Blackwall

Summary
Once known as Moredhal - named for Korvul Mored, the founding Archdruid of the Angelmoon Circle - Blackwall has grown from a remote Druidic community to a powerful city-state and kingdom over the course of its 3000 year history. Originally home to the Angelmoon Druids who revered Seedorus's moon Elua, Moredhal was subjugated by the High Templars of Setosh in 809 D.Y. and later was the epicenter of the Battle of Devil's Moon. It was this battle between the High Templars, the Angelmoon Druids, and the Eluan creatures brought forth through a portal they opened, that laid the foundation of Blackwall's importance in the North. Later, during the War of the Underworld, Moredhal was a major force in defending against the Durau in the Silver War after the fall of Odanhal, and its sacking led to the creation of the Silver Pass Wall that later became the Blackwall after Sidrakyz the Inferno's assault.

This history of conquest, battle, and reconstruction inspired the design of modern Blackwall after rebuilding from the dragon's assault - tall, narrow reinforced structures, city streets laid out to impede invaders, and balconies on most buildings to allow archers to rain arrows on anyone foolish enough to attack. It also inspired the modern traits of Blackwall culture - militant, vigilant, industrious, and proactive. Unlike many of its neighbors, Blackwall's leaders decided that the best defense is a good offense, and decided to project its military might as mercenaries across the North for hire to the highest bidder. Now, the Blackwall Company fights for almost anyone, but always with the interests of Blackwall in mind, carefully cultivating alliances and power.

Timeline of Notable Historical Events

 * 809 DY - Moredhal occupied by the High Templars.
 * 817 DY - Battle of Devil's Moon results in the partial transposition of Eluan ecology to Seedorus and the routing of the Angelmoon Circle from Moredhal.
 * 3251 DY - Moredhal is sacked by the Durau with the aid of Orcs from the Bonelands, inspiring the construction of Silver Pass Wall in the years to follow.
 * 3253 DY - Moredhal resettled and rebuilt after the Durau attack and subsequent defeat by the Fist of the North.
 * 3457 DY - Sidyrakyz the Inferno razes Moredhal as an army of Kobolds and Orcs lay siege to the Silver Pass Wall. The Moredhal Company miraculously manages to hold the Silver Pass Wall and ruins of the city long enough for Lady Andara and her fellow dragonslayers to arrive and defeat the Great Red Wyrm.  Afterwards, the Moredhal Company renames itself the Blackwall Company in honor of the charred but unbroken Silver Pass Wall, rebuilding Moredhal as Blackwall.  The Silver Pass Wall itself also comes to be known as the Blackwall.
 * 3784 DY - The Stonefury Quake damages structures throughout Blackwall and much of the North, inflicting widespread damage and casualties in a region not known for such fierce seismic activity.
 * 3864 DY - The Blackwall Company enforces martial law on the city following the Godfall and a resurgence of the Angelmoon Circle.
 * 3970 DY - The Earthshatter Quake strikes Coznakk, destroying or damaging structures across much of the continent. Blackwall is no exception, but after mandatory reinforcements following the Stonefury Quake the city fares better than most.
 * 4080 DY - The Cult of the King in Shadows attacks Blackwall, releasing a plague upon the city but their plot is thwarted by the Talynsworn.

Angelmoon District
Built upon the site of the Angelmoon Druid Circle and immediate surroundings, the Angelmoon District is among the oldest in Blackwall. The buildings here are ancient and worn, but well-maintained. Despite centuries of Church influence, many of the buildings in the Angelmoon District were built using techniques and magic tracing back to the Angelmoon Druids themselves, and odd runes, Druidic symbols, and naturalist features such as earthen roofing and vine-covered walls are commonplace.

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Crown Farmlands
Blackwall is simply too large of a city to rely solely on trade and hunting for food, and there isn't enough room inside the city walls to protect farms. Instead, the Blackwall Company and Northland Company used a combination of clear-cutting and slash-and-burn expansion in the area around the city to create viable farmland in the North's Blackwood. There, dotted throughout the area, are stone farmhouses and animal pens owned and run by Blackwall. Farmers in the Crown Farmland are employed by the Northland Company, and protected from the dangers of the Blackwood by the Blackwall Company, whose soldiers share bunkhouses with the farmers.

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Eastlake District
The oldest district of Blackwall, the Eastlake District is built upon the ruins of Moredhal. Like the Angelmoon District, the buildings of the Eastlake District are influenced by Druidic architecture, but here the effects are more subtle as the Church of the Many Divines and the High Templars before them are headquartered here. Crowded but well-maintained, the Eastlake District bustles with activity at all times due to the large number of craftspeople and tradespeople in the employ of the Northland Company. Between the watchful presences of both the Divine Inquisition and the Blackwall Company, Eastlake is among the safest places in the North and is also home to a flourishing middle-class.

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Gatetown
The youngest and roughest district of Blackwall - relatively speaking - Gatetown is home to farmers, traders, and other commonfolk who work either in Gatetown or elsewhere in the city in unskilled trades. Raucous and colorfully-decorated, Gatetown is notably patriotic and the Blackwall Company's best recruits are often natives of Gatetown. While all of Blackwall's architecture is notably militant with tall, narrow fortified stone buildings and fire-proof slate roofing, Gatetown's very layout was also planned to support defending the city, although Gatetown's design is intended for more conventional threats than dragons.

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Hightown
The wealthiest district of Blackwall, Hightown is home to nobility new and old, and caters to monied mortals and Immortals with expensive tastes. Kept immaculately clean with manicured estates, magical lighting, and prominent statuary, Hightown is the seat of political, magical, and economic power in Blackwall. While lacking the dense population of other parts of the city, Hightown offers services unavailable anywhere else in Blackwall, let alone the North. Of course, being the center of power in Blackwall, Hightown is also home to some of the greatest intrigues of the North as well, and nobles, Immortals, and high-ranking officials of the Blackwall and Northland Companies weave intricate webs of plots and alliances.

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Irontown
Most cities have blacksmiths and foundries, but Blackwall's need for strong steel is greater than most. Between the vast parade grounds and barracks of Westhall and the fortifications of Northwatch, Irontown's forges work day and night. Although the soot and ash of Irontown's industry would befoul any other city, Blackwall's pride in its image means that Irontown is regularly patrolled by apprentice magi using spells to clean the district. While Irontown itself does not have much in the way of enchanting services, it has an unparalleled variety of mundane weapons, armor, and tools available.

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Laketown
One of the first major expansions of the rebuilt Blackwall following Sidyrakyz the Inferno razing Moredhal, Laketown was constructed with defense in mind like the eastern portion of the city, but also with an eye towards image. While not as fantastically cultivated as Hightown, Laketown has many similarities in its architectural styles and layout, with broad avenues and small yet picturesque parks breaking up clusters of tall, narrow stone buildings. One of the great draws of Laketown is the idyllic Moredwalk Promenade, a winding stone road along the southern shore of Mored's Lake lined with trees, statues, and flower boxes. The Moredwalk Promenade has no equal to compare to in the North, inspired by the grandeur of Setat prior to its rebirth as Imperial Rocia, and consider it a reminder of a bygone age.

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Mored's Lake
The large lake at the center of Blackwall, Mored's Lake is not entirely natural, owing its existence to the Moredstone. As Blackwall has no other natural source of freshwater, Mored's Lake is critical for sustaining the city.

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Northwall Wastes
A jagged obsidian forest created by Sidyrakyz the Inferno, the Northwall Wastes are a swath of land turned to blackened glass by dragonfire. Nothing grows in the Northwall Wastes, the lingering effect of the supernatural flames spoiling the earth for centuries to come. Of course, this hasn't stopped Blackwall from making use of the land, quarrying the melted stone for use in the city.

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Northwatch District
Old and rundown by Blackwall's standards, Northwatch was originally built as an additional layer of defense against the Orcs of the Ice Coast but today is comparable to middle-class districts in most other cities of the North. The Blackwall Company maintains a large garrison in Northwatch as it is host to the Black Gate, the only passage through Blackwall to the Ice Coast. Further, Northwatch is host to Blackwall's Ghost Orc and Orcblooded population, as Northwatch is the only district of the city they are legally permitted to own property within unless they have served in the Blackwall Company. Unlike Humans, the Ghost Orcs permitted to live within Blackwall actually support this segregation and fight to keep it in place, considering it a mark of honor to earn the right to dwell elsewhere through discipline. This odd hodgepodge of lingering Human prejudice and Orcish custom confuses most newcomers to the city, but to the Ghost Orcs it is actually insulting to suggest they shouldn't have to earn their place in the rest of the city. This same odd blend carries over to the rest of the district, and it is common to see banners bearing emblems mixing Blackwall heraldry with Orcish clan symbols.

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Westhall District
Originally walled-off farmland, Westhall was home to and named for the Westhall Stables that bred Blackwall's Krighest (war horses comparable to Earth's Friesian breed with slightly longer and thicker coats and standing 1-2 hands taller at 16-19 hands in height). Over time, the demand for Blackwall Krighests for the Blackwall Company exceeded Westhall's space, and the Blackwall Company moved much of its efforts to the Crown Farmland. While Westhall today does still have some showhalls and arenas hearkening back to this legacy, since moving to pastures in the Crown Farmland the Westhall District is now as densely developed as Laketown and Gatetown, and is home to Blackwall Company cavalry training grounds, homes, and businesses. Horse-themed statuary and decorations are commonplace in Westhall, and the Krighest is considered iconic of the area.

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Angelmoon Circle
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Blackwall Company
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Inquisition/Church of the Many Divines
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Night Owls
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Northland Company
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Pillarium Mercantile
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Shadow Market
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