Blackwall Hold

**Blackwall Hold** is one of the five holds of the Kingdom of Tirrenor, getting its name from the Blackwall Mountains which make up the northern part of the hold. The mountains are known for being rich in iron resources, causing the hold to be the center of steel manufacturing in Tirrenor.

Blackwall hold is the primary setting of the first *By Steel and Blood* campaign, *The Crimson Mountains*. It is a primary settingin the second campaign, *The Final Will* as well.

The High Noble House of Blackwall is House Kallistratos, and the current Thane of Blackwall (as of 546 ACR) is Lord Nilos Kallistratos II.

## Political Organization

The capital of Blackwall Hold is the City of Stoneshade, deep in the mountains. Within Stoneshade is the Iron Keep, the seat of the Thanes of Blackwall. The hold is divided into four major regions, one being the area surrounding the capital, officially overseen by the Thane himself. The rest of the hold is allotted to vassals, including the three major baronies:

* Barony of Solon (Northeast)
* Barony of Hastreau (East)
* Barony of Nubardum (South)

## History

### Great Blackwall War (489-499)

The Great Blackwall War began when Thane Gerald Straton declared war on Yuricaz by order of the High King in 489. This was the beginning of the First Yuricaz War.

The war with Yuricaz was lengthened by the assassination of Thane Gerald Straton and his heirs in 492, sparking the Barbarian Uprising of 492-496.

The assassination of Thane Straton sparked a succession conflict when Tomas of House Asterius was placed on the throne through a shaky claim. The claim was challenged by Lukas Straton, Gerald's brother, and simultaneously by Nilos of House Kallistratos, leading to a civil war known as the War of the Three Thanes.

These three conflicts comprised the Great Blackwall War, which was officially ended by the signing of the Treaty of Nubardum in 499 ACR.

### Kallistratos Dynasty (494 - present)

Nilos Kallistratos was officially named the Thane of Blackwall in 494, triggering a new era in the hold. Nilos put an end to House Asterius' rebellion & exiled the family, successfully organized against the barbarian uprising, and ended the first Yuricaz War with the treaty at Nubardum, earning a large section of land for the hold. Nilos restored stability to the hold but not necessarily peace, as tension continued between Yuricaz and Tirrenor during the armistice, and House Kallistratos faced criticism from naysayers and traditionalists.

Nilos died in 507 ACR, and his son, Kain Kallistratos became the new Thane. In 509, the Treaty of Nubardum expired, leading to renewed violence with Yuricaz. Kain leveraged a new found alliance with House Nereus of Sea March to lead a conquest, triggering the Second Yuricaz War. In 510, Yuricaz fell and Kain became "Kain the Conqueror". The newly acquired land was organized as the Barony of Nubardum, and Imperator Jacek Alexius, Kain's top general, was named as Baron. The rest of Kain's reign primarily concerned dealing with this radical change, putting down dissention, re-educating Yurican survivors to the Tirrenor life, as well as dealing with new borders with Bruxia, who warned Kain the Conqueror against any attempts on their land. A border debate was sparked in 520, and a minor skirmish occurred between Alexius troops and Bruxian guards. Fortunately the nations avoided outright conflict as borders were negotiated, though tension remained.

Kain died in 535, and his son Kain Kallistratos II became the new Thane. Kain took over an all-new realm undergoing change as the lack of outright violent conflict transferred back to conflict in the economy. The Gold Legion, a private military company founded by Beric & Gerith Alexius, became a major force in the hold who handled most police & bounty contracts. Many career soldiers joined the Gold Legion or other copycat organizations in a new age of mercenaries. Kain II, seeing the repercussions of his forefather's militaristic ways, attempted to take on a new diplomatic attitude to mixed success, attempting to assuage existing tensions and form new alliances. This has earned him the insulting nickname "Kain the Soft" among his naysayers. Kain II has had some success, attempting to build a relationship with House Poxviq of Bruxia, before the civil war took a death's grip on the empire. In 546, Kain formed a new alliance with old enemies when he married his daughter Zenia to Stefan of House Andronikus, the high house of The Verge.

In 546, the setting of *The Crimson Mountains* campaign, Kain Kallistratos was assassinated by an insane Yurican man with a weapon that can only be described as a gun. His son, Nilos Kallistratos II, heir to the throne, ascended after his death.

Thane Nilos oversaw the refugee situation by founding the Crimson Mountain Company, which enlisted refugees for combat action. He successfully defended Mikael Asterius' attempted coup in the Battle for Stoneshade, and afterwards the CMC was disbanded and refugee-soldiers were given Tirrenian citizenship.

## Important Noble Houses

* House Kallistratos: High House of Blackwall Hold, reside in the Iron Keep of Stoneshade.
* House Straton: Historic house of the hold, vassals which reside in the Solon Redoubt and the Barony of Solon. Owners of Straton Steelworks.
* House Alexius: Vassal house attained by Thane Kain I, reside in Fort Nubardum and the Barony of Nubardum. Owners of The Gold Legion.
* House Reinhold: Vassal house residing over the Barony of Hastreau.
* House Mason: Minor house residing in Stoneshade. Known for operating successful mining company.
* House Asterius (Exiled): Former vassal house, exiled in the War of the Three Thanes. Rose again in the Battle for Stoneshade, and after Mikael Asterius' death, was permanently eliminated.

## Presence of the Creed

Within the Creed of the Five Gods, the patron god of Blackwall Hold is Tagrimus, the god of mountains, economy, and death. The High Temple of Tagrimus is within the city of Stoneshade.

In 546, during the Battle for Stoneshade, the High Temple of Tagrimus crumbled after bombings from Kairos Kallistratos, and stray trebuchet shots from Mikael Asterius' forces.

Tyrusz spread The Chasm to Targe in 546, causing the Creed to weaken greatly.