Castin Harril was a man dedicated to Erathis, some called him a saint others a doomsday prophet and then some named him a mad man. He preached the end of the age and the rebirth of the new utopia, gathered together a flock of followers and headed of to build a place of worship in the wilds following in Erathis’s direction.
Well almost 40 years later with the war that ended the age well in swing Harril’s outpost had become “her ladies beacon,” a safe haven for many of the merchant groups to run there business from while still not being to far from the conflict in which they drained every last coin from the warring factions. The various merchant groups built an accord within the city and funded mercenary groups to protect its walls and keep the war from gracing her streets. If any faction attempted to siege the city they rapidly found them self’s cut of from there supply lines and the coin lenders funding there war parties suddenly drawing there purse strings tight.
The Lady’s beacon rapidly became a neutral zone where warlords and generals came to hire new men, trade for arms and supplies or meet with informants and other leaders to plan, deceive and strategise depending on the goals which drove them.
The church of Erathis swelled in power as tithes flowed in from many refugees attempting to gain safety with in the city’s walls and the battle lords who wished to use it as a safe place to conduct there business. Castin drove the city forward to glory like a man possessed, his knowledge of architecture and civil engineering seemed infinite and far beyond those of his peers. Within 60 years of its founding Harril grew from a small out of the way hamlet to a bustling city at the centre of the regions economy.
63 years after its founding the Lady’s Beacon saw the end of the age of Aarad and the start of the age of Merchants, Castin did not live to see it tho dying 16 months before. The church renamed the city in his honour and set about securing itself as a true power player of the new age.
The various merchant houses fat and happy from there long run of fleecing the blood thirsty masses started securing there new found elevation to power now that all the previously powerful noble lines lay berried under years of rubble and bodies. They established the merchants guild and set up a base of power within the city of Harril, set there own rules and agreements and then made sure they held onto there place on top.
That was all around 120 years ago, since then the city has continued to grow and the merchant guild has ensured that nobody climbs high enough to steal there perch. The church of Erathis still holds a large amount of influence with in the cities walls but there power does not exist too much further. There reliance on the merchant’s guild to keep the city in food and supplies means that they often have to concede to the guilds requests to ensure ongoing civility.