Barda

Barda is the largest city in the eastern kingdoms, serving as a centre of sorts for the realms there. King Gonthier rules here, who has cultivated his own faction among his neighbours, placing himself at its head through bullying and strongarm tactics. The city is infested with a xenophobic mindset, fuelling the idea that its inhabitants are somehow superior to the rest of the Routot. Witch Hunters of Segom have found refuge here, building upon this attitude and encouraging it for their own purposes. The city sits in the shadow of the Malada mountains, receiving attention from the monsters that dwell in its passes and peaks. Halflings have a small community within the city and its surroundings, the prejudice they face binding them into a somehow even more tight-knit group than they usually are. The city is built primarily of brick, giving it a wealthy and prosperous appearance, especially to people from the poorer surrounding kingdoms.

Politics

Barda is an interesting city, being the farthest east of the major kingdoms, and one of the farthest east Routot kingdom in general. Sitting on the far edge of the confederacy, it should come as no surprise that it feels barely connected to the more western realms, having been tied to the nation with only the most tenuous of threads. In recent years, the Kings of Barda have sought to either seize control of the seat of Archduke, or separate entirely from the rest of the Routot and create their own unified nation among the eastern realms. This attitude is picking up steam as a wealth gap grows further between the east and west of the confederacy, the easterners seeing themselves as poor because of the policies of the Houlm Archdukes. King Gonthier especially has capitalized on this disenfranchisement, having secured his own place at the head of this budding eastern faction. He works through strongarm and extortion tactics, cowing his rivals into submission through skullduggery and other political manoeuvres. He has grown increasingly bold in the past decade, outright flaunting the authority of the Archduke and and openly talking about his own independence.

Within the kingdom, Gonthier is merely a figurehead for his own rule. Most understand the true power behind the throne to be his advisor Morvan, the leader of Segom’s cult in the city. The unscrupulous witch hunter has wormed his way into the halls of power, using his own convictions to push and influence King Gonthier on domestic policy. Given sweeping powers of prosecution within Barda, he sees little reprimand from a King who considers him a spiritual messiah. Together, they form a formidable duo of repression and authoritarianism, readily abusing their feudal rights to silence and sweep away critics or rebels. This has given rise to a reasonably large underground community of non-humans and other abnormal groups within the city, using their newfound connections to work against the hierarchy imposed upon them. Halfling gangs are especially notable, running much of the criminal underworld in Barda.

Groups

Witch Hunters of Segom

Segom is a god of the natural order, desiring a certain flow in how the world functions and operates. Magic disrupts this order, adding an unnatural chaos to the world. As such, his followers are strongly opposed to its use, devoted to stomping out and eradicating those who practice it. They can be found across the human realms, working in small cells that rely on the generosity and hospitality of peasants. They conduct underground sermons in the cities and villages they travel between, decrying mages and those that rely on them. Generally repressed, they operate under the noses of the authorities and larger cults, working to spread their message and methods to any who will listen. These Witch Hunters, as they are known, are often solely devoted to their cause, vehemently and radically following Segom’s ideology. Many suspected magic users have fallen to their blades, undergoing unfair trials and misplaced sense of justice. The Noreya are an especially favourite target of theirs, seeing their deformities as a mark of their magical heritage. They have an especially strong bastion in Barda, supported by the isolationist mindset of it and the other eastern kingdoms.

Landmarks

The Cloister

Segom’s worship is the dominant religion within Barda, and as such its temple is quite lavish and imposing. It stands near the heart of the city, opening on the large central market square that collects all traffic incoming to the kingdom. Fires burn continually in two large sconces on either side of the doors, while intimidating statues stare balefully with watchful eyes at all who pass. The hall serves as a gathering point for Segom’s Witch hunters, acting as a stronghold of sorts for their activities within the city. Its basements have been formed into dungeons, hosting the torture and detention of various suspected sorcerers and other offensive non-humans who work against the order in the city. Services are held, where Morvan Bastin and other influential figures of the cult preach against the threat of sorcery and other abnormalities in society. The presence and importance of the cult has ensured it takes a prominent role in the city, imposing its values into the minds of practically the entire town. Some work to undermine its influence, but they largely fight an underground war for the spirituality of the townsfolk. Some more orthodox followers of the god see the temple as an affront to the more natural desires of Segom, making the building a controversial landmark among even its own followers.

Personalities

King Gonthier, Flame of the East

Barda is an isolated city, far from the urban centres of the west. This makes it easily the most important settlement in the east, and attracts merchants and travellers in that region to it like a magnet. As the centre of this region, its inhabitants tend to inflate their own importance, buying into some idea of their superiority over others. King Gonthier certainly subscribes to this idea, convinced that he doesn’t need any support from the other Routot kings to be successful. He throws his weight around in the east, a bully to smaller rulers in the area. He has been building a case among the other Kings to make a bid for the seat of Archduke, or a new independent ruler, but as of yet his support seems to have stalled. Gonthier is of average height, a slightly overweight. He has light brown hair, and keeps himself clean shaven. His eyes are small, with a narrow brow keeping them close together. His jaw is wide with a well-defined chin, giving his skull an odd shape.

Morvan Bastin, Segom's Chosen

The Witch Hunters of Segom are especially powerful in Barda, having cultivated significant influence among the kings of the east. The cult here is more established than in other parts of the human realms, having made the kingdom the heart of their order. Establishing a large chapter house within the city, they have wormed their way into the very fabric of society here. With a presence in the court of King Gonthier, they have become the unofficial watch within the city and its surroundings; extrajudicial gangs that roam the city looking for any sort of anomalies among the population. This intolerance has worked to make Barda a fairly repressive place to live, especially for its non-human populations. They suffer from harassment, and sometimes worse, as they try and carve out a life in the kingdom. Morvan Bastin is the head of the order in the city, and therefore perhaps the most powerful Witch Hunter in the world. He has a significant role in King Gonthier’s court, being a very close friend and advisor to the xenophobic figurehead. Some claim he is the true power behind the throne, and indeed he does seem to have little curtailing his power in the kingdom. Morvan is a middle aged man with blond hair, with thick sideburns that curl into a moustache. He is hale and lively, with a chubby face and a pale complexion. He works tirelessly to stomp out what he sees as abnormalities in the kingdom, fighting to keep a pure and orderly kingdom for his liege. He struggles to extend his influence beyond the kingdom, however, with witch hunters abroad believing his message has been tainted and perverted by his political ambitions.

Wilim Braoin, Cheesemonger

The Halfling community in the eastern kingdoms is relatively downtrodden. Considered less important than humans in many of the towns and cities, they are often poorer and worse off than even the peasantry. Few have managed to make themselves successful, rising above prejudice and racism to carve out a living in the world. Wilim is one such Halfling, who has made a name for himself as a very prominent merchant in Barda. He primarily deals in foodstuffs, selling grain and other goods to the townsfolk. On top of this, he has made a name for himself in providing luxury imported goods to the nobles of the city and its surroundings, with foreign wines and cheeses being a particular specialty. With his wealth, he uses much of it for good, a pillar in the Halfling community who serves as a model example for the downtrodden. Even the Witch Hunters give him no trouble, using him as an example of the right sort of non-human. Behind the scenes, however, he is heavily involved in the criminal underworld of the city. Several Halfling gangs use him as a fence or go-between, using secret tunnels connecting his shops to transport goods and evade detection or capture. Wilim’s overall goal is to undermine and eventually overthrow the king, and he slowly and painfully creeps towards this goal. A short and portly Halfling, he is often very well dressed in a style more alike the Routot than traditional Halfling attire. He speaks very eloquently and surely, with the practiced ease of a politician or master actor. His hair is curly and brown, with dark features.