Spread over a small area of rolling hills, Dawnlight Hold is an octagonal walled city type Hold. The many small dwellings which are scattered around the central area all have slanted, metal rooftops, and there are quite a few buildings which are stunning in the light of day. The name stems from this beauty.
The Hold is not made into the side of a hill, nor are there any particularly large mountains even remotely nearby. This fact has worried the Holders for generations, but they have taken every scientific precaution to ensure that their city will remain standing during threats.
The outlaying regions are cultivated and harvests here are more than large enough to supply a number of other smaller Holds and the Blackstone Weyr quite easily. Exports from their land consist mainly of the grains, legumes and other such large-crop foodstuffs and Cottons.
Just to the north of the city there is a ravine, which has proven to have a good supply of coal, as well as irons, coppers, and valuable metals which are used in Dawnlight not only as building materials but for many of the artisans there as well. Mineral exports are common, but most are used in their own Hold.
A river winds through the Hold, and is the supply for much of the energy that is used in mining, and even supports a steam-driven manufacturing plant. A heavily modified version of this is in use at Alabaster as well. The river supplies little else, as there are but few fish in it for food. It is perhaps due to the mining operation or the very presence of the ores that the ground cannot support a stable water-based food supply.
Cattle, bovine and wherries are all grown on the wide lands, and they are used for nearly every purpose under the sun as well: leather, accessories, scribers quills, tools, etc. Most of the meats Dawnlight produces remain in the Hold.
Within the Hold walls, a great number of small dwellings dot the ground, and there are in fact street signs the closer one gets to the center of the Hold's grounds. The area is largely paved, but has carefully cultivated parks which have protective coverings prepared for threats and even one which is surrounded by flame cannons.
The atmosphere outside the main Hold Hall is relaxed, but not care free. The Lord Holders are clearly responsible for this phenomenon. The place is strictly kept, with few in-and-out priveleges, and visiting riders or diplomatic teams often find the Hold to be very uptight and clannish.
The Hold hall itself is a network of buildings, many around five stories high, all made of pure stones and white marble. Glass decorates some of them, including a fabulous garden, with a tiered interior and a diverted waterfall through it. Each building has a purpose, however.
The Administrative building is the nerve center of the Hold. There, executive decisions are made quite like a buearocracy on earth, though there is nothing democratic about the place. Through a series of planned deaths and marriages, the Hold's Lords have maintained a tight control over who is and who is not welcome in the Hold. The building itself is six stories tall and has a large basement area, also stone work. From this building, there are several long underground halls, and two above ground walkways, leading to other buildings of importance.
The Security building is next large, and is three stories high. It has a roofed courtyard where guards are trained, and riders are chosen. The security area is an excellent training area for those who wish to learn skills such as sword play or spear, or hand to hand combat. These skills are not offered to just anyone, and particularly not to those who are considered enemies of the Lord Holders.
The teaching Guild Hall is next, and while it is only two stories high it is a sprawl of connected cubes and towers. Each craft has a bit of this building to itself, and students are often seen moving quickly from one to the next to get to another valuable class. The bards in this Hold are carefully monitored. They are generally encouraged to keep to the Hold's history, and not give their students any "foreign" ideas.
Crafters such as smithies and glass crafters are valued highly, as are mine crafters and tanners. It is the silk craft which has given Dawnlight a bit of a reputation around the South. It was believed that there was no silk producing worm on ****. That is not true in Dawnlight. During their earliest ventures to this area of the world, the settlers had already genetically altered their precious silk worms to eat the native plants rather than their only normal source of food, the Mulberry bush. Since there are no such plants on ****, they had to make due. Over the many centuries, not only the production of fine cottons and silks, but the fact that the dyes available from the mining and plant presses have made Dawnlight's colorful clothing very famous. Nearly everyone in Dawnlight Hold wears a colorful design, and in fact if one looks closely, there is a certain level of "nobility" and "commonality" to these clothes. Browns are considered low ranking, the color of the ground easily removed from the cloth. Greens are skilled workers but often must work hard. Violets and Purples as usual have a traditionally expert and learned bent, while the Metallics and greys are the ruling class types.
The Hold is undergoing some dramatic changes in leadership. The old Holder, Spencer, and his wife Lady Mercy, have been on the edge of their seats for quite some time. Their senior in the hold, Deon, has royally bungled several attempts to gain land, and also has pissed off the local Riders from Blackstone Weyr. The lady and lord Holder are attempting to correct these problems, but Deon is steadfast in his attitude.
A candidate or two has slipped through the cracks into Blackstone Weyr, namely a daughter of another Holder of the place, Xina. She is a tough, strong willed girl, and if she manages to Impress a gold, her family will doubtless become the senior Holders.
