The Lords' District is the centre of the Lords' Alliance's influence and culture in Kildar. When the Alliance arrived, it transformed what had once been an important and, in its own way, successful – but still largely wooden, chaotic, and dirty – Harbour District into something that could represent the power of the Lords' Alliance.
Wooden palisades and houses were replaced with stone equivalents. The Lords' Highway, which was once a winding road surrounded by merchants and their stalls, is now a straight, brick-paved line connecting two of the region's main entrances. Merchants were forced to relocate either into permanent shops or into a neatly organised market, where every stall has its designated place.
The district's demographics have changed significantly as well. Lords' Alliance nobles and visitors from Faerûn now make up a significant part of its population. Those who lived here before had to either leave or adapt – mainly by improving their professional skills and adjusting their habits to fit the expectations of the Lords' Alliance and the many newcomers who are not from Kildar.
Even now, people still wonder at how different the district feels. The place that was once defined by noisy markets, busy shipyards, and the rough energy of dockworkers has become a centre of highly organised life, where everything has its place and even magic does not have a say.
As before, the Lords' District is bisected by the highway, now known as the Lords' Highway, which connects the cities of Šraku and Stormhaven. However, the entire district is much more uniform than it once was, and the distinction between its western and eastern halves has become less pronounced.
Throughout the district, most buildings – particularly residential ones – have been replaced with stone structures, often arranged around enclosed courtyards and gardens. The streets are no longer chaotic or winding; the district has been reorganised into a precise network of squares, straight roads, and roundabouts. Some residents joke that even dwarves would consider such a structure excessive.
Note
Secret:
This is done for efficient use of magic suppressors which are quite expencive, so they would need less.
To the west of the road, the waterfront is dominated by expansive docks and shipyards, where the majority of the district's economic activity takes place. The docks have been redesigned to focus more heavily on trade, with modern cranes and large warehouses now lining the waterfront. Tasks that were once performed through magic have increasingly been replaced by technologically advanced alternatives. The shipbuilding facilities have been somewhat reduced in size and currently focus primarily on repairing vessels rather than constructing new ones. The remainder of the western side of the Lords' District is occupied by neatly organised markets, hotels, and residential areas. The main administrative building in this part of the district is the Customs Office, which oversees everything entering and leaving Faerûn. It pays particular attention to the trade in magical items, an area that has been a source of considerable tension in the past.
East of the road, closer to the Elvish District, the architecture becomes more focused on politics and administration. The main administrative buildings of the Lords' Alliance stand here, alongside grand palaces and towering structures. At the highest levels of these towers, the mages of the Lords' Alliance carry out their work, safely above the magical suppression field that covers the district. The field does not extend even an inch into the Elvish District, nor does it reach high enough to affect the towers' uppermost floors, where the Alliance's loyal mages work. These buildings rise high enough to rival the Colosseum and other prominent structures of the Elvish District – an impressive feat considering that the Elvish District itself stands upon a small hill.
The population of the Lords' District is notably diverse, both in background and in purpose. Broadly, its residents can be divided into two groups: permanent and temporary. This division has remained largely the same as it was before the arrival of the Lords' Alliance, but the composition of both groups has changed significantly.
The permanent population can be divided into three main categories.
The most important group is, of course, made up of members of the Lords' Alliance: administrative workers, politicians, councillors, nobles, and many others. These are the people who ensure that Kildar functions as it should, that trade between Kildar and Faerûn runs smoothly, and that the many rules and regulations introduced by the Lords' Alliance are followed. The district is home to the main departments responsible for administering magical licences, as well as the people who work within them.
The second major group consists of dockworkers and warehouse workers – the people who keep Arland's trade flowing. While their work has become more specialised with the introduction of new machinery and methods, they remain an essential part of the district's daily life.
The third group is made up of local merchants. Many of them have lived in Arland for generations and have adapted to the new reality by moving into permanent shops or securing designated places in the organised markets. Unlike many of the merchants who once travelled from place to place, these merchants are generally established residents of Arland.
The temporary population is equally vital, if more transient. Foreign merchants pass through, drawn by Arland's strategic coastal location and its valuable magical exports. Students arrive from distant lands, eager to study art, magic, or philosophy under elven masters – many of whom leave after only a few years of training. Then there are the visitors to the Colosseum: warriors seeking glory in the arena, as well as travellers who come simply to watch, bet, or experience the spectacle.
More recently, diplomats and officials from Faerûn have also become a common sight in the district. Most of these visitors stay for no more than a few months, relying on the local hotels and taverns for accommodation. These establishments have become considerably cleaner and more organised than they were in the past, though they are also more expensive and have lost much of the spontaneity and rough charm that once defined the old Harbour District.
Arland has always been an important centre of trade, but today it is unrivalled. Stormhaven is now only a shadow of its former self, while Šraku has been transformed into a military base. The other cities of Kildar were never major trade hubs to begin with. At the same time, trade between Kildar and Faerûn has increased dramatically over the past ten years, and merchant ships have few practical alternatives to Arland.
From a practical standpoint, the Lords' District serves as both a marketplace and a logistical hub. It acts as the primary outlet for the rare, high-value goods produced in the Elvish District – enchanted crafts, artisan weaponry, exquisite works of art, and other unique creations – selling them to traders from across Kildar and beyond.
In return, Arland imports many of the raw materials required for this elite craftsmanship: metals, woods, fabrics, and magical reagents. The district is also perhaps not the cheapest, but certainly one of the safest places in Kildar to purchase magical items. Every magical item entering Arland is inspected by the Lords' Alliance, while magical items produced within the city must be registered and licensed. In most cases, obtaining such a licence is a relatively quick process.
One notable exception to this import-heavy economy is the bounty of the Arland Forest. Though guarded and dangerous, the forest yields a wealth of natural resources – especially herbs, fungi, and alchemical ingredients prized by healers and potion-makers. These are gathered by licensed foragers and experienced guides, then sold in the Lords' District to merchants and apothecaries alike.
In this way, Arland serves as both creator and conduit – transforming raw materials into priceless treasures while connecting Kildar to distant lands through the shared language of trade.
Arland has always attracted visitors. The Colosseum draws warriors and spectators, the city's schools attract students, and merchants arrive to trade. Recently, however, another category of visitor has increased dramatically: tourists from Faerûn.
Travelling to Kildar remains expensive and is not particularly encouraged by the Lords' Alliance, yet many visitors are eager to see the land that was recently involved in war, explore its ancient portals, and experience a culture that feels strangely familiar while remaining distinctly different from their own.
For most of these visitors, Arland is their first – and often only – destination in Kildar. The city has plenty to offer on its own, from the Colosseum and elven craftsmanship to its proximity to the Arland Forest. It is also considerably more comfortable and accessible than many other parts of Kildar. As a result, many tourists never travel further than Arland.
Those with greater wealth, more adventurous spirits, or a genuine interest in Kildar's history and culture may continue their journeys into the rest of the country. Nevertheless, Arland is by far the city that benefits most from this growing flow of tourists.
The shipyards of Arland have been largely repurposed. Over the last ten years, no new ships have been constructed there, while the number of berths, cranes, warehouses, and other facilities dedicated to trade has increased significantly to keep pace with the growing volume of maritime commerce.
The shipbuilding industry was placed on hold partly because, in the humble opinion of the Lords' Alliance, the techniques used by the elves were inefficient. The ships themselves were considered exceptional, but excessively expensive and impractical. This became particularly apparent during the war, when Kildar lacked a fleet capable of competing with the naval forces of the Lords' Alliance. The situation is further complicated by the magical suppression field covering the Lords' District. The field prevents the use of many of the enchantments traditionally employed in Arland's shipbuilding, making it impossible to simply resume production using the old methods.
Discussions are ongoing about how shipbuilding might eventually be restarted by combining Lords' Alliance technology with traditional Arland craftsmanship. Doing so, however, would require additional space – much of which has already been claimed by the expanding trade infrastructure.
The shipyards are not standing still, however. A significant number of people still work there repairing ships, a service that is increasingly in demand due to the long journeys between Faerûn and Kildar, as well as the growing number of sea monsters encountered along the routes. Many of Arland's traditional shipwrights, carpenters, and other specialists now work directly for the Lords' Alliance. Their skills remain highly valued, and their new positions have made many of them considerably wealthier than they were before.