The Order of the Lily is a group of wandering priests of Ardran (the All-Father - god of life, creation, renewal, vitality and health) who roam the lands, treating the ill in smaller villages and hamlets. Their mission is to minister to the commoners in outlying areas who would otherwise not have access to divine healing to cure serious injuries, disease and other conditions.
Ardran holds a special place in the pantheon of gods of the land, and because of the specific mission of the Order, very few would dare to interfere with the Order's mission.
There are those cynical few who believe that the Order uses their favored status to spy on behalf of the current power establishment, but such accusations have never been proven.
The Order's symbol is Ardran's white flower on a red field. Priests of the Order wear simple white hooded cloaks with red trim.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
The Scarlet Brotherhood
The Scarlet Brotherhood is a fringe group of fanatics dedicated to the eradication of magic from the world. It was originally formed in the last years of the Elder Wars as a reaction to the destructive and uncontrolled use of magic that marked that conflict. The roots of the group were in the Kingdom of Burgaresh but over the years agents of the neighboring Mage-Realm of Larenthy have mostly driven the group out of Burgaresh and the other Inland Sea lands. The Brotherhood is now believed to be based in the Kalembar Federation.
The Brotherhood is thought to be a relatively small group, with agents scattered in towns and cities throughout the Tempest Coast lands. Members are typically assassins, rogues and warriors, although there are said to be a number of divine spell casters among their ranks, and perhaps even a few arcane spell casters who have sworn to betray their brethren.
The sworn goal of the Brotherhood is to slay all arcane spell casters in the hopes of curtailing the knowledge and use of such magic. The members believe that arcane magic use is a pathway to evil, and must be done away with. Assassination and murder are the typical means by which they hope to achieve their goals. Victims of the Brotherhood typically have their bodies splashed with red paint, dye or animal blood.
Attacks in recent years have been fairly rare, and have generally targeted lower level spell casters, but every now and then a mage of significant ability has turned up dead, with the Brotherhood claiming responsibility.
The symbol most often used by the Brotherhood is a skull pierced by a lightning bolt. Because of their clandestine mission, the Brotherhood has no recognizable public dress, although they wear scarlet robes with light green trim in their private ceremonies.
The Brotherhood is thought to be a relatively small group, with agents scattered in towns and cities throughout the Tempest Coast lands. Members are typically assassins, rogues and warriors, although there are said to be a number of divine spell casters among their ranks, and perhaps even a few arcane spell casters who have sworn to betray their brethren.
The sworn goal of the Brotherhood is to slay all arcane spell casters in the hopes of curtailing the knowledge and use of such magic. The members believe that arcane magic use is a pathway to evil, and must be done away with. Assassination and murder are the typical means by which they hope to achieve their goals. Victims of the Brotherhood typically have their bodies splashed with red paint, dye or animal blood.
Attacks in recent years have been fairly rare, and have generally targeted lower level spell casters, but every now and then a mage of significant ability has turned up dead, with the Brotherhood claiming responsibility.
The symbol most often used by the Brotherhood is a skull pierced by a lightning bolt. Because of their clandestine mission, the Brotherhood has no recognizable public dress, although they wear scarlet robes with light green trim in their private ceremonies.
The Hand of Metris
This group of warriors, paladins and priests are followers of the goddess Metris in her aspect as the protector of travelers. They wander the roads and trails of the Tempest Coast lands guiding travelers, protecting caravans and doing all they can to keep trade and travel safe.
The Hands are not numerous, but are a welcome sight to travelers everywhere. They wear hooded lavender (light purple) cloaks with the large yellow symbol of an upright hand. They generally appear in bands of 4-8, with the majority being low level warriors. A band is usually mounted, and will typically be led by a priest or warrior of moderate level.
Because of the service that they provide, it is customary that members of the Hand be provided with simple food and lodging for free in those towns and villages that they pass through.
The Hands are not numerous, but are a welcome sight to travelers everywhere. They wear hooded lavender (light purple) cloaks with the large yellow symbol of an upright hand. They generally appear in bands of 4-8, with the majority being low level warriors. A band is usually mounted, and will typically be led by a priest or warrior of moderate level.
Because of the service that they provide, it is customary that members of the Hand be provided with simple food and lodging for free in those towns and villages that they pass through.
Fenugog's Wandering Golems
A gnomish
master craftsman named Fenugog Fizzlewire ran a famous workshop in the Mercian
city of Atherwell between the years of 585 and 649. Fenugog was also a mage,
and his workshop specialized in the construction of golems, specifically stone
and iron golems. Fenugog’s creations were very much in demand, and as the
decades passed many noble villas, temples and government buildings throughout
the region obtained one of his golems as a guardian (or status symbol).
The golems from the Fizzlewire workshop varied widely in size and appearance, but all had the Fizzlewire symbol of a wavy-lined “F” topped by a star carved into its front, and a number (in dwarven runes) carved into its back. No two golems have ever been known to have the same number carved on them, so it is believed that the numbers are unique to the golems, and carved in the order in which they were created.
In the spring of the year 649, Fenugog died suddenly, presumably of old age. His three adult sons immediately closed up the workshop and headed southwest toward the Inland Sea lands. It is not known where they ended up, as they were not heard from again.
Shortly after the sons moved away, Fenugog’s golems began acting erratically and of their own volition. Their masters were no longer able to reliably control them. A few of them became violent, and needed to be dealt with, but for the most part they just began to wander seemingly at random, stopping wherever they felt like, and remaining motionless for weeks, months or years at a time. These periods of stasis would be broken by bursts of activity. A golem might wander into the middle of a temple, into a shop or house, into a farmer’s field, or simply wander off into the wilderness before deciding to just stop for an indeterminate (and unpredictable) period of time.
For the past 58+ years, the movement of Fenugog’s golems has continued. In Mercia and nearby lands, where the people have become used to this behavior, it has become known simply as "The Wandering".
Fenugog’s workshop was in business for 64 years, and it is believed that they made over 300 golems in that time. At least several dozen of them have been destroyed. At least a hundred are believed to still be in Mercia or the immediately surrounding lands. That leaves a great many unaccounted for, and presumably at large in the land. Occasional sightings have been made as far away as the elven lands of Kyrell, the High Plateau, and the Kalembar Federation. An unconfirmed rumor says that an adventuring company recently destroyed number 237 in the Silverflow Valley north of Varlune.
The golems from the Fizzlewire workshop varied widely in size and appearance, but all had the Fizzlewire symbol of a wavy-lined “F” topped by a star carved into its front, and a number (in dwarven runes) carved into its back. No two golems have ever been known to have the same number carved on them, so it is believed that the numbers are unique to the golems, and carved in the order in which they were created.
In the spring of the year 649, Fenugog died suddenly, presumably of old age. His three adult sons immediately closed up the workshop and headed southwest toward the Inland Sea lands. It is not known where they ended up, as they were not heard from again.
Shortly after the sons moved away, Fenugog’s golems began acting erratically and of their own volition. Their masters were no longer able to reliably control them. A few of them became violent, and needed to be dealt with, but for the most part they just began to wander seemingly at random, stopping wherever they felt like, and remaining motionless for weeks, months or years at a time. These periods of stasis would be broken by bursts of activity. A golem might wander into the middle of a temple, into a shop or house, into a farmer’s field, or simply wander off into the wilderness before deciding to just stop for an indeterminate (and unpredictable) period of time.
For the past 58+ years, the movement of Fenugog’s golems has continued. In Mercia and nearby lands, where the people have become used to this behavior, it has become known simply as "The Wandering".
Fenugog’s workshop was in business for 64 years, and it is believed that they made over 300 golems in that time. At least several dozen of them have been destroyed. At least a hundred are believed to still be in Mercia or the immediately surrounding lands. That leaves a great many unaccounted for, and presumably at large in the land. Occasional sightings have been made as far away as the elven lands of Kyrell, the High Plateau, and the Kalembar Federation. An unconfirmed rumor says that an adventuring company recently destroyed number 237 in the Silverflow Valley north of Varlune.
Iron Spire Mountains
The
Iron Spires are a tall and rugged chain of snow-capped mountains stretching from
the valley of the River Greve in the south well into the wilderlands to the
north, where they transition into the even more rugged range known as the
Craghorn Peaks far to the northwest. In the Elder days, these mountains were home to many prosperous
dwarf holds of varying sizes. Today, very few of these exist, although the
fallen dwarf holds draw adventurers in seek of lost magic and treasures.
Dragons, giants, and a wide variety of goblinoid tribes call the Iron Spires
home.
In current days, the Iron Spires serve to form the boundary between the civilized lands of Rimini, Alsberg and the River Greve valley and the wilderness beyond.
In the Elder days, Onoria was northwest of the mountains, and Nanerith was to the northeast of them. Today, these lands are wilderness, filled with ruins and overrun with monsters and other creatures.
 |
| Iron Spires - main area (Hexographer, 6 mile scale) |
In current days, the Iron Spires serve to form the boundary between the civilized lands of Rimini, Alsberg and the River Greve valley and the wilderness beyond.
 |
| Iron Spires, SW end (Hexographer, 6 mile scale) |
In the Elder days, Onoria was northwest of the mountains, and Nanerith was to the northeast of them. Today, these lands are wilderness, filled with ruins and overrun with monsters and other creatures.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Greenreach Woods
The Greenreach Woods is a large vibrant forest located in the western end of the upper Greve River valley, north of the High Plateau region, and just south of the lands claimed by Onoria and Ithilkar in the Elder days. The forest is a dense and wild place, but does not have an evil reputation.
Settlements around the edges of the Wood harvest timber and other resources, but there are no known roads or trails through the forest, and no settlements within its boundaries.
It is fairly well known within the neighboring settlements that there are powerful druidic circles operating in the Woods. A circle under the leadership of Nalisander watches over the northern and northwestern sections of the Woods, and another under Isellina Mournsong watches over the eastern portion. The southern and western parts of the forest are less tame.
Deep in the center of the forest is said to be a large lake of exceptional beauty, which is fed by mountain streams coming down off the High Plateau and out of the northern Tellarn Mountains.
There are only a few known ruins within the forest, as it is believed that the men of the Elder realms also did not settle far beyond the borders of the forest.
[Note: the white star in the southwestern part of the woods shows the approximate location, though many miles underground, of the city of Traniska and the Tombs of the Alberneth (Campaign Journals 26-38)]
Settlements around the edges of the Wood harvest timber and other resources, but there are no known roads or trails through the forest, and no settlements within its boundaries.
 |
| Greenreach Woods (Hexographer, 6 mile scale) |
It is fairly well known within the neighboring settlements that there are powerful druidic circles operating in the Woods. A circle under the leadership of Nalisander watches over the northern and northwestern sections of the Woods, and another under Isellina Mournsong watches over the eastern portion. The southern and western parts of the forest are less tame.
Deep in the center of the forest is said to be a large lake of exceptional beauty, which is fed by mountain streams coming down off the High Plateau and out of the northern Tellarn Mountains.
There are only a few known ruins within the forest, as it is believed that the men of the Elder realms also did not settle far beyond the borders of the forest.
[Note: the white star in the southwestern part of the woods shows the approximate location, though many miles underground, of the city of Traniska and the Tombs of the Alberneth (Campaign Journals 26-38)]
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