Khomaes Barony (2)

The current head of the Barony of Khomaes is Aldra Ap Iaggio.  The Iaggio family has ruled the Barony for 8 generations now, stretching back almost 200 years.  Although the family, as with most of the significant families, is only interested in politics and the situation in the city of Khomaes (simply called "The City" within the Barony, but sometimes derisively referred to as the Drop or the Rift, because of Dancer's Rift.  It is also common for poets to refer to it as the Spire or the Spike, for Dancer's Spike).

The population of the city is approximately 22,000, but it has been a while since a general census has been called for.  The local economy, which is based primarily on local agriculture for the lower classes, and on a combination of industrial trade (amberstone and other materials coming down out of the Aghanz Hills), trade with the nearby Baronies, and the pilgrim and traveler trade.  The pilgrims and travelers have ample reason to come to The City, and hence the City itself flourishes, and creates additional demand on the surrounding areas, affecting the whole Barony.  The pilgrims coming are for the two cathedrals in the city, and also for the School of Charm.  The cathedrals are Appuco Fast, and it's twin Ramee Tower.  Appuco Fast is dedicated to St. Norena.  Ramee Tower is dedicated to the followers of St. Ellain.  Both churches draw a large amount of pilgrim traffic, and the business that pilgrims draw, to the Barony.

Westron is spoken commonly in this Barony, as with most of the Baronies.  But because it is so far north, there is also a wide understanding of Destrikking.  All written transactions, however, use Westschrift.

The surrounding towns are (see the map):

A. Truend - Pop 2,200 - Walled against the large mammals of the Darkearth Plains, and also against the Shagmen out of the Aghanz Hills.  A small elite corps of the town guard are called the Truend Rangers, and they travel the local area, looking for traveling groups of Shagmen, and breaking them up before they can get too close to Truend, or local farm villages.

B. Khoben Vale - Population 1,800 - There is a small section of dense trees that grows on either side of a minor river called Bruuka Wash.  Carved out of that is enough space for Khoben Vale, all within the trees, and partially on a rocky island in the middle of Bruuka Wash, the rest on either bank.  There are sturdy stone bridges connecting the whole affair, and stone walls and towers inside the forest, to protect the town.  Outside the little forest, there are single and small groups of trees, all of which attract the giant lynx common to the area.  In fact, sometimes the lynx is called the Khoben Cat.

C. Sagio Mill - Population 2,800 - This is an open town, without a city wall.  There are, however, several concentric rings of watch towers extending out, 20 miles in all directions around the town.  Most of the farms, and other holdings, relying on the town, are within that set of rings.  The town gets it's name from a very large stone mill, built next to a rather impressive mill pond.  There is no river feeding this pond, but the water in it constantly rotates (due to magic means), providing motion for the very large grinding wheel.

D. Iffel - Population 2,200 - This is a town built around a small castle (D'Mosh Castle), with a curtain wall around the core town.  It is, however, built right next to the King's Highway.  The curtain wall of the town backs up to and connects with the mound of the King's Highway, and within the walls of the town, there is a curious large tower, that has in it's central area, four very, very large platforms (like rafts, made of large logs lashed together), big enough for a large wagon and team.  Each of these platforms are actually elevators, up to a stone connecting ramp over to the King's Highway.  The elevators are powered by partially trained Mammoths, captured from the wilds of the Darkearth Plains.  This access to the King's Highway means that Iffel is quite wealthy as a trade location.  There is a similar elevator tower - obviously built by the Old Ones - on the south side of the King's Highway at this same point, but nobody bothers to maintain or man it.

E. Cyclot - Population 2,400 - This town has a massive wooden great hall at the center of it, lots of professional buildings (mostly of a half timber variety), and massive palisade walls made of very large shaped logs driven into the earth.  There are two concentric walls, one only 2 miles across, in a rough oval, only 1 mile across the narrow axis.  The second concentric wall is all of five miles across, roughly circular.  Inside the first wall is the "inner town" - which is for the wealthiest families, and prestigious buildings.  The second wall contains the "outer town" which are most of the minor nobility, lesser professionals, and more important land owners, who own grazing and planting estates outside the town.  Outside the walls exists a small community of Elves, mostly Wood Elves (about 400), but a few traveling Gray Elves are always present, also.  The residents of Cyclot, and the Elves, refer to this community as Duar Village.   These Wood Elves have strong ties to the Harp Woods. Much of the industry in the town is either from the surrounding forest products (charcoal burning, and carpentry rate very highly), but also a very strong wool market is present.  The sheep, a curious three horned variety, called the Odelle Sheep, produces very valuable wool.  The flocks that graze in open pasture outside the city are protected by shepherds.  Cyclot shepherds are known to be very competent, and dangerous, mostly due to the high number of dire wolves in the area.

F. Nowak - Population 2,200 - Another woodland related town, this one with a nearby Gnome community, of about 600 Gnomes, mostly underground.  The community is called Cheddom Tower, but the tower is a minor part of the underground Gnome village.  Together, the carpenters and craftsmen of Nowak and the Gnomes of Cheddom build some of the most intricate, and fabulous working artifacts (such as cuckoo clocks).  There is  a strong tradition of hunting amongst the wealthy and young from Nowak, in the Harp Woods.

G. Acron Trade - Population 2,400 - This is another walled town, built around a core of a castle (Bekno Keep), and surrounded by stone palisade walls.  It is built next to the King's Highway, and the Old Ones had constructed a curious platform settlement right next to the mound.  The platform is large enough for multiple buildings, and serves as a location for the main market of Acron Trade.  Approaches to the platform were built with a very long, shallowly sloping ramp up, so that animal and walking traffic have no trouble climbing it.  Stairs have been constructed, that are much steeper, but provide quicker access up out of the walled town of Acron Trade.  There is not a similar platform, nor an access ramp, on the south side of the King's Highway.  Although there is a thriving agricultural community of farms and villages surrounding Acron Trade, it is from trade that it makes its economy.

Note, this is part two of a two part article on the Barony of Khomaes.  Part 1 is located here.

Khomaes - City of Mists

Khomaes is the name for both the City and the Barony of which it is a capital.  The city itself is built vertically, on a large rocky mound sticking up out of the earth, and then down deep into the rocky rift that surrounds the mound, on the southern and eastern side of the mound.  The mound is called Dancer's Spike, and the rift is known as Dancer's Fall. The names come from the Westroner ranger (Obar Dancer) that discovered the region, and brought back word for the Khomaes family to come and establish their family holding.

The main buildings of military, industry, and religious importance are all built either on the Spike, or down in the Rift.  The Spike is known as the high city, and the Rift is known as the low city.  Surrounding this immediate center of the city, are multiple rings of reinforced curtain walls, with defensive towers.  Outside the walls, stretching for miles in all directions, are acres and acres of farm land, spotted with small local villages.  Further out, there are five major Towns that are part of the Barony north of the King's Highway (Truend, Sagio Mill, Iffel, Acron Trade and Khoben Vale), and two additional (Cyclot, Nowak) south of the King's Highway, closer to the Harp Woods.  These fill the area, fairly regularly spread out (see map), of the Barony.  The Barony itself stretches north to the Aghanz hills, and down to the Great River  The Barony stretches from the Lost Mare River on the western edge, east to come down from the Aghanz, and split the Harp Woods.

One of the immediately noticed features of Khomaes are the swirling clouds of mist that fill its streets, and drift up the Spike to surround the Baronial castle, and the other important buildings of the high city.  The low city is almost always full of the densest clouds of mist.  These mists take on different colors, and in different parts of the cities, within a single day, will often change colors, slowly, over time.  There is a lot of speculation over their source, but it is (in truth) unknown.  They have been a part of the city since its founding, over 1200 years ago.  Magical means have been attempted to remove the mists from the city, and at best, work only temporarily.  Usually they have no effect whatsoever.

Other than the Baronial home (Castle Erthos), occupied for the past 120 years by successive members of the Iaggio family, there are numerous smaller estates and villas, the better of which are in the high city.  In addition, there are all manner of craftsmen and artisan to be found, most of which (other than various dilettante  pursuits by some of the jaded nobility) are located in home/workshop settings in the low city.  Coming out of a high point of Dancer's Spike, there is a great spring that fills a gorge, in the courtyard of Castle Erthos, and that flows down through the parts of the high city, as a river, in channels among the narrow and winding streets that go up and down the Spike.  Finally, it splits, near the lower layers of the high city, and forms several waterfalls that then drop down the rift into the low city.

In the high city, there is a very large round, stone platform, jutting out from Dancer's Spike several hundred yards, made of stone, but covered in a thick layer of soil.  On it is the most beautiful of parks, full of flowering fruit trees, and exotic and alien flowering plants of all types, small pools, fountains, and springs interspersed with lovely little open areas, surrounded by charming tended hedges and other border plants.  Between the hedges of the various little "parks" or open areas, there are lovely marble arches.  Within this large garden, known as the Garden of Charm, exists the school of enchantment and charm magic, the Glamor Hall for Bewitchment and Entrancement.  To one who needs to find the school, or who knows the key to the various charms hiding it, the school's entrance appears as a shadowy purple robe, hanging down in one of the marble archways.

Another famous feature that is in the high city are the twin cathedrals of Appuco Fast, and Ramee Tower.  Appuco Fast is dedicated to the branch of the church under the goddess Corrise, but especially St. Norena (patron saint of fire and comfort) and Ramee Tower is dedicated to the goddess Nadene, although it is maintained by members of St. Ellain's heirarchy (patron saint of Art and Water).  The twin cathedrals are attended by elaborate tunnels deep within the Spike, and are very different internally, but were built as patronage projects by one of the older barons, F'Tarr Oma, about 600 years ago.  The only difference, other than decoration for the different festivals from the two branches of the church, that is noticeable outside are the contents of the very large fountain and well in front of each cathedral.  Appuco Fast has a great fountain of fire, bubbling out rather than jetting out, so that it appears to be the essence of the fire, and not what it is burning that is generating it. Around it, in the stone pool, is what appears to be a vast quantity of fire, just being held within the pool.  In contrast to this, of course, is Ramee Tower, which features a pool and fountain of clearest water, constantly bubbling out, but always (seemingly of its own accord - who knows?) changing patterns of spray and frequency of change to that spray.

Specialty Priests of the Westron Church (part 1)

The many various orders and chapters of the Westron Church each have their own specialty priests (for a list, see this post), available for Human player character use - here are the important stats.

First the goddess of Fertility (one of the three that the Westron Church is based on), as well as her affiliated demigods and saints.

Nadene - goddess of Fertility

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral or Neutral Good
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 12, Charisma 12. Wisdom or Charisma 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Charisma 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Herbalism (Required).  NWP groups - Priest, General.  No weapons required.
• Weapons and Armor: Weapons Permitted: Javelin, polearm, spear. Armor Permitted: Hide armor and leather armor (normal or magical), all non-metal shields.
• Restrictions: Priests of Nadene must be married.
• Major Spheres: All, Healing, Necromantic, Plant, Summoning.
• Minor Spheres: Animal, Charm, Creation, Divination, Protection, Weather.
• Powers: Charm/Fascination (Works as the 3rd level Wizard Spell suggestion, but cannot be used in combat); Incite Berserker Rage (A willing warrior may be incited at most 1 time per day.  It takes 1 round for the priest to incite the warrior.  Then the warrior has +2 to hit and damage, and cannot leave the field of battle while foes still face him.  Once he leaves, he chooses whether or not to emerge from the rage); May choose one of the following animals which which the priest may communicate (not control, just talk to): Cattle, goats, horses, rabbits, sheep or snakes.
• Symbol: The symbol of Nadene is a Pine Cone.

Kyclos - demigod of the Cycle of Life

• Priest's Alignment: True Neutral
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10.  Wisdom 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Religion (required). NWP groups - Priest, General.  No weapons required.
• Weapons and Armor: Weapons Permitted: Dagger/dirk, knife, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: All non-metal armor; no shields.
• Restrictions: Priests may not eat animal flesh - they are vegetarian.
• Major Spheres: All, Divination, Healing, Necromantic (Special Note: These priests cannot use resurrection spell; they use reincarnate instead), Plant, Summoning, Weather.
• Minor Spheres: Animal, Charm, Creation, Elemental, Protection, Sun.
• Powers: Incite Berserker Rage (A willing warrior may be incited at most 1 time per day.  It takes 1 round for the priest to incite the warrior.  Then the warrior has +2 to hit and damage, and cannot leave the field of battle while foes still face him.  Once he leaves, he chooses whether or not to emerge from the rage); Turn Undead (same as a Cleric in PHB)
• Symbol: Braided Circle.

 St. Horace - patron saint of Animals

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good or True Neutral.
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 9, Charisma 13. Wisdom or Charisma 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Charisma 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Animal Handling (Required).  No weapons required.  NWPs allowed: Priest, General, Warrior.
• Weapons and Armor: Bill, cestus, club, dagger/dirk, knife, mace, main-gauche, stiletto, swords (all), warhammer. Armor Permitted: all non-metal armor; no shields.
• Restrictions: None.
• Major Spheres: All, Animal, Charm, Divination, Protection.
• Minor Spheres: Combat, Creation, Healing, Plant.
• Powers: Identification of any Natural monster or animal; Speak with 3 specific types of animals (priest chooses, 1 bird, 1 mammal, and 1 fish or reptile; Soothing Word for Natural monsters or animals 3x a day (can remove a Fear spell or calm down animals or monsters up to 2x the priests level); Shapechanging at level 5 (as per the Druid's power from the PHB - same animals the Priest may speak to)
• Symbol: Salmon 
• The Stone of Life - Great Cathedral of St. Horace, is located at Ungams. 
• A number of different Ranger Hermitages exist throughout the valley, that are associated with St. Horace, who's clerics have an affinity for both Human and Elven Rangers.  The original, is the site of the Eagles of Jazzan.
  

Mother Kimber - patron saint of childbirth and children

• Worshiper's Alignment: Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Lawful Good.
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10. Wisdom 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Healing (required).  No weapons required.  NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
• Weapons and Armor: Lasso, net. Armor Permitted: None; no shields.
• Restrictions: None.
• Major Spheres: All, Astral, Charm, Creation, Elemental, Healing, Protection, Summoning, Sun.
• Minor Spheres: Animal, Combat, Divination, Guardian, Necromantic.
• Powers: Turn Undead (as per Cleric in PHB)
• Symbol: Circle with a dot in it, off center

 St. Leiathar - patron saint of Weather

• Priests's Alignment: True Neutral or Neutral Good
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10, Constitution 12. Wisdom or Constitution 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Constitution 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Weather Sense (required).  No weapons required. NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
• Weapons and Armor: Battle axe, bows (all), club, hand/throwing axe, javelin, spear, warhammer. Armor Permitted: All non-metal armor, all shields.
• Restrictions: None
• Major Spheres: All, Astral, Elemental (the priest can only use spells with the words Water, Air, and Wind in their names, and the spell chariot of Sustarre ), Protection, Weather.
• Minor Spheres: Combat, Divination, Plant, Sun.
• Powers: Inspire Fear (2x per day, as per Wizard spell of 4th level).
• Symbol: Cloud.
• Cloudhome Cathedral in Werms.

 St. Jaspar - patron saint of Strength and Rocks

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good, or True Neutral.
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 9, Strength 15. Wisdom or Strength 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Strength 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Endurance (Required).  No weapons required.  NWPs allowed: Priest, General, Warrior.
• Weapons and Armor: Battle axe, cestus, club, mace, maul, morning star, picks (all), polearm, sword/two-handed, warhammer. Armor Permitted: All armor and shields.
• Major Spheres: All, Combat, Healing.
• Minor Spheres: Elemental, Necromantic.
• Powers: Immune to life draining and paralysis from undead, also to chill touch, energy drain, enervation, ray of enfeeblement, and vampiric touch; Turn Undead (as per Cleric in PHB); Incite Berserker Rage at 5th level; Inspire Fear (2x per day, as per Wizard spell of 4th level) at 8th level.
• Symbol: Mountain.
• The Cathedral of Earthroot is located in the City of Shadows, capitol of Henn.

 Brother Ian - patron saint of Knowledge and Fire

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good, or True Neutral.
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10, Intelligence 10. Wisdom or Intelligence 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Intelligence 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Firebuilding (required). No Weapons required.  NWPs allowed: Priest, General, Wizard.
• Weapons and Armor: Bill, dagger/dirk, knife, stiletto, swords (all). Armor Permitted: All metal armor, all metal shields.
• Restrictions: None.
• Major Spheres: All, Elemental (the priest may only use the spells whose names include the words Fire, Flame, Heat, Pyrotechnics, and the spell Chariot of Sustarre), Sun.
• Minor Spheres: Charm, Divination, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Weather.
• Powers: Pass Unharmed through any wall of fire spell; Immune - +2 saving throw vs. priest spells of Elemental sphere, and all wizard spells of Evocation and Alteration with the words fire, burning, flaming, pyrotechnics, and incendiary in the title.
• Symbol: Lantern

 St. Ellain - patron saint of Art and Water

• Priest's Alignment: Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Lawful Good
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 13, Intelligence 12. Wisdom or Intelligence 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Intelligence 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Artistic Ability (choose one) (required).  No weapons required. NWPs allowed: Priest and General.
• Weapons and Armor: Bows (all) are the only weapon allowed.  No armor or shields allowed.
• Restrictions: Priests in the order of St. Ellain receive D6 for hit dice, rather than D8.
• Major Spheres: All, Astral, Creation, Divination, Elemental, Plant, Protection, Sun.
• Minor Spheres: Healing, Necromantic.
• Powers: Identification of and Immunity vs. certain spells. Because of the priest's superior insight into creativity and art, he is Immune (receives an automatically-successful saving throw) to all first-level wizard Illusion spells for which a saving throw is possible, and gets a +2 saving throw vs. all other Illusion spells for which a saving throw is possible (he can't make a saving throw against someone else's invisibility, for instance).
• Symbol: Quill
• Ramee Tower Cathedral - Khomaes

 Sister Silpha - patron saint of Travel and Air

• Priest's Alignment:True Neutral or Neutral Good.
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 12, Charisma 10. Wisdom or Charisma 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Charisma 16 means +10% experience.
• NWP and WPN Prof: Navigation (Required). No Weapons required;  NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
• Weapons and Armor: Club, javelin, mace, maul, polearm, quarterstaff, spear, trident. Armor Permitted: All non-metal armor and all shields.
• Restrictions: None.
• Major Spheres: All, Charm, Divination, Protection, Sun.
• Minor Spheres: Elemental, Guardian, Necromantic, Plant.
• Powers: Receive a new Language once per level, until level 8; Soothing Word (3x a day can remove a Fear spell or calm down people or monsters up to 2x the priests level), Charm/Fascination (works as 3rd level Wizard spell) at 8th level.
• Symbol: Walking stick.