Ravounel

The latest and most drastic shift in the Old Cheliax region is the independence of Ravounel, which seceded from Cheliax and declared itself as a free nation a few years ago. Under the leadership of Domina Jilia Bainilus, the former Lord-Mayor of Kintargo, Ravounel has threaded the delicate line between shoring up its own position as a regional power and maintaining cordial, if strained, relationships with its neighbors. Domina Bainilus must also preserve harmony between the various powers within Ravounel through diplomatic means, since she does not have the military strength to force compliance from her subjects and cannot afford to alienate any allies in the fragile new state. Although she has performed admirably so far, the difficulty of her position has increased as tensions mount between Cheliax and Andoran.

Ravounel gained its independence by unusual and dramatic means. A rebel group, the Silver Ravens, uncovered a long-forgotten infernal document, the Kintargo Contract, and determined that its terms held a loophole that could be used to legally break House Thrune’s grip on the Archduchy of Ravounel. The Silver Ravens deposed Paracount Barzillai Thrune, who had used his temporary seat in Kintargo to plot treason against his own house, installed Lord-Mayor Bainilus as the leader of this new nation, and worked to unite various factions within Ravounel behind her. Upon attaining office, Lord-Mayor Bainilus chose the title “Domina,” an old-fashioned honorific that had fallen into disuse after the Chelish Civil War.

The choice of title was meant to signal both that Ravounel now stood outside House Thrune’s hierarchy and that she intended to govern in keeping with old Chelish values—which might be interpreted either as a subtle rebuke to House Thrune’s perversion of those values, or an indication that she did not intend to repudiate Ravounel’s Chelish heritage and connections. This ambiguity is deliberate, and characteristic of Ravounel’s positions.

Several disparate groups hold influence within Ravounel. First and foremost are the wealthy families of Kintargo, who control the shipping concerns, established industries, and domestic trade networks within the new country. Sea trade is particularly important, because the collapse of the Menador Gap has cut off land trade until Ravounel can clear the gap; this is an expensive and ongoing project, and it has spurred a certain amount of resentment toward the Silver Ravens, who won the nation’s independence in part by deliberately destroying the pass to prevent Cheliax from attempting a military takeover. Now that invasion is no longer an immediate risk, many are second-guessing the costs that Ravounel incurred to prevent it.

Other influential groups in the new realm include the aquatic elves of the Dismal Nitch, the strix of the Ravounel Forest, and the self-styled Kings and Queens of Vyre, the City of Masks. These last have kept Ravounel’s government at a flirtatious distance, offering it sporadic and unreliable support without pledging any formal allegiance. Each of these groups offers valuable trade goods, military defenses, and regional intelligence, but none are accustomed to coordinating their interests or activities with the others. The new government of Ravounel is forever coaxing them to cooperate, and they have sometimes chafed at its demands. Meetings of the Council of Peers, as the factions’ representatives are called, can be fractious.

The Bellflower Network, a secretive, halfling-centric organization that smuggles escaped slaves out of Cheliax to freedom, has also developed a strong presence in Ravounel, which has outlawed slavery under the new regime. However, Ravounel’s emerging status as a haven for escaped slaves has caused it quite a few headaches, as slave-hunters such as the Hellknight Order of the Chain demand the government’s cooperation in apprehending fleeing slaves. An additional complication is that some Kintargan nobles, whose sympathies and business connections remain with Cheliax, have taken to kidnapping slaves and selling them back to the infernal empire. While Domina Bainilus would dearly love to put an end to this practice, she does not yet have the political or economic strength to confront these nobles, who collectively could threaten the stability of her regime.

Despite this, the mood in the young country is overwhelmingly optimistic. Cheliax’s most ardent loyalists have returned to their mother country, and the citizens who remain are determined to build Ravounel into a fairer and kinder society. Most of its people never believed they would live to see a day in which, after a largely bloodless revolution, they could declare their independence from the empire of devils and force House Thrune to respect that independence. If that means Ravounel must be slightly poorer and less grandiose than it was as an archduchy of Cheliax, this is little loss, for at least now its wealth and prestige can be shared more equitably among its citizens.

Vyre

The independent city-state of Vyre, known as the City of Masks, predates Cheliax and has long been famous for its riotous entertainments. Gambling halls, fighting pits, brothels, and hawkers of every imaginable vice crowd the city, catering to wealthy Chelaxians seeking a respite from their regimented lives. Since Ravounel declared independence, Vyre’s status has become even more ambiguous. The masked Kings and Queens who rule the city declared their support for Ravounel while simultaneously encouraging their Chelish visitors to continue carousing as if nothing had changed—and, indeed, little seems to have changed in Vyre today. The same cruel entertainments that were available under Queen Abrogail II’s rule are still performed under Domina Bainilus’s flag, and the same promise of anonymity is offered to its guests. Beneath the surface, however, much is in flux. Vyre is a center of Norgorber’s worship, and Vyre’s current position as a playground between Cheliax and Ravounel has created a perfect opportunity for Norgorber’s faithful to harvest secrets, sow betrayals, and sabotage both sides of the divide.

ECONOMICS

Cheliax has a strong and well-developed economy that circulates trade goods from across the world, produces everything from fine wines and olive oils to masterful artworks, and imports all manner of wares and people, whether as purchased slaves or as honored dignitaries invited for tours and residencies. Cheliax’s trade, particularly in luxury goods, is highly valued across the continent.

Isger mainly exports lumber, food, and ore, and imports only basic manufactured goods. However, it’s a vassal state of Cheliax, so its trade imbalance enriches only Cheliax’s coffers. Tolls and tariffs on the Conerica River trade are key to its economy.

Nidal exports silver jewelry, glasswork, and other finely crafted luxuries. It imports slaves, wines, and edible delicacies, but the nation is largely self-sufficient.

Ravounel is still finding its bearings with respect to trade. At present, it trades mostly with Cheliax, dealing in fish, marble, lumber, salt, silver, and other natural resources. The tourist trade through Vyre is also critically important for the young nation’s emerging economy, even if Vyre’s masked rulers are unreliable about sharing their wealth.

KINTARGO