Belvil

**Belvil**, sometimes known as **Cremond Beach** is a minor settlement and city located on the Slorend River, downstream from the city of Dilare. Belvil is known as a haven for gang and illegal trafficking in the province of Mercia. The city is *de jure* ruled by House Oreln, yet the rulers hold little power over the gangs.

## Description

Belvil is a medium-sized city, located on a particularly silted-up area of the Slorend River, in which most of the land is marshy wetland swamps that, on occasion, flood. The houses of Belvil, with the exceptions of the those furthest inland, are built on stilts with wooden boardwalks that connect the homes. The marshy ground does also have a paved road, which is preferred for use by locals if the river allows it.

The houses in Belvil range from near huts to simple, 2 or 3 room wooden homes. The few legal shops in the city operate inside, with conditions making an outdoor market near impossible. Many of the homes are built on top of each other, creating a scene that some have described as a "jungle of shacks".

The city has never been attacked by any military force, mostly due to its little strategic importance. Yet, the city is still partially protected by a wall built in 852 SY. As of the 1520s, the wall is crumbling and would be near useless in an attack. The lord of the district of Belvil rules from outside the city, in a manor called Blackkeep.

## History

The city was founded as a small fishing village around 715 SY, apparently by a man named Crisus of Cremenhill - although the people of the small village of Cremenhill, Lohn, doubt his existence. The town quickly grew as a small port and would become one of the founding members of the Mercian Estates, along with Dilbura and Orroux. This kingdom would disband, however, in 973 due to the establishment of Elvekian rule in Ahremia.

Until the 1500s, the city has grown as a hub for illegal trading. This is thought to be because of it being the second closest city downstream from the port of Slorend (the port of which is known to harbor illegal goods), with the first-closest, Dilare, being to tightly-ruled to be a good option. The city is also incredibly poor, making many residents turning to illegal means of income. The city is also a hub for the trading and distribution of sun grass, an illegal substance popular among poor and disenfranchised Ivlonians.

In 1477 SY, the apparent zenith of sun grass trading in Belvil culminated in the Nazkan general Delbius Filrae leading a raid of the city. The gang members within the city burned most of their sun grass dens, and engaged in a brief engagement with the soldiers. This event nearly destroyed the city, and by the 1520s the city has still not yet recovered, although it has made progress.

## Gangs

The city, from the 1400s to present day, has been unofficially ruled by two rival gangs, the Felcloak Gang and the Jazir'Al Gang. The violent gang battles that frequently erupt between the cramped jumbles of shacks pose a large threat to even peaceful residents of the city, causing only those with no other options to stay. The city's sun grass trade is considered the work of Jazir'Al, while the Felcloak Gang holds more power today. The gangs were weakened by the sun grass raids in 1477, yet their presence still has caused almost every resident to have at least silent allegiances to one of the gangs.