Greywolf, Independent City & Domain
Who Rules: Aba Hawksguard, Lord Mayor of Greywolf (NG hm T5/M15), a self-made man who has a vested interest in many businesses throughout the city. He has ruled successfully for the last twelve years.
Population: 22,000 (estimated). The city population can rise to 26,500 during the height of the trading season. This includes many elves, half-elves, dwarves, and halflings. There has recently been a slight increase of non-humans as a direct result of Hawksguard's rule. The domain population is roughly 150,000 people, mostly humans and halflings. The population is densest along the river, but thins considerably as one travels away from the river.
Domain: The domain claimed by the city runs along the Dandrik River for 45 miles to the north and 20 miles to the south. To the south, the neutral Plains of Vanja mark the boundary of Greywolf's claim. The northern border is marked by the Dragonbreath Lake. Territory claimed by the city runs east to the mountains of Ithil, roughly 20 miles east. Greywolf claims land on the west bank of the Dandrik River for 20 or so miles, mirroring their claims on the east bank. In all, Greywolf claims little over 2500 square miles.
Heraldry: The royal seal is a baying gray wolf head over a rising ringed world (Artimis). Most merchants use this symbol to identify themselves as from Greywolf. Nobles use variations of wolves in their family emblems, including packs of wolves and the lone wolf.
The Hawksguard emblem is that of a great golden hawk, wings outspread, clutching a blade in one claw and a sphere in the other. This symbol is found on businesses owned by the rising Hawksguard family.
Finally, all spelljammers owned by the city fly the colors of the Five Stars Company, a recently created trading cartel. The symbol of that company is five stars over a blue field. Usually, the flag flying this symbol is flown under a similar flag flying the colors of Greywolf.
Major Products: Wool (used mostly in thick, well-made blankets and cloaks), leather and vellum (from livestock brought from surrounding farmlands), meats and cheese, spelljammers (sealships), river-travelling ships, jewelry and gems, and books.
Armed Forces: The Watch patrols the city and is a force of 420 mounted, chain-clad men armed with horseman maces, light crossbows, longswords, and daggers. These few soldiers are charged with the keeping of the peace, but little else. Greywolf has no walls to patrol, so there is no need for soldiers patrolling the gates. In addition, Greywolf can call upon the adventurers within its borders to help protect it from attack. Soldiers are of levels 2-5, with officers averaging 4th or 5th level.
The domain is lightly patrolled by militiamen loyal to Greywolf, but live in the countryside. Each of the 150 or so villages has d12 militiamen, depending on the size of the village. The militiamen are leather-clad men and women armed with longswords, spears, and light crossbows. Roughly half of these men will be mounted. Larger towns have 20-75 militiamen, slightly better equipped than their country neighbors. They usually wear studded leather armor and are armed with longswords, pikes, daggers, and light crossbows. In total, Aba can call upon little more than 2,000 troops immediately, and can raise militias from the countryside that can triple that amount.
Additionally, the city is home port to several spelljammers that could be pressed into service if the need arose. The city has built at dozen of these craft, and well over half use Greywolf as their home port. These ships run several trade routes, mostly around Artimis' moons, but they travel as far as the Sunflow Republic, Lagorith, and Ethwuld. They make occasional trips to other spheres, and traders from the city have visited Realmspace, Greyspace, and Bralspace. The city keeps a pair of sealships for military purposes. Such ships will have 40 crewmen, of which 24 are marines, 8 are officers, and the rest are sailors. The military vessels are kept in a walled compound protected by 35 Watch soldiers.
To defend his own personal estate (a castle located 15 miles to the east of the city), Hawksguard has hired a force of 6 griffon mounted troops. These men are of levels 5 through 7, who wear chain armor and are armed with bastard swords, heavy lances, light crossbows, and maces. These griffon riders are the most elite force Hawksguard has at his disposal. They patrol the skies above the city of Greywolf east to the Valley of Ithil.
Most of the mages of Greywolf are part of a powerful society of such spellslingers, the Society of Blazing Cowl. The Blazing Cowls are a loose organization of perhaps twenty five members, of which 10 are above 9th level. They have a large keep-like structure set on the Hill of Sorcery, where local meetings are held. The residents of most of the Society members were built upon the Hill, within easy walking distance of the meeting hall.
Zelda Nightcloak (human female W13): As one of the most powerful mages in the city, Zelda commands respect from the common folk. Daughter of a rich nobleman and head of the Greywolf branch of the Society of the Blazing Cowl (which has spread to numerous other cities), Zelda has tremendous political power in the city. Even Aba must tread carefully in his dealings with this powerful woman.
Zheverin Flamefall (human male W(In)11): Zheverin is a senior member of the Society of the Blazing Cowl and a dangerous individual. Born to a poor family, Zheverin has had to work his way to the top, and has had to make sacrifices that left him a cold and bitter individual. He typically sells spells to lesser mages to raise money to keep him in the Society.
Kethzair "Son of the Storm" (elvish male W10): A middle-aged elf from Ithil, Kethzair is an extremely handsome individual with great skill in magic. Of the leading mages of Greywolf, he is most likely to take on students (elves and half-elves preferable). Though not a womanizer, he enjoys the company of a young female greatly, and is often seen with Zelda at his arm. What relation those two have is kept between themselves and is subject to much gossiping and speculation.
Wildera Hawksguard (weredragon female W9): The older sister of Aba Hawksguard, Wildera moved into the city not long after her half-brother took power. She has a fairly eloquent residence, but largely stays out of the public eye. Wildera owns a small potion and scroll shop, which deals in most standard magical potions and protection scrolls. This business caters mostly to adventurers and spelljammer captains.
The Wild Temple, dedicated to Isha and her many animal servants. High Druid Sharaner runs the place (NG hf D14), who also has 12 lesser druids at her disposal. The complex is a park-like area, where people come for private mediation over formal praying. Most weddings are held in this temple.
The Towers of the Sun, dedicated to Solran. Bishop Anzurol (CG hm P12) is the master of the place, and holds services every four days. Not everyone who prays at the Towers attends every service; on average, a citizen attends a service once every twelve days. The Towers are a quartet of gold-colored towers with a massive, round stone building between them. Services are held under the domed roof of the central building, while the towers hold the quarters for the temple's six under-priests. Another fifteen lay followers are attached to the Towers, but they have residences elsewhere.
Shrine of Tranquility, a small grove sanctioned to Llwar, the Goddess of Magic. The shrine is a small garden with a dozen statues each depicting one of the twelve faces of Magic. The shrine is tended by Joth Tenderhand (LG hm P7), a kindly old man who acts as gardener and caretaker. He is paid a substantial salary by the Society of Blazing Mages, who also provide him a home on the Hill of Sorcery.
Warrior's Glade, the sanctuary of warriors who worship Brakus, the God of Strength and Physical Prowess. The Glade is a large garden filled with twenty statues, all famous warriors of Greywolf's past. At the center of the Glade is a small chapel where warriors go to pray before heading off to battle. The Glade is tended by Kross Boldblood (N hm F5/P6), a retired veteran and mercenary.
The city has none. There are a handful of independent thieves, but Hawksguard has finally crushed the last formal thieves' guild to provide safety for his people. The most prominent thief and smuggler is Ran-Goral (NE hm T10) who has managed to keep his identity hidden from even Hawksguard. He is not very active, as he has already accumulated more than enough wealth to keep him to the end of his days. He will train thieves, and makes a rare heist to keep is skills sharp. He himself now has a family, a wife and three kids.
In the countryside, the roads are plagued by a handful of bandit groups. The most famous of these groups are the Smashers (a group of 10 ogres led by a half-ogre), the Green Masks (roughly two dozen human bandits and archers), the Fallen Branch (six elves and ten half-elves), and the Broken Spear (twenty or so human slavers under the employ of the Chainmen). These groups are found at the margins of civilization, but make occasional raids into Greyhawk claimed land.
Greywolf has a number of merchant houses that rival the power of any noble house. These houses control many of the businesses in the city, but are not significant landholders, thus not considered noble. The largest are detailed below, but there are numerous other houses in the city.
("Companions of the Harp")
An elvish trading cartel out of Ithil, House Ferathusti has long dominated the elvish trade market. This house was founded four hundred years ago by a band of elvish adventurers seeking a safer means of making money over adventure. It has a virtual monopoly on all elvish goods in the city of Greywolf, and makes a tidy profit from said goods. Its shop typically has elvish wines, clothing, foodstuffs, and artwork available for sale. At least five elves stand guard over the shop at all times. The emblem of this merchant house is a golden harp.
Dhoro Ferathusti "The Falcon who Walks" (elvish male R9): Grandson of the founder of the Ferathusti, Dhoro had an easy early life. He lived a fairly pampered lifestyle in the land of Ithil and was well-educated. When he came of age, he decided to learn the ways of the wild and became a ranger. Fifty years ago, he officially joined the family business as a trail guide and later earned the status of caravan master. He steadily rose through the ranks and is now in charge of the profitable Greywolf division. His is very rich but lives a modest lifestyle.
Malael Ferathusti "Great Warrior" (elvish male F/W 6/6): As one of the few bladesingers in the house, Malael is in charge of defending the Ferathusti shop and caravans heading to and from Greywolf. He takes his job very seriously and commands a force of twenty-five elvish men-at-arms. Though rarely home, his house is a virtual fortress.
Taemar Ferathusti "Honor of the Fox" (elvish female W4/T2): Taemar is the shopkeeper for the Ferathusti's store, and as such is a crafty merchant. She always is trying to get the best deal and does some shady dealing on the side, but her activities are not extensive nor do they threaten the House's interests.
The Dandrik River is Greywolf's main trade route. A number of traders take advantage of this waterway to get goods from the southern ports to the northern lake cities. Of these trading houses, House Rhreen is perhaps the largest and richest. It owns a fleet of twenty trading barges and seven knarrs, four of which are found at Greywolf. The rest are away, hauling cargo up and down the river. The House is very busy, and makes a lot of money as a result. The ships of the House typically carry clothing, raw ores, wood, furniture, quarried stone, and weapons, worked iron goods of all kinds, and livestock. The House deals mostly with large bulk goods, preferring to deal with large, heavy goods that are not easily stolen.
Tom Rheen (human male F6): The head of the Household, he inherited the family business years ago from his grandfather. Tom is now a middle-aged native of Greywolf who handles the paperwork of the business. He is usually found in his office, but sometimes makes business trips to the cities the family does business with.
Thric Rheen (human male F4): The younger brother of Tom, Thric is in charge of running the Rhreen compound. He is jealous of his older brother, but has not yet found a way to take the business away from him. Currently, he is trying to win the support of prominent barge captains, but is having little success.
Sierra Rheen (human female W4/F5): Daughter of Tom and a prominent captain, Sierra routinely runs the dangerous Greywolf/Duskwood route, much to Tom's distress. She usually dresses as a man, and can cuss, sword swing, and fight as well as most men. This woman is the person to see if one wants to travel to Duskwood.
Nigel Trollslayer (human male F2): A barge captain hired by the Rheens, Nigel hauls livestock from the Vanja Plains to the south to slaughter in Greywolf and cities north. He is famous for single-handedly slaying a troll, using a bottle of flaming oil to distract the beast long enough for him to strike a killing blow.
This house is the last remnant of the Glassblower Guild, one of the lesser guilds. When Hawksguard invaded the city, Glin family laid low while the other guilds were destroyed. The family was one of the least violent of the guild families, and were one of the few to accept the change of power. House Glin now controls the glassblowing industry in the city. They became rich when they landed a contract to craft all of the glass used in the production of sealships They are trying to rebuild the glassblower guild and have taken several apprentices. Many have reached the rank of journeymen.
Sabastin Glin (human male F4): Eldest surviving member of the Glin family, Sabastin is a cantankerous old man. He was largely responsible for keeping the glassblower guild out of the power struggles by moving the headquarters for the guild outside of the city and only maintaining a few contacts in the city itself. Sabastin was not much of a fighter, nor was he willing to risk his family in the constant power struggles that gripped the city. He reluctantly moved back once Aba took power.
Travis Glin (human male F6): Middle aged but still healthy and hale, Travis is responsible for most of the house's finances. He is also a master glassblower, but he is slowing down as of late. He rarely crafts glass these days, instead handling all of the house's paperwork and training new apprentices. He still takes commissions on occasion, including crafting an eloquent decanter for a sealship captain.
One of the more successful houses in Greywolf, this house owns roughly half of the taverns and inns in the city. The goal of this house is, of course, it to own all of the taverns and inns in the city. They are aggressively trying to take control of the remaining taverns not owned by them, but are running into considerable opposition. They have yet to employ less honorable methods to secure a monopoly, but the younger members of the family are getting frustrated with their progress and want a quick solution to their problems.
Krystine Tankard (human female F2): At age 26, Krystine is an unlikely candidate for head of a major house, but she is the undisputed power within her house. She has been the force behind the house's aggressive campaign to own every tavern and inn in Greywolf. She is fiercely competitive and is determined to ruin every man in the city she can. Her hatred of men comes from her early childhood; her father prostituted her to his friends and businessmen, often to seal a bargain. By age 19, mother of four illegitimate children (two by her father), she slew her vile father by cutting his throat when he came to her bed. Within two weeks she eliminated anyone who would rival her and seized control of house Tankard. She is an utterly ruthless woman and will do anything to gain and hold power.
Jason Tankard (human male W1): Jason is the eldest of Krystine's illegitimate children, and is 12 years old. Krystine uses him as a pawn against the rest of the family, claiming that he is the true heir to the family and she is his custodian. She does not love him, as he is a constant remembrance of her abuse.
Listed below are the larger noble houses of Greywolf. There are dozens of other houses in the Dandrik valley, but most are minor landholders with little real political power.
The Hawksguard family was virtually unknown until Aba took power. When he took over, his children have become nobility, and are now common sights in the city. Hawksguard has four children birthed by past lovers, but no wife. His half-sister, Wildera Hawksguard, and his cousin Phatis Hawksguard (NG hm R7) have relocated to the city to take advantage of Aba's rule.
Long wealthy landowners, the Winterfangs own most of the land south of the city for twenty miles. They have a large family estate in the town of Riverbend, which marks the southern limits of their land claims. The Winterfangs are influential in the shipping industry, owning several inns and taverns along the river banks. They have only a few guards, preferring instead to invest in business rather than troops.
The oldest of the surviving noble houses of the Dandrik valley, the Howlings have a widely scattered land holdings throughout the whole valley. Their family estate is located on the west bank of the Dandrik, thirty miles north of Greywolf. The farmland owned by the family is leased out to hundreds of serfs, who produce wheat, vegetables, and corn. The town of Pitchfork is the center of their power. House Howlings keep about two hundred soldiers on hand.
Founded centuries ago by the famous Lady of Trade and Merchants Elisabeth Wolfstar, the house is significant land owners along the north banks of the Dandrik River. Of particular importance is their control of the inlet of Dandrik, where barges enter and leave the Dragonbreath Lake from the Dandrik. The town of Eastford is the site of their family estate, and is of particular importance since it is the most northern town along the Dandrik River.
A powerful family in the Plains of Vanja, this family was largely responsible for the withdrawal of the elves of Ithal from that land. They are violently independent and only supported Hawksguard's liberation of Greywolf to create a new power that would keep the elves of Ithil at bay. When they discovered Aba's half-elven lovechild, they withdrew their support. The house is entirely half-elven, and retain one of the largest private armies in the valley.
Fairly rich landowners north of Greywolf, House Griffin has large wheat and corn farms. They employ numerous serfs to work their lands and maintain a pair of estates. The house has recently began lumber operation in Northwood, working with local elves to fell select trees for lumber purposes. They keep several dozen guards for each of their estates.
The shops listed below are the most famous and prosperous business in Greywolf that caters to adventurers. There are other businesses, but they are not nearly as large or wealthy.
Grimbeard's Armorer: The best place to secure metal armor is Grimbeard, a retired dwarvish warrior from the north. He has four apprentices and helpers, and can make chain, plate, shields, and banded armor. His prices are reasonable, and his work is of good or better quality.
The Shattered Shield: A large and well funded weapons dealer, the Shield is an excellent place to pick up weapons. The Shield deals with all kinds of weapons, especially swords, polearms, maces, warhammers, and flails. Weapons are made on site by Lathrin Strongbow, a seventh generation weaponsmith.
Hardsaddle Ranch: Located just outside of the city, Hardsaddle Ranch deals exclusively in warhorses. It has at least forty warhorses of all types on hand, but has extensive ranches to the west of the city for raising new animals. The animals are of good quality but tend to be expensive. The place is run by Marice Broncbuster, a horse trainer who is an excellent judge of horses and a fine businesswoman. Her left arm is slightly deformed, the result of numerous falls from braking wild animals.
The Wolves' Den, an inn and tavern popular with adventurers. It is known for it's dark corners, excellent drinks, and good food. It is now run by a free-spirited dwarf with a good eye for business. (good/moderate).
Dragon Blood Inn, a large and well-run place, favored by travelers and adventurers for its good food and rock-bottom prices. (good/cheap). Falcon's Pride is considered the most extravagant tavern in town. It is frequented by nobles and rich merchants, and is rift with social snobbery and posturing. Adventurers and commoners are not welcomed, and rarely get served. (excellent/expensive).
The Green Dragon Tavern is well-known to adventurers, for it is a rowdy place with a fight ring, plentiful alcohol, friendly servers, and good meals. The place does good business as it caters to adventurers and the crews of barges and spelljammers. (good/moderate)
The Black Dragon Inn is one of the cheapest places in town, providing only a bed and nightstand in their small rooms. It is infested by rats, and some parts of the inn have been shut down because the owner does not put the money into repairing it. It is favored by the poorest of sailors and adventurers. (poor/cheap).
The upper Dandrik River valley was probably settled by the Raer Empire thousands of years ago. It is not know how long that Empire held the moons of Artimis before it fell, but apparently its fall was quick and unexpected. The withdrawal of Raer troops left a power vacuum that many petty warlords rushed to fill. One disaster followed another, and tens of thousands of people were killed in the first few years alone. Mages, once considered the agents of law in the Empire, were banded sorcerers and hunted to near extinction. The mages were an easy target for hatred, as many used them as scapegoats for the lawlessness that was spreading across the land. The rich and influential were also targets of attacks. Many stores and wealthy estates were torched by angry mobs who vented their frustrations at nobles and artisans who no longer held the populous at bay with Raer law. A dark age spread across all of the moons, and human nations became no more than simple tribes and villages. Travel was made impossible by bandits and monsters, isolating individual villages. All that remained of the once glorious days of the Raer was stories and fables.
The settlements on the Dandrik were somewhat fortunate during these dark centuries. The river was an easy means of transport between individual settlements. The valley was not heavily populated by monsters, thanks to the vigilant watch of the elves of Ithil. Unfortunately, the valley was plagued by a succession of warlords who brutally reigned over the human villages, and many were ruined by vicious rulers. The settlements on the river were only slightly better off than villages elsewhere on the moons.
When the Kingdom of Five Worlds rose to power about nine centuries ago, it was a welcomed relief from the anarchy dominating the land. The Dandrik valley was taken roughly eight and half centuries ago as King Balen II saw great potential in it as a major trade route. When law returned to the land, the valley became increasingly civilized. Villages rapidly grew into towns, and a few even grew into cities. Of these new cities, Greywolf was an important link in trade but was not the largest nor the most important city on the Dandrik.
The city was ruled by a lord mayor and his will was enforced by Imperial soldiers. The first mayor was Sarken the Slayer, a retired captain in the Imperial army. He took power when he personally slew the previous ruler, the brutal warlord Blacark, when the Imperial army invaded the city. When Blacark fell, his bandit followers fled, allowing imperial forces to take the town. At first, many feared the newcomers were a new wave of brutal rule. However, Captain Sarken's orders was to enforce law and order in the town and to encourage the growth of businesses and trade. To help him with this arduous task, Captain Sarken employed the aide of Quar, a successful merchant from the imperial heart lands. Lord Sarken kept the city peaceful, but Quar was the real power in the city. Sarken's main contribution to Greywolf was that he kept the peace back then and created its system of government.
During Quar's first term as Lord of Trade and Merchants, he instituted many of the programs that were successful back home. The imperial monetary system was adopted, replacing the older barter system. Taxes were regularly collected and used to improve the city. Dirt roads were replaced by cobbled ones, and open sewers were buried after a system of underground sewers was built. Many wooden buildings were replaced by those of stone after a fire nearly destroyed half the city. Sturdy docks and large warehouses were built for merchants and encourage trade. After his second re-election, Quar created a banking system that lent money to entrepreneurs seeking to build their own businesses. Laws were put into place to protect new businesses and encourage their growth.
Lord mayor Sarken was replaced by his captain of arms after twenty-five years of ruling. The new lord mayor was Valk the Mighty, a bully of a man with no political power. He became nothing more than a puppet for the Council of Lords, a mere tool to keep the peace. Lord Quar was the real power during this time, but his advancing age limited his power. Realizing that he was growing too old to effectively rule, Lord Quar retired in favor of Elisabeth Wolfstar, a cagey businesswoman who was a major landholder and controlled a third of the barges plying the Dandrik. Lady Elisabeth was a brilliant politician who created policies that were popular with the common people. Under her long reign, the city grew in population by 50% and the countryside became increasingly settled. The wilderness was beaten back to make room for new farms and grazing lands. Large families were encouraged, with a silver star per birth payoff for families. Though there were many cases of fraud, the policy paid off in a population boom in the region as a whole.
Lady Elisabeth was replaced on her deathbed by Lord Leroy, a wealthy moneylender. Not a popular individual, Lord Leroy repealed many laws while putting into place his own pet system of laws and regulations. Most of these new laws encouraged corruption and bribery at the highest levels of government, and for the first time in almost a century, traders began avoiding the city and the economy started to suffer. Lord Leroy's term was unfortunately long, as he replaced Lord mayor Valk with the buffoon Lord Shorin, the eldest son of a wealthy landowner who has spoiled his son. Lord mayor Shorin was a pampered brat, caring little for the people and cared only his own pocketbook. He did not have the respect of the military which resulted in the desertion of at least half of the troops. Replacement troops were largely incompetent and easily bribed. Crime was out of control, and new thieves guilds warred in the streets for control of the city.
The situation was allowed to continue for almost fifty years before the Kingdom decided to act. The complaints of merchants were finally being heard, and King Balen V decided the best way to deal with the situation was to put the entire Dandrik valley under the authority of the Lord of Ironbridge, the largest city in the valley. The Lord of Ironbridge at that time was one Hthak the Bold, a career military man who preferred strong arm tactics. He sent his own candidates to replace the now corrupt Council of Lords, accompanied by a rather sizable army to enforce their law. Lord Shorin ordered his own army onto the field to fight the Ironbridge forces, but Lord Leroy was more prudent, choosing to flee instead, taking with him a vast fortune stolen from the treasury of the city. As was expected, the Ironbridge army easily crushed the army of Greywolf, and the city was once again occupied by foreign troops.
The new Council was comprised of natives of Ironbridge, which caused resentment among the people of Greywolf. The thieves guilds fought back against the Ironbridge troops, but were swiftly crushed by a policy of zero-tolerance for crime and corruption. Lord Leroy was hunted, but his body was never found, nor was the fortune he stole recovered. Taxes were raised to replace the money he stole, again inciting the people against the occupying force. However, after seven years of occupation and rebuilding, the riots came to an end and the people settled into a long reign of occupation.
The next century and a half saw a succession of foreign Lords who ruled the city, but with the benefit of Ironbridge always in mind. The city became little more than a supply point for Ironbridge traders as traders and merchants moved their headquarters to that northern city. Greywolf did see much growth and prosperity during that time, but its growth did not keep pace with that of its northern neighbor. Ironbridge outstripped Greywolf in almost all things, including population, military might, and wealth. Greywolf became the poor sister to Ironbridge.
The Time of Foreign Lords came to an end about five and half centuries ago, when the city of Ironbridge was destroyed by a horrible magical plague. Those that contracted the disease died within days, but the particulars of the plague caused their bodies to burst into spontaneous combustion at their death. The city was swept by a firestorm that caused a chain reaction as people died and burst into flames. The city was destroyed in a single day, never to be rebuilt. Even today, its ruins remain uninhabited, as does the land around it for ten miles.
With Ironbridge destroyed, Greywolf became the dominant city on the Dandrik. The whole of the Dandrik valley was put under Greywolf control. The first action of the people was to replace the Foreign Lords with local ones, and the power of the Council of Lords was reduced. The people rallied behind the new Lord mayor Zeven, a popular war hero from the North March Wars fought a decade earlier. Despite being a strong leader, his reign came at an inopportune time. The Kingdom of Five Worlds was crumbling into decadence and corruption. The last ruler was King Cronis IX, an impotent sorcerer who could not father a son. In desperation, he gave his wife to the fiendish hands of Balakur, a horrible demon from the Abyss. Unfortunately, the birthing of the demonic heir broke King Cronis' mind, and he underwent the process to become a lich. Now undead, his court fled in terror and his capital was abandoned.
With the last vestige of Imperial authority broken by King Cronis' failing mental health, chaos again gripped all five moons. The two inner moons, neither heavily populated, were abandoned while refugees flooded the Dandrik valley. Greywolf's resources had already been heavily taxed as they tried to rebuild the industries ruined by Ironbridge's destruction, and the influx of refugees only complicated matters. Bandits and robbers became commonplace, slowly bleeding off Greywolf's resources even more.
Such was the problems that the elves of Ithil, fearing a migration of humans into the heart of their valley, invaded. They attacked the Plains of Vanja, conquering it within a week. Though there was some resistance, Greywolf's overextended army could not prevent the fall of Vanja. Lord mayor Zeven was forced to concede the land lost, and withdrew troops from the area. The elves that ruled Vanja were some of the worst of their kind, and brutalized the people. Over half of the men were killed during the first few weeks of their reign to discourage rebellion, and the surviving women were forced into prostitution to feed their families. The elves would occupy the region for three centuries, resulting in creating the second largest half elf enclave in Twilitespace, after Lefton on Ethwuld.
Sometime during these years of crisis the power of the Lord mayor was reduced and new government was put into place. The new power was the Council of Guilds, which were becoming powerful during the turbulent times. The Council of Guilds seized almost complete power about two centuries ago as they quietly replaced the Lords with men that were their puppets. The Lord mayor was assassinated, but the position was left vacant as the guilds debated who to put into power. As time passed, the arguments between the guilds over who was to be next Lord mayor became more heated and fierce. Eventually, the guilds began open fighting in the streets of the city, leaving dozens dead. Law in the city was enforced by a dozen or so factions, each supportive of a different guild. Greywolf's control over the countryside effectively collapsed, allowing local lords to take control. Unlike the feuding guilds, the nobles largely respected each other's rights and lands, but were unable to unify enough to defeat the guilds holding Greywolf. A low intensity war raged in the streets of Greywolf for nearly two centuries.
About fifteen years ago, Aba Hawksguard and his fellow adventurers paid the city a visit. They became embroiled in the complex politics of the city as the most powerful guild tried to use them to eliminate the second ranking guild. Instead, they destroyed both guilds but were driven from the city by the combined forces of the remaining guilds. Another round of bloodshed hit the city, but was abruptly ended when Hawksguard returned with the combined forces of the lords. He managed to convince them that a stable and peaceful Greywolf was in their best interests, and they rallied behind him. The guilds were crushed, and the old system of government was reinstated. Though Hawksguard did not wish it, he was elected Lord mayor by an overwhelming majority. With little choice, he took over the reigns of power.
With a stable government back in place, the power of Greywolf has again grown. The city has managed to regain control over the upper Dandrik river, and is making great strides towards retaking the lower reaches of the river. Prosperity is slowly coming to the land, and aggressive new businessmen and merchants are taking advantage of the peace to earn hard coin. The wilderness is again being pushed back, and ruins are being uncovered on a daily basis. The ruins of at least two magnificent civilizations litter the Dandrik valley, waiting to be discovered. Adventurers are needed more than ever to explore these ruins and deal with the evils that dwell within.
The largest single structure in the city is the castle Hawkspear, built about nine hundred years ago. The castle took well over a century to complete, and its construction included many magical defenses. It was originally named Castle Grimspike, after a prominent general in the Kingdom of Five World's Army, but was later renamed when a magical artifact, the Hawk's Spear, was stored there under heavy guard. The Spear was lost six hundred years ago, and has never been found.
The castle is a large structure, with a large round keep with six connected towers, a 60' high curtain wall with eight towers, each 120' tall, and eight additional towers connected to the wall-towers via flying buttresses and stone arches. The outer towers, while appearing to be vulnerable to assault, are actually heavily protected by magic. With the wave of a magical scepter, the moat that surrounds the castle and outer towers bursts upwards and magically solidifies into a thick wall of solid granite. The sudden manifestation of the wall is a good way to destroy approaching screws and ladders, as well as cutting attacking troops from reinforcements. It also creates a killing ground as castle archers slaughter those trapped between the walls. Unfortunately, the scepter controlling the magical moat was lost years ago and has not been recovered.
The castle is capable of supporting roughly twelve hundred soldiers, but currently has a skeleton defense of 65 men. The barracks for the Watch are located here, as are stables and storehouses for their horses and gear. If the city is attacked, the Watch will fall back to the castle and prepare defenses.
One of the nine hills of Greywolf, the Hill of Sorcery is the second largest; only the hill upon which Hawkspear Castle is built upon is bigger. The Hill is largely a park-like area about 400 acres in size. The top of the Hill is the site for the Hall of the Blazing Cowls, where that magical society meets regularly. Their hall is a magical structure, built to appear as a great, spiraling flame reaching for the sky. The hall is a single tower of black obsidian that rises to a height of 200'. The rest of the Hill is devoted to the private residences of the more powerful mages of the city, most of which are impressive towers. There are two dozen towers and private residences built upon the hill, as well as the shrine of Llwar. The Watch does not patrol this area of the city, for the wizards are more than capable of protecting themselves. They have their own protections, including (it is rumored) magical servants of fire and light that patrol the Hill, coming to the aide of any mage that summons them to deal with thieves and intruders.
The lowest hill in the city is Market Hill. It was once higher and bigger, but was leveled years ago to make room for a market. The market is a bustling place lined by several businesses, including taverns, clothing stores, food stands, and other small businesses. At the center of the market is the Warrior's Fountain, which sports a statue of Sarken upon a rearing horse, blade drawn. The Fountain is a favorite spot for romantic encounters between lovers.
Built many centuries ago, the arena is one of the chief centers of entertainment for the city. In the past, it served for gladiatorial combats, plays, and even athletic contests. Over the centuries, bloody and deadly gladiatorial combats have fallen out of favor, and replaced by a faker version, with charmed monsters, pretty-boy gladiators, and wild rivalries. Plays are just as popular as ever, as are athletic contests. Sports are popular, particularly rugby and the occasional joust.
