Lores

Lores is a city of stone, trade, and military might. Travelers that enter from the Trader’s Road face tall stone walls and guards at every corner. The market districts are crammed full with traveling merchant booths that change regularly, which also hide the black market trade well. Large stone wharfs dominate the north end of town at the lakes edge, which allow barge ships to transport goods from within and into the Dom with its neighbor port, Keylara.   The second oldest city in the Dom, Lores was founded by a group from the fishing villages on the west side of the lake who were tired of constantly being under the thumb of bandit clans. After arriving on the south banks of the lake by boat, near the outlet river that runs south, the refugees saw an excellent place to make a new life while still staying connected to their people on the other shores. Over time, they learned their new home had its own dangers. The hilly region just south is home to goblin and orc clans and raids were not uncommon.   Once the city joined the Dom in 31 AP, military protection and building of more sturdy infrastructure flooded the city, reviving it out of the days of scraping by in between goblin raids. The stone walls went up and wharfs were built to increase trade and the ability to move larger groups of people, soldiers, and goods more easily.   Today, the city is known as the largest trade hub for the Dom and traveling merchants and caravans arrive from several directions. The Leyvarr Guard extend their patrols to include several miles of the Trader’s Road, ensuring protection from bandits, goblins, and other attackers on the road. A small handful of settlements have developed further east under the Dom’s allegiance because of the strong presence of Lores.   The Lores Fort was the strongest built of its time, in anticipation of being the first line of defense for the Dom on the southern and eastern border. The heart of the fort is near the docks, but it also extends along the Running River and forms part of the main gates. Area wise, it is the largest stone fort in the Dom, as well as the most complex. This is to allow a siege survival by accommodating large granary storage and multiple barracks and a hospital within the fort walls.