Kiaulune (also called Shadowcatch and later the New Town) is the southernmost city of the southern continent of the homeworld. A large and genuinely ancient city, Kiaulune is located in the valley on the south side of the Dandha Presh mountains, not far from the Plain of Charandaprash pass. The city's name translates to "Shadow Gate" in the native Sangel language, because the crumbling Shadowgate is found to its south... beyond which is the lethal plateau called glittering plain. Kiaulune is 400 miles south of Dejagore; according to Croaker it is 800 miles south of the larger city of Taglios.
At least 15 years before Shadow Games, Kiaulune and another large city, Tragevec, were the first significant places to be captured by the four mysterious Shadowmasters. The most senior Shadowmaster – Longshadow – renamed the city "Shadowcatch" and built his fortress Overlook between it and the Shadowgate. For years, the people of Kiaulune suffered immensely under his tyrannical rule, which turned out to be only the first of a litany of catastrophes to follow. Next, before it could be visited by the Black Company, Kiaulune was devastated by the horrible earthquakes inadvertently caused by Soulcatcher at the very end of Bleak Seasons and the subsequent famines. The ruined city was eventually the site of violent urban combat during the Siege of Overlook, the final battle of the Shadowmaster wars. It was further demolished during the 5-year-long Kiaulune wars. However, by the time of Water Sleeps, the location was referred to as "the New Town" and was slowly experiencing regrowth.
Ancient history[]
The librarians of Kiaulune recorded an immense store of ancient history, including the entry of all the Free Companies of Khatovar as they accessed the homeworld via the Shadowgate, each using a magic lance as their Shadowgate key. And, the librarians likewise recorded the return of all but one, the Black Company, back through the gate. The Black Company, unlike the others, had lost sight of its original mission over the centuries, forgot that their Lance of Passion was actually a Shadowgate key, and became simply a band of mercenaries that migrated slowly northward for generations.
Before Croaker's Annals[]
After the 4 Shadowmasters captured a lesser-known city called Pityus, they made their first significant pair of conquests: Kiaulune and Tragevec (about 20 years before the start of She Is the Darkness). Longshadow conquered Kiaulune. He made this city his headquarters, changed its name to Shadowcatch, and had his giant personal fortress Overlook built not far south of it. Only the conquered peoples of the Shadowlands referred to the city by the name Shadowcatch. He then jealously scoured its ancient libraries for arcane secrets and sorcery, stealing everything only for himself, and wiping out anyone who shared the knowledge he coveted.
Bleak Seasons[]
Kiaulune was devastated by the tremendous earthquakes at the end of Bleak Seasons. These tremors were caused by Soulcatcher's irresponsible tinkering in the supernatural throne room of Shivetya far away on the glittering plain. Since Kiaulune was the closest city to the epicenter, it suffered the worst. Many thousands died in the quakes.
She Is the Darkness[]
Not long after his victories at the Battle of Lake Tanji and the Battle of Charandaprash, the Liberator Croaker reached Kiaulune with the Black Company and his Taglian armies. The Company's Annalist, Murgen, had already seen the city many times through spectral eyes (using Smoke's disembodied spirit). Upon seeing the place for the first time in person, however, he was stunned by the wreckage, and recorded his impression in the Annals:
| “ | The remains of Kiaulune were plain hell. Famine and disease had claimed almost everyone who had not been killed by the earthquake. Longshadow, taking unwanted advice, had tried to help. Too late. But he had allowed refugees to establish themselves in the shadow of Overlook and had been making provision to care for them. In turn, those people were replacing the lost workers who had been building Overlook before the earthquake. Very little work had gotten done since the disaster. Even Longshadow had been forced to stipulate that survival demands superseded his desire to complete his invulnerable fastness... To Longshadow all the people of the Shadowlands were his to use and dispose of as he saw fit. He just wanted to keep them alive long enough to be used. | ” |
The still-ruined streets of Kiaulune were rocked by violent urban combat during the Siege of Overlook. In or near Kiaulune, the Prahbrindrah Drah was arrested by Goblin and his Shaded Road commandos for betraying the Black Company. Once Overlook was captured and Longshadow seized, the Shadowmaster wars finally ended.
Kiaulune wars[]
Kiaulune and its surrounding areas were next the battlegrounds of the Kiaulune wars. This conflict took place during the first 5 years of the 15-year gap between She Is the Darkness and Water Sleeps. Combined with the harm caused by the preceding Shadowmaster wars, the Kiaulune wars smashed the city even further and reduced its population dramatically.
Soldiers Live[]
In Soldiers Live, the newly-reconstituted Black Company passed through Kiaulune after they descended through the Shadowgate. Croaker mentioned Kiaulune had become a region of bustling reconstruction.