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.

Werms - Northern City in the Clouds

Okay, Khomaes is done (for now).  There is (of course) Loads more stuff that can be done, not least of all would be relying on the excellent Midkemia Press product, "Cities" to flesh out lists of businesses etc that populate the city, and maybe do some custom encounter tables.  But perhaps later.

The next city to get the "Valley of the Old Ones" treatment is the second city in the Darkearth Plains region to be discussed - the city of Werms.

Globe Keep - at the center of Werms

Werms is nicknamed the "Northern City in the Clouds".  It is the northernmost Westroner city in the Valley.  The other part of the nickname - "City in the Clouds" - comes from the fact that it is built on an irregular set of stony buttes, coming up out of a deep chasm called the Cambio Delve.  The main part of the city is built around a very old castle called the Globe Keep.  The central part of the castle, which is a keep with a curious rounded brass plated roof, is built over the highest point of the central abutment rising up out of Cambio Delve.

Many centuries past, when the Westroner pilgrimage band under the Baron Olberi Ap Etro were exploring in the region, they came to the curiously attractive plains in the triangle of land between the Great Owl Forest, the eastern edge of the Aghanz Hills, and the Destriel Mountains.  But this area is the heart of Storm King barbarian country, so if the Westroners wished to settle, they would need a location that was quite defensible.  Cambio, a dwarf traveling with Ap Etro's band, found the immense (and seemingly bottomless) pit that was named after him, the Cambio Delve.  It was observed that there were this series of rocky abutments that appeared up out of it, in its northern edges.  These were all large enough to build great structures on, and were also close enough to each other that stone arch bridges could be constructed to connect them one to another.  It was decided that the Etro family would begin work at once on a castle on the central abutment.  That castle grew and grew, and developed a whole urban ecosystem around it - thus forming the core of the city.  The Etro family controlled the castle - now known as Globe Keep - but the Magistrate of the City, a curious sorcerer named Nova Werms, controlled the city.  The city became named for him, first the "City of Werms" then simply Werms, long after Nova died out.

View of Werms, as approached from the surrounding Baronial lands.

The system of having a descendent of the Etro Family (long since abandoned, however successive claimants have tried to prove some link to the ancient bloodline) be master (or mistress) of the Castle, and then to have a Magistrate of the city, has served well.  The surrounding territory became known as the Barony of Etro for many centuries, but eventually became to be called the Barony of Werms (which is it's current name, at least of wide usage).

The curious air currents that form from the cold winds blowing down out of the Destriel Mountains, and the curious effect of the updraft up out of the Delve, form the conditions for nearly constant formation of white clouds around and above the city.  As the city grew in size, over the centuries, to its current population of 18,000 inhabitants, it covered more and more of the stone abutments in the area around the central one of the Globe Keep.  After all of these were covered over, but not wanting to expand outside the area of the defended stone arch bridges to the main land past the border of the Delve, the city began to grow up.  Each stone abutment is covered in buildings, castles, towers, and other structures of the strongest stone (which is mined, by curious practice of the dwarf Cambio's descendents, of building platforms and carved mines, down deep into the Delve, out of the sides of the abutments).  These have gotten higher and higher, until now while the brass roofed Globe Keep is still a brilliant feature at the center of the city, there are other stone towers and ramparts that rise higher still, all around it.

Stone Buildings of Werms - connected by Stone Bridges

One of the curious features of Werms is that it is home to the magical school of conjuration and summoning.  Under the current grand master tutelage of "Yazeed the Traveler", this magical school is in the form of a tall, slender, black castle, with 14 high turreted towers, on its own abutment, some way to the south of the main parts of the city, and not connected to any other abutment or the main land by stone bridge.  It is always surrounded by dark, black clouds, which seem to swirl around, and among, the tall towers.  The school is properly named the "Demesne of Planar Knowledge and Magical Petitioning".

Demesne of Planer Knowledge and Magical Petitioning

 Another feature worth commenting on is that Werms is the location of Cloudhome Cathedral, the center of worship for St. Leiathar, the patron saint of weather and the clouds.  This powerful saint, part of the branch of the Westroner Church dedicated to the goddess Nadene, would seem a natural to be venerated within a city known as the City of Clouds.  Cloudhome is an interesting cathedral, it is built on its own abutment, and consists of tall slender towers, and chambers, all made of metal, and connected to each other with thin spanning flying bridges.  It was once suggested that the structure be finished in gleaming brass, in honor of the legendary city of brass (itself said to be located among the clouds), however in honor of the brass roof of Globe Keep, the outside of Cloudhome was instead covered in electrum.

Cloudhome - Electrum towers of the Cathedral of St. Leithar

 In addition to Cloudhome Cathedral, however, there is also another cathedral in (or above) the city, known as the Sky Cathedral of Frigia Nor.  Frigia Nor is the demigoddess of Winter and Feasting, and the priesthood enjoys a wonderful location, floating high above the city of Werms, in the form of a magical stone block, the top of which is covered in airy towers and chambers - full of feasting halls, musical chambers, and open observation flats to observe the winds and clouds coming down from the Destriel Mountains.  Swirling clouds of ice and snow often blow all around Sky Cathedral, but the feasting halls, and even the open observation flats, remain comfortable to all who visit.  One of the duties of the junior acolytes of the order of Frigia Nor (which is a part of the branch of the church dedicated to the goddess Corrise), is to maintain the herd of hippogriffs that the Cathedral houses, and to use these as transport and courier animals to communicate with the rest of the city.  Feast days in the city the houses the cathedral of the Demigoddess of Feasting are a wonderful occasion, and quite common - which is always greeted with thanks by all members of the city (even the members of the hierarchy of St Leiathar's cathedral).

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.

Wizardry and the Schools of Magic

Magic in the Valley of the Old Ones works in a true-to-old-school Vance-like manner.  If that means nothing to you then it is simply this - spells are a way to release a specific type of energy (called magic) in a certain form (the spell's effects), and that energy is captured in potential form when the magic user "memorizes" the spell.  Once the spell is cast, then the energy is released, and the spell must be re-memorized in order to cast it again.  Priest and Druid magic is different, in that it is merely released from either the supernatural source, or nature (in the case of Druids), so it need not be memorized in the same manner.

The magic of Magic Users is known as arcane magic, or simply wizardry.  It falls into a number of different schools, each having to do with a different aspect of magic.  All practitioners, as usual, have access to the school of Lesser Divination (which provides the basic spells req'd for all spellcasters).  Again, this is as per 2nd Ed rules.

The other 8 schools of magic, however, are all studied and researched at a number of different magical institutions, located in different cities.  This is not to suggest that all of the magic users within a certain barony are of a certain school, only that the master of that school and the chief practitioners are located in a particular city.  It is customary (but by no means universal) that rulers of Baronies will allow magic users to travel across borders, even during times of strife, if they are visiting a particular school and agree to a vow of peace while in the territory.

• Elder Institute for Necromantic Legerdemain - The school of Necromancy is located in the city of Devrie.  It is a tall, spindly black tower, the dome of which is a huge white skull made of marble.  The grounds around the tower - a large circle of land - are devoid of living things.  The current grand master is Necromancer Malchaumis (male).
• Eldritch College of Channeling and Shaping - The school of Invocation and Evocation is located in the city of Lynch.  It is a castle, with a number of massive round towers all about it, each of which is topped with a huge brazier that are constantly burning with multi-colored flames.  Head mistress of the college is Shere Shard (human female)
• Ancient Presagery of Secrets and Mysteries -The school of Greater Diviniation is located in Pellorix.  It is one of the oldest schools of magic in the Valley, being over a thousand years old.  It is a simple manor house on the outside, surrounded by a walled garden.  Inside the house are endless corridors and rooms - some of which are said to stretch on for miles and miles.  The Chief Sage is Ciarra Pickthal (female)
• Tower of Thaumaturgical Flux - The school of Alteration is located in the city of Scallen.  It is a massive tower, with the foundational layers made all of jade and emerald, but the top stories of which are constantly changing in composition and appearance.  The Key of Alteration (current master of the school) is Mistress Trollencule (female).
• School for Mastery of the Illusionary Arts - The college of Illusion is located in the city of Ockham.  It appears as a small castle, floating in the air above a perfectly calm pool.  The castle is always different, and none but those within the School know it's true nature.  The head of the School is Pandulf the Magnificent (male).
• Glamor Hall for Bewitchment and Entrancement - The school of Enchantment and Charm is located in the city of Khomaes.  It is a great walled park, full of flowering plants and trees of all varieties, all year long.  The portal to the halls and chambers of the school (a polished marble and gold arch, with royal purple drapes to be pulled aside) appear somewhere within the park to those who require entrance.  The Queen of Enchantment (head of the school) is Mellisonde (female).
• Demesne of Planar Knowledge and Magical Petitioning - The school of Conjuration and Summoning is located at Werms.  The school appears as a tall black castle, with lots of looming spires and towers, and is always surrounded by swirling clouds of black and grey fog and smoke.  The current master, sitting the the Throne of Knowledge, is Yazeed the Traveller (male).
• Grand Lyceum of Abjurative Sorcery - The school of Abjuration is located in the city of Botts.  It is a walled campus of several buildings built upon a shining plaza made out of curious metals from a fallen asteroid. The head of the Lyceum is the Abjurer Glub Nar (male).

Any character that is a magic user or illusionist, especially a Human or Fey Changelings (half-elf) character, will have studied their basics at the school in question, regardless of their Barony of origin.  A modicum of knowledge about how to travel to the school, and requirements for gaining entrance, are therefore part of the basics that the character knows from their initial training.

Non human practitioners of magic (chiefly Elves and Gnomes) will often have their own masters.  The major exception are the Gnomes of  both the Oncor Hills and the Uidan Forest, many of which who practice magic take up their training at the School for Illusionary Arts at Ockham.  Some even maintain that the School retains several Gnome Illusionists on its staff.