Freehold Zobrask
Overview
Freehold Zobrask is an old settlement, established in the second century AR, and built by Dawn's Kingdom. It was part of the first generation of Rynkowskian settlements. It was then constructed for it's rich copper mines, needed for bronze, which was still commonly used for weapons and such at the time. Since then it has grown from largely a mining settlement, into a regional safehaven from the dangers of the countryside. Around two centuries ago, in the late 11th century AR, as the Kopalnia people began coming to Sundermark, Freehold Zobrask became a hub for the new people. Because of it's nearness to rich mountains, and relative safety, the settlement was a natural choice for many of the immigrants. As for 1306 AR, nearly half of the large settlement is made up of Kopalnians. As a result, the settlement has expanded into the mountain it lays by. This has made the settlement exceptionally safe, compared to most other larger settlements in Sundermark. The settlement is ruled by an elected individual who shares power with the lord, or lady, of Zobrask. The mayoral title was introduced a mere century ago, in order to appease the major population of Kopalnians who traditionally are not ruled by feudal nobles, but instead elected officials. Siege
As of 1306 AR, The Freehold, Zobrask, is in some ways under siege. Though it is possible to leave, as their enemies are not right at their walls, getting to and from the settlement is most dangerous. The Gnoll horde who claims much of The Brask Lands, as well as The Log-Eater Tribe of Goblins, both want to conquer the Freehold. However, one saving grace is that the two attackers have so far been unable to come to terms, and tension is high between the two attackers. While the tension between the gnolls and goblins is so high, properly begining an attack on The Freehold is not fully possible. Though Zobrask is well fortified, and prepared for a siege, the settlement is not full of warriors, and they lack the materials for their Kopalnian smiths to properly arm their soldiers. They also lost a large part of their garrison, a year back when a large detachment was lured out by a Gnoll ambush of a large caravan.
Freehold Zobrask is an old settlement, established in the second century AR, and built by Dawn's Kingdom. It was part of the first generation of Rynkowskian settlements. It was then constructed for it's rich copper mines, needed for bronze, which was still commonly used for weapons and such at the time. Since then it has grown from largely a mining settlement, into a regional safehaven from the dangers of the countryside. Around two centuries ago, in the late 11th century AR, as the Kopalnia people began coming to Sundermark, Freehold Zobrask became a hub for the new people. Because of it's nearness to rich mountains, and relative safety, the settlement was a natural choice for many of the immigrants. As for 1306 AR, nearly half of the large settlement is made up of Kopalnians. As a result, the settlement has expanded into the mountain it lays by. This has made the settlement exceptionally safe, compared to most other larger settlements in Sundermark. The settlement is ruled by an elected individual who shares power with the lord, or lady, of Zobrask. The mayoral title was introduced a mere century ago, in order to appease the major population of Kopalnians who traditionally are not ruled by feudal nobles, but instead elected officials. Siege
As of 1306 AR, The Freehold, Zobrask, is in some ways under siege. Though it is possible to leave, as their enemies are not right at their walls, getting to and from the settlement is most dangerous. The Gnoll horde who claims much of The Brask Lands, as well as The Log-Eater Tribe of Goblins, both want to conquer the Freehold. However, one saving grace is that the two attackers have so far been unable to come to terms, and tension is high between the two attackers. While the tension between the gnolls and goblins is so high, properly begining an attack on The Freehold is not fully possible. Though Zobrask is well fortified, and prepared for a siege, the settlement is not full of warriors, and they lack the materials for their Kopalnian smiths to properly arm their soldiers. They also lost a large part of their garrison, a year back when a large detachment was lured out by a Gnoll ambush of a large caravan.
Demographics
Roughly 50/50 between Rynkowskians and Kopalnians. Out of the Rynkowskians, roughly 10% call themselves Brask Folk, and they are far more akin to traditional Rynkowskian values, with the exception that they are borderline supremacist.
Industry & Trade
Most inhabitants of The Freehold Zobrask work with either mining or farming. Though the land is not particularly fertile, the people of The Freehold still need to eat, and as such they are forced to do their best to grow what food they can. The Kopalnians have during long-term projects transformed part of the town-proper into farmland. Specifically the parts right by the river that runs through town, and out under the walls.
This farmland, while not large in scale, is far more effective, though it requires immense work compared to normal farmland. It needs to be covered by a special compost, known as Copperbloom, developed by a guild of Gnomes in the town, called The Copperbloom Collective, every single day. This does allow The Freehold to sustain themselves partially without going beyond their walls. Though it can't cover all the supply needs for the settlement only supplying about a third of what the settlement consumes as far as crops are concerned.
Furthermore, Copperbloom is made from copper, copper dust to be specific. This means that copper must be constantly extracted from the mines, though this is ideal for many miners, as copper's usage is limited, and so is trade for the settlement.
History
History - Pre Time of Kings
In the second century AR, a number of mining settlements sprung up around southern Graniczne Range, their purpose was to mine copper, which was needed for the production of bronze. At this time, The Kingdom of Dawn had no access to the iron mines that would be founded in the late fifth century AR, so they still relied on Bronze tools and weapons. This meant that copper was king, and as such many people moved to southern Graniczne Range, and settlements sprung up all around. In The First Jirgun Invasion, which began in the wake of the death of King Rynkowski, many of these settlements were pillaged. In response, the monarch at the time named a lord of Zobrask. This lord would in turn make one of the surviving settlements into his capital, just south of the then safe Strachow woods. They had everything they needed in the small valley-like area around the settlement, and many miners flocked to the town. Zobrask's relevance would however diminish after Iron became the primary material for tools and weaponry. Many moved away, and the town, and area, found itself in a state of slow decay, and relative irrelevance. The most notable event for many centuries was the slow construction of the settlements walls. The town is protected, to this day, by these thick smooth stone walls, that further fortify the settlement. In The Second Jirgun Invasion, or The Riding of Doom, most of the mining settlements were wiped out, but Zobrask proper remained. It would be spared, as it was deemed not worth sacrificing hundreads to take such a poor and lowly, yet defendable, settlement. During this period a number of refugees would come to Zobrask, and the town expanded, setting it up to play an important role in The Time of Kings, which was to come. History - Time of Kings
As the Kingdom of Dawn fell, years of chaos came, as the Five Kingdoms of the Rynkowskian people began to emerge from the ashes of Dawn's Kingdom, an area known as the Brask lands also emerged. With the fall of Dawn's Kingdom, a local noble house, known as house Pazerski, who ruled a mighty fortress west of central Strachow Forest, rose to prominence. House Pazerski would go on to conquer nearly all of the Brask Lands, something made possible by their support from Blodnovia to the south. Blodnovia hoped that they would act as a bufferr zone between their capital Blodkowodnic, and The Kingdom of Granic to the north. Eventually, house Pazerski came to Zobrask, and they became the first ones to ever conquer the settlement. The town had till this point remained independant, but now it became the capital of the new Brask Kings of house Pazerski. Though the royals lived in their mighty Pazerski Keep, Zobrask was their realms capital in most ways. This saw Zobrask have much influence, and it became an economic hub for the area. As the Brask Kings balanced their relationships with The Kingdoms of Granic and Blodnovia respectively, Zobrask became almost like a neutral trade hub for merchants from both kingdoms. During this period, the settlement grew, and prospered, reaching a population of nearly 20,000 in the late 10th century. However, this peak was short lived. One particulary ambitious Brask King though far too highly of themselves, and decided they would attempt to take Blodkowodnic for themselves, and crown themselves King of Blodnovia. This ambitious move failed, and both the Kingdoms of Granic and Blodnovia came to the Brask Lands. In response to this, a noble house in Zobrask, house Miedz, rose up in revolution, which kickstarted a bloody civil war in the city. The house of Miedz were renowned for their brutality, and they lived up to their name. They lit fires wherever they went, and the streets ran red with blood. The Brask Kings were to busy with their wars to properly save the city, and in the end, it's said that three quarters of the population either fled, or died. Finally, house Miedz was defeated by a collection of nobles, but these nobles now wanted nothing to do with The Brask Kings of house Pazerski. So, Zobrask declared it's independance, and named a new lord of the settlement, Lord Cezary of house Urszula, whose descendants still hold Zobrask as the settlements ruler. After this, Zobrask spent roughly 2 centuries in a stasis. They were no longer a trade hub for the kingdoms on their borders, and as foreign invaders began to flood into the land, Zobrask faded into obscurity for some time. When King's Fall happened, a few nobles from Zobrask were present, but the ruling house had abstained, prefering to stay behind their walls, and not to involve themselves with the dealings of The Five Kingdoms. However, as The Time of Kings began to come to an end, and the kingdoms began to fall, the Kopalnian people began to come to Sundermark, and Zobrask was a natural place for them to settle. There was space in the settlement, since the walls had been built for a larger settlement than what it had become, and it was near to the mountains, which many Kopalnians appreciated. Furthermore, and most importantly, it was a safehaven. The walls were strong, there were water sources behind the walls, and steep mountains protected them from the south. History - Post Time of Kings
As the Rynkowskians declared The Time of Kings to have come to an end, Zobrask changed. Now, there was a massive population of Kopalnians, and they demanded change in their new home. The rulers of house Urszula decided to embrace this change, and let go of some of their power, fearing that another slaughter might take place otherwise. They agreed to share power with a elected official, who would be elected by all of the people in the settlement. This idea came from Kopalnian traditions, and most of the population would come to embrace it, except for the small group of people known as the Brask Folk. With this new elected official, they began to call Zobrask, the Freehold, or Freehold Zobrask. This all took place in late 13th century AR, as most of the Brask Lands were flooded with brutal invaders. Since then, the power dynamic between the Kopalnian people, and the traditional Rynkowskian inhabitants has balanced out, and they now live mostly as equals. Only the Brask Folk, who still remember the days of Brask Kings, deny this new hierarchy. These Brask Folk have since this change sometimes been violent, and they cling to many traditions that are otherwise dying out.
In the second century AR, a number of mining settlements sprung up around southern Graniczne Range, their purpose was to mine copper, which was needed for the production of bronze. At this time, The Kingdom of Dawn had no access to the iron mines that would be founded in the late fifth century AR, so they still relied on Bronze tools and weapons. This meant that copper was king, and as such many people moved to southern Graniczne Range, and settlements sprung up all around. In The First Jirgun Invasion, which began in the wake of the death of King Rynkowski, many of these settlements were pillaged. In response, the monarch at the time named a lord of Zobrask. This lord would in turn make one of the surviving settlements into his capital, just south of the then safe Strachow woods. They had everything they needed in the small valley-like area around the settlement, and many miners flocked to the town. Zobrask's relevance would however diminish after Iron became the primary material for tools and weaponry. Many moved away, and the town, and area, found itself in a state of slow decay, and relative irrelevance. The most notable event for many centuries was the slow construction of the settlements walls. The town is protected, to this day, by these thick smooth stone walls, that further fortify the settlement. In The Second Jirgun Invasion, or The Riding of Doom, most of the mining settlements were wiped out, but Zobrask proper remained. It would be spared, as it was deemed not worth sacrificing hundreads to take such a poor and lowly, yet defendable, settlement. During this period a number of refugees would come to Zobrask, and the town expanded, setting it up to play an important role in The Time of Kings, which was to come. History - Time of Kings
As the Kingdom of Dawn fell, years of chaos came, as the Five Kingdoms of the Rynkowskian people began to emerge from the ashes of Dawn's Kingdom, an area known as the Brask lands also emerged. With the fall of Dawn's Kingdom, a local noble house, known as house Pazerski, who ruled a mighty fortress west of central Strachow Forest, rose to prominence. House Pazerski would go on to conquer nearly all of the Brask Lands, something made possible by their support from Blodnovia to the south. Blodnovia hoped that they would act as a bufferr zone between their capital Blodkowodnic, and The Kingdom of Granic to the north. Eventually, house Pazerski came to Zobrask, and they became the first ones to ever conquer the settlement. The town had till this point remained independant, but now it became the capital of the new Brask Kings of house Pazerski. Though the royals lived in their mighty Pazerski Keep, Zobrask was their realms capital in most ways. This saw Zobrask have much influence, and it became an economic hub for the area. As the Brask Kings balanced their relationships with The Kingdoms of Granic and Blodnovia respectively, Zobrask became almost like a neutral trade hub for merchants from both kingdoms. During this period, the settlement grew, and prospered, reaching a population of nearly 20,000 in the late 10th century. However, this peak was short lived. One particulary ambitious Brask King though far too highly of themselves, and decided they would attempt to take Blodkowodnic for themselves, and crown themselves King of Blodnovia. This ambitious move failed, and both the Kingdoms of Granic and Blodnovia came to the Brask Lands. In response to this, a noble house in Zobrask, house Miedz, rose up in revolution, which kickstarted a bloody civil war in the city. The house of Miedz were renowned for their brutality, and they lived up to their name. They lit fires wherever they went, and the streets ran red with blood. The Brask Kings were to busy with their wars to properly save the city, and in the end, it's said that three quarters of the population either fled, or died. Finally, house Miedz was defeated by a collection of nobles, but these nobles now wanted nothing to do with The Brask Kings of house Pazerski. So, Zobrask declared it's independance, and named a new lord of the settlement, Lord Cezary of house Urszula, whose descendants still hold Zobrask as the settlements ruler. After this, Zobrask spent roughly 2 centuries in a stasis. They were no longer a trade hub for the kingdoms on their borders, and as foreign invaders began to flood into the land, Zobrask faded into obscurity for some time. When King's Fall happened, a few nobles from Zobrask were present, but the ruling house had abstained, prefering to stay behind their walls, and not to involve themselves with the dealings of The Five Kingdoms. However, as The Time of Kings began to come to an end, and the kingdoms began to fall, the Kopalnian people began to come to Sundermark, and Zobrask was a natural place for them to settle. There was space in the settlement, since the walls had been built for a larger settlement than what it had become, and it was near to the mountains, which many Kopalnians appreciated. Furthermore, and most importantly, it was a safehaven. The walls were strong, there were water sources behind the walls, and steep mountains protected them from the south. History - Post Time of Kings
As the Rynkowskians declared The Time of Kings to have come to an end, Zobrask changed. Now, there was a massive population of Kopalnians, and they demanded change in their new home. The rulers of house Urszula decided to embrace this change, and let go of some of their power, fearing that another slaughter might take place otherwise. They agreed to share power with a elected official, who would be elected by all of the people in the settlement. This idea came from Kopalnian traditions, and most of the population would come to embrace it, except for the small group of people known as the Brask Folk. With this new elected official, they began to call Zobrask, the Freehold, or Freehold Zobrask. This all took place in late 13th century AR, as most of the Brask Lands were flooded with brutal invaders. Since then, the power dynamic between the Kopalnian people, and the traditional Rynkowskian inhabitants has balanced out, and they now live mostly as equals. Only the Brask Folk, who still remember the days of Brask Kings, deny this new hierarchy. These Brask Folk have since this change sometimes been violent, and they cling to many traditions that are otherwise dying out.
Architecture
Most buildings are of stone in The Freehold. This is mostly because in the wake of the Miedz rebellion, most homes were burnt down. After this, there was a reluctance to rebuild the homes out of wood, especially since Strachow Forest had already begun to become a nest of Goblins, though not for the Log-Eater Tribe of the 14th century AR. As the Kopalnians migrated into the settlement, this idea was only propelled. They began to dig out homes for themselves out of the mountain, which left more space within the walls.
As rubble from the great fire was cleared, The Copperbloom Collective were granted rights to use much of the space behind the walls to make their artificial farms. The project takes up a lot of space, and is not very effective in terms of how much it produces relative to the space it needs.
Most buildings are fairly simple, and industrious, especially the newer buildings. They are built in traditional Kopalnian style, with sharp edges, and a focus on efficiency, rather then style or beauty. The walls are a prime example of this efficiency, for they were once covered in beatiful art that depicted the tale of Dawn's Kingdom. However, in the late 12th century AR, the walls were fully repaired and renovated. They were fitted to be properly defensive, and made to hold of any attacks that may come.
Founding Date
Sometime in the 2nd century AR
Alternative Name(s)
The Freehold, Zobrask
Type
Large town
Population
5-6,000 People
Inhabitant Demonym
Rynkowskians or Kopalnians, the oldest families of the settlement call themselves Brask folk, as they still cling to the times when a Brask King ruled them.
Location under
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