Aberinwyr (ˌabɛrˈɪnwɨr)

"They will submit to the will of King Guortepir, or they will suffer." - Rhydderech, Captain of the Blackthorn Company and military governer of Aberinwyr.

Once, Aberinwyr was the capital of the Kingdom of Seisyllwg, a small nation on the banks of the River Severin. It was one of the most important ports on the river, and became wealthy on the trade that passed through on land and water. Seisyllwg was not a large kingdom, but it was prosperous and happy. All of this changed when the kingdom was invaded by their larger neighbor, the Kingdom of Dyfed.

The Destruction of Seisyllwg was swift and merciless. Dyfed's forces far outnumbered the defenders, and the tiny kingdom fell in less than two weeks. Aberinwyr was sacked, and King Gwennan taken prisoner. In the years before the war, refugees from Dyfed had taken shelter in Seisyllwg, and many of those were slaughtered outright by the invaders when they took over the city. King Guortepir of Dyfed rode into the city two days after the battle ended, and spent four months conducting a thorough search of Aberinwyr castle before abandoning the city in disgust and frustration. When he departed, he assigned command of Aberinwyr to Captain Rhydderch of the Blackthorn Company, one of the most brutal and destructive mercenary company, with instructions to pacify the city by any means necessary. Rhydderech has since dealt harshly with any sign of resistance to his rule, including burning dissenters in their homes to intimidate any others who might consider disobeying him.

Demographics

Since the invasion by Dyfed, the population of Aberinwyr has been dramatically reduced. Besides those killed in the initial attacks, the soldiers have also carried Guortepir's policy of purging any people who are not descended wholly from one of the Dhewen cultures. Between the war, the purges, and the executions ordered by Rhydderch, the population of Aberinwyr has dwindled to a few thousand people, nearly all of which are humans of Ynyswr descent.

Government

Aberinwyr is controlled entirely by the Blackthorn Company and the other mercenaries hired by Dyfed, all under the command of Captain Rhydderch. The soldiers have nearly absolute authority over the citizens, and will adminster vicious punishments at any hint of resistance. These punishments range from a beating to maiming and execution, and complaints to their superiors only invite retaliation. While an underground resistance to this regime exists, it is still disorganized and ineffective, although they have managed to get word to Prince Rhys ap Gwawr, the heir to the throne of Seisyllwg about their existence. Should the Prince be able to bring an army to retake Aberinwyr, this resistance will seek to provide intelligence and support for his attacking force.

Districts

Since the sacking of Aberinwyr, there are really only three districts remaining. The docks along the river are the busiest of these; while many ships now choose to bypass Aberinwyr in their trips on the River Severin, there is still a lot of commerce going in and out of the port. The second district surrounds the castle, and is where the soldiers of Dyfed are quartered and where they spend most of their leisure time. Finally, there is the district of Old Market, which lies to the west of the castle. This is where the remaining citizens of Aberinwyr have been instructed to live; they are mostly craftsmen that the soldiers find useful, as well as people who provide entertainment to the troops in one fashion or another.

Type

City

Location under

Ynys

Owning Organization

Dyfed

Geographic Details

Location: Ynys, Northeastern Region
Latitude: 55.01 degrees North
Longitude: 67.64 degrees East

Routes

Land

• Eilean Mòr: Take Rhegedmarch road east across northern Elmet, then across the border to the port of Eilean Mòr. ~100 miles
• Ystwyth: Take the Penn Dyfed road west and north until you reach the port city of Ystwyth. ~80 miles

Water

• Caer Norest: Sail downstream on the River Severin until you reach Caer Norest. ~32 miles
• Caer Rheged: Sail upstream on the River Severin until you reach Caer Rheged. ~60 miles

Guortepir's Goals

It is not clear what exactly King Guortepir was looking for when he took possession of Aberinwyr Castle. Most people think that he believes there to be some Clarati artifact hidden away there, perhaps from the time when Clarion ruled the entire area. Guortepir's obsession with finding and collecting magical relics is well-known, but until the invasion nobody suspected that there might be something of that sort in Aberinwyr. According to rumors, Guortepir has recently ordered that the Castle be pulled down entirely - this might be another attempt to locate whatever he has not yet found, or it could be a petty retalation against the building for not containing any magical secrets.

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