The Pikes

The Pikes is a district in the Letian capital city of Heartsport. The district is divided into four distinct areas: Harmony Hill, Small Pike, Alexander Citadel, and Thenworth Castle. The district is named for a series of stone spires that rise up out of the hilly, rocky terrain at the northeastern shore of the Gelon Sea.   Harmony Hill is a rocky hill that has been excavated into a large plateau over the centuries. It rests at the base of a trio of spires called the Triplets and a mesa upon which Alexander Citadel is built. Harmony Hill is the home of nearly all of the city's administrative buildings from tax offices to guildhalls and its religious center. The southern tip of the hill is dominated by Mytar's College, and specifically, its great library, the White Athenaeum. The northern tip of the hill is home to the Court of Scales, where the Queen's justice is handed out in accordance with the prefecture and imperial law. The center of the hill is home to the large temple to Hollus, the most prominent deity in Lete. South of the temple is the Heartsport Counting House (a small fortress that serves many important banking functions for the prefecture).   Small Pike is a walled neighborhood situated on the top of a hill adjacent to Harmony Hill. It's named for the four spires that ring the hill, all of which are smaller than the rest of the spires in the formation. Centuries ago Small Pike was a castle but centuries of wear and engineering advancements rendered it obsolete and little more than ruins remain with the exception of its walls, which have been well maintained and expanded over the same time. Small Pike now serves as an extension of the palatial complex allowing the many nobles with business in Heartsport and with the Crown to live in the city with their families and retinues.   Alexander Citadel sits on top of the largest mesa in the city, giving it a commanding view of the environs, including deep in the harbor. The Citadel is named for King Alexander III Redheart, who began construction of the citadel some five hundred years ago after his grandfather, King Thyner Redheart, abandoned Small Pike because the crown couldn't afford the extensive upkeep the old fortress required. During that time a small, temporary, fortress and bailey were built, mostly of wood, on Harmony Hill, but once construction of the citadel had been sufficiently completed it was abandoned and the garrisons moved to their current location. Alexander Citadel is home to the largest garrisons of Letian heavy infantry and archers. It is also home to the prefecture's coffers, contained in a massive vault deep under a specially constructed building.   Despite being divided into separate territories the Letian prefectures are largely still run as one entity, and the royal court is held at Thenworth Castle. Thenworth is relatively new for the district, having only been completed some one hundred years ago by Queen Thassia Redheart. Thenworth is a large complex and houses almost a thousand people including the royal court and the staff necessary to support them. The Emperor and Empress have apartments there as well, but they are rarely there.