This musty shop is situated within an old worship hall dedicated to Mooruuk, the god of death. The purchase price was cheap, as many superstitious wouldn’t want to live inside such a morbid place. Simon saw an opportunity, and he has owned the building for almost a decade. Some locals refer to it as the “Death Shop,” which may be why his business has never taken off. It is a stone building with leaded windows and a ring of three gargoyles peering out from the broken tile roof.
The Broken Chip is a small gambling den on the edges of Dwarf Town.
The Den is the nickname for the Wanderers Hall in Kowal. The guildmaster in Kowal is Martyn Czemiel, a charismatic, if flamboyant man. His lieutenant is Garric Loshuul a quiet but friendly man. Both have retired from “the road” and happily help others find their calling in the wilds.
The Den is a welcoming place, everything inside made of old polished wood, and the fire is always burning. If you have a Wanderers Coin, then you are always welcome, and there is plenty of space in the common room or the upstairs to pass the cold Kowal nights.
Some say that there are a couple of secret passages in the den that lead not just into the sewers of Kowal, but deeper, into the darker underpass of Atheles. Of course, Martyn and Garric just laugh when anyone asks about them.
The Den – First Floor
On Novro 21st, 5704 the Red Guard locked the city of Kowal under martial law.
Due to overt activity of heretics and magic users, the Red Guard declared control over the city. A citywide curfew was instilled, as well as some house to house searches.
The Red guard led massive raids on multiple safehouses of “witches”.
A mass exodus of the city as fear of being declared a heretic spreads though the citizens. The Red Guard struggle with the turmoil in the city as a group, nicknamed the Heroes of Dwarftown, disrupted a ceremony of burning some heretics at the Grey Court. Parts of the city were set on fire, the Baron publicly denouncing the Red Guard, and the apparent death of the Archbishop Gunderlan.
Looking for a safe haven, many flee to Elmhearth, as news of a refugee camp and sanctuary spread.
Small square buildings on the Kowal’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 section of town became neglected and forgotten. The Duke in the Walled Tower never taxed 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.
Country
Government: Military Regional
Economic System: Capitalism with heavy taxes
Population: Moderate, Dense
Notable NPC’s:
Notable Places: Tir (Tyr), Kamric, Harun, Dorn
Cariek, Arun
Ruled by region, sultans. Sultans are appointed from the military. The military is the Vicaries.
Exports : Wine, granite, textiles,
Magic: Open
The good: tolerant of religions, race, and culture. Gender equality
The bad: violent culture. Sports and entertainment are violence oriented. War is a cultural imperative.
Tiren, the Kingdom of the rising sun, dominates the coastal region of the Eastlands. Its vast landscape is populated by many peoples, each governed as a small kingdom ruled by a militarily elected sultan.
The country is rich and its people live in comfort compared to some other regions. Engineering and mathematics are considered as holy as the gods, making cities and towns well designed, clean, and efficient. Laws are fair, but strict, with a constitutionally built judicial and punishment system.
Most of the people are of a darker brown complection, with dark straight hair. They favor light clothing made of silks and linen, though in winter furs and leather are common. The men favor a look with a long mustache, while women favor dark eye make ups and braided hair. All wear large wrapped fabric headpieces, often adorned with silver or gem jewelry.
The culture is healthy, as must have a balanced diet due to well established trade route throughout the realm.
Tyrians are also known for their sailing, and they trade all across Atheles.
From Jarin Plainswalker
Tiren
This Kingdom has formed since the era of Aradan and is quite strong. It controls the access to the sea and has a brisk trade with the Far eastern lands.
Of note, the kingdom of Tiren is the only place in the east that a settlement of Elves live, though the exact location of this city is unknown. The small city is build among the cliffs and views the Inner Sea. This is in honor of Dalimar Gorfiriand, who led the elves against Kaldrath and helped lock him away. The prison was locked by the five Fengal Stones, one of which was given to Dalimar, who then went across the Inner Sea to safe guard the lands of the west.
History
Oligarchy led by a King
Ruled by Gundram Baleband
Symbol: Red Black with dragon
Uthgard is the kingdom of the North East lands of Atheles.
It is currently ruled by a young king, Gundram Baleband, who has aligned himself with the Unelesia Church, through the Ministry, and the Orovari. The cold winters have left his people starving, and he looks to expand his powers to the South to gain farmlands and taxes.
Uthgard is a rich nation. The mountains of the north are rich in iron ore. The people of Uthgard did not suffer from the plagues as much as those in the south, so the nation is also prosperous in population. The rulers have used this populace well, creating goods that are traded via sea to Zhou or the neighboring Tiren.
Uthgard was a feudal system during the time of the Warlock King. It slowly transitioned to capitalism as the merchant class grew, though the feudal lords all quickly transitioned into powerful economic houses as the kingdom changed. These days the lord and ladies of Uthgard are also the richest citizens.
Draks ( weight = 1.5 grams) are used as a measure for gold, silver, and copper.
Uthgard in Kowal (5707-)
The General at Arms in Kowal is Vilgo Corman, known as the Lion. He is brutal in his views and life. He is a competent leader, though he values efficiency over all else. He believes the Ministry is intelligent and powerful, but he distrusts them and hates that they hold such power.
Obey or Be Conscripted
Uthgard sees loyalty as the most important. If you disobey, you can be conscripted. In Kowal the prisoners serve in the iron mines. If they view you as more dangerous, you are sent to the frozen giant lands to serve in the tundra to work the oil fields.
Ruled by a king and his council, Uthgard is a dynastic oligarchy.
The oligarchy follows old feudal traditions in its naming conventions, save that the nobles actually own their lands and owe taxes to their king rather than the king owning all and loaning out land to the nobles or the clergy.
Uthgard Nobility Titles:
The war against the giants of the north. Ended by Gundram Baleband.
Uthgard had already been upset at the pirate raids along the coast of Seaview, but after the Giants War and Gundram’s rise to power, Uthgard turned to securing its border with Tiren. Gundram felt that Tiren had long abused the borders of Uthgard and he intended to reclaim the old empire’s lands.
The first battle of the war was in the small town of Belisov, known only for its larger chicken and dove farms. Raiders, who were sanctioned by the Raji of Yevren, often came and demanded tribute. Gundram sent a small force of Uthgard regulars to dissuade the ruffians. It is unknown what exact orders they were given, but the two forces engaged in battle, a small skirmish, but the Tiren forces were completely wiped out. It was given a mocking name in Tiren, the Siege of Feathers, though Uthgard took that as another slight against the seriousness of its sovereignty. Uthgard demanded an apology and when a Uthgard diplomat arrived in Yevren for the tribute and apology, he was instead captured and slain. This was determined to be an act of war by the king and the Ministry. They approved in late 5707 for bordering lords to launch raids against Tiren, though they did not outright declare war.
The Siege of the Feathers Octro 5707
A company of soldiers, archers, and horseriders marched out against the company of Tiren raiders. The battle was engaged on a field outside of Belisov. The Uthgardians had the advantage of a hill. They rode down and engaged the tight-knit company. The battle was short but fierce. The tiren almost wiped out the small battalion of foot soldiers, but the horse riders and archers slowly cut them down. While there was a victory, the Uthgard were not proud of their heavy losses.
Battle of the Cross Novro 5707
Uthgard sent their first force to capture Yevren and end the life of Raji Emelian. The Raji sent a small force to intercept them at the river crossing, which they most likely would use. The Sultas forces had not arrived (nor would they), so they had a lack of cavalry. So they put up large wooden stakes, which looked like crosses all along the ford. For Uthgard, they had a mage of the Ministry with them, using fog and weather magic to hide their numbers and movement. Baron Ugslovik’s forces had not arrived yet, but they were coming. Count Venoray led the forces himself. He sent a group of horsemen to ride south to the next crossing and sneak up behind the Tiren force.
The Cross
The Uthgard calvary arrived early and did not see the defensive crosses until too late. As they crashed through the crosses they took heavy damage. They were quickly surrounds and they took more casualties. As they rode away, they were cut down by the tiren archers.
With the horsemen gone, the man forces advsnced. The knights squad was lagging as they crossed the river. Nalodhir runs into battle, his magic sword flaming as he swung at the soldiers. He caused massive damage to while flanking the end of the line. Nalodhir was surround and when the knights came in, his faste was sealed. While on the defensive, he and his squad pushed back, but finally, fully flanked, he fell to the onslaught, arrows protruding from him like a porcupine. Sir Gotze picked up the blade and began to march at the footsoldiers wielding the blade of their leader. After locked battle, the Tirens started to retreat as their numbers dwindled, but soon all their soldiers were down. The archers and men at arms of Tiren retreated, and tuhgard shot arrows as they fled. The Battle of the Cross had been won by Uthgard
Forces:
Count Venoray – Eastfort – Uthgard
Raji Emelian – Tiren
Verien was a young guardsman of Kowal. He was very charismatic, though he was often quiet and solitary. He was friends with Damien, Gunderlan, and Heilman, who all became powerful men in the region.
He disappeared when he was in his mid 20’s and none know where he went.
The keep of the Zadeku family of Kowal.
The Wanderers
About 500 years ago, while the world was yet reeling from the Great War, the Wanderers were formed in the city of Borden to help bring the people together again. They became known as saviors and heroes as they brought news, recovered old technology, and comforted people with hope for a greater good in a dark time. Now, the Wanderers still do much of the same, but as the lands have become less dangerous, they have started exploring deeper and deeper into the darker places of Uteria, bringing back horrifying tales and strange magical artifacts.
The Wanderer’s Coin
When a person is accepted into the Wanderers they receive the Wanderer’s Coin. This is shown at any Wanderer Guildhouse to gain access to a warm meal and a place to sleep.