Avaldsnes

City of Avaldsnes
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Feudal Status:	Regional Capitol
Motto:	–
Capital:	{{{capital}}}
Largest Cities:	{{{largecity}}}
Local Leadership Title:	Lord Mayor of Avaldsnes
Local Government:	Feudal
Current leader:	–
Local language:	Common Tongue, Elw, Wintergleamish
Local Religion:	Church of Elwynn, Bovic Faith

A view of the Royal City of Avaldsnes during Vanic Rule. the rooftops have largely been tiled green since The Elwynnese Partition.

The city of Avaldsnes in its foundational days.

Avaldsnes (Elw: Авалнес, Avalnes [aβalnəs]) is a Goldshirean, formerly Elwynnese, port city and the capital of Wintergleam.

About

Avaldsnes is Wintergleam's bustling hub of trade and commerce, which still has managed to maintain a picturesque atmosphere with its cobbled streets and half-timbered houses. In the past, many members of the Royal Family of Elwynn - especially the King of Elwynn - spent considerable time in Avaldsnes and the port city was somewhat of an unofficial capital of Elwynn during the Vanic occupation, with the Council of Eliria meeting there in stead of in the official capital. In 1651 the city, along with most of historic Wintergleam, was returned to Goldshire.

The city itself has often been know for its pleasant aesthetic; many streams and canals crisscross its cobbled streets, and traditional Elwynnese constructions including mansions and halls are strewn throughout.

Among the most striking features are the city's roofs - which are all tiled green in honour of their return to Goldshire - and the gargantuan walls protecting the city, which are also known as the Avalds.

Avaldsnes has been a major Benacian centre of arts, architecture, culture and science since the Comital Reign of Harald of Wintergleam (1516-1550), only being stifled briefly during the Communist and Vanic regimes. The city has access to some of the richest fishing grounds in the world and is famed around the globe for its gold- and silversmiths as well as its other fine arts and advanced learning, with The Everstone Royal Institute being one of the most prestigious college of the State.

History

Avaldsnes was founded by the Valtian chieftain Augvald Holmfastsson of the House of Tysvær as a trading post and way-station of the coast of Winter Bay in the Wintergleam area of what was millenia later to become the Duchy of Goldshire. The colony grew slowly during this period, not ever exceeding the size of midsized village, as it was hard to find adequate labour for what most Valtians considered a not too attractive outpost of the Valtian Empire.

After the destruction of Valtia and the subsequent collapse of the Valtian Free State, Avaldsnes received an influx of refugees made up of people driven out of other former Valtian colonies, allowing it to grow to the size of a small town.

For most of its post-Valtian history Avaldsnes managed to chart a semi-independent course for itself throughout times, owing to a combination of:

• being sheltered from raids carried out from its hinterland by the inaccessible pre-Great Thaw frozen interior of Wintergleam;
• its robust coastal defences and being one of the few places of knowing the secret of making the formidable weapon which is known as Valtian Fire;
• clever diplomacy, including stiking mutually beneficial deals with Raynor as well as various Dukes of Goldshire;
• keeping a low profile to avoid attracting unwanted attention, including bribing cartographers to keep Avaldsnes off their maps.

Avaldsnes got a major boost when the SEKEF established itself in the town shortly after the foundation of the High Realm of Stormark, which led to a tremendous increase in commercial business and trade volumes.

An even larger boost came during the days of the Ducal Reign of Sirithil nos Fëanor of Elwynn when she invited the SEKEF to do business in Elwynn under very generous terms to help meeting the insatiable demand from the Elfinshi elite for luxury goods. It is said that to this very day the Eldgammela Kryptar, the legendary maze of subterranean vaults connected by underground passageways which is situated below the Old Town of the Royal City of Avaldsnes, holds fabulous treasures amassed by the Duchesses Sirithil and Mari Greenwood including coins, bullion and jewellery.

The regime of Harald of Wintergleam (1516-1550) - which partially coincided with his Ducal Reign of Froyalan (1533-1542), which was what Elwynn was called during Harald's years on the White Orchid Throne - took Avaldsnes to unprecedented heights.

In the year 1551 the city of Avaldsnes was, together with the rest of the Avaldsnes area, transferred from the County of Wintergleam to the County of Cimmeria due to Harald of Froyalan becoming Count of Cimmeria. Wintergleam received Wolfraven in exchange. The aforesaid situation lasted until 1565 when during the days of the House System the Landsraad of Shireroth passed a Bill transferring the Avaldsnes area back to the jurisdiction of Wintergleam and the self-same Act of Landsraad stipulated that Wolfraven would be a part of Cimmeria again. From 1569 until 1624 the Avaldsnes area remained part of Wintergleam. In the latter year the Avaldsnes area became a Bailiwick of the Federation of the Seven Ports.

Sites of Interest

• Everhall, seat of the legislature of the County of Wintergleam.
• Elder Krypts, a maze of subterranean vaults connected by underground passageways which are said to hold hidden treasures of the Vanic State.
• The Avalds, the gargantuan walls surrounding the city.
• The Everstone Royal Institute
• Höfnvígi, an ancient harbour fortress.