Kullon

Kullon’s people are hardworking, superstitious, and wary of outsiders. They believe in omens from the sea, and many rituals revolve around warding off bad luck and war misfortune. The city’s docks are always busy, filled with the shouts of merchants and sailors, while its taverns are filled with rumors of war, missing people, and Daegal’s ever-watchful eyes.

Greater Lord Gregory Daegal: The Iron Serpent in a Frail Body

Greater Lord Gregory Daegal is an enigma. At first glance, he appears sickly and weak, a man barely clinging to life. His skin is pale, his hands shake, and he often leans on a jagged blackwood cane topped with an iron serpents head. However, beneath this feeble exterior lies one of the most ruthless rulers in Anmar.

Appointed by King Benedict Awlmostead, Daegal governs Kullon not as a mere administrator but as a warden of a city on the brink of war. His merciless rule is defined by paranoia, brutal discipline, and unwavering loyalty to the Anmarian cause. He speaks in a low, measured tone, never raising his voice, yet his words carry an undeniable weight of fear. He is highly intelligent and calculating, known for playing rival factions against one another to maintain control. It is rumored that he never sleeps—some whisper of forbidden magic, while others claim he simply fears assassination too much to rest.

Daegal’s Enforcers: The Black Guard

To maintain order, Daegal commands The Black Guard, an elite force of enforcers clad in black-dyed leather armor and armed with curved sabers. They are not soldiers but executioners, feared more than any foreign enemy.

• Recruitment: Many Black Guards are former criminals, granted a choice—serve in absolute loyalty or be executed.

• Secrecy & Terror: Their faces are often hidden behind masks of bleached bone, and they operate in the shadows, carrying out night arrests and public punishments.

• The Silent Judge: The second-in-command of the Black Guard, an executioner known only as The Silent Judge, has never been seen speaking. They wield a massive two-handed cleaver and personally carry out executions in the public square.

Spymasters & Informants

Kullon is a city of spies, and Daegal ensures that no secret goes unheard.

• The Whispermen – A clandestine group of informants, often beggars, dock workers, or merchants, who report directly to Daegal’s spymaster.

• The Ledger Keepers – Bureaucrats who record every sale, every shipment, and every debt, ensuring no illicit trade goes unnoticed.

• The Sea Rats – Dockside enforcers who specialize in dealing with smugglers and suspected Dinmarian agents.

Martial Law & Policies

Due to The Uxor War, Kullon operates under near-constant martial law.

• Mandatory Curfews – No civilian is permitted outside past the seventh toll of the evening bell without written permission.

• War Taxes – Heavy taxation on merchants, farmers, and craftsmen, with entire businesses seized for failing to meet quotas.

• Conscription Quotas – Every month, a certain number of young men and women are forcibly drafted into the war effort.

• Zero Tolerance for Treason – Speaking against Daegal or the war is punishable by exile, imprisonment, or public execution.

The Execution Square & The Red Scaffold

Public executions are a grim spectacle in Kullon, held in Execution Square, where a massive crimson-stained scaffold stands at its center. The square is packed every week as criminals, rebels, and captured Dinmarian spies meet their fates. Hangings, beheadings, and floggings are the most common punishments. Executions serve as entertainment, intimidation, and a warning to all who might oppose Daegal’s rule.

• The Bloodkeeper – The city’s official executioner, a hulking figure clad in red-stained robes, never seen without their massive beheading axe.

Whispers of a Dark Bargain

Many in Kullon whisper that Daegal’s frail body does not match his unnatural resilience. Some say he is kept alive by forbidden alchemy, consuming the blood of the condemned to sustain himself. Others claim he has made a deal with a dark power, offering souls in exchange for his own extended life. The Red Scaffold itself is said to be cursed, drinking in the blood spilled upon it to feed some unseen entity.

Strategic Importance in The Uxor War

Kullon is Anmar’s easternmost bastion, a gateway between Anmar and the contested lands of Dinmar. Because of this, the city’s docks are filled with military vessels, bringing troops and supplies to the front lines. It is a hub for espionage and counter-intelligence, with spies from both Anmar and Dinmar lurking in its streets. Tensions are high, as Dinmarian saboteurs are suspected of infiltrating the city. The people of Kullon live under constant fear of forced conscription or punishment for perceived treason.

Kullon’s economy is low-median, sustained by hard labor and harsh conditions. Unlike the grand trade empires of Callor or Ivantary, Kullon survives through necessity, with its industries focused on providing for both its people and the war effort.

• Textiles & Shoemaking: The city is known for its sturdy, practical garments and boots, worn by commoners and soldiers alike.

• Agriculture & Fishing: The land around Kullon is fertile, but the wet climate makes farming difficult. Most crops are grains and hardy vegetables, while fishing fleets haul in cod, herring, and shellfish from the Nascentia Sea.

• Merchants & Trade: Though not a trade powerhouse, Kullon acts as a stop for ships traveling between Anmar and Seradestina.

• Tanning: The strong tannery district is infamous for its pungent smell, producing leather for armor, boots, and war supplies.

The Black Knives (Criminal Syndicate & Smugglers)

A network of thieves and smugglers operating beneath Kullon’s military nose. They transport goods and people past Anmarian blockades and sell stolen military supplies. Some members secretly support the Dinmarian war effort.

The Crimson Shields (Mercenary Company)

A ruthless band of sell-swords and former soldiers for hire. They enforce Daegal’s rule and are often seen carrying out executions and raids against suspected traitors.

The Tideborn (Resistance Fighters & Informants)

An underground movement working against Lord Daegal. Some seek to aid Dinmar, while others simply want Kullon freed from military rule. They operate from hidden tunnels beneath the city.

The Saltgate Docks

Kullon’s lifeblood and a hub of trade, smuggling, and military activity. Many piers have been converted into makeshift naval bases, while a black market thrives beneath the watchful eye of corrupt guards. The docks are home to dockworkers, fishermen, and illicit traders moving goods past war blockades.

Daegal Keep

A grim fortress looming over the city, home to Greater Lord Gregory Daegal. The keep is heavily guarded, with underground dungeons and war chambers where strategies against Dinmar are devised. Many fear the keep's hidden torture chambers.

The Mud Market

A sprawling open-air market filled with merchants selling fish, leather, textiles, and illicit goods. During the war, prices have skyrocketed, and thieves and mercenaries roam freely. The market is also a center of spy activity.

The Gilded Hook Tavern

A haven for mercenaries, pirates, and war-weary adventurers. The tavern is a place to hear rumors, find work, or get involved in dangerous deals. The walls are covered in war maps and bounty posters.

The Tanners’ Quarters

A foul-smelling district where leatherworkers, shoemakers, and dyers toil. Many of the laborers are war refugees or prisoners sentenced to forced work. Fires and riots are common as tensions rise among the oppressed workers.

Kullon is a small but vital port city in the Anmar territory on the eastern coast of Bestrideak, resting on the shores of the Nascentia Sea. Despite its size and modest wealth, Kullon holds immense strategic value due to its proximity to the Dinmar border, making it a key battleground in the ongoing Uxor War.

Its wet continental climate brings long, cold winters and damp, stormy summers.