Fornost

Fornost, or the Citadel of Fornost, was the capital city of the Kingdom of Aurora. Fornost was one of the largest cities by size, and the largest city on Stoneworks by population, with a peak population of 384 residents. It is located in on the western most part of the continent of Haven. Fornost is situated within a valley in a semi-temperate tundra biome. The town was originally ran by Jarl Rick Harrison but eventually came under the direct control of the monarch, with the day to day running of the city being handled by the Citizenship Committee. Fornost was generally considered one of the most historically and culturally important cities on Rathnir, being the site of multiple major historical events, and being the seat of the government of Aurora, a nation which existed continuously for more than 3 years, and was a key player in multiple major conflicts and historical developments. 
Due to it's political importance on the world stage, Fornost was the target of multiple major military campaigns, and was regularly in the sights of major players and groups on the world stage who sought to conquer Fornost for recognition, or pride. Some of these players include, Emperor Aurelian of Uraka, Rakia Ganeff and the N.D.A, The Hands, Vinovia, Emperor Heroditus of the Soleannen Imperium, The False Godess Segra, and more. 
== History ==
=== Foundation ===
Fornost was founded by members of the Order of the Aurora who were forced into exile from their previous home of Tessel, as the result of a failed attempt to declare independence from Escharia. The trek came to be known as The Exodus, with the land of Fornost originally being referred to as The Promised Land by the Aurorans. The Exodus trek took two months for the Aurorans to complete. A temporary camp was set up at the site which would become Fornost as the Aurorans waited to see whether the Escharians would follow them south or whether they would attempt to return to the north. Instead, the Aurorans were invited to form a Kingdom under the Empire of Uldarash. This offer was accepted and construction of a permanent settlement began.
=== Development ===
Fornost was attacked successfully by Boulderov and Viodoxa during the Auroran War, during which the city was looted and the southern wall torn down. Regardless of this, the city of Fornost saw a steady level of growth and development as migrants continued to travel to the Auroran capital. By March 2021 Fornost was the third largest city on Rathnir, and the following month it was first recorded as being Rathnir's most populous city, a title it would hold for a considerable portion of the Traveler's Era. Though it was the largest city by this point, it was still small in comparison to the heights it would later reach, being home to only around 30 people as per the official census.
=== Metropolis of the Second Empire ===
Fornost's peak in terms of population coincided with the golden age of the Second Empire of Uldarash. In the period just before the Allium-Coalition War, the population of Aurora experience a rapid expansion as large numbers of people migrated to Uldarash. The other towns of Aurora were severely underdeveloped, leading to almost all of these new arrivals settling in Fornost. Fornost became massively overcrowded as a result, eventually necessitating the construction of an entire new district, which came to be known as Westlock. Through this wave of migration and expansion, Fornost became the largest city on Rathnir by a wide margin and, undistracted by external affairs thanks to Uldarash's undisputed military supremacy, one of Rathnir's most vibrant cultural centres. The day to day running of the city was the task of the Citizenship Committee, which grew massively in size and scope to accommodate the new population. Bandit attacks also became a common occurence in this period, as Fornost's large population meant that bandits who raided the city were nearly guaranteed to find someone to attack at any time of day. In response to this, the Order of Aurora became one of the most effective anti-bandit groups on Rathnir, capable of mustering large numbers of soldiers within minutes of a bandit sighting. 
===Battle of Fornost===
During the war between Uldarash and the Eldham Entente, Fornost was the site of one of the largest battles in the history of Rathnir. The battle saw Aurora, alongside the other states of Uldarash and their allies, defend the city against The Eldham Entente and Loyalist Uldarash. The attackers attempted to tunnel into the city via the Cathedral, which was completely destroyed in the fighting. Though the amount of damage was minor in comparison to later battles such as Northport, the damage was considered exceptionally heavy by citizens at the time - especially in comparison to contemporary battles such as the Battle of New Dorasterrock or the other battles of the Uldarash Civil War. Nevertheless, the Cathedral was repaired quickly and later completely redesigned in a more Auroran style similar to the keep. The catacombs, where several prominent Uldarashis and Aurorans were buried, were lost permanently. 
===Post-Independence===
Fornost declined in size the post-Uldarashi period, owing to a general decline in population as well as the successful development of other towns in Aurora drawing away potential migrants. Construction and development continued but focused more on updating the designs of the buildings away from their Escharian origins and towards a more uniquely Auroran aesthetic. By the end of the Traveler's Era, Fornost was the second largest city on Rathnir, tied with Lileanen and Maxstadt.
==Geography==
Fornost is situated in and around a tundra valley in the north of the Kingdom. Its primary river is the Strand which runs through much of Aurora. The city itself is organised into seven major districts, as well as the keep and university. These are:
The Agricultural District - Referred to colloquially as agri, this district is located to the south of Fornost and is the location of most of Aurora's farms. Being outside the walls and thus able to expand easily, the district grew continously throughout its history to meet the demands of an expanding population until it eventually stretched to the swamps to the southeast of Fornost. This came at the cost of protection; in it's heyday, agri was one of the most heavily bandited locations on Rathnir.
The Merchant District - Located around the area in front of Fornost's main gate, the merchant district is the bustling centre of commerce for the whole city. It is also the home of the Auroran Media Team and the Fornost Headquarters of the Fishing Guild. A public mine was set up but eventually shut down. The Merchant District is also the location of the Entropy Memorial, dedicated to the Aurorans who fought through the crusade against Entropy. The campfire in front of the main gate serves as the primary meeting spot for Aurorans in the city.
Harmon- Built as a high end district where the wealthy of Fornost could purchase large mansions outside of the walls. Harmon is the only district of Fornost located on the east bank of the Strand. Harmon is similar to agri in that its location outside the walls allowed for large amounts of expansion, becoming Aurora's second largest district in terms of available housing. It also similarly suffered from large numbers of bandit attacks as a result.
Courtyard- The oldest district of Fornost. Courtyard was located directly in the centre of the Fornost Valley and built around a lake. Courtyard is also home to the Cathedral and the barracks of the Order of Aurora. 
Prolin- Prolin was designed with the aim of providing a large amount of housing to meet the demands of the expanding population. Situated on three levels up the side of the valley, the houses of Prolin were some of the smallest in Fornost, intended to house the city's poorest as they started out in the Kingdom. Though this was the intent, many of Aurora's richest called Prolin their home - in fact, the richest man on Rathnir was, at one point, living in Prolin. Gang-related crime became a major issue in the densely packed, narrow streets of the district, which on several occassions resulted in full-scale gang warfare.
Florissant- Also referred to as the museum district for the large museum that was located in its centre, Florissant was another district containing larger sized houses for richer Aurorans. The museum was eventually torn down after falling into disuse for a considerable time.
Westlock- The final district built in Fornost and the largest in terms of total housing, Westlock was designed to accommodate the explosion in Aurora's population. The district is constructed in a townhouse style and several shops are based out of the houses. There is also a small garden in the far end of the district, as well as a waterfall which flows into the lake in the Courtyard.
==Important Locations==
===The Keep===
Known in Aréte as Erain, the keep is the most important site in the city around which the entirety of Fornost is based. It is the residence of the King and Queen as well as holding many of the most important functions of government such as the council chambers, the archives, and housing for many important individuals living in the city. The keep was constructed almost out of stone bricks and wood in the traditional Escharian style, even complete with it's own iron spire, in memory of the Iron spire of Tessel. Some time following the fall of Uldarash, the keep was redesigned. This made the keep significantly larger than it was before and rebuilt it in a more Auroran style. 
===The Cathedral===
The Cathedral of Fornost is the largest Pavlovist place of worship on Rathnir. Originally a small chapel, the site is famous both for its importance to Pavlovism and for the fighting that took place within it during the Battle of Fornost. The fighting within the chapel on that day was the most brutal of the civil war and by the end of the battle was completely destroyed. Despite the extensive damage dealt to the chapel, it was restored to its original condition by the end of the following day, one of the most impressive feats of the Auroran architects. Following the restoration, the chapel was rebuilt again, creating the much larger cathedral that stand there today.
===The University===
The University of Fornost was constructed to the south of the Agricultural District. It primarily served as a place to train the Auroran architects, but it saw little actual use.
===The Barracks ===
The Fornost Barracks, located in the Courtyard and carved out of the rock underneath Florissant, is the headquarters of the Order of Aurora in Fornost. The first version of the barracks was hastily constructed in anticipation of the Third Coalition War, in which it was used by the Order as a rally before they travelled to Syltör. The barracks saw little use and was not developed further in the following months, as the Order instead constructed the Winterstone Fortress to meet its needs. The barracks were eventually redesigned to serve as a more functional base of operations for the Order in Fornost as well as displaying the histories of its members.
===The Museum===
One of the largest buildings in early Fornost, the Museum housed a collection of historical artifacts from across Rathnir. The sole curator of the museum, Robot, left Aurora following the fall of Uldarash and as a result the museum fell into disuse before it was eventually demolished.
===Funny Mountain===
Located just to the south of the city outside of the walls, the mountain known as Funny Mountain played an important role in the foundation of Aurora. It is said that during the negotiations to incorporate Aurora into Uldarash, GinKnight, who was part of the Uldarashi delegation, was possessed by a god and began placing signs with comical text on them. The mountain was named in honour of this and a board was constructed at the site where people placed their own signs in memory of the event.
===Gallery===
2021-06-25 02.47.45.png|Fornost viewed from Harmon District.
Fornost Image 4.png|The main gate, prior to the construction of the Merchant District.
Fornost Image 5.png
Fornost Image 2.png
Fornost Image 1.png|The Museum.
Fornost Image 6.png|Inside the city, by the main gate.
Fornost Image 7.png|The entrance to the keep.
Fornost Image 8.png
Fornost Image 9.png
Fornost Image 10.png
Fornost Image 11.png
Fornost Image 12.png|The Chapel, prior to its destruction by the Eldham Entente.
Fornost 13.png|The throne room.
2021-01-25 16.28.06.png|Fornost after completion of District One.
2020-12-21 00.12.14.png|Fornost Valley, early on.
Category:Towns
Category:Aurora
Category:Uldarash
Category:Lore
Category:Traveler's Era