Canterwall

Canterwall

(Region)

Titles

Palatinate of Canterwall

Nation

Ustalav

Capital

Tamrivena

Ruler

Palatine Council of Canterwall

Government

Ruling council

Religions

Pharasma

Source: Rule of Fear, pg(s). 18

One of the Palatinates, a group of Ustalavic counties no longer ruled by their hereditary noble families, Canterwall is renowned as the "breadbasket of Ustalav", providing practically half the food of the nation.

Geography

Canterwall lies in the west of Ustalav abutting the Hold of Belkzen on its western border; to its south lies the prison county of Virlych; to the east are the two Soivoda counties of Ardeal and Amaans; finally, to the north, is Canterwall's Palatine ally of Lozeri.

Threats to Canterwall

Despite the fertile nature of its farmlands, Canterwall is far from an idyllic place, as its borders are threatened by powerful enemies. To the west of Canterwall lie the hostile lands of the Hold of Belkzen, teaming with orcs hungry for slaughter and pillage. More recently (in the broadest sense of the word since it has been there since 3828 AR) the creation of Virlych, a haunted wasteland surrounding the Whispering Tyrant's prison, to the south has created another dire threat. The only reason Virlych is not a bigger threat to Canterwall is that it is regularly patrolled by brave knights from Lastwall who patrol the area to ensure the Whispering Tyrant does not return. As if these perils were not enough, recently several hamlets in south-western Canterwall have been discovered with all their inhabitants missing, the villages were found with no obvious signs of struggle and no clues to the inhabitants' location; it is almost as if they had been swallowed up by the mists that often sweep across the land.

History

Tamrivena

In the early decades of the 41st century AR, the county of Canterwall was known as Tamrivena, and was in a precarious situation. Ustalav had only been freed from the Whispering Tyrant's control in 3828 AR, and Tamrivena was still in the process of recovering from over 600 years of abject enslavement. The orcs of the nearby Hold of Belkzen sensed the county's frailty and conducted numerous cross-border raids in that time. They were driven back by the tactical cunning of Tamrivena's rulers and the strong bows and axes of its rangers time after time.

This changed with the ascension of Count Andachi. Knowing he did not have his ancestors' genius for warfare, he pleaded with the Ustalavic court for help, but his requests were mired in endless bureaucracy. Mile by mile, the orc forces pushed further into Tamrivena, and even the Count's pleas to Desna went unanswered. In desperation, he turned to a darker patron; he pleaded with Zon-Kuthon for aid.

The Dark Prince heard his prayers, and sent the mercenary Kazavon, who quickly reorganized Tamrivena's army, brutally training them to be ruthless and efficient. Kazavon led the army across the border and massacred the disorganized orc hordes. By 4043 AR, the enemy had been driven off Tamrivena's land, retreating into the foothills of the Kodar Mountains. It was then that Kazavon revealed his true intentions: instead of returning to Ustalav, he built a stronghold at Castle Scarwall and began to gather forces of his own. When Count Andachi realized Kazavon's cruelty and lust for power, he turned against the general, raising an army and marching against Castle Scarwall. The Count was easily defeated and publicly executed. Kazavon expanded his realm and ruled with terror and war for over a decade, until he was destroyed by an army led by the Lastwall hero Mandraivus.

Canterwall

The first of the Ustalavic counties to overthrow autocratic rule was Lozeri, in 4670 AR, in a relatively non-violent coup. The ruler of all Ustalav at that time, Prince Valislav Ordranti, was disinterested by this political manoeuvre and quickly recognized the new arrangement in Lozeri. Shortly thereafter, the two counties of Vieland and Tamrivena followed suit, the latter county re-established itself and changed its name to Canterwall. These three counties became known as the Palatinates. In the case of Tamrivena, the reliance of the whole of Ustalav on its food production was considered a major reason for the crown not contesting its political reformation as Canterwall.

Places of Interest

• The Saffron House

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.