrived.
Today, it boasts an impressive military comprised of squads that regularly journey out beyond developed land to seek out and eliminate threats before they reach settlements as well as constantly patrol what little farmland there is from both roaming beasts and marauders.
Government. Nordstar is ruled by a democratic monarchy in which a king rules until death or they step down, but is selected and appointed by the people, who can also choose to remove him at any time if a majority rules that he is no longer in the best interests of the people.
Currently, the King of Stone is a man named Endren Faen, a human in his mid-thirties who succeeded the previous King Velum ten years ago. He was elected as a populace candidate who promised to expand Nordstar's reach into the Ardlands and has already developed several new farmsteads and expanded the army to protect it. He is popular for being a voice of reason and a staunch defender of the common man, though it was his noble blood (the Faens are an esteemed family in Nordstar) that ultimately got him the position. The previous King had shown clear favoritism in his rulings on trade disputes and land squabbles (a common complaint in Nordstar) and many were quietly relieved when the old man finally passed.
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