Géldehèim Castle

in northern, was built between 668 and 673 on the site of the captured keep of Lethwyn, Géldehèim is the seat of  of ,  of. It is the strongest fortification and one of the largest settlement in Orbáal and possesses a fine harbor, the. Four keeps lie within the royal domain of :, , , and. Each of these is held at the king’s pleasure by relatives. The Tarreskelds are related to of  in. The has often claimed  from Orbáal, with little success.

Overview
Géldehèim sits on the south shore of the and is ruled with an iron fist by  of. Although Géldehèim isn’t the largest settlement in the kingdom, it does have the most residents.

The area has been settled since about 300. Before the Conquest, was the largest  coastal settlement. Despite its impressive fortifications, crushed the Járin defenders in 667 and established Géldehèim. After rebuilding the castle and annexing or conquering the neighboring lands, Hagined proclaimed the in 686; his clan has managed to hold the crown ever since. Géldehèim is governed by the king and his lieutenants. A small, poorly organized council of the wealthier Járin advocate for their people with the king but are rarely successful.

Seafaring merchants travel between Hârnic ports and those of, , and beyond. High-quality and  cloth, metal implements, large commercial items like s, and more exotic items can often be found in Géldehèim’s market. Some foreign goods are sent on to markets in.

Coastal trade flourishes among the settlements and  is an important industry. Géldehèim is home to Hârn’s most skilled. uses his royal connections with impunity as his factors buy the best materials and leave other craftsmen to scrabble after what is left. His ships are very expensive but they are sturdy and always fast.

After the annual spring, a leaves Géldehèim to carry , , , , and other exports south along the  through  to  and. The caravan’s return in late summer brings much-needed, s, fine cloth, and other products of the southern kingdoms.

Despite unrest of many sorts throughout the kingdom, Géldehèim itself is mostly calm, a situation enforced through cruel and public oppression. Although they still outnumber the Ivínian residents of the town, most of the Járin tend to keep themselves to the outlying villages. Ivínians arriving since the Conquest have expanded the town north along the.

An earthen fort one league west of Géldehèim marks the location of, the center of a tiny kingdom that ruled until the middle of the 5th century. In 437, the last ruler of clan Allythen came to the throne of Annwyn. His name is forgotten but he was a fanatical who is said to have built a great temple and attempted to impose his vision of  on his subjects by oppression and violence. It is said that he used in his rites and there are dark legends of human sacrifices and victims taken by the “slayers from the loam.” The ultimate fate of this last king and his sect is unknown and Annwyn is now no more than earthen mounds avoided by most Járin. The disappearance of occasional groups of treasure hunters, the most recent in 718, has enhanced the place’s grim reputation.

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