Dol-Terias

The city of Dol-Terias is today split in two parts. The western bank is known as Terias and is ruled by the High Lord Lernan of House Alturien. Terias is heavily patrolled by the military of the Shields of Terias that work also as city guards and keep the crime below average level. Terias streets are clean and well lit so that the most prominent buildings of Castle Doregan, the Temple of Anvarol and the Old Arena can be seen from everywhere. Terias has also a well established docks area to host caravels, drakkars and keelboats that come up and down the river Don. Terias is connected to Doltanbran by the Runak Bridge, an ancient construction built by the dwarves of Granite Home.

On the eastern bank lies the older part of the city, today known as Doltanbran. Dol has no streets but just narrow and dark alleys where illumination is scarce. The Council of Four, a feudal hereditary institution, oversees the trades and administers justice from a palace located at the centre of the city, close to the Illorm's Hill, the only elevated point in the two cities.

Buildings are dilapidated and falling apart, the apex of this decadence can be admired in the warrens that are known as The Hive. Doltanbran's most peculiar constructions, beside the Grandhouses of the nobles's quartier, are the Temple of Kor, the Kailab Library and the ancient Cemetery of Nekra.

Population
Doltanbran has 23.000 inhabitants while Terias has 18.000. 74% are Humans (43% Dolgans, 34% Asturians, 15% Northmen/Halskans, 5% Wotans, 3% Others), 6% Halflings, 5% Half-Orcs, 4% Dwarves, 4% Elves, 3% Gnomes, 2% Half-Elves and 2% Other.

The two dominant ethnics groups in Dol-Terias are the Dolgans and the Asturians.

The Dolgans were the founders of the city. The locals that lived in the area along the river Don since well before the Asturian settlers arrived from the County of Four began to permanently transform a little village in a large city. Dolgans tends to have black or brown hair and a dark skin. They are well known for being skilled traders and merchants. Asturians are taller and more slender, blonde hair are common as well are light eyes. The typical asturian has a high sense of honor and good understanding of etiquette.

Two other human ethnic group exists in the area, outside the city walls: the Northmen or Halskans - that often sail down the river Don, hailing from the Storm Isles - and the Wotans - the barbarians that roam the Than Steppes. Halskans are very tall with broad shoulders and a pale skin and often keep long beards and braided hairs. The Wotan are shorter than the northmen but still powerfully built, their skin is light and often covered with tribal tattoes. Among the Wotans supersticion is even more common than among the Northmen.

The Sulm barbarian tribe represent an ethnical exception. Their origin is misterious and controversial, what is clear is that they are not fully Wotans. They have a very pale skin, long arms and unnerving white irides that make their eyes white. They tend to shave their heads or keep hairs tied in ponytails.

Law and Order
Law and order are maintained in Doltanbran by the Watch and in Terias by the Shields of Terias. The Shields of Terias work as both guards and military and patrol the area surrounding the city to enforce the will of Lord Lernan as far as to reach the [[Far Hills to the west and the Than Steppes in the north. They are well equipped and muster a high number of horsemen.

The Doltanbran watch instead rarely leaves the city and is well known for being a corrupted force and that uses vicious warhounds. The fields outside Doltanbran, where the Estates of the Nobles lie, are patrolled by the private men at arms hired by each house.

Doltanbran Watchmen and the Shields of Terias are forbidden to cross the Runak bridge and enter the other city while on duty or while wearing their tabards. This limitation does not extend to the large amount of mercenaries employed by the two governments. Sellswords come from as far as the Storm Isles or the Kingdom of Asturia.