Tyr Cogadh
Tyr Cogadh is the last major settlement on the Camlann frontier and stands as the Ffolk's first line of defense agains Draks incursions from the west, but to many it's just a rough backwater town in a dangerous region.
Demographics
Most of the inhabitants (about 75%) are decendants of the war veterans who received land grants after the war. Most of these are in some way afffiliated with at least one of the Nine Clans. Around 10% have been here longer, descended from the original settlers of the area or those who came here during the reign of the Dragon Empire. The remaining 15% are "newcomers" who've arrived in the last 150 years or so.
Government
The Nine Clans Council, who answer to Yarl Tamwynn Nimue, are tasked with governing the city. The current High Awdur of the council is Edwyn Maddock.
Defences
While some of the outlying farms still contain earthworks and defensive ditches put in place during the war, the town of Tyr Cogadh has no city walls. The town, nestled in between the river and the hillside, relies mostly on geography and the knights from Cogadh Keep to protect it.
Industry & Trade
Agriculture is the main industry of Tyr Cogadh, but its remote location means that it has to be somewhat self-sufficient, producing most of the goods required by surrounding farmers, miners, hunters, and adventurers. As such, the town supports a number of shops that process raw materials including a flour mill, smelting furnace, sawmill, textile house, and tannery. Smiths, carpenters, leather workers, clothiers, and other makers of common items are also well-represented. A few craftsmen who deal in luxury items have set up shop here, but the people must rely on traveling merchants or neighbors traveling to larger cities for most non-essentials.
Shops & Businesses
- Archer's Boarding House
- Beddoe's Tannery
- Blake's Furnace (Smelter & Foundry)
- Clan Bellows Forge
- De La Morte Motuary
- Finn's House of Healing
- Gilford's Confections & Pastries
- Gilliam's Lumber Yard
- The Golden Key: A rough tavern known for for the gambling that takes place there than the food and drink it serves.
- Grimm's Butchery
- Hod's Curios & Pawn
- House of the Scarlet Selkie (Brothel)
- Kelly Grain Mill
- Loyal Order of Drovers and Laborers
- McTeer's Woodworking
- Mineworkers' Brotherhood
- Molloy's Bath and Barber
- Morrighast the Sage
- Old Bellows' Farm Livery Stables
- Riverman's Guild Hall: Guild representing river craftsmen and tradesmen whose livelihood depends on the river and lake: fishermen, dock workers, boatmen, shipwrights, etc.
- Ruskin Textiles
- Shaw's Carts & Wagons
- Silvermoon Theatre
- Silver Thread Clothiers
- Sow's Ear Leathercrafts
- Stalwart's Hall (Order for those awarded the title Stalwart of the Realm, serves as sort of an adventurer's guild)
- Sweetloaf Bakery
- Teallach Fine Metalsmithing
- White Stag Distillery: Produces White Stag malt whiskey and Camlann Dark stout.
Districts
- Bardswick: Bardswick is the closest thing Tyr Cogadh has to an arts and academic district. It includes a small theater, the homes and workplaces of scholars and professionals, and most notably the Avalon Academy.
- Bellows Field: This is the name given to the portion of Clan Bellows land that borders the southeastern end of town. In addition to the smithy, paddock, several houses, and outlying farm still occupied and operated by members of the clan, the Bellows serve as landlords to the wainwright's shop and the Brass Lion Inn.
- The Commons: This open field along the main road through town serves as a market and gathering place and is surrounded on three sides by civic buildings and some of the city's most successful businesses.
- Highridge: This area just below the town cemetary houses some of the city's wealthiest estates.
- Homestead: The residential section of town.
- Knightsridge: This area contains the homes of those who are wealthy but not weatlhy enough for Highridge.
- Lakeside: A small fishing village at the lakeshore.
- The Mill Pond Area: This low-lying are on the east end of town is home to most of the city's industry, particularly those shops that produce noise, unpleasant odors, and pollution.
- Midtown: This area consists mostly of workshops and stores with a few private residences mixed in.
- Ramshackle: The closest thing the city has to a slum is this area of rundown hovels, tenements, and flophouses.
- Riverview: Contains the town docks, several large storehouses, and the homes of fishers and dock workers.
- The Swath: During the most recent attack by the Draks, most of the buildings on Lion street were destroyed during the fighting. The locals have started calling the damaged area "The Swath."
Guilds and Factions
While a few laborers' guild have some power in Tyr Cogadh, the craft guilds do not hold or desire much influence here due to the city's small size and small number of potential memebers. Many local craftsmen operate without guild membership, though doing so does put them at risk of legal action if a guild member of the same profession moves into town. As a result, some craftsmen make an annual trek to the nearest guildhouse to pay their dues in order to protect their business and dissuade non-members from setting up shop here. The one place where guild law is frequently invoked is in the feud between Clan Bellows and Clan Teallach. They've brough so many minor infractions of guild law before the Yarl over the years that the court now employes an advisor in guild law who specializes in the rules and bylaws of the Metalsmiths' Guild. Most of the costs of maintaing this advisor are paid for with an annual Forge Tax.
Most of the power in Tyr Cogadh is wielded by the Nine Clans who form the city's ruling council. Most political disagreements and tensions within the city are a result of their conflicting interests, entangled alliances, and age-old rivalries.
History
During the reign of the Dragon Kings, the former military fort at Lac Saphir was repurposed to serve as a summer palace for the rulers of the Dragon Empire. The natural beauty of the are made it the perfect location for entertaining important visitors, who could tour the lake on a pleasure barge, hunt for wild game in the (then much closer) Witchwood, or simply enjoy the decadent opulance of Château du Saphir. The sleepy little fishing village down the hill from the old fort soon found itself overrun by an annual invasion knights, courtiers, artists, ne'er-do-wells, and other court hangers-on who stayed for as long as the Dragon King held court there, then went back to wherever they came from. Within a generation, the village had grown to ten times its previous size, though most of the homes and many of the shops were shuttered or kept up by skeleton crews for most of the year, only returning to use when the monarch arrived for the season.
With the last Dragon King preoccupied with fighting a losing war, the town at Lac Saphir saw a return to its humble beginings during The Mist Queen's War, only attracting visitors when a regiment of the Dragon Armies moved through the area. As her forces were preparing for their final push agains the Draks capitol at Camlann, The Mist Queen's armies captured Château du Saphir, exploiting the flaws that had crept into the castle's defenses during its conversion to summer palace. Many historians regard the taking of the castle as a pivotal turning point in the war.
After the war, the handful of locals who had not taken up arms against the Mist Queen were allowed to retain their homes and lands in return for renouncing the Dragon and swearing allegiance to King Oberon. The majority of the remaining land around the fortress was awarded to the Nine Clans, with smaller plots granted to war heroes and others who had played important roles in the Mist Queen's victory. Since the clan lands were considerably larger than the clans themselves could farm, most clan leaders were willing to allow settlers to occupy their unused lands under very reasonable terms. A wave of war refugees and fortune seekers arrived in the first few years after the war when the Dragon Armies were still in disarray, but slowed as the amount of unclaimed land and the generosity of the clans' terms declined. When the Draks began to reorganize enough to launch regular raids on the area, new settlement came to a virtual standstill. While there have been occasional booms in population since--the largest being the influx of miners when silver was discovered in the Camlann hills--the smallish city of Tyr Cogadh hasn't expanded significantly in the past century and a half.
Points of interest
- Avalon Academy is a finishing school for the sons and daughters of the wealthy that specializes in civics, history, and courtly manners. Many of its gratuates go on to serve the Yarl in the local court or as representatives elsewhere.
- The Bloody Bridge: Previously named after some long-forgotten Draks nobleman, the bridge earned its new name during the Mist Queen's War, where it was a site of heavy fighting.
- The Brass Lion Inn offers food, rooms, stabling for horses, and a carriage house for guests.
- Cogadh Keep is the seat of power for the territory of Camlann, currently ruled by Yarl Tamwynn Nimue.
- The Druid's Grove is a sacred place where religious rites are performed.
- The Town Cemetery is the final resting place of a number of heroes and distinguished citizens.
- The Guardhouse serves as the sheriff's office, militia headquarters, armor, and jail.
- The Paddock and livery stables offers visitors a place to stable their horses and the town wainwright has his shop near the entrance for those who need to store or repair carts and wagons.
- The Regal Beagle Pub is the town's busiest put thanks to its location on the commons and its famous spiced mutton stew.
- Draks Ruins of a temple to the Dragon sits atop Shepherd's Hill across the river from the town.
- The Tenth Clansman is a statue of a warrior erected in honor of Clan McLeod, whose warriors all died when they engaged the Dragon Armies they couldn't win in order to buy time for the rest of the Mist Queen's forces to escape.
- The Tournament Pitch provides a place for knights to train and compete in jousting competitions.
- Town Hall consists of a large meeting hall attached to a small building housing the offices of various city officials.
- Widow's Point is a high cliff that offers a spectacular view of Loch Nimue. Despite being the site of numerous suicides, it's a popular destination for those who want to escape the city (or the prying eyes of its citizens) for both recreational and clandestince purposes.
Founding Date
-250 as Château du Saphir; Renamed Tyr Cogadh in 2
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
Lac Saphir
Population
2500
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Owning Organization
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