Præstad is the capital city of Lugonomeks, chosen because it was the capital of the ancient Lugonomeks, where til arktosubre (Lugonomek for "the high cheif") made his home. It is located on a great river in the Lugonomek state of Kutlanter, and all those living in the city are considered residents of Kutlanter, save for federal officals. This is because the city is quite large and its suburbs expand over much of the state, making it hard for it to be a seperate political entity. The name comes from the Lugonomek words "Præst", meaning "stillness" or "peace", and "stad", refering to a walled city. This name is taken to mean that people within the city are responsible for keeping peace between the various tribes of Lugonomeks.

History

Early years

It is not known exactly how Præstad came to be. According to myth, it was chosen to be the capital because it was the site of a portal between the land of mortals and the land of the underworld. It was believed to be the site of the creation of the bear and where the legendary hero Lugon made his children gods. (For more information about Lugonomek mythology, see the Lugonomeks article.) Many archaeologists belive it was grew up from a large trading posts, because it was at the site where the great river met the fall line. The first reference to Præstad being the capital of Lugonomeks dates back to about 5600 years before the founding of Thorin (BF). However, reference to the city by its current name dates back much earlier, suggesting that it has always been important to Lugonomek politics. The oldest known settlement of the city has been dated to around 6700 BF, making it the oldest city in the region.

Golden Age

The thousand-year period before the city's fall is often referred to as its golden age. During this time, Præstad was a major center of not only politics, but also culture and the sciences. It was the site of several universities and the birthplace of several philosophers whose teachings many Lugonomeks still follow. During this time, the city became the largest city in the Lugonomek empire, and had to expand outwards into nearby areas. It was also a melting pot of different cultures, and had the third-highest Thornichi population of any major city in the empire, despite being many hundreds of miles from the northern mountains where the Thornichi then settled.

War and Fall

Beginning around 3870 BF, the constant disagreements between the various groups of Thornichi convinced that they could no longer live together peacefully, and must each get their own land. This unfortunately meant pushing south into Lugonomek territory. Due to the sheer vastness of the Lugonomek empire, it took the Thornichi decades to take the area entirely. By 3827 BF, they had pushed into the far-southern regions of Conromeks and Levimeks, between which Præstad was situated. In the summer of that year, Zircoromborgians (a tribe of Thornichi) under a warlord who called himself Stefan I of Romborg laid seige to the city. After nearly two months of fighting, the city surrendered, and til arktosubre abdicated and fled the city. This officially signalled the collapse of the unified Lugonomek empire, despite the fact that fighting elsewhere, especially east of the mountains.