The Square¶
"Standing-windlike: what cannot be done." — Trophy slang
A nearly deserted stretch of northern Trophy in the process of being swallowed whole. A mysterious conglomerate — operating through their frontman [[Sir Drawater]] — is buying up every building, leveling what they acquire, and working toward a universal market that would sell anything available anywhere in Cadwallon. Some residents refuse to sell. The demolition is underway anyway. Dominant attitude: Pugnacity.
Day: A war zone in slow motion. Building crews work one block; residents barricade themselves in the next. Fires that look accidental are not.
Night: The few remaining residents watch from their windows. Workers get mugged. Drawater's agents circulate.
Locations¶
- The Building Site — most of the district is rubble and scaffolding, with islands of occupied dwellings surrounded by cleared ground. The holdouts shrink each week.
- The Northern Stronghold (Discipline / Militia) — a small fortress overlooking the district, seat of the Trophy garrison. Officially neutral. In practice: [[Lieutenant-General Kaltyr]] cannot finance the post without both the [[Standing-Wind]] family's investment and the conglomerate's money. The militia is slowly being paid by the people demolishing the district. Officers who object request transfers. Kaltyr sends his men to serve Drawater's private interests on a semi-regular basis.
NPCs¶
- [[Sir Drawater]] — the conglomerate's public face; polished, lawyered, and utterly indifferent to the residents
- [[Lieutenant-General Kaltyr]] — militia commander; compromised; not yet entirely lost
Hooks¶
The Last Hold-Out
A single family refuses to vacate a building at the center of the planned market site — and won't explain why. Drawater has run out of legal options and is preparing less legal ones. The family has asked the free leagues for help. Whatever is under that building is worth more than anyone is saying.
Kaltyr's Line
The Lieutenant-General has reached a limit — he has evidence of something Drawater ordered that he won't be able to ignore. He wants it delivered to the right person without his name on it and without the conglomerate knowing it came from inside the Stronghold. He'll pay in favors and militia access.
The Conglomerate
No one knows who actually runs it. Drawater is a proxy; the money comes from somewhere up the chain. Three separate factions — Guild of Usurers, a Den Azhir courtier family, and someone operating through the Soma fief — have each been named as the true backer. Following the contract documents back far enough leads somewhere no one has returned from yet.