Lords is a major city in the Lady's Empire in the northern continent. It is located east of the Forest of Cloud, north of the Windy Country, west of the Plain of Fear, and 500 miles south of the Barrowland. A long road that cuts around the south boundary of the Forest of Cloud links Lords to the Salient, an Imperial province that is west of the forest.
Before Croaker's Annals
According to the disputed records in Port of Shadows, Lords was one of the easternmost cities under the control of the Domination.
During the latter years of the Domination's rule, the necromancer Papa fled Domination territory and took refuge in the Ghost Country to the east, where he discovered that the settlements in the immediate vicinity not only lacked any understanding of TelleKurre, but had never before encountered someone of his light complexion; they believed he was a ghost and reacted violently. In order to procure the materials and tools necessary to prolong Laissa's life, Papa was forced to go west, back to the Domination. He stopped in Lords and successfully acquired his supplies, despite some of the locals noticing the oddness of his requests and attempting to rob him, forcing him to use his magic to deal with them.
At the time, the Dominator had already become aware that two of the Senjak sisters had been absconded with by an unknown sorcerer of apparently great magnitude and took measures to have Papa found, but rebellion was afflicting many of the cities and towns in the Domination's heartland and absorbed his attention. As Lords lay on the frontier and saw no serious fighting, the incident involving Papa largely escaped the notice of the leadership in Dusk.
The Black Company
During the Rebel revolts of The Black Company, the city of Lords was under the direct authority of Nightcrawler, a member of the Lady's fearsome Ten Who Were Taken. Whisper, the most dangerous commander of the Rebel Circle of Eighteen, drew up a very detailed battle plan to seize Lords from the Lady's Empire. Whisper's plan was to secretly embed a battalion of Rebel fighters among the homes of sympathizers in Lords. Then, they would rise up and attack Nightcrawler's Imperial defenders from within. Whisper's hand-signed orders detailing the entire order of battle against Lords were seized by the Black Company (among many other priceless Rebel documents) when they serendipitously discovered and captured her main base camp in the Forest of Cloud.
Soulcatcher informed Nightcrawler of Whisper's plan. Nightcrawler struck quickly, executing many Rebels, and hanging them from the trees and lampposts of Lords. Shortly after this, the Black Company arrived and went into barracks at Lords, expecting a quiet, boring winter. They would be sorely disappointed.
At Lords, Soulcatcher revealed to the Company's senior members that the Limper had been suborned by Whisper, who learned his true name and therefore had control over him. This explained the Empire's loss of Roses and then the whole Salient: the Limper was betraying the Lady's efforts and was secretly aiding the Rebel.
Also in this city, Croaker and Raven brushed up on their skills with the bow to prepare for their ambush of the Limper and Whisper. The night before the ambush, Croaker did his monthly reading from the Annals to the entire Company in assembly. This reading was a selection written by the Annalist Straw, from the Book of Kette. He read the narrative "like a mad prophet" for three hours, and received a standing ovation from the enraptured men. Even the emotionless Raven was spellbound, and actually thanked Croaker later in private.
The next morning, the Captain personally woke up Croaker, who then left with Raven and Soulcatcher to conduct their ambush of the Limper and Whisper in the Forest of Cloud. Not far outside the walls of Lords, Croaker saw, and rode, his first flying carpet. After the ambush, Croaker, Silent, and Raven headed back to Lords on horseback.
Besieged by Harden
Meanwhile, Lords was "besieged, circumvallated, and bottled in a double fosse" by Harden and some other members of the Circle. Croaker, Silent, and Raven could not get back inside the city to rejoin their brethren because a fearsome sorcery duel was raging at the city walls between Soulcatcher and Nightcrawler against Harden and the Circle. For twelve days, Croaker agonized about the fate of his compatriots within the beleaguered city. Finally, the three rejoined the main body of the Black Company (and hundreds of Imperial regulars) when they fled the city. Altogether, about 3,000 people loyal to the Lady fled Lords into the Windy Country. The city was now part of the Circle's growing northern holdings.
Shadows Linger
Like most other cities that had been lost to the Circle, Lords was reincorporated into the Empire after the Rebel's horrendous defeat at the Battle at Charm.
The main body of the Black Company marched through Lords during their trek from Frost to the Barrowland.
The White Rose
The residents of Lords were treated to the incredible spectacle of 18 windwhales and many mantas flying directly overhead. The streets were clogged with stunned locals who stared upward at the monsters, which had never before been seen outside the Plain of Fear. The airborne fleet – the backbone of the New White Rose Rebellion – was headed to the Barrowland, to help the Lady deal with the Dominator once and for all.
The Silver Spike
Bomanz passed through Lords during his trek to find Darling in The Silver Spike.