Rel Astra

Pop. City, 57,000; lands, 170,000

Ruler: Drax The Invulnerable

Cost Multiplier: 130%

From his throne in Rel Astra, Drax proclaims dominion over a huge swathe of land. He cannot enforce his will over the Grandwood, of course, but elsewhere he controls much of the fief he claims. The lands northwest of the Grandwood pay tribute to Drax, though they feign allegiance to Ivid. This is for several reasons. Firstly, because by sending some taxes to Rauxes the local landholders have learned that they can keep the overk ing's armies away from their lands. Ivid is not overly concerned about them since there is no major power focus here. Secondly, because Drax does not demand further taxes from them. Third, because Drax's Iron Nation knights have been dispatched when needed either to strike at those who fail to pay homage, as the decima tion of Cranzer's Beacon in Ready'reat showed, or to assail any who attack those who do pay homage. Drax doesn't need to maintain garrisons everywhere. In dealing with small men, as the northwestern rulers are, he only needs to show that he can be crushing when he needs to be to earn their allegiance.

Drax has been clever with these lands. He does not need heavy taxes from them, but he does lay claim to a small number of veteran troops, whom he keeps posted in their homelands and whom are available to him. In this way, his rule is not onerous to the minor nobles beyond the Grandwood, since the "tithed" troops are not taken away to weaken their homelands.

Drax also lays claim to much of old Medegia, and here his claim is but a formality. These lands are in chaos and Drax is an animus. He was an obvious target for Ivid, given the power and wealth of Rel Astra and Drax's position as scion of a rival royal house. During the wars, Drax sent armies to Rauxes as Ivid asked, but the crucial event was the sack of Medegia and the subsequent attempt to loot Rel Astra itself by troops which had become overfond of slaughter and pillage. Obviously, Drax was furious about this and ordered his own troops in the overking's service to pillage and ruin as many of Ivid's supply lines as possible. Those orders were inter cepted, and Drax was magically abducted; for once, there was no advance warning from his fiend-sage.

Ivid released Drax, assuring him that the imperial armies had attempted to loot Rel Astra from a fit of over exuberance and that their commanders had been suitably disposed of. Drax feigned understanding and alliance, but as soon as he returned to his city he began planning to overthrow the overking. He does not have any true natural allies in this. Other princes of his own house, Garasteth, are wary of the old tyrant. No one has ever truly known what Drax really thinks and believes, so no one has ever trusted him much. Drax's tactic, therefore, has been to accumulate as much wealth as possible to buy allies and resources, and to use the power he has to force others to accept him.

Many of Drax's old concerns, when he was but the constable mayor of Rel Astra, have evaporated. Once, Drax had to seek alliances with the Sea Barons and Medegia to balance the oppressive forces of the overking in North and South Province. Now, with North Province seceded and mostly concerned with barbarians, human oids, and Rinloru's madman ruler, that threat is gone. South Province has no interest in this far-away city. The Sea Barons come to him, rather than the other way around.

Just as Drax has strengthened his rulership to the point of tyranny, he has many fewer external political threats to worry him.