Lonbury

Governance falls to a military governor appointed directly by the King, who wields full and sole authority over the city.

Lonbury is one of the most heavily fortified cities in Wescovia, built less for beauty and more for pure strategic survival. Its defensive philosophy can be summed up in one phrase: Hold the pass at any cost.
The city is surrounded by towering stone walls, hewn from the local gray rock of the mountains. The walls are nearly 40 feet high and 15 feet thick, reinforced at regular intervals with square towers equipped for both archers and siege weaponry. Legend has it that the walls can be flooded with boiling oil from cisterns housed in hidden pipes atop the ramparts, but no such system has ever been discovered in the modern era.
The western and eastern gates of Lonbury are massive iron-bound oak structures, reinforced by heavy stone gatehouses. Each gatehouse has a portcullis and a design allowing defenders to trap enemies between the gates and unleash volleys of arrows, rocks, and alchemical fire. During times of high threat, the gatehouses are staffed around the clock, with archers, engineers, and mages trained in defensive magics.
Life in Lonbury is militarized even in peacetime. Barracks, armories, drill grounds, and smithies dominate the city's architecture. Locals see defense not as a burden but as a sacred duty, and even taverns and shops double as safehouses or muster points when needed. The people are rugged, proud, and have a strong sense of unity born from generations of living on the front line.

Lonbury is built for durability rather than beauty. Wide stone roads, vaulted tunnels, and strong keeps dominate the landscape. Great chain-operated gates can seal the pass in times of danger. Thanks to its proximity to the Jadeheart Kingdom, Lonbury thrives on cross-border trade: gemstones, metalwork, and rare minerals flow northward, while Wescovian furs, timber, and enchanted goods travel south. It also boasts one of the best marketplaces for exotic dwarven goods outside of Jadeheart itself.

Lonbury’s history is filled with tales of sieges and heroic defenses, particularly during the early centuries when orc clans, frost giants, and rival human kingdoms contested the pass. Today, it enjoys relative peace, though it remains ever watchful. Tourists (mostly adventurers, scholars, and merchants) visit Lonbury to experience its grand market, its legendary Vault of Echoes, a natural cavern said to have strange magical properties, and to undertake the treacherous hiking trails that crisscross the surrounding peaks.