View source for Cadwallon

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 ==

Th e fi rst thing that may be surprising concerning the peoples
of Aarklash is the fact that they know more about the world
beyond the heavens than the one surrounding their continent!
Among astrologers there are heated debates about such delicate
topics as the true shape of the world, the links between magic
portals and the stars, or the question if Lahn rotates around
Aarklash or vice versa. And yet who can claim to know what
lies beyond the oceans? Truth be told, no one has even bothered
giving a name to the world of which Aarklash is only a continent...
Unless it’s the other way around.

==== Astronomy ====

Th e days and nights follow the rhythm of Aarklash’s revolution
around a gigantic sun which provides a golden light:
Lahn. Two other shining bodies sometimes light the sky above
Cadwallon: Ley, with a pale bluish glow, and Lyth, a twinkling
dark-red pearl. Th e appearances of these twin suns are chaotic
and feed the debate among astronomers. For the Cadwës the
presence of Ley and Lyth in the sky is an omen announcing
disaster and woe, of sudden climatic change, of animal migrations,
or of wide-reaching magical phenomena.
At night a moon, Yllia, lights the sky in its milky, bluish aura.
Th e guild of Cartomancers also uses about 15 constellations
for observations and predictions: the Lion, the Griffi n, the Spider,
the Wolf, and so on. Most Cadwës don’t care much about this for
they rarely ever look up to the stars. Only four of these astral
formations attract attention because of their role in nighttime
navigation. Th ey have been known by the goblins for a long time
and are called Nerea for the north, Sylhea for the south, Elion for
the east, and Olhim for the west.

==== The free year ====

On Aarklash the year of 400 days is usually divided into ten
months. Yet this isn’t so in Cadwallon. Th e guild of Cartomancers
has established an original calendar based on the 22 fi gures of
Vanius and his lieutenants. Th e astronomers themselves use
a much more complex version of this calendar. Most Cadwës
simply use 21 “months” of 19 days each. To these is added a leap
day, the last day of the year, which disappears every four years to
adjust the free calendar to the actual revolution around Lahn.

==== The free year ====

On Aarklash the year of 400 days is usually divided into ten
months. Yet this isn’t so in Cadwallon. Th e guild of Cartomancers
has established an original calendar based on the 22 fi gures of
Vanius and his lieutenants. Th e astronomers themselves use
a much more complex version of this calendar. Most Cadwës
simply use 21 “months” of 19 days each. To these is added a leap
day, the last day of the year, which disappears every four years to
adjust the free calendar to the actual revolution around Lahn.

*''The seasons''

Cadwallon has the same seasons as the rest of Aarklash.
However, in the Free City’s peninsula every season has a specifi
c infl uence.
The first season of the year, the time of banners, corresponds
to spring. Th is is the month of preparation and decorum. Th e
trading posts of the guild of Blades’ companies raise their
orifl ammes and the vessels of the Cadwë fl eet get ready to
leave the port for their commercial expeditions. When the
day comes, the ships gather in fl eets and set off on the seas to
amass new riches. In the Kraken harbor there is then a jubilant
atmosphere.
The caravans traveling over land do the same all along the
season, parading up and down the avenues of the lower city.
The most popular spectacle nevertheless remains the departure
of the guild of Blades’ troops clad in their shining armor.

Summer, the season of blades, is the season of the bloodiest
confrontations in which huge armies clash after having roamed
the continent during the previous season. In Cadwallon, too,
the season of blades is placed under the sign of the Rag’narok.
Th e Cadwës know that during this period there is a chance that
an army might besiege the city. Th e duke often sends free leaguers
to patrol the borders and the blacksmiths work twice as
hard to supply the militia’s stock of weapons. Th ough this rarely
happens, the free leaguers can also be sent as ambassadors to
faraway lands. After the sale of their merchandise, the Cadwë fl eets and caravans
return loaded with exotic goods: food for winter, rare
plants, revolutionary tools, new maps, etc. While the Rag’narok
slips into autumn, in Cadwallon the time of return is a period
for reunion... and danger. Mercenaries unsatisfi ed with their
booty prowl the countryside and attack poorly defended caravans.
Once in a while they gather in companies big enough to
attack Cadwallon. Th e free companies therefore remain just as
alert during this season. Maybe this zeal is also motivated by the
allegations of the guilds, which don’t hesitate to blame these depredations
on the free leaguers.
The time of whispers is the season of intrigue and alliances
in preparation for next year. Th e quietness of the night is often
broken by the secret meetings of the guilds strengthening
their relations with the nations that are about to go to war. Th e
duke receives foreign delegations while the common Cadwës
work to produce goods to allow the guilds and the free city to
prosper.
The season of whispers is also the time of the lawfully feared
raids by the Akkyshans. Th ese elves bound to Darkness take
advantage of the long winter nights to harass the outlying fi efdoms
of the lower city and amass easy plunder.

*''The months''

Because it welcomes people from every nations, Cadwallon
set its own calendar right in the fi rst days of its founding. Th is
was certainly a way to mark its independence. Th e free calendar
was then the object of much debate that was fed by astronomers
from Tir-Nâ-Bor and even those from Laroq.
Th e Cadwë months have known many diff erent names. At
fi rst they were given the names of the Dogs of War’s 21 companies,
and then those of the trump cards of Vanius’s Tarot. A
few years later Duke Lothar passed a decree to change this denomination:
because the original tarot cards had been lost, it
was inconvenient to bind the city’s fate to these artifacts. Th e
duke suggested the names of Vanius and his lieutenants, but
the people reacted vividly to this concealed deifi cation attempt.
Pressured by the Cadwës, the ducal administration developed a
calendar that was truly free of all cultural infl uences.
In this evolution one can glimpse the infl uence of the guilds
in whose eyes a calendar must above all serve the requirements
of production and therefore be functional and rational.

*''The week''

The first day of each month is a free day, meaning a day off . Th e
18 remaining days are divided into three weeks of six days each: the
Prime, the Median and the Final. Th e days don’t have names. One
then speaks of the “fi fth day of the Median of Decarde” or of the
“twelfth Decarde, 1002.”

*''Holidays''

Th e Cadwë year is dotted with offi cial holidays that are days
off for the inhabitants. Here again, the guilds have made sure
that the holidays are events shared by the whole population so
that production follows an organized pattern.
Th ere is no doubt that the week of Freedom is the most
important holiday. It marks Cadwallon’s independence and is
known all over Aarklash for its colorful carnival where all liberties
are permitted. It takes place between the 2nd and the 7th
of Odecime. For six days the Cadwës don’t work and don’t sleep:
they party. Masks and costumes dance around to all kinds of
music. Overwhelmed, the militia only intervenes to channel the
movement of the biggest crowds and to ensure the protection of
offi cial buildings. In the upper city as well as the lower one the
party is in full swing.
Th e day before Freedom week starts, on the free day of the 1st
of Odecime, the annual free assembly meets in the presence of
the free leaguers and the duke (see About the leagues...). Th e end
of this assembly marks the beginning of the festivities.
Th e week of the Kraken is when the Cadwë merchant fl eet
sets sail. Divided into several fl otillas with each having a diff erent
destination, the vessels leave Kraken harbor one after the other, cheered on by the population. Celebrations are arranged
to wish the sailors luck and the port remains full of life even at
night. Everyone who does not belong to the guild of Ferrymen is
released of their professional duties. Th is holiday lasts from the
14th to the 19th of Quint.
Th e ducal jubilee is a tradition of Akkylannian origin that
celebrates every fi fty years the founding of the Empire of
Akkylannie by Arcavius de Sabran. In Cadwallon the inhabitants
celebrate every year their duke’s accession to power. Den
Azhir claimed this title of the 15th of Octose, 996, so it is on this
date that the Cadwës honor him. A procession is organized in
every fi efdom and they all join in front of the ducal palace. Th is
event is important for it is the only occasion on which groups
of citizens from the lower city are allowed to enter the upper
city. Th ese processions are of course supervised by the militia.
Traditionally, when the processions unite, the free leaguers renew
their allegiance to the duke.Th e Day of Ashes and the Day of Lanterns can’t go without
the other. Th ough they aren’t celebrated on the same day,
both represents the struggle between the Ways of Light and the
Meanders of Darkness.
Th e Day of Lanterns commemorates the Battle of Kaïber and
takes place on the last day of the season of blades, the 10th of
Ondre. All day long the children go wild and pretend to be warriors
with sticks or metal bars. As for the adults, they decorate
the walls of all houses with countless lanterns that will light up
the night before the time of return. Usually the refugees bound
to the Meanders of Darkness go into hiding. Sometimes things
get out of hand and people get lynched. Th e fact that the refugees
suff ered more from their nations policy than the Cadwës
doesn’t matter much.
Th e Day of Ashes takes place on the last day of the time of
return, the 15th of Hexadime. Cadwallon turns into a dead city.
During the previous night the hearths are kept burning so the
city remains lit. The next day the remaining ashes are scattered
all over the city. Th ese ashes are supposed to keep the dead at
bay by giving them the impression that Cadwallon is a ghost
town where nothing lives. Rare are those who would dare step
outside, and those who do carefully respect the taboo of the day:
never to look someone in the eye. Th erefore the passersby walk
with their head bowed and a hood over their head. Even the militiamen
hate having to check an individual’s identity.

The Day of Flowering takes place on every 12th of Privime.
It celebrates the spotting of the fi rst magical groves after the
“deforestation” of the ruins by the Dogs of War (see further).
Th e orcs are the ones who observe this holiday, as well as the
traditions linked to it, the most carefully. On this occasion the
shakas improvise ceremonies devoted to Cadwallon’s fl owering
nature in most of these groves. Regardless of their origins and
their beliefs, many Cadwës participate in these ceremonies.
Th e beginning of each season is also a holiday. Th ese aren’t the
actual beginnings of a season on Aarklash (equinoxes and solstices),
but rather days that the guilds have set to celebrate the coming
of a new Cadwë season. Th ese days thus give the illusion that the
seasons identical in length, even though in reality they aren’t (winter
is the shortest season and summer is the longest one).


----

THE FIRST DAY OF EACH SEASON
SEASON DAY

Time of Banners 1st of Asce
Season of Blades 6th of Sixte
Time of Return 11th of Ondre
Season of Whispers 16th of Hexadîme

----

In Cadwallon it is strictly forbidden to celebrate the equinoxes
and solstices since Vanius’s rule. Th e reasons for this prohibition
are unknown and not all refugees respect it.
Th e day that the curse hit the Free City for the fi rst time is still
commemorated, for it is closely bound to recurring events that
are well known by the Cadwës. Th at day the lake’s water carried
a putrid stench and hundreds of corpses. Th e city’s sources of
drinking water were infected, causing countless intoxications,
while mephitic emanations had the inhabitants fl ee into the
jungle.
To this day the tide of the dead still strikes the city occasionally,
however less violently than in the past. Th e Cadwës know that days
of heavy rain foreshadow this morbid event, therefore they lock
themselves in at home, stock up on potable water, and clean their
dwellings with gallons of boiling water.
Th e fi rst tide of the dead greatly infl uenced the life of
Cadwallon by causing an intense fear of death and of its eff ects
on the body. Th erefore, most corpses are burnt in order to prevent
“polluting” the ground with the unsanitary body fl uids of
the deceased. Th e most notorious funeral parlor is at the edge of
the lake, a good distance from the nearest dwellings.

==== The Cadwë language ====

Cadwë is a language that perfectly refl ects the nature of the
City of Th ieves. Based on the jargon of the Dogs of War and
Akkylannian grammar (which is especially easy to learn), it is
now a potpourri of various infl uences. Barhan, Akkylannian
and Syhar are the tongues that infl uence most Cadwë. Other
sources have durably aff ected this language: many technical
terms come from the dwarven language of Gheim and goblin
navigation terms. Ogre insults are surely the most commonly
used and widely preferred.
Cadwë is thus a language that is rich in multilingual references,
in neologisms, and in original sayings. Under perpetual
construction, it absorbs all cultures and tends to spread all
over Aarklash. Th e language used in the upper city is nevertheless
more structured and less changing. It is based mainly
on the languages of the four embassies (Alahan, Akkylannie,
Syharhalna and No-Dan-Kar). Th e use of Cynwäll terms, however,
is always impressive!