Wylon, County of
by Michael BerryArea:
392 square miles
Population:
AC 1000 - 1890
AC 1014 - 850
Vilages: (population values are given for AC 1000 and AC 1014)
Wylon (378/150): is the commercial center of the County and its largest settlement
Vertosp (175/150): is located close to the tower of the Count and provides services for the Count, his family and their retainers.
Taphany(150/0): is an old Flaemish settlement in the hills northwest of the tower of Wylon.
Aerol (130/50): is a farming community in the southeastern hills of the County.
Kassel (125/75) is a mining community west of the tower of the Count.
Ethnic groups:
AC 1000 - Alphatian 70%, Hattian 20%, Fen 5%, Flaem 2%, Belcadiz Elf 1%, Belcadiz Human 1%, Other 1%
AC 1014 - Alphatian 53%, Hattian 30%, Fen 15%, Other 2%
Languages:
Alphatian, Thyatin (Hattian dialect)
Ruler:
AC 1000 - Emeth Urbaal (born 946, M12 3rd Circle Air Elementalist, AL - Chaotic)
AC 1014 - Franz Lowenroth (born 967, M16, 4th Circle Cryptomancer, AL - Neutral)
House:
AC 1000 - Silverston
AC 1014 - Ritterburg
Military:
A sheriff in assigned to every major village, and is in charge of keeping the order. Count of Wylon had a force of 40 F3, chain, spear and short sword or hand axe which patrols the County and upholds the laws and watches for wandering monsters from the nearby mountains. This force was decimated during Thar’s invasion in AC 1007 and today consists of 30 F1 with non standard armor and weapons. The current Count of Wylon, Count Lowenroth has plans to standardize and professionalize the force, as well make it an exclusively ethnically Hattian force but he is waiting until the Country fully recovers before attempting to implement.
Trails:
The Blackhill Trail is a fair quality trail that connects the village of Wylon with Silverston and runs southeast passing through Aerol and out of the country to the Principality of Blackhill and ending at Silverston. A poor quality trail connects the village of Wylon with Kassel in the mountains. Various bad quality trails connects smaller settlements with each other and the larger settlements.
Economics:
Wylon is a leading fruit producer, or was before the war, and produces large numbers of melons and berries. Today with the severe destruction of the Country and depopulation the Country is only slowly recovering its pre-war agricultural output. The mountains of Wylon are constantly being prospected for valuable metals and gems. One large vein of silver was discovered in AC 995 and the village of Kassel grew quickly close to it and extraction and production of the silver continues pretty much unchanged today as the humanoids were stopped just short of Kassel.
Wylon Monthly Financial Ledger (figures from AC1000)
Main resources: 1 mineral, 1 animal
5 hexes: hills; rural; pop. 1400; tax 140 dc
2 hexes: mountain; borderland; pop. 112; tax 5.6 dc
Wylon: village; pop. 378; tax 37.8 dc
Total population: 1778 rural, 112 borderland
Tax Income: 183.4 dc
Resource Income: 917 dc
Standard Income: 1467.2 dc
Council Tax: 513.5 dc
Net Cash: 586.9 dc
Overhead (40%): 234.8 dc
Available Cash: 352.1 dc
With 13205 XP/year, in 10 years the Count could gain 79230 XP.
Alternate: 2201 XP/year.
History:
Counts of Wylon
Alexander von Taafnen 845 - 861
Leopol Pieinants 861 - 871
Alexander Wolfen 871 - 880
Robert of Haaskinz 880 - 890
Arnulf of Haaskinz 890 - 935
Idwal Terlagand 935 - 942
Cofitz Terlagand 942 - 949
Seisyll Wittels 949 - 963
Gabriel Bon 963 - 970
Hieron Grimoard 970 -978
Rufin Grimoard 978 - 987
John Beaumarys-Moorkroft 987 - 991
Fernando de Casanegra 991 - 997
Emeth Urbaa 997 - 1009
Franz Lowenroth 1009 -
The area of Wylon, much as neighboring Blackhill, was sparsely with only a few Flaemish settlements prior to the arrival of the Thyatian migration from Alasiya in AC 730. While the Kerendians settled to the northwest and the Thyatians to the north, the Hattians settled in the hills of present day Blackhill and Wylon. Most Flaems moved north with the onset of hostilities between the settlers and the Flaem but a few remained. The Flaem who remained were almost all commoners who remained neutral in the conflict and were only concerned with farming the land and surviving the war.
When the nearby Hattian lands were given to the Alphatians in exchange for lands and titles in the north, even more of the Flaem left the region of Wylon as did many of the Hattians. However most of the Alphatian population stayed in the region of present day Blackhill and didn’t settle the hills of Wylon. When the republic of Glantri was established the population was roughly equally Flaem, Hattian and Alphatian. The three population groups actually got along well as most of the most combative of their kind had settled in richer lands and most of the populations of the hills were simple farmers more interested in bringing in a profitable harvest than in racial politics.
With the establishment of the Republic of Glantri in 845 the respected Flaemish civic leader, Alexander von Taafnen was recognized as the first Count of Wylon. Von Taafnen soon left Wylon as consequence of an Awards Festival, as did his Flaemish successor Pieinants. The next lord was the Alphatian Wolfen, who brought with him a large number of Alphatian colonists, and forced most Hattians and the few remaining Flaems to leave the county. When Wolfen left Wylon, the damage to the racial unity of the County was done and the Hattian and Alphatian populations did not peaceably coexist leading to further migration north of the Hattians thus creating a larger ethnic majority for the Alphatians.
Later rulers had little or no interest at all in the doings of the Wylonian people, as they were mostly foreign nobles bent on the purpose of getting a better fief back in their home provinces. The Wylonians now are accustomed to the periodic changes of rulership, and they consider the Prince of Blackhill as their true ruler. In times when the local Count didn't even come to Wylon, the Alphatian Princes have actually sent their own guards to protect the Wylonians, and when an Alphatian ruler comes to Wylon, he normally pays regular visits to Silverston, and the laws of Blackhill applies to Wylon too.
In AC 1007 life was changed forever in the County when Thar launched a massive surprise attack into Glantri through Blackhill. After sacking Blackhill his forces advanced into Wylon where they met forces advancing from Sirrechia in the west plus the local forces raised by Count Emeth Urbaal. The Glantrians were able to stop the westward advance near the mountains but not until most of Wylon had been taken. The humanoids lacked the strength to push further as by then the main humanoid forces had shifted their advance to the north up the west bank of the Vesubian River toward Glantri City. For the next several months both sides would attack each other but neither was able to push the other back.
Finally after defeating Thar at Glantri City the Glantrian Army pushed the humanoids out of Glantri and back into the Broken Lands and Wylon was liberated. However months of humanoid occupation had taken its toll. Fields were ruined, buildings were burned, and the population either fled to safer locations or victims to the humanoids. On top of the humanoid invasion the Great Plague hit Glantri and killed an estimated 1/3rd of the population. By the end of the Great War in 1009 only 20% of the pre-invasion population populated Wylon and almost all of that was concentrated near Kassel in the mountains.
Just as the County was attempting to rebuild in 1010 with the end of Great War Count Urbaal saw an opportunity to move to a higher dominion when Satolas came open in the aftermath of the opening of the Duchy of Fenswick when Delores Hillsbury took over the Principality of Blackhill. Urbaal was torn between competing and perhaps leaving his shattered domain which needed strong leadership however Urbaal was tired of war, rebuilding and wanted peace to continue his researches into sky ship design interrupted by Thar’s invasion. He decided to compete and won the vacant dominion of Satolas in a fierce competition against Isabella di Montebello, Count of Soth-Kabree; and Antonio di Tarento, Count of Glenargyll. The now vacant title of Wylon was won in a similarly fierce competition won by the Viscount of d’Ylourgne, Franz Lowenroth. In the nearly four years that Franz was been the Count of Wylon he has helped lead a slow but steady recovery of Wylon. Population levels have increased steadily as Franz has aggressively sought Hattian settlers with offers of free land as many refugees did not return but went elsewhere, especially to the severely (and violently) depopulated and richer lands of Blackhill which suffered even worse population losses but with few refugees to return unfortunately.
Notable sites:
Haaskinzs Tower was built to serve as a secure research facility for their studies about Radiance. Whenever the reclusive Robert and Arnulf came to Wylon they used to shut themselves in the Tower, something that didn’t raise their popularity amongst the populace, as the Tower became known as Fussy Tower. Due to the hostility of the locals, they fortified and trapped it so much, that when they left to Berrym it took the new ruler, Idwal Terlagand, less time to build a new Tower than to remove all Haaskinz’s traps. But then, the "ol’ fox", came out with a mean to make money out of it: the Annual Trap Contest.
Wylonian Locksmiths' Guild was created as the result of the Annual Contest. The basement of the Locksmiths' Guildhouse hides the halls of the Thieves' Guild, vassal to the Fellowship of the Pouch. Its main activity is troubleshooting, but as a result of their vassal status, burglary is developed as well, mostly within the County and the bordering free provinces. The Guildmaster is Ardan Kerhilar (human male, born 958,Thief 9th, Al C), and the Guildmembers are often recruited among the winners of the Annual Trap's Contest. The Guildmaster is involved in the process of choosing the site of the Annual Contest, since nowadays it takes place in a different place every year. Every five year, Haaskinzs Tower hosts the Great Trap Contest, which is attended only by those who won the Annual Contest at least once. The winner bears the title of "Master of the Traps" for five years.
Coat of Arms:
Useful links:
Glantrian Political History - AC 828 to 884 by Harri Mäki and Giovanni Porpora
The Economy of Wylon by Aleksei Andrievski
County of Wylon by Thibault Sarlat, Giovanni Porpora, Agathokles
Glantrian Political History, Grand Army of Glantri AC 1000 - 1014, and Quanil Urbaal by Michael Berry