Bitterhold

Bitterhold, also known as The Iron City, is a city on the continent of Dunland within the Kingdom of the same name. The city is located in the Northern Crown of the continent and is the northmost city in Dunland. The city is bordered by the Northern Spikes and is nearby to Lake Excelsior. The only main road into or out of the city is the Red Road.

The city gained its name from the castle Bitterhold located centrally in the city. The castle is famous for being one of the only structures to survive in the time before the Rekindling. The castle is a towering structure of black iron, still in some disrepair after all of these years, none of the rulers of Bitterhold have ever fully been able to repair the building. There are known punctures on the upper towers the size of carriages, and due to the frigid temperature are nearly impossible to mend. As a result, the castle makes loud wailing noises day and night as the harsh mountainous winds cut through the entire valley and through the iron castle.

The city is technically a port city, but only by virtue of being near the Saffron Sea. The city itself sits atop the Shelf a high ridge of rocky terrain slick with ice. There is a path down the Shelf that will take you to the port of Bitterhold, but it is a dangerous venture up and down and in some places must only be traversed via a winch elevator system or free climbing.

The city hardly sees visitors as a result and the only reliable way to get supplies into the city is through the Red Road. The road is often attacked by the clans of Glattsbane, which causes occasional dry spells in supplies for the city. However, the gorge of land in the Northern Crown provides enough wild game to feed the city for a long amount of time.

The city is notorious for the soldiers who defend it, and their prowess in battle. Their guard over the Northern Crown has prevented many invaders north of the Saffron Sea from making their way into Dunland. They are responsible for keeping a dwindling population of Frost Giants from wreaking havoc upon the country as they once had during the Rekindling.