Satolas, Marquisate of
by Michael BerryArea: 392 square miles
Population: 810
Villages: Mojácar (184) A walled village in the southern hills of Satolas. The village is the administrative center of the Marquisate.
Benoajan (145) A mining village located 2 miles to the west of the Tower of Satolas. The village is a major tourist destination and brings in visitors from all over Glantri.
Ethnic groups: Belcadizan Elf 50%, Belcadizan Human 35%, Alphatian 10%, Others 5%.
Languages: Belcadiz Elf, Thyatin
Ruler: Marquis Quanil Urbaal
House: Silverston
Military: The Knights of Satolas is a military order that dates back to the formation of the Marquisate. It was formed to be the first line of defense against attacks from the east and the south. The Knights draw heavily from the population of Satolas but do not restrict themselves to those from the Marquisate. The number of Knights is fixed at 120. Knights have always been drawn from elves from Belcadiz decent. In times of invasion the Knights would act as a rearguard to protect the populaton and hinder the progress of the invader while Glantrian formations are moved up. During the great war the Knights were mobilized with other volunteers from Satolas and formed the 3rd Banner of the of the Glantrian 21st Division. The Knights had a prominent part in the Battle of Asadras were the 3rd Banner was first unit to breach humanoid lines in Carnelia's decisive counterstroke. The 3rd of the 21st had the highest carcass counts of any banner of any division in the battle. After the war and demobilization the Knights came back to Satolas. They safeguard the flag and colors of the 21st Division, as it would be one of the first Glantrian reserve divisions called back to service in case of emergency.
Food: Deficient. Food brought to markets in Marquisate from outlying free territories.
Trails: Satolas has fair trails leading from the mines to Benoajan and to Mojácar. A single trail leads south from Mojácar and intersects with the Alexander Glantri Memorial Highway which runs between Ft. Monteleone and Bramya
Economics: Satolas is primarily mountainous and its economics are almost totally centered around mining the southern Colossus Mounts. Substantial deposits of gold and silver have been found in the mountains of Satolas and the mountains just outside it's borders. Much of the ore is smelted into bars at Benoajan and sent from there in heavily guarded caravans to New Alvar. Little agriculture comes from the Marquisate. The hills of Satolas do produce a particularly in-demand olive which are gathered and pressed into an olive oil that is a favorite of many connoisseurs. The Knights of Satolas are financed by a surcharge per pound of gold and silver extracted from the mines of Satolas.
Satolas
Main resources: 2 mineral
6 hexes: mountain; borderland; pop. 336; tax 16.8 dc
1 hex: hills; rural; pop. 280; tax 28 dc
Satolas: village; pop. 154; tax 15.4 dc
Total population: 434 rural, 336 borderland
Tax Income: 60.2 dc
Resource Income: 361.2 dc
Standard Income: 481.6 dc
Council Tax: 180.6 dc
Net Cash: 240.8 dc
Overhead (35%): 84.3 dc
Available Cash: 156.5 dc
With 5057 XP/year, in 10 years the Marquis gains 50570 XP in dominion related experience.
Alternate: 722 XP/year
History:
Marquises of Satolas:
Carlos de Reyder 859-940
Lothar McDonald 940-944
Constanza de Blanca 944-967
Edward Hillsbury 967-970
Gabriel Bon 970-991
John Beaumarys-Moorkroft 991-997
Fernando de Casanegra 997-1004
Alasdair McAllister 1004-1009
Emeth Urbaal 1009
Quanil Urbaal 1009-
The Marquisate of Satolas was born out of secret negotiations between Friedrich von Drachenfels and Don Fernando de Belcadiz and Charan Erewan regarding Elvish in 856 regarding how the Elves would fit into a new Glantri envisioned by the Light of Rad, a nation of wizards ruled by wizards. In 859 when the Light of Rad was being enacted, the elves put forth a petition. As previously agreed during negotiations with Friedrich von Drachenfels, the elven petition consisted of:
-The creation of a new Elven Principality, whose dimensions will be doubled in respect to other Principalities. Elves are in charge of building a Fort against the border of the Broken Lands.
-The Elven Prince, Fernando de Belcadiz, will enter the CoP as Prince of Belcadiz and Marquise of Alhambra. He'll hold the Charge of Viceroy.
-The creation of three more fief to be ruled by elves:
The Marquisate of Satolas, ruled by Marquise Carlos de Reyder.
The Marquisate of Ellerovyn, ruled by Marquise Charan Erewan.
The County of Soth-Kabree, ruled by Count Idagoraz Cornaber.
After taking two months to finally convince the Prince of the Flaems to accept the petition. After the Flaems had threatened to walk out, which could have possibly started another civil war. The petition was accepted by the Council and the Marquisate of Satolas was born with Carlos de Reyder, a prominent Belcadiz Elf as it's Marquis. Gold and silver had been discovered in the hills and mountains of Satolas and provided a good living for the men and elves that settled Satolas. De Reyder, a veteran of the 40 Years War and an expert tactician, needed no impetus from the Council of Princes to understand that his dominion sat in a strategic location overlooking a prime invasion route into Glantri from the east. Satolas also was close to the border with the humanoids of the Broken Lands. The Knights of Satolas was founded the same year as the birth of Satolas. They were drawn from Belcadiz Elves at first and has been a tradition that has remained and been respected ever since, even when Satolas was not being ruled by a Belcadizian Elf. The Knights duties are policing the Marquisate and patrolling to the border with the Broken Lands.
Time passed slowly and peacefully for the elves and men of Satolas. De Reyder passed up all chance at becoming a Duke as not to leave the dominion he founded. With his death in 940, which had been preceded by his son and presumed heir some 8 years earlier, the Marquisate came open for an Award's Festival and started a period that lasts still today where Satolas has changed hands with regularity due to promotions or heir-less deaths. Satolas has been a quiet dominion. Few humanoid raids came and those that were were quickly destroyed, usually to the last humanoid. The border with the Khan has long been quiet, yet the Knights always prepare and train for fighting the Khans fabulous light cavalry. The Great War saw large portions of Satolas join the Glantrian Army to fight the Alphatians. The Glantrian 21st Division was an all Belcadiz Division raised primarily in Satolas along with elves of the surrounding Free Territories. The 21st received great fame and a unit citation from Prince Jaggar personally when it pierced the heart of the humanoid's defensive line on Hill 254 during the decisive Battles of Asadras which ended the humanoid advance up the eastern Vesubian Valley. Conjured monsters brought by Alphatian wizards troubled the region since many of it's best fighters and mages were off at the front. A hunter-killer team was dispatched from Glantri City and cleaned most of the monsters away. Even today it is not unheard of for an always vicious and often powerful monster to pop out of a cave or abandoned mineshaft and have to be tracked down and destroyed.
After the war things began returning to normal. With great honor and acclaim the 21st Division was demobilized with the Knights of Satolas charged with safeguarding the unit flag, emblazon with the Glantrian Unit Citation for bravery, and units colors. The region has seen an upswing in Alphatians migrating the the region after the destruction of their homeland of Blackhill during the war. They followed the newest Marquis of Satolas. Quanil Urbaal. With the death of Prince Volospin and his father, Quanil is the highest ranking Alphatian noble in Glantri and many look to him for leadership, and protection in the post Great War Glantri when being an Alphatian, even of Glantrian decent is not a good thing to be. The Belcadiz of Satolas are too laid back to harbor such hatred so the Alphatians have found a welcome refuge where they might start new lives.
Notable sites: Benoajan is a mining village near the geographic center of the Marquisate. Located just a couple miles from the Tower of the Marquis but has recently become a destination of many tourist in southeast Glantri. Some tourists have even come from the Capital to see the amazing caves of Cueva de la Pileta. Recently in 1002 by a prospector and opened for tours in 1011 the amount of tourists coming through Benoajan has increased steadily over the last 3 years. Plans have been laid forth to the Marquis to fund an expansion of the village for more inns, taverns, and specialty shops that cater to exploring the depths of the caves. So far the Marquis has not ruled on that proposal yet. While the caves are interesting and worth exploring, they are by no means unique especially in Glantri. What is unique though are the writings found in the caves. Scholars from the Great School have studied the drawings on the cave walls and estimate that there are two schools of art in the caves. The first dates from Cro-Magnon man, approximately 25,000 years ago in the upper Palaeolithic period. The more common charcoal scratchings are attributed to the Beastman school and contain a number of ZigZags and stick men. Many of these are of archers hunting their prey.
Coat of Arms: three doves on a field of sky blue
Useful links:
Glantrian Political History - AC 858 to 859 by Harri Mäki and Giovanni Porpora
History of House Urbaal by Giampaolo Agosta
GPD - Emeth Urbaal by Giampaolo Agosta
The Economy of Glantri by Aleksei Andrievski