Wikhulla

Wikhulla is the largest city in Torskland and a major centre of industry and trade. Located on Torskland's north-western seaboard the city is centred on a large natural harbour and extends about 75 km eastwards towards the Blåfjell Mountains. To the north Wikhulla is bound by the county of Haukbydel and by the logging villages of Skogmarka in the south-east. Wikhulla is made up of 24 wards and is home to more than half a million people. Residents of the city are known as "Wikhullans".

Prehistory and First Age
Wikhulla is situated in a natural harbour at the mouth of the small river Alna and the area is thought to be have been settled since prehistoric times. Pre-unlandic sagas tell that the city was founded as Dritthulla by the legendary raider lord Kalga Snake-eye in the 8th century BV. Obliged to pay tribute to the Urlandic Empire after their subjugation of Torsklander raider warlords, it was known then as Ut'Boreala aka 'the Northernmost' as it sat on the extreme north of the empire's sphere of influence.

The Anarchy
After the Empire's collapse into anarchy, Wikhulla would become the capital of a raider kingdom once more, this time under the Frosketunge clan. For three centuries the three petty kingdoms of Støylen, Wikhulla and Ryggmargen were engaged in constant low intensity warfare as each tried to assert dominance over the other two. It was during this period that the formalised Church of the Three Seashells reached Wikhulla.

It was during these turbulent times that the Geitetårn citadel was first built on a hill overlooking the city that was at the time used as pasture for shepherds. Though the Geitetårn was burnt down many times over its history its core tower still stands and is thought to be one of the oldest still standing stone buildings in the country. The Frosketunges are also said to have built a great wooden temple to the Sea Mother in Wikhulla which burnt down in the intervening centuries.

The Second Age
The city was eventually brought under the fold of Støylen as Torskland was finally unified as one kingdom by Ulf Jarlson, who installed the mysterious Ormeøyne clan as the new rulers of the city. Alleged to be witches and practisers of the old ways, the Ormeøyne were ousted from power during the War of the Ten Sieges by their own populace, led by the Wikhullan matriarch. After spending a few years under direct rule from the church, a merchants revolt would transfer powers to a city council composed of the most influential guild families, though the agricultural lands outside the walls would remain church possessions.

From the Marble Renaissance to Our Days
Under the merchant council, Wikhulla would grow to become the foremost port on the west coast of Torskland, eclipsing its two rivals. It prospered by exporting lumber and cod, and importing wine and textiles. Wikhulla also established a flourishing commerce with the ports of Genf and Arvantha as well as the Angir League. This would cement Wikhulla as the centre of the old cod economy. The city's affluence from this time is preserved in the form of several well-maintained buildings from the period, such as the Alderlaugshus which serves as the meeting place of the city council to this day or the Smørsalle, the old seat of the butter churners guild. This prosperity as well as an affinity for seafaring would lead to Wikhulla developing a large shipyard industry during the Marble Renaissance which continues to this day.

The city has experienced several major fires. Since much of the city was made of wooden buildings, many of the fires caused severe damage. Great fires ravaged the city in 198, 251, 281, 308, twice in 317, 342, 388, 541 and 542; however, these were only the worst cases and there have been several smaller fires in the city. The 251 fire destroyed 90% of all buildings within the city limits. As a result Wikulla has relatively little in the way of ancient architecture.

Economy
In the modern age Wikhulla is mostly known for its many steel mills and enormous shipyards. Modern shipbuilding was initially started when Vilhjelm Lardsenn established iron works in 524, joined by his son Ulf Lardsenn in 528. The business eventually became Lardsenn Docks and would eventually be at the heart of technological innovations in ship-building as the Age of Steam began to spread west. Today the city sports no less than 13 docks and around 70 ships exit the Wikhulla wharf each year. This frenzied expansion has however started to decline since the Isthmus War as the world is gripped by the airship fever.

Timber used to be a major export of the Nordlanda county and the city council subsidised logging camps in the large forests of Skogmarka. Though the industry was somewhat revitalised by the construction of the Great Lateral Line which now runs weekly trains directly from the camps to the sawmills of Wikhulla, logging in the region has long been eclipsed by the much larger Hartlander and Heptapoler lumber industry, which also benefit from a much cheaper workforce. The legacy of this sector are the exclaves of Østfolda and Hogstleir which despite being some 60 kilometres south of the city are integrated into the city as wards and mostly populated by Wikhullan labourers.

Due to its history and geographical location near the Latvrykksund, Wikhulla is also a centre of the shipping industry with such well known companies as the Hvitløve Line and the Rød-Svart-Blå Line operating out of the city wharf. While the RSB Line is most well known for its many passenger lines througout the North-West, Hvitløve operates merchantmen that anchor as far as the Sheikhanates or Underland.

Government
The municipality council is composed of 49 seats elected for four year terms from mixed-member constituencies following the borders of the 24 city wards. The council is led by a mayor elected via direct suffrage every 6 years. The post is currently held by Matteus Grått (NLP). The mayor heads an executive council and a number of committees, each responsible for a subsection of tasks.

Wards
Wikhulla is composed of 24 wards.


 * Geitetårn
 * Smørby
 * Gammelhavn
 * Lillehavn
 * Bakkedistrikt
 * Sagbrukke
 * Billemøl
 * Taksthus
 * Verftet-Mariya
 * Senggeby
 * Alnavet
 * Zudstrand
 * Mortensrud
 * Bjørndal
 * Seterbråten
 * Nystrand
 * Østfolda
 * Rand-en-Norrköping
 * Nashby
 * Brøkknavet
 * Verft
 * Hogstleir
 * Hel-en-Alna
 * Nybakkefolda