Northshire
| Northshire | |||||
 View on one of the typical streets in Jingtown. Eastern architecture dominates the street of certain parts of Northshire. | |||||
| |||||
| Provost: | |||||
| City: | Shirekeep, Imperial Republic of Shireroth | ||||
| Area: | |||||
| Population: | |||||
| Bailiwicks: | Cabbagefall · Foley · Greenwood · Inner City · Lichkeep · Saint Zor · Valley of Mors | ||||
| City Districts of the Inner City: | I. Raynor's Keep · II. Treesian Quarter · III. Audente Quarter · IV. Spiritual Observatory District · V. Soloralist Quarter · VI. Boreal Quarter · VII. The Old City · VIII. Zirandorthel District · IX. Esagila District · X. Yardistani Quarter · XI. Diplomatic District · XII. The Hub · XIII. The Rim · XIV. The Ancient City · XV. The Docklands (West) · XVI. Northshire | ||||
Northshire (in Jingdaoese bastardised to Nosushar) is the name given to the area to the northern part of Shirekeep. These days it falls within the defensive Reynardine Wall, but in long forgotten times it was a separate village until it merged with the capital around the time of the Alexandrian Dynasty. Northshire is these days roughly divided in a crowded Jingtown which borders the Docklands, which is sparkling with life, and the the large boulevards more to the west. The reintegration of Jingdao into the Imperial Republic, sparked an influx of ten thousands of eastern immigrants - both Kildari and Jing. An intense gentrification project with the financial aid of nobility from the Eastern Imperium and several major cooperations like Sokoku Industries took place, which resulted in the reconstruction of several older buildings.
History
The Duchy of Elwynn was initially known as the Duchy of Northshire, deriving its name from a fortified pale (area enclosed by a palisade) around Shirekeep, which is not to be confused with the aforementioned village.
Legend says that the village was founded by Raynor II as a work camp for laborers constructing his greatest project, the gigantic catapult that would fling him into Heaven and make him a god. It needs no explanation to know that this idea was one of his worse ones, and the Kaiser died during a test run.
In those days, Northshire was not yet part of the capital region. Instead it acted as the capital of the region which would become known as Elwynn. It lost its status of regional when it was replaced by Eliria once the Kaiser's forces pushed beyond the Elwynn's North Fork. By the time of Marcus I, Shirekeep had been expanding and would swallow up the town and its surrounding farmland.
As the most northerly borough, Northshire suffered the hardest blows when wars plagued the Empire. A series of successive crises led to an urban flight of the wealthier citizens southwards. Regular threats from rebellious Elwynnese and noblemen, combined with increasing ethnic tensions, made the area an unpleasant place to live during the 17th century. House prices fell, and only the poorest were willing to move into buildings that had fallen into ruins due to poor maintenance. Even the Dunporter's Guild regularly reported on the lack of hygiene in the district, but successive emperors failed to provide the necessary assistance.
The Cabbage Plague between 1600 and 1605 AN, followed by the White Plague in the 1660's, delivered the death knell: the disease ravaged the densely packed population of Northshire. The subsequent Kalirion Fracture further upset the public safety even further, with the Kaisers having to focus on keeping their rump empire from further falling apart.
With the exception of certain areas near the Raynor Mausoleum, some embassies and the harbour, the district was reduced to a desolate no man's land within the city walls. The situation only improved after 1707 AN, with a new influx of immigrants from Greater Kildare.
Important buildings and landmarks
- Chrysantium House, office of the Minister of the Ministry for the Imperium in Apollonia.
- Raynor Mausoleum, burial place of the Kaisers (between 1561 and 1574 AN).
- Triumphal Arch of Salome the Radiant, constructed between 1717 and 1719 by a local commission of residents.
- Shrine of the Prophet Tai, a Cedrist temple shrine in reverence of the Kaiseress and Heavenly Light.
- Imperial Sun Boulevard and Imperial Light Boulevard, two large boulevards running simultaneously next to each other.
- Northshire Tram and Bus Headquarters, headquarters of the largest public transport company, NTB, in Northshire.
