Dilare

**Dilare**, sometimes spelled **Dulare**, is a major city in Ahremia, within the province of Mercia. It is the traditional capital of Mercia. It is generally considered a wealthy city. It has been ruled by both House Ullacroix and House Dettany at times.

## Description

The city is located on the Slorend River, with two main entrances. The North Gate leads towards Mesralla, whilst the South Gate is used to travel to nearly anywhere else. The city is cut roughly in half by the river, with the castle and barracks located to the north and the cathedral and Chapel to Aela located on the south side.

Two bridges over the the Slorend River are located within the city. The buildings near the river are more cramped, yet more elegantly built and expensive. A grid-like street pattern is maintained within the central market and university areas. In the outer areas of the city, painted stucco or even wattle and daub houses become more common. The absence of properly paved roads in the outer city causes the placement of roads to shift.

### Traditions

* The Dilare College of the Arts helped to generously increase the amount of educated individuals living in the city, leading to many academic conferences being held within the college halls.
* Dilare hosts its own celebration, which marks the end of harvest. The celebration encompasses the entirety of the market district, with shopkeepers selling more goods than usual as some tourists visit the town.

### Cuisine

* Dilare Herb Bread is the most common bread produced within Dilare. It is usually eaten with butter or honey.

## History

### Ancient

The city was originally a Mercian settlement called *Lanturr*. It was, even in ancient times, a major settlement in Mercia. The city would be the center of the first kingdom of Mercia, which would dominate the region from c. 200 SY to c. 400 SY. After this, the region would become much more fractured until the brief reformation of the former kingdom about eighty years before the formation of Exelon.

The city was sieged in 66 SY by the general Daruk of Bagrad, a buthenian warlord.

### Empire of Exelon

The city of Dilare was not directly targeted during the assimilation of states into the Empire of Exelon. Ahremia was brought into Exelon in 973, and Dilare fell into the territory of the Exelonian Province of Sectinia. Ahremia gained more influence when the capital of the empire was moved to Nazka in 1085 SY by the emperor Xethanele. Xethanele, and the governor of Sectinia, Clayde Ullakrus commissioned the building of a college - initially called the University of the Arts, it was later called the Dilare College of the Arts.

During the Exelon period, Dilare was the sight of the first Cult of Aela. Aela is the goddess of travel, trade, fire, and harvest in traditional Ahremian pantheons. A book called *The True Divine Order: The Goddess of Aela* was first published in Dilare in 1073 SY by Elmus of Borgia. This led to the founding of the Cult of Aela. Up until the present day, Dilare remains the unofficial center of the Cult of Aela.

During the Ahremian War for Independence, Dilare was the site of a battle between Exelonian and Ahremian forces. At the time, Dilare was the largest city in Mercia - and planned to be the 4th city to be liberated from Exelon. The Ahremians, using the city of Slorend as a base, made their way down the Slorend River and besieged the city. The mayor of the city, an Elvekian named Prious Grerona, insisted on defending the city. His forces held the north side of the city while the Ahremians breached the south walls. A short and bloody battle ensued, in which most of the southern city was destroyed by fires. In the end, the Ahremians weakened Gerona's forces until he was forced to surrender. The city was rebuilt throughout the next few decades.

### Kingdom of Ahremia

Dilare became the capital of Mercia in 1090 SY. The former rulers, those of House Ullacroix were anointed as the governors of Mercia for the time being. The first governess, Matena Ullacroix, worked to rebuild the city after the destructive battle in 1088 SY.