Golryon
"Any of ye who truly care about this city, come forward and I'll show ye that the power of the Runes isn't for these Arcanists, its for all of Gol, and we'll show the damn Slaadi together that this is one town that they'll get not a soul from!"
--Lofus Stormborn, following The Battle for the Fifth Ward, in 852 AB.
Golryon. The oldest city and state in the Bay, and the only civilization save the Second Jeriec Empire that began before the Feast of Hell. Born in the Silent Times, where all history is lost to the ferocity of time and beast alike, Golryon was built of those wise or paranoid enough to listen to rumors of undead gathering in the western Grayoaks, numbering in the tens of thousands, from all dead over the last centuries seemed to join together around the old Erinion fortress, named the Ernmar Castle
These wise folk, of human and dwarven families, gathered upon an island on the Cursed Channel, and only seven years of rapid construction later, undead hordes arose and destroyed every civilization in the known world save for Golryon. They were alone in the world, and were so for another few decades, before the Second Jeriec Empire made contact again. Through this Feast of Hell, two heroes arose, Golfiir and Auria.
Following the Feast, the first Duke of Golryon is chosen, wedding the heroes of the Dwarves and Men, Golfiir and Auria. The new city, the only remaining, is named after their child, Golryon Verentala. These events set the precedent of Golryon as a city on the water, as well as it as a City-State, for the surrounding lands were always far too dangerous to live off of.
To understand Golryon, it is important to know that it was born of the Silent and Dark Times, being the only civilization existent. Exile was far worse than death, for one could become an undead for the rest of time, or become a werewolf or a demons toy, as there was nowhere else to go. As such, all crime is punished severely, for it could not be tolerated in such a self-reliant city, Conviction of a crime by a Baron or Baronet ends in the rare execution or common enslavement, or removal of fingers and a large fine.
--Golryon is built with numerous canals and waterways running through the city, as it expanded over it's original lake, with long beautiful bridges spanning the eight Wards.
All of this changed, however, when the Simonian Age began (the Light Times, to non-scholars). Social work, construction, sciences, arcanosciences, magitechnology, and overall life improved for Golryon tremendously. Less so the rest of the world, because the magocrats do hoard this magic near perfectly.
This transition was due to two events, the discovery and dredging up of the first Darkwater Chest, and the Overthrow of the Verentalas, which was stricken from most history books. The Darkwater chest was a stone case full of the first Arcane magic to return to the entire world, full of Void Ink, hundreds of Charms, and a book full of Ink tattoo procedures, and most importantly, fourteen of the sixteen Simonian Runes of the Script of Destiny, which are the fundamentals of the world as well as magic. The discovery of this by a ship of a small mercantile trading family, named the Stormborns, led the dwarf helming that ship, Lofus Stormborn, to go from a young member of the family, to the most powerful figure in the entire world. He quickly consolidated power and money, hired a loyal mercenary group of a hundred, named the Wardens, and gave each of them Runic Tattoos, making them effectively master warriors and potent sorcerers. With this, he overthrew the Verentalas, the former Dukes of Golryon, and made the city his own, in 704 AB. It has been under his rule ever since.
The Wardens are the de facto police, armies, and commonly mercenaries of Golryon, now. Charms are freely sold, replicated, and spread throughout the city, but divided into five 'classes'. Some of them are disallowed for members of the public that are not registered as mercenaries with the Min'ekari Job Bureau, or specifically allowed cases of Wielders for the State, such as allied noble families. Void Ink tattoos are given to Wardens extensively, and nobles and agents to a lesser degree. This makes Golryon into a plutocratic magocracy, meaning that the most powerful mages rule, but who obtains that magic is stratified by wealth.
Crime has changed, executions are even more rare, and slavery is no longer familial, nor permanent, nor legal. None can own slaves, save the state of Golryon itself. Golryon's slaves are those that have committed crimes against the city of a specific monetary amount (murder is 500g, giving them a 100 year service, but very skilled magitech workers could make this 10 years), which they pay off by working as a slave. Groups or individuals can pay the Barons and the Duchy directly for work from these criminal slaves, but owning one is prohibited. They are given a place to stay that is usually in the basement of a manor, or in the stables, or in closest shared Ward Slavehouse. Slave death is rather uncommon, only slightly more likely than normal death, it is moreso for rehabilitation and so that they do not commit more crimes while simultaneously helping the city.
The city has grown and shaped with this new magical renaissance, and as such, there are magical lanterns on every corner, street mages on popular intersections, and common magical charms in nearly every pocket. The Arcane Conservatory coordinates this growth, and encourages arcane discovery, as well as keeping a cap on the Runes themselves, making sure they do not appear in the eyes of the populace, because of the damage that might do to the individual or the city. Arcanists of this Conservatory study the Runes with monk-like understanding, until they see the world with them as a lens, and can manipulate it for magical effect to their specific desire, opposed to a Weilder's uncontrollable wish-magic, or a Charm-users single abilities.
--Golryon's architecture has only grown more beautiful with time and with the addition of arcane magic, such as the Arcane Conservatory above.
"I know, that we've lost families, and I know that homes are burning in the Fifth Ward... But I also know, that we've seen calamity like this before. Through The Feast of Hell, we survived. Through the Dark Times, we held a torch aloft and beat back the darkness... not as individuals, but together. That showed us that we may only live through the horrors in the night if we do so together. Have ye lot forgotten, sitting in yer wards, that beasts like the sladi stalk the very homes of our ancestors in the wilde beyond our town? We must stand together, as we always have, against that which desires to drag our fair town down into a void which has devoured countless cities afore it, for unity is our strength- ... "Then come with me to fight the wretches, laddie. I will give any citizen with a fire in their heart the magic they need to join us in a hunt to destroy the, so that none of you forget, that this is out down... and that all of our lives are on the line when damnable savages murder any in out town. Any of ye who truly care about this city, come forward and I'll show ye that the power of the Runes isn't for these Arcanists, its for all of Gol, and we'll show the damn Slaadi together that this is one town that they'll get not a soul from!"
Alternative Name(s)
The Jewel of our Time
Type
Large city
Inhabitant Demonym
People of Gol
Location under
Owner/Ruler
177,000 as of 852 AB, reduced to 162,000 after the The Battle For the Fifth Ward and the The Sorcerer's Crusade.
257,000 as of 897 AB. Demographics:
33% human, 29% dwarf, 15% city elf, 12% jerian races, 3% gnome, 3% other elves, 1% halfling, 2% wood orc, 1% tengu, 1% other.
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