The city of Valys began as a walled fortress built into the mountain covering the Hammer of Reevanthar. This fortress was designed to hold nearly fifty thousand souls, yet over the centuries the city has far outgrown such confines. Nearly a two hundred thousand people live on the slopes of the mountains outside the mountain fortress.
The walled section sits like a giant disk in the center of a crater that looks for all the world like a volcano. Yet scholars know that is not the case. The crater is a result of the Hammer of Reevanthara falling to the earth during the godswar, and the fabled catalyst lies under the city of Valys.
The city’s strength flows from this catalyst, transforming it’s citizens into heroes capable of defending Valys against it’s many foes. Those who become catalized are elevated to the nobility, though each is expected to serve a term of at least five years in the military.
Those who have not taken the catalization or do not belong to the military live outside the walls on the slopes of the mountains around Valys. Their life is considerably more harsh as they lack the direct protection of the knights of Valys. While the military will respond to orokh attacks or reports of banditry by the time they arrive it is often too late for the people in the most need of aid.
The richest citizens live in the deepest part of the city, directly over the hammer. All have served in the Hasran military and are catalized. It is this group of nobility who jockeys for position within the Praetor’s court. Most are divided into two distinct camps, transplanted Hasrans and native Valysians.
The rivalry between the two is intense and often violent. Hasrans of native birth are higher in social standing than their Valysian counterparts, which the Valysians bitterly resent. They also resent the fact that the choicest real estate bordering the Hammer has been bequeathed to Hasrans, while the sons of Valys are relegated to much less prestigious dwellings closer to the surface of the city.
This is even more degrading given what some of the Hasran’s use their homes for. Many have created slave halls to cultivate catalized dwarves. They accomplish this by creating a large room lined with dozens of cages. Untyped trolls are placed in the cages. Because of their proximity to the catalyst the trolls will eventually evolve into dwarves, and in so doing gain a catalization from the hammer.
These dwarven slaves sell for a premium throughout Hasra, and the lucrative trade has made these Hasran slave traders rich. This incenses native valysians due to the role the dwarves played in their history. When the orokh overran Valys it was the dwarves who saved the fledgling city.
They escorted the Valysians to the tunnels under the Hammer, and helped them hide from the orokh. Had they not assisted Valys would have been wiped out, and the people have always honored the dwarves for the role the played in saving them.
Seeing the dwarves enslaved dishonors the bond between Valys and the dwarves, yet the Valysian nobles are powerless to stop the trade. Dwarven slaves command a premium throughout the Imperium, and the only place they can be created is the Hammer.
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Noble Factions in the Capital
House Valys is arguably the most powerful family in the capital. Arguably, because even though Praetor Etrian holds the highest military rank possible there are Hasran nobles who wield more influence. They have connections back to Hasra that allow them to circumvent laws, and while the Praetor can make decrees the nobles are adept at avoiding most of them.
Roughly two thirds of the court are native Valysians, yet the Hasran houses still wield as much or more influence. There are two primary Hasran houses and a score of lesser ones, each intent on making as much coin off the backs of Valysians as possible.
Praetor Valys is opposed to this of course, but his hands are tied. He is sworn to uphold the Imperium’s laws, and those laws allow for a great deal of abuse by clever nobles. Slavery is legal. Killing commoners for no reason is legal. Killing a noble for revenge is not.
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House Valys
The House of Valys was formed by the first king of Valys on the day he was crowned, in the year PF 3. He changed his name to that of the province he ruled, because in his words “The king is the land, the land is the king. Let my line be forever wed to the land, becoming one with this great nation.”
The Valys line has been unbroken for other three centuries, and during that time many great leaders have emerged from their ranks. Praetor Etrian Valys is the 13th king, and has controlled his nation for nearly four decades.
He married his wife just over twenty-five years ago, Shael Calmora from the house of the same name. Calmora and Valys have always had a great deal in common, as neither house wished to become a part of the imperium. Both would rather be independent nations if given the choice.
Shael’s marriage into House Valys cemented an alliance between the two, and this alliance has only grown stronger in the quarter century that they’ve been together. Their marriage has produced two heirs, a boy and a girl.
The eldest is Lord Regulus Valys, or Reg for short. Reg was born twenty-one years ago, and has lived his life in Vayls. He was raised with warmaster training, though he was too young to command troops during the final war with Olivantia. Despite his lack of combat experience he is a gifted leader of men, and a skilled tactician when it comes to war.
Reg’s younger sister was born five years later, the Lady Ashianna Valys. Ashianna has inherited her mother’s beauty, and is beloved throughout Valys. She is extremely studious and has devoted her life to Celeste. Ashianna has not officially become a histor as of yet, but many believe that she will.
Ashianna was promised in marriage to Prince Justarius of Hasra shortly after her birth, and has grown up knowing that she is fated to be the queen of the most powerful nation in the west. However, she has never met the prince and her marriage isn’t scheduled until after her sixteenth birthday which is fast approaching.
This marriage will cement an alliance between House Hasra and House Valys, something Praetor Valys hopes might smooth the growing animosity between them. This animosity grows daily, largely because without the threat of Olivanticus and his vampyr to unite them the two factions have little reason to work together.
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House Garulan
Garulan is the strongest foreign house in Valys. Their line traces all the way back to the Elentian empire, making them one of the oldest Hasran houses. They have intermarried extensively with house Enestius, and many historians have difficulty identifying them as Hasran or Enestian.
Their family earns vast wealth through the slave trade, and their dwarven stock is both the most numerous and best available. They have been slave traders for nine generations, and were a part of the Hasran military even before that.
House Garulan has no love for House Valys, and do whatever they can to slight the ‘provincials’ whenever the opportunity presents itself. They consider themselves true nobility, while the Valysians were late comers to the Imperium and thus are of inferior stock.
House Garulan resides in a huge manor bordering the Hammer, and have extensive holdings around it. The manor is even larger than the Praetor’s palace, a slight that House Valys is all too aware of. Unfortunately Garulan is very well connected, and not someone Praetor Etrian could displace without risking civil war.
The current ruler of the house is Promagnus Gabriel Garulan, a catalized fire mage of some note. He served in the final war, though he didn’t distinguish himself. This has always weighed on the man, who resents Praetor Valys for his fame as a battlemage.
Promagnus Garulan has only one son, who is currently serving in the military and is stationed at The Fist. Tevitus has even less potential than his father. He is a poor military commander, abysmal with a sword and possesses no magic. However, his name provides him nearly unlimited influence and wealth. He carries several powerful eldimagus which help him to make up for some of his deficincies.
House Garulan is acknowledged by every Hasran house as the true power in Valys. They have grown increasingly bold over since Imperator Desidria fell ill. Since she no longer provides a check on their ambition they are free to do as they will. They use the courts to tie up any attempt Praetor Valys makes to block them, much to his frustration.
Garulan is currently running several ventures to increase his power and wealth. Most notably he has offered to host Prince Justarius during his upcoming visit. Justarius and his father are coming to Valys to meet his betrothed. Afterwards the wedding party will travel back to Hasra where the largest wedding in a century will be held.
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The Temple of Celeste
The capital city of Valys is home to the second largest Temple of Celeste in the West. It possesses a massive library, over a thousand histors, fifty battlemages and quarters large enough to house ten thousand men.
The Temple is almost a city in itself and wields enormous power in the capital. Neither House Garulan nor House Valys would dare to slight the Temple, for losing access to it’s resources would severely weaken either side.
Currently the Temple sides more often with the Praetor, as he is a battlemage who studied there and because the current High Prelate is a long standing friend. High Prelate Wesley Arturian is a widely travelled histor who has over a dozen catalizations and an incredibly keen mind.
He appears about twenty-five years of age, though his actual age is closer to sixty. This is due to the lifespan granted by visiting so man catalysts. It will be another twenty-five or thirty years before he begins aging naturally again, at which time Wesley will probably retire from the temple and begin adventuring again.
Wesley is a native Valysian, though he is careful not to show too much favoritism to his countrymen. Many members of the clergy are native Hasrans, and would like nothing better than to strip him of power if given the slightest provocation.
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The Temple of Tavren
The city of Valys holds the largest Temple of Tavren in the west. This is hardly surprising as the Steward can often be found crafting wonders at the Hammer of Reevanthara. He and his followers typically avoid any sort of political entanglements, so they are largely neutral in the quiet war between House Garulan and House Valys.
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The Temple of Dalanthar
Dalanthar is held in very high esteem by the people of Valys, another stark difference between them and their Hasran cousins. The Knights of the Dawn were instrumental in keeping the orokh hordes at bay in the early days following The Fall, a fact the people of Valys had never forgotten.
The order still holds great strength, though it has waned greatly since the end of the final war with Olivantia. Many knights relocated to Olivantia to help the new government, and they’ve had far fewer recruits since the end of the war.
House Garulan sees the Temple as a waning power and has slighted them several times in recent years. This is something the temple will most certainly not forget should they return to prominence.
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Locations of Interest
Valys is a massive city and like any city of it’s size it holds thousands of businesses, libraries, temples and other areas of interest. The following is a list of some of the more popular and/or well known areas in the city.
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The Grand Arena
Nearly every city in the west has an arena, but few are as immense as the Grand Arena of Valys. The stadium can hold forty-thousand people, and is usually filled to capacity during feast day games. The Valysians are a very martial people, and ever since the war ended fifteen years ago the interest in the games has grown exponentially.
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The Temple of Thandres
Valys is home to one of the largest Temples of Thandres in the west. This temple exists to cater to the pleasures of all who seek them, for a modest donation of course. Prostitutes, drugs, games of chance and many other diversions can be had for the right price.
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Crater Wall Bazaar
Nearly the entire eastern wall of the crater is covered by row after row of stalls. Any merchant may rent one of these to display their wares, though in practice most of the stalls are permanently rented out. This makes it difficult for new merchants to establish themselves.
These stalls primarily sell foreign goods imported to Valys through Lakeshore, or directly overland from Enestius. Everything from ice peppers to clothing to slaves can be found here. This has given rise to Valys’s reputation that everything is for sale here.
Merchants must pay an annual fee to keep their stall, and also agree to a 10% sales tax on all goods. In practice most undervalue their sales so as to short the tax collector.
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The Rim
The entire lip of the crater is covered by a thick, tall wall constructed during the time before the fall. This wall is manned at all times, and makes it easy to keep attackers at bay. Any opponent must battle their way up the steep slopes of mount Valys, then face the defenders atop the Rim when they arrive. The rim is one of the largest walls ever created, and has only been breached once in Valys’s storied history.
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The Grand Palace
The Praetor’s palace was build around the Hammer of Reevanthara. The haft of the hammer just out from the top of the palace like a slightly lopsides tower. This is a gentle reminder that the ruling family possesses exclusive access to the Hammer, which forms the core of their power.
Once a week the Praetor throws a ball and all nobility in the city are invited to attend. Much of the clandestine business between houses occurs at these events, and shifts in a house’s prestige before, during and after are not at all uncommon.
