Slagovich (City State of)

Location: West of Gulf of Hule, northern region of Serpent's Peninsula.
Area: 1,232 sq. mi. (3,200 sq. km.)
Population: 17,000 (mostly humans and a few demihumans)
Languages: Slag Common (Slagovich Dialect), Slagich (dialect of Traladaran).
Coinage: Bright (Br; 90% silver, 10% undepleted cinnabryl), Fair (Fr; 98% copper, 2% undepleted cinnabryl), Dim (Dm; depleted Bright), Dark (Dk; depleted Fair). Value: 1 Br = 5 Fr = 50 Dm = 500 Dk.
Silver ingots are used in merchant trades.
Taxes: Unknown.
Government Type: Independent monarchy ruled by a Margrave.
Industries: trade, mining (cinnabryl).
Important Figures: Margrave Miosz II (noble, human, male, F5), Stavro (leader of the Knights of Halav, human, male, F14).
Further Reading: Voyage of the Princess Ark: The Slagovich Affair, in the Champions of Mystara box set. Also, the Savage Coast online document.

Description: by Piotr Drobnjak

It's a great pleasure for me to describe my home city in such a precious book published in the same land that gave birth to the Mighty Halav. May He protect us all and help me in the use of Thyatian.

The Land

Slagovich proper is just a five centuries old small stronghold built high atop a plateau, next to a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Hule. The City State also controls a tiny stretch of hilly land between the village of Kastr to the south and the ruins of Grabana to the north.

High and well-defended walls surround the city's mortar and stonework houses, but the nobles and the richest families live inside the walls. Most of the population lives in badly maintained dwellings, outside the protection of the walls. A few scattered farms dot the countryside.

Almost all buildings have a faint reddish-brown colour, due to the presence of cinnabryl in the area.

The People

The inhabitants of Slagovich, mostly humans of mixed Yavi and Traldaran race, sport dark hairs and reddish-brown skin (probably due to the Red Curse). A few demihumans inhabit the city too. Despite the many adventurers and the bustling trade business, most of the population consists in poor miners who work in the rich cinnabryl mines.

Worship of Halav is the main faith in the area, especially since the brotherhood known as Knights of Halav has helped Slagovich resist the Hulean attempts at seizing the City.

Recent History

In the last decade or so the whole area suffered from continuous war. Slagovich is an important trading post and the gate to the East, moreover it has an important mine of cinnabryl, so the evil Master of Hule has tried to conquer it several times. He almost managed to do it in 1000 AC, when the Margrave Miosz II, then a child, was able to keep his throne thanks to the intervention of the Knights of Halav and an Alphatian adventurer named Haldemar.

In the following years Hule invaded Sind and attempted to conquer all the City-States, but the alliance of the five cities managed to repel the Hulean evil bands.

Recently, as the Hulean threat loosened, Slagovich has been attacked by joint forces of Zvornik and Hojah and tension is still high in the area.

Don't Miss

Slagovich most famous features, except the Black Samovar inn, are the hydraulic mechanism designed by excellent Slagovich engineers and present everywhere in the city.

Located in a huge natural cavern connected by a natural shaft to the city, the harbour is a masterpiece of engineering. For a high fee the cavern can be sealed and filled with water, thus allowing a ship to move deep into the city along a series of canal to unload their goods.

Due to the high number of canal, drawbridges and water locks, the City of Slagovich is also known among eastern travellers as "Glantri of the West".