City of Rats Part II: Government of Dunwall

Dunwall's government is made up of a ruling Castellan (typically the head of House Kaldwin) and a city council that concerns itself with the day-to-day business of the city.

House Kaldwin has ruled over Dunwall since the War of the Castellans in the early 420s, a position that they have held despite wars and upheavals. Indeed it was Castellan Lando Kaldwin who led the liberation of his city and forced the Khadorans out in 468 AR. The latest Kaldwin to rule over Dunwall was Jessamine Kaldwin who committed herself to a just and compassionate rule, doing whatever it took to alleviate the suffering of her people. Sadly she was recently assassinated, as it is widely believed, by her bodyguard Corvo Attano. Her heir and daughter, Emily Kaldwin, is presently missing with her current whereabouts unknown.

After Jessamine's death, Thane Hiram Burrows took power as the Lord Governor with approval from Merin but on the condition that it was only a temporary measure until either Emily Kaldwin was found or a new Castellan was appointed. Burrows had served House Kaldwin for a number of years and had been made a Thane by Jessamine's father, Euhorn Kaldwin. Though in contrast to the late Jessamine, Hiram rules with an iron fist and has enforced harsh measures on the city to deal with the plague that has engulfed it.

The City Council is largely made up of Dunwall's nobility, though there is a growing number of rich merchants and industrialists whom have gained seats in the Council. The Council mainly deals with the every running of the city, the collection of taxation and paying the City Watch's wages. With the coming of the plague it has had to introduce emergency measures and concerning to some the head of Dunwall's Menite religion, High Overseer Thaddeus Campbell, was appointed to the City Council by the Lord Governor to act as the de facto head of the Council.

City of Rats Part I: Dunwall

Thousand Cities Era

On the site that the present day city of Dunwall occupies, south-west of the Windwater Lakes, there was once an earlier city whose name is now lost to the sands of time. Like Berck it hosted the Tordoran Armada, though probably because of this it was put to the torch by the Orgoth invaders shortly after the Battle of a Thousand Sails and the scorched ruins were turned into a port fortress by the Orgoth to consolidate their hold on the region.

The Rebellion Era

By the time of the Rebellion a slave town had grown up around the Orgoth fort, though it wasn't regarded as an important site for either side until later on when the Orgoth were being driven back into the sea. Though like many settlements it was subjected to the Scourge, though the Rebels manage to seize the city before the Orgoth had the chance to destroy every last stone.

The Corvis Treaties

203 AR saw the creation of Ord and also the founding of what became the city of Dunwall, much like the Orgoth had done before them the Ordic people rebuilt the ruins into a port fortress to guard against the return of the invaders from across the Meredius. The old Orgoth central keep was demolished and its foundations used for a new central fort that became Dunwall Tower, whilst the old tunnels below the city were eventually adapted into a sewer system.

The Colossal War

During the first attacks of the Colossal War in 250 AR Dunwall quickly found itself under siege by Khadoran forces, eventually falling after two months and not liberated by joint Ordic-Cygnaran forces until six years later. However Dunwall had been ruined by the war and fell into a period of decline and became overshadowed by Berck as a major port for trade.

The Border Wars

War would return by the century's end with the First Expansion War fought by Khador, though Dunwall suffered less with only raids and bombardments by the Khadoran Navy. Though when the port of Radhavo fell, Dunwall suddenly found itself in serious danger. Though the Khadorans were halted outside nearby Corbhen and forced to fall back. Later in the war the Ordic Royal Navy used Dunwall as a base to launch raids against its Khadoran counterpart and Kingsparrow Island at the mouth of the Wrenhaven River was fortified and turned into a bastion to help defend the city against further attacks.

The Quiet Century

Dunwall slowly recovered from the damage it had suffered during the wars over the previous few decades, gradually it became a fishing and later whaling port as its fortunes increased. Though it did see violence return to its streets during the War of the Castellans that lasted from 421-425 AR, House Kaldwin would gain governance over the city by the time the conflict ended.

Second Expansion War

By the mid 460s war reared its ugly head once more, Dunwall was quickly captured following a large naval battle which allowed the Khadorans to land an invasion force to take the port city and then seize Corbhen. The Khadorans then pressed on to take Berck but were halted and then eventually forced back, both Dunwall and Corbhen were liberated in 468 AR.

The Modern Era

It was during the first couple of decades of the 500s that the potential of whale oil, once refined, as an energy source was first realised. It would take until the later part of the century when the alchemical process was made viable and refined, the first few pieces of specially adapted Mechanika powered by this new energy source followed soon afterwards. By 600 AR Dunwall's whaling had turned into a major industry and improved the city's economic standing.

Despite Dunwall's good fortune, Plague struck the city in 607 AR...

IKRPG: City of Rats

Thus begins a new series for the blog's Friday slot.

I've been kicking about the idea of doing an IKRPG campaign based upon the video game Dishonored, there are a few elements that crossover quite nicely and that makes feel it would work.

Basic idea is to simply adapt the city of Dunwall to the Iron Kingdoms, making changes where needed like having Dunwall be an Ordic whaling town, etc. Gradually over time as I create content for a Dishonored based game I hope to eventually weave adventures and a fully-fledged campaign from it, so hopefully enough to keep this new series of articles and posts going for a little while.

Next week the proper start of the series, chiefly content covering the Iron Kingdoms version of Dunwall.

Full Metal Friday 23/8/2013

Another preview for Kings, Nations and Gods, this time around a look at the Ordic Heavy Warjack the Toro and an upgrade.

http://privateerpress.com/community/privateer-insider/insider-8-23-13

Mis-Adventures In The Iron Kingdoms, Part III 9/5/2013

With my current IK campaign coming to an end I am starting to look at the future.

For my next campaign I am planning to do one based upon the video game Dishonored, a game that in some respects is similar to the Iron Kingdoms. I have already posted some notes on the PP forums which can be found here; http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?132821-Dishonored-In-Western-Immeron

A basic run-down of the campaign is that Dunwall exists in Western Immeron as an Ordic whaling town, it is ruled over by the Kaldwin family who are Castellans (a duke in other kingdoms). The players would be a group hired by a local noble to investigate and hopefully find a cure for the Plague that has overrun the city.