Kowal

Kowal, the Grey City, is a large settlement in the Eastlands. It is the capital of a city-state that claims a large swath of land along the Weron River. It was an independent city-state separate from Endamas and Uthgard until the latter part of 5707 when it joined the Uthgard Kingdom.

The city of Kowal has reigned over its barren lands in the East since the end of the Great War. Ruled by the Zadeku family for years beyond memory, the city has been content with its own business for hundreds of years.

The City of Kowal

  • Statistics: Crime 6; Danger 5; Economy 3; Law 5; Knowledge 3; Magic 1
  • Highest Stat is 10, lowest 1
  • Size: City, Seat of Barony
  • Government: Aristocracy
  • Economic System: Feudal capitalist
  • Population: 10,800

 

 

The new banner of Kowal, instituted in 5707 after rejoining the Uthgard Kingdom.

Old Banners:

Banner of Kowal during the prominence of the Red Guard. The red background symbolized the power of the tower and its piety.

 

Wards

  • Towerview
  • Westgarden: Westgarden grew as the city became a manufacturing hub during the 3rd age. This area became quite bohemian and flourished. When the plague hit, this ward suffered the most. Now, many buildings sit empty. The Tower still taxes this area, which has led to mass vacancies and the growth of the Squats.
  • Squats: Small square buildings on the city’s edge were once the grand idea of the city to house newcomers as they settled in the city for jobs. Once they had earned some cash, these newcomers would move to another ward. As the city declined, this became a section of town that was neglected and forgotten. The Tower did not ever tax these dwellings, so they grew and became a ward in their own right. Now people live here to avoid the taxes and oversight of the other wards.
  • Middleborough
  • Grand Heights
  • Woodward
  • Oldtown
  • Dworvtown
  • Chimneys
  • Waterfront “The Houses”

Places of Interest

  1. The Walled Tower
  2. Darkwinter Tavern
  3. Sascha’s Storehouse
  4. The Den (Wanderer’s Guild)
  5. Ash Cloud Theatre
  6. Factory District
  7. Dworv Town
  8. Melgrin’s Warehouse
  9. Shen’s Mansion
  10. The Broken Chip
  11. Marn’s Refuge
  12. The Cats Herbs
  13. Bizarre Bazaar
  14. M Bar
  15. The Kowal Library
  16. Kowal Barracks
  17.  
  18. The Greystone
  19. The Druid Grove of Thay
The lands surrounding Kowal

 About:

  • 2/3 population died in first plague.
  • low population.
  • Magic is punishable by death.
  • Mass graves all along outer border.
  • War with tyr hurt city
  • Ghul raids make trade hard

Industries

Kowal produces a lot of corn during the summer season, feeding its citizens, and allowing trade with our settlements. But it’s main export is metal. Before the great war giant foundries were established and Kowal provided much of the arms and armament for Uthgard. This factories and know how have survived, and Kowal’s factories work day and night smelting ore and producing metalworks for Tyr, Uthgard, and Endamas. While the roads in and out of Kowal are dangerous, they are guarded well for incoming shipments of ore and exported goods. It is a rough life in the factories of Kowal, but one can scrape by with a decent living by working in them.

Laws

  • People own property, but must pay the lord a tax on land and income.
  • Magic is forbidden and punishable by death.
  • Thievery is punishable first by loss of a finger, second two fingers, and third by the loss of a hand.
  • Gambling is legal, but in a house of gambling there is a 50% tax on winnings.
  • If accused, both the accuser and the accused are treated the same until the trial. The accused must prove innocence, not be proven guilty.
  • For witchcraft, older methods of torture may be used.

There is the Steel Guard for the Baron’s household, City Guard for people, overseen by the Sheriff, and the Red Guard, a church-backed organization. Magistrates rule the court system and are appointed or dismissed by the Baron.

Landscape

Weron River to the south. Lesh Forest to the East. Urtgen forest to the North West

Kowal lands including all townships and villages.

Townships, settlements, and villages:

 

Locales Alphabetical:

 

Groups Alphabetical:

 

Personalities Alpahbetical:

Kowal Timeline

  • 4558 – Olaekin Baleband conquered most of the North as a warlord and builds the city of Pardalor. He claims the surrounding lands and names his kingdom Uthgard.
  • 4731 – The iron-rich hills are found beyond the Urtgen forest, and a land rush ensues. The largest settlement builds up around a place where the Weron River narrows, allowing for easy ferrying back and forth.
  • 4892 – Kowal is founded as a barony in the Uthgard Kingdom.
  • 4944 – Tritium is discovered, and a way to mine and shape it is soon devised. The super-strong metal allows for better tools and weapons, making Uthgard a powerful, and rich,  kingdom.
  • 5054 – Uthgard begins its war to control Atheles by invading Tiren (The Great War, The Aradan War)
  • 5132 – The Great War ends. Magic has ruined many lands in the East. Uthgard falls as a kingdom. And the Disappearance happens, with magic and many peoples and creatures vanishing. 
  • 5133 – Years of hardship follow as the remnants of the Uthgard army are still strong and cause problems all along the North and Westlands. The Ishian Empire becomes solitary, allowing no traffic to and from their country. Kowal asserts its independence, but with it comes a loss in income.
  • 5368 – The empire of Zhou invades over the Eastern Sea. 
  • 5379 – Many of the lands of the Eastlands (Old Aradan and Uthgard) fall under the control of Zhou. Kowal stays independent, and the sale of metal to Zhou brings a fresh influx of prosperity to the city.
  • 5402 The beginning of the Plague. The Zhou Empire falls in disarray. Many return back over the sea, and have not been heard from since.
  • 5575 – The Zadeku family rises to prominence as the rulers of Kowal. They take the old title of Baron, but actually rule as the head of the city-state.
  • 5629 – The Third plague ravages Atheles, leaving the cities and kingdoms separated and superstitious.
  • 5648 – Mediev Zadeku was born.
  • 5673 – A sickness grips Kowal. People get a high temperature and a deep cough. About 25% of the population succumbs to the “Red Cough.”
  • 5674 – Mediev Zadeku took the throne of Kowal as his father fell sick to the Red Cough
  • 5677 – The first recorded instances of the Return.
  • 5684 The Return Wars end in the winter.
  • 5703 – The Baron’s son, Arnexi, returns from travel, where he has been silenced for being a Ravager.
  • 5704 – The Red Night. Novro 27th. After a riot and fire in the city, Kowal falls under martial law, and the Red Guard searches house to house, looking for mages.
  • 5706 – Catastrophe of the Greystone. The Greystone is burned to the ground in a strange event that none can remember clearly. Apra 12th

Kowal Gaming Resources:

Maps:

Adventures:

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