Rauland
Found in the southernmost part of the Empire, Rauland is ruled by an authoritarian
government that believes in order and structure above all things.
The Raulfolk are masters at crafting great stone buildings and unmatched weaponry.
Yet despite a government that prides itself in complete control, Raulish society is fraying under the threat of the Beast.
Assets
Stehlenwald’s main trade is in metalworks
including jewelry, tools, and above all, weaponry.
The excellence of their products comes from more
than their choice of raw materials and system
for folded steel; the Raulfolk have honed their
craft into an art form, something that can only
be replicated by magic. Raulish weapons hold an
edge better and endure longer than others made
by lesser smiths.
Nowadays, their economy is on a downturn due
to the decline in their weapon quality, from what
it once was. Worse, the thick, acrid smoke from
the forges has harmed the health and quality
of life in the city. Yet, though Raulish weapons
no longer live up to their legendary status,
armies still require them for the wars along the
eastern border. The Raulfolk take what business
they can get.
History
Rauland began as a thanedom of dwarves and
gnomes living within the mountain range called
the Rock Teeth mountains, or Hermansdatt
in their native tongue. For millennia, these
underground dwellers lived in contentment,
forging their jewelry and weapons.
In time Galt, the god of order, found them and
called them out of the mountains. “You will be
my people,” he decreed. “You will show all the
world what it means to live in perfect harmony
and enlightenment, that all may walk the path of
the righteous.”
So hearing, the dwarves and gnomes built a great
city on the mountainside. Named Stehlenwald,
the city resembles a celestial stairway carved from
granite and marble and adorned with statues—a
feat of architecture and engineering unrivalled
throughout the land. The Quartz Palace at the
topmost level of Stehlenwald remains one of the
wonders of the Bürach Empire.
The Bürach came to rely on the craftsmanship
of the Raulfolk. Thousands came to the Raulish
guilds to learn carpentry, smithing, architecture,
and construction. The forge fires of Stehlenwald
burned for centuries as the Raufolk created great
buildings and fashioned weapons for trade with
the other provinces.
When madness fell upon Galt, he demanded
nothing less than complete order. In taskmaster
fashion, he commanded that everything run
on time, for products to be made and sold like
clockwork. Buildings continued to rise, weapons
were forged by the thousands and shipped across
the land, and the people worked like slaves. No
one was allowed to rise above their station or to
leave the province.
As Galt’s paranoia worsened, he began to police the minds of his followers.
The watchmen patrolled the streets and
monitored the city from watchtowers. Those
that ever voiced a whisper of dissent were
imprisoned—sometimes put to death.
Unable to stand this madness any longer, a
handful of Raulish sages made a pact with the
other provinces. The Raulfolk secretly forged
daggers that would be undetectable to the seers
of the Imperial Palace. Thus, assassins were
able to steal into the imperial palace and kill
Emperor Leopold.
Though they were freed from their mad god, life
only marginally improved for the Raulfolk. Their
wares remain popular throughout the Empire,
but without Galt’s guidance their craft began to
decline in potency over the years. Border disputes
with Unterland arose, and their need for timber
led to conflict with nearby Nordenland.
Worst of all, something now stalks the Raulish
countryside and the smog-ridden streets of
the capital--something that turns citizens into
monstrosities that prey on the innocent.
Though the guards keep watch all night, the
threat has not abated. The Beast haunts the
Raulfolk, and thus far none have been able
to stop it.
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