Kérduin

Introduction

The city of Kérduin is the equally thousands of years old but also only provisory capital of the Duiniken people after they were driven from their homelands. It lies on the eastern shore of Erana. It is now the biggest city in the East, having profited a lot from the highly developped culture of its founders, not to forget their strong vow to one day return and reclaim their homeland in current day Tarrabaenia. Nonetheless Kérduin is almost unknown in the West - a mere legend for most whom it might concern. Being shielded from the Tarrabaenians and Messellat Mdûlûn by geography and two other cultural landscapes that prevent direct contact, Kérduin and the Duiniken could grow and thrive out of the sight of their enemies.

Function

Today, Kérduin is the capital of the Duiniken and it has been founded to take that role from the very beginning. No other city in Nuat Duinis Talou is as big and as well fortified. Kérduin is a gem of a city and a fortification without comparison among its contemporaries. Not only does it have a two-tier city wall system, where one ring can defend the other, of the rings are also broad enough to offer space for horses and small carriages. Leading architects of the time after the move eastward planned it with the utmost care and multiple generations worked on its realisation. The city centre is dominated by the Téter Táhh, where the Duiniken king and the most important institutions of the Duinikens are housed.

History

Planning of the city started around the year 850, when the Duinikens defeat in the West had become a reality. In their new home the Duiniken had neighbours they feared: To the North is a forest, growing from the plains up into the mountains. It is home to a Suadleyn kingdom, the Kunidani Ginênyêbve (Kingdom of the Golden Leaves), which the Duiniken just call 'Snamait Tu'eit' (enemy in the North). The perceived threat by these elves, although conflicts were few and mostly initiated by the Duiniken themselves, instigated the Duiniken even more, to build a city almost impossible to conquer.

Step by step, over the course of 30 years, the Téter Táhh was erected after the first ring wall was fully functioning and the place was deemed sufficiently secured. Finally around the year 900 of the Era of the Earth, works on the second ring wall started. These took longer to complete, until die mid 940, as the second ring is much bigger than the first.

Over the centuries, other settlements began to grow in Nuat Duinis Talou, as the general area was only thinly settled and the Duiniken could drive away the local residents with ease. This resulted in a network of streets being built, that connected every corner of Nuat Duinis Talou to Kérduin. Trade, although Kérduin is close to Madini and Andaperna, ran through other, smaller cities, as to not direct too much attention on Kérduin. The good communications were the important factor that kept Kérduin from losing its leading position within Nuat Duinis Talou, with every aspect of trade and exchange being ultimately regulated by and through Kérduin authorities.

Type

Capital