This is a link to my campaign world.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B5SUXy ... EFkUDV6Wmc
You don't have to read it but in case you want reference...it's mostly all in there.
If you're one of those TL:DR ill post the major points in here.
Info on Gothmyr Nation.
Re: Info on Gothmyr Nation.
Gothmyr
From the Seventeenth scroll of Dark, the scripts of O'hl:
….and O'hl watched from above as two of his star children played upon the surface of Edus. He watched their hands moving and creating, clenching and destroying, using the fertile planet for their own interests. The two star children focused to the North where the green waters touch green land.
The two children built a city; a home for man. The land was inviting and offered the mortals a home, safe and secure.
But the star children bored quickly and buried the city. Once again their hands moved and created, bringing forth another city. Again O'hl watched the children experiment and play with the mortals in the new city, before destroying it again. Four others were created and destroyed, one being buried atop the other, pushing the previous deeper before O'hl stepped in and forced his star children to leave the mortals to their new sixth city. The City built on the shadow of the former versions. O'hl decided to let his star children nudge and tweak but nothing more.
O'hl was once again content to watch and let the mortals live as they would.
The Nation of Gothmyr sits on the eastern coast of Thaaed. It is the largest and most active nation among the other dozen or so known nations rebuilding on Thaaed.
The capitol city is named near identical to the nation it rules. Dwarves, human, elves, halflings and half-orc live next to one another in relative peace. Most of the citizens of the nation of Gothmyr never feel the governmental yoke like so many other nations’ peoples. The country is rocky, hilly and has a temperate coverage over the entire country. The nation is rich in everything from fruit and vegetables to wool, leather, textiles and even ore. Some of the best weapons come out of the dwarven mines within the nation of Gothmyr. Horses here are a hearty breed, used to rocky terrain and pulling capacity. Not bred for speed, but for working and endurance, the Gothmyri horses are prized to farmers and adventurers alike.
The capitol city of Gothmyr is named Gothmoor: The City of Shadows, also known as the Kingdom of Six. The city sits in the westernmost coast of Thaaed, far to the north, where snow hits in winter, and temperate climes make the summers desirable. Built to the south of a great lateral mountain range, the city proper hides comfortably at the top of an inlet bay. No one knows exactly when the city was built, or when the earliest recordings of the location were written, but anyone on Thaaed, know of Gothmoor. It is known that the city and its inhabitants never rest. It is older than any other habitable city on Thaaed, but the age of Gothmoor reaches father back than almost any alive today know.
There are six Ages within the history of Thaaed. The city of Gothmoor was originally founded in the First Age, The Age of the Gods. It has a dark, seedy and mysterious history that spans all six Ages, which gives the city one of its many monikers, ‘The City of Six”. What many do not know, is that the city of Gothmoor is the lynchpin to each and every Age.
The city of Gothmoor has been built, destroyed, built, destroyed, built and destroyed five times. The current huge city you see now is the sixth attempt at a success. The first five attempts are still there, just buried deep beneath the current attempt. Most people in Gothmoor or even the world do not know of the five failures buried in the ground, like so much skeletons in one's closet. Some of the nightmares and terrors buried in the previous versions still stir and often find their way to the surface, showing the people of Gothmoor that there are still things they do not know of. It is said that even devils and demons do not tread within Gothmoor's walls because of the bad luck of the past. Most people in Gothmoor fear more what's buried underneath its street, than even the worst nightmare from the abyssal planes. Those who do know of the ancient history of Gothmoor whisper that the evil gods toyed behind the backs of the first two gods and had a hand in destroying the previous five versions. Others think that it was OL’ itself for the god's own vanities. Only those who step within the pantheon know the real truth but it doesn't stop those who know of the mysterious city of trying to garner power from within any of the previous ruined versions.
Many of the recent gods with the good portfolio have sent favored souls or clerics to Gothmoor to help prevent a sixth set of ruins. No matter how it is seen, a lot of different interests are focused on Gothmoor and its future.
One thing in the history that everyone can state as fact, Gothmoor has always been run under a Von Luen. As far back as written history goes, a Von Luen has sat and ruled Gothmoor’s throne. The mysterious knight that brought a ragtag band of humans and half elves and dark elves was the first recorded Von Luen. His son Victor Von Luen established most of the laws of Gothmoor that still uses to this day. His son, Leruce took the city into its golden era. It was into its four hundredth year when the Son of Leruce, Jeggred took over. A half elf son of Lord Sir Leruce Von Luen, Jeggred is the current King of Gothmyr. Jeggred is a short, almost scary man. Black and silver hair pushed back to shoulder length, Piercing amber eyes and a smirk that hides more than he reveals. Jeggred is a darker and shadowy ruler than his father. This begot Jeggred the moniker “the Shadow King”. The city is not evil, nor is the king, but there is more behind-the-scenes politics and underhanded dealings than ever before. Most do not see the oncoming shadow over the city, but everyone can feel its growing presence.
Jeggred is one of Gothmyr’s most tactically superior kings, and has defended her walls and borders from all sorts of invasions. He is not the stereo-typical king, who hides within the walls of his keep, ordering laws and commands and demanding taxes. Lord Jeggred’s changes to his father’s ‘way of ruling’ have the city’s citizens hopeful and a new dawn of prosperity is seen on every face.
Jeggred does hold one precept from the old times. His demand for intelligent equality is one that has been a hallmark of Gothmoor. Recent history shows Gothmoor has just overcome a large undead invasion. All unauthorized necromancy cast within Gothmoor’s borders is currently punishable by death. All known offending necromancers are caught, registered with the crown, and psychically ‘tagged’.
Gothmoor has a very large concentration of surface Dark elves, which have turned their back on their drow society. Psionics is also more common in Gothmoor than other cities.
Lord Jeggred has created many organizations since his rise to power. Even some he has created during his father’s rule. The organizations range from a personal royal guard, to a cleric temple training group, and even a super secret group used to investigate crimes within the walls of Gothmoor. Some of the named organizations are the Chiroks, the Graycloaks, Order of the Shield, Church of the Neo Luna, and the Rat Sweepers Guild.
Coin and money is abundant in Gothmoor, and there are many sayings about getting a job in the City of Shadows. “If’n ye can’t get yerself a job in Gothmoor, ye must be sleepin” is one of the most common. The saying used to end, “…ye must be dead.”, but with the aforementioned recent undead uprising, everyone has changed the end of the quip to something other than the old version. There are tasks for hire for hundreds of different jobs. Most employers will take anyone who is able to complete the task, and they are not afraid to share their wealth with their hirelings. Anything from letter delivery, to sewer sweeping to torchbearer can be had for a job. If you can walk and hold an item, you can make enough money in Gothmoor to thrive.
Gothmoor is broken into eight wards: The West Ward, the Castle Ward, the Coin Ward, the Docks Ward, the Shield Ward, the Green Ward, the Temple Ward and the Noble Ward. Most of the wards are named for the majority of the contents of each ward. The Gothmoor Keepers are indeed kept very busy protecting and serving all the wards of Gothmoor.
More information on the capitol city of Gothmoor can be found in the Gothmoor: Nation of Shadows supplement.
Krale
Along the northwestern border of Gothmyr, nestled deep within the rolling foothills pushing the Wildreach back lays a small mining town and adventuring stopover. Krale sits like a stubborn dwarf, refusing to back down from a horde of orcs. Krale holds some thirteen hundred or so miners, woodcutters, merchants and would be adventurers.
Krale sits at the mouth of the natural spring that turns into a river that marks part of Gothmyr's western border. The river is the Stonewater river. The surrounding rough hills barely support flora or vegetables of any sort, but the one thing the hills have in abundance is gold. Hundreds of miners, prospectors and silt sifters make the trek up to Krale to find their fortune. Unfortunately, this also brings the robbers, the scam artists, and the outright thieves. And where the chaos of such drama happens, Adventurers are soon to follow.
Why risk your life in a dungeon, when you can kill a thief above ground and return with the stolen gold, keeping a fee for yourself, of course. Most of the people in Krale are human; more than a dozen are half ogres and half orc mercenaries, looking for work. Human, half elven and dwarven hirelings are common as well, remnants of failed groups, sole survivors of failed adventuring gangs and basic loners looking for coin.
Adventurers, miners, carpenters, woodcutters and merchants all rub shoulders in this wilderness town, on the edge of the Wildreach. The town of Krale has gone through fifteen sheriffs and six mayors in the last year. Accidents, sword fights, outright assassinations and brutal murders. The town of Krale keeps a fragile facade of peace, but it is still a lawless miner’s town.
Currently, the position of Sheriff has been renamed to “Stoneguard” and is held by a strange Blonde Meri-Jaa woman with a deadly unerring skill with two swords. She stands at six feet, and is quicker than a great cat. Mayor Brenton Foss is a fat sweaty man who hides behind the Stoneguard when he comes out from behind his locked door.
Whether you go to Krale for gold mining, prospecting, or adventuring out into the Wildreach, the town will have more than enough to keep you busy. Just tread carefully in the darker alleys and keep your eyes out and hand on your gold pouch more than usual here.
Eastwind
Eastwind is often called the “Tower of Tomes”. It is the largest collection of libraries and tombs of knowledge in all of Thaaed. A massive, hulking keep and fortified walls sit on the cliff edge of the middle shore of Gothmoor. The temple is run by a monastic group of We’Saa specialty priests, numbering around three hundred. Another four hundred paladins, monks and clerics keep Eastwind safe from would be looters. Another hundred or so can be found visiting the Keep and perusing the endless shelves of books, tomes, scrolls, plates, and other items of knowledge.
We’Saa is an open and inviting place, especially when one comes to share knowledge. You can come and recite news and events seen or heard to one of the priests here in Eastwind who will pay you for your retelling. Also, anyone who comes to sell books will receive the highest resale value in all of Gothmyr. To enter the keep is free, but in order to peruse the bookshelves, one must be willing to either sit with the priests and give knowledge for free, or give a book or scroll or something to add to the collection. (This helps the collection growing.) Books are for sale and will be freely let go, under the condition the keep already has two copies of the tome or scroll.
High Priest Rizzul Drembek is the current Cloistered Master of the Keep. Drembek and his disciples practice scribing daily and make sure that the library grows. There is some talk of the paladins and clerics of the Tower of Tomes finding a lost catacomb underneath the keep and have since began to hire investigators into the ruined catacombs. Not many have entered it due to the uncertainty of the stability.
Sempar
Sempar is more commonly known as "Lakeside". Sempar sits on the most Northern point of Gothmyr that is on a peninsula on the Icecrown Lake. The town of Sempar is the truest example of a fishing town. There are docks off the lake on three sides of the town, and there is constant movement on the lake and around the docks no matter the time.
Sempar is a classic town, walls made of fieldstones and homes of rough cut timber and reclaimed rocks. The roads are mainly dirt, but it shows there was some semblance of cobblestones in the past. There is a wide and wooden boardwalk around the front of each of the buildings and shops, and most homes have a wide porch. The people of Sempar are polite and welcome most people who enter their town peacefully. There is an undercurrent of apprehension when a wizard or mage comes into Sempar. There is bad history within Sempar with Visiting Arcane magic users and their 'control' over the mystic arts. Wizards will be stared at, and no one will sit with heir back to an obvious magic user, but divine magic is not only welcome but encouraged.
Sempar is one of the main suppliers of fish and crab meat into the mainland of Gothmyr. wagonloads of frozen fish and iced crab are often seen leaving the peninsula headed for Gothmoor and beyond. Hemp rope and net makers, as well as sail-stitchers and textile seamstresses all make a good living getting products out to the sailors. Adventurers also find good fortune in Sempar as many sailors will hire mercenaries to protect their nets from undersea creatures and other predators of the Icecrown Lake.
Every year, The King of Gothmyr travels north to Sempar for their yearly lake regatta. many sailors along the coasts of Thaaed come to Sempar once a year for this sail-around-the-lake. The festival and race brings a lot of coin into Sempar, which keeps the businesses open during the off-season.
Rhilheeyl
The center of Gothmyr is covered in a thick, ancient forest of elms, redwoods, and oak. Some even older trees and forgotten types are sprinkled around amongst the other more common ones. Rhilheeyl is also the home of one of Gothmyr's oldest Elven cities; Rhilheeyl'isnashilyr. The elves call it just Rhilheeyl, and not many that live outside of the forest know of the city's existence.
Rhilheeyl is ruled by a family, a Noble Elven Court of Gothmyr. Their queen is Mother Vietella Tiranul. She is a statuesque female of unparalleled beauty and rules her family and her city with grace and wisdom beyond measure. Her son is leader of the White Stags, Rhilheeyl's guards and military. Her daughter rules the elven guildhalls and her youngest daughter is being taught in the elven college in the city.
The elven city is a lush and beautiful one. Large fluted buildings built into the edges of waterfalls, buildings with thirty foot ceilings with frescoes and statues of elven gods and heroes. The city itself is so wide and expansive that one can get lost for weeks before you meet or are interrupted by another living creature. Spirits and ghosts haunt many of the buildings and halls of Rhilheeyl, but none of them are malicious. Some even converse with the living and actually have been known to Help those with a conundrum.
Rhilheeyl is mainly made up of wood and high elves. Many gray elves have made their way into Rhilheeyl to reconnect with their elven roots, and even more gray and high elves in human communities have sworn blood oaths to retire to Rhilheeyl once they have finished adventuring. More and more of the younger elves are making their way out of the forest and into the wild world of man, to repay their forefather's 'Great Offense'.
Bretto
Bretto is also home to one of Gothmyr’s unique artifacts. A gigantic obsidian bear, sixty feet tall at the shoulder stands at the entrance to the town from Gothmoor’s direction. The bear has been here since the last era, and no one knows the history or source of the giant statue. The bear is made from pure obsidian, and is the first thing anyone notices about the town when approaching. Sailors claim they can see the bear from miles out to sea, but no matter where it is seen, no one knows what it is or why it exists. Some postulate it is from Ages past, and belongs to a collection that is lost or now destroyed.
Most of the town of Bretto is a miner’s town. The mountains to the southeast of the town are rich and full of copper and nickel. The Town started as a mining town and has grown into a bigger mining town. The populace of Bretto is here to mine, or be with their relatives who mine and promote the town’s export of copper and nickel. At the age of twelve, a boy is given a shovel and let go into the mine with the men. If within three years he decides not to be a miner, he has two choices. One choice is become a soldier in defense of Bretto, or, choice two; leave town.
The people of Krale take their mining seriously, and it is hammered home even more since the entire Dwarven race is watching Bretto. There is a veritable tome of sayings from the Dwarves of the nation of Gothmoor. Most of them relate Bretto mining humans to messy dogs trying to find a hidden bone, or a blind gnome with copper madness. Most mining dwarves use the common saying, “Well, I’ll be a Bretto miner!” when they are surprised or dumbfounded. This is the main reason why almost all of Bretto is human.
One of the other keynotes of the town is a small copse of trees across the river to the towns northeast. Within the small wood is the secret to Bretto's success. The remains of a tower, nothing more than the foundation sit in the woods, the ground floor being nothing but a descending circular ramp into the Deepdark. It is an ancient entrance into the mountains to the North of the woods, where the copper and nickel flow from. This gave the townsfolk of Bretto a jumpstart on reaching the deep copper deposits, as the tunnel ramp led forty feet down, before opening into a series of unfinished tunnels (now reinforced for mining).
Most people from Bretto are strong and hearty. They do not mind getting dirty for a good honest day’s work. One can guarantee on anyone from Bretto being overly proud, and will have a temper when their hometown is insulted or their upbringing.
The current ruler of Bretto is a mayor. Mayor Tunsten DuRoy runs the mines and oversees the town. With his three sheriffs and his constables in town, most of the town is crime free. But that isn’t to say there is not crime. The people of Bretto support their mines, their Bear, and the town in ANY way they can… sometimes illegally.
Scarsburg
Scarsburg is easily claimed as the Crossroads of Gothmyr. The city lies south of the capitol, Gothmoor and west of Ruath which is on the opposite side of The Southern Woods. Scarsburg is at the southeastern tip of the Southern Forest and four roads come together at the main square inside Scarsburg proper. Roads leading to Gothmoor, Bretto, Feyd and even Eastwind all start at Scarsburg.
Scarsburg is a small farming community. More of a trading post than farming community, but seeing as 400 square acres of land is cultivated, planted and harvested each year, the town still is known for its farmland. The simple, yet expansive town proper is still known for its hospitality and the trading that happens with the trappers and the hunters. Furs, animal hides, leather, meat, organs and bones all go for trade in Scarsburg. Prospectors also come down from the Troll Peaks but everyone has something to trade. Scarsburg grows everything from apples in orchards to pumpkin patches and cucumber and potato fields. The vegetables grown in this area of Gothmoor produce bigger plumper vegetables than anywhere else in the nation. Scarsburg prides itself on its farming and hides their secret techniques from outsiders. A large amount of spices and herbs are also cultivated here in Scarsburg and as such, the town has more herbalists, apothecaries and potion stores in all of Gothmyr save for the capitol. Scarsburg citizens are a simple folk, living off the land and not creating progress at the expense of nature.
From the Seventeenth scroll of Dark, the scripts of O'hl:
….and O'hl watched from above as two of his star children played upon the surface of Edus. He watched their hands moving and creating, clenching and destroying, using the fertile planet for their own interests. The two star children focused to the North where the green waters touch green land.
The two children built a city; a home for man. The land was inviting and offered the mortals a home, safe and secure.
But the star children bored quickly and buried the city. Once again their hands moved and created, bringing forth another city. Again O'hl watched the children experiment and play with the mortals in the new city, before destroying it again. Four others were created and destroyed, one being buried atop the other, pushing the previous deeper before O'hl stepped in and forced his star children to leave the mortals to their new sixth city. The City built on the shadow of the former versions. O'hl decided to let his star children nudge and tweak but nothing more.
O'hl was once again content to watch and let the mortals live as they would.
The Nation of Gothmyr sits on the eastern coast of Thaaed. It is the largest and most active nation among the other dozen or so known nations rebuilding on Thaaed.
The capitol city is named near identical to the nation it rules. Dwarves, human, elves, halflings and half-orc live next to one another in relative peace. Most of the citizens of the nation of Gothmyr never feel the governmental yoke like so many other nations’ peoples. The country is rocky, hilly and has a temperate coverage over the entire country. The nation is rich in everything from fruit and vegetables to wool, leather, textiles and even ore. Some of the best weapons come out of the dwarven mines within the nation of Gothmyr. Horses here are a hearty breed, used to rocky terrain and pulling capacity. Not bred for speed, but for working and endurance, the Gothmyri horses are prized to farmers and adventurers alike.
The capitol city of Gothmyr is named Gothmoor: The City of Shadows, also known as the Kingdom of Six. The city sits in the westernmost coast of Thaaed, far to the north, where snow hits in winter, and temperate climes make the summers desirable. Built to the south of a great lateral mountain range, the city proper hides comfortably at the top of an inlet bay. No one knows exactly when the city was built, or when the earliest recordings of the location were written, but anyone on Thaaed, know of Gothmoor. It is known that the city and its inhabitants never rest. It is older than any other habitable city on Thaaed, but the age of Gothmoor reaches father back than almost any alive today know.
There are six Ages within the history of Thaaed. The city of Gothmoor was originally founded in the First Age, The Age of the Gods. It has a dark, seedy and mysterious history that spans all six Ages, which gives the city one of its many monikers, ‘The City of Six”. What many do not know, is that the city of Gothmoor is the lynchpin to each and every Age.
The city of Gothmoor has been built, destroyed, built, destroyed, built and destroyed five times. The current huge city you see now is the sixth attempt at a success. The first five attempts are still there, just buried deep beneath the current attempt. Most people in Gothmoor or even the world do not know of the five failures buried in the ground, like so much skeletons in one's closet. Some of the nightmares and terrors buried in the previous versions still stir and often find their way to the surface, showing the people of Gothmoor that there are still things they do not know of. It is said that even devils and demons do not tread within Gothmoor's walls because of the bad luck of the past. Most people in Gothmoor fear more what's buried underneath its street, than even the worst nightmare from the abyssal planes. Those who do know of the ancient history of Gothmoor whisper that the evil gods toyed behind the backs of the first two gods and had a hand in destroying the previous five versions. Others think that it was OL’ itself for the god's own vanities. Only those who step within the pantheon know the real truth but it doesn't stop those who know of the mysterious city of trying to garner power from within any of the previous ruined versions.
Many of the recent gods with the good portfolio have sent favored souls or clerics to Gothmoor to help prevent a sixth set of ruins. No matter how it is seen, a lot of different interests are focused on Gothmoor and its future.
One thing in the history that everyone can state as fact, Gothmoor has always been run under a Von Luen. As far back as written history goes, a Von Luen has sat and ruled Gothmoor’s throne. The mysterious knight that brought a ragtag band of humans and half elves and dark elves was the first recorded Von Luen. His son Victor Von Luen established most of the laws of Gothmoor that still uses to this day. His son, Leruce took the city into its golden era. It was into its four hundredth year when the Son of Leruce, Jeggred took over. A half elf son of Lord Sir Leruce Von Luen, Jeggred is the current King of Gothmyr. Jeggred is a short, almost scary man. Black and silver hair pushed back to shoulder length, Piercing amber eyes and a smirk that hides more than he reveals. Jeggred is a darker and shadowy ruler than his father. This begot Jeggred the moniker “the Shadow King”. The city is not evil, nor is the king, but there is more behind-the-scenes politics and underhanded dealings than ever before. Most do not see the oncoming shadow over the city, but everyone can feel its growing presence.
Jeggred is one of Gothmyr’s most tactically superior kings, and has defended her walls and borders from all sorts of invasions. He is not the stereo-typical king, who hides within the walls of his keep, ordering laws and commands and demanding taxes. Lord Jeggred’s changes to his father’s ‘way of ruling’ have the city’s citizens hopeful and a new dawn of prosperity is seen on every face.
Jeggred does hold one precept from the old times. His demand for intelligent equality is one that has been a hallmark of Gothmoor. Recent history shows Gothmoor has just overcome a large undead invasion. All unauthorized necromancy cast within Gothmoor’s borders is currently punishable by death. All known offending necromancers are caught, registered with the crown, and psychically ‘tagged’.
Gothmoor has a very large concentration of surface Dark elves, which have turned their back on their drow society. Psionics is also more common in Gothmoor than other cities.
Lord Jeggred has created many organizations since his rise to power. Even some he has created during his father’s rule. The organizations range from a personal royal guard, to a cleric temple training group, and even a super secret group used to investigate crimes within the walls of Gothmoor. Some of the named organizations are the Chiroks, the Graycloaks, Order of the Shield, Church of the Neo Luna, and the Rat Sweepers Guild.
Coin and money is abundant in Gothmoor, and there are many sayings about getting a job in the City of Shadows. “If’n ye can’t get yerself a job in Gothmoor, ye must be sleepin” is one of the most common. The saying used to end, “…ye must be dead.”, but with the aforementioned recent undead uprising, everyone has changed the end of the quip to something other than the old version. There are tasks for hire for hundreds of different jobs. Most employers will take anyone who is able to complete the task, and they are not afraid to share their wealth with their hirelings. Anything from letter delivery, to sewer sweeping to torchbearer can be had for a job. If you can walk and hold an item, you can make enough money in Gothmoor to thrive.
Gothmoor is broken into eight wards: The West Ward, the Castle Ward, the Coin Ward, the Docks Ward, the Shield Ward, the Green Ward, the Temple Ward and the Noble Ward. Most of the wards are named for the majority of the contents of each ward. The Gothmoor Keepers are indeed kept very busy protecting and serving all the wards of Gothmoor.
More information on the capitol city of Gothmoor can be found in the Gothmoor: Nation of Shadows supplement.
Krale
Along the northwestern border of Gothmyr, nestled deep within the rolling foothills pushing the Wildreach back lays a small mining town and adventuring stopover. Krale sits like a stubborn dwarf, refusing to back down from a horde of orcs. Krale holds some thirteen hundred or so miners, woodcutters, merchants and would be adventurers.
Krale sits at the mouth of the natural spring that turns into a river that marks part of Gothmyr's western border. The river is the Stonewater river. The surrounding rough hills barely support flora or vegetables of any sort, but the one thing the hills have in abundance is gold. Hundreds of miners, prospectors and silt sifters make the trek up to Krale to find their fortune. Unfortunately, this also brings the robbers, the scam artists, and the outright thieves. And where the chaos of such drama happens, Adventurers are soon to follow.
Why risk your life in a dungeon, when you can kill a thief above ground and return with the stolen gold, keeping a fee for yourself, of course. Most of the people in Krale are human; more than a dozen are half ogres and half orc mercenaries, looking for work. Human, half elven and dwarven hirelings are common as well, remnants of failed groups, sole survivors of failed adventuring gangs and basic loners looking for coin.
Adventurers, miners, carpenters, woodcutters and merchants all rub shoulders in this wilderness town, on the edge of the Wildreach. The town of Krale has gone through fifteen sheriffs and six mayors in the last year. Accidents, sword fights, outright assassinations and brutal murders. The town of Krale keeps a fragile facade of peace, but it is still a lawless miner’s town.
Currently, the position of Sheriff has been renamed to “Stoneguard” and is held by a strange Blonde Meri-Jaa woman with a deadly unerring skill with two swords. She stands at six feet, and is quicker than a great cat. Mayor Brenton Foss is a fat sweaty man who hides behind the Stoneguard when he comes out from behind his locked door.
Whether you go to Krale for gold mining, prospecting, or adventuring out into the Wildreach, the town will have more than enough to keep you busy. Just tread carefully in the darker alleys and keep your eyes out and hand on your gold pouch more than usual here.
Eastwind
Eastwind is often called the “Tower of Tomes”. It is the largest collection of libraries and tombs of knowledge in all of Thaaed. A massive, hulking keep and fortified walls sit on the cliff edge of the middle shore of Gothmoor. The temple is run by a monastic group of We’Saa specialty priests, numbering around three hundred. Another four hundred paladins, monks and clerics keep Eastwind safe from would be looters. Another hundred or so can be found visiting the Keep and perusing the endless shelves of books, tomes, scrolls, plates, and other items of knowledge.
We’Saa is an open and inviting place, especially when one comes to share knowledge. You can come and recite news and events seen or heard to one of the priests here in Eastwind who will pay you for your retelling. Also, anyone who comes to sell books will receive the highest resale value in all of Gothmyr. To enter the keep is free, but in order to peruse the bookshelves, one must be willing to either sit with the priests and give knowledge for free, or give a book or scroll or something to add to the collection. (This helps the collection growing.) Books are for sale and will be freely let go, under the condition the keep already has two copies of the tome or scroll.
High Priest Rizzul Drembek is the current Cloistered Master of the Keep. Drembek and his disciples practice scribing daily and make sure that the library grows. There is some talk of the paladins and clerics of the Tower of Tomes finding a lost catacomb underneath the keep and have since began to hire investigators into the ruined catacombs. Not many have entered it due to the uncertainty of the stability.
Sempar
Sempar is more commonly known as "Lakeside". Sempar sits on the most Northern point of Gothmyr that is on a peninsula on the Icecrown Lake. The town of Sempar is the truest example of a fishing town. There are docks off the lake on three sides of the town, and there is constant movement on the lake and around the docks no matter the time.
Sempar is a classic town, walls made of fieldstones and homes of rough cut timber and reclaimed rocks. The roads are mainly dirt, but it shows there was some semblance of cobblestones in the past. There is a wide and wooden boardwalk around the front of each of the buildings and shops, and most homes have a wide porch. The people of Sempar are polite and welcome most people who enter their town peacefully. There is an undercurrent of apprehension when a wizard or mage comes into Sempar. There is bad history within Sempar with Visiting Arcane magic users and their 'control' over the mystic arts. Wizards will be stared at, and no one will sit with heir back to an obvious magic user, but divine magic is not only welcome but encouraged.
Sempar is one of the main suppliers of fish and crab meat into the mainland of Gothmyr. wagonloads of frozen fish and iced crab are often seen leaving the peninsula headed for Gothmoor and beyond. Hemp rope and net makers, as well as sail-stitchers and textile seamstresses all make a good living getting products out to the sailors. Adventurers also find good fortune in Sempar as many sailors will hire mercenaries to protect their nets from undersea creatures and other predators of the Icecrown Lake.
Every year, The King of Gothmyr travels north to Sempar for their yearly lake regatta. many sailors along the coasts of Thaaed come to Sempar once a year for this sail-around-the-lake. The festival and race brings a lot of coin into Sempar, which keeps the businesses open during the off-season.
Rhilheeyl
The center of Gothmyr is covered in a thick, ancient forest of elms, redwoods, and oak. Some even older trees and forgotten types are sprinkled around amongst the other more common ones. Rhilheeyl is also the home of one of Gothmyr's oldest Elven cities; Rhilheeyl'isnashilyr. The elves call it just Rhilheeyl, and not many that live outside of the forest know of the city's existence.
Rhilheeyl is ruled by a family, a Noble Elven Court of Gothmyr. Their queen is Mother Vietella Tiranul. She is a statuesque female of unparalleled beauty and rules her family and her city with grace and wisdom beyond measure. Her son is leader of the White Stags, Rhilheeyl's guards and military. Her daughter rules the elven guildhalls and her youngest daughter is being taught in the elven college in the city.
The elven city is a lush and beautiful one. Large fluted buildings built into the edges of waterfalls, buildings with thirty foot ceilings with frescoes and statues of elven gods and heroes. The city itself is so wide and expansive that one can get lost for weeks before you meet or are interrupted by another living creature. Spirits and ghosts haunt many of the buildings and halls of Rhilheeyl, but none of them are malicious. Some even converse with the living and actually have been known to Help those with a conundrum.
Rhilheeyl is mainly made up of wood and high elves. Many gray elves have made their way into Rhilheeyl to reconnect with their elven roots, and even more gray and high elves in human communities have sworn blood oaths to retire to Rhilheeyl once they have finished adventuring. More and more of the younger elves are making their way out of the forest and into the wild world of man, to repay their forefather's 'Great Offense'.
Bretto
Bretto is also home to one of Gothmyr’s unique artifacts. A gigantic obsidian bear, sixty feet tall at the shoulder stands at the entrance to the town from Gothmoor’s direction. The bear has been here since the last era, and no one knows the history or source of the giant statue. The bear is made from pure obsidian, and is the first thing anyone notices about the town when approaching. Sailors claim they can see the bear from miles out to sea, but no matter where it is seen, no one knows what it is or why it exists. Some postulate it is from Ages past, and belongs to a collection that is lost or now destroyed.
Most of the town of Bretto is a miner’s town. The mountains to the southeast of the town are rich and full of copper and nickel. The Town started as a mining town and has grown into a bigger mining town. The populace of Bretto is here to mine, or be with their relatives who mine and promote the town’s export of copper and nickel. At the age of twelve, a boy is given a shovel and let go into the mine with the men. If within three years he decides not to be a miner, he has two choices. One choice is become a soldier in defense of Bretto, or, choice two; leave town.
The people of Krale take their mining seriously, and it is hammered home even more since the entire Dwarven race is watching Bretto. There is a veritable tome of sayings from the Dwarves of the nation of Gothmoor. Most of them relate Bretto mining humans to messy dogs trying to find a hidden bone, or a blind gnome with copper madness. Most mining dwarves use the common saying, “Well, I’ll be a Bretto miner!” when they are surprised or dumbfounded. This is the main reason why almost all of Bretto is human.
One of the other keynotes of the town is a small copse of trees across the river to the towns northeast. Within the small wood is the secret to Bretto's success. The remains of a tower, nothing more than the foundation sit in the woods, the ground floor being nothing but a descending circular ramp into the Deepdark. It is an ancient entrance into the mountains to the North of the woods, where the copper and nickel flow from. This gave the townsfolk of Bretto a jumpstart on reaching the deep copper deposits, as the tunnel ramp led forty feet down, before opening into a series of unfinished tunnels (now reinforced for mining).
Most people from Bretto are strong and hearty. They do not mind getting dirty for a good honest day’s work. One can guarantee on anyone from Bretto being overly proud, and will have a temper when their hometown is insulted or their upbringing.
The current ruler of Bretto is a mayor. Mayor Tunsten DuRoy runs the mines and oversees the town. With his three sheriffs and his constables in town, most of the town is crime free. But that isn’t to say there is not crime. The people of Bretto support their mines, their Bear, and the town in ANY way they can… sometimes illegally.
Scarsburg
Scarsburg is easily claimed as the Crossroads of Gothmyr. The city lies south of the capitol, Gothmoor and west of Ruath which is on the opposite side of The Southern Woods. Scarsburg is at the southeastern tip of the Southern Forest and four roads come together at the main square inside Scarsburg proper. Roads leading to Gothmoor, Bretto, Feyd and even Eastwind all start at Scarsburg.
Scarsburg is a small farming community. More of a trading post than farming community, but seeing as 400 square acres of land is cultivated, planted and harvested each year, the town still is known for its farmland. The simple, yet expansive town proper is still known for its hospitality and the trading that happens with the trappers and the hunters. Furs, animal hides, leather, meat, organs and bones all go for trade in Scarsburg. Prospectors also come down from the Troll Peaks but everyone has something to trade. Scarsburg grows everything from apples in orchards to pumpkin patches and cucumber and potato fields. The vegetables grown in this area of Gothmoor produce bigger plumper vegetables than anywhere else in the nation. Scarsburg prides itself on its farming and hides their secret techniques from outsiders. A large amount of spices and herbs are also cultivated here in Scarsburg and as such, the town has more herbalists, apothecaries and potion stores in all of Gothmyr save for the capitol. Scarsburg citizens are a simple folk, living off the land and not creating progress at the expense of nature.
Re: Info on Gothmyr Nation.
Someone asked about guilds and assassins..
Theft
Theft is important. It balances the economy. The four rules of Gothmoor are simple. You are never to steal from someone who has less than you, period. Breaking of this cardinal rule is punishable by loss of a hand for a first offense, then death after second time. Most that lose a hand to breaking the first rule, usually never get put to death, because there is a saying among the merchants of Gothmoor. “You can always spot a greedy thief, because he cannot clap.” This is true, and most who do become one handed, usually retire.
Second rule is: If you are stolen from, and you know who it is, you have full rights to reclaim your property, canceling rule number one. This rule is also unbreakable and must be fully proven, or else the loss of a hand, by inadvertently breaking rule number one. The third rule within the Black Dagger Guild is;
Once you steal enough that no one in the city has more than you, you have two choices, leave or retire. Breaking of this rule is also punishable as the first two are.
The final city wide rule of the Black Dagger Guild on thieving is: If you are caught, you forfeit everything to the Black Dagger Guild. So do not get caught.
The reason these rules are in place is to enforce order into a chaotic element of any civilization. If a rogue is given freedom within boundaries to steal throughout the city, and he has done a good haul on one night...he will go to the shops...buying new equipment, buying food, and buying services. This strengthens the economy for all (except he who just stole from). Once he uses his ill-gotten gains, his level of monetary status re-lowers to his original level, keeping him ‘in the game’. As long as any thief follows the four main rules of the Guild, he will live a long and fruitful life (as long as he’s not caught!).
On the record, thievery and roguish activities are illegal and are punishable by a night in jail up to five years hard labor and even up to death, depending on the severity. The City Watch has Psionicists in its ranks to ferret out those skulking in alleys and with theft on the mind. One successful uncaught rogue in Gothmoor is worth seven rogues in any other city on Thaaed.
THE BLACK DAGGER GUILD
Theft. It’s everywhere. There are hundreds of people who make their living of taking something rightfully earned by someone else. These people thrive in big cities. And Gothmoor is rife with them. Gothmoor has had rogues and thieves in its walls since there were walls to be inside of. They had no organization; they were mismanaged, stealing from each other, letting their greed go unchecked. Then, one day, a guild was created to bring order to this naturally chaotic genre of peoples. Thus begun the Black Dagger Guild’s run.
The Black Dagger Guild is not only a normal thief’s guild. It is the embodiment of everything that is shady or above the law in Gothmoor. From Slave trading, to assassinations, black market establishments as well as fencing and yes, even thieving, the Black Dagger Guild is actually a very orderly and well organized group that patrols and polices it’s members in a balance that prevents the greed of a few, destroying the livelihood of the many.
Run by an unknown triumvirate, the Black Dagger Guild has branches in every single ward of the city save for one, the Shield Ward. The Black Dagger Guild holds sway over anything in the city that has to do with underhanded or shady deals, and does it with such low key that even the Graycloaks leave them alone, as long as their order is kept. This doesn’t mean that other thieves guilds aren’t created on almost a weekly basis in the city of Gothmoor, but those either don’t make enough waves to alert the Black Dagger Guild, or if they do, the new guild is either swallowed and ‘acquired’ or it suddenly disbands, with their leader disappearing in the dead of night. Open theft in Gothmoor is looked down upon. Even by other thieves. If you come to Gothmoor to ply your trade, you’ll need to speak to the Black Dagger Guild.
Assassinations
The Black Dagger Guild also handles any and all assassinations requested within its walls. Some of the lesser assassinations slip through their fingers, but sometimes the victim may actually be working with or for the Black Dagger Guild, which inevitably brings them calling.
If someone wishes to have someone assassinated, they would need to find a member of the Guild. Once the target is described, the Guild member takes the request to the Black Dagger Guild to verify it is not a paid member of the guild, or someone of the public that they cannot lose.(i.e. currently owes money to the guild, or is paying protection). Once this is confirmed the member hires out an assassin and brings them to meet the client. Then the job is handled.
Failure to pay an assassin for a job of course, puts you on top of their “to do’ list.
One of the most well known and publicly rumored members of the Assassin’s branch of the Black Dagger Guild is Den “Silver” Sen’drivino. Den is a full elf but half dark elf on his father’s side. He claims to have one had the throat to ever royal member of Gothmoor’s court, save for the Shadow King himself. He claims to have done this on a paid bet. You know when the kill was done by “Silver” because of a pair of chained silver pieces put across their eyes; “Silver’s” telltale trademark for a personal kill.
Slavery
When one hears this word, they think pain. They think chains, and sometimes it’s true. But for the most part the Black Dagger Guild is known publicly for being the official organization for hiring and purchasing of servants, slaves, agents and indentured servants. Anyone who wishes to pay for such a boon, would do so with the Slavers and Black Dagger Guildhall in the South Dock Ward.
Anything can be bought, from humans to dark elves, kobolds to orcs, and even animals and monsters. These all are legal prisoners of war or failed invaders that are captured and sold as servants or guards. These slaves are not used as fodder during combat as most Drow did in the Deepdark. These are used for gardening, door guards, serving drinks, or the city’s favorite; manual labor. Slaves go for a hefty price and they are not as disposable as people think. Once you purchase a slave or servant, you are responsible for them. You are held accountable for their actions, so many masters or owners work hard at training their slave before they even see daylight again.
Slaves and servants and beasts of burden that are not purchased end up being given a choice of freedom in the Arena. The Arena is a Gladiatorial Coliseum where public displays of combat are done for the pleasure of the citizens. It is also where the sales of the slaves happen so anyone who you know gets captured; you can eventually find them on sale at the Arena. “Good job Arena-bait!” is a local term for watching someone does something utterly stupid in Gothmoor’s Wards.
Battle captives and war prisoners are not the only beings that end up as slaves. Since the Black Dagger Guild runs the front operations of Slave trade, those who fail to pay for an assassination attempt, or those who are caught breaking the rules of thievery, are often found with a chain and collar on and on the auction block.
Often times the families of an assassinated person purchase the client who failed to pay and make them ‘work off’ their debt to the family. Thieves are purchased and forced to work off the debt of the money they stole. Regardless of whom they are, many useful bodies can be found in the Arena. Even hooded and disguised Necromancers go shopping there….
Theft
Theft is important. It balances the economy. The four rules of Gothmoor are simple. You are never to steal from someone who has less than you, period. Breaking of this cardinal rule is punishable by loss of a hand for a first offense, then death after second time. Most that lose a hand to breaking the first rule, usually never get put to death, because there is a saying among the merchants of Gothmoor. “You can always spot a greedy thief, because he cannot clap.” This is true, and most who do become one handed, usually retire.
Second rule is: If you are stolen from, and you know who it is, you have full rights to reclaim your property, canceling rule number one. This rule is also unbreakable and must be fully proven, or else the loss of a hand, by inadvertently breaking rule number one. The third rule within the Black Dagger Guild is;
Once you steal enough that no one in the city has more than you, you have two choices, leave or retire. Breaking of this rule is also punishable as the first two are.
The final city wide rule of the Black Dagger Guild on thieving is: If you are caught, you forfeit everything to the Black Dagger Guild. So do not get caught.
The reason these rules are in place is to enforce order into a chaotic element of any civilization. If a rogue is given freedom within boundaries to steal throughout the city, and he has done a good haul on one night...he will go to the shops...buying new equipment, buying food, and buying services. This strengthens the economy for all (except he who just stole from). Once he uses his ill-gotten gains, his level of monetary status re-lowers to his original level, keeping him ‘in the game’. As long as any thief follows the four main rules of the Guild, he will live a long and fruitful life (as long as he’s not caught!).
On the record, thievery and roguish activities are illegal and are punishable by a night in jail up to five years hard labor and even up to death, depending on the severity. The City Watch has Psionicists in its ranks to ferret out those skulking in alleys and with theft on the mind. One successful uncaught rogue in Gothmoor is worth seven rogues in any other city on Thaaed.
THE BLACK DAGGER GUILD
Theft. It’s everywhere. There are hundreds of people who make their living of taking something rightfully earned by someone else. These people thrive in big cities. And Gothmoor is rife with them. Gothmoor has had rogues and thieves in its walls since there were walls to be inside of. They had no organization; they were mismanaged, stealing from each other, letting their greed go unchecked. Then, one day, a guild was created to bring order to this naturally chaotic genre of peoples. Thus begun the Black Dagger Guild’s run.
The Black Dagger Guild is not only a normal thief’s guild. It is the embodiment of everything that is shady or above the law in Gothmoor. From Slave trading, to assassinations, black market establishments as well as fencing and yes, even thieving, the Black Dagger Guild is actually a very orderly and well organized group that patrols and polices it’s members in a balance that prevents the greed of a few, destroying the livelihood of the many.
Run by an unknown triumvirate, the Black Dagger Guild has branches in every single ward of the city save for one, the Shield Ward. The Black Dagger Guild holds sway over anything in the city that has to do with underhanded or shady deals, and does it with such low key that even the Graycloaks leave them alone, as long as their order is kept. This doesn’t mean that other thieves guilds aren’t created on almost a weekly basis in the city of Gothmoor, but those either don’t make enough waves to alert the Black Dagger Guild, or if they do, the new guild is either swallowed and ‘acquired’ or it suddenly disbands, with their leader disappearing in the dead of night. Open theft in Gothmoor is looked down upon. Even by other thieves. If you come to Gothmoor to ply your trade, you’ll need to speak to the Black Dagger Guild.
Assassinations
The Black Dagger Guild also handles any and all assassinations requested within its walls. Some of the lesser assassinations slip through their fingers, but sometimes the victim may actually be working with or for the Black Dagger Guild, which inevitably brings them calling.
If someone wishes to have someone assassinated, they would need to find a member of the Guild. Once the target is described, the Guild member takes the request to the Black Dagger Guild to verify it is not a paid member of the guild, or someone of the public that they cannot lose.(i.e. currently owes money to the guild, or is paying protection). Once this is confirmed the member hires out an assassin and brings them to meet the client. Then the job is handled.
Failure to pay an assassin for a job of course, puts you on top of their “to do’ list.
One of the most well known and publicly rumored members of the Assassin’s branch of the Black Dagger Guild is Den “Silver” Sen’drivino. Den is a full elf but half dark elf on his father’s side. He claims to have one had the throat to ever royal member of Gothmoor’s court, save for the Shadow King himself. He claims to have done this on a paid bet. You know when the kill was done by “Silver” because of a pair of chained silver pieces put across their eyes; “Silver’s” telltale trademark for a personal kill.
Slavery
When one hears this word, they think pain. They think chains, and sometimes it’s true. But for the most part the Black Dagger Guild is known publicly for being the official organization for hiring and purchasing of servants, slaves, agents and indentured servants. Anyone who wishes to pay for such a boon, would do so with the Slavers and Black Dagger Guildhall in the South Dock Ward.
Anything can be bought, from humans to dark elves, kobolds to orcs, and even animals and monsters. These all are legal prisoners of war or failed invaders that are captured and sold as servants or guards. These slaves are not used as fodder during combat as most Drow did in the Deepdark. These are used for gardening, door guards, serving drinks, or the city’s favorite; manual labor. Slaves go for a hefty price and they are not as disposable as people think. Once you purchase a slave or servant, you are responsible for them. You are held accountable for their actions, so many masters or owners work hard at training their slave before they even see daylight again.
Slaves and servants and beasts of burden that are not purchased end up being given a choice of freedom in the Arena. The Arena is a Gladiatorial Coliseum where public displays of combat are done for the pleasure of the citizens. It is also where the sales of the slaves happen so anyone who you know gets captured; you can eventually find them on sale at the Arena. “Good job Arena-bait!” is a local term for watching someone does something utterly stupid in Gothmoor’s Wards.
Battle captives and war prisoners are not the only beings that end up as slaves. Since the Black Dagger Guild runs the front operations of Slave trade, those who fail to pay for an assassination attempt, or those who are caught breaking the rules of thievery, are often found with a chain and collar on and on the auction block.
Often times the families of an assassinated person purchase the client who failed to pay and make them ‘work off’ their debt to the family. Thieves are purchased and forced to work off the debt of the money they stole. Regardless of whom they are, many useful bodies can be found in the Arena. Even hooded and disguised Necromancers go shopping there….