City State of Tyr

1. City State of Tyr

2. Tyr lies in a small valley among the foothills of the Ringing Mountains. Although not the largest city of the Tablelands, it's considered one of the most important due to its political clout, location, and great (by Athasian standards) reserves of iron ore in the nearby mountains. A single caravan trading route connects Tyr to the network of roads that link the major cities of the Tablelands. This is not to imply that elven traders do not use other routes of their own devising, but there is only a single navigable pass for the larger caravans. • Until recently, the city of Tyr had been ruled by the great sorcerer-king Kalak. Following the death of Kalak and the ensuing war with Urik (see History below), the people of Tyr have begun the reconstruction of their city amid a storm of change. The government has undergone sweeping reform. Trade and commerce, long neglected due to Kalak’’s obsession with the construction of his ziggurat, are on the rise as iron once more flows from the mine. The games have begun again as well, now the province of freemen, not slaves, where the only deaths are accidental. Even the more secretive societies of Tyr have emerged from the aftermath with renewed energies. • This is not to say that “all is well” in Tyr. The city still faces an uncertain future. Divergent voices sound within the Council's chambers. Food and water remain scarce, and many have no work or decent lodgings. Mobs of looters and thieves roam the city for, as the saying goes, “Freedom alone will not fill yer belly!” Further, many of Tyr’’s defenders perished in the war against Urik, leaving the city vulnerable to outside attacks.

3. Today, Tyr fights to rebuild its economy and withstand radically changing politics and social upheaval. Even the lowliest kank -herder has heard of Kalak’s death and the events that followed. Post-Kalak Tyr has faced greater challenges than any other city-state in the region. King Tithian and the Council of Advisers passed sweeping reforms, angering the old nobility and bringing hope to the common people.

4. Here are some of the major events in chronological order: • Tithian appears before the stunned arena crowd holding aloft • the crown of Kalak and proclaims himself king. The crowd, • reeling from Kalak’s life-draining attack and news of his death, • accepts Tithian as king. As his first act, King Tithian frees all Tyr’s • slaves.

5. 2. Agis calls an emergency meeting of the Senate. Following much debate, the Senate passes profound reforms. The legislation is taken to Tithian who, trying to win the senators. support, signs the majority of the edicts without reading them. Later, Tithian is angered by some of the reforms passed, but takes no action, fearing a revolt. The Senate then disbands (under much protest from the older senators) in order to forma new governing body, The Council of Advisers. The Council is comprised of representatives including former senators, tradesmen, craftsmen, ex-slaves, and templars. King Tithian approves the reformation, and the new Council.

6. 3. Tithian and Agis devise methods to reopen the iron mines, brickyards, and the markets, and to establish subsistence farming for the disenfranchised. Amid the news of freedom and liberation, it is announced that the armies of Urik are marching on Tyr in order to seize its vital iron mines. Agis, Rikus, and others march to stop the threat only to find the enemy armies disbanded and fleeing back to where they came from.

7. 4. The mines reopen with paid laborers rather than slaves. Lawbreakers are still sent to the mines as punishment for heinous crimes. The arena opens as a market except during special gladiatorial events. Trading companies from across the Tablelands flock to the newly freed city-state to revive old trade routes and establish new ones.

8. Templars The templars continue in their administrative roles despite the loss of their King. They no longer define the legal system as they once did as Kalak’s enforcers, but some templars have found imaginative ways to subvert the laws passed down by the Council to further their own ends. They excel as bureaucrats and have refined collusion and graft into high art forms.

9. The merchants that have came to Tyr in hopes of taking control of the “free” market have opened up another can of worms unintentionally. Between themselves the merchant houses battle for control of top selling rights in a currently broken economy. Crime has increased with the freeing of all the slaves who are unable to feed themselves nor their families. Merchant houses began hiring to increase their guard but find themselves fighting one another more than solving any problems.

10. The Noble families of Tyr are also in turmoil. With having to pay for all their help instead of using slaves their treasuries are beginning to whither away. Noble houses fight with one another for dominance like they have never done before. Each house tries to acquire new status within the new ruling classes to gain favors that they once had some control, or at least the illusion of control. The noble quarter is completely cut off from the other sections of the city with a great wall with highly armed guards, just as the Templar quarter is.

11. The Elven Market has been thriving since the death of King Kalak. Some say that it has to also do with the increased crime rate within the City-state. With haggling it is possible to get your hands on almost anything here. For this reason it is not uncommon to see Nobles and Templars shopping here right beside the beggars.

12. The city guard that guards the city have become as petty as the Templars are. They are known for taking bribes and looking the other way. On the other hand with the backing of the Templars they are feared within the Barrens. Nothing will clear out the Barrens faster than a patrol of city guard.

13. The Templar quarter is still unseen by most. Without invitation there is no way to get past this special city guard. As this quarter is the section that is the last before reaching the Kings Palace it is heavily guarded and only a fool would try to sneak in. To be caught unauthorized within the templars quarter would be a death sentence, one way or the other.

14. Gangs roam throughout the Warrens regularly at night and during the day pick pockets and thieves look for victims making the warrens one of the worst places to wander through in Tyr. The edges of buildings are covered in human excrement as there are no designated places for residence to dispose of their waste. The smell of the warrens stands as a warning to what visitors are about to enter.

15. Now the city is undergoing a change. Something has happened that is setting in motion a chain of events that will change Tyr forever. Will the Metal Spoon be up for the challenge? Find out in session 25, named: Rumorsof Resurrection!!