In the central region of Abalathia's Spine, that great mountain range that spans Aldenard from east to west, can be found the forbidding highlands of Coerthas and the Holy See of Ishgard. The Archbishop of the Ishgardian Orthodox Church, Thordan VII, while leading his people in the teachings of Halone, the Fury, rules also as the nation's sovereign.
Ishgard's formidable army of knights wages constant battle against its mortal enemies, the dragons, in the millennia long Dragonsong War. Faced with ever more aggressive attacks from its serpentine foes, as well as an unprecedented spell of bitter cold following the Calamity, the theocracy's days are dark indeed. Nevertheless, the city-state proper is warded with a layer of wards known as Daniffen's Collar to prevent direct assault from their draconic adversaries.
Matters have grown so grave as to prompt the archbishop and his advisers to consider throwing open the heretofore sealed gates of Ishgard and calling for outside aid. The city-state's only known access point is a bridge called the Steps of Faith, blocked off by the Gate of Judgement. As of yet, adventurers are still forbidden from entering the city walls, though local garrisons at the Observatorium, Camp Dragonhead, and Whitebrim Front maintain services for travelers and may seek their aid.
The city itself is divided into two known districts: Foundation at the bottom, and The Pillars above. Foundation appears to be home to lower class citizens, and exhibits scarring from war with visible damage to the stone structure. The Pillars is comparatively cleaner, with open-air plazas.