By Gabrielle Doughty [Edited by Margherita Peracino & Tayyiba Nasir]
Module: HST5413 (re)Writing History
‘As a result of the reign of the Chroma Conclave, Whitestone experienced the most favourable growth of all Tal’Dorei’s major cities.’
Whitestone experienced the most favourable growth of all Tal’Dorei’s major cities in the wake of the reign of the Chroma Conclave. Favourable growth, defined in terms of population growth, economic development, and increased socio-political significance, resulting in increased technological output and growth of influence in regional and global diplomacy, can be seen in all of Tal’Dorei’s major cities following the Conclave’s reign. When considering the cities most influenced by the reign: Whitestone, Westruun, and Emon, it is apparent that Whitestone experienced the most favourable growth, despite claims to the contrary as supported by Emmaline Morson and Archmage Jacobus Lewellyn, who argue for Emon and Westruun respectively.
The most tangible aspect of the growth of Whitestone as a result of the reign of the Chroma Conclave was the dramatic increase in the population of the city itself. Before the reign of the Conclave, Whitestone was more or less a provincial city-state in a remote part of the continent, with the population to match. During the reign of the Chroma Conclave, however, the population experienced a drastic increase. This increase started almost immediately, with the influx of refugees from Emon after the initial attack of the Chroma Conclave on the capital city.[1]
Though the exact number of refugees from Emon is unclear in Emon’s city records, those from the Chamber of Whitestone estimate the number to be one to two thousand in total, encompassing the initial influx through the aid of Vox Machina, the adventuring party who would defeat the dragons, as well as later entries to the city in the weeks and months following the attack.[2] In addition to refugees from Emon, there was a smaller but substantial refugee population from Westruun, which was recorded in more detail by the Chamber of Whitestone, totaling two-hundred and thirty people.[3] This influx of immigration accounts for part of Whitestone’s growth, allowing the city to regain and surpass its population from before its subjugation by Lord Silas and Lady Delilah Briarwood from Wildemount, a powerful vampire and necromancer respectively, who violently overthrew the ruling de Rolo family approximately ten years before the attacks of the Conclave.[4]
While refugees from Emon and Westruun did leave Whitestone after the fall of the Conclave -about a third of the refugees from Emon and a little less than a quarter of the refugees from Westruun - many stayed behind to build on the foundations of their new lives.[5] In census records following the fall of the Conclave, there was the addition of the “city of birth” section.[6] It can be surmised that this was necessitated by the increased population in Whitestone of those not born there. A growing number of the entries in this section in the first census following the Conclave attacks primarily indicated Emon and Westruun as their city of birth.[7] This is indicative of a long-term population increase specifically as a result of the Chroma Conclave since without the refugee population which settled in Whitestone in the wake of the attack, there would have been no need for the addition of a “city of birth” section in the census.
Although both Emon and Westruun easily eclipsed the total population size of Whitestone in sheer numbers, Whitestone’s population grew as a result of the Chroma Conclave. In contrast, Westruun and Emon’s populations were both greatly decreased as a consequence of the reign of the Conclave. In Emon, this was mostly due to the occupation of the city by the red dragon Thordak, “the Cinder King”, leader of the Chroma Conclave, and the high level of civilian casualties which it caused.[8] Westruun’s population was greatly decreased by the attack on the city and its subjugation by the black dragon Umbrasyl, “the Hope Devourer”, and the destruction caused by the Herd of Storms.[9] Westruun’s population was also greatly affected by the number of refugees who attempted to escape to nearby Kymal, though as seen in city records from the time, Kymal was not able to take in all of the refugees and therefore many went to other cities.[10] It is therefore impossible to say that the populations of Emon and Westruun experienced favourable growth because of the reign of the Conclave when the exact opposite was true.
Jacobus Lewellyn, Archmage of Abjuration from Westruun, has argued that Westruun experienced similar growth to Whitestone, with immigrants from Emon emigrating to Westruun in the years following the fall of the Chroma Conclave.[11] This is based on his personal experience living in Westruun in the years following the reign of the Conclave, as well as his research and interviews of citizens of Westruun. On comparison, however, of the documentation from Kymal and other nearby cities which took in refugees immediately following the attacks with the records of the post-reconstruction immigrants to Westruun, the number of immigrants to Westruun only marginally offsets the number of refugees who fled the city initially.[12] As with many aspects of growth which Westruun showed, the population increase was not as a beneficial consequence of the reign of the Conclave but arose in spite of its effects.
Moreover, as a result of the reign of the Chroma Conclave, Whitestone also experienced the most favourable economic growth of all of Tal’Dorei’s major cities. It's economy was restored to and surpassed its previous level from before the subjugation of the city by the Briarwoods. Historian Matthew Mercer has argued that due to the success of Arcanist Allura Vysoren of the Tal’Dorei Council, and Shawn Gilmore, proprietor of the Gilmore’s Glorious Goods franchise in the construction of an arcane barrier around the city, Whitestone was untouched by the attacks of the Conclave and therefore local businesses were able to grow and prosper in a way that businesses in Emon and Westruun were unable to.[13] This is a sound point, as Whitestone’s protection throughout the reign of the Chroma Conclave allowed it to take in refugees who restored the population to the level it had before the rule of Lord and Lady Briarwood. The refugees and immigrants, as well as natives of Whitestone, were able to set up businesses while the city was protected, and the barrier gave Whitestone a “head start” on Emon and Westruun as it did not go through the same intense post-Conclave rebuilding process as those two cities.[14] Contemporaneous documents maintained with the Chamber of Whitestone show a steady increase of businesses in the city, some notable ones being The Slayer’s Cake, The Dew Drop Tavern, and Hidden Hill fine clothiers.[15] These documents specifically show that there was a nearly one-hundred percent increase in businesses registered with the Chamber of Whitestone over the ten years following the Chroma Conclave.[16]
The other major part of the economic growth of Whitestone as a result of the reign of the Chroma Conclave was diversification of the city’s economy. In his recent book on the economy of Whitestone, Archivist Francis Kealynn of the Cobalt Reserve has argued that in the years following the freeing of the city from Lord and Lady Briarwood, Whitestone experienced not only a swift resurgence to its former position but also a diversification from an agrarian and resource export-based economy to include an industrial base due to the efforts of Lord Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, Sophist of Native Ingenuity.[17] Trade documents from Whitestone confirm this: records of exports from Whitestone in the years following the reign of the Conclave show the addition of new exports, mainly refined residuum glass (a highly sought after arcane component distilled from the whitestone the city is named after), quality furniture made from the wood of the surrounding Parchwood forest, and some mechanical items such as fine clockwork and machinery.[18]
The city was able to diversify due to the increased spending capital which was added to the Royal Treasury of Whitestone by Vox Machina in their defeat of the Chroma Conclave. In an interview with Scanlan Shorthalt-Trickfoot, a member of the group, journalist Pearlie Colton discussed with him their adventuring days. When talking about the defeat of the Chroma Conclave, Trickfoot-Shorthalt estimated the personal gains of Vox Machina to be approximately 160,000 gold. In addition, he noted that the adventurers did not keep all of their treasure for themselves, rather that they disbursed the rest of the money captured from the dragons’ hoards to the people from whom it was stolen, as well as giving the largest part of their personal gains to the treasury of Whitestone.[19] By cross-referencing this assertion with the records of the Royal Treasury, there are indeed four increases in the balance of the Treasury which line up with the defeat of the four different dragons of the Conclave totalling 150,000 gold.[20] This increased spending capital was then used over the years to build up the city’s various trade interests and the mechanization of Whitestone itself.
In comparison to the economic growth of Whitestone in the period following the attacks and reign of the Conclave, Emon and Westruun did not experience as much economic growth. In the case of Emon, the city was subjected to extensive damage during the reign of Thordak over the city. Because of this, the years following were dedicated more to rebuilding the city and making it hospitable and habitable, than to creating a place for viable businesses. Even with the help of powerful arcanists such as Allura Vysoren, Master of Arcana on the Tal’Dorei Council, the rebuilding process took several years and was completed in 818, four years after the attack of the Chroma Conclave.[21] During this rebuilding process, businesses which were previously based in Emon relocated to other cities such as Whitestone and Westruun, as they were not as affected by the attacks. This is shown in a journal account from a citizen of Emon who fled the city during the attack to Whitestone and returned to help with the rebuilding process. The author, Jasper Copperkeeper, kept extensive notes on his life in Emon and his work with masonry crews in rebuilding Abadar’s Promenade, the shopping district of Emon. He noted in his later entries that crews were considering reducing the size of the district to allow for a larger military district because of the decreased number of applications for business licenses with the Council, but eventually decided against it.[22] Westruun’s rebuilding process took a shorter time, completed in 816, but Westruun’s economy did not surpass its level from before the attack. This is evidenced in the city’s GDP, which after the rebuilding process was completed, maintained its level from before the attack, as seen in the records of the Bureau of Economics from before and after the attack.[23] Therefore, it is clear that though Emon and Westruun did recover economically from the attacks, they did not experience the same level of favourable growth as Whitestone as a result of the Chroma Conclave.
Historian Emmaline Morson has written in her book, So We Rise: Emon and Its Resurgence on Emon’s rebuilding process in the wake of the Chroma Conclave attack. Morson argues that Emon experienced positive growth in the wake of the Conclave attack, specifically saying that “Emon’s growth was unprecedented”.[24] This statement is typically interpreted by historians like Marisha Ray as being in opposition to arguments from historian Matthew Mercer and thought of as an argument for Emon’s growth outpacing Tal’Dorei’s other major cities.[25] This framing is however misleading, as Morson’s arguments do not directly point to Emon outstripping cities such as Whitestone, and her sources can also be interpreted as Emon regaining its previous measure of economic success, but not surpassing it. Morson makes no mention in her book of Emon surpassing its former level but instead focuses on Emon’s resurgence to its previous position.[26] Instead of proving the argument that Emon experienced the most growth due to the Chroma Conclave attack, Morson’s book can instead be used to show that Emon did return to its original place as the centre of Tal’Dorei’s overseas trade and political life, but did not surpass its earlier level due to the Chroma Conclave.
The final aspect of the favourable growth of Whitestone was the growth of the city’s socio-political significance to the larger continent, both in increased political importance and in technological advancements. In the time following the fall of Lord and Lady Briarwood, as well as the Chroma Conclave, Whitestone’s political importance grew dramatically. This is largely due to the connections forged between Whitestone and other cities such as Emon and Vasselheim. During the reign of the Chroma Conclave, Whitestone became the base of operations for Vox Machina as well as the surviving members of the Tal’Dorei Council. During their time as adventurers, Vox Machina forged connections across the world with powerful political players, such as the ruling council of Tal’Dorei, and The Slayer’s Take in Vasselheim, an influential bounty hunting group. Even when the adventuring party itself disbanded officially, the connections they had accrued became Whitestone’s as two members of Vox Machina, Lord Percival de Rolo and his wife Lady Vex’ahlia de Rolo, are representatives in the Chamber of Whitestone.[27]
These various connections have favourably affected Whitestone’s ability to represent their interests nationally and internationally. In the years following the fall of the Chroma Conclave, Whitestone was able to negotiate favourable trade deals with the rest of Tal’Dorei, as shown in trade negotiation meeting minutes. In trade negotiations in 819 with the Tal’Dorei Council, the Whitestone delegate, the Curator of Fortune’s Bounty, made multiple direct references to the bonds between Whitestone and Emon forged during the Conclave attacks and argued passionately that their two cities should work together towards a trade deal which benefited both parties.[28] In addition to the connection to Emon, Whitestone’s connections to the Slayer’s Take in Vasselheim allowed Lady de Rolo, working in conjunction with Guildmaster Vannessa Cyndrial, to found a professional exchange between the Grey Hunt and the Slayer’s Take for both organisations to learn from one another and to form a closer relationship between the cities of Vasselheim and Whitestone.[29] In short, Vox Machina’s connections globally and their connection to Whitestone due to the Conclave attack resulted in favourable political growth for Whitestone.
In addition to Whitestone’s political growth, there was increased cultural importance as seen in the technological output from Whitestone in the years following the reign of the Chroma Conclave. As previously stated, Whitestone experienced substantial modernization in the years following the reign of the Conclave due to Lord Percival de Rolo’s mechanical inventions, which were made possible by the additions to the Whitestone treasury by Vox Machina after their victory over the different dragons of the Chroma Conclave. The mechanisation of Whitestone not only contributed to its economic growth but also to the increased cultural significance of Whitestone. Lord de Rolo’s mechanical inventions are a fiercely guarded secret, with a specific detail under the Chamber of Whitestone dedicated to finding those who have illegally replicated his designs.[30] Therefore, Whitestone is the sole producer of such mechanical inventions in Tal’Dorei. As a result, Whitestone is one of the only cities with mechanisation, making it one of a kind, accounting for a substantial number of tourists who come to see the intricate clock in the town square of Whitestone, as well as the heated pavements throughout the whole city.[31]
There are those, such as Mistress Magee, a local historian of Whitestone, who suggest that the mechanisation and modernization of Whitestone were in response to the reign of Lord and Lady Briarwood and their subjugation of the city through necromantic means.[32] These arguments, however, are based purely on speculation by said historian and are not substantiated by any evidence currently available to the researchers of the Cobalt Soul. It can, therefore, be concluded that the mechanisation of Whitestone and its resulting singularity both contributed to the favourable growth of the city and were as a result of the reign of the Chroma Conclave.
In comparison to the growth in the political and cultural importance of Whitestone, Westruun and Emon’s cultural and political importance stayed more or less the same. Emon retained its place as the political hub of Tal’Dorei, remaining the seat of the political leader of the country, though the mode of rule changed from a sovereign to a council. The Alabaster Lyceum was rebuilt in the years following the attack of the Conclave and the researchers there resumed their studies soon after, but there was no addition to the Lyceum itself or the addition of any similar institutions in Emon.[33] There was no quantifiable growth in political or cultural importance in Emon, simply restoration to its place before the attack, as Morson argues. Westruun’s place in the cultural life of Tal’Dorei lies largely in its status as an economic hub for the continent, which it has already been noted did not experience the same level of growth as Whitestone. Once again, it is clear that Whitestone’s growth in cultural importance far outstripped that of the other major cities of Tal’Dorei.
In summary, through Whitestone’s role as a haven for survivors of the attacks of the Conclave, the financial gains of Vox Machina, and the political ties of that group, the reign of the Chroma Conclave resulted in the most favourable growth for Whitestone in regards to population, the economy, and its socio-political significance. In addition, the reign also prompted so much of said growth that it took Whitestone from a provincial city on the far edge of Tal’Dorei to a city rich in culture and economic productivity, which holds great importance on the continent of Tal’Dorei and beyond. Notes
[1] Gareth Gygax, Destruction & Dragons: A Narrative History of The Chroma Conclave (Whitestone, Kenmore House, 826), pp. 112-115. [2] Whitestone Department of Records Management, “Refugee and Migrant Population”, Chamber of Whitestone Census, 830. [3] Whitestone Department of Records Management, “Refugee and Migrant Population”. [4] Mistress Elizabeth Magee, An Accurate History of Whitestone (Whitestone: Sun Tree Publishing, 818), pp. 234-248. [5] Taliesin Jaffe, Executive Changes: Whitestone and The Conciliar Revolution (Port Damali: Gothic Publishing LTD, 829), pp. 7-15. [6] Whitestone Department of Records Management, “Census 820”, Chamber of Whitestone Census, 828. [7] Whitestone Department of Records Management, “Census 820”. [8] Gygax, Destruction & Dragons, pp. 210-214. [9] Gygax, Destruction & Dragons, pp. 210-214. [10] Archmage Jacobus Lewellyn, Westruun: the Jewel of the Plains (Westruun: White Duke Press, 821), pp. 323-225. [11] Lewellyn, Westruun, pp. 24-28. [12] Westruun Margrave’s Census, “814-816: Westruun Records Management”, Transient and Refugee Populations, 817 [13] Matthew Mercer, Critical Toll: A Collection of Odd Heroes and Their Effect on Whitestone (Whitestone: Chamber of Whitestone Press, 829), pp. 11-14. [14] Mercer, Critical Toll, pp. 43-49. [15] Mercer, Critical Toll, p. 117. [16] Curator of Fortune’s Bounty Local Business Department, “Local Business Report: Growth Over Time”, 824. [17] Francis Kealynn, A Chronicle of Development: Whitestone, 615- 833 (Westruun: The Cobalt Reserve, 835), pp. 613-617. [18] Kealynn, Chronicle of Development, p. 616. [19] Pearlie Colton, ‘Scanlan Trickfoot-Shorthalt’, Westruun’s Melody Monthly, 26:2 (820), pp. 34-67. [20] Whitestone Royal Treasury, Bi-Yearly Treasury Statement Report 814, 2.1:6:12, 814. [21] Jasper Copperkeeper, Journal of an Emon Refugee (Cobalt Reserve: Chroma Conclave Collection), 821. [22] Copperkeeper, Journal of an Emon Refugee. [23] Westruun Bureau of Economics, “GDP of Westruun by Ward, 813 & 817”, 817. [24] Emmaline Morson, So They Rise: Emon and Its Resurgence (Rosohna: Marble Tomes Conservatory Press), p. 9. [25] Matthew Mercer, “Review of Critical Toll”, Economic Exandrian History 23/3 (January), pp. 210-238. [26] Morson, So They Rise, p. 431. [27] Magee, An Accuratee History of Whitestone, p. 318. [28] Whitestone Collection, “Trade Negotiations Emon and Whitestone, 22 Sydenstar”, 819 [29] Magee, An Accuratee History of Whitestone, pp. 487-501. [30] Jaffe, Executive Changes, pp. 228-237. [31] Mistress Elizabeth Magee, The Briarwoods: Those Bastards, Thank Pelor They’re Dead (Whitestone, Sun Tree Publishing, 821), pp. 106-113. [32] Magee, The Briarwoods, pp. 253-254. [33] Morson, So They Rise, pp. 217-225. Bibliography
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820
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