A Guide to the City of Dura
See image on DeviantArt. Artwork by J-Haskell.
Recommended Lore
To have the best experience with the Siege of the North event, we recommend you at least read up on the following lore if you haven’t already:
- A Cold Winter’s Night
- Dutorian lore
- The Ice Monster section of the bestiary
A General Overview of Dura
The proud capital of Dutoria, the city of Dura is at its most beautiful during the depths of winter, when snow glitters like tiny diamonds along the rooftops and brilliant blue-green auroras flicker across the night sky. The city sits on the coast of the Moonglow Sea, allowing travellers from across Theavia to make their way to its harbour by sea. It is here that the kingdom’s ruling family, the Primroses, as well as most of the nobility and high class of the country make their homes.
It is currently winter in Dutoria. Due to the city’s far northern location, the sun will rise for the last time that year on the winter solstice, and not be seen again until the spring of 506, leaving the Realm’s far north cloaked in darkness. The weather will be cold and harsh, with fierce blizzards, freezing temperatures, and deep snow drifts.
While the inner walls of the city are, for the most part, safe, those who go beyond Dura’s protection will be at risk of attack from ice monsters. Not even the harbours are safe, and after several ships were sunk by living icebergs trying to leave the city for safer ports, Dura’s leadership has asked that no others make the attempt until things are safer.
Major Locations & Landmarks
Primrose District
The Primrose District is a grand section of the city where most of its noble-class residents make their homes. The houses here are old and well-kept, showcasing the very best of Dutorian architecture, the most striking of which is the North’s Keep, where the royal family of Dutoria makes their home.
There are few businesses here, and what ones that do exist tend to be run in a highly formal manner, taking appointments rather than clients off-the-street and providing services that cater to the upper class.
1 Garden of Winter
A man-made garden located inside the North’s Keep. It is made up of small floras, a few trees, and the famous primroses. It is said to have been around the start of Dutoria and built by Lady Iris II during the later part of her reign.
2 North’s Keep
The grand castle of Dutoria and the home of its royalty. The North’s Keep was not built by the Dutorians themselves but rather their last Elder Drake ruler, Lady Caldera. After a nasty plague got the best of some Dutorians, Lady Caldera didn’t want their deaths to be in vain. So, using her magic, she created the North’s Keep. Alongside the North’s Keep, Lady Caldera did many great things for the people of Dutoria and was even remarked as ‘The Nicest of the Elder Drakes’. It was believed that near the end of the Elder Drake’s reign, Lady Caldera was going to step down, giving the crown back to Dutoria’s original rulers while also encouraging others of her kind to do the same. |
3 Láren’s laboratory
The laboratory of Duchess Lárensína is tucked away in a quiet corner of the Primrose District, where the strange noises that emanate from the place at all hours of night and day won’t unnerve too many neighbours. It is here that Láren and visiting scholars from Nuova Cadere share their research on the Frozen Gates and its odd inhabitants, testing different alchemical solutions on ice samples, hoping to develop some instrument that will allow them to safely enter the heart of the frozen continent.
From the outside, the laboratory is a friendly-looking building carved from wood with solid stone foundations. The windows are reinforced in case of an accident, and the door is carved from a solid, heavy piece of oak. At first glance, the secure premises might lead one to conclude that it is simply to protect rare alchemical regents and ice samples from robbery, but it is more intended to keep things in rather than out - for the Duchess has been keeping several smaller ice monsters in containment deep within the lab, including one she considers a ‘pet’.
4 Starflower Arboretum
Kept by the wealthy and reclusive Starflower family, the Starflower Arboretum is a small but beautiful botanical garden filled with thousands of peculiar plants collected from across the Realm. Sections of it are kept at tropical temperatures thanks to subterranean hot springs heating the building, allowing colourful flowers from as far away as the Overgrown Mountains to flourish. There are a number of ponds, home to the most gorgeous lilies as well as several species of decorative fish, shrimp, and turtles. The most popular area of the Starflower Arboretum is a round, central room lit by a large piece of candlestone, carved with runes and set into the ceiling. Known as the “Butterfly Sanctum”, hundreds of butterflies in every colour are kept here. The room is a popular place for proposals in the city of Dura. Due to its beauty and warmth, it’s not uncommon for Dutorians to spend winter afternoons at the Starflower. While they usually charge an admission fee to help keep the place funded, on especially cold days they may allow those in need to warm up inside for free - or even to sleep in the warmth of one of the garden sheds. |
Pearlwort Harbour
The city of Dura sits on the coast of the Moonglow sea, the Realm’s cold northern sea. Pearlwort Harbour serves as a nexus for travel in northern Theavia and is well-maintained to make the process of docking and unloading trade vessels as smooth as possible. The shores on either side of the harbour are home to hundreds of warehouses and boathouses, where ships can be dragged out of the water for repairs and to protect them from the harshness of Dutoria’s winters. While cold weather and growing sea ice make winter navigation dangerous, the city of Dura receives hundreds of visitors from Xocrium, interior Dutoria, and northern Meros for the annual Winter Ball. Commemorating the start of the winter season, the ball also serves as a major political event, as many important nobles and members of trading families will all be present in the city at the same time for this holiday. |
5 Statue of Iris
In the middle of Pearlwort Harbour stands a pale stone statue of the legendary founder of Dutoria, Iris, greeting travellers from the Moonglow Sea as they enter port. She overlooks the waves with one hand on her pregnant belly and the other holding a simple wooden staff, a warm smile on her face. The statue is frequently covered in flowers, and its base is frequently painted with various murals and used as a gathering place for festivals.
Snowdrop Central
Dura’s downtown district is known as Snowdrop Central, a bright and vibrant area for tourism, trade, public events, and get-togethers at one of the many taverns and inns that line the streets. There are several grand hotels located here, though the Firethorn Inn remains the most well-known of them all.
Tourists in Dura will generally find accommodation for themselves within Snowdrop Central.
6 The Firethorn Inn
The Firethorn is the most popular place in Dura for visitors to stay. While not as grand or as luxurious as other hotels in Dura, it’s still widely considered one of the best places to find accommodation in the city. Visitors can enjoy cozy beverages while being only a few blocks away from North’s Keep - a fact that makes the Firethorn a very popular place for visiting dignitaries and public figures to stay while making visits to Dutoria’s nobility.
As of the current season, some of the highest nobility from the kingdom of Xocrium have taken up rooms within the inn, and a small regiment of knights and Flowers (Dutorian soldiers who ride Blom’s Messengers into battle) has formed around the Firethorn to provide security. While some question why such drastic security measures have been taken for visitors that will presumably be gone in a few months, High Lady Verda II herself has instructed her soldiers not to answer any questions.
The Firethorn remains open to other guests at the time, provided they don’t mind being housed in close quarters to powerful Xocrian dignitaries.
7 Snowdrop Square
The public square of Dura has been a host of many outdoor festivals and activities throughout the years. When the open area isn’t being used to gather people together, there are plenty of areas to rest and take in the view of the beautiful city.
The centre of the square features an intricate stone fountain with the likeness of Blóm and her brother Freyer, a ring of flowers and borg running around both of them at their feet. The sculptures are expertly crafted, and said to have been made by a North-Touched Moonviper hundreds of years ago.
Every year during the winter months, the water within the fountain freezes over in unique and intricate shapes, and many say it is a sign of Blóm’s creativity.
8 Tree-Ruffle’s Historical Center
Tree-Ruffle's Historical Center, located in the heart of Dura, is a museum dedicated to the artifacts and writings of Dutoria, from ancient to modern times. Inside an interconnected series of longhouses are wings featuring the changing styles of boats and fashion, borg tack through the centuries, preserved flowers from across the Realm, murals depicting Dutorian folktales, and even a room showing off the crown of Dutoria’s elder drake ruler, Lady Caldera. Anyone wanting to learn more about the history of the northern nation should first make a stop at Tree-Ruffle’s Historical Center.
Bulrushes Ward
Located along the eastern coast of Dura, Bulrushes Ward is notable solely for the House of Life, the headquarters of the Children of Blóm, being located within its bounds. The rest of the district is a residential area for dockworkers and sailors, the location of several storehouses for recent-imported and exported goods, and several inns, taverns, and other establishments of questionable decency.
Aside from those seeking out spiritual guidance, the Bulrushes Ward isn’t the most popular destination in Dura.
9 House of Life
A great church/temple that is home to the Children of Blóm and used mainly for the worship of the Goddess Blóm. During the year, the Children of Blóm do their best to teach anyone willing to listen to the principles and teachings of Blom and hold community dinners just about every week, usually on Friday nights.
10 The Mossy Rock
A tavern that sells incredible food at remarkably low prices- just don't inquire about the well-dressed folks being ushered into a back room. For most, the Mossy Rock is just a fine place to eat and catch up with one's friends. For those in the know, however, it is an entirely different establishment: underneath the tavern is the center of Dura's black market trade, with tunnels conveniently leading out to the harbor for smuggling. The constant music being played above masks any of the more unsavory noises that might come from under the floorboards.
Harebell Quarter
Most of Dura’s citizens make their homes within Harebell Quarter, a large and cozy residential district in the southwestern section of the city. Life in Harebell - at least since the end of the War of Seasons - tends to be slow-paced and relaxed.
Many of the families that have homes within Harebell Quarter have opened their doors to refugees from the farmsteads outside of Dura’s walls, offering shelter to those forced to flee into the capital to avoid the horde of ice monsters.
11 Primrose Mead Hall
A Mead Hall created by the first rulers of Dura in the city’s infancy. Once only used by the royal family of Dutoria, the Mead Hall has since become an open celebration hall during various holidays, able to hold a decent amount of people and often having the doors left open as celebrations move into the entire city proper. The Mead Hall is made solely of Prim Pine, a species of pine tree native to the landscape surrounding Dura known for its ghostly-white wood. Carvings of the history of Dutoria’s founders and the reigns of various rulers cover the wood inside and out, making the Mead Hall a striking part of the nation’s history.
12 Bearberry Market
Bearberry Market is Dura's central space to buy and sell animals, from exotic pets to livestock. It is named for the original family that set up there and their shop, Bearberry's Borgs, breeding one of the finest lineages of borgs in Dutoria. Over time, more people began to sell animals nearby and the area grew into an open-air market. It's known for being noisy and smelly but if you'd like a pet or a farm animal, it's the best place to be.
13 Bluemink Academy
One of the oldest public schools in Dura, Bluemink Academy is where most commoners in the city received their primary and secondary education. The academy is a worn, but not shabby-looking, wooden building painted with blue-violet flowers and a friendly-looking blue mink mascot. Inside there are several classrooms, staff rooms, a small theatre for student-run productions, gathering halls and a central cafeteria for students to take meal breaks. Outside there are a number of areas for students to play sports and exercise during warmer months.
The Academy is generally fondly regarded by most of Dura’s citizens, a shared memory for those who received an education there.
Foxfire Thveit
Foxfire Thveit is a large public park located roughly in the center of Dura. It is a popular place for citizens to walk and get exercise and is home to dense patches of forest and the occasional angry snow griffon. The thveit is also notable for a military barracks where Dutorian soldiers actively train for battle, as well as a large medical center that serves both warriors and everyday citizens alike. |
14 Stitchwort Medical Centre
A medical center used frequently by the soldiers and citizens from all walks of life in the city. Here you find amongst the doctors and surgeons; Children of Blom that offer comfort in trying times and aide the doctors in whatever they need. Some of the priests themselves are doctors that are either dead tired, grumpy to an impossible degree, happy to help, or a mixture of all.
15 Fort Viktor
Named in honour of the last High Lord of Dutoria, who fell in the last battle of the War of Seasons. Fort Viktor is a military barracks located within Dura, which makes use of the wide expanses of the Foxfire Thveit to train soldiers and keep their skills sharp, so that they will always be ready to protect the capital. The men and women of Fort Viktor have formed the backbone of the city’s defence this winter.
Along with housing soldiers and their mounts, Fort Viktor also has an archery range and sparring ground, obstacle courses for soldiers both on foot and with flighted and non-flighted mounts. Members of the public who wish to receive some combat training to help defend Dura are welcome to ask any of the soldiers at the Fort for basic instruction.
16 Silvervatn Lake
A large, deep pond located at the heart of the Foxfire Thveit. In the summertime, it is an excellent place for boating and fishing, while in the winter Silvervatn Lake freezes over completely - making it a popular destination for skating and ice fishing.
Sometimes more adventurous citizens and soldiers from the nearby Fort Viktor will dare eachother to take a dip in the cold water. Unsurprisingly this does not always end well, and many foolish daredevils end up being very grateful for how close the nearby Stitchwort Medical Centre is.
17 Foxfire Campgrounds
A popular camping destination within the safety of Dura's walls. The dense forest of Prim pines lets in little sunlight towards the central portion of the forest, letting in very little natural warmth and making it a prime location for those seeking a challenge. The outskirts are considerably much warmer, and are open and welcoming to less experienced campers. During the warmer months, large varieties of hardy flowers decorate the warmer sunlit portions of the woods and give it a wonderful fragrance as well, making it the perfect place to set up for a nice break from the stress of life.
Those who venture deeper into the woods during the freezing cold seasons are often advised to check in with a relative willing to go searching for them, should they not return in the time they said they would, lest they freeze and not be found.
Gatesheim
The northern and north-western portions of the city of Dura form the Gatesheim district, named for it including both major entrances into the city. During the War of Seasons many of its residents ended up taking up arms to protect their homes, and today most of the families living here are ex-soldiers or the children of soldiers.
Gatesheim is also home to several large warehouses and granaries where imported goods from the rest of Dutoria are stored for future use by Dura’s citizens.
18 Beebalm Tradehall
A massive indoor market located just shy of the Gates of the Frost. Beebalm Tradehall is the largest market for goods imported from inland Dutoria, and one can find anything from fresh produce (or preserves in the winter), beautiful hand-carved wooden tableware, and live animals to craftsmen peddling their trades indoors.
The doors to the trade hall are massive, opening wide enough to permit even the largest borgs, and are carved with a honeybee surrounded by beebalm flowers.
19 Gates of the Frost
The Gates of the Frost stands on the western side of Dura, on the road from Borealis. Most of the plentiful overland traders pass through this gate, and the archway is often decorated with paintings of flowers around this time of year, a spot of warm colour amidst the freezing winter blues and whites.
20 Gates of Light
The Gates of Light guard the primary land route from Dura northward, its road leading to the city of Aurora and, past that, the distant Frozen Gates. They also provide a spectacular view of the northern lights – it’s a game among some of the youths to climb and find the best viewing angle atop the watchtowers on either side of the gate.
The Moonglow Sea
The city of Dura’s harbour looks out across the cold waves of the Moonglow Sea, the Realm’s northernmost sea. With winter setting in its waters are starting to be covered in ice, threatening to trap ships in the harbour and sink unwary vessels. Worse than icebergs, however, are the Moonglow Sea’s newest danger; aquatic beasts of living ice that have also travelled down from the Frozen Gates. Several ships, carrying passengers thinking to escape the city by sea, have learned the hard way that they are a formidable danger… |
21 Pearl Isle Beacon
Carved from white stone generations ago, Pearl Isle Beacon (often simply referred to as Pearl Beacon) is a tall lighthouse that guides ships in and out of Dura’s harbour. Located on a small, rocky island off the shore of the city, during the coldest depths of winter Pearl Beacon can be accessed by foot for any brave enough to make the walk across the pack ice covering the Moonglow Sea.
During the War of Seasons, Pearl Beacon was Dura’s first line of defence against coming Hovellian raids. The lighthouse keepers would burn special powders made from local plants to turn the fires a peculiar shade of blue-green when enemy warships were spotted, and would occasionally be forced to bar the doors of Pearl Beacon when raiders turned their eyes to the pale tower.
Since the end of the war, the keepers of Pearl Beacon have had far more lax jobs, but the city still regards them as heroes for the many lives saved by their vigilance.