Winterhaven

The Free and Sovereign City of Winterhaven is an independent city-state located in a valley along the Winter River, which marks the historical border between the kingdoms of Lothian and Calatia. The city is an associate of the Free Norriatic League whose sovereignty is recognised by the League, as well as the Grand Union. The lands of Winterhaven include not only the city proper but also seven outlying towns, along with many villages and hamlets, all within several miles of the riverbanks in the valley.

The city's main reputation is as a place of higher learning; three universities are within the city's walls, with at least two more in the outlying areas on dedicated campuses.

History
The town of Winterhaven and the surrounding areas have been caught in the middle of most conflicts between Lothian and Calatia, to the point where the liege that the viscount owed allegiance to was nearly constantly in flux. Because of this, the county had to remain fairly self-sufficient and autonomous; when the county became part of Calatia it could no longer rely on nearby Lothian towns to supply it and when it inevitable returned to Lothian control it could equally not rely on Calatian resources.

Government
The city is ruled identically to a county in a larger kingdom, with the exception that the viscount has no liege. The current ruling family is House Lorion and Viscountess Ianna II currently holds the throne. Ianna is a half-elf, the result of her late mother's marriage to Andarien, an elf formerly of Varladel. Andarien remains an adviser to the current viscountess.

Trade
The mountains surrounding the valleys are rich in high-quality iron and copper and a significant portion of the city's wealth comes from export of metals and metal goods. The mountains also provide a bounty of granite stone, useful for building, which is transported up and down the river on specially-made barges and exported elsewhere from the port at the river's mouth.

The river allows easy irrigation of farmland, providing an ideal farming environment for hardier wheat, oats and barley crops, [...]

By far the greatest commodity of Winterhaven is people. The myriad universities within the city proper and outlying territories produce excellent natural scientists, historians, priests and writers, allowing culture to flourish in the city. A college of the Order of the Twilight Eye is currently nearing completion, which will only expand the city's ranks of intelligentsia.