Valcrest

Valcrest is described as more than a city; it is an institution. It is the heart of the Capital Lands of Caldenar and the royal seat of King Aedric Valencrest, built around marble avenues, court offices, guild influence, public spectacle, and constant negotiation.

The city is divided into six major districts: the Crown Ward, the Scholar's Quarter, the Trade Circle, the Arena District, the Old Quarter, and the Outer Ring. Each district has its own public function, social pressure, and political danger.

The Crown Ward holds the royal court and government offices. The Scholar's Quarter houses the Grand University of Valcrest. The Trade Circle gathers merchant guilds, trade houses, and foreign embassies. The Arena District handles duels and public entertainment, while the Old Quarter preserves older temples, winding streets, and secretive societies. The Outer Ring is the city's living pulse of markets, commoners, travelers, and adventurers.

Valcrest is unusually international. Zyrrakhan, the Shattered Steppes, and Sylvasreach maintain presences there, and Caldenar's own duchies all compete for influence in the same city. Beneath it lies an Undercity of tunnels, crypts, smuggler routes, and old foundations from earlier versions of the capital.

The Vault currently conflicts with older notes that name Valten as the capital. Valcrest should be treated as the newer royal-seat source until the Valten relationship is reviewed.