Hills of Horeb

The Hills of Horeb, located between the Kalber Marshes and the Silver Hills, are a region of blighted hills, covered by warped and desolate woods. It is an unhealthy expanse of ash wastes, blasted remains of forests, petrified trees, and other unnatural wilderness. Something powerful and lasting happened here during the Elder Wars, and the land has never recovered. Patches of normal forest are growing back around the edges of the Hills, but the Hills themselves remain barren.

The headwaters of the mighty Swiftflow River, one of the great rivers of the Tempest Coast, are found in the southern Hills. The river flows southwest into the Kalber Marshes, which encroach on the Hills from that direction.

The Elder realm of Ithilkar owned this land in the olden days, and it was part of the Ilthilkar heartland, including the capital city of Prasinia and the influential wizard's town of Mirron.

Today, the Hills are a dangerous place, said to be populated with all manner of foul creatures, and haunted by the restless spirits of the dead of Ithilkar who fell in the final battles defending that land.

Hills of Horeb (Hexographer, 6 mile scale)

Prasinia
Located in the northwestern part of the Hills, the capital of the Elder realm of Ithilkar was one of the great cities of the North and a place of great beauty, known for its many pools and fountains. Today, little remains of the city other than large expanses of crumbled stone buildings, monuments and other landmarks. Despite the danger, the ruins of Prasinia attract many adventurers in search of treasure, and many of these never return. In addition to the many monstrous creatures who have taken up residence in the ruins in recent years, there are many traps and guardians that have survived from the Elder days. Survivors returning from the place say that something powerful and evil seems to hold sway over the ruins, and that lycanthropes are common.

Mirron
The Alberneth were an influential family in the Elder Days, essentially ruling the town of Mirron (in the realm of Ithilkar) in the southeastern Hills of Horeb. There were many powerful spell casters in the extended family, and they were the patrons of a famous (and somewhat notorious) wizards' school specializing in conjuration magic, the Tower of the Shadowed Veil. As the Elder Wars raged, there were concerns within the ruling circles of Ithilkar regarding the increasing use of dark magic by the Alberneth and their students, especially necromantic magic and the summoning of powerful fiends.

As the Wars raged on and things turned against Ithilkar, most of the population of the town of Mirron, including virtually all of the staff and students of the Tower, simply vanished overnight one night. Investigation by the authorities revealed that this was a planned evacuation, and that the missing people seemed to have gone down into the Underdark via old caverns and tunnels under the town.

Little was heard directly of the Alberneth thereafter, but occasional tales and rumors said that they had carved out a realm for themselves deep in the Underdark, where they devoted themselves completely to the pursuit of dark magic and demon worship. These tales said that even the drow avoided the territory claimed by the Alberneth.

Ruins of Granrath

The ruins of the old Onorian city of Granrath lie at the western end of Lake Beranarr, at the point where a small river coming down out of the Telzek Hills enters the Lake. Granrath was the seat of one of the eight Dukedoms of the Elder realm of Onoria. The traitor Dukes of Granrath were responsible for the First and Second Granrath Wars in the 230's and 240's (~470 years ago). These wars were the result of Granrath rebelling against the Onorian King and provoking two civil wars. Eventually, Granrath was ceded to Ithilkar, its ally in the rebellion (in 251), but was destroyed soon after during the goblin and orc invasions of the Rivenrock Wars (circa 270).

Granrath and environs (in Hexographer)

The ruins lie a mere 25 miles east of the modern Castle of the New Dawn. Despite the clerics of the Castle desiring to clear the wilderness and make the region safe for settlers, they are conscientious, and are wary of sending all but the most experienced adventurers to Granrath, which is said to be haunted by the spirits of all the traitorous soldiers that took up arms against their king. Because of their history, the entire city and surrounding lands are said to be cursed.

Some legends say that the ruins of Granrath are still presided over by the spirit of Szorlag III, the last Duke of Granrath. Szorlag is rumored to be a powerful ghost, lich or worse.

Getting to Granrath from New Dawn is easy: go north to the river and follow it downstream until you reach the Lake. The ruins are where the river meets the Lake.

The ruins of the city spread along the coast of the Lake, and include the ruins of the citadel on the high ground northeast of the river. As would be expected of 400+ year old ruins, little remains above ground but the lines of stone walls, flagstone paved roads and plazas, sunken cellars, and the crumbled remnants of the larger monuments and landmarks.

Ruins of Granrath

Adventurers have recently reported young green dragons flying south from the Ravenwood and hunting in the ruins (in pairs or trios).

Campaign Journal 26.5 - Interlude

The Silver Swords company and the Tombs of the Alberneth

The following is a recap of the many pages of scribbled notes, sketches, writings and maps related to the Tombs of the Alberneth.

Nath Ravenblood's Materials
An adventuring party of some note (the Silver Swords) found a well-hidden and difficult passage deep in the Underdark behind a series of waterfalls. The passage led several miles, coming out in a series of man-made (or creature-made) tombs. The party was able to use magic to read and transcribe inscriptions on some of the tombs and memorial carvings. They fought powerful undead and a number of fiends. The group lost two of its members (literally separated and lost, never to be seen again), but they were able to escape with sacks loaded with gems, jewelry, and strange gold and silver coins. [This occurred in NR 698, ~9 years ago]

Upon reaching home, the Silver Swords were able to research some of the names and carvings they had transcribed (with the aid of the sages of Talengard), and came to the conclusion that they had found the tombs of the Alberneth, a family of powerful spell casters who fled the surface world back in the time of the Elder Wars (~300 years earlier).

The Silver Swords intended to return to the tombs, but first went into the northern Tellarn Mountains (southeast of the Greenreach Woods) to investigate recent rumored sightings of the great (and near legendary) blue dragon Vassylspeere. Nobody is know to have returned from that expedition.

Years later, the Silver Swords' written materials found their way into the hands of Nath Ravenblood, a part-time adventurer and the last member of a fading minor noble family of Turil. Desperate for cash, Nath organized an expedition to recover treasure from the tombs. Shortly after entering the Deep Realms through the ruins of Kristovaria in the Greenreach Woods, Nath's party was ambushed by lizard-like humanoid creatures, and all but Nath were slain. Nath bargained for his life by promising to deliver additional slaves to the lizardmen. Later, the party intercepted Nath's hired slavers, tracked them back to Nath, and were given these materials...

The materials included detailed maps and notes on how to get from the ruins of Kristovaria to the secret entrance to the Tombs of the Alberneth.

The Elder town of Mirron (Hexographer, 6 mile scale)

Alberneth Background
The Alberneth were an influential family in the Elder Days, essentially ruling the town of Mirron (in the realm of Ithilkar) in the southeastern Hills of Horeb. There were many powerful spell casters in the extended family, and they were the patrons of a famous (and somewhat notorious) wizards' school specializing in conjuration magic, the Tower of the Shadowed Veil. As the Elder Wars raged, there were concerns within the ruling circles of Ithilkar regarding the increasing use of dark magic by the Alberneth and their students, especially necromantic magic and the summoning of powerful fiends.

As the Wars raged on and things turned against Ithilkar, most of the population of the town of Mirron, including virtually all of the staff and students of the Tower, simply vanished overnight one night. Investigation by the authorities revealed that this was a planned evacuation, and that the missing people seemed to have gone down into the Underdark via old caverns and tunnels under the town.

Little was heard directly of the Alberneth thereafter, but occasional tales and rumors said that they had carved out a realm for themselves deep in the Underdark, where they devoted themselves completely to the pursuit of dark magic and demon worship. These tales said that even the drow avoided the territory claimed by the Alberneth.

The Seven Sigils of Onoria

As the Elder Wars dragged on, and the forces of evil slowly but inexorably wore down the Elder Nations, some of those in power in Onoria began to think about what would happen if the Wars ended in their defeat. There were those who were of the opinion that if they were to go down in defeat, they should do so in a blaze of glory, and cared not for the future. But there were also those who believed that a defeat in the short term need not be a defeat that lasted forever, and that the knowledge and power of the Realm should be preserved for the future, so that the descendants of the good people of the North could benefit from that knowledge when the time was right.

Legend has it that the preservationists, with or without the support of the others, secreted away seven great troves of magical power and knowledge, each in a different location and locked by a magical sigil of great power. These have become known as the Seven Sigils of Onoria.

Exactly what each treasure trove contains (if they exist at all) is unknown, but it is speculated that they contain artifacts of great magical power, the secrets to unlock mighty magic spells, or riches enough to rebuild the kingdoms of old. It is said that some of this magic is dark magic, and that there are curses attached to the treasure troves. These tales say that finding the Seven Sigils may be a dangerous thing.

Northern Onoria - Foot hills of the Craghorn Peaks

With the resettling of the North, many adventurers (particularly spellcasters) have searched the fallen lands of Onoria for some sign of the Seven Sigils, but none are known for certain to have been found. There are whispers in Rimini and Alsberg that one of the Seven, a trove of dark Necromantic magic, may have been found in the last few years.

Zefran Mir, Grand Duke of Rimini, is said to be somewhat obsessed with the legends of the Seven Sigils. There are those who say that his funding and support of the sage enclave at Talengard is nothing more than a cover for his interest in the search for the Seven.

The Legend of Serpent Isle...

...and the Royal Treasure of Tirask
Thirty or forty miles east of Stillwater Reach, off the coasts of Alsberg and Mercia and at the northern edge of Oran Bay, lies an island of mystery and legend - the Serpent Isle.

Serpent Isle

Serpent Isle is a rocky and forbidding island, roughly 30 miles north to south and 20 miles east to west. It is a windswept and inhospitable place, separated from the mainland by rough seas and dangerous currents. The island is covered with rugged hills and forests, and has very little farmable land. There are no particularly good natural harbors either. It is famous for the things that have given it it's name - multitudes of snakes, including numerous poisonous varieties and giant snakes of all types.

Despite the dangers associated with the island, it is visited with some frequency by adventurers and northern youths seeking to prove their manhood. It is a mark of courage (discouraged by their elders) for an Alsberg or Mercian youth to simply spend a night on the island. Some never return.

The primary lure that brings people to the island is the legends of great treasure hidden here. It is said that in the Elder days, there was a settlement of old Tirask on the island, and that when things became desperate at the climax of the Elder Wars, the royal family fled to this island shortly before they were overwhelmed by the forces of darkness. Legends have it that the most valuable parts of the royal treasure would have been brought here, and hidden, prior to their final downfall. Treasure of a magnitude to make any man a king. As the North has been reclaimed, many have come to the island to see what they can find.

Adventurers tell tales of caves, caverns and miles of tunnels (both natural and manmade) criss-crossing the island. The rugged hills in the center of the island are said to be honeycombed with such passages. These tales bring a steady influx of new adventurers to the island.

As for the royal treasure of old Tirask, if any have found any of it, they aren't saying.

The Elder Nations

A whirlwind tour... [edited 1/7/15]

The Land of Myrveen

Onoria, greatest of the Elder nations, occupied the land roughly bordered by the Iron Spire Mountains in the east, the upper reaches of the Umbral Mountains in the south, and the Craghorn Peaks in the north. It was bordered on the west by Ithilkar. The Great North Road of today runs through the southern portion of old Onoria.

Ithilkar, Onoria's biggest rival, occupied a great swath of land west of Onoria, east of the Dragonbane Mountains, south into the lands between the Umbral Mountains and Blood Peaks, and extending far north into what is now known as the Rivenrock Wastes.

Tirask, a smaller land, was a nation a seafarers, and occupied what is now Mercia, Rimini, Alsberg and territory stretching into the High Plateau area north of the current day Kalembar Federation.

Gorlavar, a nation of savage warriors, occupied the land west of the Dragonbane Mountains and around the northern shores of the Frostreach Sea. Mirraddi now exists in what was the southeastern part of Gorlavar.

Somewhere north of Onoria and Tirask, beyond the Craghorn Peaks, was the land of the elves of Myrveen. Another elven realm, Kyrellia, existed near the Dragonbane Mountains.

The dwarven kingdom of Barak Brannar (commonly known as Aravesk), was deep within the Craghorn Peaks northeast of Onoria.

The lands between the Elder Nations and the southern kingdoms (current day Romney, Saradel, Kalembar, Varlune and Darlish) were a largely unsettled wilderness area between the two great areas of civilization. These lands began to be settled by humans, mainly along the southern coast, when the remnants of the Elder nations were driven south during the Elder Wars.

A World of Fantasy

The Craghorn Peaks of Onoria

Somewhere, somewhen, there is a wondrous realm. A realm of magic. A realm of dragons. And dungeons. And heroic adventurers overcoming tremendous obstacles in search of glory, treasure, or perhaps simply a good time. This world is made up of sprawling continents and trackless oceans. The portion we will concern ourselves with, for the moment, is the northeastern part of one of these continents; an area known simply as the Northlands.

The Northlands spans perhaps 1,200 miles from north to south and again as wide from east to west. Other civilized lands stretch thousands more miles to the south and west. Many hundreds of years ago there were great kingdoms in this region. Kingdoms of men such as Onoria, Ithilkar, Gorlavar and Tirask. The elven kingdom of Myrveen. And the dwarven realm of Barak Brannar, greatest of all the dwarf-holds, known to elves and men as the great Under-City of Aravesk. These were realms of great might and magic, rivaling the ancient southern realms in glory and accomplishment. Then began what the histories call the Elder Wars.

Here of old was the Kingdom of Ithilkar...

For reasons that are no longer clear, Onoria and Ithilkar went to war. Great battles were fought and devastating magics were cast in support of the respective armies. Men died in droves. The wars escalated. The leaders of these nations, determined to emerge victorious, became more and more desperate, unleashing ever rarer and more dangerous magics. First Tirask and then Gorlavar were pulled into the maelstrom of battle. Elves and dwarves, more inclined toward peace, were drawn inexorably into the conflict. The wars raged for more than a hundred years. Civilization in the Northlands began to break down while the southern realms looked on in horror and mobilized their own might for protection.

In pursuit of ultimate victory, all caution and reason were discarded. Celestial gates, abyssal vortexes and temporal rifts were opened, and all manner of supernatural and monstrous allies were brought into the world in the hopes that they could be bound to fight for one side or the other. Humanoid hordes were recruited, undead were created and enslaved, and every conceivable type of creature was bound to the will of the warring powers.

And then the power of the Elder nations began to crumble, and their ability control that which they had unleashed on the world began to fail.

Ruins of Tirask

In one final generation now known as the Cataclysm, that which would pass for civilization in the North ceased to exist. Monstrous hordes overran the land, sweeping the battered remnants of men, elves and dwarves before them. The Years of Darkness, lasting for centuries, began.

In the south, the might of the Florian Empire and the Kingdom of Burgaresh stood firm, forming a bulwark against the evil and chaos rampant in the Northlands. The few surviving enclaves of elves and dwarves retreated deep into their forests and mountains, and the once-glorious heirs of men either fled south and west to seek refuge in other lands or survived in small scattered groups, wandering the far northern wilderness as little more than barbarians.

During the Years of Darkness, civilization in the Northlands is reduced to scattered fortified cities and towns along the southern coasts, relying on the Florian Empire, Burgaresh and Larenthy for protection. Throughout these years, bands of warriors fight to stem the tide of chaos, but evil reigns in the Northlands for hundreds of years.

Eventually, the strength of the monstrous hordes began to wane, and when the southern kingdoms entered a period of famine, coupled with a prolonged civil war within the Florian Empire, men began to look to reclaim the lands and lost wealth of the Northlands in earnest. People began to move north, first adventurers and treasure seekers, but then farmers and settlers of all kinds. Immigration of men to the coastal towns and cities grew and slowly expanded the frontiers of civilization. Towns and cities were founded, some on the ruins of the Elder nations. Trade routes were re-established; new realms were founded and began to prosper.

The last 200 years have been an era of slow but steady progress in trying to reclaim the North. The surviving realms on the southern coast stabilized and expanded, and civilized lands have spread up the eastern coast. New kingdoms of Romney, Mercia and then Alsberg were founded, and independent towns and cities began to take root and prosper in other areas. Trade began to move through the region again, first primarily along the coastal roads, but then beginning to move further inland. As trade routes spread, settlements grew along with them.

While men have moved into the Northlands once again, much remains to be explored and conquered...