Starkhaven
Starkhaven is an independent and prominent city-state of the Free Marches that lies on the banks of the Minanter River. It's the largest city of the Free Marches and the one of the most influential, along with Kirkwall.
Some regard Starkhaven as "pretentious".
Background
Starkhaven is the largest city in the Free Marches and one of the wealthiest. This independent city-state is ruled by the Vael family and has strong ties to the Chantry and its governance. The city has imposing walls: a curved mountain of earth crowned with concentric rings of tall gray stone. On the northern side, the Minanter River rushes through the water gate. The city itself is glimpsed from afar as a glory of marble palaces set on green hills and ringed by broad boulevards. It is a place of wealth and opulence, with many kingly estates with fountains and granite paths. Large sections of the city are decorated in fine materials like marble and gold. The royal palace in the heart of the city is made of marble, and the path to it is paved in granite. Starkhaven is also famed for its superbn cuisine, with its most famous disth being fish and egg pie. It is made with three deboned fresh fish, boiled eggs, dried fruit, spices, and thickened cream, topped with a light crust.Government
Starkhaven is governed by a Prince. Starkhaven has been ruled by the Vael family since the ousting of the self-anointed "King Ironfist," the last in a series of low-born warlords claiming sovereignty over the city. The first Prince Vael was proclaimed prince when he refused the title of king. The title has been hereditary.
Industry & Trade
Kirkwall is Starkhaven's largest trading partner.
History
Starkhaven, as well as the entire entity that is now known as the Free Marches, was formed following the end of the First Exalted March. Andraste's husband, Maferath, divided the land the barbarian army had conquered amongst his sons. One son was given the land around an Imperium city that had been conquered. This place later became the site for Starkhaven.
Some number of decades after the First Exalted March, Starkhaven's king was convinced by Tevinter magisters to jointly launch a series of military campaigns in an effort to unite the Free Marches under the Starkhaven banner. The other Marcher cities united to fight these two foes off and Starkhaven's king failed to conquer any of the neighboring city-states. His expansionist inspirations were not limited to the Free Marches; he also invaded some of Antiva's southernmost cities. Antiva's cities similarly united to defend themselves with what little they could pull together. The Imperium saw Starkhaven's king as a liability and betrayed him and later ousted him from Starkhaven, allowing the Imperium to conquer to city for themselves. The Chantry, still very young at the time, debated liberating Starkhaven under the context of an Exalted March. It was never officially approved by the Divine, but the fighting still occurred regardless and Starkhaven was able to gain its independence once again after a short but bloody siege.
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