Gargoña (Baronía de)
Location: West of Gulf of
Hule, north of Almarrón, south of Narvaez, and east of
Saragón.
Area: 7,468 sq. mi.
Population: 14,000, including 11,700 in Ciudad Real.
Languages: Slag Common (Espan Dialect).
Coinage: Real (pp), oro (gp), dies (sp) and centa (cp).
Taxes: 20% income tax, 5% sales tax.
Government Type: Independent barony part of the Treaty of
Tampico and Signatory Council.
Industries: Arts (music, poems, painting and sculptures),
diplomats and political advisers.
Important Figures: Baronesa Esperanza "La Illustre" de Sotto
y Rivera (baroness, human, female, T12).
Flora and Fauna: Standard for its warm temperate climate,
including kudzu, tomatoes, potatoes, maize, alligators, plains
grasses, deer, armadillos, prairie dogs, turkeys, and eagles.
Dangerous monsters include various giant lizards and undead found
in the swamps of la Delta de Pozaverde. Normal animals with
Legacies can also be very dangerous.
Further Reading: The Savage Coast online
document.
Description: by Hernando Cagliostro
Gargoña is recognised as the centre of culture in the Savage Baronías, a fact affirmed by the situación [location. Ed.] of la unica universidad [unique university. Ed.] of the coast within its borders. Admissión to this grande universidad is free in return for una promesa [a promise. Ed.] of future tithes to la nación [nation. Ed.] of Gargoña for the rest of your working life. Since Gargoña is generally viewed as politically neutral, its renown scholars and graduates are found throughout most of las nacionas [nations. Ed.] of the Savage Coast as advisers or teachers.
The Land
Although about the same size as any other baronía, Gargoña actually has poco [little. Ed.] land for its people to live on. Almost a third of la baronía is inhospitable swampland located at la Delta de Pozaverde, the mouth of the famous Rio Copos. On the bright side, this swamp makes approaching the towns of Gargoña from the sea very difficult, preventing attacks from the Sea Baronías.
The Rio Copos crosses la baronía from west to east, and most of the towns and casas [homes. Ed.] of the people can be found along its shores. After about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from the shores, dense bosques [forests. Ed.] dominate, and they are sparsely inhabited by any locals. These bosques cover about one half of la baronía, and serve as borders with friendly Almarrón and the religious fanatics of Narvaez.
Ciudad Real is the capital of la baronía, and is located just after la Delta de Pozaverde, where el Rio Guadiana merges with el Rio Copos. Skiffs powered by oar ply the waterways of the delta, ferrying commerce to and from seagoing ships, allowing access to the lucrative sea trade.
The People
Gargoñans are typically poets, artistas, and scholars. Many dream of adventure and excitement, but only a few actually give it a try (and most give it up after their first). Those that do adventure are some of the most swashbuckling souls in las baronías. They are easily offended when people claim that Gargoñans cannot fight and are eager to prove them wrong.
To Gargoñans, the Red Curse is a dreaded disease which must be stopped. Many, especially those with an Afflicted in the family, try to raise money to fund research into the Curse. Luckily, the few clero [priests, or more properly clerics. Ed.] found in Gargoña are devoted to stopping it and they use their spells to keep the number of Afflicted very low within la nación.
Recent History
The history of Gargoña, like so many of the other baronías, is sad and bloody. Originally part of la baronía de Narvaez, the southern half of esta [that. Ed] nación separated and formed a new Baronía de Sotto in AC 913. Ciudads [cities. Ed.] of this Baronía de Sotto soon declared their own independence, causing a civil war. Riviera (which included Ciudad Real) won its bid for independence in AC 926. Gargoña (which only included la Castillo de Pardalupe) finally declared independence itself in AC 934.
Sotto retaliated and invaded Gargoña. By AC 936, Sotto was soundly defeated and Gargoña had conquered it's parent Baronía. Gargoña released its claim on Sotto, and la población [population. Ed.] reorganised themselves into la Estado de Almarrón. In AC 977, Almarrón again went on an spree of conquest. Gargoña merged with la nación de Riviera, keeping the name Gargoña, and was able to repulse the invaders in AC 979.
Baronesa Esperanza was crucial in negotiating a peace treaty with Narvaez during the war of AC 1006 so that las baronías could fight off Hule. The fact that her daughter is married to the son of the racist [this is the opinion of the correspondent. Ed.] Don Hugo of Narvaez helped in los negociaciones.
As with the entire Savage Coast, the Red Curse spread through Gargoña in AC 1009 during the dreaded Week Without Magic.
Gargoña has thankfully agreed
to la sanción [sanction. Ed.] of selling smokepowder to
Narvaez, yet la baronesa is unfortunately trying to negotiate
another solution to la problema.