History: In the aftermath of the fall of the Athenon Empire, the city-state of Karamvor was left in turmoil as the residents were under attack by the enemies of the empire. In 5121 e.c., several years after the establishment of the Kingdom of Corte, the wealthiest and prosperous of the heads of the major Tradehouses and guilds drew together an accord and organized the Trade Council. The Trade Council’s first act was to establish the sovereignty of the Republic of Karam, whose primary purpose and interest was trade.
In the centuries following the Nullmagic, the Republic of Karam would grow to establish itself as an economic power, due to being centrally located on the continent, with many trade routes nearby. However, that location started to turn into a problem. The strains of keeping the Forest of Sorcery in check, along with dealing with the constant threat of the Vivon Woods and Carrion Fields to the west, and the Southron Desert creeping up from the south, was starting to take its toll on the Trade Guard. The Trade Council again took a page from Corte’s creation of Worshal and established a vassal country to the west in 6748 e.c., Camstill. In later years, they would build the Great Road connecting the two capitals, Stallenford and Pennaligon, a vast impressive highway of green massotime quarried from the Southron Desert. After a long and arduous session, the Trade Council also approved plans to create a wizard’s guild and university. These plans lay dormant until 6952 e.c., when Latham invaded the newly formed country of Erthasa in a bid to take back the wells of power and the fleeing mages. The Mage’s Order and the School of Sorcery were then founded in Pennaligon, with the Chancellor of the Order and the Headmaster of the School given seats on the Trade Council to ensure the mages’ loyalty.
Pennaligon was built after the Trade Council foresaw the need for a closer trade center to the desert countries. When it was first built, desert raiders sacked it. It has been destroyed one other time several decades later, and has been rebuilt from both devastations. As such, there is a small “undercity” among the sewer tunnels that consists of several of the sturdier, lower buildings that have survived the ages. Also because it has been rebuilt practically from scratch, it may be the most organized and well laid out city in the known world.
During the Eternal Day, Karam came under direct attack by Dark Speakers mounted on a weyr of green dragons. Due to the chaotic consequences of the time period, the Trade Council could not call on any foreign aid and so was devastated by the attack, despite national forces that rose to drive them off like Stryder Suenso, Bartok Stonehammer, and Uta Salacious.
In the course of the attack, no less than six green dragons descended on Crystallyn’s secret headquarters beneath the city hall building, which was currently housing the entire Trade Council and their families, in addition to various dignitaries and ambassadors from around the world. Stryder battled the dragons to a standstill on the roof of the building, delaying the Dark Speakers long enough for the Mage’s Order’s forces to force the dragons from the air.
When victory was assured, the Trade Council immediately convened to decide on several matters, not least of which was retaliation. During this conference, several matters came to light and more than a few heroes were honored for their roles in the Flight of Dragons. There, the Trade Council awarded Bartok Stonehammer the title of Lord Commander of Karam, and The Mountain King, in personal and national gratitude, bestowed upon Bartok the designation of honorary clanwarden, and in an act of appreciation from the entire dwarven nation, he absolved Clan Stonehammer of all of its past crimes. Stryder was venerated as a national hero, his legacy and house granted back to him. House Suenso had become Guildhouse Suenso.
The country was split into three factions: The Capitals, the Farmer’s Market (agricultural heads of power who control the farmlands), and High Point, the military Trade Guard. Although they still work together and consider themselves Karn, there is no longer the loyalty to the decrees of the Trade Council as before the Eternal Day. There are still forces at work to bring the three factions together again, however, such as the Mage’s Order under Uta and siding with the Trade Council with Bartok serving as head bodyguard, and Lord Ogden Faithfulrest negotiating with the Trade Guard.
Magic Enforcement: The Trade Council, in conjunction with the Mage’s Order, deals very severely with magic-users who enter one of the capital cities. The Trade Guard operates out of both cities, and have trained squads of guards who are equipped with message stones (similar to sending stones, but only one way). In addition, every student or novice magic-user affiliated with either the School or the Order or any of the churches work for the Trade Guard as on-the-job learning/training. All gates into both cities have a staff of detect magic (a unique creation of one of the valedictorians the School of Sorcery) implanted in the crossbeam. Every person that passes through the gate is scanned for magic and a message of the school of magic is sent to every message stone of the squad nearby. The guards will draw the offender and any members of his or her party aside, where an Order-approved sergeant will question their magic and narrow down the members who can cast. This process is also initiated for any individuals who look like they could be spellcasters…i.e. wearing robes or carrying staves or bearing religious symbols of faith. Divine spellcasters are advised to report to the local church or temple where they can sign in. Natural spellcasters and arcane spellcasters are cautioned against using magic unlicensed in the city. A license costs 50gp, flat fee. It is good for the entire time spent in the city grounds…once the character is 1 mile away from the city, the ink fades away permanently. If the spellcaster is observed casting a spell, they are immediately asked to show their license. If they do not have one, they are firmly escorted out of the city immediately. Accompanying party members are exempt. If the spellcaster attempts to reenter the city once expelled, three mages from the Order of appropriate level teleport the unfortunate directly into an anti-magic prison. The spellcaster is divested of all possessions and advised to their rights to a Council approved attorney and given a court date, usually several months in the future.
In addition, several spells are outright forbidden to be cast within city grounds, and indeed within view of any Karn citizen, license or no. Only Order members are allowed to cast any of these spells, and must be able to uphold an Order inquiry into the circumstances of these instances. In reality, any necromancy or enchantment spell is questionable, and the Trade Guard will not hesitate to pull any individual casting any such spell into an interrogation room.
- charm person
- suggestion
- life transference
- dominate person
- magic jar
- tsunami
- earthquake
- summon demon
- summon undead
- summon fiend
- summon fey
- soul cage
- meteor swarm
- psychic scream
- blade of disaster
Shadows of Dakaron 