Walworth
 | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 648 TA - 653 TA |
| Size | Minor Kingdom |
| Fealty | Independent |
| Ruler | Jon Walworth |
| Hex | 6416 |
In 648 TA, the Crown established the Barony of Walworth with a mission to eradicate the bandits from the Bandit Kingdoms. James Walworth and his son Jon established a small island keep in a lake just north of the Direhaunt Swamp and established the town of Walworth. Fighting was fierce in the early years, and Walworth struggled to find men and women to fight the bandits.
The death of his son in 650 TA is said to unhinged the elder noble, and it is rumored that he sealed a pact with a local goblin shaman who lived in the environs near Bishopshill. Some say he sought revenge on the bandits while others tell tales of the goblin resurrecting his son.
In March 652 TA, the baron launched a full-scale attack on Bishopshill. The battle is known as The Bishop's Night and is still the source of wild rumor and speculation. It is known that the baron's army was decimated almost to a man during the hasty retreat from Bishopshill. Baron Walworth and a few retainers were all that remained of the forces. Those returning retreated directly into the castle and did not venture forth again. Fear gripped the town, it quickly emptied, and the Barony of Walworth fell into a decline. Men and women fleeing from the Baron's service tell of Mad James and his plunge into dark magic. Ritual sacrifices, inhumane treatment of bandit prisoners, and other macabre tales brought an investigation by the Crown.
In 653 TA, the Barony of Walworth was dissolved in the courts of the City-State. Knights sent to bring James Walworth back for trial returned empty-handed. Walworth Castle was declared off limits to all travel and trade. The town burnt down in the years that followed. With Walworth's fall, the Crown established the Shield Lands, a military district run by the Order of Crusaders.
Walworth Castle still stands on a small island in the lake. No commerce and few visitors ever brave the trek to that accursed place. The current occupant is said to be Jon Walworth, although whether this is the Baron's long-dead son or not is unknown. All rumors about Walworth are unverified by the Crown.