Lendia

Lendia

Pop: 31,505 Power Centre: Conventional Lawful Neutral Racial Make-Up: Human 66%, Dwarf 8%, Halfling 7%, Gnome 4%, Other 15%

Origins

The reasons for Lendia’s existence would not be fully known for several hundred years. Starting as a small settlement nearly six hundred years ago the then-village grew slowly but steadily in it’s early years, populated by a wide-range of people from all walks of life. If asked why they settled there, none of them could really tell you except that they were somehow drawn there. Still, over the course of the next several hundred years Lendia became a town and then a city, bustling, affluent and diverse.

History

The wealthy but small farming country of Delvania has always maintained a fragile existence with it’s larger neighbours. For nearly a thousand years the country has existed by playing its neighbours off against each other. Should any neighbouring country invade and conquer Delvania, as well as the heavy losses they would endure doing so, it would almost certainly spark reprisals from the other lands bordering it. So it is that Delvania thrives as a crossroads and a trading point for all its neighbours.

Lendia started as a tiny hamlet several hundred years after King Theodore I declared Delvania’s independence from the Nauticus Empire of the notorious Pirate Lords. Over the years it’s population swelled inexplicably until it was declared a full city over 400 years ago. Although it was a well situated position for resources and trade, nothing seemed to justify the rapid growth and increasing power of the city until, the lines of power were discovered.

Archmage Rolando Millius is a revered figure in Lendian history as it was he, founder of the famous Lendian Academy of Mystical Science, who discovered the reason behind Lendia’s inexplicable pull. After intense investigation, Rolando and his students discovered ancient lines of magical power that converged on the spot where the city was built. It was a mystical hot zone of sorts, a place where magic was at it’s strongest and the power of the heavens and of the planes was most in evidence. He and his students set out to explore under the city as Rolando’s study had implied that there should be what he termed a Powersink in the extensive natural caverns beneath the city.

Rolando disappeared into the caverns beneath the city and never emerged again. Soon after his departure though it became apparent that something had been disturbed down there. Strange creatures, powerful and fierce, began to emerge from the caverns, known as the Reaches, to terrorise the city. Quickly a new faction of the Lendian guard was formed, the Reachguard, whose sole job it was to guard the magical portals created by students of the Lendian Academy to keep out the creatures from the Reaches. The secret of what actually lies below the city is closely guarded to this day and the Reachguard still defend the portals of entry fiercely.

Lendia continued to thrive though, despite various fires, floods and earthquakes. The power of the mystical lines kept the city thriving and wealthy and it was declared the new capital of Delvania 138 years ago, after Mendelv, the former capital, had been largely ruined by an enormous earth tremor. Since then, the king and the national Council of Eight have taken up residence in the city and it is the seat of national power.

Geography

Lendia is built atop a cliff overlooking the rolling farmland of southern Delvania. The original settlement was further down from the edge, closer to the river Mern which winds through the western-most area of the city, closest to the ground. Over time, the city spread in all directions. The Dawn Fortress was built at the top of the cliff, giving it unsurpassed views all around. It is so named because it is the first thing to see the sun in the morning and has been cunningly designed so that it glows with the morning light at dawn, truly a spectacular sight. The wealthy and influential in the city built their grand homes close to the fortress, both for the views and for the security. The further down the cliff you go, the more down-market the city becomes. By the time you get to the Mern itself you are in the slums and the poor areas of the city where the arm of the law, operating from the top of the cliff, does not reach as often. There are many who live in the upper class parts of the city who refuse to cross the Mern, thinking it too unsafe on its western bank.

Factions

Being a wealthy city and the capital of the country, Lendia has many political factions and seats of authority vying for power. Below are some of these groups.

Royalists

There are a certain group of people who disagree with the current way the country is ruled. As it stands, the king heads the Council of Eight and has the power to propose policies but decisions on all matters of state are decided amongst the council, with the king only having a say if the vote is tied. The Royalists believe that the king’s position and power are sacred and that it should not be diluted in such a way. They lobby strongly for reformation of the political structure of Delvania, to put the king in sole command and do away with the Council. Though they have no official militant arm, there are rumours that they have plans in place to carry out a bloody coup and depose the council, leaving the king in charge of the country.

The Council of Eight

The Council of Eight is made up of the most powerful and wealthy people in the country. When a new king is required, it is the Council who elect him. There is a school of thought that says that Council holds more power than the king, too much power the Royalists say. Membership of the council is not hereditary, when a council member dies or is ostracised (as happens often) the various barons and earls of the country vote on those standing for membership to the Council to replace them. The common man has no say in this whatsoever.

The Lendian Academy of Mystical Science

The oldest university in the land, the Lendian Academy of Mystical Science has been in existence for nearly 400 years. Rolando Millius was it’s founder, long ago, and it is now a powerful political force within the city due to the sheer arcane power and wealth it commands. The library of the academy holds many works of terrifying power and the Academy is almost an authority unto itself. There has been conflict in the past between the Council of Eight and the Academy and should such a conflict come to blows, the consequences could be disastrous. In an attempt to smooth relations, the High Dean of the Academy is normally a member of the Council of Eight.

The Reachguard

Operating under autonomous command and answerable directly to the king, the Reachguard have manned the entrances to the Great Reach under the city for as long as anyone can remember. Each member of the unit is elite and highly trained. They are also extremely secretive and it is rumoured that the Reachguard lead regular expeditions into the Reach, collecting the treasures down there for their own advancement. What is certain is that they guard entry to the Reach fiercely and almost no-one is allowed down there.

The Spirit of Millius

Opposing the Reachguard is the Spirit of Millius, a faction within the city with many arcane and divine spellcasters on its books, who oppose the sealing off of the Reach. They believe that Millius discovered enlightenment in the Reach long ago and that they should be given access to the Reach to research its secrets for the benefit of all. Needless to say the Reachguard vigorously oppose this. Twenty years ago, the Spirit of Millius managed to break into the Reach but their operatives were not seen again. The Reachguard claim that the creatures that live below took them but there are as many that think the Reachguard disposed of the interlopers themselves to protect their secrets.

The Whispers

Every major city on every plane of existence has an organisation like the Whispers. Wherever there are people there is crime and wherever there is crime there are those who seek to control it. The Whispers operate out of the west bank of the Mern, in the slums and tenements of the city. This group of shadowy figures tithe and control crime in the lower city, taxing takings, running protection and generally profiting from the misery of others. Little is known of their operation and the city watch have never been successful in tracking them down in any significant portion. For their part, the Whispers have always been careful that their operations on the middle-class, trade and upper-class districts of the city are small scale, so as not to attract too much attention.

Mercantile Factions

The city of Lendia is prosperous and secure and is home to many rich merchants and trading consortiums. They are constantly vying for financial and political power in the city and these conflicts can and do escalate into sabotage and violence at times. It is not unheard of for merchants and traders to find their way onto the Council of Eight even if they are not of noble birth. Money is the only true way for the common man to advance to any official position of great merit in Lendia.

Economics

Almost any major trade good you can think of moves through Lendia. The region surrounding the city itself is one of the biggest animal farming areas in the country and is a major producer of meat, wool, leather and other sundry animal products. One of the most powerful guilds in the city is the Moneylender’s Guild, run by dwarves of nearby clans for the most part. The guild owns and controls vast sums of money moving through the city.

The currency in Lendia is the golden Gilt. There are ten silver Sceptres in a Gilt and ten copper Crowns in a Sceptre.

Laws and Restrictions

The usual laws and restrictions apply in Lendia. All of the standard crimes are outlawed (murder, robbery, fraud etc.) and the city looks particularly harshly on money laundering and embezzlement. Citizens and travellers in the city are permitted to wear a weapon of no more than medium size and no more than light armour in public areas without a special permit from the guard. You also need a permit to carry a shield. The only weapon exempt from this restriction is a quarterstaff. Note: this does cover missile weapons, only missile weapons of medium or smaller size may be carried. The reason for this is that the guard do not want to take away the capacity for self defence but, equally, believes that people who wander round in full plate with greatswords tend to be looking for trouble. There is no restriction on owning such weapons and armour or their use in your property or the private property of another citizen with their permission.

Traditions and Festivals

As with many cities, the major festivals of Midsummer’s Eve and Midwinter’s Eve are celebrated with abandon in Lendia and both are public holidays where the King and the Council of Eight throw a great feast for the citizens. Beyond these all major religious festivals are celebrated with Heironeous and Pelor having the greatest festivals. Some other festivals are detailed below:

Boccob’s Blessing

The city has a strong tradition of magic and magic use, both because of the Powersink and because of the Academy of Mystical Science. The citizens of the city all believe, to some extent or other, that their lives are controlled and governed by arcane powers and, as such, they regularly sacrifice and pray to Boccob and Wee Jas. On one night of the year in particular, Boccob’s Blessing, it is customary for you to deliver small gifts and favours to local arcane spellcasters to help appease Boccob. This could be your neighbourhood hedge wizard or the Academy itself. The more favours you deliver, the more favourably Boccob will look on you. Many local wizards play up this tradition by using spells such as Prestidigitation, Faerie Fire and Pyrotechnics to ‘bless’ their patrons.

Reach Night

To commemorate the night when the creatures from the Reach first emerged into the city on a rampage of death and terror, the citizens hold a torch lit vigil outside the Council Chamber in City Square. Wearing fearsome masks and costumes depicting the creatures that escaped, local priests lead the citizens in prayers that the events of the night will not be repeated again.

Notable Figures

Rasmus III – King of Delvania – Male Human Aristocrat 10 / Marshall 4 (ECL 13)

Carmen Michaels – Duchess of Erd and Member of the Council of Eight – Female Human Aristocrat 6 / Beguiler 6 (ECL 11)

Fieron Cabe – Duke of Nulcia and Member of the Council of Eight – Male Aasimar Aristocrat 8 / Fighter 3 (ECL 11)

Alba VanDamme – High Priestess of Wee Jas and Member of the Council of Eight – Female Half-Fey Sorceror 4 / Cleric 4 / Mystic Theurge 7 (ECL 17)

Bilkon Bronzebeard – Chief of the Downmountain Clan and Member of the Council of Eight – Male Dwarf Expert 5 / Dragon Shaman 8 (ECL 12)

Karkkakon Lekaddian – Earl of Evon and Member of the Council of Eight – Male Tiefling Aristocrat 8 / Rogue 3 (ECL 11)

Gar Sumner – High Priest of Pelor and Member of the Council of Eight – Male Human Favoured Soul 18 (ECL 18)

Hermon DuVayne – Head of Hillcrest Merchant Consortium and Member of the Council of Eight – Naria DuVayne’s father – Male Human Expert 8 / Wizard 4 (ECL 11)

Vuldana Ezerthan – Arch Dean of the Academy of Mystical Science and Member of the Council of Eight – Female Elf Conjurer 15 / Thaumaturgist 5 (ECL 20)

Lynus Farraday – Vice Dean of the Academt of Mystical Science – Male Human Wizard 10 / Archmage 5 (ECL 15)

Glink Farshine – Master of the Library; Academy of Mystical Science - Male Gnome Wizard 11 / Loremaster 5 (ECL 16)

Captain Willem Marcone – Head of the Reachguard – Male Half-Elf Duskblade 14 (ECL 14)

Jharl Samaire – Luminary of the Spirit of Millius – Male Elf Warlock 14 (ECL 14)