The Shadow Court

A secret organisation that seized control of Kalri in the wake of The Fall. The brain child of The Shadow, the mysterious head of the Assassins Guild. With an unknowable number of assassins at their beck and call, The Shadow quickly removed any obstacle that stood in the way of the Shadow Court. Notable victims of the uprising include:

• Stern Jern, a Master Thief who claimed to know the identity of The Shadow while in his cups.
• Arnier Geddom, the Head of the Merchants Guild and one of the richest men in the known world.
• Lord Prentis Blackfyre, Governor and rightful leader of Kalri

  By targeting the above, the Shadow Court effectively chopped off the head of any faction likely to resist, with the exception of the Thieves Guild (much like the Shadow Court, the identity of their Guildmaster is unknown). Regardless, the Thieves Guild were happy to ride the wave and see what profit there was to make. Many master rank thieves have since joined the ranks of the Shadow Court.  

The Night of Knives

  18 months after The Fall of Peloria, politicians and wealthy traders alike were shouldering much of the cost necessary to care for and relocate the many Pelorian refugees that were managing the trek across the Badlands. Seeing an opportunity, The Shadow Court began undermining these efforts. First, they bribed minor officials to look the other way during the weekly refugee census, causing an unregulated increase in their number. This put strain on the food supplies, which were in turn managed by corrupt traders that owed the Court a favor or two. As the humanitarian crisis began to spiral ever downwards, the most prominent champions of Kalri rose to the forefront and likely would have saved the city.   Unfortunately, by rising to the occasion they also made themselves targets, and were all summarily slain in one brutal night. Incited riots kept the city guards occupied while the entire upper echelon of Kalri was removed. As the sun rose, The Shadow issued a proclamation throughout the city, declaring a martial law that would be enforced by unseen agents. If anyone complained, they didn't last long enough to make it well known.  

Governing Style

  According to The Shadow Court, Kalri would have floundered under the former government. Too much expenditure on resettlement would have ultimately bankrupt the city, especially when the other cities of Ishar required more food and trade prices would begin to rise. The Shadow apparently foresaw the way things were going and decided the city required a ruler with the mettle to do what needed to be done.   The first act of the Shadow Court was to formalise the existence of The Mudflats as a refugee camp. Any refugees currently within the city were rounded up and moved out of the city. Naturally a few resisted but a few sudden executions soon got the crowds moving. The Shadow Court then began to distribute meagre food rations to the refugees, never enough to fill their bellies but just enough to keep them alive and working. This kept the city alive, although at the price of allowing a cancerous growth to flourish alongside it.