Castletown
Castletown is an Alandran city that serves as the seat of the Duchy of Tratheirásdacht (tra-thair-AWZ-dawkt). It is located on the north coast of King's Bay between Latschwell Bay and the Marldover Coast, west of Seascale. Castletown is ruled by the Duke of Tratheirásdacht (Duke Hamelin Sarsinghurst) in name only; the day-to-day administration is fulfilled by the Molten Court.
It is home to Alandr’s largest shipyard, O’Shannon Shipyards & Heavy Industries, and to the headquarters of the world’s most valuable and powerful company: the Consortium International of Tradesmen, which occupies the imposing gothic castle called Caer Caellyn. The town gets its name from its numerous stone castles. There are more than a dozen of these in town, each occupied by a different storied family: Carsley Keep, Angarth Hold, Darshire Fort, Sarsinghurst Castle, Harhorn Castle, Château d'Antission, Clermont Fort, Roucourt Palace, Armiston Castle, Carcanne Castle, Fort Lirac, and Slyborn Hold.
Demographics
| Ancestry | % |
|---|---|
| Human | 33 |
| Elf | 26 |
| Dwarf | 21 |
| Gnome | 9 |
| Other | 11 |
Government
Like its cousin Seascale, this fine city upon Latchswell Bay is governed by the wealthy. Unlike Seascale, however, Castletown does not feign democracy. The city is governed by plutarchy--the wealthy take unto themselves all power without regard for bribing voters or electors. Castletown has no shortage of wealthy individuals, and they all vie for a seat at the prestigious, or notorious, Molten Court--called Diagúdacht (DYAH-goo-dahkt) in the local dialect.
The Molten Court (Diagúdacht) is a five-person executive council whose chair is the CEO of the CIT by tradition. The remaining four chairs consist of wealthy, cutthroat, conniving politicians who constantly jockey among themselves for influence and prestige. The Diagúdacht meets inside the Reimfróng (REM-frong), an ancient dragon nest with a cavernous stone roof. (Legend has it that a mage of great power cast a protection spell upon the pit during a volcanic eruption, shielding the pit from the onslaught of lava. The lava then dried into its present, intimidating form.)
Castletown also acknowledges a ceremonial royal as its head. The town is technically the seat of the Duchy of Tratheirásdacht. Its lord is Duke Hamelin Sarsinghurst, of Sarsinghurst Castle. The title of Duke of Tratheirásdacht is lent to the leading family by the King of Alandr and can be revoked at any time.
Industry & Trade
Although much of Latchswell Bay's trade enters the continent through Castletown's sister city, Seascale, Castletown is an economic giant in its own right. Having outsourced much of its maritime regulation and defense across the bay, Castletown focuses its efforts on terrestrial goods.
Castletown mainly imports livestock, lumber, wine, and perfumes. Its main exports are basalt, granite, brick, and coal. It sources its earthen products from the legendary Mines of Élifro beneath the city. Its purple-laced black Kélifro Basalt is highly sought after due to its magical properties. Different veins of the rock are enchanted with various kinds of magic. Discerning students of the arcane--or equally determined geologists--can determine the enchantment based upon the color of the pulses in the rock.
Guilds and Factions
There is one major player in Castletown and all others are mere pretenders to the throne. The Consortium International of Tradesmen, by far the wealthiest and most powerful company on the planet, is headquartered there. No other organization can begin to compare with the CIT's influence.
The minor players include:
- O’Shannon Shipyards & Heavy Industries
- The Blackpicks, or Elisaétrail (ell-ih-saw-EH-trool), the local mason's guild
- The Red Sails, or Eilórrásuar (ell-or-rahs-OO-ar), a local union of mercenary sailors
- House Carsley
- House Angarth
- House Darshire
- House Sarsinghurst
- House Harhorn
- House Antission
- House Clermont
- House Roucourt
- House Armiston
- House Carcanne
- House Lirac
- House Slyborn
History
This impressive city's founding predates the Founding of the First Kingdom of Alandr. Its close cousin, Seascale, was founded first, but Castletown--originally named Tratheirásdacht--and its imposing natural fortifications and prolific mines accelerated its growth. The ancient Mines of Élifro (ELL-ih-fruh) beneath Castletown produce three kinds of stone: durable basalt, beautiful black-and-blue granite, and Kélifro (KELL-ih-fruh) Basalt.
Geography
Castletown straddles the craggy, basalt Islingkip Peninsula that juts out into King's Bay, separating Latchswell Bay from the Marldover Coast. Just beyond the city's eastern border, Braehellan Creek empties into the Castletown harbor. The air is humid and often foggy. The Islingkip Peninsula is thickly forested except for occasional scars from ancient lava floes.
Founding Date
2122 YGR
Founders
Type
Large city
Population
13,440
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Comments