Bladegarden

Bladegarden is the main imperial stronghold on the east side of the Dwendalian Empire, lying southeast of Hupperdook. It houses and trains the majority of the Dwendalian standing army, the Righteous Brand, and as a garrison town also employs a large number of overworked Crownsguard. After training, Righteous Brand soldiers were required to give three years minimum service in the military.

Description
Bladegarden is oval in shape with the Righteous Brand barracks on the eastern edge of the city. It is considered to be a remarkably drab place with plain-colored infrastructure threaded by dirt roads. Armaments and basic supplies are readily available, but more luxurious services and goods are extremely difficult to find.

Points of interest
Beyond the western walls, there are a number of farmsteads producing nourishment for the local populace, but the majority of food is brought from across the Marrow Valley. There are many modest inns and taverns and small temples across Bladegarden.

The town holds a temple of Arioch, which was attacked and severely damaged in 835 PD. While the attack was widely blamed on the Kryn Dynasty, it was actually a group of cultists seeking a relic held within, the Spirit of Virtue.

Demographics
Bladegarden has a population of 9,910 as of 835 PD. Being a former orc settlement, 32% of the population is half-orc and 21% is orc. Humans encompass 25% of the population. The city is the core of orcish society in Dwendalian Empire.

History
Bladegarden was the site of one of the bloodiest battles during the Calamity, and is so named because of the high volume of weapons scavenged by the locals.

Originally a settlement of the Odakar orc clan, Bladegarden was incorporated into the Empire and many of its orc inhabitants were recruited into the Righteous Brand shortly following the war with the Julous Dominion. Other orcish clans who disagreed with this accord were driven east towards the Brokenveil Marsh, to later be incorporated into the Kryn Dynasty.

During the War of Ash and Light, Kryn assassins managed to take out military-linked nobles in both Bladegarden and Zadash.