Altrya

**Altrya** is a city in xxxxxx, North Orentia.

## History

Altrya was founded around 50 AD as a military camp under the rain of Fawrchar I. The camps were set on the north bank of the Brenna River but quickly spread across the entire Altrya valley, as the military camp grew into a town, as markets, brothels, taverns and farms arose around the camps. The town grew immensely under the leadership of Fawrchar I's son, Aldarra the Builder. In 64 AD, he oversaw the design and construction of the great Hammer Hall, which would sit atop of Farran Hill overlooking the town, whilst five wooden spiked palisades were built atop great earthen mounds surrounding the town. In 69 AD, his father bestowed upon him the title 'Alderman of Altrya' and he oversaw the governance of the city.

During the reign of Nul-Agan I beginning in 86 AD, Aldarra continued to grow the town. Mining, farming and trade flourished in the early 90's and Aldarra ordered that many of the capitals wooden structures be torn down and rebuilt in stone. Aldarra recruited an army of architects and stonemasons to design numerous state buildings. Due to the vast Altrya Sandstone quarries in close proximity, all the buildings were built in the same uniformed sand and pale-yellow coloured brick and light red clay roofing.

The first building to be completed was the newly rebuilt Hammer Hall, in 104 AD, which housed the Royal Alderman Council chambers, the Grande Mon Altrya Throne room and all manner of administrative offices. The next major construction projects completed were the Palace of Martyl, which was possibly the grandest project as the King's residence in the capital and then the somewhat more modest Palace of Waterbridge, (would later be named Aldarra Palace) as the personal residence of Aldarra. Waterbridge was noted for having one large tower, so Aldara could see across the city and being built into the structure of the inner castle walls, for which Aldarra liked to travel around daily.

The inner castle walls would not be completed for another 20 years and the outer castle walls not until after the death of Aldarra. Aldarra was also a keen admirer of bridges and set about funding the construction of seven stone bridges in the city, to replace the three wooden bridges that connected the north of the city to the south across the Brenna River. The seven bridges, which had all been personally designed by Aldarra, were named Yana, Olenya, Farra and Dynarra after four of his nieces and Mare Bridge, West Bridge and Warden Bridge. Of the seven, only Yana Bridge and Dynarra Bridge were completed in his lifetime.

On the Southside of the Brenna River, he purchased land formerly known as Cheapside and home to some of the poorer townsfolk and relocated them to the east side of the city. Cheapside was divided into over 30 plots and grand buildings constructed and gifted to the Guild's as administrative buildings.

In the early 100's numerous Adeleyn Temples were opened in the city and by 110 AD, Aldarra was said to have become a pious man and a fervent follower of Adeleynim. In 115 he wrote to the High Patriarch of Adeleya, Mantis Aula, requesting that the Grande Temple Eminence send an Adeleynist scholar to Altrya. Aula dispatched Pella Lukara to Altrya, who would become the first Patriarch of Mon Altrya. Aldarra and Lukara set about organising the faith in the realm and the two struck up a strong friendship, with Lukara later being invited to sit upon the Alderman council as an advisor to the crown. In 119 AD, construction of the Grand Temple of Altrya began and would take 20 years to complete.

Whilst the city flourished and constant building projects were taking place, crime and disease rose in the peasant quarters. The number of building projects taking place called for a huge number of labourers and by 120 AD the cities population stood at 20,000. Whilst Aldarra tried to address the disease issue with the construction of sewage systems and laws addressing housing standards, he had little interest in dealing with the crime and disorder issue. This eventually came to a head in 121 AD, when rioting broke out in Greyside, a peasant quarter in east Altyra. The riots were said to have come about by the living standards in the poorer areas and the easy access to strong alcohol available in the unlicensed drinking taverns and brothels which would open in every peasant quarter. A further issue was the arrival in the city and popularity of Lion Spice, a recreational drug that when taken would eventually turn the user insane and without boundaries.

The rioting, lawlessness and accompanying fires quickly spread to more luxurious quarters of the city and after the killing of a group of respected merchant men and the rape and murder of Princess Adurin, King Kolgrim stepped in by leading his troops into Greyside and killing the peasants who refused to flea. Hundreds were rounded up and imprisoned and those identified as leaders or committing atrocious crimes were executed.

Kolgrim and Aldarra agreed that a more long-term solution was required and it was decided that Kolgrim's brother, Borwyn, would over-see the creation of a new city guard that would protect and police the city. Thus came about the formation of the Altrya City Paladin Guards who would be based in the newly built Paladin Barracks in the west of the city.

Aldarra passed from the world in the spring of 131 AD. In his final years he rarely lefts the confines of Waterbridge Palace and his funeral was to match that of any King before him. In recognition to his service to the realm, the Royal Alderman Council submitted plans to the King for the construction of a statue in memory of Aldarra. Thus in 133 AD, a great statue of Aldarra was unveiled in front of Hammer Hall, depicting the Crown Chancellor in regal gowns holding aloft a crown towards the heavens and a large book under his left arm.

Whilst the majority of Aldarra's building projects were not completed, or indeed started until after his death, one of the crowning memories was the completion of Temple Angelica and Paragon Palace, which early construction was overseen by Aldarra and completed in 132..