Kél (kĕl)
Kél is the largest southern Qh’énnish city, located at the bottom of the Great Qh'énnish Plain before the foothills and mountains of the Northern Har range. It was built on the ruins of two previous cities, Cāllen’ter—which was a Callessai city, originally founded by the western branch of the Northern Yssians—and the ancient Crahnnor capital city of the Kingdom of the Green Dwarves, Òrennéii-nor. It now serves as the major north-south trading hub between Qh’énns and the Daoshi. The southern regional dialect of Qh’énnish is called Kélish for its proximity to the city. The Kélish dialect tends to drop /h/ initials, some terminal consonants, and simplifies complex consonantal blends.
Demographics
Although built upon the ruins of the multi-ethnic and culturally diverse city of Cāllen'ter—which itself was built upon the ruins of the Òrennéii city of Crahnnor—the population of Kél is almost completely uniformly made of ethnic Qh'énns. Unsurprisingly, most of the southern Qh'énns in the Rhenn and Annhr baronies, are of the Qh'énnish subethnicity call the Kélish. Because of the alliegence of House Dermrhein with House Annhr—Lord Baron Gstie Annhr is famously a toady of Dermrhein—and the Ghestentyi-i chapterhouse there is a not insignificant number of northern Qh'énns resident in the city. There is no significant number of non-humans; traders from Dhaoshee and Mbaran merchant houses are also present in small numbers.
Government
A nominal regional governor manages the affairs of the city of Kél, but the real power comes from the baronial seat at Ursroke. The regional governor is largely a puppet-figure head or merely an administrator. He—the position is always held by a male of noble blood—takes his orders from the Baron's agents, who in turn report to Lord Baron Gstie Annhr (who, truth be told, reports to Lord Baron Dermrhein).
Defences
The city is famously unwalled, although the ruins of the previous cities before it, provide a sort of twisting labyrinth that would at the very least, slow an invading party. However, the city relies on the nearby Knights of Gh'en—the Ghestenyi—many of whom reside in the city, and whose secondary chapterhouse is close enough to aid Kél should it be imperiled. Whilst as a trade hub, it might be quite a jewel to capture, any would-be conqueror would have to wade well inland through the neighbouring baronies or from the east coast and thus pass through the second largest area controlled directly by the Ghestenyi. Unlike the cities upon which is was built, Kél is secure.
Industry & Trade
Kél is the largest trading hub in the southern half of Qh'énnshaiyn. Goods from Mbaran traders come through Port Mỳdr inland in the east and from Dhaoshee to the south. Northern goods from the other baronies are converge at Kél and are then dispersed along the Taos Ghestrè river, trade routes south through the Har mountain ranges, or east along the Maraghère road to Port Mỳdr.
Red Seal of Kél
The Seal of the City of Kél
by
BJRP
The seal of the city of Kél. Derived from the Callessai sources, possibly predating the Old Empire, a variant of a Northern Yssian familial seal.
Founding Date
Circa 159 QA
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
Kael, Crahntéior, Cāllen'ter, Crahnnor
Type
City
Population
approximately 22,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Kélish
Owning Organization
Comments