Amberg

**Amberg** is a city located in central Fühlgart on the western bank of the River Gesch. Historically it was an important trade hub, yet the city was largely destroyed during the Fühlgartian Civil War. Now, Amberg falls under rogue general Albert Schmied and the Amberg Defense Army. This makes the city the seat of a group of Republican enemies, which continues to hurt its economy.

## History

During the Divine War, Amythos, Divine Offspring of Cossyxia, was killed. He and his associated star fell from the night sky and landed somewhere in the North, yet nobody could ever find the body. However, this all changed in the early  4th-century AW, when Amythos' body was found at the site of modern-day Amberg.

Farmers, settlers, and traders – or just plain old tourists – flocked to the area. Believing that it would be a promising location for farmlands, as Amythos would bless the area with increased fertility, a community of farmers was established in 312 AW, naming themselves Amberg after Amythos.

However, these hopes were shattered after the first few centuries, as Amberg became a poverty-riddled backwater in the middle of nowhere. The corpse of a long-forgotten Divine Offspring that nobody cared about didn't lead to the desired economic boom. By the 6th century, the area was all but abandoned, safe for a couple of farming families.

However, Amberg's luck would turn around when House von Kalzberg took the Fühlgartian crown after the Torstadt Crisis. Kalzberg became the new capital of Fühlgart, and its close proximity to Amberg brought great interest to the area. Over time, more settlers were attracted to the site, yet Amberg would undergo explosive growth after the commissioned Grand Gesch Bridge was completed. The main supply route between Kalzberg and the coastal cities in western Fühlgart now passed straight through Amberg, making it a vital transport hub.

By the beginning of the  11th-century AW, Amberg had gained full city rights and grown to a population of over 25,000. Its position as a vital trade hub would stand cemented for the coming 200 years, yet Amberg would have a violent fall from grace during the Fühlgartian Civil War. The city was attacked by Republican Colonel Albert Schmied – a native of Amberg – in 1205 AW. However, the Monarchists refused to cede control of the city and the vital bridge. What resulted was days of violent street fighting as Amberg was mostly destroyed by artillery and gunfire. The Monarchists destroyed the bridge during their retreat, leaving Amberg in ruins.

Under the Republic of Fühlgart, cities hit by the civil war were granted economic aid to rebuild. Amberg's walls and houses were rebuilt alongside the Grand Gesch Bridge. However, the area never truly recovered, as many of its former citizens had either fled with the Monarchist armies or died. This left Amberg, while no longer a ruin, as a shell of its former self.

In 1227 AW, the city was conquered by Albert Schmied once more, becoming the seat of his rebellion against the Fühlgartian Senate and the home of the Amberg Defense Army (ADA). While there is occasional fighting near the city, Schmied's takeover has been something of a boom for the settlement, as his army of defectors provided much-needed stability to the area. Furthermore, the ADA has incorporated a group of institutions of Amberg's citizens into its ranks, making the city a beacon of democracy amidst the chaos of the ongoing Second Fühlgartian Civil War.

## Ownership

* Duchy of Wargekirchen, 312-381 AW
* Duchy of Kalzberg-Wargekirchen, 381-645 AW
* Kingdom of Fühlgart, 645-1205 AW
* Republic of Fühlgart, 1205-1227 AW
* Amberg Defense Army, 1227 AW-

## Notable Buildings

* Amberg Castle
* Grand Gesch Bridge