Rauland
The loss of the god Galt has brought down the quality of Raulish goods but has not completely tarnished their reputation. Rauland still leads Etharis in terms of craft skill and raw materials. At the Stehlenwald Grand Market, buyers have a choice of fine steel weapons, armor, jewelry, and sundry items—all well crafted and equally expensive.
Despite its perennial bustle, a pall hangs over Stehlenwald. Its once majestic buildings are covered in soot, and its weary-eyed citizens stare blankly from their windows at newcomers. Workers trudge joylessly from their shops to their home. And at nightfall, the bells toll to warn others not to loiter after dark. Despite these warnings, guards often find yet another body in the gutter with its face and skin flayed off—the leavings of the Beast and its monstrous spawn.
Demographics
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.
Industry & Trade
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.
Location under
Comments