Gwynned
Sitting on the bank of the Dermount River, Gwynned is a port city with a massive defensive wall along it’s sea-board side, defending it both from the worst weather the sea can throw at it and from naval assault. Four all towers keep constant watch on all sides, and a single major harbour juts out into the bay, a small, thick-walled keep sitting at it’s end and keeping watch for sea-born threats.
Old Ergothian culture has survived and flourished within the walls of Gwynned, it’s streets walked by members of all races except Kender, who are arrested and expelled the moment the well trained city guard discover they are in the city.
Aside from the Emperor’s palace, the largest buildings in Gwynned are it’s grand gladiatorial arenas, opera houses, and it’s academic forum, one of many academic and artistic sites within the city walls.
Before the Cataclysm, this city was known as Tuskanvil, and was one of the capital cities of the old Empire of Ergoth. It was commonly used as a summer retreat for the Emperor and his family, as well as many other noble families, but the Cataclysm shook it to it’s core, collapsing many districts entirely as the land itself broke apart. When Baridor Redic defeated the Ackalites and became the first Emperor after the Cataclysm, he set his new capital in this city and renamed it Gwynned, in honour of the family who ruled before the world changed.
The fifth emperor of the restored Ergoth after the Cataclysm, and also fifth of the Redic dynasty, Mercadior was known as a dashing cavalier in his youth, and a fair and just ruler to his people after he ascended to the throne.
Mercadior has a commanding demeanor and a sharp, educated mind, and is often flanked by his trusted advisor – the red robed wizard Thalmus. He considers it his goal to restore Ergoth to it’s former glory, financing exploration of the ruins across the island and has set up academies of magic in Gwynned. He has attempted to send ambassadors to Qualinesti, and is known widely to get advice directly from Astinus of Palanthas.
Mercadior is also known to have a fair mind for diplomacy, and as the War of the Lance begins he is one of the first to offer his support to the nations who need it, and he has thrown his full support behind the Solamnic Whitestone Councils.
Although not officially affiliated with Gwynned, nor the Ergot Empire, Garreg Mach Monastery lies at the top of a large cliff just a half-mile or so outside of Gwynned.
Originally associated with the University of Palanthas, as the threats of the Dragonarmies grew, the Monastery broke off from the University and moved to a place outside of Gwynned. Not much is known about how this happened, the Church's explanation is that after much mass prayer, the Progenitor God blessed those under her protection by miraculously building them the monastery and allowing them to easily transport themselves and everything of importance to the Church and the Knights to the monastery.
The monastery serves as the headquarters for the Church of Seiros, the Knights of Seiros, and their Officers' Academy. The monastery is overseen by Lady Rhea, the Archbishop, and Headmistress of the Church of Seiros and the Officers' Academy respectively. Monks, nuns, and knights are very commonplace around the monastery, as well as the students who are most recognizable by their uniform. They wear a black overshirt or coat that has gold stitching and accents, most noticeably in the center of the shirt spanning the whole torso. The males wear black slacks and either half or full boots while the females wear a black skirt and black heels, wearing hoes at their discretion. The leaders of each house wear a distinct sash associated with their house, and the other students wear a small pin to indicate their respective house.
The Black Eagles house is mainly comprised of students from the Abanasinian Empire and is led by the heir apparent, Edelgard Von Hresvelg. The name of the house comes from the name given to the most elite military force in the Empire.
The Blue Lions house is comprised of students from the Solamnia and Palanthus regions of Ansalon. The house has no apparent reason for taking on their name, and is led by Prince Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd .
The Golden Deer take their name from the Coat of Arms of the ruling Reigan house of the Qualnesti Alliance. The current leader of The Golden Deer is Claude Von Riegan.