Middleholm

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Middleholm is a major city in the Aurian Empire.

Middleholm forms the core of its trading area. It is the central military base for the Black Protectoran, and the site of its academy, but it also forms the crux of the Imperial Road system in the Protectorates.

## History

1800BE: The dwarvern city of Golmhaven is confirmed to exist at the later site of Middleholm.

990-800BE: During the Wars of Betrayal human tribes turn on and drive out the dwarves from many settlements. The exact nature of these wars and conflicts has been lost in time.

730BE: Ancient Golmhaven falls as a nation. The exact nature of this conflict is unclear but there appears to have been a schism with many dwarves leaving for the northern mountains of Barkarin to answer the call of the Thane. Some dwarves stayed but the majority of the nation left but who why and in what numbers is not clear in history. There was already a human settlement in the same location. This settlement later grew into the edges and eventually covered the old dwarven city of Golmhaven. There are still dwarves who live in the Golmhaven.

232BE: The Red Lions settle at the site. The previous unnamed tribe are put to the axe and claw. The remnants are enslaved to the Red Lions. Importantly the Red Lions have a special relationship with the dwarves of the era. Those the carvings of the time are unclear it seems that had something to do with the success of the Red Lions in securing Golmhaven as their capital.

179BE: Dogbane is born in the human/dwarvern settlement of Golmhaven.

153BE: Dogbane the chief of the Red Lions Tribe defeats several cairen tribes and unites other nearby tribes tribes including the Haven Shorerunners under his command.

150BE: Dogbane re-names the central settlement of Golmhaven lands Middleholm because it was the middle of his land. The Red Lions become known as the Protectors and also the Middle Tribe because of their prominence. Middleholm grows from there.

90BE: Rak Danning is made the primary settlement of the Dann tribe. Some of the central tribes align with the Middle Tribe to protect themselves from the power of the Dann tribe.

7-4BE: The First Commerce Wars scare some of the local peoples. Rak Danning in the north becomes a major trading partner of Auria which also pushes locals to Middleholm.

0BE: Aurian Empire announced by Jomark.

0-22PE: The Unification Wars bring Aurian borders closer to Middleholm and its holdings. Middleholm takes in refugees from the nation of High Grange after it is toppled by Auria.

43-44PE: The Second Commerce Wars begin in earnest with Auria taking chunks of what are now called the Protectorates.

44PE: After a year of fighting against the Empire Protectorans under Lorn Hunter, Middleholm falls. The old dwarvern nation of Golmhaven is swept away entirely from the land. Thousands of refugees traveling north and west. There is an effort in Rak Danning to simply join Auria but it is uncovered my the current First Dann and brought to an end. The dwarvern faction of the city are particularly anti-Aurian.

46-48PE: The Marshal of the Empire, Lorn Hunter, leads the Aurian Empire on the Rak Danning Campaign. It takes two years but he is eventually successful thanks to fantastic logistics and the military might of Auria's legions. Middleholm is the main base from which these assaults take place and it is highly fortified to replace the damage done in its recent fall. The dwarvern walls are still mainly intact and are reinforced but a new set of fortifications are set up and are called the Man's Wall to differentiate them from the older Dwarvern Wall. The Academy that will later become a central Black Protectoran post is set up on land that was cleared in the bombardment of the city when it was taken.

50PE: Protectorate forces are mustered at Middleholm for the Forked Offensive into Saracan and Alkan.

59PE: Race riots break out in Rak Danning leading to a culling of the old races present in the city. Middleholm is affected by these but thanks to the involvement of a small group of heroic individuals including the half-dwarf Simon the Pug the slaughters in Rak Danning are not repeated.

260PE: Rak Danning under a new charismatic leader attempts to reassert its independence and become an independent state.

260-261PE: The Split Walls Succession: Unfortunately for Rak Danning Auria moves its legions directly against then and Wrennost who inspired by their move, kill their own imperial governor and declare independence also. (It was hoped that ten or twenty of the sates would all do this making it impossible for Auria to react but that did not occur). Importantly Middleholm remained loyal and as the nearest fully militarised city in the area it became the natural choice of command centre. Imperial legions formed up on the flood plain around Middleholm in complete safety and then marched and retook Rak Danning by force.

262PE: Aftermath of the Split Wars succession, where the Emperor Jonah III gains the title 'the Merciful'. He pardons many of those who rebelled in the north while also excessively rewarding all the loyalists placing them into positions of power and authority. Middleholm is given a powerful trading charter and is made the Military centre of the Protectorates as well as the tax and trade centre for the area. This guarantees the city's prosperity for centuries to come. Battles still rage all year around the north, but Middleholm is staunch in its support and the rest of the rebellions are put down. Under pressure the Emperor is forced to declare the insurgents as an opposing nation within the Empire. After this Wrennost and the other rebels are smashed and Jonah himself never recovers from it. Middleholm however enters a phase of great growth and prosperity.

445-449PE: The Third Commerce Wars or the Tatrak Conquest. Middleholm sends legions to help in the war. Tatrak is taken by storm causing heavy casualties both sides and resulting in the sacking of the city.

493-512PE: Reign of Aluap the Organiser. The Trading Areas are organised and Middleholm uses its previous treaty under Jonah The Merciful to become the recognised centre of the Protectorates.It is given its own Trademaster chosen from among its own nobility. The Trade Area Legions are reorganised and the Protectorates military nicknamed the Riders is stationed at Middleholm. Middleholm is also so important and populous it was assigned a senator specifically to represent the city. Public approval for Tor Honarik and the Emperor soar in Middleholm.

505-507PE: The Wargak Invasion. When the Wargak horde invade through Saracan Middleholm marshals the Riders to support the Border Guard. The Trade Area Legions system proves its worth and under the direction of the first ever Commander in Chief Nik Firehand the invasion is turned back. This was the first time the Sapphire Wizards Guild worked so seamlessly with the military and it was proven a huge success.

515: Protectorans are founded under Peter I. The Black Protectoran's base of power is chosen predictably as Middleholm with Nife Dohanar as its Marix.

525PE: Kolaran officially joins the Empire and this creates a huge new trade stream for Middleholm. Kolaran becomes its port outlet to the sea and beyond. The Rak Danning Market starts to become internationally famous and the city experiences a huge population boom.

650PE: During the Protectoran Mutiny Middleholm itself remains loyal but many of the units ride off and go rogue. The mutiny is put down by marshaled loyalist forces. However not all for example some of the deserters, such as the Shadow Banner mercenary group, are never brought to heel.

674-675PE: The successful campaign against the Danoran Mountain clans is planned and executed from Kolaran. Black Legions ride from Middleholm at the same time successfully stopping the mountain clans from being able to retreat. The infamous razing of the Eagle Moors clans occurs during these conflicts. It results in the removal of the First Lance by uncertain means. Surehoof becomes the First Lance. He has Alkar heritage and founds the Outriders within the Riders.

687PE: Failed Saracan invasion formalises the Aurian northern border which outlines the upper limit of the Kolaran Trading Area, it also formally acknowledges the existence of Free Country. Through Rak Danning, Middleholm has connections to Saracan and Kolaran.

700PE: The Yellow Protectoran is split now being set to guard the southern border centred in Tor Zeric and the northern border centred in Rak Danning. This is not a popular in the north many arguing the Black Protectoran should cover the south or that a new Legion Group should be founded. Surehoof argues the point and is instrumental in ensuring the Yellow Splits instead of the Black.

1050-1102PE: The reign of Peter IV the Seafarer results in more trade products than ever being made available in Middleholm.

1193-1221PE: The reign of Gerard the Waymaker huge roads are planned across the empire. Fortunately for Middleholm several were aimed specifically at widening its trade routes. Several of the roads connect at Middleholm and it uses the river as well. The network increases the level of economic prosperity in the business classes of the city. Many of the workers on the road network were recruited in Middleholm forming huge work groups and roaming villages.

1234-1271PE: The reign of the Warmaker and the Northport War. This involves the Black Protectoran very little but Middleholm does contribute forces.

1486-1491PE: Emperor Kavad embarks upon the War of Vengeance with Torash. Almost all military units that can be are sent to the front. This is a very unpopular war with the Protectorates as they are emptied for the war. The Red Famine strikes the Protectorates. This was Kavad's food tax on the farmers to support the war. Imperial sympathy went down and the Emperor's popularity takes a dive as well in the normally loyal Middleholm. Some of the Black Protectoran Legions turn a blind eye to farmers avoiding the Food Tax, yet others use the military expedients as excuses to rule ruthlessly.The Trade Master/Governor Melthis specifically over blew the threat of the Torans. Suggesting they would rape, pillage and plunder their way through the Protectorates. The attack on Leyroch by the Toran insurgent force is used to fuel this fear and that helps reinforce support for the war.

1512-1514PE: 1st Dragon Army Invasion affects Middleholm somewhat. They send significant cavalry forces to the assistance of the Eastern Protectorans that are engaged in the fighting. There is some draft dodging due generational anger about the War of Vengeance and the Red Famine.

1643-1677PE: New roads are built enhancing Middleholm's trade links. Its economy booms in these years and the city is significantly enlarged.

1898PE: Second Dragon Army Invasion

## Geography

Middleholm is located in the centre of the Protectorates in the Middlehaven Protectorate of the Aurian Empire. It is a huge city with two particular fortification areas. It is built on the large river Seet where the original dwarvern city of Golmhaven stood, but now it is spread across the plain as it long outgrew the Dwarf Wall. It then has a second set of walls called the Man Wall. Fortunately it is blessed with a lot of surrounding flat land. It continues outside even this wall. It does have a significant under city because of its dwarvern origins. A lot of this part of the city is still occupied and owned by naturalised dwarves.

## Economy

A great market town as the centre of the Protectorates Middleholm is a farmers dream market. Five days a week farmers meet to buy and sell at Middleholm and during the summer month they have great games that almost double the population of the city for a week.

Money flows freely in Middleholm and they have an imperial bank in the city.

## Demographics

It is split mainly between dwarves and humans. Over hundreds of thousands of people can pass through some part of Middleholm on a daily basis. The city is huge and sprawling, but is very different in different areas. Within the Dwarf Wall there are still many buildings from the ancient city of Golmhaven. These are architecturally magnificent often achieving things current architects find impossible without magic. Several use runestones to achieve their remarkable designs and functions. The area is fairly expensive to live in but this can be mitigated if you work in the so called central trades. The guilds of the city offset living expenses for skilled individuals often to an extent which dwarf's their actual pay. Beyond the dwarf wall their are sprawling residential districts and elitist estates for which the central or Middle City lacks the space. The riverbank areas are well maintained and the watergates are manned day and night by the Middleguard, who are made up of the 15th and 16th Black Protectoran legions and are dedicated to the defense of Middleholm itself.

 Dwarves
 Other

### Religion

Religion is fairly diverse in Middleholm especially due to the dwarvern influence. All six Avatars worship is represented of course though the dwarvern gods of war, justice and craftsmanship make a greater showing here than elsewhere in the Empire. Still, the Temple of Celer is by mar the largest and most frequented.

## Politics and Government

Middleholm has its two Senators that represent it in the Senate due to its immense size. The Govenor is the leader of the city, but the Trademaster for the Protectorates is stationed in Middleholm and also plays a great role in city politics. The First Lance Chad has significant power but seems to surprisingly take very little interest in the leadership of Middleholm. Indeed he is often found riding with his own legion around the Protectorates rather than in post at the Middleholm barracks.

## Military

Middleholm is one of the two central nodes for the Black Protectoran (Gilgan being the other) and is the largest of the two. The Protectorates and the Gilgan Trading Area are the largest of the military domains and the Riders have immense areas of land to cover. They are by far the most disparate Protectoran. Middleholm provides a sense of home and a base of operations and training. The Black's Academy is here.

On a regular basis, there will be four or five legions of the Black operating in and surrounding Middleholm. However only the 15th and the 16th are stationed permanently in the city. It is their training centre, base of operations and command centre though the current First Lance Chad tends to ride out more than rule from his office.

## Culture

A huge market city Middleholm's culture revolves on four points.

1. It loves money and it makes money.
2. It love horses and is the centre of the Imperial Cavalry.
3. It loves its dwarvern roots and sees them as a sign of its superiority.
4. It is proud of its legacy as a loyalist city.

This leads the nobles of the area to compete in these areas. It is very fashionable to have dwarvern architecture, dwarvern cooks, toy makers, smiths and stable masters. Being openly patriotic, loyal to the Emperor and the military is seen as a mark of the true man. Good horse flesh, the horse market and racing horses are the pinnacle of noble sportsmanship and envy. People who have money represent it in these status symbols.