Orendon

Orendon
Location
Region	Kingdom of the Sword
Realm	Obrith
Duchy	Orendras
Locality	The Holy See
Distance from Orendon	0 miles
Societal
Civic Population	45,890
Max Seasonal Traffic	100,000
Demographics	TBD
Liege	Militarily, Duchess Rulenka Argard. Administratively, Supreme Potentate Blee Foobar
Motto	Oathkeep: Peace was born here. Modern: Once, and Future.
Physical
Acreage	659 acres
Buildings	9,744
Elevation	9,060 ft
Climate	Cool, moderate summers; cold, wet winters
Biome	Alpine forest
Terrain	Steep mountains

Orendon is the capital of Obrith, and is in fact the ancient city of Oathkeep; it was renamed when the Peace of the Oath failed during the End in Fire, after the fall of King Orendil at the Battle of Sundered Hill.

The city was built by all four Great Races, and stands an architectural marvel. It was not built to ward away, but rather to imply openness, and as such was not built atop a hill, nor buttressed against any natural barrier, save the river Amandine which is easily crossed. And yet, it was not built by fools--the subtle and ancient arts of dwarven and draconic architecture are evident in the city's stubborn refusal to fall to the ravages of siege and time.

Though a secular home to many, Orendon is technically a hold of the Church of Io, and serves as the headquarters of that particular faith, housing the Cathedral of St. John, from which the Supreme Potentate guides his flock. Part of the city's lands are shared with the Duke of Orendras, who uses the city as a capital and base of operations.

With its central location, easy access to the Amandine and the Uthbren rivers, not to mention the Road to the Dawn of which it was once the terminus, Orendon is the economic and administrative heart of the realm of Obrith. It boasts the largest population of any city of the realm, and hosts grand markets in summer and harvest time, wherein folk from across the realm's expanse meet, mingle, and trade. In this, and its more symbolic aspects, Orendon remains a pivotal city in the history and spirit of Obrith, and the former lands of the Kingdom of the Sword.

History

Orendon was founded as Oathkeep by the First Speakers of the Oath, principally John Calabeth, then King of the Sword. It was the first city founded by multiple races, to serve as a sanctuary and neutral ground, where all could come and go freely, and where differences might be ironed out in peace: the so-called Peace of the Oath. It was built to house the Court of the Oath, in which these diplomatic negotiations would take place, overseen by a multi-racial council, of which the King of the Sword was only a single member, with no special power.

Despite the neutrality of the city, Oathkeep served as the official capital of the Kingdom of the Sword from the first year GC; King John declared that "should the peace of the oath fall, should Man break his sacred oath, the capital of Man shall justly be forfeit". In reality, when the peace did fall, the city remained the capital of the Kingdom of the Sword, but the intervening centuries forever bound the concept of multi-racial peace with the spirit and ideals of the Kingdom of the Sword. Though no official overarching government of all races was ever formed, the consensus is that, had it been, Oathkeep would have naturally been its capital.

More--oh, so much more--to come.

Politics

People

Demographics

By Great Race

Notable Individuals

Locations

The city is divided roughly into four regions:

Buildings and Sites by District

Temple District

• The Cathedral of St. John: holiest and grandest cathedral in the faith of the One God, home to the Supreme Potentate and the Ordo Valentia.
• The Bastion of Sorrow: the sanctum sanctorum of the Morrowood, holiest ground in the faith of Morrowyn, on which the First Speakers spoke the oath. Stands today in its original form, a natural temple of earth and wood.
• Monastery of the Bearer: home to the Brotherhood of St. Kord.
• Monastery of the True Flame: home to the Sisterhood of St. Devorah. Known more often by its colloquial name, "The Crucible".

Old Quarter

• The Court of the Oath: a neutral sanctuary for the airing and resolution of all grievances dividing the four Great Races (and later others), synonymous with the council of the same name, who moderated said disputes.
• The Palace of the Third Dynasty: a castle built for John Calabeth and subsequent Kings of the Sword, until Orendil.
• Rotunda of Heroes: former home to the Knights of the Round during Oathkeep's time as capital of the Kingdom of the Sword, later converted to a museum honoring fallen heroes of the Second Great War, including those of both sides.

Mercantile Quarter

• Oakenhall: Castle of the Duke of Orendras. Constructed for Keleb Argard by the elves of the Misted Vale, this castle dates back to the first century GC. Though burned to the ground by the Kurnish Invasion, the oaken pillars slowly regrew, and its former glory is long since restored, thanks to elven magic.

Civic Defense

The responsibility of protecting Orendon falls to the Order of St. Arja. The bannermen of the Duke of Orendras, as well as the armies of the other dukes, can be commanded to join the city's defense in times of war by decree of the Supreme Potentate. In practice, the former duke's armies, being based in Oakenhall, are readily at the disposal of the city guard, and the two work in close cooperation to see to the city's defense.

The current commander of the city guard is Praetor Lukas Becker OSA. The nominal guard is comprised of 400 men, with command of up to 4,000 auxiliary footmen drafted from the civic population. The Order of St. Arja provides half of the manpower, while the Duke of Orendras provides the remainder. The composition is as follows: