Palischuk

Palischuk was a city in the northeastern corner of Vaasa. It was unique because it was populated predominantly by half-orcs.

Description
The city was a fortress town rebuilt in the mid-to-late 14 century DR by half-orcs which grew into a bustling metropolis by the late 15 century DR. It was made of up mostly shorter buildings and was well-lit at night by torchlight. It was ringed by a wall with main gates facing north and south.

Geography
The city sat on a wide, rocky plain located west of the Galena Mountains in the Ostraland region of northern Vaasa, east of the ruins of Castle Perilous. In the 14 century DR, the Great Glacier was visible from the city.

The largest major community in eastern Vaasa, the city lay upon the northern trade routes that connected Maur-Eturo and the south with Ironspur, Ishe, and Frohm's Rest in the far north and The Reach trail to the west.

Trade
Palischuck made a great effort upon its refounding in the mid-to-late 14 century DR to build trade relations with the civilized peoples of Vaasa and Damara, and largely succeeded. By the late 15 century DR, it was the most important trade hub in Vaasa.

History
A few years prior to the rise of Zhengyi the Witch-King in the, the city was attacked by the black dragon Urshula, but the town survived with relatively minor scars.

Palischuk was ruined by the depredations of the Witch-King during the Vaasan War, but was subsequently claimed and rebuilt by the half-orcs of the surrounding areas as a place to call their own. During the Bloodstone Wars, they received aid from Baron Gareth Dragonsbane of Bloodstone in the form of fifty highly trained soldiers, including clerics and wizards, led by the knights Sir Donegan and Maryin Felspur of the Order of the Golden Cup. These forces helped the half-orcs to reinforce their defenses, and to drive off an attack by the white dragon Byphast, an ally of Zhengyi. However, Zhengyi slew these heroes by tricking them into waking Urshula once again.

By the, after Zhengyi had been defeated, Palischuk's half-orc inhabitants succeeded in befriending other nearby settlements. They traded with the Vaasan Gate, Darmshall, and neighboring dwarven communities harmoniously, but the dwarves and humans would continue to deal with them cautiously for the next decade. Around this same time, rumors began swirling that gold had been discovered in the nearby Great Glacier.

In the, Palischuk became the epicenter of a territorial dispute between King Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara, who openly desired to claim Vaasa as his own, and Bregan D'aerthe when Jarlaxle Baenre and Artemis Entreri claimed Vaasa as the Kingdom of D'aerthe. The Palischukians sided with King Gareth, opening the door for him to ultimately annex Vaasa. Palischuk was absorbed into his Kingdom of Bloodstone sometime in the late 14 century DR.

The city was subsequently conquered by the Warlock Knights of Vaasa sometime in the 1460s DR. As of the, Palischuk had grown to a city of over 10,000, the great majority of whom were still half-orcs. Their mercantile businesses served as the economic engine that underlay much of Vaasa's economy, and they had become much more accepted as a vital part of Vaasan society. At this time, the city was ruled by Knight-Vindicator Mansard Kanaoth, the only half-orc on the Ironfell Council of the Warlock Knights.

Inhabitants
Most folk in Palischuck kept to themselves. The majority of its residents were half-orc or orc. In the late 15 century DR, just 1 in 5 of the local population was human.

As of 1479 DR, several half-orcs of Palischuk were practicing Zhengyian blood magic.

Notable Inhabitants

 * 14 century DR
 * Arrayan Faylin
 * Olgerkhan
 * Wingham
 * 15 century DR
 * Mansard Kanaoth

Notable Locations

 * Weird Wingham's Wacky Weapon Wielders, a travelling caravan run by Wingham, was based here and settled outside the south gate a few times each year.
 * Weary Wanderer: This was the largest tavern in the town as of the mid-to-late 14 century DR.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Bloodstone Wars
 * Novels
 * Promise of the Witch-King • Road of the Patriarch
 * Short stories
 * "If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair" in The Collected Stories: The Legend of Drizzt Anthology
 * "If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair" in The Collected Stories: The Legend of Drizzt Anthology