Hesten Down
The second-most busy port of the kingdom, Hesten Down is also the seat for the Barony of Hesten. As such, it serves as a major governmental and trade hub for the Great Ocean coast for the kingdom, especially as Northlanders so often raid the Duchy of Monrovia. Some raids reach as far south as Hesten Down, but these are usually small affairs that are seeking out easy pickings. They do not find any in the baron’s lands.
Much like the coast of Monrovia to the north, the coast of the Barony of Hesten is lined with watchtowers. In the event of an attack, signals would be sent along the line to Hesten Down to alert the nobles and call out the militia. A good road, unpaved but well-maintained, runs the coast and links up with a similar road in Monrovia. When longships are spotted, a small army can be rapidly gathered and sent to intercept. At the same time, Royal Galleys launch from Hesten Down and cut the Northlanders off from escape to sea. Rarely does this result in a fight, for the Northlanders are wise enough to see when they are outclassed, and there just might be easier pickings elsewhere.
Hesten Down itself has never been attacked. The harbor is protected by a long breakwater studded with towers that juts out into the sea. The city defenses face the ocean, though a sturdy wall protects the landward side as well. With the wealth he has accumulated from the trade that passes through his city, the baron is able to maintain hundreds of men-at-arms and scores of knights.
It is this well-protected trade that supports Hesten Down, and to a lesser extent the entire barony. True, feudal rights and levies help and the land is rich, but they are dwarfed by the amount of gold that passes through the harbor. The current baron seeks to increase this and has converted most of his holdings into cash crops. So far, the bound peasants haven’t starved, but their food supply is becoming precarious.
Settlement
Hesten Down, City of
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