vassa

Vassa and Darmshall

The Duchy of Vassa - A former separate state and now the newest duchy in The Kingdom, with Darmshall as its capitol.

The Duchy of Vassa

Ruling House: Dorritt

Present Duke: Katia Dorritt, 1^st Duchess of Vassa

Province Crest: A hand holding a sword, point up

Province Population: ~12,000

Capital: Darmshall (3,000)

With the defeat of the Witch-King, most of Vaasa quickly returned to its previous state of being wilderness. Vaasa became again a squatters’ land, where people claim any empty niche as their own. King Bunky declared Vassa to be a Duchy of the Kingdom, and appointed Katia Dorritt, a fellow paladin and general in the Bloodstone Army, to be Duchess. Katia has proven to be a “hands-on” leader, frequently riding into Vassa with her troops in pursuit of brigands or evil goblinoids and orcs.

Cooperation is essential in this wilderness. Every house is a refuge, and every individual, a soldier in the common cause of survival. The only true city is Darmshall, which serves as a way meet for the miners and farmers, and a launching pad for those taking the road to Bloodstone Pass. Katia selected Darmshall as the capital of Vassa, and once she proved her mettle in battle, the citizens accepted her as the leader. While she has led, supplies and food appear regularly from the Bloodstone Barony, further endearing her to the populace. The city's population has swelled in the years since the end of the war, as nobles displaced both by the Witch King during his rule and those displaced by King Bunky have swarmed into Darmshall, looking for both distance from the capitol as well as the freedom of a city on the border of civilization.

Only about 12,000 humans and dwarves inhabit Vaasa, and these not in Darmshall live primarily in the Sunderland along the Galena Mountains in the southernmost section of the country. They are a hardy folk, constantly fighting bands of goblins and orcs, and battling horrible weather. Vaasa holds a goblinoid and giant population in excess of 200,000. Although these monsters are scattered in small tribes often fighting amongst themselves, their numbers alone make them a threat to the well being of the goodly folk. Moreover, scores of evil dragons have settled in the ruins of Castle Perilous, the former stronghold of the Witch-King, and dragons can only mean trouble.

For now, neither Katia nor Bunky have the time or the manpower to undertake an expedition into the Vaasan wastes to formally claim and tame the land, and both rely on adventurers to help keep those enemies of the state disorganized and away from the settled lands.

Darmshall

Darmshall's streets are packed with foreign merchants, hardened war veterans, stone masons rushing to meet the demand for new shops and homes, stern knights, and eager-eyed adventurers. Dwarf traders from the nearby mountains hawk their wares beside stalls of dried fruit imported from lands to the south, gamblers win and lose fortunes with the toss of a die, and grubby urchins beg for coppers and pick through the piles of garbage in alleys and byways. The number of true natives remains around 1,000 souls, but the flood of traders and refugees from the war has pressed the town's population closer to 3,000.

This town has always struggled to survive, having been sacked by the red dragon Benthosruthsa over 300 years prior, and having suffered a siege by the Witch King's army of undead just 5 short years ago. Today, over half of the original Lord's Gate Citadel is still in ruins, and the town's western wall has yet to be repaired. The remains of old Darmshall loom above the town, a constant reminder of the difficulty in being Vassan. Only since the war ended and King Bunky annexed Vassa has the town begun to recover, luring in merchants and adventurers alike with the promise of wealth to be won.

As the capitol of the duchy, the town is the home of High Lady Katia Dorritt, Duchess of Vassa. The town itself, however, is ruled by Lord Franz Mentzer, a solemn, one-eyed warrior-priest of Helm referred to by his subjects as the Unseeing Regent. He took over the position after his sister and most of their adventuring party was slain by Draighoch, the fell umbra drake and servant of the Witch King, attacked the town during the great siege.

Lord Mentzer's men-at-arms are called The Lantern Watch and they enforce the laws in the city. He also has a personal guard, made up of elite soldiers and known as the Magn'gard. The Army of Bloodstone patrols the walls of the city as well as making foreys into the surrounding area.

Over the last 5 years, refugees displaced during the war have migrated to Darmshall, looking for protection and a better life. This influx has driven down the price of manual labor and has flooded the city's slums. This influx has also brought an increase in crime. Gangs of unemployed youths roam the slums, the Lantern Watch has seen an uptick in guild thievery, and the nobility distain the plight of these newcomers (unless they need cheap labor!).

The town is split into four districts:

The Common Quarter - the economic heart of the city, and home to its traders, artisans, and craftfolk as well as The Slumbering Drake Inn
The Warrens - a maze of desperate, violent slums, home to the poor and war refugees
The High Quarter - a neighborhood of wide, well-lit streets, where the jewelers and gem dealers ply their trade, and the aritocracy of the town call home
The Lord's Gate Citadel - the military heart of the city and resident of both the Mayor and the Duchess of Vassa.