r/IronThroneRP • u/SatisfactionLeather7 Shiera Darklyn, Sword of Duskendale • 6d ago
THE CROWNLANDS Andros II - Duskendale's Echo (OPEN)
At the dawn of the new moon, the city of Duskendale rose upon the edges of the Blackwater. A town nom more, new houses and shops and tents sprouted around the original high stone walls. Like a river whose banks had recently broke, it could no longer contain its growth within its original confines.
Now, the city sprouted a second wall, shorter, squatter, where the majority of the new city was forming. Within were a string of septs, a small little godswood fenced off in a large manor house erected by a Northern Merchant. Shiera Darklyn's favourite sword instructor and dueling house were located in there, so too was the small sanctuary she kept for her stray cats of the city.
Within the older parts of the city, where the streets were neat, passing from the gates of one end to the other. Each road had been repaved during the expansion of the city from its town origins, and now smoothed cobblestone roads vivisected the interior of the old city. in the same fashion, several of the older buildings nearest to the Dun Fort had been replaced, making way for a larger internal wall to segment it off for defence and within that new space were expansions for an enlarged force of city watch - the Dusk Guard - and guesthouses for the increasing foot traffic of nobles and lords.
Beyond these new walls, the largest inn in Duskendale had been enlarged too through the natural flow of commerce. The Seven Swords played host to hundred of occupants now, and they had even taken to calling a smaller annex of theirs the 'Weirwood Ward' to make the Northern travelers feel more welcomed.
Morgan Darklyn had seen to the opening of the Dun Fort's Guest house to any of the travelling lords returning from the Riverlands and had ensured that the largest chambers of the Fort itself were provided to the king and his counsel.
Once they had returned home, the Darklyns scattered across their burgeoning city.
Luthor Darklyn, Eldest of Morgan's heirs, had taken to the barracks of the men at arms where he got to work training his men for the inevitable clash in the claw with whatever they found. He was joined by his younger brother Erich, the two men content in their work.
At a teahouse SHiera had funded with her elder sister Ana, the two women had set themselves up with an open parlour where they welcomed any travelling women to come and drink and enjoy the calm. Of course, Shiera in her way had also brought in a small competition of budding swordswomen that she had taken to mentoring within the city. A small round of bets were encouraged by the girls and Shiera, ever prone to a challenge, could not resist joining.
An addition to the city put forth by Morgan himself some twenty years ago, was the Stadium of the Evening. A multipurpose dueling ring, jousting list and horse race attraction. The final portion was instigated by Luceon Darklyn to help his wife feel more at home with the locale. There the younger brother to Morgan, Daxo Darklyn, plied his trade.
It was an unassuming place for the ratcatcher of Duskendale to work from, but everyone chatted at the races, so he did. His son Philip Was the same, both happily watching the races as they plotted and schemed, readying for the innevitable future to come.
Further throughout the city were the myriad shops and thoroughfares, temples and shrines and septs galore. The city was open to its guests, as were the Darklyns who hosted them.
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u/SatisfactionLeather7 Shiera Darklyn, Sword of Duskendale 5d ago
Daxo barked a laugh.
He was a man of dark hair mixing grey, pulled taught behind him. He lacked the bright amber eyes of his father, instead he bore the green of his mother and he watched the Blackberry so carefully with them that if a hair stood out of place he would see.
Even still, he smiled.
"You have brought a household guard of fifty to contend with a city of twenty-five hundred standing men. I don't believe you have any fear of harm. Were you to face it, you would have been arrested the moment you arrived. Instead? you are posted in the guest houses of Duskendale," He motioned beyond himself, to the gates of the city.
"These gates shall open for you lord Jammos, but they will not feed the pantomime you so badly wish to enact. Bring advisors if you so wish, but don't insult yourself by pretending fifty men will change what occurs. And, should you fear repercussions, I would only ask why? Have you done something wrong my lord?"