Altdorf

Altdorf is a large city; human dominated, with a decent sized halfling population. Altdorf is walled in stone, with an outer palisade, making it well defended. In the past the town was the bulwark for the southern settlements against Orc raiding parties. There are a number of outlying farms and small suburbs outside the main walled portion of the city.   Altdorf is ruled by the human duke Gunther Luhrad, who is seen as capable, shrewd, and generally well liked by the populace.   As a founding member of the Suthland Alliance, the Altdorf City Government is tied directly to the Alliance's affairs, and, as such, has lost some level of autonomy in recent years. It also, as a result, has become more focused on foreign policy and trade vs city affairs.       Altdorf is known as the town of middle men of Asurus. Nearly all of the raw resources, food moving to Malford and Sesnil goes through Altdorf, be it lumber from Ustrada, or grain from Dubmore. All these goods are sold to merchant guilds and caravan owners in the town. These merchants and traders then travel to the great northern cities. In turn, the manufactured goods of Altdorf, Malford, and Sesnil are sold to the breadbasket cities in the south.   The easy access to high quality resources in this trading hub makes Altdorf a prime city for manufacturing high quality finished goods, in particular wood products such as furniture, and alcohols such as mead and ale.   With so much coin traveling to and from Altdorf Halfling clans have flocked to the town and made themselves a home. They have been welcomed by the royal family.   The most powerful non-governmental entity in the city is the Altdorf merchant's guild , a powerful and secretive organization that works to determine import and export duties to recommend to the government to maximize the value of Altdorf's goods. Guild membership is essential for craftsmen, artisans, and merchants in order to be successful.   The Altdorf Market District is renown throughout all of Asurus for its broad selection of high quality goods. Merchants from all around the region come to fill their wagons with wares, both mundane and magical.   Magic is still, to a degree, distrusted here, but less so than in many other human settlements, due to being a cultural melting pot, the prominence of halflings, and their status as a cofounder of the Suthland Alliance, which necessitates an alliance with the mages of Wyvern's Roost. Indeed trade in magical items makes up a small but significant portion of the City's wealth.   The wealth of Altdorf has led to an increased investment in public works, infrastructure, and education.