Current (1534 WM) Regents of the Westron Baronies

In the current era of the Valley (year 1534 since the Westerner Migrations first began out of the Olmart Empire, so it is marked 1534WM), each of the various Baronies is ruled over by a regent of some sort.  Most of these are Barons, at least in the nomenclature of the Kingdom of Ymnaris.  The Kingdom was first established, in the year 26 when the First City was settled (now often called Hogle).  The capitol of the Kingdom moved progressively eastward with successive generations and waves of migration.  Each of the four fiefdoms that originally housed a capitol city of Ymnaris is entitled to the title Duke for their ruler, however they are still commonly referred to as Baronies.  Up until the Neill family assumed the throne of the Kingdom of Ymnaris, several generations back. the ruler of the kingdom was referred to as the Archduke, however with the growing separation from the Olmart Empire, this title was dropped, and the title of King (or Queen) has been in use now, by the Neills at least, for the past 352 years (since year 1182).

Rulers of the Westron Baronies
Hogle - Duke Keevar Silverhand (m, age 54), settled year 26. Capitol of Kingdom of Ymnaris from the year 26 until 165.
Macester - Baron Tyremius Ap Troft of Trofthall (m, age 162), settled year 82.
Ockham - Baron Guiscar the Enlightened (m, age 47), settled year 107.
Scallen - Duchess Safeeny Everlight (f, age 53), settled year 163. Capitol of Kingdom of Ymnaris from 165 until 341.
Kof Karn - Baroness Talena Ap Ironheart (f, age 31), settled year 219.
Khomaes - Baron Aldra Ap Iaggio of Erthos (m, age 59), settled year 231.  The city itself is ruled by a Proctor.
Henn - Baroness Lendara Astern (f, age 32), settled year 285.
Pellorix - Duke Falden the Just (m, age 51), settled year 341. Capitol of Kingdom of Ymnaris from 341 until 642.
Werms - Baron Kilgar Ap Huim, Ne Etro (m, age 45), settled year 352. The city itself is ruled by a Magistrate, typically a magic user (currently, a mysterious hooded person titled the Wizard of Werms).
Huygen - Baroness G'Melan Luce Ap Viellot (f, age 33), settld year 394.
Gorrem - Baroness Catherine Ap Terrasund of Tatelis, also called The Second (f, age 49), settled year 462.
Na Kram - Baron Farris Quar Nev of Borleos (m, age 73), settled year 558.
Lynch - Duchess Tindra Ap Logis of Oakforge (f, age 40), settled year 642. Capitol of Kingdom of Ymnaris from 642 until 1021.
Botts - Baron Pesar Ap Gansford of Tuldis (m, age 51), settled year 728
Ungams - Baron Virondis Pulchky (m, age 59) , settled year 902.
City of Narn - King (Archduke) Alasdair IV (m, age 37), settled year 914. Capitol of Kingdom of Ymnaris since 1021.
Devrie - Baron Huntain Dorren of Ymnar Hall, also called The Miner (m, age 51), settled year 1022.
Futtonol - Baron Rolan Ap Kopf of Kopfheim, settled year 1099.
Kennidor - Baron Hugh Voxely, of Lakecastle (m, age 39), settled year 1186.

A curious  event occurred just over four hundred years ago.  The gathering of Barons in the year 1015 had agreed that a new capitol for the Kingdom was needed, as the Tower-Keep of Oakforge (in the Barony of Lynch at the City of Fire) was under constant threat at the time by an army of chaos creatures out of the western Nel Nod forest.  The new location was to be the new settlement forming between the Erando and Moa Thola rivers, which would become the City of Shale, and capitol of the Barony of Devrie.  However, at the last, just before the Malachite Throne was to be transferred to the new site in 1021, a group of northern Barons made the case for transferring it to the city of Narn instead.  Narn was previously not considered, because it was built on the site of a long dead city, taking advantage of the ruins that were there already when the Westroners came in 914, however it was thought to be a safer location, than another capitol in the wild south, where the Sun King Barbarians still threatened all of the settlements and cities.

The new location, at Narn, satisfied most, except for the southern Barons from Gorrem, Lynch, and Ungams, who have referred to Narn as the Shadow Capitol, and refer to Devrie as the Chosen Capitol.  These tensions have spread to understandings and relations among the various eastern Baronies, but nothing has come to open war.  With the passage of three centuries, the original animosity that accompanied the founding of Devrie, and the change of the Capitol from Devrie to Narn, has been mostly forgotten, but the establishment of alliances (however tenuous the reasoning) between the different groups of Baronies, has proven a strong motivation for mutual support, and trade, ever since.

Baronies - The holdings of the Westroners in the Valley

There are currently 19 Westron Baronies in the Valley of the Old Ones.  Technically speaking, there are 18 Baronies, and the city of Narn, which is the capitol of the Kingdom of Ymnaris - of which the 18 other Baronies are technically fiefdoms.  However, in practice, Ymnaris (currently ruled by Duke Alasdair IV of the Neill family) is little more powerful than some of the other larger baronies.  The two points of exception for Narn are its size (it is larger, by thousands of inhabitants, than the next largest Baronial city), and the fact that the Cathedral of St. Narn is there - for which the city is named.  The Cathedral of St. Narn is also the seat of the Church (technically, the "High Office at St. Narn of the Westron Church of the Three Goddesses").

The Cities (which are technically named for the barony of which they are the capitol) all have their own "official" nick name. They were all settled between the years 26 and 1186.  It is currently the year 1534 of the Western Migration, so the younger cities have only been established as short as 300 years since they were originally settled, compared to the oldest, which has been settled now for over 1500 years.

The population figures given are JUST for the City, and not for the whole Barony.  In most cases, assume that the Barony will number this much again in dependent towns, and double this amount in dispersed rural communities.

So other than the city of Narn, the other 18 Baronies are as follows:

Hogle - "The First City" in the Shattered Plains region; pop. 18,000, settled year 26.
Macester - "City of the Sword" in the Gateway region; pop. 21,000, settled year 82.
Ockham - "City of Enchantment" in the Enchanted Forests region; pop. 19,000, settled year 107.
Scallen - "City of Birds" in the Bartaloo region; pop. 19,500, settled year 163.
Kof Karn - "City in the Cradle" in the Rising Land region; pop. 21,000, settled year 219.
Khomaes - "City of Mists"; in the Darkearth Plains region; pop. 22,000, settled year 231.
Henn - "City of the Shadows" in the Rising Land region; pop. 18,000, settled year 285.
Pellorix - "City of the Lake" in the Rising Land region; pop. 19,000, settled year 341.
Werms - "City in the Clouds" in the Darkearth Plains region; pop. 19,000, settled year 352.
Huygen - "City of Light" in the Darkearth Plains region; pop. 18,500, settled year 394.
Gorrem - "City of Ten Gates" in the Wychwood region; pop. 27,000,settled year 462.
Na Kram - "City of Dust", in the Sildur Reaches region; pop. 18,000, settled year 558.
Lynch - "City of Fire" in the Nightside region; pop. 20,000, settled year 642.
Botts - "City of Wind" in the Sildur Reaches region; pop. 17,500, settled year 728.
Ungams - "City of the Harp" in the Nightside region; pop. 16,000, settled year 902.
City of Narn - "City of the Three Goddesses" Capitol of Kingdom of Ymnaris; in the Suuviz region; pop. 38,000, settled year 914.
Devrie - "City of Shale" in the Shale March region; pop. 16,000, settled year 1022.
Futtonol - "The Shield City" in the Suuviz region; pop. 11,000, settled year 1099.
Kennidor - "City on the Frontier" in the Shale March region; pop. 12,500, settled year 1186.

Note that the nicknames of the city are those that the Archivists at Parn Tandalorn have decided to grant the city, in order to differentiate the City itself form the Barony, which often includes lands, villages, castles and other holdings far beyond the borders of the city.  The local inhabitants, however, will sometimes choose a different name (either from custom, or predating the naming by the Archivists).  For instance, the inhabitants of the First City (capitol of the Barony of Hogle) often refer to it as Granite Hold - which was the name of the Castle first built there by the founding baron, Sir Tuneyer of Ockett, in the year 26.  It took him, and his men, a number of years to build Granite Hold, but they adopted for a stone structure from the start, hence the name.

Thieves in the Valley of the Old Ones

In a sword and sorcery setting like the Valley of the Old Ones, there are ample adventure and storyline opportunities for thieves.  In fact, they are a vital part of any large adventuring party.  But how do they fit into the setting?  In the Westron Baronies, there are of course thieves and outlaws of all stripes - as many as you would expect in any typical medieval setting - and there are also laws and lawkeepers at all levels who would seek to thwart them.

Before discussing outlaws, however, a brief word about laws and justice is in order.  Since the collapse of the Duchy at Narn, and even before, each Barony set its own laws and handed out its own justice.  In all but the most wealthy, there is little in the way of a prison - except for important notable prisoners (Gorrem, Ungams, Na Kram, and Huygen are exceptions with large prisons for criminals of all social levels).  Because of this, justice is usually quick.  Either execution, or mutilation, and the criminal is let go.  Thieves who have been at it for a long time, and who are not excellent at their trade, are often missing ears, hands, or have brands on their bodies.  Thieves who risk bold crimes who aren't very good at it, end up dead in one of the many gibbets that dot the countryside outside the larger cities and castles.  In many cases, determining who is guilty and who is not, is done by Ordeal.  This can vary from the very crude Ordeals by Fire and Water (just as brutal and horrible as they were in our own Middle Ages), to Ordeals by Combat and by Magic. In some areas, these Ordeals are handled by members of the Church, and in others by civic Judges or Sheriffs.

Thieves, or particularly the adventuring type, are often wise to avoid crimes in the larger cities (although not all follow this advice).  With the many adventuring sites, burial mounds, ancient ruins, and petty castles and towers scattered throughout the valley there are ample opportunities for thieves to get rich by removing the treasures of those who are either long dead, or who are living outside the law themselves.  Not too many will give more than an instant of pause to the legality or morality of a thief plundering the dungeon burrows of an orc chieftain, or taking the golden treasures in the tower of a long dead necromancer.

All of this is not to say that crime does not exist in the cities, nor are there outlaws who operate in the populated reaches of the Baronies.  Those criminals, however, are often a member of one or more thieves' guilds.  The guilds that have overlapping geographical reach often have secret signs and passwords to identify one another (after all, they can't go about with easily recognized outward signs of their membership), and are often at war with each other.  Being a member in a guild requires the thief to contribute some amount of his take (perhaps 10% per year) but provides a reasonable source for hiring "help" and also for learning the skills of the trade.

In almost any population center, there is some level of organized crime.  In the larger areas this guilds fulfill this role, but in smaller areas this could be a band of rogues (thieves to be sure, but also affiliated sell-swords and outlaw magicians) that practices a systematic (or highly random!) campaign of banditry.

Thieves, as with all others who live on the fringe of society, are as likely to be from an "alien" culture as from the native population.  In the hearlands of the Valley this includes members of the Storm King Tribes, the Sun King Tribes, and the many, many types of non-humans that dwell in the valley (including the somewhat friendly demi-humans such as Gnomes, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings).  Both Faery and Goblyn changeling children (commonly called Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) are often thieves, even in civilized areas.  Although the occupation seems to diminish any strong feelings of trust and honor amongst their fellow pursuers of the trade, there is a sort of kinship amongst thieves, as they are all together outside the law.

What's Going On Here

(From the Introduction to the Valley)

The Valley of the Old Ones is a homebrew setting for old school Fantasy gaming.

The world is one where there is a lot of built in mystery.  Not so much at the tactical level - meaning that it is not a world where mysteries are the main type of adventures.  Rather, it means that the meaning behind several features of the world is unknown (and finding out what it "means" could be a key point of a campaign held here).  In brief, there are a few things that a DM should know about the world if they are interested in holding adventures there, and perhaps this would also be useful to set the mood for players as well.

Currently the Valley of the Old Ones is a vast body of land (some 3200 miles side, and half again almost from north to south).  It is bounded on the north and south first by incredible mountain ranges (themselves home to many fantastic spots and sites of adventure), but beyond those mountains, desolate deserted terrain awaits.  To the north it is vast tracks of ice fields and snowy expanses.  To the south it is endless desert, blanched lifeless by the unceasing pounding of sunlight.

The chief civilization of the Valley is of a human series of baronies, known collectively as the Westroners.  These people came into the valley, migrating from the west, approximately 1500 years ago.  They came as a barbarian migration, but quickly settled down and became tied to the land.  Until recently, all of the baronies were feudally tied to the Duke of Narn.  The Duke, in turn, was loyal (as a self-proscribed servant) to the King in the West (the legendary ruler of the Westron peoples, who will eventually claim the lands due him, and watched over by his loyal subjects here in the Valley).  However the power of the Duke and his demesne were broken some 20 years past with the unexplained death of Alasdair III.  His son, Alasdair IV "reigns" in his place at the city of Narn, however he is neither completely effective, nor sane.  The city runs itself, and is served by a court of deluded and deluding sycophants who believe, still, in Ducal power.  Yet little real power is projected beyond the immediate lands of the City and its direct feudal holdings.

In the previous 20 years, coming to today, the various Baronies have looked to their own rule and defense.  The defense was originally against the many non-human races who would spread mischief and evil, and do harm to the genteel populated areas of the valley.  However, as time has passed, threats also now exist from one Barony to another, as each seeks to make itself stronger for purposes of greed and also defense.

Additional cultures are located within the Valley as well.  The two most prominent amongst Humans are the Tribes of the Storm King in the north, and the Tribes of the Sun King in the south.  These are two very different barbarian cultures.  The one in the north is reminiscent of the barbarians of northern Europe in the late Iron Age.  The Germans and Vikings of the 8th and 9th century on Earth are the inspiration for the Tribes of the Storm King.  In the south, the barbarian culture is similar to several on Earth that covered the change from complex late Stone Age to early Bronze Age (Aztecs, early Egyptians, etc).  There are numerous warring city states in the southern mountains, each worshipping some aspect or other of deities in the pantheon of Photoss the Sun King and his son Hazeron the demon prince.  Mysterious groups of human nomads also crisscross the Valley, themselves tied to neither the Westron baronies, the northern or southern barbarian tribes.

Player characters are adventurers making their way in the Valley.  They can be aligned with one of the several Baronies, or freebooters.  They could travel in the barbaric north - home to the Storm King tribes and many gigantic, dangerous beasts such as mammoths, great saber cats, and dire wolves.  They could venture to the sun drenched rocky slopes of the south, braving raids of the cannibal warriors of the Sun King and their blood drinking witches.  The mountain ranges in the south are dotted with great lakes and verdant, marshy river valleys that are full of all manner of great reptilian horrors, dinosaurs, and lizard men.  In between the mountains of the north, and those of the south, are the valley heartlands.  In addition to the many fantastic creatures and sites of adventure one would find in a land if wizards and dragons, there are also ancient sites of the Old Ones that can be found, full of inscrutable powers and unimaginable riches.

The Valley is a land where a good sword will take you far.  A good spell book might take you farther.  The gods are fickle, and the darker powers are ever threatening.  In short, it is a perfect setting for adventure.

History of the Valley - since Ba'a Zarn

The Archivists of Parn Tandalorn tend to view the history of the Valley of the Old Ones as, enigmatically, beginning with the departure of the Old Ones themselves.  At some point, in the distant past, the King of the Old Ones Ba'a Zarn disappeared from the world.  After this time, the many creatures and creations of the gods of the Old Ones began to spread and to rule over the world.  The chief creations amongst all of these are Men, Elves and Dwarves.  The Men seem to have been a companion gift to the Old Ones, constructed by the Elemental Gods.  The Elves were first created by the forest goddess Earnissa.  The Dwarves were created by The Krung, lord of the mountains.

As the power of the Old Ones began waning, many of the Men who were living with them in their fabulous cities began to flee, and to already spread across the world.  At this time they began worshiping the gods and goddesses of nature, especially Bronc the Storm King, and Photoss the Sun King.  The Three Goddesses were not unknown at this time, but the complicated nuance of the modern churches did not exist - they were simply worshiped as Fertility, Magic and Agriculture.

The tribes of the Storm King grew in power and strength, until they threatened both the Dwarves and the Elves.  This brought about the first Elf war, which pitted the ancient tribes of the Storm King against the original forest tribes of Earnissa's people.  The Dwarves were pledged to help the Elves, but due to unknown reasons they never appeared at any of the battles.  The barbaric humans were losing in the war against the elves, but in the end the Elves capitulated and settled an uneasy peace with the humans.

There are still groups of humans that worship the Storm King, however (and this is true within the Valley) much of human civilization is now built around the worship of the Three Goddesses.  These three, and a complicated hierarchy of saints and scions, are the object of much of the modern Church that is key to human civilization.

Within the Valley, the human city of Narn is home to the feudal kingdom of Neill family.  Duke Alasdair IV is the current head of the family, and he rules with the blessings of the Arch-Cleric Neveross, of the Cathedral of St. Narn.  Across the valley there are many small baronies and other realms that all, in theory, owe feudal loyalty to the Neill family, however the distance and the politics involved mean that at any time any number of these can be at war with each other, or against the Neills themselves.  Complicated church politics don't make matters any simpler.

Within the valley, there are several forests where Elven domains are evident.  These are largely Wood Elves.  There are, in the mountains surrounding the valley, several hidden cities of High Elves as well.  During the war with the Storm King barbarians, the High Elves felt betrayed by their brothers who surrendered to the Humans, and so went, mostly, into seclusion.  Other than their hidden mountain cities, the High Elves also have a floating city that travels up and down the Great River.

Several underground colonies of Grey Dwarves exist in the mountains surrounding the valley.  These are the types of dwarves who feel compelled to pursue their traditional role as miners and craftsmen, working with stones and gems, and digger deeper and deeper into the mountains.  Offshoots of these 'traditionalists' often move down out of the mountain, and build towns and villages where they trade with the feudal human cities, and others.  These Dwarves who leave the mountains are often referred to as Brown Dwarves.

Countless other races of beings (magical and natural) occupy the areas within and around the Valley.  Among the more numerous are the Halflings, Gnomes and of course all the Goblin races, from the goblins themselves, up through the trolls.  Many variants of beastmen exist as well.  In addition to the underground empires of the goblins and dwarves, there is another race of elves that have taken up life under the mountains - the Dark Elves.

Since the departure of the Old Ones, and the war between the Barbarians and the Elves, the rise of Human civilization has dominated the valley.  Today they are the most numerous people within the valley, although the strength of Narn has faded in recent decades.

Valley of the Old Ones

A setting for some Old School roleplaying. Drawn using Autorealm.

Once, ages ago, before even the dragons remember, the Old Ones held court on the sunny face of the world.  At that time, Ba'a Zarn, the king of the Old Ones, ruled a mighty empire.  His craftsmen were the source of many things - the stars, music, time - but one of the the strongest things they built was the King's Highway.

This highway is a massive stone lane, large enough for the King's chariots to ride over, built on top of a mound that varies between 100 and 200 feet above the surrounding plains.  Periodically, there are ancient guard towers that still stand, and massive stone lined tunnels that go through the mound.  There are even tunnels under the mound for the tributaries of the Great River to run through.

The Great River circles the entire world, and the King's Highway generally follows its course.

The Valley of the Old Ones is one spot along the Great River, home to the ancient human city of Narn.  The valley measures 3200 miles from end to end. The city is old and crumbling, but was once mighty enough to withstand attacks from the warlords out of the mountains surrounding the valley.  Now it is mostly bereft of riches, so is not the subject of attack nearly so much.

In the plains throughout the valley, countless small unknown villages dot the countryside.  With the collapse of Narn some generations back, local nobles began the construction of many of their own castles and keeps, to keep safe from the mountain raiders.

Today, Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings dwell in the valley, trying to make a peaceful life.  The surrounding ancient ruins and wonderous sites remind them that the Old Ones once roamed here.  Those same sites can be the home of adventure and exploration, but can also be the source of great, unnatural danger.

This will be the setting of a number of old school adventures that I am brewing up.  I hope to reveal the first at MarsCon (January 2011).

Tags: fantasy role playing