I haven't gotten to people and locations or a map yet. Here's some tidbits on organizations and unusual aspects of the setting. Stuff in italics is game mechanics stuff.
ADVENTURERS UNION A decade ago Sir Gilder declared himself a duke and head of the newly formed Adventurers Union. Nobles in the area scoff at his dukedom but the union or guild has met with some success, especially in the parts of the north without a strong government and few standing forces. Gilder is a semi-retired famous adventurer and his name as attracted many would be adventurers. The guild sets standards for hirelings and mercenaries. It also serves as a middle man, connecting those needing work to those needing a job done. The Union also gathers info from all of its members to keep tabs on hot spots and places needing looting. Most cities and large towns in the north and some in the south have a Union office.
CHARM LAWS Everyone has heard tales of mages beguiling kings and turning them into puppets and secretly controlling kingdoms. Just as common are stories of mages charming widows out of all of their money. Magical control is often hard to detect and is a potentially hugely profitable scam. For this reason, most places have severe laws against magically controlling others, these are usually called charm laws. Death sentences are common. Governments that look down on mages have especially strict laws. Most states also have laws against other sorts of magical fraud.
COUNCIL FOR THE PRESERVATION OF ORDER With the loss of one of the Five Cities, a small group of priests of Slindelafay have organized a new structure in the 4 remaining cities devoted to defense and stopping the chaos an panic. They are highly organized but have alarmed some nobles for operating outside of the normal power structures.
DEATH SENTENCE It is commonly believed that, for each person, there is a sentence that, if that person were to hear it, they would instantly die. The sentence is different for each person. There is a great deal of disagreement about how to learn this sentence but people often point to astrology or numerology as the source. Most mages scoff at this idea and state that this idea arose from people witnessing mages kill others with spells and misunderstood the nature of the incantations spoken. I have never researched this realm but I have seen a person drop stone dead upon hearing something that I am sure was not a mage spell.
DICE GODS There are those that believe mystical forces affect seemingly simple events. These people attempt to summon these powers called the dice gods. For them, roll ing dice or playing games of chance are semi-religious experiences in which the Dice Gods grant favor to those they find appealing. No one agrees exactly who the Dice Gods are or what must be done to appease them. Some people request to be buried with dice in their hands so that they have the chance in the afterlife to gamble for their souls.
DRAGONS I had a chance to interview a dragon. This 200 year old dragon was the most awe inspiring creature that I had ever met. The first thing that he explained to me was that dragons are not reptiles; dragons are warm-blooded and are as far above lizards as we are. There are four types of dragons. They all have four legs, wings, and the ability to breathe fire. Greater dragons include dragons proper and wyrms. They have the ability to cast spells and use dragon signs. Dragons inscribe the signs directly upon their scales, the more powerful ones in hidden areas on their bodies. An ancient dragon covered in dragon signs is an incredible sight. Wyrms are the largest dragons, not being any wider than dragons but being much longer, looking almost like snakes. Wyrms have a powerful fire but are not as smart as dragons and have limited spell and rune ability. Dragons are superior in intellect, sophistication, and total power. Lesser dragons include wyverns and swamp wyrms. Wyverns are the smallest dragons and have small forelimbs. They are as smart horses and have limited fire but are excellent flyers. Swamp wyrms have small wings and legs adapted for swimming. Swamp wyrms are as large as wyrms and have a powerful fire. I was informed that dragon brains have superior capacity but do not think as quickly as ours. In addition, dragon brains are slower to develop. Most of the dragons we see attacking villages are impulsive adolescents with little wits and ready to fight to prove themselves. Half of all dragons die before they reach adulthood.
DUELS A millennium ago, spellcasters worked out a set of rules for settling serious disputes in a manner that was fair and not always lethal. The two contestants stand 10’ apart facing each other. At a tone from the judge, the contestants simultaneously unleash one spell at their opponent. Such duels are brief and exciting but best watched from a safe distance. Due to the nature of spells, it is possible for both contestants to be killed or knocked unconscious. Inconclusive results are also common. Additional rules vary slightly so it is best to ask the judge. The most commonly accepted rules allow each contestant one minute to prepare themselves and size up the opponent while standing 10’ away. Spells may be cast during this preparation time as long none are intended to impair the opponent. Defenses are normally cast while watching what defenses the other casts. Magic items are usually allowed. Stakes are usually declared ahead of time and include things such as surrender of a magic item, making an apology to someone, or merely admitting that the other is a superior mage. The gravest of insults allow one of the contestants to declare beforehand a duel “to blackness”. In such cases, after the initial exchange, initiative is rolled and the contestants continue attacking each other until one is dead or unconscious. In moderately serious duels, three rounds of combat are allowed after the first exchange unless someone is rendered unable to fight.
Dueling rules have spread to non-spellcasters. Everything is the same except that, at the tone, they each shoot at each other or thwack at each other. Spellcasters and non-spellcasters can even duel with each other, trading a spell for a blow. There are duelists who have specialized in dealing a powerful blow in the instant allowed.
Duels are often a way to show off or show character. A very confident or nonviolent spell caster might cast defensive spells and then cast an obviously non-offensive spell in the duel as a way of thumbing their nose at the other. Gnomes have been known to cast spells to trick others into thinking they are gravely injured or to make the opponent look foolish.
In Newzan, nobles use longswords and the lower classes give two daggers to each dueliest fight with or throw.
Add the following Fighter perk: duelist. In the simultaneous round and the following round, you receive +4 to hit. You get a critical if the total including all modifiers is 20 or more. Also add the following perk for Wizards and Clerics: Duel casting. If you take 3 rounds to cast a spell, the damage die is increased by a size and opponents have -2 to their saving throws (in a duel the spell is timed to be cast at the start of the duel). If you take damage at any point in the casting, the spell is lost.
GODLESS ONES There are a few people who wish to be totally left alone by all deities. These people are not atheists; they are quite aware that gods exists. Rather, they believe that gods have their own agendas that are not for the benefit of people. When gods quarrel, it’s always people who suffer, the gods rarely actually harm each other. Godless Ones view all priests as untrustworthy due to their holy associations and will not accept any form of priestly aid. As far as I know, no Godless Ones violently oppose any of the religions; they merely seek to be left alone by all gods. Most gods seem to have agreed and do not persecute the Godless Ones. I believe that there is a secret society of mages who are Godless Ones.
Godless ones receive +4 to saving throws vs. clerical magic as long as they have received no aid from a cleric or holy source for at least a month.
KRESHTUUP This is the large orcish city to the northwest. It has a population of about 10,000, about 60% of which is orcish. It is the center of a vast slave trade. There is little by way of written law here. Most of the possessions and people are considered the property of the different gangs or organizations that rule the city. If anybody harms the property of a gang, it is that gang's duty to exact vengeance. Failure to respond lessens that gang's power. The largest gang is ruled by the city's lord, Kraal the Crusher, an orc of immense physical strength. He has ruled for a very long time for an orc. It is believed to be because he discovered some potions of longevity that allowed him to preserve the physical strength needed to dominate other orcs. His minions have tattoos to mark their ownership and rank, for property of Kraal, for valuable property of Kraal, and for speaker for Kraal. His elite guard, known as The Sixes, is made up of unusually large orcs. This is the most frightening city I have ever been to. If you are not the member of a gang, then you have only your own combat skill to prevent you from being killed or robbed.
MODERNISM This is a 60 year old movement among gnomes and halflings, mainly those of Green Reed City. The movement stresses the definition of oneself by one's skills and knowledge instead of by family and clan connections. Modernists strive to increase their understanding of the world. Without their family to define them, modernists try to make themselves unique, either by their unique crafts, philosophy, or even dress style. Admittedly, many silly inventions and hairstyles have arisen due to modernism. However, modernism has also made the city the leader in technology. Modernists have played a role in the invention of hard gold, thin leather, gunpowder, and countless other inventions. Due to their vastly different outlooks, there is a great deal of strife between modernist and traditionalists, but it rarely escalates beyond loud arguments. Modernists drop their last name for a descriptive adjective and the gnomes are usually beardless.
NUMEROLOGY Most people believe that numbers carry a mystical power and some numbers are inherently good or bad. Newzan believe that the number 5, along with 10, 25, and 50, carry good luck because they are a complete number and represent a full set of something. The number 6, along with 12, 36, and 66 are believed to represent the magical addition to a complete set. In some contexts, sixes are sought after as representing supernatural assistance. In other contexts, sixes are considered bad luck due to the ruining of a complete set. Thirteen is always considered dark luck due since it is considered a perversion of the already questionable twelve.
Proscribed Spells Elves have outlawed all fire based spells within the Silk Forest. The Five Cities have outlawed magical attempts to use astrology or similar means to cast the fortunes or learn the birth details of nobles.
SEVEN SWORDS Three hundred years ago, seven Uuld chiefs forged a confederacy with each chief having his own town as a seat of power. They feared that their kingdom would fall upon their deaths and chaos would erupt. To prevent this, they called upon a necromancer and some dwarven smiths to create seven soul swords. They then took their own lives and had their souls placed in their swords so that they could continue to rule. To this day, the swords chose the chiefs that will wield them and the swords serve as advisors and judges.
SOUL MAGIC Spellcasters find it very difficult to make permanent magic items beyond a certain level of power. Powerful magic items that don’t use charges are rare, usually the superb feat of a dwarven smith or elven magic weaver or a gift from the gods. Most attempts at such items create something whose magic fades over time.
One way around this is to install a willing soul into the magic item, whose presence maintains stable magic. As a bonus, the item has the sentience of the individual. It’s not as hard to find a soul as you might think – dying people who think they’ll not fare well in the afterlife or who want to stick around are often willing. Attempts to charm, trick, or coerce a soul always fail and create corrupted items. A few items become erratic as the long years of lying around take their toll on the mind inside.
In game terms, armor/weapons/items rarely have greater than a +2 bonus or a +1 bonus with a special power. Better items are either soul items or like minor artifacts with an unusual history. This also means that there no off the rack powerful items. A +4 sword will be something legendary with its own quirks and extras. One shot items and +1/+2 items still have normal availability.
SWORD LAWS The Five Cities have proscriptions against possession of longswords and greatwords by anyone who is not a noble. Only soldiers and philosophers can use short swords. Newzan nobles often carry swords as a sign of rank. Only soldiers and nobles may use large weapons. The peasantry usually gets around these laws with tools that double as weapons such as bills, flails, and axes.
Within the city walls armor is illegal except by the city watch unless emergency is declared. This makes small, concealable weapons popular. The wealthy often wear armor that is inconspicuous. Dress jackets with brigandine are popular. Leather workers have developed a method to shrink leather so that armor made from leather is thin enough to be worn under clothing.
The intent of these laws is partly to control the lower castes and partly to appear genteel and keep the underlying feuds hidden.
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Moderator: Stan
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by Stan » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:45 pm
Still no map - the software I brought on vacation wouldn't install and I was largely stranded among inlaws without internet.
But I do I have a simple sketch that inspired me enough to detail some locations, which are below. These will make more sense once I make the simple hex map. You are currently in the nearly lawless western Yellow Hills, barely in the Golden Duchy of Ergent.
It's hard to strike a balance on length of entries. I wan tto give you some taste but without taking too much writing time or giving you a tome to read. Feel free to ask questions. I'll fill in more details on locations if you go to them.
Entries below: I have these in Word as well - I intend to put everything in a semicoherent file in the future. Important personalities still to come.
Aelx Now the southernmost of the Five Cities, Aelx is known for trade with distant lands and bazaars with exotic items. One of the Houses is almost never in the city, spending its time in distant locales sending items back to its agents.
The fall of Morz has caused it to strengthen its city walls and raise an army as big as its navy. Aelx has declined offers from Zale to station Zalish troops there for additional protection.
Barley Conceived has a new breadbasket for Newzan cities, Barley fulfills this role admirably. The town is built around buying, storing, and shipping grain and selling goods to farmers. The leaders are mainly old farmers who don’t care about politics beyond stability and commodity prices. The only interesting thing about the town is a wide variety of inexpensive beers.
Boneport The town is easily found by navigators due to the huge pile of ancient bones nearby. Some in the town use them as building materials – the wide variety of species afford a wide variety of shapes and sizes of bones for building projects. It is the only of the Northern Towns that is a port. The plan to trade with Uuld tribes didn’t pan out very well as most of the Uuld prefer to mosey south to trade on their own. Fishing has become a bigger industry, especially with the rich dire shrimp banks. Muddy Mike has also had great success with his “Try a bite of Trilobite” slogan.
Boneport is semi-autonous. The Five Cities must agree to all of their shipping and fishing policies but the town sets its local laws and handles landward trade. The reason for this is pragmatic as the town could never match Newzan navies but the Five cities don’t have the troops to take and control the town so far north.
Cloud Marsh Named for its abundance of huge fluffy cloud bushes, the marsh straddles the Drenz river. Much of it is totally or partially saline. There a few islands of solid land but most of it is inundated. North of the river is known for lizard men and south of the river is known for swamp wyrms.
Counter Moons There is a group of small moons that rise in the west and set in the east. Their number appears to vary between 5 and 7. They dance around each other in an unpredictable pattern, completing a set of phases between 30 and 100 days. Poets and madmen believe that they play a special role in magic and astrology.
Crack The Crack is a huge fault that opened 1908 years ago with the fall of the Old Kingdom. It runs over 50 miles and is hundreds of yards wide in places and is over a mile deep in most places where it has been measured. When it ripped open, all manner of demons and strange creatures poured out. It’s not clear if the destruction of the Old Kingdom resulted in the crack or if demons from the crack destroyed the Old Kingdom. There are still many foul creatures inside.
Despite the dangers, many brave souls risk going in for several reasons. The fault exposed rich veins including mithril and rubies. There are known to be gateways to other dimensions and worlds but these are not well mapped and might change over time. Strangest of all, academics go in purely for the chance to peer that deeply into the world and to try to discover the cause of the crack and the fall of the Old Kingdom. Serpent men from Morz have made expeditions into the crack and never come out. Whether this means success or failure is a matter of speculation.
Doomed River The water from this small river never reaches the ocean. It flows north through the near desert of the western portion of the Uuld plains, drying up as it goes. It ends in the Salty Puddle.
Drenz This is the second biggest port on Best and the 2nd biggest of the Five Cities. It is a major point of exchange between dwarves, the southern interior, and other ports. The Joolb and Shlebar Houses control most of the large trade and share control of the city with the Schniffla House. There is a Dwarven quarter in the city. There is also a road from Drenz to Hillza.
Faithful make sacrifices to the goddess Drenza of the river by placing items in the river to float down. It is bad luck to steal these items – also dangerous because of the river beasts Drenza’s protectors.
Goblins occasionally raid the suburbs but never threaten the city. Dragons occasionally try to carry off river barges but only young rambunctious ones venture into the city.
Drenz River Starting in the Yellow Hills, Drenz is the biggest and most important river in Best. It flows through the Red Mountains and then follows them east to the city of Drenz. From there, it flows to the ocean through the Cloud Marsh. There is a channel though the marsh and ocean going ships can travel as far as the city of Drenz. West of the Drenz, smaller barges carry Dwarven metals to Drenz and Newzan goods to the Dwarven strongholds. In the Yellow Hills, the river is too shallow for anything other than canoes. Passage through the Red Mountains is possible but there are several rapids and deep gorges.
Ergent This small walled town on a tall hill near the center of the Yellow Hills. It is the capitol of the Golden Duchy. Duke Ergent, the second with that title, claims rulership of all of the Yellow Hills but that claim is tenuous, especially to the north and west. Solid does not recognize his sovereignty.
Duke Ergent is a grim and practical ruler, keeping order as long as it does not slow settlement or affect revenues. He hands out titles to those who show themselves capable of bringing order to areas; few of the barons and knights have titles which will be hereditary. The duke seems to have no shortage of daring youngsters looking to prove themselves and gain position. He has squads of mounted men at arms who can be dispatched to help restore order.
Ergent is a good place to buy horses and to trade wool but is thin on fancy amenities. There are also courts to make claims and have disputes settled.
Exile Island Northeast of Best is a small lawless island of pirates and rogues. Its origins lie in the fall off Yezquuzdek and the establishment of Cloos as supreme god off the Newzan. The majority welcomed the change but thousands fled here, either to worship Yezquuzdek or to avoid returning to the caste system. Despite its small size, there is no central government. Many still worship Yezquuzdek but she has no official status. A key feature of Exile Island is that its inhabitants do not recognize which occur off the island or its immediate coast. This makes it a common refuge for criminals as long as they can reform; a dim view is taken of bounty hunters trying to take criminals off of the island. Many leading citizens are pirates who provide employment and bring wealth to the island; as long as their crimes are elsewhere, they are looked upon favorably. The Five Cities have made several attempts to conquer the island but have always failed to do more than burn a port or two. With the fall off Morz, the Five Cities appear to have turned their back on the exiles.
Farpoint At the northeast edge of the Yellow Hills, the Newzan conceived of Farpoint as the far corner of their new colonial empire. Things didn’t quite work out. Morz Fell. Weshard left the fold. A road directly from Farpoint to either Barley or Boneport never got built. Zale has a token company of troops to help defend it from hobgoblins, gnolls, and Uuld raiders. The town of 2,000 doesn’t even try for independence as the reality of their largely independent neglect is upon them. The Zale appointed Legate and the local priest try their best to keep it together.
From a Newzan point of view, the town is beyond provincial – being sent here is nearly a sentence of exile. Despite this, for many Uuld, this is their only taste of southern civilization. The town has a minor industry in putting on plays and other displays of Newzan culture for Uulds in town. A joke among artists is “Well, you could always go work in Farpoint.”
Five Cities The Newzan tend to be urban and stick to the coasts. The largest is Zale, with a population of 150,000. The Smallest was Morz, at 50,000 before it fell. The other three are Hillza, Aelx, and Drenz. The cities are all formally under the control off Zale but each city has its own noble Houses that obey only so far. Their control formally extends as far as the Five Castles but control is tenuous in the southeast. The inland is full of villages and farms to feed the cities. Virtually all of the territory is under Houses and the caste system.
Five Castles With the fall off Morz, Zale erected a line of castles to defend the rest of their territory. This has increased the power of Zale. The castles maintain a watch on the dark forces in Morz, strange things in the Crack, undead from the Old Kingdom, elves and other fey, as well as stopping unrest and rebellion. There is a quite a bit of distance between the castles so they are far from impenetrable but patrols and spyglasses make getting between them without papers tricky.
Frostedge The northernmost port in Best is built into a series of sea caves and rooms carved out of the cliff face. The location helps protect it from wyrms. It is a stop for Newzan ships to pick up goods from Green Reed City and Mist Dwarf strongholds. It is also near rich fishing grounds. Farm goods need to be imported. The citizens make due with very limited space and small rooms.
Green Reed City In the northeast, south of the Misty Mountains, lies the most technologically advanced city in Best. Underground coaches move through tunnels around the city without animals to power them. Geothermal heat warms most of the burrows. The Calculator determines the optimal time for planting, optimal tax rates, and the best rate of population growth; its thousands of gears and switches are powered by steam power. Green city is the starting point of modernism and gunpowder.
Settled mainly by Halflings and gnomes, along with a few dwarves, the city is inside its hill as much as on it. A city ordinance sets all doorways to have a max height of five feet. The reasoning is efficient heating and cooling but most suspect it is to make humans feel as out of place as shorter folk feel in human settlements. The city is a great place to buy ale but not good for horses or anything suited to human size.
Lately, there has been great concern that the steam power coming up from the earth has been running low. If this is not solved, the grand plans will have to be altered
Hillza This used to be the smallest of the Five Cities until colonization began north of the Red Mountains. Hillza controls the narrow strip of land between the foothills of the mountains and the Cloud Marsh, thus controlling most movement by land between the north and south. Most of its wealth comes from the north and it usually allies with Zale to maintain a grip on the Northern Towns. Houses and the wealthy commission carvings in the hills above the city to proclaim important events or as propaganda.
Misty Mountains Old, jagged, and twisted, the Misty Mountains form the northern boundary of Uuld lands. The strip of land north of the mountains is cold and wet, with tall conifer trees. The mountains themselves are known as the home of Mist Dwarves and wyrms, neither of which inspire many travelers to visit.
Mithril Hall The Dwarves built a magnificent series of towers and caverns covered with mithril leaf in the western Red Mountains. The Hall marked the peak of Dwarven craft. It proved to be a major draw from nearby greedy dragons. A huge Wyrm arrived as the Hall neared completion and slayed the king. The wyrm was killed but several more dragons and wyrms took advantage of the chaos. Over several years, dozens of dragons and thousands of Dwarves were killed until the last relative of the king realized that there was little of value left to the hall.
Most Dwarves retired to modest halls further east, careful to never expose precious metals or gems to not provoke greed. Some dwarves, including the last of the old line, moved north and burrowed deep within the Misty Mountains hidden from prying eyes.
The remains of the Hall are still inhabited by dragons. Foolhardy adventurers sneak in to explore and steal, hoping to find the near mythical treasure halls that dragons have never found.
Morz Formerly the smallest and most provincial of the Five Cities, Morz used to be a comfortable city on the mouth of the Vermel river. Fifty three years ago, an army rose up from under the city and quickly conquered it. Thousands fled, thousands more died. The city is now occupied by serpent people, demons, and even stranger creatures. Five years of attempts to reconquer Morz met with dismal failure. The remaining Newzan switched to a strategy of containment, building castles and setting up patrols.
Large and small groups come out of Morz to go to the Crack, Silk Forest, and other locations for unknown reasons. They also collect captives and take them back to Morz for unkown reasons. No one knows the current state of inside Morz.
New Forest Soon after they arrived, elves made the borders of the Silk Forest start expanding, overrunning farm and dale alike; elves ignored complaints and pleas. This new growth is called the New Forest as it is not as dark and has less to fear. Plants in these regions tend to grow two to five times their normal rate.
Growth has slowed in most places due to a few factors. Where the New Forest has reached the borders of the Old Kingdon, expansion has stopped. The Quoess and Newzan have also taken advantage of the unusual growth to set up new logging operations. The elves don’t seem to have the ability to stop them so far from the center of the forest.
Nomad Islands Usually south or southeast off Best Island are circular islands a mile in diameter. They are bowl shaped with their centers hundreds yards below sea level. They tend to move with the currents but never seem to float away altogether. There are believed to be 10 off them but they move constantly and independently so counts vary. Their origin is unknown.
Northgate The first of the Northern Towns is very near the Five Cities in both proximity and culture. It is firmly in the grip of Noble Houses through marriage and houses troops from Zale and Hillza. It is an administrative collection point for the Northern Towns. It has stopped growing compared to the other more vibrant towns. Some say that the water has an unusual smell, which some actually like. .
Old Kingdom Thousands of years ago, the land known only as the Old Kingdom was the only civilization on Best beside a couple of Dwarven strongholds. The kingdom brought arcane magic from a few cantrips to heights possibly beyond today’s ability. It is believed that they took it too far and some monumental magic went awry. The main city was utterly destroyed to such an extent that its location is forgotten and its name wiped from everyone’s memory.
Refugees from the smaller towns fled east of the newly formed Crack and moved all the way to the east coast. A few centuries later, they emerged as the Newzan with a caste system to maintain order and control. Only destruction, abominations, and undead were left behind. Nearly two thousand years later, trees will not grow and most large animals die within a week. Wights and zombies wander through the remnants of towns.
In the Old Kingdom, Zaan was spoken. This language was maintained by the learned and elite. Magic texts old and new are typically in Zaan. Today, it is also the language of Newzan nobility and court functions.
Peroq Under the lordship of the Great One Hammurn the Archmage, Peroq is the only Quoess town deserving to be called a city, with about 25,000 inhabitants. It is known as the City of Words due to the large library, the many bookshops and publishers, and the large number of researchers and linguists. Hammurn runs the only formal mage school outside of the Five Cities. It is known that dragons and wyrms never come within 10 miles of Peroq.
Phoq this is a Quoess port town on the west coast sandwiched between the Silk Forest and Scale Mountain. Parts of it burrow into the foothills of the Red Mountains. It is both a port and the only city with more than one balloon vehicle. There is a small college that is renown for medical studies.
Salty Puddle Fed the doomed river, the Salty Puddle is a couple of hundred square miles of dirty salty water, too salty for most life. The puddle is never deeper than 30 feet and average depth is 8 feet – overall depth varies from year to year due to amount of snow in the Red Mountains. Several small groups harvest the salt crust on the shores formed by evaporation.
Scale Mountain Near the western edge of the Red Mountains is a semi-active volcano. Most of the new lava flows north, creating new formations in the scrubland. The slopes of the volcano have the highest known density of dragon lairs.
Silk Forest Until the arrival of the elves, these woods were foreboding and rarely visited due to wolves, giant spiders, Aranea, animated vines, and the difficulty of finding one’s way. Elves drove out many but not all of the dangers and it is still difficult to navigate. Elves live long enough that many of them are still first generation immigrants, considering themselves to live in exile. They are taciturn when it comes to describing the Far Grey and why they left.
Elves consider themselves the owners of the Silk Forest and fear of their bows and magic force others to recognize their claim. They trade little with outsiders but the respectful visitor is usually tolerated. Elves under two centuries old were born on Best and are much more open to outsiders and are known to travel outside of the forest.
Solid The twin towns of Solid lie near the source of the Drenz River on the northern edge of the Yellow Hills. The eastern half was settled first as the home city of the Kulanae, the goddess of temperance. The high priestess Margel decided to set up headquarters on the frontier where her services were most needed. Besides the sturdy brown temple, fabric making is the most common industry. Reeds and and other plants are harvested from the river and the hills. Some are made into rope, some pounded and woven into a stronger, thicker version of linen, and some are used as dye. Light blue Solid cloth is known throughout best slightly itchy but long lasting – praised by peasants, disdained by nobles.
Self proclaimed Duke Gilder set up a castle on the west side of the river with a nearby town and put up a wall around both halves. West Solid is the headquarters of the new Adventurers Union. It has practice grounds, weapon and equipment shops, magic shops, and many many taverns. Despite their differences, the two halves have gained an appreciation for each other. The priests heal and create holy water for the adventurers and make much of the mundane equipment. The adventurers provide security for plant gatherers and bring wealth and strange trade good. Adventurers are seen sneaking across the bridges to get blessings prior to new quests and weavers are known to sneak west to taverns (east Solid is s dry town). East Solid has about 4,000 inhabitants. West Solid has about 3,000 but is growing faster.
You can tell which side of town someone is from as the east Soliders pronounce solid as if it were the name of a saint. East Soliders pronounce it as if it were the name of a gnome steel band.
Sphere In the scrubland of the north is a silver metal sphere 110 yards in diameter, with 80% of it above ground. It appeared 283 years ago. It moved twice a few years after its appearance, creating divots in the ground a couple of miles apart. Attempts to penetrate it have caused only minor scratches. Several Uuld groups now use it as a rendezvous point.
Step Lakes This series of small lakes across the northern Uuld plains is inhabited by several villages of sedentary Uuld. In addition to fishing and crabbing, they harvest reeds for sailcraft.
Stone Tree To the north, near the Misty Mountains, lies the Stone Tree, a rock structure shaped like a realistic tree without leaves. It is a mile high and a quarter mile wide at its base. It has been there longer than anyone can remember and shows some signs of weathering. Where dust and soil has collected, plants have sprouted, which support a wide variety of birds, some found nowhere else. The top of the food chain is definitely the large number of wyverns who attack travelers 10 miles or more from the tree and who nest in the highest branches. Other creatures have made burrows in various places. A brave group of dwarves and Halflings have made homes among the roots. Stairs have also been carved into the trunk up to the level of the lowest branches. There is an annual sailcart race around the trunk, which draws heavy bets and great peril.
Weshard On the southeastern edge of the Yellow Hills, Weshard is the only of the Northern Towns to be entirely free. The Wesh House lose all its nobles but refused to dissolve. Castes and recognition of Houses has been officially abolished but nobles still own a fair amount and many people still judge by former caste. The town has become a haven for Newzan wishing to be rid of their caste. This has been a mixed blessing as the population threatens to grow too quickly and the town finds itself asked to take in all manner of riffraff.
Now that it is no longer officially a Newzan town, the town has had immigration from Uuld, Quoess, dwarves, and Halflings as well. The town is rules by an elected council, with each family or guild that pays a vote tax of 100 sp given a vote. The council membership has been quite fluid and laws chaotic until longer terms and a mayor were added 5 years ago.
Yellow Hills Named for the abundance of yellow flowers and the often yellowish soil, these old weathered hills are the new frontier now that the Northern Towns are well established. Duke Ergent, the 3rd with that name has established a domain that has only negligible ties to the Five Cities – though he avoids the title king to avoid confrontation with Zale. The soil is rich for both farming and mining. Now that the threat of hobgoblins and gnolls have been reduced, souls from all races have emigrated here for new opportunities. A loose feudal structure has replaced the caste system. To the northwest, the land is full of bubbling pools, geysers, and steaming cracks – Brefff the Halfling has recently started a spa in the area.
Zale The crown of the Five Cities is the home of the Blue Sky King and the largest temples of all of the major Newzan gods. It is constantly in a struggle to dominate the other Newzan cities. Most of this is in the form of trade battles and twilight wars – real wars are rare and brief. The northern colonies and the building of the Five Castles has given Zale a leg up on the others.
Proximity to the palace has made Zale citizens even more status conscious than typical Newzan. Experts can spot House Affiliation, caste, and recent arrivals with a glance at their clothing. Parties double as hotbeds of intrigue and chances to catch others in a faux pas.
Like all of the Five Cities, Zale has a large trading and fishing fleets and a large navy. Most of its army is deployed in the castles and Northern Towns or in collection of taxes and tariffs. Pell Zelba, the Blue Sky King, served as a naval captain in his youth and many of his family follow this tradition.
The volcano Mt. Inf has dominates the view. Volcanic ash makes the surrounding soil rich and the arms of the volcano form an excellent harbor.
But I do I have a simple sketch that inspired me enough to detail some locations, which are below. These will make more sense once I make the simple hex map. You are currently in the nearly lawless western Yellow Hills, barely in the Golden Duchy of Ergent.
It's hard to strike a balance on length of entries. I wan tto give you some taste but without taking too much writing time or giving you a tome to read. Feel free to ask questions. I'll fill in more details on locations if you go to them.
Entries below: I have these in Word as well - I intend to put everything in a semicoherent file in the future. Important personalities still to come.
Aelx Now the southernmost of the Five Cities, Aelx is known for trade with distant lands and bazaars with exotic items. One of the Houses is almost never in the city, spending its time in distant locales sending items back to its agents.
The fall of Morz has caused it to strengthen its city walls and raise an army as big as its navy. Aelx has declined offers from Zale to station Zalish troops there for additional protection.
Barley Conceived has a new breadbasket for Newzan cities, Barley fulfills this role admirably. The town is built around buying, storing, and shipping grain and selling goods to farmers. The leaders are mainly old farmers who don’t care about politics beyond stability and commodity prices. The only interesting thing about the town is a wide variety of inexpensive beers.
Boneport The town is easily found by navigators due to the huge pile of ancient bones nearby. Some in the town use them as building materials – the wide variety of species afford a wide variety of shapes and sizes of bones for building projects. It is the only of the Northern Towns that is a port. The plan to trade with Uuld tribes didn’t pan out very well as most of the Uuld prefer to mosey south to trade on their own. Fishing has become a bigger industry, especially with the rich dire shrimp banks. Muddy Mike has also had great success with his “Try a bite of Trilobite” slogan.
Boneport is semi-autonous. The Five Cities must agree to all of their shipping and fishing policies but the town sets its local laws and handles landward trade. The reason for this is pragmatic as the town could never match Newzan navies but the Five cities don’t have the troops to take and control the town so far north.
Cloud Marsh Named for its abundance of huge fluffy cloud bushes, the marsh straddles the Drenz river. Much of it is totally or partially saline. There a few islands of solid land but most of it is inundated. North of the river is known for lizard men and south of the river is known for swamp wyrms.
Counter Moons There is a group of small moons that rise in the west and set in the east. Their number appears to vary between 5 and 7. They dance around each other in an unpredictable pattern, completing a set of phases between 30 and 100 days. Poets and madmen believe that they play a special role in magic and astrology.
Crack The Crack is a huge fault that opened 1908 years ago with the fall of the Old Kingdom. It runs over 50 miles and is hundreds of yards wide in places and is over a mile deep in most places where it has been measured. When it ripped open, all manner of demons and strange creatures poured out. It’s not clear if the destruction of the Old Kingdom resulted in the crack or if demons from the crack destroyed the Old Kingdom. There are still many foul creatures inside.
Despite the dangers, many brave souls risk going in for several reasons. The fault exposed rich veins including mithril and rubies. There are known to be gateways to other dimensions and worlds but these are not well mapped and might change over time. Strangest of all, academics go in purely for the chance to peer that deeply into the world and to try to discover the cause of the crack and the fall of the Old Kingdom. Serpent men from Morz have made expeditions into the crack and never come out. Whether this means success or failure is a matter of speculation.
Doomed River The water from this small river never reaches the ocean. It flows north through the near desert of the western portion of the Uuld plains, drying up as it goes. It ends in the Salty Puddle.
Drenz This is the second biggest port on Best and the 2nd biggest of the Five Cities. It is a major point of exchange between dwarves, the southern interior, and other ports. The Joolb and Shlebar Houses control most of the large trade and share control of the city with the Schniffla House. There is a Dwarven quarter in the city. There is also a road from Drenz to Hillza.
Faithful make sacrifices to the goddess Drenza of the river by placing items in the river to float down. It is bad luck to steal these items – also dangerous because of the river beasts Drenza’s protectors.
Goblins occasionally raid the suburbs but never threaten the city. Dragons occasionally try to carry off river barges but only young rambunctious ones venture into the city.
Drenz River Starting in the Yellow Hills, Drenz is the biggest and most important river in Best. It flows through the Red Mountains and then follows them east to the city of Drenz. From there, it flows to the ocean through the Cloud Marsh. There is a channel though the marsh and ocean going ships can travel as far as the city of Drenz. West of the Drenz, smaller barges carry Dwarven metals to Drenz and Newzan goods to the Dwarven strongholds. In the Yellow Hills, the river is too shallow for anything other than canoes. Passage through the Red Mountains is possible but there are several rapids and deep gorges.
Ergent This small walled town on a tall hill near the center of the Yellow Hills. It is the capitol of the Golden Duchy. Duke Ergent, the second with that title, claims rulership of all of the Yellow Hills but that claim is tenuous, especially to the north and west. Solid does not recognize his sovereignty.
Duke Ergent is a grim and practical ruler, keeping order as long as it does not slow settlement or affect revenues. He hands out titles to those who show themselves capable of bringing order to areas; few of the barons and knights have titles which will be hereditary. The duke seems to have no shortage of daring youngsters looking to prove themselves and gain position. He has squads of mounted men at arms who can be dispatched to help restore order.
Ergent is a good place to buy horses and to trade wool but is thin on fancy amenities. There are also courts to make claims and have disputes settled.
Exile Island Northeast of Best is a small lawless island of pirates and rogues. Its origins lie in the fall off Yezquuzdek and the establishment of Cloos as supreme god off the Newzan. The majority welcomed the change but thousands fled here, either to worship Yezquuzdek or to avoid returning to the caste system. Despite its small size, there is no central government. Many still worship Yezquuzdek but she has no official status. A key feature of Exile Island is that its inhabitants do not recognize which occur off the island or its immediate coast. This makes it a common refuge for criminals as long as they can reform; a dim view is taken of bounty hunters trying to take criminals off of the island. Many leading citizens are pirates who provide employment and bring wealth to the island; as long as their crimes are elsewhere, they are looked upon favorably. The Five Cities have made several attempts to conquer the island but have always failed to do more than burn a port or two. With the fall off Morz, the Five Cities appear to have turned their back on the exiles.
Farpoint At the northeast edge of the Yellow Hills, the Newzan conceived of Farpoint as the far corner of their new colonial empire. Things didn’t quite work out. Morz Fell. Weshard left the fold. A road directly from Farpoint to either Barley or Boneport never got built. Zale has a token company of troops to help defend it from hobgoblins, gnolls, and Uuld raiders. The town of 2,000 doesn’t even try for independence as the reality of their largely independent neglect is upon them. The Zale appointed Legate and the local priest try their best to keep it together.
From a Newzan point of view, the town is beyond provincial – being sent here is nearly a sentence of exile. Despite this, for many Uuld, this is their only taste of southern civilization. The town has a minor industry in putting on plays and other displays of Newzan culture for Uulds in town. A joke among artists is “Well, you could always go work in Farpoint.”
Five Cities The Newzan tend to be urban and stick to the coasts. The largest is Zale, with a population of 150,000. The Smallest was Morz, at 50,000 before it fell. The other three are Hillza, Aelx, and Drenz. The cities are all formally under the control off Zale but each city has its own noble Houses that obey only so far. Their control formally extends as far as the Five Castles but control is tenuous in the southeast. The inland is full of villages and farms to feed the cities. Virtually all of the territory is under Houses and the caste system.
Five Castles With the fall off Morz, Zale erected a line of castles to defend the rest of their territory. This has increased the power of Zale. The castles maintain a watch on the dark forces in Morz, strange things in the Crack, undead from the Old Kingdom, elves and other fey, as well as stopping unrest and rebellion. There is a quite a bit of distance between the castles so they are far from impenetrable but patrols and spyglasses make getting between them without papers tricky.
Frostedge The northernmost port in Best is built into a series of sea caves and rooms carved out of the cliff face. The location helps protect it from wyrms. It is a stop for Newzan ships to pick up goods from Green Reed City and Mist Dwarf strongholds. It is also near rich fishing grounds. Farm goods need to be imported. The citizens make due with very limited space and small rooms.
Green Reed City In the northeast, south of the Misty Mountains, lies the most technologically advanced city in Best. Underground coaches move through tunnels around the city without animals to power them. Geothermal heat warms most of the burrows. The Calculator determines the optimal time for planting, optimal tax rates, and the best rate of population growth; its thousands of gears and switches are powered by steam power. Green city is the starting point of modernism and gunpowder.
Settled mainly by Halflings and gnomes, along with a few dwarves, the city is inside its hill as much as on it. A city ordinance sets all doorways to have a max height of five feet. The reasoning is efficient heating and cooling but most suspect it is to make humans feel as out of place as shorter folk feel in human settlements. The city is a great place to buy ale but not good for horses or anything suited to human size.
Lately, there has been great concern that the steam power coming up from the earth has been running low. If this is not solved, the grand plans will have to be altered
Hillza This used to be the smallest of the Five Cities until colonization began north of the Red Mountains. Hillza controls the narrow strip of land between the foothills of the mountains and the Cloud Marsh, thus controlling most movement by land between the north and south. Most of its wealth comes from the north and it usually allies with Zale to maintain a grip on the Northern Towns. Houses and the wealthy commission carvings in the hills above the city to proclaim important events or as propaganda.
Misty Mountains Old, jagged, and twisted, the Misty Mountains form the northern boundary of Uuld lands. The strip of land north of the mountains is cold and wet, with tall conifer trees. The mountains themselves are known as the home of Mist Dwarves and wyrms, neither of which inspire many travelers to visit.
Mithril Hall The Dwarves built a magnificent series of towers and caverns covered with mithril leaf in the western Red Mountains. The Hall marked the peak of Dwarven craft. It proved to be a major draw from nearby greedy dragons. A huge Wyrm arrived as the Hall neared completion and slayed the king. The wyrm was killed but several more dragons and wyrms took advantage of the chaos. Over several years, dozens of dragons and thousands of Dwarves were killed until the last relative of the king realized that there was little of value left to the hall.
Most Dwarves retired to modest halls further east, careful to never expose precious metals or gems to not provoke greed. Some dwarves, including the last of the old line, moved north and burrowed deep within the Misty Mountains hidden from prying eyes.
The remains of the Hall are still inhabited by dragons. Foolhardy adventurers sneak in to explore and steal, hoping to find the near mythical treasure halls that dragons have never found.
Morz Formerly the smallest and most provincial of the Five Cities, Morz used to be a comfortable city on the mouth of the Vermel river. Fifty three years ago, an army rose up from under the city and quickly conquered it. Thousands fled, thousands more died. The city is now occupied by serpent people, demons, and even stranger creatures. Five years of attempts to reconquer Morz met with dismal failure. The remaining Newzan switched to a strategy of containment, building castles and setting up patrols.
Large and small groups come out of Morz to go to the Crack, Silk Forest, and other locations for unknown reasons. They also collect captives and take them back to Morz for unkown reasons. No one knows the current state of inside Morz.
New Forest Soon after they arrived, elves made the borders of the Silk Forest start expanding, overrunning farm and dale alike; elves ignored complaints and pleas. This new growth is called the New Forest as it is not as dark and has less to fear. Plants in these regions tend to grow two to five times their normal rate.
Growth has slowed in most places due to a few factors. Where the New Forest has reached the borders of the Old Kingdon, expansion has stopped. The Quoess and Newzan have also taken advantage of the unusual growth to set up new logging operations. The elves don’t seem to have the ability to stop them so far from the center of the forest.
Nomad Islands Usually south or southeast off Best Island are circular islands a mile in diameter. They are bowl shaped with their centers hundreds yards below sea level. They tend to move with the currents but never seem to float away altogether. There are believed to be 10 off them but they move constantly and independently so counts vary. Their origin is unknown.
Northgate The first of the Northern Towns is very near the Five Cities in both proximity and culture. It is firmly in the grip of Noble Houses through marriage and houses troops from Zale and Hillza. It is an administrative collection point for the Northern Towns. It has stopped growing compared to the other more vibrant towns. Some say that the water has an unusual smell, which some actually like. .
Old Kingdom Thousands of years ago, the land known only as the Old Kingdom was the only civilization on Best beside a couple of Dwarven strongholds. The kingdom brought arcane magic from a few cantrips to heights possibly beyond today’s ability. It is believed that they took it too far and some monumental magic went awry. The main city was utterly destroyed to such an extent that its location is forgotten and its name wiped from everyone’s memory.
Refugees from the smaller towns fled east of the newly formed Crack and moved all the way to the east coast. A few centuries later, they emerged as the Newzan with a caste system to maintain order and control. Only destruction, abominations, and undead were left behind. Nearly two thousand years later, trees will not grow and most large animals die within a week. Wights and zombies wander through the remnants of towns.
In the Old Kingdom, Zaan was spoken. This language was maintained by the learned and elite. Magic texts old and new are typically in Zaan. Today, it is also the language of Newzan nobility and court functions.
Peroq Under the lordship of the Great One Hammurn the Archmage, Peroq is the only Quoess town deserving to be called a city, with about 25,000 inhabitants. It is known as the City of Words due to the large library, the many bookshops and publishers, and the large number of researchers and linguists. Hammurn runs the only formal mage school outside of the Five Cities. It is known that dragons and wyrms never come within 10 miles of Peroq.
Phoq this is a Quoess port town on the west coast sandwiched between the Silk Forest and Scale Mountain. Parts of it burrow into the foothills of the Red Mountains. It is both a port and the only city with more than one balloon vehicle. There is a small college that is renown for medical studies.
Salty Puddle Fed the doomed river, the Salty Puddle is a couple of hundred square miles of dirty salty water, too salty for most life. The puddle is never deeper than 30 feet and average depth is 8 feet – overall depth varies from year to year due to amount of snow in the Red Mountains. Several small groups harvest the salt crust on the shores formed by evaporation.
Scale Mountain Near the western edge of the Red Mountains is a semi-active volcano. Most of the new lava flows north, creating new formations in the scrubland. The slopes of the volcano have the highest known density of dragon lairs.
Silk Forest Until the arrival of the elves, these woods were foreboding and rarely visited due to wolves, giant spiders, Aranea, animated vines, and the difficulty of finding one’s way. Elves drove out many but not all of the dangers and it is still difficult to navigate. Elves live long enough that many of them are still first generation immigrants, considering themselves to live in exile. They are taciturn when it comes to describing the Far Grey and why they left.
Elves consider themselves the owners of the Silk Forest and fear of their bows and magic force others to recognize their claim. They trade little with outsiders but the respectful visitor is usually tolerated. Elves under two centuries old were born on Best and are much more open to outsiders and are known to travel outside of the forest.
Solid The twin towns of Solid lie near the source of the Drenz River on the northern edge of the Yellow Hills. The eastern half was settled first as the home city of the Kulanae, the goddess of temperance. The high priestess Margel decided to set up headquarters on the frontier where her services were most needed. Besides the sturdy brown temple, fabric making is the most common industry. Reeds and and other plants are harvested from the river and the hills. Some are made into rope, some pounded and woven into a stronger, thicker version of linen, and some are used as dye. Light blue Solid cloth is known throughout best slightly itchy but long lasting – praised by peasants, disdained by nobles.
Self proclaimed Duke Gilder set up a castle on the west side of the river with a nearby town and put up a wall around both halves. West Solid is the headquarters of the new Adventurers Union. It has practice grounds, weapon and equipment shops, magic shops, and many many taverns. Despite their differences, the two halves have gained an appreciation for each other. The priests heal and create holy water for the adventurers and make much of the mundane equipment. The adventurers provide security for plant gatherers and bring wealth and strange trade good. Adventurers are seen sneaking across the bridges to get blessings prior to new quests and weavers are known to sneak west to taverns (east Solid is s dry town). East Solid has about 4,000 inhabitants. West Solid has about 3,000 but is growing faster.
You can tell which side of town someone is from as the east Soliders pronounce solid as if it were the name of a saint. East Soliders pronounce it as if it were the name of a gnome steel band.
Sphere In the scrubland of the north is a silver metal sphere 110 yards in diameter, with 80% of it above ground. It appeared 283 years ago. It moved twice a few years after its appearance, creating divots in the ground a couple of miles apart. Attempts to penetrate it have caused only minor scratches. Several Uuld groups now use it as a rendezvous point.
Step Lakes This series of small lakes across the northern Uuld plains is inhabited by several villages of sedentary Uuld. In addition to fishing and crabbing, they harvest reeds for sailcraft.
Stone Tree To the north, near the Misty Mountains, lies the Stone Tree, a rock structure shaped like a realistic tree without leaves. It is a mile high and a quarter mile wide at its base. It has been there longer than anyone can remember and shows some signs of weathering. Where dust and soil has collected, plants have sprouted, which support a wide variety of birds, some found nowhere else. The top of the food chain is definitely the large number of wyverns who attack travelers 10 miles or more from the tree and who nest in the highest branches. Other creatures have made burrows in various places. A brave group of dwarves and Halflings have made homes among the roots. Stairs have also been carved into the trunk up to the level of the lowest branches. There is an annual sailcart race around the trunk, which draws heavy bets and great peril.
Weshard On the southeastern edge of the Yellow Hills, Weshard is the only of the Northern Towns to be entirely free. The Wesh House lose all its nobles but refused to dissolve. Castes and recognition of Houses has been officially abolished but nobles still own a fair amount and many people still judge by former caste. The town has become a haven for Newzan wishing to be rid of their caste. This has been a mixed blessing as the population threatens to grow too quickly and the town finds itself asked to take in all manner of riffraff.
Now that it is no longer officially a Newzan town, the town has had immigration from Uuld, Quoess, dwarves, and Halflings as well. The town is rules by an elected council, with each family or guild that pays a vote tax of 100 sp given a vote. The council membership has been quite fluid and laws chaotic until longer terms and a mayor were added 5 years ago.
Yellow Hills Named for the abundance of yellow flowers and the often yellowish soil, these old weathered hills are the new frontier now that the Northern Towns are well established. Duke Ergent, the 3rd with that name has established a domain that has only negligible ties to the Five Cities – though he avoids the title king to avoid confrontation with Zale. The soil is rich for both farming and mining. Now that the threat of hobgoblins and gnolls have been reduced, souls from all races have emigrated here for new opportunities. A loose feudal structure has replaced the caste system. To the northwest, the land is full of bubbling pools, geysers, and steaming cracks – Brefff the Halfling has recently started a spa in the area.
Zale The crown of the Five Cities is the home of the Blue Sky King and the largest temples of all of the major Newzan gods. It is constantly in a struggle to dominate the other Newzan cities. Most of this is in the form of trade battles and twilight wars – real wars are rare and brief. The northern colonies and the building of the Five Castles has given Zale a leg up on the others.
Proximity to the palace has made Zale citizens even more status conscious than typical Newzan. Experts can spot House Affiliation, caste, and recent arrivals with a glance at their clothing. Parties double as hotbeds of intrigue and chances to catch others in a faux pas.
Like all of the Five Cities, Zale has a large trading and fishing fleets and a large navy. Most of its army is deployed in the castles and Northern Towns or in collection of taxes and tariffs. Pell Zelba, the Blue Sky King, served as a naval captain in his youth and many of his family follow this tradition.
The volcano Mt. Inf has dominates the view. Volcanic ash makes the surrounding soil rich and the arms of the volcano form an excellent harbor.
- Stan
- Robber
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Sat May 12, 2007 4:04 pm
- Location: Indy
by Stan » Mon Aug 10, 2009 12:35 pm
Bloodchain Like a ghost story, accounts of Bloodchain’s appearance vary. But they consistently report a figure wrapped in chains with long chains dangling from his arms. All that is certain is that oathbreakers are occasionally strangled or beaten with chains.
Breff Roundhole At the northwest corner of the Yellow Hills is an area where the ground bubbles and steam shoots into the sky. Breff is an enterprising Halfling who has taken advantage of the natural heat and minerals to set up an exclusive spa. Breff is a large, round, always cheerful Halfling who seems to be friends with everyone. He accepts all customers with money as long as they follow the rules and don’t bother other customers. Roundhole Spa is near legendary on Best and attracts the rich and sick from all over the island and beyond. People leave more refreshed than they have ever been in their life.
Comeric “Brightest Sunray” Comeric is the self proclaimed high priest of the Uuld. He travels throughout the plains on a large sailcart made into a temple. Few Uuld see him as a true leader but he is respected and his services are valued. He is known to be a high level cleric who helps those in need if they can find him.
Croshgar Kneebreaker The king of a small hobgoblin kingdom in the western yellow hills and nearby desert. He plays hard and fights hard. He enjoys human entertainment and often hires human actors and musicians – hired not enslaved. He has maintained part of the hobgoblin slave trade but has in some ways put a nicer, more civilized face on hobgoblins. He prefers tribute over sacking.
He has become mad for wizball and has forced the nearby hobgoblin tribes to settle disputes through games instead of war. A side effect of this is that there has been far fewer hobgoblins killed by hobgoblins in the last decade and their numbers are growing.
Croshgar has started a drive to eliminate nearby gnoll tribes. No one likes or trusts gnolls so he has met no resistance. The good news is that are fewer strong bands of gnolls in the area. The bad news is that there are gnolls fleeing the region and roaming the countryside.
Dark Dave This terribly mysterious adventurer travels all over the island. He always wears a black hooded cloak so no one knows what he looks like. He is a vigilante and treasure hunter who never stays in one place for long. He leaves behind small parchments of poetry signed with his trademark black intertwined double D’s.
Duke Ergent Leathery and middle aged, Duke Ergent is ambitious. His father declared the Golden Duchy in the lawless yellow hills, beyond the grasp of the Five Cities and largely unwanted by the plains dwelling Uuld and the mountain dwelling Dwarves. He carries on that tradition, touting order and trade. He loves to conduct campaigns against humanoids but finds most of his time resolving disputes among his vassals. He accepts tough and effective fighters as knights who can work their way up to barons – these mean are not always good administrators and they see each other as rivals more than colleagues.
Duke Ergent passionately hates the self proclaimed Duke Gilder. Gilder refuses to recognize Ergent’s authority or even to negotiate with him. But Gilder has aligned himself with the town of Solid which clearly predates the Yellow Duchy and has never been under its sovereignty.
Duke Gilder With reddish blonde wavy hair, slightly angular features, and a dashing manner, Gilder is the sort that some people think is really cool but others find him to be an arrogant twit. Though he controls western Solid, his actual title is the Duke of Adventure. His main source of power is head of the Adventurers Union, which gives him a moderately large, highly skilled force somewhat at his command. He travels a fair amount keeping union members enthusiastic and gathering info.
Gilder rarely takes the straightforward route. For example, to deal with the threat of a new hobgoblin kingdom, Gilder challenged the hobgoblin king to a wizball match. This is now an annual event which determines who has the upper hand in negotiations. But the result is that Solid no longer has troubles with hobgoblins. Gilder is also believed to possess a wide variety of magic items which allow him to do things few others on Best can. There are whispers that he is planning something big but accounts vary on the details.
Edwin Everlip This bard of patter has a near religious following. He continuously talks, chants, sings, and rhymes. Often, it is not normal words; it’s unclear if it’s a different language, some altered form of a language, or just gibberish. People publish his more intriguing output. His home is in Farpoint but he travels a great deal.
Eramor the Eldest He is indisputably the elder among the elves and is the closest to a leader that outsiders can discern. He was old when the elves arrived a couple of centuries ago. Non-elves have never met him but it is believed that he is responsible for the elven immigration to Best and for the expansion of the silk forest. He is feared and not well understood; he seems intent on completing his own plans and has no need for non-elves.
Grodiar Redstaff While dueling is an ancient tradition, Grodiar has taken it up a level and made it his living. Either dueling on others’ behalf or looking for offense as an excuse to duel, he either wins goods in duels and sells them back or scares people into paying him off to save their lives, Grodiar has accumulated wealth, magic, and trophies. He is tall and thin with a braided red beard and a scarlet walking staff. He has no one spell or technique so it is hard to predict what tactic he will use.
His students and emulators have taken to carrying similar red staffs, which implies that they are looking for trouble and either looking to duel or to be hired.
Hammurn the Archmage Also known as Hammurn Dragonbane, he is the ruler of the Quoess city Peroq. He is mad but brilliant and spends most of his time at his college of wizardry, teaching more than administrating. It is said that he has used death sentences twice in the past and might be preparing for a third. He is tall with long white hair and beard, neither of which is acquainted with a comb. He can be inpatient with slow students but is fascinated by magical theory and unusual spells.
Kethelia, High Abbess of Slindelafay Considered by many to be the holiest person on Best, Kethelia spends all her time in ascetic and high pursuits in the main temple in the hills northwest of Zale. She is over 60 but appears under 30 with long golden hair tightly braided and dressed from head to toe in white. She conducts holy services for the king on request but is otherwise outside of the structures of power. She is seen less and less by the public but people take comfort that she is petitioning the gods for the betterment of her people.
Liz Lightfingers Liz can apparently change her appearance so no one knows what she looks like. All that is known is that she appears as a beautiful sophisticated lady who works her way into the good graces of nobility and wealth through combination of looks, charm, and spells. Then she steals from them and generally leaves them in a highly embarrassing situation.
Margel She is the head priestess of Kulanae, the goddess of temperance and faith. She is over 60 but seems as sturdy has ever. She is large and round in plain clothes with pepper gray hair. She and the temple rule east Solid with a light hand but a no nonsense attitude. Shifty businessmen, politicians, and trouble makers are routinely evicted with little trial or pomp. She knows that her higher goals are unreachable but continuously strives to make the world clean, industrious and free from pernicious influences. Her simplicity contrasts greatly with that of Duke Gilder but she shows no sign of regretting their alliance.
Muddy Mike It is hard to compete with the plentiful crab supplies coming from the Step Lakes but Mike has done it with his over the top sales pitches and ability to get cooperation within the fishing fleet of Boneport. Dire shrimp are on the menu of every fancy inn and noble’s house in the Five Cities. He started as a simple clam digger willing to dig in the more dangerous locations. Now, most people know his ruddy face with slicked back hair and trimmed beard. With his “Try a bite of trilobite” flyers distributed throughout the island, he has gotten thousands of people to devour the fist sized bugs. Currently, he is trying to enlarge Boneport’s dock and fleet to meet the demand as his vassals continue to plug Boneport’s wares.
Pell Zelba As the King of Zale, Pell is indisputably the most powerful man on Best. In his twenty years as king, he seems to spend all his time gambling and drinking but has increased Zale’s dominances throughout Newzan lands and the northern colonies. Now 60 and chubby, he has started to slow down and varies between bouts of moroseness and rapid over indulgence.
Pell’s only son and heir is Trunbeld Zelba who shows little inclination for government. Trunbeld was recently killed in a duel. He has since recovered but has not been seen outside of the palace since.
Breff Roundhole At the northwest corner of the Yellow Hills is an area where the ground bubbles and steam shoots into the sky. Breff is an enterprising Halfling who has taken advantage of the natural heat and minerals to set up an exclusive spa. Breff is a large, round, always cheerful Halfling who seems to be friends with everyone. He accepts all customers with money as long as they follow the rules and don’t bother other customers. Roundhole Spa is near legendary on Best and attracts the rich and sick from all over the island and beyond. People leave more refreshed than they have ever been in their life.
Comeric “Brightest Sunray” Comeric is the self proclaimed high priest of the Uuld. He travels throughout the plains on a large sailcart made into a temple. Few Uuld see him as a true leader but he is respected and his services are valued. He is known to be a high level cleric who helps those in need if they can find him.
Croshgar Kneebreaker The king of a small hobgoblin kingdom in the western yellow hills and nearby desert. He plays hard and fights hard. He enjoys human entertainment and often hires human actors and musicians – hired not enslaved. He has maintained part of the hobgoblin slave trade but has in some ways put a nicer, more civilized face on hobgoblins. He prefers tribute over sacking.
He has become mad for wizball and has forced the nearby hobgoblin tribes to settle disputes through games instead of war. A side effect of this is that there has been far fewer hobgoblins killed by hobgoblins in the last decade and their numbers are growing.
Croshgar has started a drive to eliminate nearby gnoll tribes. No one likes or trusts gnolls so he has met no resistance. The good news is that are fewer strong bands of gnolls in the area. The bad news is that there are gnolls fleeing the region and roaming the countryside.
Dark Dave This terribly mysterious adventurer travels all over the island. He always wears a black hooded cloak so no one knows what he looks like. He is a vigilante and treasure hunter who never stays in one place for long. He leaves behind small parchments of poetry signed with his trademark black intertwined double D’s.
Duke Ergent Leathery and middle aged, Duke Ergent is ambitious. His father declared the Golden Duchy in the lawless yellow hills, beyond the grasp of the Five Cities and largely unwanted by the plains dwelling Uuld and the mountain dwelling Dwarves. He carries on that tradition, touting order and trade. He loves to conduct campaigns against humanoids but finds most of his time resolving disputes among his vassals. He accepts tough and effective fighters as knights who can work their way up to barons – these mean are not always good administrators and they see each other as rivals more than colleagues.
Duke Ergent passionately hates the self proclaimed Duke Gilder. Gilder refuses to recognize Ergent’s authority or even to negotiate with him. But Gilder has aligned himself with the town of Solid which clearly predates the Yellow Duchy and has never been under its sovereignty.
Duke Gilder With reddish blonde wavy hair, slightly angular features, and a dashing manner, Gilder is the sort that some people think is really cool but others find him to be an arrogant twit. Though he controls western Solid, his actual title is the Duke of Adventure. His main source of power is head of the Adventurers Union, which gives him a moderately large, highly skilled force somewhat at his command. He travels a fair amount keeping union members enthusiastic and gathering info.
Gilder rarely takes the straightforward route. For example, to deal with the threat of a new hobgoblin kingdom, Gilder challenged the hobgoblin king to a wizball match. This is now an annual event which determines who has the upper hand in negotiations. But the result is that Solid no longer has troubles with hobgoblins. Gilder is also believed to possess a wide variety of magic items which allow him to do things few others on Best can. There are whispers that he is planning something big but accounts vary on the details.
Edwin Everlip This bard of patter has a near religious following. He continuously talks, chants, sings, and rhymes. Often, it is not normal words; it’s unclear if it’s a different language, some altered form of a language, or just gibberish. People publish his more intriguing output. His home is in Farpoint but he travels a great deal.
Eramor the Eldest He is indisputably the elder among the elves and is the closest to a leader that outsiders can discern. He was old when the elves arrived a couple of centuries ago. Non-elves have never met him but it is believed that he is responsible for the elven immigration to Best and for the expansion of the silk forest. He is feared and not well understood; he seems intent on completing his own plans and has no need for non-elves.
Grodiar Redstaff While dueling is an ancient tradition, Grodiar has taken it up a level and made it his living. Either dueling on others’ behalf or looking for offense as an excuse to duel, he either wins goods in duels and sells them back or scares people into paying him off to save their lives, Grodiar has accumulated wealth, magic, and trophies. He is tall and thin with a braided red beard and a scarlet walking staff. He has no one spell or technique so it is hard to predict what tactic he will use.
His students and emulators have taken to carrying similar red staffs, which implies that they are looking for trouble and either looking to duel or to be hired.
Hammurn the Archmage Also known as Hammurn Dragonbane, he is the ruler of the Quoess city Peroq. He is mad but brilliant and spends most of his time at his college of wizardry, teaching more than administrating. It is said that he has used death sentences twice in the past and might be preparing for a third. He is tall with long white hair and beard, neither of which is acquainted with a comb. He can be inpatient with slow students but is fascinated by magical theory and unusual spells.
Kethelia, High Abbess of Slindelafay Considered by many to be the holiest person on Best, Kethelia spends all her time in ascetic and high pursuits in the main temple in the hills northwest of Zale. She is over 60 but appears under 30 with long golden hair tightly braided and dressed from head to toe in white. She conducts holy services for the king on request but is otherwise outside of the structures of power. She is seen less and less by the public but people take comfort that she is petitioning the gods for the betterment of her people.
Liz Lightfingers Liz can apparently change her appearance so no one knows what she looks like. All that is known is that she appears as a beautiful sophisticated lady who works her way into the good graces of nobility and wealth through combination of looks, charm, and spells. Then she steals from them and generally leaves them in a highly embarrassing situation.
Margel She is the head priestess of Kulanae, the goddess of temperance and faith. She is over 60 but seems as sturdy has ever. She is large and round in plain clothes with pepper gray hair. She and the temple rule east Solid with a light hand but a no nonsense attitude. Shifty businessmen, politicians, and trouble makers are routinely evicted with little trial or pomp. She knows that her higher goals are unreachable but continuously strives to make the world clean, industrious and free from pernicious influences. Her simplicity contrasts greatly with that of Duke Gilder but she shows no sign of regretting their alliance.
Muddy Mike It is hard to compete with the plentiful crab supplies coming from the Step Lakes but Mike has done it with his over the top sales pitches and ability to get cooperation within the fishing fleet of Boneport. Dire shrimp are on the menu of every fancy inn and noble’s house in the Five Cities. He started as a simple clam digger willing to dig in the more dangerous locations. Now, most people know his ruddy face with slicked back hair and trimmed beard. With his “Try a bite of trilobite” flyers distributed throughout the island, he has gotten thousands of people to devour the fist sized bugs. Currently, he is trying to enlarge Boneport’s dock and fleet to meet the demand as his vassals continue to plug Boneport’s wares.
Pell Zelba As the King of Zale, Pell is indisputably the most powerful man on Best. In his twenty years as king, he seems to spend all his time gambling and drinking but has increased Zale’s dominances throughout Newzan lands and the northern colonies. Now 60 and chubby, he has started to slow down and varies between bouts of moroseness and rapid over indulgence.
Pell’s only son and heir is Trunbeld Zelba who shows little inclination for government. Trunbeld was recently killed in a duel. He has since recovered but has not been seen outside of the palace since.
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