Anonymous

Village of Renika

From Time of Unparalleled Darkness Wiki

Municipality of Renika
File:Renika-arms.png
Culture Level Medieval
Climate & Terrain Wooded mountain valley[1]
Year Formed 120 BC
Population 490[2]
Races (%) Humans 98%, dwarf 1%, other 1%[1]
Languages Spoken Balok, Dwarven, Common[1]
Religions Church of Ezra, Cult of the Morninglord[1]
Government Feudal Monarchy
Ruler Burgomistress Nicole du Claire[3]
Ruler Title Burgomistress of Renika
Title Inheritance Male-Preference Primogenure with the barovian branch of the House du Claire[3]
Title Ascendant (Above) Lady Boyar of the Svalich
Title Descendant (Below) Burgomaster's Deputy, presently vacant

Renika is a small Barovian village. In 348 BC, Strahd had its burgomaster publicly executed for withholding taxes.[4]

This left the further in the Albescu dynasty to take over, but while the next couple generations were loyal, embezzlement and other financial fraud returned before long. It was finally revealed in 791 BC that the family had hidden away a huge fortune between taxes withheld from the count, fees unlawfully levied, and all manner of corrupt bribes. This lead Strahd to slay the entire dynasty and install the current burgomistress, Lady Nicole du Claire. [3]

Noteworthy is that she is a naturalized Richemulotoise noblewoman, and it is said to have been given the position after performing some service for the Count. What service this is was never said, and it is the subject of fierce speculation in some corners. Nonetheless, it is a stable rule, if a begrudging one: the locals, xenophobic as Barovians go, mostly tolerate her rule because she is a woman of the people, and gives them what they want, for the most part. The town has enough external pressures and threats, especially from banditry in the woods it is surrounded by, that they are not given to be terribly questioning as long as she keeps them protected, which she does. She is also a rather staunch supporter of the Church of Ezra, which may not gain her favour with many given the small congregation in the town, makes her quite well-liked by its small following.[3]

The darker side of the woman comes out in harsh punishments for those that do break the laws, in particular rebels gundarakite and otherwise, as well as the aforementioned bandits. and while this has effectively eliminated a lot of the crime that once had quite a hold on the small village, it nonetheless has tempered what would be a good rule into a merely decent, accepted one.[3]

Background

The small community is one of the main sources of logging in Barovia, and it outputs an almost prodigious amount of Barovian Pine and Fir wood for various uses for the rest of the country, but that fateful moment put a pall of superstition and rumour over Renika, and few move there willfully. The merchants that come through are largely opprotunists, taking advantage of the relative death of trade to the town both to sell their goods at considerable profit, and to take the wood for almost next to nothing.[5]

Under the new rule trade and reputation are slowly recovering, but it has a long ways to go before it finds mainstream acceptance in Barovia again.[3]

Places to Go

Law and Order

People to See

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Server Canon: Written by Maiyannah, 2024-09-12
  2. Server canon: on the mid end of average for a medieval village; no original population given.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Server Canon: written by Maiyannah 2025-02-04
  4. Canon: pages 51-60, I, Strahd
  5. Server Canon: written by Maiyannah 2024-09-13
  6. Server Canon: created by Maiyannah 2025-02-01
  7. Server Canon: created by Maiyananh 2025-02-06
  8. Server Canon: written by Maiyannah 2025-02-04.