Uzec: Town in Detail

Statistics:

• Nation: The Thalassan League
• Region: The Periphery (formerly the Five Kingdoms)
• Provence: Derrien (enfiefed to the Duchy of Derrien)
• Realm: Northmarch (formerly Uzec & Calder Valley)
• Ruler: Roland d’Uzec
• Population: 5091 (out of some 80,000 in all areas of the Upper and Lower Calder valleys)
• Nearby Villages: Calder Keep (pop. 1018), Gamaché (pop. 708), Yvoiré (pop. 675), Vessaux (pop. 656), Sabé (pop 610). There are a dozen other villages and over a hundred hamlets throughout the Northmarch.

People:

Roland Lord d’Uzec: Marquis des Marche-Nord, Baron d’Uzec, Captain des Legionne de Thalassa, ret. Hereditary leader of the Calder Valley

Rivanon Lady d’Uzec, Esquire: Baroness de Calder, Esquire of the Thalassan Inn of Court. Heir Apparent to Roland Lord d’Uzec.

 Sir David Guillaume: Baron’s Seneschal

Sir Johan Lord Axiney: Former Castilian of Calder Keep (Deceased).

Sir Etienne Lord Axiney: Castilian’s Son.

Sir Brann: Head of the Baronial Guard.

Constable Jules Bencolin: Head of the Town Watch.

Ana: Rivanon’s  valet and cousin

Amelié and Miret: Emmeline’s ladies-in-waiting.

Sister Jocelyn la Nouvelle: Head priest of the Temple of Aarith in Uzec. Wife of Typhon Né.

Raphael d’Argent: Local entertainer and minstrel.

Esmerelda Clathe: Daughter of a local clothier. Good with adventurer’s clothing.

Kylie Cobb: Shoemaker’s daughter and designer of boots.

History:

Uzec is one of the northernmost outposts of the Thalassan League of any size. It was founded, like many northern towns, by the dwarves of Azankuul. It was long abandoned when the Danaean tribe of the Ileci built a hill fort called Derry at the river bend upon the dwarven ruin. The Ileci quickly allied to the invading Eterians during their first campaign some 300 years before the founding of Thalassa. However, like many of the Danaeans, the early Eterian yoke chaffed at their traditions and sensibilities.

During the last rebellion, a hundred-fifty years before the founding of Thalassa, the town of Derry joined the rebels and was a shipping point for Dwarven weapons down to the rebel army. When that army was pushed back to the west, the Eterians under Varrus quickly seized Derry, killing its leaders and destroyed the town, enslaving or scattering its inhabitants and replacing them with the families and support personnel of the Eterian Legions. After the defeat of the Seventh Legion at the Battle of the Calder Valley, the few survivors retreated to Derry. One of them was a young Tribune named Theodorius Uzec son of one of Varrus’ generals, who held the town against the vengeful dwarves for a fortnight until relieved by Eterian reinforcements from Derra (today’s Derrien).

Azenkuul fell some years later to the Eterians. The town was given to Theodorius and after his death named after him. He pardoned the local people who helped with the defense and married a daughter descended from the Danaean rulers. Uzec remained merely an outpost as trade with anything north of the falls was minimal. The Calder Keep was build by the Eterians at the falls to control the pass. When the Eterians withdrew, the Keep fell into disuse and eventually fell under the control of Uzec. Some 200 years ago the Lower Calder valley and Uzec itself received an influx of colonists, and shortly afterward named a barony in the League. More came later, fleeing the invasion of Haalkhan, but Uzec’s population has never been large. Only in the last few decades have colonists in earnest moved into the western reaches of the Upper Valley.

The descendants of Theodorius Uzec ruled as lords of Uzec long after the Eterians left. Eventually the line nearly died out as the loss of imperial control and defenses opened the Periphery to invasion and barbarism. Uzec fell then under the control of Derrien. The last daughter of Uzec was eventually married into the Duc of Derrien’s family and by this the current Baron of Uzec traces his line back to the Eterians and the Danaeans.