| Main
Page
Overview Run List Glossary Dramatis Personae Archives Calendar Gods Magic Items Miscellany Aravis Telmir
Runs 1-10
|
Glossary
Abernathy - The Archmage of Tal Hae, and the original patron of the party. He agreed to die in order to help bring Mrs. Horn back to life after her death below the streets of Tal Hae. Abernathy was 997 years old at the time, and had become convinced that he had to stay alive to keep Charagan safe. Death was a blessing to him. Ozilinsh has taken his place both as the Archmage of Tal Hae and as the party's boss and patron. Alykeen - Archmage of Minok. Archmagi - A mysterious group of high-level wizards and sorcerers, devoted to preventing Naradawk Skewn from re-entering Charagan. Some of them are actively keeping Naradawk from entering through a sealed Planar Gate in the town of Verdshane, while others are working on finding a permanent solution, to keep the Planar Gate sealed forever. Ava Dormo - Also known as the Dreaming, Ava Dormo is a dream-world that overlays the real world. Of all things man made, only buildings are duplicated in the Dreaming, and recently even these were erased from Ava Dormo by some unknown phenomenon. There are very few people who can walk in Ava Dormo, and most of these on Charagan are sisters of the Church of Ell. Beltray - Leader of the Order of Preservation, and possibly of the Oasis Mages' Guild. Blood Gargoyle - A large red stone gargoyle, which can be brought to life via magical means. Once alive, it is a nearly unstoppable creature, capable of visiting destruction upon entire cities. At the instructions of "P," the evil wizard Manzanill freed one from the Mouth of Nahalm, after which it was activated and sent to attack the forest city of Ghant. The Arhcmagus of Ghant, Fylnius, was able to destroy the creature, but not before it had wrecked half the city and killed hundreds. A second Blood Gargoyle was destroyed by Cencerra
and her party before it could be activated.
Califax - A Cleric and Scarbearer of Delioch in the Church of Tal Hae. He was in charge of admininstering punishment to the neophytes while Dranko was growing up there; many of Dranko's scars came from Califax' ministrations. He left the church when Mokad defected to the Black Circle, and seemed to have joined with Mokad's evil cult. Later, he revealed that he was still faithful to Delioch, and had inflitrated the Black Circle to learn more about their operations. Still, at the end he needed Dranko's spiritual assistance to keep his faith. Using a holy artifact (the Candlestick of St. Jenniver), Dranko fortified Califax's spiritual strength in a moment of crisis, though he was thousands of miles away. When the Company returned from Kivia, they received a letter from Califax that he was alive but in hiding from the Black Circle. The letter also had information about Mokad's plans and how Grey Wolf was related. Carbuncle - A human agent of the Spire who was expert at infiltrating and spying on humanoid societies. He was caught and executed by Restimar, who was himself impersonating an orcish hero called the Chun Aggrat. Cencerra - A powerful elven fighter/sorcerer, and a key member of the Spire. She has her own party of adventurers, and has performed many vital tasks for the kindgom. These include destroying a second Blood Gargoyle before it could be activated, and chasing Meledien away from Kinnet Gorge. Charagan - An island kingdom, consisting of three large island duchies and and three smaller island chains. It is the home kingdom of most of the characters in the campaign. In total it is about the size of Great Britain. (See map.) Crunard IV - The current King of Charagan. Crosser's Maze, The - A powerful artifact that can purportedly be used to prevent planar travel, or to banish extra-planar beings. An order known as the Walkers of the Maze once used it to travel throughout the planes. One of these was Solomea Pirenne, who misused the Maze and as a result was transported to Zhamir, with his mind destroyed. The Maze can only exist within a living mind. Currently it resides in
the mind of Aravis Telmir, following the party's successful quest into
the tormented psyche of Solomea to claim it.
Delfir - The westernmost kindgom of Kivia. It is populated by worshippers of Nifi, God of Fire and Destruction. Delfir is connected to Charagan by a Gartine Arch, and once, long ago, the Delfiri entered Charagan by this gate and were the allies of Naloric Skewn. They have recently come back through this same Arch, and are currently waging war against Charagan, occupying all of the Balani Peninsula on Lanei. There was, apparently, serious animosity between the Delfiri and the
Sharshun,
even though they were both allied with Naloric.
Dingman's Ferry - A small halfling village 30 miles south-east of Tal Hae. It is Ernie's home town. Dir-Tolia - A small agricultural kingdom in Western Kivia. Disciples of Semek - A small organization of green-turbaned fanatics, who believe that Semek is a God of Light and Wisdom who long ago chased a demon to the Abyss through the Mirrors of Semek. They believe that after he has conquered his foe, Semek will return via the Mirrors to reward all who stand vigil there. Djaw - The largest and grandest city in the known world, Djaw is a city-state in central Kivia. It is the centermost of the Jewels of the Plains, both a hub of trade and a center of culture. It boasts an army that can rival those of many of the surrounding kingdoms. Djaw is ruled by an Emperor called One Supreme Intellect. Eddings - An unflappable butler, hired by Abernanthy to look after the Greenhouse. Both of his eye-sockets were burned out by two Eyes of Moirel, which lodged themselves in his head and used him to speak prophecy to the party. Due to the strange wild magic of the Eyes, Eddings retained his sight, and can now Detect Magic at will. Abernathy created two permanent illusionary eyes for him, that seem almost entirely natural. Elhen Tarathi - A race of elves once numerous in Charagan. Almost all of the Elhen Tarathi were destroyed millenia ago when Naloric Skewn conquered the Kingdom. After they had grown numerous in the centuries following, they again were mostly wiped out when Naloric launched his attack through the planar gate at Verdshane. Embree - Member of the Order of Preservation, a group of mages seeking to stem what they perceived as a wave of magic-item destruction. According to a Sending to Ernie, he is currently on the run from the Sharshun. Eyes of Moirel - Seven highly potent Wild-Magic artifacts, each one a diamond the size of a baby's fist, with a black imperfection in its center. The Sharshun are seeking them, possibly in order to "travel nowhere," the meaning of which is unknown. The Eyes themselves are occasionally sentient, preferring to inhabit the eye-sockets of anything that has them. The party has two of these in the basement of the Greenhouse, where they have been relatively safe, although they once burned out Eddings' eyes, in order to possess him and convey some obscure prophecy to the party. One Eye is thought to be in the sealed city of Calnis, probably in the eye socket of a gnoll chieftain. One is in the possession of the Sharshun. One is thought to be in a place called Het Branoi, in north-eastern Kivia. The location of the remaining two is unknown. The Eyes are connected in some way with the Mirrors
of Semek; on one occasion, a Sharshun holding an Eye was seen walking
into the center of the Mirrors on "Flashing Day," and vanishing.
Floam - a strange, soft rock, which is the result of a massive Rock-to-Mud spell cast during the century of war between Naloric Skewn and the Spire. The spell only lasted a second, and when the rock re-hardened, it did so as "floam." There are large amounts of it in the ruins of Verdshane. Forquelle - The smallest island chain of Charagan, but also the wealthiest. Tor Bladebearer is actually the heir to the Barony of Forquelle, but fled to avoid a life of boring bureaucracy. Fylnius - Archmage of Ghant and member of the Spire. He slew the Blood Gargoyle that was let loose in Ghant, but while he was distracted the planar boundary was breached, allowing Meledien, Octesian and Restimar to slip through into Charagan. Gartine - A type of metal, possibly created via magical means, which is especially light and strong. Weapons made of Gartine can be made with blades sharper than those of oridnary weapons. Planks of gartine were found to have been lining the wooden crate which had been holding the Eyebats in stasis over Kinnet Gorge. Also, the party has discovered three large free-standing arches made (seemingly) of Gartine, all of which serve as magical gateways. One is on the tip of the Balani Peninsula on Lanei, and is connected to the kingdom of Delfir in Kivia. Another is in the underground ruins of Poal Cathan beneath Hae Charagan, and was used by Manzanill to summon large green humanoid monsters called Chriks. The third is deep in the forest on the largest island in the Gahatropalas, and probably leads to the home of the "forest demons," small, fast-moving red-skinned humanoids who roam the forest. A fourth Gartine Arch has recently been discovered by the Spire; Cencerra and her party have been dispatched to Karth to investigate. God's Thorn - A huge mountain prison on the main island of the Gahantropalas. Once it was a dwarven mine, but after the dwarves there were vanquished, Naloric Skewn gave custody of the Thorn to the Delfirians. It was used to imprison Rosetta, Inivane and the Yrimpa,, but all of these were freed by the party. Gohgan - A rug merchant in Tal Hae, whose shop was unknowingly built above a ruined underground palace. Gohgan was killed by a Death Knight who broke out of stasis and came up through the rug shop on his way to the streets of the city. Grawly - Formerly an Archmage and the leader of the Spire. He was mysteriously assassinated in his tower along with his apprentice Thewana, both of them burned beyond recognition. The only clue as to the circumstances of their death was "residue" of powerful divine energies in the room where they were killed. Greenhouse, The - A large bakery-turned-mansion, purchased by Abernathy as a house and base of operations for the party in Tal Hae. The Greenhouse is an exception to a zoning law that prohibits private residences on the Street of Bakers. This fact has earned the wrath of Turlus Whitecake, a rival baker down the street who had tried to buy the Greenhouse several times in the past. Guild of Chains - A slavers' guild headquartered in Levenmud, southernmost of the Jewels of the Plains. They deal in both human and dwarvish slaves, though their strangle-hold on the dwarves of Gurund is particularly abhorrent. Hasek - A old Sharshun, whom the party has encountered twice. The first time he simply offered to buy an Eye of Moirel from the party from a huge sum of gold. The second time he simply assaulted the party on the road. He escaped before the party could kill him. Jewels of the Plains - A loose coalition of five independent city-states, on the Plains of the White Sun in central Kivia. They are (from north to south along the Softwater) Mirj, Djerreth, Djaw, Fanaam and Levenmud. Karthian Oil - A highly flammable and volatile alchemical product, made by dwarves on the island of Karth. It is illegal to own Karthian Oil on any other island in Charagan. Keertine Smith - Member of the Undermen of Tal Hae, and the contact between the Undermen and the "Oracle." Kinnet Gorge - A dry gorge near the town of Verdshane. Suspended over the center of the gorge are a number of large wooden creates, and each of these probably contains some hideous monster. Before she was chased away by the party, Meledien was using a complex magical apparatus in a nearby building to free some of those hideous monsters. While the party was adventuring in Kivia, Meledien
returned and set more monsters free. These cause enough trouble that
the Spire sent Cencerra to
assault Meledien's forces. Meledien was driven away, and her current
whereabouts are unknown.
Kivia - A large continent on the other side of the Uncrossable Sea; it is significantly larger than all of Charagan. Larkin - Member of the Order of Preservation, a group of mages seeking to stem what they perceived as a wave of magic-item destruction. Levec Oldbarrow - A double-agent, first hired by a man named Gluefoot to spy on the party in Tal Hae. When he learned that the party worked for an Archmage, he turned traitor to Gluefoot, and hired himself out to the party instead. Some weeks after the party sent him to investigate the Oasis Mages Guild, Levec's severed head was mailed back to the Greenhouse in a crate. Longtooth Keep - A small abandoned keep in the Norlin Hills, in north-east Nahalm. It was here that the party acquired one of their Eyes of Moirel, and where Sagiro Emberleaf may or may not have met his end. Manzanill - An evil wizard working for the mysterious "P." Manzanill was repsonsible for the excavation of the Blood Gargoyle in the Mouth of Nahalm, and was unearthing a gartine arch beneath Hae Charagan when he was found and killed by the party. Masking, The - The most potent magical spell ever to be cast in Charagan. When Naloric Skewn was banished from Charagan and this Prime Material Plane, he first spent many decades secreting away evil magical items, and placing fell monsters in magical stasis in hidden places. He couldn't take these with him at his banishment, but he intended to someday return to conquer, and wanted tools and allies already in place. When Naloric succeeded in breaking back into Charagan, he immediately cast the spells that would "wake up" all of his hidden legacy, so that he might be better able to wage his new war. Unfortunately (for him) he was killed in a short but brutal battle in Verdshane, along with several Archmagi and most of the Elhen Tarathi. However, his spells had been set in motion, and over the next couple of years, horrible things began to emerge and spread their evil across Charagan. The Mors Tarathi, who had once surrendered to and served Naloric Skewn, decided (with the help of the Archmagi) to craft a spell called the Masking. The Masking would, if successful, send Naloric's horrors back into stasis, and prevent any further ones from emerging. More importantly, it would suppress all knowledge of their existence, erasing written records and even expunging memories. In this way, they hoped, the Mors Tarathi would prevent anyone from meddling in things that could bring grief to the people of Charagan. The Masking took dozens of wizards years to cast, but it did its job. Centuries passed, with the populace of Charagan blissfully unaware of the hidden dangers, and making no effort to delve for things best left alone. But now, almost a millennium later, the Masking is starting to wear
out. It's still mostly affecting most people, but some, including
all members of the party, have proved immune. Certain writings are
starting to "fade back in," and monsters once asleep in stasis are starting
to wake up and prowl the land. And there is good evidence that people
still affected by the Masking can be driven mad by hearing certain Masked
words (like "Sharshun"), or studying certain "forbidden"
topics.
Matun Essendi, The - Literally "Earth Hammer," this was an ancient magical warhammer, crafted by Naloric's servants during the early days of his reign. It was used by someone called "The Warlord" to compel the Yrimpa to attack the Dwarves of Karth. Somehow, the Matun Essendi ended up in the hands of a commoner named Brewtub, who hung it above the bar of his tavern, called the "Hammer and Tongs." Abernathy instructed the party to retrieve it, which they did, and afterward Abernathy destroyed it, using its magical energy to fuel his spells. Meledien - A red-armored warrior, and enemy of the Spire. She released several monsters from Kinnet Gorge before she was chased off by the party. She later returned, but was again driven off, this time by Cencerra. Her current whereabouts are unknown. Minok - A medium-sized city on the western coast of Harkran. The Archmage Alykeen lives there, though that's not public knowledge. Mirj - Northernmost of the Jewels of the Plains. It's a city rife with crime and corruption that extends all the way to its governmental body, the so-called House of Law. Mirrors of Semek - The Mirrors are seven black stone obelisks, 80’ tall and 20’ wide, set in a circle 150’ in diameter, and each with a flat shiny side facing inward. They stand in the empty plains of southeastern Harkran, about 80 miles from Tal Hae. Once every year (June 21st, at high noon), strange colored lights flash between the Mirrors, creating an especially bright column of light in their center. The annual event typically attracts about a hundred "tourists" who want to see the spectacle. The first time the party went to watch, a Sharshun holding an Eye of Moirel ran into the column of light, and vanished. Mokad - Once among the leaders of the Church of Delioch, Mokad became a traitor and now worships the Black Circle. He was responsible for syphoning funds away from the Church of Delioch, and using them to finance the excavation of a Blood Gargoyle in the Mouth of Nahalm. This Blood Gargoyle party destroyed the city of Ghant; while it eventually was killed by the Archmage Fylnius, it was part of the enemy plan that Fylnius should suffer the distraction. According to Fylnius, "something big got through" while he fought the Gargoyle. What exactly that "something" was is not yet known. Mokad is still at large, his whereabouts unknown. According to
Califax,
he is attempting a ritual that will bring this Prime and Naradawk's
Prime into physical concordance, allowing Naradawk to bypass the Planar
Gate altogether.
Mors Tarathi - A race of bald, dark-skinned elves once numerous in Charagan. Many of them agreed to serve Naloric Skewn rather than fight to the death, when that tyrant conquered the kingdom millenia ago. Many Mors Tarathi, as repentance for serving Naloric, sacrificed their lives as part of the casting of the Masking. Their numbers have dwindled to practically nothing in the 1000 years since the Masking was effected. Mouth of Nahalm - A great desert in southern Nahalm. It was here that the Blood Gargoyle was unearthed that went on to attack Ghant. It was also from this desert that the Ventifact Colossus rose and marched into Sand's Edge, where it was slain (with the party's help) by three Stormknights of Werthis. Mulcut - A man in league with Sagiro, encountered early on in the Company's adventures. He has not been heard from in several years. Murgy Thorn - Halfling tavern-owner in Dingman's Ferry. A statue of a halfling that looks just like Ernie was discovered buried under his establishment. Naloric Skewn - One-time Emperor of Charagan, whose tyrannical reign of terror and slavery led to almost a century of war, and the eventual successful rebellion by the Spire. When the war turned against him, he spent decades arranging for powerful monsters and fell artifacts to be hidden away in stasis, such that they could be "woken up" and used again upon his return. Then he was banished (or allowed himself to be banished) to an alternate Prime Material Plane. Some 900 years later, Naloric broke through the planar gate that the
Archmagi
endeavored to keep closed, with an army he had raised in the alternate
Prime. A short but brutal war followed in Verdshane,
in which the Elhen Tarathi were mostly wiped
out, several Archmagi were killed, and Naloric himself was defeated and
slain.
Naradawk Skewn - The son of Naloric, one-time Empereor of Charagan. He was born in the alternate Prime, and for the last 900 years has been seeking to break through the planar gate at Verdshane, avenge his father, and conquer Charagan. The Archmagi have devoted themselves wholly to maintaining the seals on the planar gate and prevent Naradawk's emergence. Unfortunately, it is their current opinion that Naradawk will eventually succeed, probably sometime in 1831. Oasis Mages Guild - A group of wizards in the city of Oasis, also called the Order of Preservation, claiming to be dedicated to preventing the destruction of magic items. They are suspected of killing Level Oldbarrow and mailing his head back to the Greenhouse. For reasons unknown, organized magery is illegal in Oasis. Octesian - A red-armored warrior, and enemy of the Spire. He is a Dreamwalker, and the party's only encounter with him was when Morningstar met him in Ava Dormo. He's up to no good, no doubt. Oracle, The - A fictional crime lord created by Dranko to increase his reputation. The Undermen of Tal Hae spent time and resources tracking down The Oracle after a series of grisly murders was committed in his name. Upon discovering Dranko's ruse, the Undermen forced him to actually become the Oracle, an unofficial agent of the Guild who can be called upon to serve in emergencies. Order of Preservation - see Oasis Mages Guild Ozilinsh - A powerful wizard, formerly the apprentice of Grawly, and now (after Abernathy's death) the Archmagus of Tal Hae and the party's employer. He has a particular intellectual fascination with magical beasts. Parkitt - Apprentice to the ArchmageAlykeen in the city of Minok. Parthol Runecarver - Archmage of the Spire who was thought to have died a hero's death in the decisive battle against Naloric Skewn. Now there is evidence that he is the enigmatic "P," still alive and in league with Naloric's son Naradawk. Poal Cathan - One of the great underground cities of Naloric Skewn's empire. Hae Charagan, capital of the Kingdom and seat of King Crunard IV, was built over its remains. Praska - Dranko's only friend growing up in the Tal Hae Church of Delioch. Praska always aspired to become a full Priestess, but was caught spying on Mokad's illicit operations, and fled for her life just days before her ordination. She fled to Hae Charagan, where she was taken and made a Priestess by Tomnic the Follower, the High Priest of Delioch in Charagan. She was kidnapped by Mokad, but returned soon after. Califax has warned the party not to trust her, though she seems her old self both by outward appearance and various detection spells. Restimar - A red-armored warrior, and enemy of the Spire. He was suspected of impersonating various legendary humanoid champions, and urging humanoiding races to war against Charagan. He was impersonating the "Chun Aggrat," (or "Red General"), an oricsh hero mentioned in the "Prophecies of the Orcish Crusades." In this form he was urging the orcs to make war against the dwarves in the mountains near Hae Kalkas. While looking for Carbuncle, the Company fought and killed Restimar,
possibly thwarting the massive war-effort of the orcs.
Richter - A sage and member of the Hae Kalkas Sages' Consortium. He specialized in knowledge of matters pertaining to the Archmagi, which was a constant strain on his mind due to the Masking. After the party pressed him for knowledge about the identity of Fylnius and other Masked subjects, his mind cracked and he was committed to an asylum. Some months later the Company used a Heal scroll to cure him, and paid the Consortium to re-employ him, this time as a specialist in botany. Rosetta - A member of the Silver Shell, imprisoned and tortured under God's Thorn for a thousand years. The party rescued her while they were in God's Thorn on a quest to free the Yrimpa. In the months since then she has become a member of the Spire's inner circle, and at a recent Spire meeting she administered a hostile inquisition to the party regarding their relationship with the Black Circle. Sagiro Emberleaf - A small, wiry man with a perfectly curled handlebar mustache. He worked for the Sharshun as a field agent, and occasionally was sent after magical objects that the party was also looking for. Sagiro arrived at Longtooth Castle with some Sharshun friends and tried to take an Eye of Moirel away from the party, but his attempt was thwarted, and he was last seen falling into a raging river after being blown off a hillside by a lightning bolt. Since his body was not recovered, the party refuses to believe that he is dead. Sea of Snakes - A snake-infested swamp at the southern end of Kivia's Eternal River, between the cities of Fanaam and Levenmud. Seki - A strange wolfpack hive-mind creature. The Seki is a pack of wolves, where when one dies, the rest become stronger and slowly more human. When only one creature is remaining, it is as much man as wolf, and extremely strong. The Seki is referred to in an old Ellish text as "the One as Many." The Company fought one near Walnord in one of their early adventures. Sharshun - A splinter political faction of the Mors Tarathi, a race of dark-skinned, hairless elves. Long ago, when Naloric conquered Charagan, the Mors Tarathi surrendered rather than fight to the death, and the Sharshun became some of Naloric's most powerful and trusted agents. Although they were thought to have been wiped out hundreds of years ago, that has proven not to be the case. They are currently active and seeking the Eyes of Moirel, which are powerful wild magic artifacts. Although the exact reason for this search is unknown, there is some evidence that the Sharshun want to use them to "travel nowhere" (whatever that means), and/or to use them to rescue their Emperor. All of the Sharshun encountered thus far have had partly-magical deadly poison sacs implanted in the roofs of their mouths, where they can be pressed with the tongue to induce almost instant death. As a result, no Sharshun has been successfully questioned. Due to the Masking, the very name of Sharshun cannot be remembered by most of the Charagan populace, and very few people know anything about them. Silver Shell - A zealous organization founded centuries ago to combat the Black Circle. Now that the Circle is growing again in power, the Silver Shell has become active again in its pursuit of Black Circle members and agents. In the Crosser's Maze, Grey Wolf was shown a vision that it was actually Silver Shell members, and not Grey-Wolf mercenaries, who killed his parents when he was a child. Solomea Pirenne - A member of the Walkers of the Maze, who tried to use the Crosser's Maze to make restore his lost youth. Instead he moved himself and the Maze to Zhamir, the City in a Bottle, with his mind broken and made one with the Crosser's Maze itself. Two Citizens of Zhamir found him and used him as a means to trap wayward adventurers and steal their belongings. The Company journeyed into the mind of Solomea Pirenne and freed him, though he (thankfully) died as a result. Soul Eater - A formless creature from the Plane of Shadow that can freely inhabit (and, if it desires, possess) the bodies of other creatures. (They are also known as the Carch Din.) Their so-called Kings are extremely powerful and malevolent; one of these, called "King Farazil," has been hired by an unknown person to kill the party. Spire, The - Originally, an organization in the Ghant Forest that plotted (and eventually effected) the rebellion and overthrow of Naloric Skewn. Their chief members were powerful wizards, along with the Elders among the elves of Ghant. Even today they are active, with the Archmagi trying to prevent Naradawk from re-entering Charagan, and trying to minimize the effects of the breakdown of the Masking. The party has been made official members of the Spire, and their quest to Kivia to find the Crosser's Maze is being taken at the Spire's behest. Stormknights - Holy warriors of Werthis Tal Hae - The capital city of Harkran, one of the large islands of Charagan. Being the home city of Abernathy, this is where the "home base" of the party is located. Tal Hae is also known as the "Great Wooden City"; because of unpredictable magic fluctuations following a massive rock-to-mud spell cast long ago, there is a city law prohibiting any buildings from being built of stone. Tharnius Helmon - A sage in the city of Calnis, and also friend and associate of Abernathy. He was killed during the first invasion of the city, when over a third of the city was burned by a large force of gnolls and kobolds. Thewana - Wizard and longtime apprentice to Abernathy. After Abernathy died, she was sent to be apprentice to the archmage Grawly. She and Grawly were both killed in Grawly's tower by an unknown assassin. Turlus Whitecake - Baker and owner of the Seed Cake, and a prominent member of the Tal Hae Baker's Guild. Angry that the party is lodging illegaly (he thinks) in the Greenhouse, Turlus has harassed the party several times, earning him the nickname of "The Evil Baker." Undermen, The - The Thieves' Guild of Tal Hae. Due to Dranko's invention of a fictional crime boss in the city ("The Oracle"), Dranko (and by extension the party) is now permanently indebted to the Undermen, and can in theory be called upon at any time to perform services for them. Verdshane - A small village of Harkran, in the Greatwood. It is built amidst the ruins of the ancient city of Kinnet Vulthani, which was the capital of Naloric Skewn's empire. Near to Verdshane is a particular area of ruins that contains a number of interesting sites. Most important of these is the physical Planar Gate through which Naloric was banished c.2000 years ago, through which he briefly returned before his death 900 years later, and through which his son, Naradawk, is currently trying to return to Charagan. In the vicinity of the Gate is another building, containing a magical apparatus that Meledien has been using to free horrible monsters that hang in magical stasis over nearby Kinnet Gorge. Also in this area is a outdoor burial chamber, containing the neatly-stacked
skeletal remains of thousands of elves. These bones are in two clear
"strata," indicating two such stackings, centuries apart.
Ventifact Colossus - Also called Venic Giants, these creatures resemble unbelievably huge turtles, and live beneath the sands of the Mouth of Nahalm. One of these, as was prophesied, rose out of the desert and marched into the city of Sand's Edge, where it crushed much of the city before it was killed by the Stormknight Faskel Giantbane. Walkers of the Maze - A long-defunct society that used the Crosser's Maze to travel the Planes. They presumably dried up after Solomea Pirenne unwittingly transported himself and the Maze to the city of Zhamir. Yrimpa - A race of benevolent creatures akin to Air Elementals, many of whom were spiritually bonded to one of the Elhen Tarathi. The Yrimpa were once numerous in Charagan, but long ago they were defeated by Naloric Skewn's forces, and taken prisoner. Naloric's warlord Hawlic used the Matun Essendi to compel the Yrimpa to fight against the Dwarves of Karth, who were the last to fall under Naradawk's terrible reign. Afterward, the Yrimpa were given to Naloric's allies the Delfiri, who locked them in a mountain prison called God's Thorn. One Yrimpa remained free during this time, one who was bonded to one of the only surviving Elhen Tarathi. Kay is a descendent of that Tarathi, and she is bonded to Oa-Lyanna, a descendent of that Yrimpa. Since the start of the campaign, Kay and the party have rescued the 200 or so surviving Yrimpa from their prison in God's Thorn, and the air spirits have pledged themselves to fight for King Crunard and the Spire. Yuja - A peaceful race of gnome-like humanoids, living between the Stoneguard Mountains and the Jungle of Dreams on Kivia. Zhamir - the legendary "City in a Bottle," that draws creatures into itself through several gateways scattered throughout the Primes. These beings have theie memories erased, and are employed as the menial laborers throughout the city, leaving the native Citizens to enjoy a life free from toil. Solomea Pirenne was drawn into Zhamir when he misused the Crosser's Maze. The party was drawn in while exploring the Jungle of Dreams in southern Kivia.
|