Ruler: Knight Captain Commander of the Shield Lands, Earl of Walworth, Gareth Bryne
Religious Ruler: Cardinal Bernardo Gui
Exports: Dairy, Foodstufs, cheese, light disks,  Military Expertise
Imports: Weapons (Trigol), Foodstuffs, horses (Urnst), City items

This city is dedicated to the worship of the sun. The Sun god Shammash is the god of judgement and justice. His clerics are the self appointed judges and jury for all wrongs in the land.  They are avid hunters of Dark Friends and no friend to evil. The Shield Lands were originally part of the Aerdian Empire and were used as a shield against the evils of the Horned Society and the barbarians from the north. The many armies based in the Shield Lands were designed to protect the bread basket which is now Nyrond from the enemies that would usurp them. Consequently a grand order of the toughest chivalric knights were started. These Knights are known as the Knights of the Holy Shielding or the Children of the Light. It is now by far the largest knightly order on Oerth being composed of as many as 100,000 cavaliers. They are based in Critwall but most are usually stationed abroad for the defense of other territories. The primary exports of the City are dairy and military expertise. This last item has given the city the political sway throughout Nyrond and abroad that it enjoys today. The Knights from Critwall have protected Kingdoms as far away as Keoland, the Ulek States, as well as various Nyrundian cities. Critwall is under constant military rule and military rotation of troups. The majority of its citizens are enrolled in some sort of service to the military whether that is shinning armour, preparing horses, or buying horses from Urnst or weapons from Trigol. The other segment of the population works the small agriculture farms ouside the city or the many small dairy farms within and without. The military readiness of the Shield Knights and the strategic expertise of its commanders has kept the city and the rest of the Shiled Lands very safe even though they share borders with many enemies.

The city is made of White Granite, a living stone that grows with the power of sunlight. It is pure white and shinny. This and their worship of thesun god, has given the city the nickname of the Shining City. Its walls are 40ft high and its towers 70'. The city can be seen from over 400 miles away on a sunny day. Also, the white granite has been worked with perhaps the greatest human craftsmanship known on Oerth. The stonemasons of Critwall are second only to those of Midmeadow but with its superior materials, riches, and constant work, the  Shining City has become perhaps the greatest architectual acccomplishment of humanity (save the sewers of Rouxes). The centerpiece of the city is the main complex of te Shield Knights from which the Knight Captain Commander rules from and which the church is a part. At its center is a great white domed building. The dome itself is known as the Dome of Truth and it is an artifact. The sun god has decreed that no lies may be spoken under this grand dome, no magics may obfuscate the truth, and no one will stand against the powers of judgement. It is from under the Dome of Truth thatthe Captain Commander holds audience and gives directives to the Order and it is from under this dome that the clerics of Shammash Judge the most serious of lawbreakers.  Leading up to the Dome of Truth is a great road called the Path of The Righteous. On either side of the road are statues of great leaders, saints, and people deamed ritechous. To either side of the road are many military buildings of the Shield Knights and at the far end is the Lay Church of the Sun. In the lay church, and not in the smaller church under the dome of Truth, that the common peoples of Critwall gather to give worship and sacrifice to their god. The most common sacrifice is food (often dairy, fine cheeses, etc) but sometimes golden or platinum scales are given. Services are held only on Sapatu (first of each month) or on Feast Days. Perhaps the largest Feast in Critwall occures on St. Sunniva's Day where all the city celebrates the ascension of their most beloved of saints. Another grand feastday occures durng the summer solstice when the sun isout the longest.

Throughout the city may be found many religious tokens of shammash that ward away evil. Most common is the disk of light which gives forth continual light and is blessed by a cleric. There are always throngs of light disk sellers who descend on visitors. It is considered an insult for town guests not to own one or to refuse buying one.

On a hill to the east of the city is the Field of Woe, where lawbreakers and Dark Friends are crucified. It is easy to see the many crucifixes from within the city walls and all military buildings manditorily have eastern faceing windows to remind them of their solemn duties and the penalties for treason. Most serious laws fall under the realm of treason as it is considered that transgressions of serious laws goes againt god and the city itself.

The culture of the city is very feudal. It takes many of its ways from both Nyrond and Furyondy. The richest nobles live in the better parts of the city to the south while the lesser ones are sprawled throughout. Serfs live on the land of these nobles and pay taxes and rent directly to them. The dairy lands surrounding the city are also owned by the nobility while the surfs work it in order to pay their rents and buy their food.  The Shield Lands enjoys a treaty with Furyondy to help defend aginst the evils of Iuz, the Horned Society, and barbarians. With this treaty has come much trade and many Furundian nobles have joined the ranks of the Shield Knights (only nobles can join the cavalier order). With these nobles (and many have come also from every city in Nyrond, Furyondy, and even Keoland) come the noble's serfs and servants. this foreign lay stock gives a somewhat international aspect to the city. It is perhaps the only city not dedicated to Kishar where most of the population could draw an extensive map of political boundaries. Townsfolk serfs are always sharring and talking about political news from abroad. They are proud of their city, the safety it provides, and its influence over the rest of Oerth. The Council of Cardinals which rules the Nyrundian religion in both Furyondy and Nyrond now has two clerics on its six cleric council and their influence is only growing! There is much thought in the city that the Capital of Furyondy, Dyvers, or perhaps Crockport, will soon convert to Shammash. The poeple hope for this as every increase in the cities or shammashes influence brings prosperity to the city in the form of more nobles sending their sons and daughters to join the order and more money being sent with them. The city has a 10% tithe of all monies which is leveled on the nobles here and joining and remaining a part of the Order is not cheap. This money is spent of safety and some city projects but then the surpluses are enjoyed by the most powerful of the noble houses and the church. Prosperity for the serfs always comes through the trickledown method.

Sun Cannons
Atop the many towers on the walls of the city are huge cannons. These devices with a hard glass disk inside the stone cannon may expell a ferocious blast of light that can decimate a force of 30 men. 15 of these cannons are around the city. The one mounted on the Dome of Truth and manned by the clerics of Shammash is also used to shoot gream beams of light into the sky and communicate with clerics of Shammash practicaly on the other side of the continent.

Communication
Because of the divine miracle of the light cannons and the ability of the clerics to speak to eachother using the sun, the Shinning City has become a main center of communication. Edicts from the theocracy, personal communications from churches or dignified nobles, as well as the many orders coming from the questioners and Gareth Bryne are sent along these beams. Personal messages may be sent great distances instantaneously through the clerics of Shammash for a great price.