Charinton

Charinton is the capital city of Gallias and the heart of the worship of Amari, a faith that unites the Three Kingdoms. It straddles the Tiveri River which flows southwest to northeast, meeting the sea at Port Isidore, two days travel up the old Kings Road. The river is fed by other tributaries, such as the Barkbrook, and in turn feeds Lake Regulum about 50 miles east of Charinton. To the northwest of the city stands the solitary Mount Presidion, now a sacred site since it was here that the Sibyl of Amari received the teachings of the Mother-Father.

The site on which the city now stands has been continuously occupied for at least 1500 years. Its history begins in 964 BU, when the city-state of Quirinum begin to forcibly unite the other cities in the north of Gallias under their control. At the Battle of Lake Regulum in 873 BU, the growing Quirinal Empire secured control of all of Gallias and over the next two centuries expanded into neighbouring Diutir and Ispalis.

Charinton was the heart of the Quirinal Empire  except for the final 12 years when the last Quirinal emperor, Romalo Agathasium, moved with his court to Guelmo. The city was originally named Quirinum although the vernacular Gallish  pronunciation of "Charinton" is attested as early as c.100  BU. By the last days of the Quirinal Empire and the relocation of the capital to Guelmo in Ispalis in 12 BU, the city of Quirinum had entered a period of decline, being little more than a fortress city guarding the north stretches of Gallias. After the Council of Guelmo and the Unification of the Three Kingdoms in 1 BU, Quirinum underwent a process of development and beautification – spearheaded by the Church of Amari – that continues to this day. The name Charinton became official in 32 AU, emphasising the sense of progression away from the Quirinal era.

Entry to the city is through the massive city gates which are closed only in times of war. These gates take the form of semi-circles, one solid, the other magically transparent, reflecting the dual but harmonious nature of the patron deity of the Three Kingdoms. These gates are set in the massive outer walls (constructed in the period of 162-172 AU) which encircle the city. Remnants of the Old Wall (sections of which date back to 8th century BU) can still be found here and there, often forming part of the structure of older public buildings. The area within the Old Wall is referred to as “High Town” since the area is generally elevated due to the centuries of building and rebuilding in that section.

<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-attachment:initial;background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;">At the heart of High Town is the Sacred Precinct at the heart of which is the Basilica of Amari and the neighbouring Charinton Theological College. The Sacred Precinct is also famous for its expansive gardens which include trees planted by many Peers of Amari and by travelling lectors who brought back seeds from distant lands. Within these gardens is a large cemetery, nestled between the shady rows of trees and the Old Wall. Many of the graves date back centuries but it has now become the final resting place of priests and other devotees of Amari.