Markhan
"The royal city of Wyeth and the High Seat of the West..."
When the nation of Wyeth was formed nearly 3,000 years ago, the seat of its power was established in the small city of Markhan, named for the first king of Wyeth (Markhan Wyeth). Nobody could anticipate the rate of growth the fledgeling nation would adopt, and it soon became apparent that the capitol city would not be able to grow enough to accommodate the population burst. Thankfully, the neighboring seaport of Angleport was indeed growing at a comparable rate, and it was a vassal of Wyeth already.
Before long Angleport, more out of necessity rather than desire, became the unofficial capitol city of Wyeth, to the degree that even many members of the royal court lived within its walls (rather than in Markhan).
Despite this adjustment, Markhan still held the realm's greatest castle, The Keep of Aranost, from which the king of Wyeth ruled. After the "War for the West" (see History, below), the Keep of Aranost was ruined. The stone and steel from the ruins were magically reshaped and transported to the nearby (100 miles due east) "Vale of the Kings," where the ruined castle was reshaped into the monument of Aranost (one of the great wonders of the world, see article: Kings' Barrow & Monument of Aranost).
On the spot of the original keep, a new Aranost Keep was built, stronger and taller than the original. Since its establishment, the new keep has never been penetrated.
Today, the city of Markhan still serves as the royal home of the king and much of his court. However, the number of court session occurring within the city bounds have been drastically reduced since the "glory days," with minor members of the court conducting their business in Angleport (where they live). Aranost Keep still maintains its great audience hall, and any significant court session, and all foreign dignitaries, are still met within the grand room.
Demographics
Nearly all human, with approximately 8% of the remaining population split between elves, dwarves and gnomes.
Government
Directly ruled by the King of Wyeth and his court. The day-to-day governance of the city is left to the Royal Mayor, appointed by the king.
Defences
A variety of soldiers and knights defend the city en masse, the most famous of which being the Knights of the Spear (or simply, The Spear), who take their orders directly from the king. All in all, the garrison city maintains an active army of 6,000 soldiers and 800 knights. An additional garrison of 20,000 soldiers and 4,000 knights is but a stone's throw away, within the walls of Angleport. Further forces can be mustered at will from the vassal cities that have sworn fealty to the king.
Industry & Trade
Markhan is not known for trade, as Angleport is too close for the tiny city to make a mark of its own. That being said, the fine smiths of Markhan do produce (and sometimes distribute) some of the finest arms and armor in the entire west.
Infrastructure
The small city no longer maintains much in the way of an active infrastructure, beyond of course simple city works such as a modern sewer system. Much of the citizens' daily needs are met by the bordering city of Angleport.
Assets
Markhan is fully prepared for an extended siege, and is basically outfitted as a garrison city. Beyond this, it acquires other necessities directly from Angleport.
Guilds and Factions
No official guilds are represented within the walls of Markhan. At least officially. Interest groups abound within the royal court, and much jockeying for position occurs on a daily basis, with even the Thieves' Guild of Zanzakkar seeking the favor of the crown.
History
Taken from the article "The War for the West"...
The War for the West marked the first major threat to the nascent throne of Wyeth. It began when a competing kingdom, the Monarchy of Nerithar challenged the sovereignty of Markhan Wyeth's fledgeling nation. This led to a nearly hundred year, bloody conflict with wins and losses on both sides.
One defining moment was the destruction of the seat of Wyeth itself, the castle of Aranost, and the sacking of the capital city. By all accounts, the war should have ended there, but Markhan Wyeth was always a tough and stubborn ruler. He marshaled his forces into a retreat to what is now the new seat of Wyeth. At the time, it was a holding of the newly prominent city of Angleport, and Markhan subjugated it for his own purposes.
From here, the forces of Wyeth planned a counter strike, one giant "battle for all" on the contested fields of Lygold, set perfectly between the two nations (a neutral territory at that time). The battle that ensued was so violent that Lygold was since renamed "The Sodden Fields" or "The Fields of Blood."
Through superior tactics, if not superior numbers, Wyeth fractured and routed Nerithar's lines. Then they marched on Nerithar's capital, leveling it to the ground. Nerithar sued for peace shortly after.
As a condition of their surrender, the nation of Nerithar would dissolve, yet it would not be fully absorbed by Wyeth. In fact, the crown allowed the fractured holdings of Nerithar to become "self ruled," thus forming what we know of today as The Freemantle. Further Wyethian kings have occasionally come to regret that decision, as they've been plagued by infighting and attempts on the crown many times since giving the fractured states their autonomy.
Most are uncertain of why Markhan Wyeth decided to divide his conquered lands in this manner. Many chose to become vassal states to Wyeth, but some operated out of true independence. Some think Markhan simply feared dealing with the governance of that many squabbling holdings. Others think that it might have had to do with the related expenses. Either way, the Freemantle has been "self ruled" ever since, save for the brief period when the free cities came together to challenge the crown, only a few hundred years past.
Architecture
Stone dominates the structural design of the city, with even the most inconsequential public building being predominantly made of, at least, brick and mortar. The castle Aranost was built behind a great wall of stone and steel. Ultimately, this did not make a difference for the original archetecture, and the keep eventually still fell.
Geography
Sitting on the edge of the Inner Sea, Markhan lies just south of Angleport, essentially sharing it's norther border with the greatest city in all the west.
Natural Resources
Known most for its dwarven smiths, the armory of Markhan is one of the finest in all the west. Markhan is a repository of a great portion of the metal ore from the mines of both the Blight and the northern reaches just below it.
Alternative Name(s)
The High Seat of Wyeth, Aranost
Type
City
Population
12,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Wyethians
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments