Whitecrest

***“**How the mighty have fallen...**”***
— Ulfric Luftschwert

**Whitecrest** (Crestian: **Weiecrest**) is the only major settlement and capital city of the City-State of Whitecrest. Historically, Whitecrest has been the most prosperous and one of the most important cities in the North. However, over the course of the last centuries, corruption, instability, and civil war have lost the city its status. Furthermore, the rise of new trading ports such as Whaler's Bay and Kirchenstau have made it hard for the city to recover economically.

The recent War for Whitecrest has changed the city's rulership. The previous League of Whitecrest, which had been in charge of the city for nearly a thousand years, has been overthrown by the Crestian Syndicate led by Edmond Heyer. Now, Whitecrest has become a hotbed for criminal activity, with its main source of income being smuggling.

## History

Whitecrest was founded as little more than a supply depot and small harbor in 64 BW, during the height of the Third Human Rebellion. As the Human armies marched further north, the settlement became largely obsolete, with only a handful of villagers remaining behind. When Lyxis the Blind reconquered the North, Whitecrest subsequently fell without a fight in 48 BW. It was later incorporated into the Freehold of Innyria, which was one of the "New Freeholds".

The Innyrian Naerisi were benevolent masters, granting Human settlements near-total autonomy. Whitecrest, using its strategic position, grew into the most important trading port for the Freehold of Innyria. An alliance of merchants, nobles, craftsmen, and soldiers together formed the League of Whitecrest to defend and rule over the city.

Over the following centuries, Whitecrest grew exponentially, attracting Human merchants from every corner of the North. Subsequently, the city developed a vast trading empire that was present in every corner of Enselonde. Yet, despite economic prosperity, Whitecrest lacked a local political force and mostly relied on the Freehold of Innyria to come up with new laws.

Yet, the Wyrsian-Innyrian War in 746 AW suddenly changed everything, with the Freehold collapsing in 748 AW. Suddenly, Whitecrest was not only left independent but as the seat of the larger Freehold of Whitecrest. Ultimately, the League of Whitecrest positioned itself as the rightful authority of the city, later becoming the head of the City-State of Whitecrest. However, giving an organization purely devoted to maximizing profit full unregulated control over a city would prove to have disastrous consequences.

Corruption and monopolies became commonplace, as Whitecrest gained a reputation as a wealthy city with an extremely cutthroat climate. In the coming centuries, economic inequality grew, as the League put small businesses completely out of business, forming their respective monopolies over the city and ultimately driving up prices.

The Darkest Decade attracted thousands of refugees, many of which Naerisi or Faerians. These settled in eastern Whitecrest, an area that quickly deteriorated to mere slums due to the League's unwillingness to improve the situation. This ultimately resulted in desperation, which in turn led to civil unrest as a cultural divide began to appear within the city.

At one point, soldiers refused to even so much patrol the eastern parts of the city, which ultimately led to crime going rampant and militias taking over territory, forming the first gangs. These gangs would serve as a minor nuisance throughout the early 12th century AW, but would increase their influence, ultimately threatening to expand westwards. In 1150 AW, the city was officially split into two, with the bridges connecting Whitecrest's Western and Eastern Districts being closed.

What followed was Whitecrest falling into even more chaos, as Eastern gangs could now grow their influence unchecked. A short-term solution at best, these gangs once again expanded their influence westwards, ignoring the bridges altogether. Meanwhile, in the Western Districts, the Crestian Reform Movement gained ground, as civilian protests increased.

Ultimately, in 1193 AW, the League of Whitecrest launched the Purge of Whitecrest, attacking both the Crestian Reform Movement and the eastern gangs at the same time. While leading to many deaths and arrests, as well as much destruction, the Purge achieved little in the long term, only increasing tensions and rivalry between the two sides of the city. Furthermore, it inspired the creation of new gangs that would serve a purpose in the years to come, such as the Dirtcloaks, Anti-League, and the Great Orchestra.

From the 1200s onwards, Whitecrest became unrecognizable compared to the prosperous trading city it once was, descending into constant street fighting and anarchy which would eventually be referred to as the War for Whitecrest. The Second Purge of Whitecrest would capture Edmond Heyer, leader of both the Dirtcloaks and the larger Crestian Syndicate, but would prove ultimately futile. With the League on the brink of collapse, a last-ditch effort was made to uphold the peace, as the Republic of Fühlgart was allowed to enter and "secure" the city. Effectively, Whitecrest came under Republican military occupation during the Great War.

However, with the Great War finished, the Republicans abandoned the city at the outbreak of the Second Fühlgartian Civil War. Defenseless, the city was captured in its entirety by the Crestian Syndicate. With Edmond Heyer now the undisputed ruler of the city and the larger city-state, repair programs have begun to roll out, with individual gangs of the larger Syndicate all contributing in some way to the city's recovery.

Yet, while Whitecrest is finally at peace for the first time in a century, the city is an empty shell of what it once was. While many speak about reviving the city and restoring its former glory and status, a smaller but perhaps more nuanced group recognizes that it is probably too late for such ambitions after centuries of misrule. If anything, Whitecrest is currently transforming into the smuggling capital of Enselonde.

## Ownership

* Kingdom of Humanity, 64-48 BW
* Empire of Nytalyria, 48-41 BW
* Freehold of Innyria, 41 BW-748 AW
* Freehold of Whitecrest, 748-783 AW
* City-State of Whitecrest, 783-1215 AW
* Republic of Fühlgart, 1215-1228 AW
* City-State of Whitecrest, 1228 AW-

## Locations

* The Western Districts
	+ Temple District
		- Temple of All Divines
		- Whitecrest Academic Hospital
	+ Port District
		- Whitecrest Military Port
		- Whitecrest Drydocks
		- Whitecrest Harbor
	+ Old District
	+ Nytalyrian District
		- The League's Palace
		- Crestian Academy for the Arts
	+ Market District
	+ Military District
		- Greihill Keep
		- Whitecrest Military Academy
* The Eastern Districts
	+ Common District
		- The Dog Pit
		- Dirtcloak Keep
	+ Innyrian District
		- The Green Duke
	+ Red District
		- Hall of the Red Serfs