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Cadwallon is a free city of Aarklash, a fantasy world torn
apart by a dreadful war : the Rag’narok. Th is universe
is the background of many games using miniatures
from the Confrontation collection.
In Cadwallon, the players hold in their hands the fate of a
party of adventurers who’s purpose is to protect the city from
threats (spies, traitors, rogue bands of outlaws an so on.); as well
as threats from the outside (invaders, enemy powers, bloodthirsty
gods and so on). Labeled “free leaguers”, these individuals
are destined to undertake thrilling investigations and overcome
tremendous perils.

== Chronology ==

          
*''255''   Settlement of goblin exiles (Kraken Harbor)
*''832''   Founding of Cadwallon, the Free City
*''833''   Charter of the leagues decreed by Vanius I ; Establishment of the Barhan embassy ; Ennobling of Racllk of Kraken and creation   of the fi efdom
*''834''   Repairing of the Cynwäll automat, which becomes the symbol of the eponymous fi efdom
*''835''   Charter of the fi efdoms and the peers decreed by Vanius I.
*''843''   Johann of Drakaër is granted the privilege of riding a dragon
*''844''   Creation of the Free University of Cadwallon
*''859''   Founding of the fi efdom of Ogrokh
*''900''   The Great fl ood devastates the city’s districts
*''902''   Sale of the Rampart fi efdom to the Orrkrk family (Rampart) ; Declaration of the non-transferability of the fi efdoms
*''932''   Expropriation of the Markropets by the Duke (Trophy); Granting of the Trophy fi efdom to Bran Standing-Wind
*''950''   The duke claims the island of the Choltry
*''955''   The plague in Morgue Street,which is placed into quarantine (Soma)
*''956''   Invasion attempt by Water Elementals ; Creation of the fi efdom of Ghieronburg
*''957''   The free leaguers burn down Morgue Street (Soma)
*''958''   Building of the Denerac Villa (Ghieronburg)
*''961''   Construction of the catacrypts (Ghieronburg)
*''962''   Appearance of Baron Mardi (Ghieronburg)
*''963''   Founding of the Gamehead fi efdom
*''966''   The Tamarez Canal scandal (Ghieronburg)
*''969''   Discovery of the dome of the Skinner (Gamehead)
*''972''   Settling of the Barhan embassy in the Soma fi efdom
*''983''   The great Akkyshan raid that led to the rebirth of the leagues
*''988''   Large riots in Kraken leading to the death of the Peer
*''991''   Massive strike of the Ferrymen
*''992''   Adoption of Den Azhir by Camelia Orrkrk (Rampart) ; Founding of the guild of Birders (Immobilis)
*''995''   Accession of Duke Den Azhir
*''996''   Extension of the birthright and of the free duty (free leaguers)
*''999''   Beginning of the construction of the Tractor ; Appearance of the coiling emissaries on the Day of Ashes
*''1002''  Wedding of Racllk to Oklair Odazzur (Kraken); Assassination of Urakh Khaurik Argam (Orgokh)
*''1003''  Today…


== History ==


Cadwallon is a place fi lled with history and myths. Well before
men began digging into the city’s ground, the high Cynwäll
tower dominated the sea. According to the legend, other peoples
that have disappeared since lived here long before this
tower was built.

==== The City of Exiles ====

Th e Cadwës know little about these legends. Only the most
erudite and most forthcoming Daïkinee elves tell of an ancient
people whose territory stretched over here, a powerful yet
bloodthirsty people allied to the most evil dragons of the whole
Creation. Concerning these matters, and especially concerning
the alliance with the venerated reptiles, the Cynwälls have always
refused to express themselves, so there is nothing to confi
rm the Daïkinees’ claims.
Th ose who have explored the underground tunnels of
Cadwallon claim that in the entrails of Aarklash lie ruins of
unknown architecture of which the Automat, a gigantic articulated
statue, is the ultimate visible remnant still working.
Cylindrical tunnels wind underground and lead to forgotten
sanctuaries, domes of stone and rock covered in moving symbols
that refl ect the shadows.
Among the Voyagers, the magicians who explore the strange
lands lost beyond the common senses of mortals, a legend claims
that the Cadwë tunnels lead to another world, an accursed and
labyrinthine country. Th is maze is said to be the proof that the
Cynwälls inherited the power of a foreign people.
When Elhan and his followers embarked on the path of exile
to found the Cynwäll nation* they settled the land now known
as Lanever. Lying at the mouth of the Ynkarô and Leâk Shear,
they built a stronghold that quickly became an important trading
post between the peoples of Aarklash. Th e only place where
the nations were allowed to walk the ground of Lanever without
attracting the Cynwälls’ isolationist wrath, the city grew
quickly.
No one can agree on this city’s original name. Once again
the Cynwälls stick to their usual discretion and only speak of
Cadwallon. Th is is the name that, during the Golden Age, was
spread among the centaurs that lived in the region and was then
transmitted by this people to the fi rst men, the Kelts.
While the Steel Age was already marking Aarklash, Cadwallon
the Prosperous rapidly vanished, smothered by the voracious
vegetation of a bewitched jungle. Rumors spread about a curse
placed by the allies of the Meanders of Darkness.
Th e Cynwälls were attacked by a horde of undead warriors led
by a powerful necromancer, Sinlis Mantis. Th e animated corpses
invaded the city by springing from the ground, or rather, to be
exact, by using the forgotten network of tunnels. Th ough the
threat was eventually thwarted, the lake became infested with
rotting bodies that contaminated the city’s water supply, spreading
infection and disease. Within a few days Cadwallon was deserted
by its inhabitants.

==== The stateless ====

Many decades went by before a group of rogue warriors settled
in this accursed place. Surely on the hunt for riches, these
men were the founders of Cadwallon as we know it today.
Th ese men went by the unfl attering terms of mercenaries,
outlaws, bloodthirsty warriors and rejects. Having dubbed
themselves “Dogs of War,” they blindly follwed their leader,
Vanius. Th ey discovered the ruins of an ancient Cynwäll city
and decided to settle there, hoping to unearth timeless artifacts
left behind by the elves.
Th e 200 Dogs of War were organized into 21 free companies,
each one led by one of Vanius’s lieutenants. Th ese offi cers took
care of clearing away the dirt and rubble...

*''The Battle of the Wall of Earth''

The secrets buried in Cadwallon also caught the attention of
others. Th e forces of the Meanders of Darkness, which had already
been the cause of the fall of the Cynwäll city, tried to push
out the new comers, yet the Dogs of War stood fast. Th erefore,
Sophet Drahas, the commander of the armies of Acheron and
baron of Taer Haez, requested for assistance from Feyd Mantis,
the most powerful lord of his barony of origin.
Hordes of walking dead soon attacked the Dogs of Wars’ camp.
Th e assault was bitter and the battle dreadful, but Vanius’s companions
managed to drive back the attack. Th e sudden appearance
before the battle of a deck of 22 tarot cards endowed with
magical powers was surely linked to this miraculous victory.
Before the off ensive, Vanius handed out a card to each of his
lieutenants and kept one for himself: the Emperor’s card.
At the end of the battle the Alliance of Light’s troops arrived
to provide support. Th e city’s ruins were thus taken back from
the enemy.In spite of their exemplary bravery, the Dogs of War remained
nothing more than outlaws in their allies’ eyes. Th anks to his
charisma, Vanius nevertheless managed to preserve the independence
of his Cadwallon.
According to the tale, while Alahan’s emissaries were mocking
his wish to build a kingdom on this fi eld of ruins, Vanius
pulled out an old battered gold coin and threw it at the Barhan’s
feet, replying: “Sir, these remains please you so little that I make
them my kingdom for a ducat!”
Th us, aware that he couldn’t give himself the title of king
without upsetting his allies, yet refusing to recognize Alahan’s
authority by becoming a baron, Vanius took the title of duke, an
old Barhan military rank.
Despite his defeat, Sophet Drahas, hidden underground, nevertheless
managed to spread his infl uence over the city. Still today
many local legends mention his name and he continues to
plot to take control of Cadwallon.

*''Birth of a duchy''

Vanius’s tour de force gave birth to the free city of Cadwallon
in 832. Th e offi cers who remained with their leader founded
the city’s fi rst noble lineages and were able to mine unexpected
riches from the ground. Th ree years after it was founded, Vanius
carved out a domain for each house, thus establishing the fi rst
fi efdoms. At the same time he gave the city a militia.

==== The City of Thieves ====

Within a few years Cadwallon was reborn and was wealthier
than it had even been under the Cynwälls. Eternal prosperity
seemed to be on the horizon. Yet this was obviously merely a
dream...

*''The embassies''

One year after Vanius’ rise to power, the kingdom of Alahan
established an embassy in Cadwallon. Other diplomats soon
followed and the city looked proudly towards the future as it
kept growing.
In 844 the wish to turn the city into a place of learning led to
the founding of the Free University of Cadwallon. In many ways
this was a failure, Cadwallon being better known as the “City of
Th ieves” rather than the “City of Knowledge”!
Nowadays only the kingdom of Alahan, the republic of
Lanever, and the empires of Akkylannie and Syharhalna, as well
as the goblins of No-Dan-Kar, have an embassy in Cadwallon.
Th e other nations nevertheless regularly send envoys to negotiate
with the duke of the Free City.

*''The guilds''
As it grew and fl ourished over the years, Cadwallon welcomed
numerous craftsmen who assembled into guilds. Because prosperity
allowed a constant fl ow of economic and fi scal reforms,
within a couple of decades these guilds became major players
in the city’s power struggles. At the same time the old mercenary
traditions tended to fade away. Th e riches mined from the
ground no longer interested anyone and the guilds’ workshops
were more than enough to feed the common people and make
the greedier ones rich.
In spite of this, Cadwallon never knew a golden age. While the
wealthiest citizens fi nished building the upper city as it is known
since the fl ood of the year 900, Sophet Drahas prepared his return
and other powers tried to invade Cadwallon.
Th us, in 956 magical beings launched an attack on the city
from their elemental realm. In the face of this unexpected and
unknown enemy, only the original tactics of a foreign general
allowed then to triumph. Th is hero was then ennobled and gave
his name to a new fi efdom, Ghieronburg, a former goblin colony
near the harbor.

*''The leagues''

Th is invasion was not the last threat Cadwallon had to face.
In 983 the Akkyshan elves launched a vast off ensive against
the city. Since its founding by Vanius they had satisfi ed themselves
with small scale lightning raids launched from the forest
of Ashinân. Th e Free City suddenly grew fearful.
Only the forgotten heirs of the Dogs of War, who were scornfully
called “the shrews,” rose to protect the city. Th us these descendents
of the mercenaries who, not having enough money to settle down,
continued exploring the ruins, made the Cadwës understand that
achieving prosperity wasn’t everything. Th ey had tobe able to secure
it, as General Ghieron had 40 years earlier.
Th e population managed to get organized behind the shrews
and the city’s militia to push the Akkyshans back to the sea. Th is
was a great success, yet at a very high cost.
We are now in 1003. Duke Den Azhir has been ruling Cadwallon
for eight years. Th e guilds haven’t lost anything of their arrogance
and might, yet nowadays an older power is rising. For the past 20
years the heirs of the Dogs of War have been able to reclaim some of
their ancestors’ past glory while taking into account the opportunities
provided by a trading center like the Jewel of Lanever. Mixing
martial tradition, the spirit of free enterprise, and the taste for adventure,
these individuals are called “free leaguers.”

== A Cosmopolitan City ==

All natives of Cadwallon are considered to be Cadwës, meaning
born free of other nations struggles and laws. Some even claim it to
be the same for religions and traditions.
All inhabitants of Cadwallon therefore aren’t Cadwës. Th ough
this term is widely used, it doesn’t take into account the city’s
cosmopolitan reality. Th ough the census of Cadwallon’s population
may be approximate, it is nevertheless a well known
fact that only two-thirds of its inhabitants are “true” Cadwës,
meaning natives. Th is amounts to about 200,000 people. Th e
other residents, who are either well established or temporary
residents, come from cultures struggling among each other for
the supremacy of their beliefs in the total war known as the
Rag’narok.

==== The Cadwës ====

THE GUILDS’ ALLIES IN THE RAG’NAROK

Guild of Architects: Cynwäll elves, Griffi ns of Akkylannie,
Lions of Alahan and dwarves of Tir-Nâ-Bor.
Guild of Blades: All peoples.
Guild of Ferrymen: All peoples.
Guild of Goldsmiths: Living-dead of Acheron, Alchemists
of Dirz, goblins of No-Dan-Kar, Griffi ns of Akkylannie,
Lions of Alahan and dwarves of Tir-Nâ-Bor.
Guild of Usurers: All peoples of the Meanders of
Darkness.
Guild of Thieves: Living-dead of Acheron, Akkyshan
elves, Alchemists of Dirz, devourers of Vile-Tis, goblins
of No-Dan-Kar, Lions of Alahan and dwarves of
Tir-Nâ-Bor.
Guild of Cartomancers: Cynwäll elves, goblins of No-
Dan-Kar, Griffi ns of Akkylannie, dwarves of Tir-Nâ-
Bor and Lions of Alahan.

*''Foreigners''

A prosperous, independent and diplomatically neutral city,
Cadwallon attracts countless travelers. Merchants, envoys and old
sea dogs are the perfect examples of the kind of professions that
pass through the town. Such voyagers usually stay for a short time
and leave as soon as their business is done.Th e city’s most infl uential guilds have always mingled in politics
and diplomacy. Breaking with Cadwallon’s tradition of remaining
free, they have built alliance networks with some nations and
maintain private armies that intervene in the Rag’narok. Many
citizens of these nations come to Cadwallon to strengthen these
relations or, on otherwise, to end them.
Th ough one cannot deny the omnipresence of foreigners who
are temporary residents of the city, their infl uence on daily
life nevertheless remains insignifi cant. Interested by nothing
but their own business, these exiles don’t play an active role in
Cadwë society.

*''Refugees''

Th e troubles that come with the Rag’narok lead many refugees
to Cadwallon. Th ey are fl eeing the war and arrive penniless
after their journey to the city, for the vessels and caravans that
travel to Cadwallon have made the transportation of refugees a
true commerce. And though these trips are far from comfortable,
the fees are nevertheless very expensive. Others try to
reach Cadwallon by their own means, yet few manage to.
What can one do when arriving in Cadwallon klû-less*? For
some the disillusion comes quick and hard like a lightning
bolt. Th ese usually end up in the worst parts of the lower city,
adding to the ranks of the homeless or used as guinea pigs
in the underground laboratories of unscrupulous alchemists.
Yet most refugees manage to integrate. By pawning their last
belongings, they manage to borrow enough ducats to settle
down and carry out their profession with the guilds’ permission.
Without the slightest qualms, the guild of Usurers off ers
to the poorest to pawn their own body. If they don’t pay back
their debt on time, then the borrowers end up as more or less
consenting organ donors.
In the light of these explanations, it seems obvious that the
fi rst few years of a refugee’s life in Cadwallon are far from blissful.
However, the guilds know how to make the most of their
members. An individual with sought after abilities and who
is ready to work hard can provide a relatively comfortable life
for his family. It’s impossible for him to own his own store or
workshop, but he can become the indispensable assistant to a
master of the guild, with the fantastic income that this position
implies.

*''The natives''

Being a Cadwë means being born in Cadwallon and being
raised in the city’s tradition of freedom. A Cadwë, regardless of
his life standards, carries within him the heritage of the founding
fathers of the Jewel of Lanever. Very often families continue
to pass down certain values that are specific to their original nation, yet these are often mixed and smoothed over by living
among Cadwallon’s cosmopolitan population.
Today Cadwë values are relatively abstract whereas on a daily
basis nothing seems to be able to diminish the independence won
a century and an half ago with the strength of arms. Th e endless
quest for riches, the will to settle durably and make the most
of this city and its lifestyle are recurring elements. Th e pride of
being a Cadwë isn’t as much about being scornful towards the
refugees as being intimately convinced of being part of the advancement
of a society detached from the nations and their wars.
For some this means contributing to the guilds’ prosperity, while
harvesting benefi ts for oneself. For others, enlisting to the service
of one of the noble families is seen as a better social investment,
even if this means having to develop the indisputable qualities of
a courtier. Th e most impatient and the most idealist newcomers
directly enter the duke’s service by joining the militia or the free
leagues.
Yet in the upper city there is a certain form of elitism. Being
outrageously rich is not enough; one also has to have a certain
number of degrees of Cadwë lineage. Th e oldest noble families
can trace their ancestry back seven or eight degrees and an important
part of the protocol during aristocratic receptions is
founded on how many degrees of lineage a guest has.

==== Prosperity ====

Th e widely spread nicknames of “Jewel of Lanever” and “City
of Th ieves” carry a certain amount of truth about Cadwallon. A
seaport city and a lakeside city, a land of asylum, a crossroads
of a great variety of trades, a cosmopolitan town and a political
playground: Cadwallon is all that at once.

*''Trade''

Because it attracts populations from the four corners of
Aarklash, Cadwallon benefi ts from a wide range of expertise. It’s
true that the secret research done by Cadwallon’s omnimancers
is far from equivalent to the Syhars’ discoveries in the fi eld of
mutagens, just like the local steam machines are far from being
as perfected as those of the dwarves of the Aegis Mountains.
Yet all of these products have an enormous advantage: they are
available to who is willing to pay the price.
In addition to this undeniable asset, Cadwallon has been
known to develop its own commerce: the exotic animals from
the Immobilis islands are most wanted all over Aarklash, just
like the secret plants cultivated by the guild of Tailors for the
Cadwë nobles. And what about the long and fast galleys made
from strange types of wood found only in magical groves that
randomly grow in the Free City? Th e City of Th ieves has thus become a major trade platform. All
of the continents merchandise transits on the docks one day or another,
including slaves, whose commerce and transport are prohibited
within the city, yet permitted on board vessels entering the port
(which doesn’t prevent the duke from taxing them as “cargo”).
As for obtaining merchandise that normally isn’t available,
there are always discreet ways of dealing and unwitting individuals
who think that everything can be sold in the City of
Th ieves. Isn’t Cadwallon’s motto “My kingdom for a ducat!”? If
there are fools who wish to buy things that cannot be bought,
why deprive oneself of their gold? Considering its importance, the harbor is the stage of nonstop
activity. Th e merchants barter directly on the docks, surrounded
by goblin sailors and Kelt dockers, in an atmosphere
fi lled with shouts and sweat. Even in the upper city trade is in
full swing: here a dwarven engineer is demonstrating his domestic
automatons; there a master tailor is presenting his avian
hats...


*''Diplomacy''

Th e upper city of Cadwallon constantly hosts the plenipotentiaries
of all origins who meet, negotiate treaties with the
duke, and seal secret alliances with Cadwallon’s most infl uential
guilds, either to recruit an army or to profi t from generous
investments.
Diplomacy always going hand in hand with a little spying and a
hint of treason, the Free City is the stage of a great deal of plotting
and nighttime maneuvers. Th e odd towers of the upper city then
become the stage of bloody yet discreet pursuits. Shady dealings
are hidden from curious eyes in the alcoves. Sometimes confl icts
are solved in public duels in the reception hall of an embassy or on
the fi eld of honor.
Th ere are four offi cial embassies in Cadwallon: those of Alahan,
Akkylannie, Syharhalna and No-Dan-Kar. Th e relations with these
nations are especially strong but not always very warm. Most of
Cadwallon’s important guilds are allied to one or more of these
nations and one can often meet their leaders in the hallways of the
embassies.
Th e latter play an important role in the upper city. All members
of Cadwë high society are expected to attend the numerous
parties and ceremonies organized by the ambassadors. Of course, these extravagant activities hide very pragmatic objectives.
Th ey are all opportunities for the powerful to mingle, to
get together and thus build relations that are then strengthened
through formal agreements. Th e embassies are therefore places
where important exchanges take place, day or night. Th e city’s
independence allows the ambassadors to meet the representatives
of any other people without worry and without causing
any protest. It’s hard to imagine a meeting in Akkylannie with
a Syhar envoy!
In the past Tir-Nâ-Bor had an embassy in Cadwallon. Even
though this is no longer the case, the dwarven nation maintains
its trade relations with the city and its guilds. Diplomats are almost
always present in the upper city. Depending on the period,
they stay either in the Varr-Nokkt family residence or in the
suites of the best hotels of the ducal enclave.
Th e Jewel of Lanever also hosts a Cynwäll ambassador who
lives in the tower that dominates the upper city. Th ere isn’t an
embassy in the strict sense of the term and the ambassador
himself is a secretive character who very few people have had
the honor to meet. He never partakes in any festivities unless he
has something of importance to announce. Th e nations that don’t have an embassy are nevertheless present
in Cadwallon. Most peoples send delegations to the upper
city. Th eir members are housed either by the guilds or by the
noble families depending on the nations’ affi nities. In addition
to the Var-Nokkt family, the guild of Ferrymen regularly invites
various representatives from the major ports of Aarklash to a
lakeside mansion with a private marina. Th e seat of the guild of
Goldsmiths, a sumptuous tower in the heart of the upper city,
also welcomes prestigious guests from allied nations.
Th e delegations sent to Cadwallon aren’t always offi cial representatives.
Many economic powers have interests in the free city,
be they rich goblin traders, powerful Kelt clan chiefs, venerable
craftsmen from the Aegis, or renowned Syhar alchemists. Th e
upper city teems with grand hotels that are willing to accommodate
any visitor, as long as he is wealthy and has clearance
from the ducal authorities.
The guild of Thieves provides these eminent visitors with many
services. Some want to discover the lower city and its nightlife
while others wish to stay in town discreetly, far from the brouhaha
of the high society. Th is guild thus hosts individuals who
are generally discriminated in Cadwallon, especially devourers
of Vile-Tis and Akkyshan elves. In exchange for these services
the guild can get hold of rare or illegal supplies intended for
the black market. Th e devourers supply countless relics stolen
during their raids, and the forest of Ashinân provides dreadful
venoms and poisons.


== Cadwe Identity ==