Plaz'toro

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Arms
Vassal of Kingdom of Del Toro
Status County, effectively governed by council of Barons.
Location On the South-East Coast of the Southern Continent (25-30°S 11-16°E)
Area
Geography Pampas, with Jungles to the South & Arid wate to the North
Population ~70,000
100% Human
Urbanisation
5%
Major Towns
Capital City
Languages

–Common
–Raniterran
–Destinian

–Literacy


20%
100%
30%

15%

Exports
Hibernated Cows
Imports
virtually everything esle


Overview

Former duchy (once a Southern vassal of Destiny); then under military government, with frequent coups. The local hobbit-hunting gentry are called Hildagos and are the traditional foes of Raniterre. Suffered turbulent revolt when a guild party destroyed the magical infrastructure in 795WK ("Courts of Jashmed"), resulting in the Duke's death, the Duchess' disappearance, and a temporary Undead problem in the Capital.

The ensuing destruction, with changes in Destinian domestic politics caused the country's economic collapse, hastened by refugees fleeing to St Charles, Novadom, & elsewhere. Despite the enthusiastic promises of a series of military Juntas, and the ensuing revolutions, the country never recovered.

810wk - The New Regime

The last military governor took over in Winter 810wk then declared the country a County of the new Kingdom of Del Toro and appointed most of the senior Hildagos as Barons on the new governing council.

The Barons are responsible for their own areas and are answerable to the Council, the Baronial Council effectively rules the County but is answerable to the Count/King.

Geography

80,000 sq. miles of pampas, including much razor-grass, rising up to the Mountains of Madness.

The only significant city is Puerto-del-Toro, though it is usually just called Capitol after 15 years of being renamed frequently renamed after the Military Governor du jour.

Puerto-del-Toro is a river port some 20 miles inland from the coast. The salt-marsh delta between the capital and the sea has become known as O'doro.

Only two tributaries of the River (Mat'doro & Pic'doro) are navigable by boat for any distance, and the problem is getting worse each year with increased silting and river-weed.

To the South, there is orc-infested jungle; to the North lies a toxic, arid badlands-plateau generally devoid of known life, despite reported sightings of Arthurian halflings.

The North & South Passes through the Mountains of Madness, and the adjacent territory on both sides, have for centuries seen many bloody battles with Raniterre, specifically the Duchy of Alsine, at the other end of the passes. Prior to 795wk Plaz'toro (with its wealth & greater magic) was generally the Pyrrhic winner.

Ebola is up the coast to the north.

People

Count Aryan (aka Count of Ebola and King of Del Toro)
Former Military Governor hil-Tollsworth - believed to have retired to foreign lands with significant wealth
Former Military Governor, General Don Enrico di Ravenswood - believed to have retired to foreign lands with reasonable wealth
  • Carlos del Torre, the Harbour-master

Trade and Commerce

History and Events

810 wk

Winter
Count Aryan of Ebola takes over as Military Governor, appoints himself as Count of Plaz'toro.
Spring
Aryan creates governing Baronial Council and appoints Barons. Magically creates roads and towns. Declares Plaz'toro and Ebola are combined into the new Kingdom of Del Toro.

803 WK

Guild Enemy Unmasked!
Duchess Has Sordid Past
In a Seagate times exclusive, the secret identity of the Duchess of Plaz'Toro has been revealed. The Dukes of Plaz'Toro first clashed with guild members when passing through Innesburg on some clandestine Destinian mission (unfortunately the scribe notes "The mysterious affair of the exploding hobbits" are believed lost in the Fire of '98).
Over the years, the Duchess has provided light relief to our readers — who can forget the story of Arthur Pendragon tattooing the Duchess' head & posting it back to Plaz'Toro.
She has also lined the pockets of many an adventurer and put several magic rings on their fingers. Rumour has it that Sabrina possesses a set of magic underwear that was taken off the Duchess.
Readers may recall that the Duchess was believed killed in the Coup that brought down the Dukes of Plaz'Toro when a guild party destroyed that country's magic system, and provoked riots in the capital, a plague of vampires, arson, etc. The Guild was also blamed for the death of the Duke, whose exsanguinated partial remains were found in the burnt palace. The body of Duchess Margarita we never recovered. (for details see SGT)
She now masquerades as Duchess Pearl of Avenal, the maritime province of Raniterre. Interviewing a traveller recently arrived from that distant Southern land, your reporter has unearthed other revealing facts about this serial duchess. Apparently Duke Guido of Avenal is now divorcing this sullied Pearl.
Our source has furnished evidence that the Duchess of Deceit was born Margarita Sforza Cubo the daughter of an unmarried gentlewoman of Destiny. As a teenager she was sent into exile following a scandal involving the Family of the Marquis of Calatrava. Sometime later the adventuress ended up in Lutice, as Cardinal Messepain's "protégée" — well that's the nice word for whatever function she fulfilled for that long-in-the-tooth Cardinal.
Travelling to Plaz'Toro with another "friend," the Ambassador, she met the much older Duke of Plaz'Toro who married her, for some reason. Perhaps the fact that Signora Cubo is a mind mage is relevant. Despite the privilege of rank, however immorally gained, Margarita's ambition was still not slaked. She organised the criminal elements of her city. As part of her long-term revenge on our illustrious Guild, she kidnapped our Necromancer's mother and crushed several guild members with a whale. In recent years, shortly before the celebrated death of King Carlos, the Duchess of Avenal helped a guild party, but our informant says that the party-members were lucky. Apparently she had infiltrated a mind-mage assassin into their crew, but the party abandoned their ship just in time. It is believed that a party will be announced to rescue someone of importance who has been kidnapped by the Dastardly Duchess.

- SGT Issue 39 - Summer 803

798 wk

Death of A Genius
Great Plaz'toran Artist is no more.
Alexandro the Sculptor died earlier this year, in a hunting accident in Plaz'toro.
Military governor hil-Tollsworth and General Don Enrico di Ravenswood personally investigated the tragedy. It is understood that death was entirely accidental. The hildagoes have attested that the Artist was mistaken for legitimate game, following a lead from several of Don Enrico's employees.
Unfortunately this was the first time that the expatriate had returned to Plaz'toro. He has been resident in Raniterre since 788. The King of that country, a personal friend of the famous painter and sculptor, requested the return of the body to his adopted country. A state funeral was held, and a dedicatory opera has been commissioned.

- SGT Issue 20: 30 Breeze 798wk

795 wk

Guild party destroys the magical infrastructure ("Courts of Jashmed"), resulting in the Duke's death, the Duchess' disappearance, a temporary Undead problem in the Capital, turbulent revolt, and 15 years of decline under successive military dictators.