Dorröhaven

"Unremarkable by every measure: unimpressive, dreary, uninspired. However, there is undeniable charm to its mundanity- the innate familiarity each and every traveller feels coming through its gates. It had been a mystery to me why and how such a city lives in the shadow of the capital... now it is not. Why? Their pride: one of the strongest forces to grace the earth- they bowed once- never again. How? House Dorröchk was founded on the promise that the Dorrök people would survive in the new world, and they have made good on that promise. Let it be known that to some, the capital of this Lordship rests further west." - Quillbeard, in Chronicle of the Houses

Founded in 4079 MRE, Dorröhaven was born out of strife and spiteful exile as the beaten Dorrok people had been forced west by the truimphant Gwerrithian Cairnships. Nevertheless, the Dorrok did what no other humans had done before: they founded and built a walled city of stone. They were the first to outgrow wood and mud, the first to marvel at the deeds of other races and follow in their footsteps. In this regard, Dorröhaven was monumental, and it defined the decades that came after as a trade power in a region to which large-scale trade was an alien concept. Sadly, this supremacy would not last long in the grand scheme of things, and Girith Broadbane's seige and destruction of the city (4123-4125 MRE) sealed Dorröhaven's secondary place at the newly yewn Gwendorian table of power. It's with this backdrop that the new Dorröhaven was built: second place. The groups that coalesed around old Dorröhaven's ruins set a course of redemption, focusing on reestablishing Dorröhaven as the trade centre it was before the Seige and Girith's Crusade. As the decades wore on, and construction efforts continued, House Dorröchk formed as mighty families and guilds came together under the banner of salvation for their beloved city.

As it stands now, in the modern era, Dorröhaven has been- by and large- restored to its former glory as the trade capital of the western world: seeing more maritime trade than any other settlement in the Lordship. Whether this fact is impressive in the face of the location of Gwendor, Lord's Redoubt being up-river, who's to say. Regardless, the markets and guildhalls of Dorröhaven are unrivalled, especially in wake of The Magnate's Revolt that reduced the capital's guild scene to smoke, blood and rubble till recent years. In many ways, the city is the epitome of reliability and consistency, making it an ideal competitor to the more risk-prone and tempremental Lord's Redoubt. Accordingly, the city's districts are almost all dominated by the markets at their centre, with each major district falling under the control of one of House Dorröchk's major internal factions. The conflicts between these factions are rarely publicly violent, and more often resolved in smoke-filled rooms behind closed doors. This factionalism provides the basis for Dorröhaven's functional independance from much of the rest of the Lordship. The power of each faction within their respective trade and niche enables the city to operate as an autonomous entity in most respects, be it civic governance, trade or tax. 

In accordance with this independence, Dorröhaven has many internal policies and institutions unique to the city, all of which are sustained by family-led guilds within the House. Often, affiliates of these factions occupy roles in government and administration, allowing for close collaboration between private and public interest for the improvement of public services. The best known manifestations of this are education system through which every child of House descent is put, and the limited welfare system that supports House members and their affiliates. Not only this, but the beaucracy of Dorröhaven is practically entirely under the control of private businesses, beyond the reaches of The Astraticus. In reality, these 'private businesses' are once again simply extensions of House Dorröchk, providing the House with even more influence within the city, and power to implement reforms. These conditions have fostered a healthier and better educated static population than anywhere else in the world, and the benefits are felt by thousands. 

These thousands have among them a wealth of professions, but the majority are artisans or tradespeople. Those who do not have a trade for themselves work in aid of others, predominantly in the city's legendary dockyards and workshops performing meanial tasks that underpin the highly ritualised process of shipbuilding. To a large proportion of these workers, ship building is a near-holy artform, the orchestrators of which are revered as sacred people, and the products of which are practically secularly worshipped as relics of human achievement. This tradition is the most renowned example of the preserved Dorrok identity that survived the Seige, and has persisted into the modern age.
Those who fill the streets further from the banks busy themselves with humble professions such as weaving, (non-marine) carpentry or cobbling. These artisans are the backbone of Dorröhaven's transitory economy: the rock on which the shipbuilding industry is built. Many of these people will also hold rooms to rent, complimenting the inns and taverns of the city with short and long stay rooms for travelling labourers whose profession is tied entirely to the eb and flow of ship construction. It is in this way that the city sustains itself consistently, while relying on one of the most sporadic industries in the known world.

"To hear the wind in the tower's stones is to have heard life's most bountiful gift." - etching that can be found in the foundation stones of Tower Dorrök

Founding Date

4079 MRE

Alternative Name(s)

The Viež-Domov, The Tower Home

Type

City

Population

~250,000 (seasonal rotations apply)

Inhabitant Demonym

Dorrökian, Dorravian, Havenite

Ruling/Owning Rank

Magvatus Dor

Owning Organization

House Dorröchk