Lundene (Town and Earldom)

Earldom

Lundene is the largest and most powerful earldom in the Kingdom of Lundene, lending its name to the kingdom.

The earldom as a whole has a population of approximately 7,000 adults - being 4,000 in the town proper, and an additional 3,000 in the hinterlands.

The newly crowned King Aerthos has recently begun to fortify and better organize several of the larger hamlets and small villages in the hinterlands. He has done this by naming these communities as "burghs", and has raised a local leader in each to theignhood and granting them limited powers of taxation, in exchange for oaths of fealty to Aerthos and the duty to fortify their "burghs" and maintain men at arms to defend their people, and a defensible, walled enclosure in which the local residents can shelter.

'''Town ''' The town of Lundene is situated at the confluence of the Ryk river and the Thems river. It is by far the largest town in the Kingdom of Lundene, and, together with Wintanchaester, a contender for the largest town in the northern portion of Pettylin.

Until recently, the population of the town was much higher, even exceeding more than 6,000 adult residents. However, while the town's most experienced defenders and professional warriors were absent, having marched to war to hold the walls of Mordgard against a large army of hobgoblins, the town of Lundene suffered a brutal surprise attack and brief occupation by Hael Bebba and the Demon Dwarves which devastated the town and its residents.

More than 2,000 adult residents, a full third of the town's population, are missing, presumed killed or enslaved by the Demon Dwarves.

Even with a reduced population of 4,000 adult residents, the town is very large by the standards of the region, and continues to be a growing economic powerhouse in the region.

It boasts large, if primitive, docks on both the Ryk and Thems rivers, a powerful local market, and a slowly diversifying economy that includes shipbuilding, and a growing textile industry (particularly wool).

The town possesses a large motte and bailey castle, the seat of King Aerthos Brightblade and his wife Queen Leoffaed, and the town as a whole is surrounded by high oak walls, nearly fifteen feet high, and surrounded by a six-foot deep ditch.

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