Long River Town

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Long River Town (长河镇)
Alias(es)	Long River City (after its official renaming) 389
Affiliation	Lionheart Kingdom; later the New Kingdom of Pendor 18 389
Occupation/Role	Eastern-region trade center, pioneer-lord base, military and transportation hub 18 129
Status	Active; expanded and renamed Long River City 359 389
First Appearance	Chapter 17, “Gatu Raiders” 17

Geography and Layout

Long River Town is a county in name despite being centered on a major city. Its jurisdiction encompasses most of the Lionheart Kingdom’s Eastern Province—approximately one-fifth of the kingdom’s land area—and was originally developed outward from a border fortress by successive pioneer lords. 17

• North — The Tongtian River’s broad middle reaches form a lake-like natural reservoir behind the city; wastelands and minor-noble manors lie beyond the water. 18 30 130
• West — Dense waterways and swamps; Kewen Village, an upstream administrative area, lies more than three hundred miles away. 18 105
• South — Mountain barriers and the Dengjier Mountains. 18 55
• East — Long River Forest, a dangerous frontier region associated with Noldo goods and Gatu incursions. 18 21

The Tongtian River made the settlement strategically valuable. Its reservoir-like section protected the town and enabled water transport, while the lower river’s only practical raft and boat crossing lay near Fletcher Village. 30

Inner Keep

The town was built outward in layers from an original fortress.

• The inner city has its own gate, high walls, plaza, and a five-story main keep backed directly onto the Tongtian River lake. 107
• Even if the outer wall falls, the inner city can function as a separate fortress. 107
• Duke Elfwan’s banner remained atop the keep during Madam Bella’s residence there. 107
• A concealed exit from the fifth floor opens toward the lake; both the Misfortune Bringer and Milgan used it to escape pursuit. 173

Government and Control

Long River Town’s political importance repeatedly made it a target of competing nobles.

Period	Controller / Administrator	Notes
Early period	Duke Elfwan	The nominal lord, bedridden and without heirs; his condition created a succession vacuum. 18
Early period	Grand Duke Alma and Count Oden	Alma managed administrative affairs, while Oden controlled the garrison and defense. 18
After the Prophet Legion crisis	Godric and the eastern military command	Godric temporarily took over defense after the garrison accepted allied reinforcements but refused to fight outside the city. 123
After the garrison transfer	Duke Brennus, nominally	King Ulrich appointed Brennus acting administrator, though Brennus remained away and sent Lord Malbert instead. 128 135
During Alma’s coup	Duke Alma	Alma’s forces captured Godric and occupied the town. 170 171
After Alma’s death	Granlon	Granlon seized the town with the Lion Lake City Flag Guard and the King’s Golden Seal. 186 190
Li Ang’s administration	Eric	After Li Ang gained control, Eric became Long River Town’s administrator. 221
New Kingdom of Pendor	Li Ang	Li Ang announced his rule in the town, then held the New Kingdom of Pendor’s founding ceremony there. 358 389

Economy

Long River Town developed into the eastern region’s largest trading city because adventurers, mercenaries, pioneer lords, and merchants all converged there. 18

Pioneer and Mercenary Market

The town supplies the needs of territorial expansion, including weapons, provisions, horses, building materials, tools, laborers, and mercenaries. 18 20

• Skilled workers such as carpenters and stonemasons are especially expensive and may be transferred through labor contracts. 20 296
• Its taverns attract armed adventurers and mercenaries seeking employment under pioneer lords. 20
• The arms trade is unusually developed, with weapons dealers, horse merchants, and supply vendors common throughout the city. 18
• Local military-equipment merchants later cleared their stock within a week as knightly buyers placed large armor orders; workshops and blacksmiths entered sustained overtime production. 295

River and Caravan Trade

The Tongtian River and Aier River connect Long River Town to surrounding settlements, reducing the cost of moving grain and goods. 55 105

• The market is organized around merchant caravans, whose wagon circles function as temporary wholesale-style shops. 21
• Coconut wine from the west coast and Noldo handicrafts from Long River Forest formed one profitable long-distance route to Mistveil City. 21
• Leather goods are a common local specialty, partly supplied through private dealings with Gatu people. 138

Long River Express

Li Ang founded Long River Express in Long River Town as a Wheat Fragrance International subsidiary providing armed logistics and passenger transport. 129

• Manager: Lesley, chosen for her experience on the Long River Town–Mistveil City route. 129
• Lead knight: Eric, responsible for the armed escorts. 129
• Initial assets: More than four hundred carriages and over five hundred armed personnel acquired from local transport teams. 129
• Headquarters: Established near the inner keep and central street, on land made available through Godric’s military authority. 129
• Strategic function: Its ostensibly civilian convoys can conceal a highly mobile armed force; during Alma’s occupation, Eric ordered its escorts to hide within the city and await orders. 171
• Regional role: Li Ang regarded control of the town as essential to connecting distant holdings, allowing the company to link territories across the continent. 206

History

Frontier Foundation and Noble Rivalry

Long River Town began as a small frontier fortress. Over more than a century, pioneer lords established villages and fortresses around it, pushing the Lionheart border hundreds of miles northeast toward Brave Shield Fortress. 17

Its commercial wealth made it desirable to both Grand Duke Alma and Count Oden. Alma used his influence over the town’s administration, while Oden’s prestige as the builder and defender of Brave Shield Fortress secured him influence over the garrison. 18

When Li Ang and Sarah reported seeing Gatu Raiders deep within the county, the town’s garrison initially rejected the report because Brave Shield Fortress had detected no incursion. Li Ang concluded that the raiders’ presence was connected to Alma and Oden’s territorial struggle. 18

Heresy Crisis and Prophet Legion

Forster placed Long River Town under martial law and trapped Amy and Kloze in the inner keep, accusing them of heresy while attempting to seize Madam Bella. 110

Li Ang entered the town, took Forster hostage, and freed Amy. Evidence soon exposed Madam Bella as a worshipper of the Dark Goddess, eliminating any inheritance claim through her supposed unborn child. 112 113

The Prophet Legion later camped outside the city as allied forces gathered. Long River Town sealed its gates and imposed a curfew, while the Owl Knight Order tracked the Legion’s movements. 115 The allied army entered the town without resistance from the Prophet Legion, though the local garrison refused to participate in operations outside the walls. 122 123

Coups and Occupations

After Godric’s field army left the town understrengthened, Alma’s Lion Lake City troops ambushed the returning forces with a fishing net, closed the gates mid-entry, captured Godric, and seized control of Long River Town. 170

Following Alma’s assassination, Granlon’s Lion Lake City Flag Guard captured the town within a day. Granlon retained the Golden Lion Banner, restored Alma’s banner, kept trade and civilian movement open, and held a public memorial for the late duke while strengthening his troops. 186 190

Li Ang later entered the town to negotiate with Granlon, only for Granlon and Forster to repeat Alma’s fishing-net ambush. Long River Express escorts had already been positioned inside the city, allowing Li Ang to counter the trap. 206 209

Li Ang’s Rule

After Li Ang assumed control, Eric became administrator and implemented the lord’s increasingly coercive fiscal policies, including loans for taxpayers and punitive “forced loans” for those who refused to pay taxes. 221

The town’s order tightened as Eric expelled debtors who refused repayment, beggars unwilling to work, and other disruptive elements. The resulting security attracted migrants during the winter. 253

Long River Town later became a destination for tens of thousands of civilians fleeing the war around Lion City. Amy and Forster organized their resettlement. 351

Long River City Expansion

Li Ang announced plans to transform Long River Town into Long River City, combining military fortification, mass construction, housing development, and commercial expansion. 357 359

Project	Details
Outer walls	More than twenty miles of new wall across the southeast, south, and west sides; the lake protects the north. 359
Defenses	Fifteen-meter-high walls, bastion-style sawtooth construction, military outposts roughly every hundred meters, and a lake-fed moat. 359
Housing	Standardized villas and rebuilt residences sold with 30% down payments and bank financing. 359
Workforce	Tens of thousands of laborers worked on the expansion, while factories and merchants hired heavily. 359
Promotion	Noldo artists created large renderings of the proposed city, displayed in the central square to attract buyers and investors. 359

The construction boom addressed a severe housing shortage: at least 50,000 people in the town lacked accommodation while employment opportunities continued to expand. 359

Merchant Policy

Li Ang sought merchant support by allowing registered merchants to use trademarks, carry swords, and fly swallowtail banners in exchange for providing goods valued at one hundred Dinars and swearing loyalty. The privileges were treated as equivalent to apprentice-knight status. 358

• Trademark registration encouraged merchants to expand production and hire more workers. 358
• The policy created a politically loyal commercial class with a stake in Long River City’s growth. 358
• Merchants became central to the city’s anticipated construction, manufacturing, and consumer markets. 358

Renaming and Founding Ceremony

On Pendor Calendar Year 358, July 4th, Long River Town hosted the founding ceremony of the New Kingdom of Pendor and was officially renamed Long River City. 389

• Li Ang raised the new national flag: a golden griffin holding a diamond-shaped gem on a deep-red field. 389
• The ceremony drew supporting lords, Noldo Elf leaders, residents of Long River City, and visitors from Brave Shield Fortress. 389
• Li Ang declared his intent to end continental wars, build a prosperous kingdom, and secure the well-being of its people. 389