Difference between revisions of "Cadwallon"
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are destined to undertake thrilling investigations and overcome | are destined to undertake thrilling investigations and overcome | ||
tremendous perils. | tremendous perils. | ||
+ | |||
== Chronology == | == Chronology == | ||
− | + | ||
− | 255 Settlement of goblin exiles (Kraken Harbor) | + | *''255'' Settlement of goblin exiles (Kraken Harbor) |
− | 832 Founding of Cadwallon, the Free City | + | *''832'' Founding of Cadwallon, the Free City |
− | 833 Charter of the leagues decreed by Vanius I | + | *''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. | |
− | 834 Repairing of the Cynwäll automat, which becomes | + | *''843'' Johann of Drakaër is granted the privilege of riding a dragon |
− | + | *''844'' Creation of the Free University of Cadwallon | |
− | 835 Charter of the fi efdoms and the peers decreed by Vanius I. | + | *''859'' Founding of the fi efdom of Ogrokh |
− | 843 Johann of Drakaër is granted the privilege of | + | *''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 | |
− | 844 Creation of the Free University of Cadwallon | + | *''932'' Expropriation of the Markropets by the Duke (Trophy); Granting of the Trophy fi efdom to Bran Standing-Wind |
− | 859 Founding of the fi efdom of Ogrokh | + | *''950'' The duke claims the island of the Choltry |
− | 900 The Great fl ood devastates the city’s districts | + | *''955'' The plague in Morgue Street,which is placed into quarantine (Soma) |
− | 902 Sale of the Rampart fi efdom to the Orrkrk family (Rampart) | + | *''956'' Invasion attempt by Water Elementals ; Creation of the fi efdom of Ghieronburg |
− | + | *''957'' The free leaguers burn down Morgue Street (Soma) | |
− | 932 Expropriation of the Markropets by the Duke (Trophy) | + | *''958'' Building of the Denerac Villa (Ghieronburg) |
− | + | *''961'' Construction of the catacrypts (Ghieronburg) | |
− | 950 The duke claims the island of the Choltry | + | *''962'' Appearance of Baron Mardi (Ghieronburg) |
− | 955 The plague in Morgue Street, | + | *''963'' Founding of the Gamehead fi efdom |
− | + | *''966'' The Tamarez Canal scandal (Ghieronburg) | |
− | 956 Invasion attempt by Water Elementals | + | *''969'' Discovery of the dome of the Skinner (Gamehead) |
− | + | *''972'' Settling of the Barhan embassy in the Soma fi efdom | |
− | 957 The free leaguers burn down Morgue Street (Soma) | + | *''983'' The great Akkyshan raid that led to the rebirth of the leagues |
− | 958 Building of the Denerac Villa (Ghieronburg) | + | *''988'' Large riots in Kraken leading to the death of the Peer |
− | 961 Construction of the catacrypts (Ghieronburg) | + | *''991'' Massive strike of the Ferrymen |
− | 962 Appearance of Baron Mardi (Ghieronburg) | + | *''992'' Adoption of Den Azhir by Camelia Orrkrk (Rampart) ; Founding of the guild of Birders (Immobilis) |
− | 963 Founding of the Gamehead fi efdom | + | *''995'' Accession of Duke Den Azhir |
− | 966 The Tamarez Canal scandal (Ghieronburg) | + | *''996'' Extension of the birthright and of the free duty (free leaguers) |
− | 969 Discovery of the dome of the Skinner (Gamehead) | + | *''999'' Beginning of the construction of the Tractor ; Appearance of the coiling emissaries on the Day of Ashes |
− | 972 Settling of the Barhan embassy in the Soma fi efdom | + | *''1002'' Wedding of Racllk to Oklair Odazzur (Kraken); Assassination of Urakh Khaurik Argam (Orgokh) |
− | 983 The great Akkyshan raid that led | + | *''1003'' Today… |
− | + | ||
− | 988 Large riots in Kraken leading | + | http://i.imgur.com/BdEGzNk.png http://i.imgur.com/dFxtPE2.png |
− | + | ||
− | 991 Massive strike of the Ferrymen | + | == History == |
− | 992 Adoption of Den Azhir by Camelia Orrkrk (Rampart) | + | |
− | + | ||
− | 995 Accession of Duke Den Azhir | + | Cadwallon is a place fi lled with history and myths. Well before |
− | 996 Extension of the birthright | + | men began digging into the city’s ground, the high Cynwäll |
− | + | tower dominated the sea. According to the legend, other peoples | |
− | 999 Beginning of the construction of the Tractor | + | that have disappeared since lived here long before this |
− | + | tower was built. | |
− | 1002 Wedding of Racllk to Oklair Odazzur (Kraken) | + | |
− | + | ==== The City of Exiles ==== | |
− | 1003 Today… | + | |
+ | 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. | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/893276Cadwallon.png | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== 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. | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/872802cadwallon.png | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== 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! | ||
+ | |||
+ | == Cadwallon : Double City == | ||
+ | |||
+ | Because it is built on top of the ruins of a Cynwäll city, | ||
+ | the upper city is in an enclosed citadel. Th e lower city, | ||
+ | on the other hand, has developed outside of the walls | ||
+ | lying at the feet of the legendary Dyrsin Tower. | ||
+ | Th e works planned by the various dukes haven’t always been | ||
+ | very successful. Even though the city has prospered in all parts, | ||
+ | many of its districts are especially crowded, making circulation | ||
+ | in the higher city as bad as in the lower city. | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/329644Cadwallon1.png | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Getting Around ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Th e Cadwës, at the urging of the more advanced communities | ||
+ | (dwarves and goblins), have developed several ways of getting | ||
+ | around in their city. Th e Jewel of Lanever has thus known an | ||
+ | unrivalled technological, scientifi c and industrial revolution on | ||
+ | the continent. Th is metamorphosis was accompanied by economic | ||
+ | and social advances that also came from No-Dan-Kar | ||
+ | and Tir-Nâ-Bor. Th is is so true that many immigrants think that | ||
+ | the city’s motto is “In Cadwallon, everything can be bought” instead | ||
+ | of “My kingdom for a ducat!” | ||
+ | |||
+ | No matter where one might be in the city, visiting Cadwallon | ||
+ | demands either unfailing courage and health or enough wealth | ||
+ | to be able to pay for effi cient yet extremely expensive means of | ||
+ | transportation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== On water ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cadwallon lies across a vast peninsula. For strategic reasons | ||
+ | the city occupies the whole stretch of land to allow for better | ||
+ | surveillance of the waters lying on either side of it. Th us the Free | ||
+ | City protects the lands of Light from potential invasions. As for | ||
+ | the upper city, it engulfs the northern part of a lake that Cadwës | ||
+ | call the “little sea.” | ||
+ | |||
+ | *''By way of the sea'' | ||
+ | In the north of the peninsula the Kraken harbor is the continent’s | ||
+ | biggest merchant port. It harbors vessels of the open seas | ||
+ | as well as a squadron of goblin pirates that ensures their “protection.” | ||
+ | Once on land, the visitor has a choice of several means | ||
+ | of locomotion: the bravest can walk, others can take a carriage, | ||
+ | and the wealthiest can use the Tractor. One can also reach the | ||
+ | port of Ondine, to the west, taking a small ferry. Th is maritime | ||
+ | route is used by the extremely wealthy who enjoy the view of the | ||
+ | city before reaching the fi efdom of Soma. | ||
+ | One can also reach Cadwallon by Shipwreck Bay, to the east. | ||
+ | Th e naval forces of the Ways of Light often choose to drop anchor | ||
+ | in these waters, for they are defended by an Akkylannian | ||
+ | fort built on a small island. Whoever wishes to use this route | ||
+ | must get clearance and strictly follow the instructions given by | ||
+ | the fort’s garrison. A cutter is then used to reach the upper city. | ||
+ | Th is journey re “Ducats make the strangers’ quires a generous donation to be made. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | THE MAGICAL GROVES | ||
+ | |||
+ | In Cadwallon the magical groves are one of nature’s | ||
+ | curiosities. Regardless of place or time, in a totally unpredictable | ||
+ | way, an abundance of plants sprouts anywhere, | ||
+ | on the street or in someone’s home. For Cadwës | ||
+ | these plants are a good omen of Nature, especially for | ||
+ | peoples such as the Sessairs, the orcs or the Wolfen. | ||
+ | Destroying a magical grove is a crime in the city. Th ese | ||
+ | small “jungles” are a great source of inspiration for | ||
+ | the designers of the guild of Tailors and the vegetal | ||
+ | fashions of the Cadwë nobles are a direct reference to | ||
+ | them. | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | *''The waters of the lake'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | For a long time the Cadwës of the upper city have enjoyed | ||
+ | the lake next to the gardens of desire. Th ese past few years the | ||
+ | construction of a marina has made boating easier on the little | ||
+ | sea. Certain of Cadwallon’s citizens have had piers built to take | ||
+ | better advantage of the lake. Th e city’s most wealthy families | ||
+ | quickly followed and now there are talks about organizing a regatta. | ||
+ | Th is persistent rumor has lasted for so long that it has | ||
+ | encouraged the construction of extravagant vessels built by | ||
+ | goblin or Barhan carpenters. By doing so sly craftsmen were | ||
+ | able to resell the wood from the trees that had been chopped | ||
+ | down to build the marina. Th e new district also allowed the development | ||
+ | of fi shing in the waters of the little sea. Th is activity | ||
+ | sometimes seems like a party when humongous fi sh are pulled | ||
+ | from the lake. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== On land ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | In many parts of the lower city it is faster to walk than to | ||
+ | travel by carriage. Always looking for more comfort, the richest | ||
+ | citizens often use carriages, yet they take much longer than | ||
+ | pedestrians do to reach their destination. Indeed, the vendor’s | ||
+ | carts and stalls hinder the circulation of elegant carriages. In | ||
+ | some alleys even horsemen have a hard time making their way | ||
+ | through the tightly packed crowds. | ||
+ | |||
+ | *''Cadwë roads'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some parts of Soma lie inside old Cynwäll quarries and are | ||
+ | the most densely populated areas of the Free City. Th e dwellings | ||
+ | are stacked on top of each other on either side of narrow streets. | ||
+ | It is dangerous to travel there in any other way than on foot. | ||
+ | Th ese slums are home to a population living in misery and it | ||
+ | often happens that visitors are annoyed by beggars or attacked | ||
+ | by ruffi ans. | ||
+ | Th e streets of the lower city are worn by the weather and | ||
+ | the passage of overloaded carts. Th ough everyone agrees that | ||
+ | improvement of these roads is long overdue, only the Soma | ||
+ | family has actually done anything. Th eir fi efdom is indeed endowed | ||
+ | with better streets and a major artery, Paradise Avenue, | ||
+ | to make it easier for wagons to travel from the port of Ondine | ||
+ | to the upper city. | ||
+ | In the upper city, getting around is mainly question of hiring | ||
+ | the proper guide. Th ere are countless bridges linking the feet of | ||
+ | Dyrsin Tower and many of them are too narrow for wagons to | ||
+ | get over. Yet one can walk or ride along them, though the use of | ||
+ | mounts is strongly discouraged for safety reasons. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | *''Revolution'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | After three years of colossal construction, the Tractor has | ||
+ | fi nally been fi nished! Th is gigantic steam machine does the | ||
+ | round-trip between the Kraken harbor and the Ogrokh fi efdom | ||
+ | four times per day, pulling fi ve wagons (four for goods and one | ||
+ | for passengers). | ||
+ | It’s impossible for this mechanical monster to enter the upper | ||
+ | city. Th e goods are therefore transported from the gates to | ||
+ | the warehouses of the Stock. Once it is moving, it reaches the | ||
+ | speed of a trotting horse and does the trip in one hour. Initially | ||
+ | planned for 40 passengers, the last wagon is the victim of its | ||
+ | success. Its seats have therefore been removed to allow about | ||
+ | 100 passengers of all sizes to squeeze in. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====In the air==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Airborne transportation has been developed under the infl uence | ||
+ | of the aristocrats who, taking advantage of the Cynwäll | ||
+ | towers still standing, use hot air balloons for transportation in | ||
+ | the upper city. Unfortunately the strong winds that blow on the | ||
+ | coast prevent this form of transportation from becoming more | ||
+ | widespread. Furthermore, one can often see Lanever dragons | ||
+ | glide across the sky of Cadwallon to visit their titanic kin in the | ||
+ | Dyrsin Tower. | ||
+ | |||
+ | == The Fiefdoms of Cadwallon == | ||
+ | |||
+ | The following pages present the 11 fi efdoms of Cadwallon: | ||
+ | eight in the lower city and three in the upper city. The fiefdoms | ||
+ | and their districts are all presented in the same way. | ||
+ | A map presents each fiefdom and its most famous districts. It | ||
+ | is accompanied by a short description of the fiefdom’s population | ||
+ | as well as of the motto of the governing family at its head. | ||
+ | This also includes information that is useful for the game: dominant | ||
+ | attitude, meaning the attitude that is the most common | ||
+ | among the NPCs who live in the fiefdom, and the FAITH, which | ||
+ | is used for the miracles of the faithful. | ||
+ | The history, the ruling family and the intrigues that are linked | ||
+ | to the fiefdom’s inhabitants follow the presentation of the atmosphere | ||
+ | during the day or at night. | ||
+ | The most famous districts are then presented with the dominant | ||
+ | attitude and the FAITH that are specific to each one. | ||
+ | Several locations are introduced for each district. Their names | ||
+ | are followed, in brackets, by a dominant attitude and its allegiance. | ||
+ | A place’s dominant attitude is the attitude that reigns | ||
+ | in this particular place and which determines the attitude of | ||
+ | the NPCs who live there. The allegiance indicates who owns the | ||
+ | place or under whose infl uence it is. | ||
+ | Throughout these pages the names of certain NPCs are indicated | ||
+ | in bold type: these are contacts. (see Interaction, p.230). | ||
+ | Th e other NPCs are presented in the Cadwallon supplements | ||
+ | reserved to the GM (see Secrets). | ||
+ | |||
+ | http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/757465cadwallon02.png |