Heimdallr

Heimdallr (緋の帝都ヘイムダル), also known as the Vermillion Capital, is the imperial capital of Erebonia, situated in its centre since the empire's foundation. Heimdallr is home to approximately 880,000 citizens, making it the largest city in West Zemuria.
== Background ==
Earning its nickname from the large number of red brick buildings comprising its skyline, Heimdallr has served as the nexus of the nation since its foundation. Even in the modern day, it kept its traditional cityscape due to old laws (景観法, meaning Landscape Law) that prohibit the construction of skyscrapers.
Carriages were the standard in Heimdallr until approximately S.1180 when the orbal tram network was introduced. The city's districts are connected through both railways and carriageways, creating a vast transportation network. In the present day Heimdallr, however, traffic congestion is commonplace and trams are regularly 10 to 15 minutes delayed.
The city also serves as the seat of the Imperial government, with Valflame Palace, official residence of the House of Arnor and chancellor, situated north of Dreichels Plaza.
== History ==
=== Foundation ===
After the Great Collapse and the loss of the Sept-Terrions of Fire and Earth, their Holy Beasts assigned Adjudicator Arnor as an impartial leader, unaffiliated to both the Kin of Fire and the Kin of Earth. Arnor founded Heimdallr as his base to rebuild the land of Erebos, and was eventually crowned the first Emperor of Erebonia, with the Septian Church sending representatives to acknowledge the new nation and build relations.Black Records: The Founding of Heimdallr
In S.81, the third emperor Sion Arnor saw the completion of the Heimdallr Cathedral. In addition to cementing the Empire and the Septian Church's influence, under the cathedral a secret Primal Ground was built, for the church's own purposes. 
=== The Dark Dragon ===
200 years later, Argres, the Holy Beast of Earth, took the majority of the Erebonian Curse from Ishmelga and disappeared along with the Primal Ground under the cathedral. At the same time, Zoro-Agruga appeared over Heimdallr, blanketing the capital in miasma, killing many of its inhabitants and raising their bodies as zombies. Black Records: The Dark DragonBy then, the city had grown to a population of around 50,000. Thomas: 900 years ago, Heimdallr...was a small city of only about 50,000 people. However, it was one of the burgeoning centers of culture for the region.
Emperor Astorius II had the city evacuated, with the survivors moving to Saint-Arkh, but the Hexen Clan elder and Holy Beast of Fire died, passing the title down to Roselia Millstein.Crimson Roselia: In helping Emperor Astorius deal with this crisis, the Hexen Clan and Gnomes each suffered substantial losses. The Hexen Clan lost its elder and the Gnomes, their Holy Beast. A century later, in S.371, the seventh Emperor Hector Reise Arnor I gathered his forces and went to reclaim the city. There, he found the Vermillion Knight Testa-Rossa, and became its Awakener. With its power, Hector was able to slay Zoro-Agruga and put an end to the miasma, at the cost of his life and the cursing of Testa-Rossa. After the capital was reclaimed, Hector's son had Roselia and the chief of the Gnomes seal Testa-Rossa under Valflame Palace. Crimson Roselia: The emperor's son had the Chief of the Gnomes and myself seal the cursed Knight deep below the Imperial Palace.
=== The War of the Lions ===
In S.947, 72nd emperor Valius Reise Arnor V died, with his heir Manfred Reise Arnor assassinated soon after. Orthros Reise Arnor, fourth son of the previous emperor, took Heimdallr by force while the rest of the princes, save Dreichels Reise Arnor, raised up armies and began the civil war known as the War of the Lions. Orthros found the sealed Testa-Rossa underneath the palace and became its Awakener.Black Records: The War of the Lions Begins
While Heimdallr continued secure under Orthros' control thanks to Testa-Rossa, the Palatinate Knight under Lucius Reise Arnor and Dreichels' army posed a threat. When the combined armies marched on the capital, Orthros unleashed the Infernal Castle, elevating the cursed Knight to the Vermillion Apocalypse and spreading the curse throughout Heimdallr again. Crimson spirit veins stole the mana and life from citizens and soldiers, and even Lucius and the Palatinate Knight were defeated.
Only after Dreichels awakened the Ashen Knight Valimar, he would be able to enter the Infernal Castle together with Lianne Sandlot, Awakener of the Argent Knight. On July 4th, S.952, they defeated Testa-Rossa and vanquised the Infernal Castle, though Lianne suffered a mortal wound during the battle.Black Records: The War Comes to an EndCrimson Roselia: It was only during her battle with the Apocalypse that she unleashed her full might. In the end, however, she was fatally injured and passed away after the war.
=== Giliath Osborne ===
In S.1187, Giliath Osborne, a commoner adopted by the baron of Ymir, became a father and a brigadier general in the Imperial Army of Erebonia, living in the outskirts of Heimdallr. In S.1192, he would learn of Rudolf Arundel's scheme with several other noble officers to stage a massacre in Hamel and start a war with Liberl to prevent the rise of commoners within the army, but could only reprimand them as Arundel had the same rank as him.General Craig: The noble officers in the Imperial Army were looking to start a war in a misguided bid for prestige. Osborne caught on to their plan and severely reprimanded them, but couldn't do much more, given they were fellow officers.
In response, Arundel's faction sent part of Georg Weissmann's jaeger dropouts to raid Osborne's home, killing Kasia and mortally wounding his son before Giliath arrived and killed the attackers. He disappeared from the scene with his son until his return three months into the Hundred Days War.General Craig: Osborne's home near Heimdallr was raided by what were assumed to be jaegers. It happened in the middle of the night. They started a fire, and he came running... Next morning, all that was found was a burned-down building, dead jaegers strewn about, and the body of Osborne's wife. Osborne himself and his five-year-old son were nowhere to be found, but there was evidence the child was grievously wounded. In one month, he was able to negotiate peace with Liberl, investigate Hamel's massacre and have the noble officers involved executed, earning the position of Chancellor of Erebonia.General Craig: With Vandyck's introduction, Osborne met with the emperor and was tasked with taking care of the Hamel case. Then, a mere ten days later, the Hundred Days War came to an end, and a ceasefire agreement was signed with Liberl... Half a year after that, the brigadier general was appointed as the first common-born Chancellor for his actions.
After that, Carl Regnitz would be appointed Imperial Governor of Heimdallr, the first commoner to hold the position. The Reformist Faction, led by Osborne and Regnitz, became a major faction in Erebonian politics, enacting several laws curbing the power of nobles and improving the conditions of commoners. The capital became the Reformists' stronghold, having major support from its citizens, while the nobles' power was relegated to their own cities.
== ==
Heimdallr serves as the field study location during between August 24 and August 26. Due to the immense size of the city, Heimdallr was visited by both Class VII groups. Once they arrived, they undertook tasks assigned to them by Governor Carl Regnitz, the father of Class VII student Machias Regnitz.
On the evening of the second day, Sara Valestein assembles a Class VII meeting at the station and reveals that the Imperial Liberation Front will be making their move on the festival. As a preventative measure against them, she assigns Class VII as a festival security detail.
In the early morning on the third day, ILF member Michael Gideon gathered labourers from the Heimdallr Port to a meeting to discuss the start of their comprehensive, city-wide attack. Hours later, Princess Alfin Reise Arnor and her friend Elise Schwarzer head for the scheduled summer festival public event at Mater Park.
At the climax of the summer festival, Gideon and his men attack the neighboring districts, sabotage city utilities, and sever communication lines. This effectively throws the city security forces into total confusion. Under the cover of the ensuing chaos, a group of Imperial Liberation Front members led by Gideon successfully capture Princess Alfin and Elise at the Crystal Garden.
Class VII's Group A, after successfully seeing through the chaos, head to Mater Park to stop Gideon, only to be impeded by two Sharkodiles. Group A defeats the summoned monsters and proceeds into an underground passage, chasing after Gideon's men. At the end of the passage, they reach the Catacombs, where they corner Gideon. Using his demonic flute, Gideon reanimates Zoro-Agruga's skeletal remains in a last ditch effort to defeat Class VII. After defeating the reanimated skeleton, Rean shatters Gideon's demonic flute. However, as Gideon is driven into a corner, he and his men are rescued by Comrades V and S, with Comrade C in tow. While Machias Regnitz and Elliot Craig attended to Alfin and Elise, Rean heads up a team to battle Comrade C, only to be outmanoeuvred by the leader of the terrorist organisation. As a last resort, C triggers a cave-in in which allows him and his team escape. Group A, along with Alfin and Elise, survive unharmed, and they make it back safely to Heimdallr.
After surviving the terrorist attack, Class VII is personally commended for their heroic actions at Valflame Palace. It is here that they meet Chancellor Giliath Osborne for the first time.
As a result of Crossbell's aggression and the destruction of Garrelia Fortress, Osborne holds a speech at Dreichels Plaza on October 30. However, partway through his speech, he was shot by C, who is revealed to be Crow Armbrust in disguise. After the shot, the Noble Alliance stages a coup d'etat, utilising Panzer Soldats to successfully seize control of the capital for the Noble Alliance.
=== ===
On December 31, the Imperial Army's 3rd and 4th Armored Division led an assault in an effort to retake the capital. While the bulk of the Noble Alliance's forces were distracted, the Courageous flies directly towards the Karel Imperial Villa on the outskirts of Heimdallr, to the west. There, Class VII successfully rescues Elise Schwarzer, Carl Regnitz, Emperor Eugent III and Empress Priscilla. However, due to the efforts of Vita Clotilde, Valflame Palace is consumed by the enormous Infernal Castle summoned from the depths below Heimdallr. Upon the defeat of the Vermillion Apocalypse, the Infernal Castle disappears from Heimdallr.
== Districts ==
Heimdallr consists of sixteen districts. It is unknown what classifies as a district in Hemdallr. The following list features Heimdallr areas (districts) mentioned in the games alphabetical order:
* Airport
* Alto Street
* Central Station
* Dreichels Plaza (Valflame Palace)
* Garnier District
* Heimdallr Port
* Leica District
* Mater Park
* Ost District
* Racecourse
* Sankt District
* Vainqueur Street
* Vesta Street
== Gallery ==
=== ===
Heimdallr OP (CS I).png
=== ===
Heimdallr - Map (Sen III).png
Heimdallr - Introduction (CS III).png
Heimdallr - Cityscape West (Sen III).jpg
Heimdallr - Cityscape 2 (Sen III).jpg
Heimdallr - Cityscape 3 (Sen III).jpg
Heimdallr - Cityscape 4 (Sen III).jpg
Heimdallr - Cityscape South (Sen III).jpg.jpg
Attack on Heimdallr 3 (Sen III).jpg|Attack on Heimdallr
Attack on Heimdallr 7 (Sen III).jpg|Attack on Heimdallr
Attack on Heimdallr 8 (Sen III).jpg|Attack on Heimdallr
== Trivia ==
* The city is named after the Norse god of the same name, while the districts are derived from words in various languages.
* The city's name is never mentioned in the Japanese script of games prior to , but the English translation of , frequently refers to it by its name.
== References ==
Category:Capitals in Zemuria
Category:Erebonia Locations