Wicklow

The sovereign state of Wicklow lies in the barren mountainous area in the north of Zyreema ruled by the dubious Nightstein family. Centuries ago the capital was founded by Warlocks and Sorcerers led by **Gadaric Lunablight, The Mage of Darkness**, who had fled Vonderwald and turned away from the Dark Gods. It is home to Raventhorn and harbors one of the most secretive facilities on Zyreema: **The Grey Enclave**, that provides it's services as the main interrogation and monster research institution for the League of Good Nations.

## Founded on a Second Chance

The story behind Wicklow begins with **Gadaric Lunablight, The Mage of Darkness**, a Warlock who was a follower and favorite of the Unraveler of Secrets. He was assisting a Dungeon Keeper in Vonderwald who, upon meeting and fighting the **First Avatar**, changed his ways and was convinced to switch to the Good side. He gathered followers, forming a Good cult within the Evil society that used to populate the territory of modern day Vonderwald, eventually leaving and settled down in a remote area to the east. But when he decided to officially switch sides, his evil masters wouldn't let him go so easily and someone cursed him and his entire bloodline – a curse that still plagues the current generation, most notably his descendant **Lorelei Nightstein,** the decedent which regained the authority and became current **Countess of Wicklow,** the first of Gadarick's bloodline that regained the county's title ever since Gadarick chose the 1st Nightstein as his heir. The Good nations of Zyreema were not keen on welcoming Wicklow with open arms, either. They feared that it could be a ruse or long-term plan to make them lower their guard so the supposedly redeemed dark kin could backstab them more efficiently. It took a lot of time to build trust with Good and become a full member in the League of Good Nations. But even nowadays there are many who think that it is only a matter of time before Wicklow will show its true face and betray them the first chance they get. That Wicklow harbors so many secrets and researches forbidden knowledge only adds fuel to the (not completely unjustified) paranoia.

## Balancing the Fine Line

While the Ein Sof Magocracy is dedicated to the Arcane Arts, Wicklow exists to understand Evil, following the principle of "Know thy enemy". Unfortunately one cannot do so without getting ones hands dirty.

Of all the members of the League of Good Nations Wicklow is the one with the most dubious reputation and not a single year goes by without at least one other League member nations openly questioning its loyalty, as some campaigns and practices Wicklow has taken part in since its founding have been less than "morally upstanding". One of its oldest traditions is to keep close relations with citizens of the Underworld and even openly permit trade with Underworld cities – under very close regulation, of course. That and the fact that all members of the Grey Enclave are sworn to secrecy about their work only encourages the widespread paranoia and prejudice against Wicklow from beyond its borders.

On the other hand, the information they deliver and the overall results of their work have proven invaluable time and time again in the constant war against Dungeon Keepers and the Dark Gods.

## Wicklow Culture

The people within Wicklow possess, at least in the eyes of people living beyond it's shadowy lands, some very distinct peculiarities.

The longstanding stereotype about Wicklowans is that they do not talk about family or friends almost ever and that, in general, they tend to be secretive and suspicious by nature.

While exaggerated most of the times, this line of thought is not far from the truth. Due to the sensitive materials and topics that are researched in Wicklow it is not unusual for spies to attempt to infiltrate, coerce or blackmail in order to uncover sensitive information. While people in the Dusk towns have some leeway, the people living within the city of Wicklow are, work for, or are related to, people with high security clearance and are targeted by Evil whenever a chance becomes available. To live in Wicklow is to know that you, and the ones near to you, are in constant **real** danger - so most Wicklowans approach the world with a healthy dose of paranoia that most people from other Light Nations find discomforting.

Another peculiarity of Wickow comes in the form of their dress. A sizable portion of their population being able to trace their ancestry to denizens of the Underworld and this has influenced their culture overtime. Due to their proximity to Vonderwald and the fact that they lie on the main trade route from the now-Good nation they have recently begun to include some of their neighbors style of dress, alongside some of the technology Vonderwald is exporting to the rest of the League.

Wicklowan Priests are notable for their garments being primarily black - in comparison to the usual white or bright colors the Priesthood of The Light is associated with.

## The Lands of Wicklow

### The City of Wicklow

The city of Wicklow is located deep within the barren and rocky northern mountains of Zyreema and is situated in an area of perpetual nighttime.

Situated next to a lake that is formed by many pooling mountain streams, the city itself gives off a very distinct feeling from the rest of the Good cities of the world. Covered in an eternal night, said to be either due to a curse on the land or an ancient magical accident, the stone streets of the walled off city are illuminated by streetlights containing magical plants and mushrooms which glow in the darkness.

#### The Grey Enclave

The Gray Enclave is a sealed off area of the capital of Wicklow. Only authorized personal is allowed inside and little of what happens there ever reaches the outside world. It is rumored that research of the darkest kind is conducted there, that taboos are broken and Evil rituals performed, despite all official assurances that claim otherwise.

People working there have to sign a magic contract of secrecy for every level of security clearing. Only three people are privy to all the things going on: the Headmaster, the High Inquisitor and Countess Lorelei.

The topics researched involve monsters of all kinds including Magical Beasts and Demons, focusing on their role in the war. Another branch studies the planes of existence and the Dark Gods in the hopes to find weaknesses. Wicklow also has one of the most wide spread spy networks in The World, keeping a close eye on every Dungeon Keeper and the latest developments in the Underworld.

There have been several instances in history that Wicklow has verifiable withheld information that could have saved the lives of innocents, arguing that sharing the information would have jeopardized the greater strategy and only resulted in more misery later on.

### The Dusk Towns

Situated at the edge of the of the darkness that surrounds Wicklow in a belt of perpetual dusk lie what are known as the Dusk Towns. These settlements mark the end of the barren rocky area that surrounds the city Wicklow and past them one can find the forestland the northern mountains are famous for. Most trade done with Wicklow itself is done inside the at these towns rather then Wicklow proper as a security measure to keep as few people moving in the perimeter of the Grey Enclave as possible.