Newport

Located between what used to be the three most aggressive city-states in the region, Newport was the punching bag of all Ainsleigh. Originally founded on the mainland as the city of Weymouth, they were almost constantly raided by Argylle, Pembroke, and Swansea.

Deciding they've had enough, the citizens of Weymouth sailed across the channel to found a new town, hopefully one safer from enemy raids. With Pembroke distracted by war and Argylle hampered by its complete lack of navy, Newport was finally able to flourish. While it did engage in several more wars, the only constant threat was raiders from Swansea, who continued to attack the town long after the country had technically unified. Newport held a grudge, and this history is now reflected in a fierce rivalry between the two towns in modern times.

In modern times, Newport still hasn't completely lost it's status as punching bag. No matter what they do, they seem to come in second best. Pembroke is larger, Argylle holds more political sway, Caerwys has more culture, and Glasbury has more resources. Even their rival of Swansea always manages to wipe the floor with them in sports, which shouldn't be possible considering Newport spends a lot more to fund their teams. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, most citizens of Newport are extremely proud of their hometown and will leap to its defense at the slightest hint of criticism.

Major Landmarks

 * The Temple of Uxie
 * Located on a hill well away from any approaching raiders, the Temple of Uxie is the newst of the temples. The original one was built too close to the ocean, and was burned during one of Swansea's attacks.
 * The Docks
 * Unlike Pembroke's docks, Newport's docks are actually fairly interesting. While there is plenty of commercial trade, there is also a large shopping district and a number of markets and restaurants worth visiting.
 * Newport Stadium
 * A large stadium built to contain Newport's extremely popular soccer team. It also serves as a venue for concerts, races, and occasional college graduations.
 * Newport Beach
 * Less scenic than Swansea's beach and located an inconvienent distance from the city, Newport beach is the second-most popular summer destination in Ainsleigh. Visitors say it's a pity they had to go through Newport to reach it, though.
 * The Radio Tower
 * Originally conceived as a tourist attraction, Newport's needlessly large radio tower handles much of the communications traffic across Ainsleigh. Numerous radio and tevelsion studios have made their home in the building at its base, despite the proximity doing nothing useful for their broadcast.