History of Kintargo

The history of Kintargo can be split into three periods:

• The Chelaxian era of rule, from its official recognition in 3213 AR until 4716 AR
• The Kintargan Rebellion, a period of violent unrest from 4716–4717 AR
• The Ravounel era of rule, starting with the secession of Ravounel from Cheliax in 4717 AR

Chelaxian era (3213–4716 AR)

The skyline of Kintargo.

Much of Kintargo's distant past is unknown, in part due to suspected tampering with historical documents and records by agents of House Thrune. Scraps of information remain, such as the city's unknown connection to the local dragons Adrakash, Ithanothaur, and Rivozair; stories of the Temple Hill Slasher; and the strange patterns of the Temple of Asmodeus's Devil's Bells.

Records date the city's official recognition to 3213 AR, when Cheliax was a province of Taldor and the Taldan "Red General" Cherletra Andos named herself Kintargo's first lord-mayor. However, by this point Kintargo was already a small fishing town and evidence existed of older settlements on Argo Isle.

A group of adventurers known as the Silver Ravens—founded in 4606 AR by the elven folk hero Jackdaw—protected Kintargo from the chaos that followed the death of Aroden in 4606 AR, and resisted the ascent of House Thrune and its attempts to claim the city. Silver Ravens Amyreid and Kyda developed the Song of Silver, a magical performance that repelled Thrune-led attacks four times. However, the group's resistance failed on the fifth assault in 4640 AR, leading to the deaths of several of the Silver Ravens, including Amyreid and Kyda. Jackdaw surrendered to House Thrune in an attempt to end violence against the city and was imprisoned in Kintargo Keep under the watch of the lich known only as the First Warden. House Thrune then began redacting the group's exploits from Kintargo's history.

Under Cheliax, Kintargo became part of the Archduchy of Ravounel. In 4337–4338 AR, Cheliax used the city as its forward staging point for its successful invasion of Nidal, after which the Chelish Navy retained a larger presence in part due to its proximity to the vices of Vyre.

The Navy's frequent visits tendeed to exert a pall over life in the city. Seeking to give the naval commanders and crew a good show, former Lord-Mayor Jilia Bainilus tended to enforce the dictates of church and state before relaxing them again after they departed.

In 4599 AR, the city's renowned Alabaster Academy was scandalized by the sadistic murders committed by one of its professors, who was later known as the Temple Hill Slasher. The damage done to its reputation caused enrollment to fall so dramatically that by 4719 AR its enrollment was still a quarter of its former peak ca. 4579 AR.

Unprotected by any natural barriers, the city and its citizens were among the most cosmopolitan in Cheliax, and the infernal influence so prominent in other Chelaxian cities was not nearly as noticeable in Kintargo. This also made the city a convenient home for those looking to overthrow the Chelaxian government, particularly after House Thrune ascended to rule Cheliax over Ravounel's protestations for independence in 4606 AR.

Religion

While the official Church of Asmodeus was Kintargo's most prominent, Temple Hill also hosted temples for a few other state-approved faiths, including Zon-Kuthon, Abadar, and Shelyn. Even worship of Iomedae remained legal, if rare.

Organizations

Church of Asmodeus

The Chelaxian state church of Kintargo was led by the unpopular Corinstian Grivenner.

Court of Coin

The eight noble families of the Court of Coin were treated as trusted advisers:

• House Aulamaxa
• House Aulorian
• House Delronge
• House Jarvis
• House Jhaltero
• House Sarini
• House Tanessen
• House Vashnarstill

Of the eight families, three were openly loyal to House Thrune: Delronge, Sarini, and Tanessen.

Hellknights

Under Cheliax, the Hellknights were once prominent within the city. Kintargo was the only home of the otherwise nomadic manhunters of the Hellknight Order of the Torrent, led by Lictor Octavio Sabinus.

Lacunafex

During the final two centuries of Chelaxian rule, the elf Mialari Docur established Lady Docur's School for Girls, an exclusive elven boarding school for young Chelaxian nobles. Angered by the ascension of House Thrune, she formed a secret society within the school known as the Lacunafex to secretly teach spycraft and subterfuge to her students.

Other factions

• The Thrune loyalist Chelish Citizens' Group
• The rebellious Rose of Kintargo cult of Milani
• The Iroran Sacred Order of Archivists

Kintargan Rebellion (4715–4717 AR)

Paracount Barzillai Thrune.

A series of events precipitated by the installation of a crony of House Thrune as Kintargo's lord-mayor sparked in 4715 AR the Kintargan Rebellion, also known as the Kintargan Revolution, during which the city's residents openly rebelled against Cheliax.

Martial law

After instigators of the Glorious Reclamation fostered open rebellion in southeast Cheliax in early Arodus of 4715 AR, House Thrune installed inquisitor Paracount Barzillai Thrune as the city's new lord-mayor, evicting Bainilus from the office and establishing martial law. Bainilus subsequently went missing. Thrune also largely ignored advice from the nobles of the Court of Coin.

Dottari

A member of the Kintargo Dottari.

Lord-Mayor Thrune appointed Duxotas Vannases Trex to lead the city's dottari and aggressively enforce his rule. The dottari also promoted the loyalist Chelish Citizens' Group to a town militia.

Order of the Rack

With the installation of martial law, Barzillai Thrune hired a group of Hellknights from the insurrection-quashing Order of the Rack led by Paralictor Kyrre Ekodyre. The Order of the Torrent's Lictor Octavio Sabinus subsequently went missing.

Proclamations

Lord-Mayor Barzillai Thrune taunts Kintargans.

Lord-Mayor Thrune quickly issued binding proclamations to Kintargans, enacting seven in his first two weeks alone. This included a daily curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

1. The dottari rewards those who kill doves, mice, and ravens with one copper piece.
2. Businesses must display a portrait of Queen Abrogail II, at least 11 inches by 17 inches in size, prominently in the building's entrance.
3. The dottari rewards those who deliver unharmed feral dogs of 50 pounds or more with one silver piece.
4. Wearing fine embroidered clothing without the city's permission is banned, except for agents of House Thrune or the church of Asmodeus.
5. Spilled grain must be cleaned and repackaged within an hour or face a fine of one copper piece per grain.
6. Drinking tea after curfew results in a fine of 10 gold pieces or incarceration.
7. Owning or consuming confections or beverages containing mint results in a fine of 20 gold pieces or incarceration.

Thrune also instituted a tax on traffic across Bleakbridge and closed and fully sealed the city's House of Truth and Clarity courthouse in favor of the Temple of Asmodeus.

Night of Ashes

Kintargan opera diva Shensen was among the leaders of the revived Silver Ravens, which led the rebellion against Barzillai Thrune.

In late Arodus of 4715 AR, Barzillai Thrune's agents attacked dissident groups. A revival of the rebellious Silver Ravens, along with the Rose of Kintargo and Sacred Order of Archivists, were among the city's organized dissidents nearly destroyed by House Thrune after the installation of martial law. Some of its ranking members were publicly executed after the declaration of martial law.

His forces also attacked members of Sarenrae's, Milani's, and Irori's faiths, killing several leaders and burning buildings. Lord-Mayor Thrune also mandated the registration of all worshipers of Shelyn and monitored all Shelynite religious services. Worship of deities aligned with freedom or rebellion—including Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Desna, Milani, and Sarenrae—were strictly outlawed. The Silver Star shop, home to a popular Sarenite shrine owned by local opera star Shensen, was burned to the ground.

The sudden attack became known as the Night of Ashes and escalated the city's dissent into open rebellion.

Defeat and removal of Barzillai Thrune

The Silver Ravens recovered from their initial defeats, reorganized, and staged a series of daring raids and acts of sabotage that sustained revolutionary sentiment while the city was ruled by Barzillai Thrune. This included the destruction of Menador Keep and the collapse of the Menador Gap, which isolated Ravounel from Cheliax. During this period the Silver Council formed to coordinate the rebellion, with Mialari Docur serving among the instrumental figures in its formation.

In 4716 AR, these Ravens were the target of a trap set by Barzillai Thrune, which aimed to kill off the Silver Ravens at an event billed as the Ruby Masquerade. However, the Ravens revived and deployed the Song of Silver, defeated Barzillai's agents and devils, and in the process also rescued the deposed Lord-Mayor Bainilus—who had been turned into a vampire and subsequently restored—and Shensen. The event later became known as the Ruby Massacre, and in popular history is considered the resistance's inflection point.

The Ravens later discovered the Kintargo Contract, a document which included a clause that allowed Kintargo to legally secede from Cheliax and House Thrune's diabolic authority to secure Ravounel's independence. Barzillai Thrune was also exposed for attempting to usurp House Thrune in the process, then attempted to take control of Cheliax by transforming himself into a genius loci. He failed and was killed later in 4716 AR,✝ and his soul was damned to Hell.

The Silver Ravens negotiated a non-aggression pact with Cheliax at Oakrib Inn near the Menador Gap. Kintargo briefly became an independent city led once again by Lord-Mayor Bainilus until the subsequent founding of Ravounel the following year.

Ravounel era (4717 AR—)

The skyline of Kintargo.

With Ravounel's independence secured, former Lord-Mayor Bainilus was appointed the new nation's leader in 4717 AR and assumed the title of Domina, a title of pre-diabolic Cheliax intended to reflect their adherence to the nation's former values. The city's first act by the now ruling Silver Council was to re-open the House of Truth and Clarity.

Kintargo and Bainilus soon accepted as guests rebels from the former Chelaxian colony of Sargava, itself in the midst of the Vidric Revolution; these meetings toward a formal alliance also led to the formation of the Firebrands. The revolution succeeded within the same year, leading to the formation of the new nation of Vidrian.

Bainilus continued funding and supporting post-revolution activities of the Silver Ravens toward the restoration and advancement of post-revolution Ravounel, including their clearing of the Menador Gap blocked during the Kintargan Rebellion, and securing new allies. The Ravens have also become a force in arts and culture promoting causes of liberation across the region, which in turn has drawn rebels and Firebrands ranging from nearby Nidal to distant Mzali. In 4718 AR, Kintargo also hosted the Firebrands' second Vaunter's Carnival.

As of 4719 AR, Ravounel faced growing pressure with both Nidal and Cheliax. Its population grew rapidly, from 12,500 in 4719 AR to nearly 16,000 by 4724 AR, by which point Kintargo had emerged as a popular haven for artists and an exporter of arts and culture.