City of Larova
City of Larova
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“In Larova, loyalty is currency, and trust is a debt you pay only when it suits me.”
— Gareth Ingeld IV, King of Larova
On top of broken stone, the City of Larova is a gem. Situated on a broad plateau and surrounded by fertile and gold-rich land, this region is renowned for its political legacy, elegance, and wealth, yet it is also shrouded in mystery and superstition. The rise and fall of strong lineages have shaped the area over several centuries. Formerly dominated by the Forster family for 250 years, the region is currently ruled by the Ingelds, who own the region's profitable gold mines, as well as a significant portion of its economy and power.
Demonym: Larovan
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Language: Midran
Currency: Copper (1) & Gold (100)
Demographic: Humans, various other races
Current Leader: Gareth Ingeld IV
History
History
For most of Larova’s existence (~300 - 500 years), the ruling family was the Forsters, who dominated for 250 years—war-born nobles who rose to power through tactical alliances and brute force. They were the de facto heads of the Adventurer’s Guild, leveraging their military prowess to suppress dissent and expand their influence. Their reign, while never uncontested, offered a brutal sort of stability: straightforward, martial, and—by Larovan standards—almost honest.
But as the world changed, so did power. In recent years, 8 to be precise, the Library of Larova was burnt down by a group of terrorists, along with a sudden plague that severely weakened Larova's forces. Though the plague is gone, the Library was repurposed to house those affected by the plague during this time, now known simply as the Slums. Shortly after this plague came the arrival of a being known as the ‘Skull King’—a powerful lich leading an army of undead, followed by a red mist that chokes living beings to death.
The Forsters’ family demise resulted from this, and it was quick and severe. The Forsters gathered a sizable army of elite knights from the noble houses in a last-ditch effort to stop the undead's increasing threat. They advanced into the perilous Swamplands to engage the Skeletal Army in what is now known as the Battle of the Bog. The Forster-led forces were crushed and all but destroyed, their once-proud banners crushed under skeletal hooves, and the battle ended in a devastating defeat.
The catastrophe destroyed the faith of both the nobles and the people of Larova. The Forster bloodline was destroyed as a result of the widespread uprising that broke out in the ensuing chaos, which was motivated by opportunism, fear, and rage. The Ingelds, affluent magnates who dominated the gold mines and the flow of currency through Larova's veins, succeeded to the throne after their power was broken. Their ascent signalled a clear transition from military supremacy to commercial governance.
City of Larova's banner when House Forster ruled the city.
House Ingeld
House Singer
House Forster
House Yarl
House Jequis
House Cassen
House Dasmant
Other great families have also etched themselves into the city’s scaffolding:
The Jequis preside over the bank and the lake manor, keeping Larova’s wealth liquid and its debts deep. Descended from nobility on a northern peninsula of Tykonia, they are often viewed as outsiders—aloof, eccentric, and rumoured to keep their gods.
The Singers, once intended as ideological counterweights to noble manipulation, now find themselves marginalised. Though technically leaders of the Arcanum, their political voice is little more than ceremonial.
The Yarls possess vast farmlands, making them essential to Larova’s survival. They avoid the spotlight but control the region’s breadbasket and, increasingly, its population.
The Dasmants, builders and sailors, run the docks and most of the shipyards. While not aristocratic in name, their influence is immense along Larova’s lakes and rivers.
The Cassens, former spiritual stewards of the Sanctum, were revealed to be cultists practising sacrificial magic. Their violent removal remains one of the bloodiest moments in recent history. Their manor still stands, sealed and malignant, casting a long shadow over the plateau.
Beyond them, dozens of lesser houses scheme for advancement. Some serve as pawns; others hope to survive. Larova is no stranger to arranged betrayals.
Culture
Culture
To live in Larova is to speak fluently in half-truths. Status is everything—whether by blood, wealth, education, or utility. The city's courtiers, nobles, and guildmasters cloak their rivalries in pleasantries, yet vendettas are generational. Poison is not uncommon. Duels are less about honour than messaging.
Yet Larova does not present itself as cruel. It is elegant, refined. Music wafts from balconies; philosophers debate beneath ivy-covered arches; ballrooms sparkle under enchanted chandeliers. The cruelty is simply structural.
The common people make up the vast majority of the population—servants, labourers, apprentices, and aspiring Guild members. Most are land-bound peasants or indentured workers, serving the larger families for protection or debt repayment. Some find opportunities through the Adventurer’s Guild or Arcanum; most simply endure.
Some come to Larova chasing fortune: would-be merchants, spellcasters, or hopeful warriors—but the city has a long memory and little patience. Its endless appetite for failure chews up those who do not adapt.
And when that happens? Some disappear into the forests. Others vanish into the mines. A few turn to outlawry, piracy, or even worse.
The Cassen Manor is a hushed word, a local curse, and a visible scar. Situated near the Sanctum, it looms like a forgotten tooth on the plateau’s edge. When the Cassens were revealed to be cultists—a discovery still spoken of with unease—the city turned on them. Their neighbouring district was set ablaze. The manor was sealed, and the Cassens left to whatever fate awaited them within. No one has entered the manor in over a decade.
Yet the stories persist.
People speak of ghosts weeping at the windows. Farmers swear by moonlight that they’ve seen vampires or “beast-things” at the walls. The Forsters once sent a party of knights to “purify” the estate. None returned. That silence was message enough: the manor is not to be disturbed. Now, it festers—untouched, unacknowledged, but ever-present. Some believe its darkness is leaking into Larova itself. Others say it simply reflects what was always there.
Military
Military
The military of Larova is, by extension, the military of the Ingeld dynasty. However, there are some caveats to their soldiery. That being said, ever since the usurpation of the Larovan throne by Gareth Ingeld IV, the forces have been ideologically split to some degree.
Some bannermen are loyal to the Ingelds, as well as several professional footmen. At the same time, the number of their rally is not as substantial as the previous dynasty's at its peak. House Ingeld has the benefit of never having sworn soldiers off to the Battle of the Bog, sparing many of their footmen, levies, and, more importantly, their knights. While few of them remain, the four knights of Ingeld and one of Jequis are a reminder to the city of what true warriors were before the Battle of the Bog.
Another facet of the military remains, however, the City Watch of Larova. The City Watch has protected the city for quite some time, established by the Forsters to be loyal to the city, rather than to a king, regardless of its origins. Despite their origin and their purpose, the Watchmaster and the City Watch itself is cautious of the new king, and some even wish to depose them in favour of a Forster—if there even is a Forster alive.
The structure of the military is simple, and as expected, goes hand in hand with the City Watch. The levies and professional soldiery of the Ingelds have their rankings, and uniforms provided by the crown, and their First Marshal.
The City Watch, however, provides for itself using Castle Verdant's facilities and the city's facilities, oftentimes funding itself through the influence the Master of the Watch has over many facets of the city.
Aside from this, the military of Larova can have additions from the Huntsmarshal, a member of the king's council who hails from the Adventurer's Guild, or be provided with mercenaries by the High Lendlord, a Jequis master of coin.
Factions
Factions
The City of Larova encompasses various institutions that fall directly under its authority; a mutually dependent relationship binds these entities and the city itself, each sustaining and shaping the other.
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