Castle Pointrainne

Castle Pointrainne is a small, fortified city in northwestern Bastonia, the location of which is one of the points that determines the border of the North, though properly it is considered a holding of the Bastonian Heartland - see Politics. The city's position alongside the eastern bank of the River Torres makes it a strategic holding, not so much for external war, but within the context of the ever-common Bastonian War of Succession, and it has been sacked numerous times by forces of the North, the Bastonian Heartland, and Estmarch at numerous times in its history.

Geography

Castle Pointrainne is on a hill on the eastern bank of the River Torres, with the city of Pointrainne to its immediate south. The city makes up one end of a bridge across the river, and this bridge along with a fordable section of the river nearby are effectively the only crossing of the river for many miles north or south along the river's flow. The city is therefore walled and charges a toll for the usage of the bridge, and a river-landing at the fordable section is also key for trade to the eastern sections of the North and northern parts of Estmarch.

Economy

The city does a roaring economy in trade. Furriers and lumberers from all points downstream frequently send their goods upriver to trade for goods from the deeper Estmarch or the Bastonian Heartland. These lands are also under the shadow of the Carcolie, and there is a large trade opportunity for fletchers and armorors, turning out cheap materiel with which these villages and hamlets can defend themselves against Carcolie raiders.

Pintrainne is also known as the Sylvestri Point of the East, and boasts a small Academy (the Pointrainne Academy) which is particularly well known for the quality of abjurationists it produces.

Politics

Pointrainne trades hands almost as often as the Bastonian Crown, and is garisoned by whoever holds it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the castle is almost always the holding of a Count, styled Count Pointrainne. Often, this count carries some political clout disproportionate to his rank, as holding Pointrainne is a key factor in the difficulty of moving troops from Estmarch to Whiterock, or into the North. Such movements can make or break the chances of both the Duke of the North and Duke of Estburg from being able to mount an effective campaign for the crown if the Duke of Bastonia can hold the city - the former because of the risk of attack from Estburg, and the latter because of the resulting isolation within their realm and the difficulty in instead fording their men.