Barony of Henn and the City of Shadows

Henn is the name of a barony in the northern parts of the Rising Land region.  The capitol city is also known as the City of Shadows, and has a population of 18,000.  The Barony, and the city, are both about 1200 years old.

The city of Henn has three major trade towns associated with it.  These are located on roads going to nearby Baronies.

The first, Aldrop (pop. 6,000) is located on the road southwest to Scallen.  The road stops at the Two-Moon River at the independent town of Riverport, but about a third of the way between Henn and Riverport stands the town of Aldrop.  Aldrop is known for the strange community of Gnome herbalists (the Leaf Guild of Mika) that live in the outskirts of the town, and also for the very old (over 1000 years old, almost as old as the City of Shadows itself) Shrine of the Seasons.  This is a a Lass Indol shrine that venerates all four of the Lass Indol demigoddesses, Neuvirra Oss (demigoddess of Spring and Planting), Elongar Suu (demigoddess of Summer and Growth), Olimo Vis (demigoddess of Autumn and the Harvest), and Frigia Nor (demigoddess of Winter and of Feasting).  Even though these four have long been brought into the Westron Church, the community that lives at the Shrine of the Seasons has a distinctive Lass Indol feel to it - preferring to wear the clothing and eat the cuisine of the ancient Lass Indol, when they were part of the Olmert Empire.  Given the nature of the Shrine, there are often visiting clergy that are dedicated to Kyclos present in Aldrop.

The second town, in the Barony, is along the road that goes north and then east to Huygen the City of Light.  This town, Tor Alis (pop. 4,000), is built on a tall, bald hill at the foot of the Jazzan Mountains.  The Huygen Road there passes around the base of the hill, but there is considerable traffic up to the heights of the town.  The town of Tor Alis (named for Alis hill) is in site of Mount Soluto, where the hermitage of the Eagles of Jazzan is located.  Because of its proximity, it is often a meeting place for members of the Eagles order, and also others who would have dealings in the lands surrounding the Jazzan mountains.

The third town of the Barony is Octoris (pop. 3,500) located on the road south to Pellorix.  It is located along the Pellorix Road, about half way between the City of Shadows, and the northern edge of the Redsmoke Woods.  The town is known for two main reasons. The first is the monastery (the Harmonious Reflectory of Order) located inside some curious crystalline caves, just outside of town, that is run by an order of St. Ermo.  These monks have dedicated their lives to the study of mathematics.  For some reason, the monastery have attracted a lot of retired soldiers and masons who have chosen to make a study of the philosophy of numbers.  The monastery is rare in that it is in fairly frequent communication with the Archivists of Parn Tandalorn.  The second thing that Octoris is known for is School of Bonbonis - a school for training young persons of worth, and wealthier men at arms, the fine art of Archery.  It was originally established by Bonbonis, a woodsman of exceptional skill with the bow, from the Redsmoke Forest.  On his retirement from the life of a Woodsman, he had acquired a fair amount of wealth, was annointed officially as a Lord by the Baron of Henn, and settled in Octoris (rather than constructing a castle or keep, Bonbonis instead built the School for archery).  He was joined by a number of his compatriots and companions from his early life as an adventurer and woodsman.

In addition to the population of the dependent towns, there are approximately another ten or twelve thousand people, mostly farmers and members of very small nameless villages, that make up the Barony.

The capitol city of Henn itself is the seat of the branch of the Church, under the division of Nadene, that venerates St. Jaspar.  The great Earthroot Cathedral is here, built out of a very large stone formation that makes up the western edge of the City.  The stone, called the Earthroot, has legendary properties, and is supposedly a ward against the return of the elemental gods of the Old Ones.  The Church, in its official position on the elemental gods, has chosen not to recognize this, and instead considers the stone to have been placed here, far from the Jazzan Mountains, by a band of prescient Storm Giants, that foresaw the coming of Jaspar Wilderman, and his ability to make stone alive, and work it by the gifts of his great strength ('like that of a Storm Giant' it is said).  It is not known if this story, or the one about the ward against the elemental gods is true, but the second is the position officially taken by the Archivists of Parn Tandalorn, and the former is the position taken by the Church.  One of the more visible of the properties of the Earthroot is the presence of the Thousand Sons of the Earthroot.

The capitol is called the City of Shadows for the reason of the fantastic shadows that the city is always in.  These shadows are cast by a cloud of great stones, ranging in size of a small farm pig, on up to the size of a massive windmill, or castle keep.  These float on the air, and rotate, slowly but irregularly, in a circular pattern around the Earthroot, at a height of approximately 500-1000 feet.  It is not known what keeps the stones up, as experiments by magic users from the eight Schools of Magic have not revealed the nature of the magic.  Due to the rigorous nature of the experiments, however, most feel sure that the stones are not going to fall.  They rotate in a radius of approximately a mile or so, but the larger stones are closer to the center.  The movement of these causes a constant shifting pattern of shadows to dance all across the city, hence the name "City of Shadows".

The largest of the stones rotating around the Earthroot, are the Thousand Sons.  There are many more than a thousand of these stones, but the larger ones (the named ones) are called the Thousand Sons. One of the more interesting, Aqualith (the Water Stone) has a small spring of water located on it, and it is constantly producing a fresh gurgling of water up out of it.  This water gathers in small pools on the upper surface of Aqualith, a stone of perhaps 20 yards across the long face, and 5 yards wide, and which is floating lengthwise upright.  However, the water, since it is constantly being produced, is always trickling down as a waterfall down the side of Aqualith.  Once it falls the hundreds of feet to the city, it has mostly dispersed into a fine misting drizzle, however it is enough water to keep the city incredibly lush, and full of the most bountiful trees and gardens.

The current ruler of the city is Lendara Astern of the Moontusk family.  The Moontusk family has been involved as one of the leading families of Henn since they came out of the Olmert Empire, approximately 500 years ago (in a later wave of colonisation).  Her full title is Majestrix Lendara Astern, Baroness of Henn, Queenchief of the Moontusk Diamond, and Protector of the Earthroot.

Gorrem - City of the Ten Gates

The namesake, and chief, city at the heart of the Barony of Gorrem is also called the City of the Ten Gates. It has a population of 27,000. There are a number of towns that are reliant on it - these are the chief population centers of the Barony, along with each having its own supporting network of villages and farm country.

• Colvine (population 4,500) to the north
• Harwych (population 6,000) to the east
• Sallow (population 6,500) to the southeast
• Haventown (population 5,000) to the south
• Lightcastle (population 5,500) to the west
• Aldbridge (population 4,000) to the northwest

The Barony is located in the Wychwood (south central) region of the Valley, and its chief political neighbors are the Barony of Lynch (east, on the far side of the Tiazarr River); the Barony of Pellorix on the far side of the Ancelhenn Lake to the southwest; north across the Great River is the Barony of Na Kram.

Much of the Barony is forested, and in addition to the many human towns listed above, there are a large number of "forest folk" in the wooded areas of the demesne.  To the west (in the Redsmoke Woods) there are a large number of Hedgehog People.  To the east, in the Plum Woods and the Belley Woods, there are a number of Mouseling communities.  Also in the region between Belley and Plum is the Green Apple Commonwealth - a small Halfling county that owes fealty to the Barony of Gorrem.  In the forests in the northern reaches of the Barony, along the Great River, there are numerous forest settlements of Wolflings.

The Barony is not home to many Dwarves or Gnomes.  And the few Elven settlements that exist are deep within the forested regions of the demesne.

The current ruling family is the Household of Terrasund, with Baroness Catherine II on the throne.

The city is home to the Homehall Cathedral - maintained by a community of clerics and monastics of the order of St. Ermo.  The Tower Druaqua (Bardic College of Maelwyn) is there. Also within the walls of the city can be found Castle Tattelis - home of the Terrasund family.  Not really of political concern, but of possible interest to adventurers and explorers - the abandoned tower of Ordobrandt is also within the city, but it is guarded by city guard.

Within the walled fields surrounding the city, there is the keep and practice grounds of the Knights of the Malmen Rose.  The Knights are a chivalric (but not Paladin) order that has a loose alliance with Gorrem, but have a distinct arrangement where they do not have Feudal duty, but are rather allies.

The Ten Gates, as well as much of the city, are protected by the city watch, known as Gorrem Levy.  They are much more than a levy, however, as they are a regular full time soldiery.  Typical equipment includes ring mail, simple helmet, bardiche, and short sword.  The Gorrem Levy are (total) approximately 2000 strong, however only 800 are serving at any one time.  There are several towers both on the outer walls and located along the inner walls where these are housed.

In addition to the sites and locations already mentioned, the city is somewhat known for its Inns and Taverns, each of which boasts its own ales and beers.  There are competitive wars between the larger Taverns, each claiming to be the "Best in Gorrem" or "The Baroness' Favorite".

Specialty Priests of the Westron Church (part 3)

These are the priests affiliated with the Goddess of Agriculture, Corrise.

Corrise - Goddess of Agriculture

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 11, Constitution 12. Wisdom or Constitution 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Constitution 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: Agriculture (required). No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Bill, flails (both), hand-throwing axe, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: All non-magical non-metal armor, all non-magical (non-metal) shields.
  
• Restrictions: None.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Creation, Divination, Plant, and Summoning (can only use wall of thorns , weather summoning , and creeping doom from this sphere).
  
• Minor Spheres: Animal, Healing, Protection, Sun, and Weather.
  
• Powers: Identification A priest of Corrise can examine any normal (non-magical) plant and determine if it is healthy, if not what is wrong with it, where it naturally grows, etc; Create Food and Water (Priest can cast this once per day, for free); Immune to any food poisoning from vegetable source; Heroes' Feast - at 8th Level can cast this once per day.
  
• Symbol: Sheaf of Wheat
  

Green Man - Demigod of Vegetation and Plants, husband of Corrise

• Priest's Alignment: True Neutral, Neutral Good, or Lawful Neutral
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 9. Wisdom 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: Herbalism (required). Sickle Weapon required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General, Warrior.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Club, quarterstaff, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: No armor; all wooden shields (no metal or leather).
  
• Restrictions: May not wear Leather or Furs in their clothing.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Divination, Healing, Plant, Protection, Summoning, Weather.
  
• Minor Spheres: Combat, Creation, Guardian, Necromantic, Sun.
  
• Powers: Identify any plant (magical or non-magical) perfectly; Pass through Overgrowth (as per Druid, but at 1st level).
  
• Symbol: Oak Leaf and Acorn.
  

Saint Ermo - Patron Saint of the Earth and Building

• Priest's Alignment: True Neutral.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 12. Wisdom 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: Required one of (Mining, Stonemasonry). No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Club, dagger/dirk, knife, mace, maul, morning star, picks (all), scythe, sickle, sling, staff sling, stiletto, warhammer. Armor Permitted: All non-magical non-metal armor, all non-magical non-metal shields.
  
• Restrictions: None.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Creation, Elemental (the priest may only use spells dealing with dust, stone, rock, mud, and earth, plus transmute metal to wood ), Plant, Summoning.
  
• Minor Spheres: Animal, Divination, Healing, Protection.
  
• Powers: Immune to all Snake venoms (+3 to saving throw); Detect grade or slope as per Dwarf (if character is already a Dwarf, then chances improve by 1 on the dice); Determine approximate depth underground as per Dwarf (if character is already a Dwarf, then chances improve by 1 on the dice).
  
• Symbol: Stone.
• Homehall Cathedral, in Gorrem
• Monastery - Harmonious Reflectory of Order in Octorix, Barony of Henn

Brother Rudiger - Patron Saint of Home and Community- detailed writeup here.

• Priest's Alignment: Any non-evil alignment.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10, Charisma 12. Wisdom or Charisma 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Charisma 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: Local History (required). No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Dagger/Dirk, Knife, Flails (both), Morningstar. All armors and shields allowed.
  
• Restrictions: Priests of the order of Brother Rudiger must always wear vestments indicating their priestly status.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Creation, Healing.
  
• Minor Spheres: Combat, Protection.
  
• 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); Soothing Word 3x a day (can remove a Fear spell or calm down animals or monsters up to 2x the priests level); Turn Undead (as per Cleric in PHB);
  
• Symbol: Knotted golden rope.
  

Saint Lilliane - Patron Saint of Orphans and the Dispossessed

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good, Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 12, Strength 12. Wisdom or Strength 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Strength 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: Healing (required). No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Dagger/dirk, knife, stiletto, swords (all). Armor Permitted: All armor, all shields.
  
• Restrictions: May never turn away an individual looking for hospitality.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Charm, Healing.
  
• Minor Spheres: Combat, Creation, Divination, Protection.
  
• Powers: Soothing Word 3x a day (can remove a Fear spell or calm down animals or monsters up to 2x the priests level); Laying on Hands (as per Paladin in PHB)
  
• Symbol: Open Hands.
• Tolbe Cathedral - in Botts (also known as the Orphans' Cathedral)
  

Saint Varina - Patron Saint of Vineyards and Wine

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 9. Wisdom 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: Brewing (required). No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Club, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: All armor and shields.
  
• Restrictions: None.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Charm, Elemental, Plant, Protection.
  
• Minor Spheres: Divination, Healing, Sun, Weather.
  
• Powers: Immune to the effects of Alcohol; Soothing Word 3x a day (can remove a Fear spell or calm down animals or monsters up to 2x the priests level); Turn Undead (as per Cleric in PHB); Constitution raised to 18 at level 8.
  
• Symbol: Bunch of Grapes.
  

Saint Norena - Patron Saint of Fire and Comfort

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, 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: Soothing Word 3x a day (can remove a Fear spell or calm down animals or monsters up to 2x the priests level); Immune to fire and heat attacks (+2 to saving throw); Create Food and Water once per day.
  
• Symbol: Cooking Fire.
• Appuco Fast cathedral - Khomaes
  

Olimo Vis - Demigoddess of Autumn and the Harvest

• Priest's Alignment: Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, Neutral Good.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10, Intelligence 10. Wisdom or Intelligence 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Intelligence 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Club, quarterstaff, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: No armor; all wooden shields (no metal or leather).
  
• Restrictions: None.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Divination, Healing, Necromantic, Plant, Summoning, Weather.
  
• Minor Spheres: Animal, Charm, Creation, Elemental, Protection, Sun.
  
• Powers: Immunity (automatic successful save) vs. all priest spells of the Elemental Sphere, and wizard spells with coldness and/or heat in their name; Soothing Word 3x a day (can remove a Fear spell or calm down animals or monsters up to 2x the priests level).
  
• Symbol: Leaf.
  

Elongar Suu - Demigoddess of Summer and Growth

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10, Dexterity 10. Wisdom or Dexterity 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Dexterity 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Bows (all), Club, quarterstaff, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: All armor; no shields.
  
• Restrictions: None.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Animal, Healing, Plant, Weather.
  
• Minor Spheres: Divination, Guardian, Protection, Summoning.
  
• Powers: Identification of the time of day, whenever outside; Turn Undead (as per Cleric in PHB);
  
• Symbol: Tree.
  

Neuvirra Oss - Demigoddess of Spring and the Planting

• Priest's Alignment: True Neutral, Neutral Good.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10, Strength 10. Wisdom or Strength 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Strength 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Club, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: All non-magical non-metal armor, all non-magical (non-metal) shields.
  
• Restrictions: None.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Charm, Combat, Plant.
  
• Minor Spheres: Divination, Healing, Weather.
  
• Powers: Charm/Fascination (Works as the 3rd level Wizard Spell suggestion, but cannot be used in combat); Turn Undead (as per Cleric in PHB).
  
• Symbol: Sapling.
  

Frigia Nor - Demigoddess of Winter and Feasting

• Priest's Alignment: Neutral Good, Lawful Good.
  
• Minimum Abilities: Wisdom 10, Constitution 10. Wisdom or Constitution 16 means +5% experience; Wisdom and Constitution 16 means +10% experience.
  
• NWP and WPN Prof: No Weapons required; NWPs allowed: Priest, General.
  
• Weapons and Armor: Bill, flails (both), hand-throwing axe, scythe, sickle. Armor Permitted: All non-magical non-metal armor, all non-magical (non-metal) shields.
  
• Restrictions: None.
  
• Major Spheres: All, Creation, Elemental, Protection, Weather.
  
• Minor Spheres: Animal, Divination, Healing, Plant.
  
• Powers: Create Food and Water (once per day); Soothing Word 3x a day (can remove a Fear spell or calm down animals or monsters up to 2x the priests level);
  
• Symbol: Bare tree.
• Sky Cathedral in Werms.