Zalsgrad
Zalsgrad is the only civilian port in the Kingdom of Populres, and is the familial fortress of House Kyakas. Originally known as Bern, an independent human settlement with ties to the Kingdom of Recfrere, it was conquered by the dragonkin in 518 AF. Today it is best known as the only trade harbor in the Kingdom of Populres, gaining support from overseas lands, and starting to expand as a commercial powerhouse, despite its relatively small size.
Government
The government of Zalsgrad is administered by the demonkin of House Kyakas. They created and control the bureaucracy of the city. This bureaucracy is divided into multiple departments controlling all of the affairs of the town both internally and externally. The government is quite large when compared to the size of the town itself, with nearly all of the resident demonkin being employed in one way or another with the House. All final decisions in relation to law and order and management ultimately ascend to the head of House Kyakas.
Defences
Zalsgrad has the support of two clans, supported by House Kyakas. Kyakas has provided these clans with equipment from abroad, or forged of finer materials than those that can be widely obtained elsewhere in Populres. These materials have appealed to the clans, offering a steady income of good weapons that give them an edge over their rivals and enemies. The clans fluctuate in size, depending on the affairs of the nation, often leaving to wage war on undead invaders from the north or the Kingdom of Recfrere. Therefore, much of the town's defense are from local militias of orcs, goblins, and dragonkin. They are supported by the wizards and warlocks of House Kyakas, providing them with vital spellcasting defense and powers.
Industry & Trade
The primary industry in Zalsgrad is the Ispep Refinery, along with the Kyakas shipyards. Very little other heavy industry exists in the town, with the slave labor taking up most of the heavy functions in both locations. The Ispep Refinery produces the beverage of the same name, said to provide energy and strength to workers and warriors alike. The recipe behind its creation is a closed secret, highly prized and guarded by the demonkin of House Kyakas. It is a prized drink to serve slaves to coax more work out of them, and the slaves owned by House Kyakas are known to be some of the most productive in Populres. The shipyards offer the only private ships for sail, but this is often quite expensive for those outside of House Kyakas, as they must pay docking and housing fees while in port, among a plethora of other taxes. Only a handful of ships have been purchased by other demonkin houses.
Infrastructure
The wealth of Zalsgrad and House Kyakas is well on display through the town's development. The roads are paved in all districts, even the slave quarters, providing clean sanitation and drainage throughout. These efforts are supplemented by a rudimentary sewer system, using the original workings of the founder of the community. The harbor is maintained with a stone wharf and well maintained docks and shipyards. Although the drydocks are not as extensive as those in Dral's Hold, they are the only ones which offer support to traders and merchants. As with all Populresi towns, the walls of Zalsgrad are extensive and well maintained, with most of the fortifications directed towards the Deadlands to the north. The most productive industrial work is the Ispep Refinery, which produces an unique beverage which assists in providing slaves with more energy.
Assets
The Ispep Refinery is the greatest asset to Zalsgrad and House Kyakas with the Ispep beverage providing one of the main exports for the community. The refinery itself offers a small marketplace and several stores with associated products. The Kyakas Marketplace in the center of the town offers the main attractions for traders and merchants, and is the only market in Populres open to outsiders where they can travel (relatively) free from harm or enslavement. The market also offers various stores for items found across Emicara, as Kyakas merchants travel to distant lands and offer goods and materials that cannot be produce in Populres itself.
History
The town of Bern was founded by human settlers escaping the wars of the south in 433. They found the location of their new town to be isolated enough to prevent notice from orcs and bandits, but adjacent to the ocean, so that they could still engage in limited commerce with lands to the south. Their efforts to remain peaceful were successful until 518, when a dragonkin led invasion of the nearby Kingdom of Recfrere led to an assault upon Bern. The city was easily conquered, the militia no match for the dragonkin and their orc allies. The community was renamed Zalsgrad in honor of one of the leaders of the dragonkin host.
The reign of the dragonkin spanned several decades, as the humans of the town were enslaved and often hunted for sport or training. The old town was taken over by the orcs, and the humans forced into a walled ghetto where they could be watched by their new owners. In 590, as Populres waged a desperate defensive war against the Kingdom of Recfrere, the demonkin stepped in, and aided these races in their defense. In exchange for their knowledge and spellcraft, the demonkin gained a firm place in society. The demonkin divided themselves into seven houses, one for each major community under their rule, and House Kyakas took up the reins of Zalsgrad.
House Kyakas' rule has been marked by the city being occasionally assaulted and besieged by the undead from the north, but each time the hordes have been repulsed. These invasions have spurred a new unity among Zalsgrad's inhabitants, as slave and citizen alike keep an eye for the attackers from the north. A siege beginning in 748 lasted nearly seven years before the town could be relieved, due to the thousands of undead that surrounded the walls. The siege emphasized the need for an alternative to land based travel, and House Kyakas began investing heavily in ships and trade. In recent years that has developed into an interest in exploration and trade even with human nations, bringing in greater wealth for the community.
Founding Date
433 AF
Alternative Name(s)
Bern
Type
Large town
Population
13,000
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Zalsgrader
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
~4,000 Orcs
~2,000 Goblins
~2,000 Dragonkin
~2,000 Demonkin
~3,000 Slaves of Various Races
Comments