Kayolin – War of the Lance Era

Kayolin is one of the most prosperous and welcoming dwarven kingdoms on Krynn. Let’s learn more about its cities, history and people. Buy the War of the Lance sourcebook: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/3164/war-of-the-lance-3-5?affiliate_id=50797  

https://youtu.be/JB_B7jNFi0M

Transcript

Cold Open

The Dwarves of Kayolin are about as far removed from the dwarves of Thorbardin as one might get.

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Kayolin in the War of the Lance Era. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. I am referencing the War of the Lance sourcebook for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below!

Discussion

To say that Kayolin is a world away from Thorbardin is not simply in relation to its geographical location. The temperament and climate of Kayolin is one of inclusiveness and welcome rather than the political infighting and xenophobia of Thorbardin. Before the Cataclysm, during the Third Dragon War, the Garnet mountains were granted to the dwarves of Thorbardin for their assistance to the Solamnic forces fighting the Queen of Darkness. The Hylar and Daewar dwarves settled the kingdom, though many other clans fought for their place in the new region. In this age, the clans were much like modern Thorbardin, backstabbing, conniving and working against each other. The Cataclysm changed all that. 

The New Sea cut off the northern ranges of Thorbardin, severing Kayolin off from their cousins for some two hundred years. While their cousins to the south warred with each other and closed off their dwarven kingdom, Kayolin welcomed the Niedar and Aghar dwarves. The dwarves of Kayolin established themselves as the source of metal and manufactured goods in the north. In fact, they started minting steel coins for use in trade. Once contact with Throbardin was reestablished, and they saw the closed off nature, they simply solidified their ties with the human communities of Solamnia, even joining them in rebuffing incursions from Lemish.

Kayolin has population of just over eighty-six thousand, five hundred. About 95% of that are dwarves, five percent humans and others filling in the rest. It is ruled as a monarchy, with Governor Erran Flowstone as its representative. Erran still believes in their god Reorx, and dedicated his life to his teachings, even in his absence. Kayolin is located in the towering Garnet Mountains which run from Solanthus to the coast of the New Sea in Solamnia. The Garnet mountains are precarious with many seemingly insurmountable ridges separated by thousands of feet from their highest summits to their lowlands. There are no natural passes. The Dwarves of Kayolin are industrious and rational however. If you cannot go over the mountain, go under them. They created tunnels all throughout the mountains, allowing them to travel in nearly any direction. Most of these passage entrances are tightly held secrets.

The region of Kayolin sprawls beneath the mountain and consists of a single major city of Garnet-Thax, and several minor cities. There are no direct passages to Garnet-Thax from the outside, the only way in or out is through one of its three gates, and all travelers are monitored. In this war of the lance era, the dwarves of Kayolin know war is coming.