Steadfast was the first stone set beyond Bera’s original walls.

Before borders were defined and before rival capitals rose, Steadfast stood as the Kingdom of Bera’s forward hand. It was not founded for beauty or ceremony. It was founded for movement.

Travelers passed through its gates long before they ever saw Bera’s golden fields. Merchants, explorers, mercenaries, pilgrims, scholars, and hopeful settlers all found their first taste of Llithe within its streets. Steadfast became known as the city where journeys began.

Its architecture reflects its purpose. Thick walls, practical towers, wide gates designed to handle caravans at all hours. Streets are laid in clean grids for easy navigation. Signposts are abundant and meticulously maintained. Lanterns burn bright through the night so no arrival feels lost.

Its inns are numerous and varied. From low cost bunkhouses where adventurers share war stories over rough ale, to respectable lodges catering to merchants and minor nobility. Taverns are lively but rarely unruly. Information flows as freely as drink. Notices are posted daily. Escort contracts, missing persons, bounty writs, trade requests, expedition calls.

Steadfast thrives on preparation.

Cartographers once filled entire districts here. Mapmakers, scribes, surveyors, and explorers charted the early borders of Llithe from its halls. The original Guild Hall stood proudly in the city’s heart, a grand stone structure marked with the sigil of the Faith of Nine encircled by a dragon motif. It was a place of contracts, oaths, and recognition. To earn a name in Steadfast was to be known across Llithe.

After Kingdom Come, that changed.

When Reach claimed the crown and restructured authority, the Guild Hall relocated to the capital. Officially, it was a matter of centralization. Practically, it was a shift of influence. Reach would now oversee sanctioned expeditions, licenses, and chartered operations.

Steadfast lost prestige, but not purpose.

The city remains what it was built to be. A gateway. A staging ground. A place to gather supplies, sharpen blades, commission maps, and hear rumors of distant lands. Adventurers still meet in its taverns before heading toward the Highlands, Nexus Bay, or the darker coastlines near Obscura.

If anything, Steadfast feels older now. Weathered but reliable. Its people speak with the calm confidence of those who have seen cycles of glory and loss. They know cities rise and fall. Travelers will always pass through.

Some whisper that although the Guild Hall moved, loyalty did not entirely follow. A quieter network of veterans, scouts, and independent adventurers still operate from Steadfast’s shadowed backrooms. Unofficial contracts. Unrecorded journeys. Matters that never quite reach Reach’s registry.