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− | Creating Kaer-Dweller
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− | Characters
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− | Some guidelines have to be established before characters
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− | can be created that have lived inside Kaer Ardanyan
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− | for their entire lives. Gamemaster and players alike should
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− | be familiar with the setting and the kaer’s history in order
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− | to create believable characters that have a place inside the
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− | kaer. This section contains advice for creating characters
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− | living in Kaer Ardanyan. While we have taken great care
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− | to integrate almost every character type available from the
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− | Player’s Compendium, there are a few exceptions.
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− | Name-giver Races
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− | Dwarfs clearly dominate the population of Khar Rhûz,
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− | followed by elves of Shal’Minar. There is an animosity
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− | between members of these races, based on the events of
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− | the kaer’s past. Orks, humans or trolls living in Okoros
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− | tend to mistrust dwarves and elves due to these historical
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− | events. Mistrust and animosity have no effect on character
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− | creation rules, but should be taken into account whenever
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− | the character interacts with members of those races. Of
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− | course, exceptions make the rule — it should be allowed to
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− | create open-minded characters.
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− | The two obsidimen of Okoros do not have their own
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− | Liferock inside Kaer Ardanyan. As explained above, they
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− | could not make it back home in time and were forced to
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− | enter the kaer before the Scourge. We haven’t provided any
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− | names in case a player might want to play an obsidiman.
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− | However, a good adventure hook would be to find his Liferock
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− | once the Scourge is over.
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− | The t’skrang are new to Kaer Ardanyan’s society.
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− | Although they have lived inside the kaer ever since, they
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− | did so in a state of torpor beneath Lake Vross in Okoros.
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− | Their hibernation ended only a few months ago, and the
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− | K’Tan Vross niall is still learning about the events that took
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− | place during the past centuries. Playing a t’skrang means
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− | that the character was either born before the Scourge or
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− | hatched in the early years after the kaer closed its gates.
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− | Effectively, every t’skrang is over 400 years old — although
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− | none of them have aged.
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− | Keep in mind that due to their extended life spans, certain
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− | Name-givers might have experienced the events of the
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− | Separation first-hand. We do not recommend playing characters
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− | older than 50 years, although it might be an interesting
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− | option. T’skrang and obsidimen pose an exception to
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− | this rule, as they haven’t witnessed the Separation.
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− | Like elsewhere in Barsaive, windlings are also rare in
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− | Kaer Ardanyan. Windling characters from the kaer usually
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− | belong to the Ijandii clan (see The Groves, p. 24).
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− | Disciplines
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− | All of the Disciplines presented in the Player’s Compendium
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− | are available to player characters from Kaer
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− | Ardanyan, except for Sky Raiders. Each Discipline has a
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− | place in the kaer, but the gamemaster should feel free to
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− | come up with his own restrictions.
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− | We have mentioned different personalities available
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− | as trainers in the kaer’s description above, along with the
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− | Names of the most prominent adepts. Apart from the personalities
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− | presented in this book, there is plenty of leeway
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− | for gamemasters to develop their own masters and mentors.
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− | Note that, with the exception of Leldrin, no adept inside
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− | Kaer Ardanyan has advanced beyond Eighth Circle, and
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− | there are no masters or ghost masters of higher Circles
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− | available.
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− | While there are a number of adepts integrated into
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− | the setting, feel free to create your own — the kaer is large
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− | enough to accommodate a few more adepts and their stories.
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− | We haven’t outfitted these characters with game statistics,
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− | which allows gamemasters to tailor them to their
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− | needs. However, we do recommend that the masters for
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− | player characters should be adepts in the Fifth or Sixth
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− | Circle of their Disciplines.
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− | Each player should know the Name and description of
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− | his mentor, and gamemasters should consider fleshing out
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− | the relationship between the player characters and their
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− | masters. The gamemaster characters listed below serve a
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− | crucial role in the main adventure, because they have been
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− | chosen by the kaer council to form the next exploration
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− | party. It is not crucial to the story if not all characters have
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− | a master participating in the mission, but the majority of
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− | them should.
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− | The Masters and Mentors Table, above, gives an overview of the gamemaster characters presented earlier.
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− |
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− | ========================
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− | History
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− | Before the Scourge, the Theran Empire ruled over
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− | the province of Barsaive. The Therans tamed the wilderness
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− | by constructing roads and trade flourished almost
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− | everywhere. Not all cities and towns were connected
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− | by Theran roads, however, and alternative trade routes
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− | emerged where the roads did not reach.
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− | One of these trade routes developed in the foothills of
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− | the southern Throal Mountains. It was Throal’s link to the
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− | Serpent River, where a Theran road ran from the city of
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− | Parlainth to the settlements along the coast of the Aras
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− | Sea. Back in those times, dwarven engineers decided to
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− | build their own road and a bridge across the Serpent River.
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− | Theran governor Kern Fallo disliked the idea; his secret
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− | intent was to keep the dwarven kingdom small. Without
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− | support and protection from Theran cavalry, the route to
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− | Throal remained largely insecure — the caravans were easy
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− | prey for ork scorchers and brigands.
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− | On the Fall of Ardan Yan
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− | The trade route forked in the forests between the Coil
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− | and Alidar rivers, allowing travelers to reach the settlements
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− | in the south. This crossing was the site of a shrine
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− | devoted to Rashomon — a place where the questor Ardan
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− | Yan blessed travelers with courage and endurance for the
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− | rest of their journey. Many people rested here, and used the
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− | opportunity to trade with the elves of the nearby forests.
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− | Over time, as more people settled down in the area, the
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− | crossing slowly turned into a permanent village.
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− | Ork scorchers became interested in the site when it
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− | became palisaded, watching the settlement carefully. On a
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− | clear night, they attacked, razing the place without mercy,
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− | and slaying the few warriors brave enough to take up the
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− | fight. Ardan Yan died along with them. The scorchers took
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− | everything they could load upon their massive thundra
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− | beasts.
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− | After the ork scorchers had moved on, the elves decided
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− | to rebuild the village, Naming it Ardanyan in honor of the
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− | fallen questor. Word spread fast, and soon other questors
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− | came to expand the shrine into a larger temple. Wealthy
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− | Throalic merchants funded the construction for their own
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− | interests, and provided mercenaries to protect the village
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− | from further scorcher raids. The elves soon found themselves
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− | governing a small town that was growing so fast
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− | that bigger walls were needed for defense against scorcher
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− | attacks.
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− |
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− | On the Construction of
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− | Kaer Ardanyan
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− | A few decades before the Scourge, the town council
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− | negotiated with Theran officials to receive the Rites of Protection
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− | and Passage. A settlement of the size of Ardanyan
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− | was barely worth the Therans’ attention, so they suggested
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− | that the people of Ardanyan join a bigger kaer instead
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− | of constructing their own. When the council members
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− | insisted on purchasing the Rites, the Therans grudgingly
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− | demanded a price so high in goods, gold, and slaves, that
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− | the town would not have been able to afford to build their
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− | own kaer if they agreed to the deal.
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− | Negotiations were again taken up when dwarven stonemasons
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− | found deposits of precious gold and silver in the
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− | nearby foothills. They took this as evidence of a cache of
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− | elemental earth buried deeper below the surface. Supporting
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− | the masons with Elementalists to dig into the hills
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− | faster than usual, enough elemental earth was mined to
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− | pay the Therans for the Rites without resorting to slavery.
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− | And there was still plenty more True earth to be found.
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− | Rich from their find, Ardanyan’s council hired the
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− | famous dwarven architect Ghandoz to plan the construction
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− | of the kaer. Four large halls were carved out of the
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− | natural caves near the mines. Like an orb-shaped shield,
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− | protective runes were dimensioned to incorporate the
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− | surrounding rock — providing sufficient space for further
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− | excavation during the Scourge without risk of disturbing
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− | the kaer’s wards. The temple of Rashomon was integrated
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− | into the central hall where fantastic mosaics and paintings
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− | decorated the long hallways. The domes of the halls were
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− | painted sky-blue and enhanced with illusion magic to make
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− | everyone forget that they were underground.
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− |
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− | On Mining with Greed
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− | The mines of Kaer Ardanyan were soon brimming with
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− | activity. Once the kaer’s gates had closed, everything of
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− | value was stripped from the rocks and processed in anticipation
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− | of a new beginning after the Scourge ended. The
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− | treasures were enormous — some veins of elemental earth
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− | were so rich that generations of miners would be needed
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− | to work them. The kaer council decreed that all families
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− | would share the treasure in equal parts, as all of them contributed
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− | to the common goal of survival — miners or not. A
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− | lion’s share would be held back, however, saved to rebuild
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− | the town.
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− | But all the riches served no one as long as the kaer was
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− | sealed. There was no trade, and gold is impossible to eat.
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− | Still, some dwarven miners considered it unfair that their
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− | hard-working families would receive the same share as
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− | those elves tending the crops and demanded bigger shares
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− | for their heirs. The kaer council denied their requests on
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− | several occasions, and even the Miner’s Guild did not back
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− | their requests.
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− | Frustrated, several miners joined forces and developed
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− | a plan. Hiring an Illusionist to hide a secretly constructed
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− | tunnel, they fooled the Miner’s Guild, the kaer council, and
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− | the architect Ghandoz, at the same time. In a dark cavern
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− | at the end of the tunnel, they stored everything that was
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− | not reported to the guild and council: chunks of silver and
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− | gold, precious gems — even elemental earth.
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− | For decades, their tunnel remained a secret — until the
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− | kaer council decided to expand the temple of Rashomon.
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− | Samiel, highest questor and spiritual leader of the kaer,
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− | had requested more space to house and train his followers.
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− | The tragedy happened a few years later, when tons
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− | of rock broke from the ceiling and buried the new temple
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− | wing underneath. Almost all of the temple’s questors died,
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− | and — in shock at what he thought was his own failed planning
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− | — Ghandoz almost took his own life.
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− | The architect’s innocence was proved when the hidden
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− | riches were found beneath the rubble and the secret tunnel
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− | was uncovered. The dwarven miners’ greed had taken the
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− | lives of Samiel and his followers. Most of the culprits were
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− | caught and imprisoned in the days following the investigations.
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− | The kaer council, still consisting of the same elves
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− | that founded Ardanyan, decided to penalize the miner’s
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− | betrayal with death. The practice of illusionism by dwarves
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− | was outlawed and the kaer guard enforced stricter control
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− | of the mines.
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− | Samiel’s fate hung like a curse over the temple grounds.
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− | Without his guidance, the few remaining followers lost
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− | both their hope and their courage. No one was ready to step
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− | into Samiel’s shoes, and no one dared to rebuild the temple.
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− | The temple grounds were Named the Temple of Greed, and
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− | left abandoned.
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− | On the Separation
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− | When the betrayal was discussed and investigated, the
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− | Miner’s Guild finally took a firm stance. While they lamented
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− | the destruction of the temple and the elven questor’s
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− | death, they began to understand the problem that drove
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− | the miners to betray the council. The guild’s official request
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− | for bigger shares led to a fight in the council house, when
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− | a council member slipped a condescending remark about
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− | dwarven family business. He and two guild members were
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− | banned from Council Hall as a result.
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− | The presence of kaer guards in the mines fuelled
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− | unrest among the miners. Being watched so closely, they
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− | almost felt like slaves. Dwarven thick-headedness and
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− | elven arrogance had turned Kaer Ardanyan into a powder
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− | keg threatening to explode at any time.
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− | In the following years, more and more people sought
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− | the neighborhood of their own kin rather than living peacefully
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− | and side-by-side. No elf wanted to live next door to a
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− | dwarven family possibly involved with the Temple of Greed
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− | and vice versa. Slowly, Khar Rhûz became the home of all
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− | dwarves while the gardens of Shal’Minar eventually housed
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− | the complete elven population.
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− | When the architect Ghandoz died of old age, the situation
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− | grew desperate. The architect’s reputation and experience
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− | had made him a respected negotiator between the
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− | elven kaer council and the dwarven Miner’s Guild. His
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− | successor, Tahrkusz, was different. He had always sided
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− | with the miners, but no one even suspected him of being
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− | the architect of the hidden tunnel. Officially backed by
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− | the Miner’s Guild, Tahrkusz provoked the council by open
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− | rebellion. His expectations were surpassed when the kaer
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− | council imprisoned him, closed the mines, and disbanded
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− | the Miner’s Guild altogether.
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− | The council’s decision was unacceptable for all dwarves.
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− | Mining works went on while the swords of the kaer guard
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− | clashed with dwarven warhammers and pick-axes. When
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− | Tahrkusz was displayed in Council Hall for his trial, several
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− | dwarven warriors took hostages and freed him in a small
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− | skirmish, turning Council Hall into a cauldron of openlydisplayed
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− | racial hatred.
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− | The fighting stopped when the population of Okoros
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− | decided to seal themselves off and exiled all remaining
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− | elves and dwarves living there. For the first time in Ardanyan’s
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− | history, one of the halls had closed its gigantic gates
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− | leading to Council Hall. The lines were drawn, and the kaer
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− | community was shattered into pieces when the other halls
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− | closed their gates as well.
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− | On the Need for Trade
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− | Supplies grew thin only a few months after the separation.
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− | No hall was able to feed their citizens alone — Kaer
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− | Ardanyan had not been designed for this. Cautious negotiations
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− | were taken up in the only neutral area left: Council
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− | Hall. The ambassadors agreed on a compromise: the
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− | treasure currently in the vault would be distributed evenly
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− | among the families, minus a share for rebuilding the town
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− | at the end of the Scourge. Everyone was allowed to increase
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− | his treasure by mining as long as he signed up with the
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− | Miner’s Guild and paid taxes. Additionally, each hall was
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− | allowed to set up its own laws on trading, enabling everyone
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− | to master his own wealth.
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− | Council Hall became a marketplace, where designated
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− | merchants bartered with what their halls had to offer in
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− | exchange for other things needed. The ambassadors regulated
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− | and governed the new system of trade. It worked, but
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− |
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− | an undertone of distrust between the halls remained.
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− | Within two centuries, a new government evolved. Generations
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− | of ambassadors had met in Council Hall regularly.
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− | They were aware of problems affecting the whole kaer, the
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− | only ones able to see the big picture. The ambassadors
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− | already helped each other out, sometimes even bypassing
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− | the laws for the good of everyone. After a long time,
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− | they eventually convinced their rulers to officially declare
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− | peace and create a new, united council governing the whole
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− | kaer. The governors formed the new kaer council, each of
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− | them still ruling over his own hall with their own laws and
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− | customs.
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− | On Rashomon’s Madness
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− | The Temple of Greed, once the proud centerpiece of the
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− | kaer — now closed and in ruins, slowly dissolved into oblivion.
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− | The madness that befell the Passion Rashomon during
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− | the Scourge went by unnoticed by the population. No one
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− | witnessed how it changed to become Raggok — Passion of
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− | vengeance, bitterness, and jealousy. Only the remaining
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− | handful of followers felt a growing urge for revenge.
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− | Leldrin, the oldest of Samiel’s surviving followers,
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− | sought to satisfy the urge. He rallied the other followers
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− | and began turning his plans into reality — decades before
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− | the Scourge was predicted to end. A fire in the central
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− | library marked the beginning. The kaer guard perceived
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− | it as arson, aimed to destroy the kaer’s documents. For
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− | Leldrin, it was just a diversion to steal the Book of Sigils,
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− | a massive tome containing the secrets of the powerful
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− | Theran wards.
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− | On Leldrin’s Betrayal
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− | A few decades following the new council’s founding, the
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− | magicians of Kaer Ardanyan suggested that the time had
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− | come to mount an expedition. They frequently performed
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− | the ritual written in the Book of Tomorrow, and interpreted
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− | the results as an indicator for the Scourge’s end. A call for
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− | volunteers went out to the adepts of the kaer. After a few
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− | weeks of preparation, the kaer council sent out an exploration
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− | party to find a safe way through the wards and traps
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− | their forefathers had put into place.
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− | Led by the illusionist Leldrin, the party consisted
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− | mostly of his followers. The highly regarded dwarfs Dunar
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− | and Fearghus of Khar Rhûz — the only explorers not part
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− | of Leldrin’s quest for revenge, accompanied them. No evil
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− | had touched the wards outside the kaer; only a single trap
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− | had snapped and bound a minor Horror. Leldrin led the
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− | party safely to the surface. Everything seemed fine, the
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− | Scourge was over.
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− | When the two dwarves cheerfully turned back to report
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− | to the council, the rest of the party unveiled their true intentions.
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− | Fleeing back into the maze, the dwarves killed two of
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− | them before they met their final destiny. Leldrin used his
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− | illusions to disguise himself and mimic the trapped Horror.
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− | Fearghus died fighting, and Dunar was sacrificed — his
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− | blood was used to create the Cross of Ardanyan with Death
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− | Magic. The newly founded secret society parted ways: Leldrin
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− | returned into the kaer while his followers remained
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− | outside. With the help of the Book of Sigils and Leldrin’s
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− | illusions they would use the kaer’s treasury to rebuild the
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− | town (see The Town of Ardanyan on p. 44 for more
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− | details on their story).
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− | When Leldrin returned carrying the dead body of Fearghus
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− | in his arms, voices arose in the hall of Khar Rhûz.
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− | The governor demanded to verify what happened. The kaer
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− | council ordered the human Nethermancer Jandaan from
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− | Okoros to prove Leldrin’s words. Jandaan did as requested
| |
− | — but Leldrin’s illusions had fooled him as well. The
| |
− | council’s worst fears came true — the Scourge was not over
| |
− | yet, and there was a Horror lurking in front of the gates.
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− | On Hope Returning
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− | The mood in Kaer Ardanyan slowly dropped to an all
| |
− | time low. People went missing over the next years, and each
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− | day sprouted new, scary stories. Whispered rumors of a
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− | secret cult devoted to the Horror at the gates made their
| |
− | round, of cultists sacrificing innocent people to strengthen
| |
− | the Horror. Of all the Name-givers that vanished, the elven
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− | population was hit hardest. Apart from the missing, a series
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− | of strange diseases killed dozens of elves in the gardens of
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− | Shal’Minar. More rumors were raised when people feared
| |
− | that Leldrin had brought a curse back with him. Repeated
| |
− | investigations revealed that there was no truth to these
| |
− | rumors, and they eventually ebbed a year ago — when a
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− | shining ray of hope returned to end the dark times.
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− | Once every century, the only two obsidimen of Kaer
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− | Ardanyan wake from hibernation. They end their long time
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− | dreaming and talk to the people to hear stories of the things
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− | that happened and how the kaer developed. This time, the
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− | obsidimen stayed awake. They didn’t say why, but everyone
| |
− | knew it had something to do with the Scourge. A few weeks
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− | later, their awakening was followed by the t’skrang. No one
| |
− | expected their return, and a fisherman of Okoros almost
| |
− | had a stroke when the first reptilian Name-giver appeared
| |
− | on the shore of Lake Vross.
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− | Almost fifty years have passed since the first expedition
| |
− | — and everyone feels that the Scourge must have
| |
− | ended. A great burden lasts on the shoulders of the kaer
| |
− | council. They are forced to mount a new expedition by public
| |
− | demand, risking opening the kaer to a Horror waiting
| |
− | outside …
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− | The Kaer
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− | The following section describes the kaer in general
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− | and the separate halls in detail, including places of interest
| |
− | and important personalities. The maps presented here are
| |
− | intended for the gamemasters eyes only, since they show
| |
− | locations unknown to the characters. Players should use
| |
− | the hand-out maps in the back of this book.
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− | On How Kaer Ardanyan Works
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− | The dwarven architect Ghandoz designed Kaer Ardanyan,
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− | who dimensioned it large enough that there was
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− |
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− | enough space for coming generations and mining work.
| |
− | The protective wards are shaped like an orb incorporating
| |
− | the surrounding rock, with a tunnel circling the kaer’s
| |
− | equator. This border tunnel also marks ground zero of
| |
− | the kaer — there are levels above and below it. Four large
| |
− | halls were carved out of existing natural caves, which were
| |
− | widened and expanded to have a domed ceiling. The three
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− | largest halls — called Khar Rhûz, Shal’Minar, and
| |
− | Okoros — were planned as living areas centered around
| |
− | the smallest one, Council Hall, which served administrative
| |
− | purposes only. Today, the kaer is home to about 3,200
| |
− | Name-givers.
| |
− | All halls are illuminated by a large light crystal mounted
| |
− | in the center of each dome. During the day, the crystals
| |
− | emanate a yellowish glow reminding of sunlight. The ceilings
| |
− | were painted in a light blue and enhanced with illusion
| |
− | magic to create the image of a clear sky. The crystal light
| |
− | slowly fades on and off twice a day to create the illusion of
| |
− | dusk and dawn. Countless smaller light quartzes set into
| |
− | the domes simulate stars during the night.
| |
− | The underground levels serve various purposes. The
| |
− | levels directly under the surface are mainly used for storage
| |
− | and cooling food, sometimes even as living quarters.
| |
− | Chamber pots are emptied in the lower halls and come back
| |
− | as fertilizer for the fields. The deepest levels contain the
| |
− | death pits, where the bodies of the deceased are disposed.
| |
− | A deep layer of mud covers these pits, which are regularly
| |
− | skimmed for bones.
| |
− | An underground river was diverted to supply Kaer
| |
− | Ardanyan with water. The river is entering the kaer’s wards
| |
− | near the hall of Okoros and descends deep under the lowest
| |
− | levels, where it exits the wards again. A number of water
| |
− | elementals were bound to ensure the purity of the water
| |
− | and the safety of the kaer. These spirits also divert enough
| |
− | water to feed the lakes inside the halls.
| |
− | Apart from naturally grown air sponges, several air
| |
− | elementals clean the air and circulate it. As with the water
| |
− | elementals, the spirits work in the background and are
| |
− | mostly invisible. When the library was on fire many years
| |
− | back, the displeased spirits manifested in a great storm to
| |
− | clean out the smoke.
| |
− | On Customs
| |
− | The Separation and the circumstances of living in a
| |
− | closed underground environment had many lasting effects
| |
− | on Kaer Ardanyan’s society. Even if each hall has developed
| |
− | its own laws and customs, everyone works hard to ensure
| |
− | the survival of the kaer. For example, most materials need
| |
− | to be recycled. The death pits in the lowest levels are not
| |
− | only used to get rid of dead bodies — the mud filling the pits
| |
− | is highly acidic and decomposes organic matter in a matter
| |
− | of days. The bones skimmed from the mud are usually
| |
− | returned to the families, who carve tools or jewelry from
| |
− | it. It is not unusual to use an ancestor’s skull as a mug or
| |
− | sit on a stool made from his bones.
| |
− | Since water is a common resource, it is frowned upon
| |
− | to swim in the lakes of the kaer. Some people don’t like
| |
− | to drink anything others swam in. Only Lake Vevenna
| |
− | in Shal’Minar is reserved for this activity, but curiously
| |
− | enough, all people seem to ignore what the t’skrang do in
| |
− | Lake Vross.
| |
− | There was no trade in Ardanyan until the Separation.
| |
− | According to kaer law, only certified merchants are allowed
| |
− | to trade in Council Hall. Not all merchants sell their wares
| |
− | with profit on their hall’s local market — Shal’Minar makes
| |
− | an exception, and barters only for goods of equal value.
| |
− | Minted coins are seldom used for trading, far more
| |
− | common is the practice of accumulating a certain debt
| |
− | before filing a transfer of money at Council Hall. Coins
| |
− | are used to pay smaller sums, however. Most taverns only
| |
− | accept hard currency as some people tend to forget paying
| |
− | when they’re drunk.
| |
− | Being a neutral place, Council Hall is not open to everyone.
| |
− | Travelers must check with the kaer guard on their
| |
− | destination and approximate duration of their stay, before
| |
− | passing through Council Hall in a quick fashion. Travelers
| |
− | have to spend at least one night at a local inn when visiting
| |
− | another hall.
| |
− | The Mines of Khar Rhûz
| |
− | Khar Rhûz roughly translates as Home of the Rockeaters,
| |
− | because the hall was the first one to start mining.
| |
− | Dwarves mainly populate this hall, but a handful of
| |
− | humans and orks have immigrated in the past few years
| |
− | to work and learn here. About one thousand Name-givers
| |
− | live here.
| |
− | Many people say that there are as many holes in the
| |
− | sky of Khar Rhûz as in a colander, because the illusion
| |
− | of this hall’s blue sky is disturbed by a large number of
| |
− | frames, pulleys, and stairs. Each stairway leads up to a
| |
− | mine entrance in the domed ceiling, appearing like holes
| |
− | in the heaven.
| |
− | Ore is processed in large workshops, and the fine smoke
| |
− | rising from the chimneys along with the constant noise of
| |
− | hammers hitting countless anvils adds an industrial feeling
| |
− | to the hall during the day. Khar Rhûz has only limited
| |
− | space for plants and animals. Sheep and goats, along with
| |
− | chickens, ducks, and gooses are housed in a small number
| |
− | of guarded corrals. Fast-growing and nutritious grain and
| |
− | crop fill the small fields, but none of the harvest is used for
| |
− | trade in Council Hall — it’s barely enough for the dwarfs.
| |
− | A small grove consisting mostly of bal’nesh trees serves
| |
− | as a small park and recreational area. These trees grow
| |
− | relatively fast and are mainly used to fuel the fires in the
| |
− | forges, as they produce almost no smoke when burned.
| |
− | Several ponies spin the wheels on the shore of Lake Goch
| |
− | to transport the water into a system of small channels
| |
− | running above the houses to fill the cisterns distributed
| |
− | throughout the neighborhoods.
| |
− | Places of Interest
| |
− | The most prominent spots of Khar Rhûz include Gold
| |
− | Court Square, the Mining Districts, the Deeps, and the
| |
− | Dwarven Neighborhoods.
| |
− |
| |
− | Gold Court Square
| |
− | A large statue of Upandal dominates the favored meeting
| |
− | place of troubadours in Khar Rhûz. Every morning,
| |
− | food and tools are traded here and the place is filled with
| |
− | people bartering small shares of their family’s treasures
| |
− | for items bought in from Council Hall. Several impressive
| |
− | buildings of fine dwarven craftsmanship encircle the
| |
− | square: the governor’s house, Kaldarn’s Tavern, Wuldon’s
| |
− | Bakery, and a number of shops.
| |
− | Governor’s House
| |
− | The governor’s house is a most impressive building,
| |
− | displaying mosaics detailing the hall’s history. With five
| |
− | floors, it is also the highest building of the entire hall. A
| |
− | large balcony is directed toward the market, where Governor
| |
− | Kolgan Redbeard frequently holds speeches of public
| |
− | interest.
| |
− | Kaldarn’s Tavern
| |
− | The best inn of Khar Rhûz has also developed a reputation
| |
− | for being the most expensive. But the money is wellinvested:
| |
− | Kaldarn himself serves delicious dwarven food
| |
− | and home-brewed stout ale. The rooms are clean and service
| |
− | is exceptionally friendly. The upper class of Khar Rhûz
| |
− | meets here regularly to celebrate.
| |
− |
| |
− | Wuldon’s Bakery
| |
− | Wuldon’s Bakery is not only known for his heavy and
| |
− | dark bread, but also for his delicious cinnamon rolls. The
| |
− | flavors rising from his ovens are enjoyed every morning by
| |
− | the people on the square outside. Wuldon also sells traveling
| |
− | rations, as most dwarfs proudly take their own food on
| |
− | journeys to other halls.
| |
− | Shops
| |
− | The remaining buildings are little stores selling tools,
| |
− | clothing, and jewelry crafted by dwarven hands. Among
| |
− | others, Thelia’s Silkworks creates the latest fashion; a garb
| |
− | from her is a must for every well-heeled dwarf around.
| |
− | Orgut’s Warehouse sells almost everything: candles, parchment,
| |
− | rope, tools, sacks, potions, and perfume. Astendar’s
| |
− | Blessing is rather small in comparison, but Felar Spiderhands
| |
− | is the most talented goldsmith who ever existed in
| |
− | Kaer Ardanyan.
| |
− | Mining District
| |
− | A collection of workshops is dedicated to process the
| |
− | mined ores and metals on Astendar’s Square. Gems are
| |
− | brought into shape, gold and silver melted to bars and
| |
− | elemental earth is stored in special containers laced with
| |
− | orichalcum. A number of goldsmiths have settled here to
| |
− | be the first to pick the best pieces.
| |
− | The large house of the Miner’s Guild bustles with
| |
− | activity. The sidewall of the house bears a large map of the
| |
− | Deeps, and has two small shrines devoted to Upandal and
| |
− | Chorrolis next to it. Mongar Goldtooth, who coordinates
| |
− | the mining activities, leads the guild. The treasures of Khar
| |
− | Rhûz are not stored in a vault inside the Hall — they never
| |
− | were, not even in times of unrest. The kaer’s treasury is
| |
− | located underneath Council Hall, considered the safest
| |
− | place of the kaer by everyone.
| |
− | The Deeps
| |
− | The mines are commonly known as the Deeps, forming
| |
− | a labyrinth of corridors, galleries, pits, and smaller halls
| |
− | on a disturbing number of levels. The miners of Khar Rhûz
| |
− | have created a large part of the Deeps. As a result, most of
| |
− | the ceilings are low — built for dwarven size. Almost all of
| |
− | the entrances are located in Khar Rhûz; a few others are
| |
− | located in Okoros, which is also engaged in mining.
| |
− | The border tunnel on the kaer’s equator serves as a
| |
− | measure for planning the mining. No one dares to dig too
| |
− | close to the wards, to avoid the risk of weakening them.
| |
− | The architectural calculations are done by the Miner’s
| |
− | Guild, which takes great care to avoid another disastrous
| |
− | cave-in.
| |
− | Dwarven Neighborhoods
| |
− | Dwarven houses are small, build for dwarven size. The
| |
− | houses have usually three or more levels, most of them
| |
− | underground. Over the centuries, the houses coalesced
| |
− | together. While a neighborhood might look like a group of
| |
− | separate houses from the outside, the opposite is true on
| |
− | the inside. Most of the neighborhoods in Khar Rhûz belong
| |
− | to a single, extended family and form a labyrinth of rooms,
| |
− | floors, stairs, and windows.
| |
− | Several places in Khar Rhûz are only known to the
| |
− | dwarfs living there. For example, the tavern called Razier’s
| |
− | Den is visited exclusively by a certain kind of dwarven miners
| |
− | — those who tend to drink a pint too many after a long
| |
− | day in the mines. Needless to say, it is not advisable for
| |
− | other Name-givers to show up here.
| |
− | Deep inside the neighborhoods, the guards of Khar
| |
− | Rhûz train their soldiers. As a branch of the kaer guard,
| |
− | these dwarfs maintain a state of law and order in Khar
| |
− | Rhûz and their part of the Council Hall. Most of the guards
| |
− | in positions of command are adepts.
| |
− | Personalities of Khar Rhûz
| |
− | The following Name-givers hail from Khar Rhûz and
| |
− | are well-known throughout the kaer:
| |
− | Mongar Goldtooth
| |
− | Despite being the head of the Miner’s Guild and a relative
| |
− | of Tahrkusz, Mongar is anything but greedy. While
| |
− | feeling bad for his heritage, he fears giving up the position
| |
− | he inherited from his forefathers and spends most of his
| |
− | time among the miners — leaving most of the decisions to
| |
− | Dolbek Stonehammer, current master architect and questor
| |
− | of Upandal.
| |
− | Helman von Gut
| |
− | Although Helman’s work on the Grand Airships of
| |
− | Barsaive is mostly theoretical, this human can often be
| |
− | seen on the only airboat in Khar Rhûz. He often practices
| |
− | his skills over the rooftops, tempting the air elementals
| |
− | to gusts and even storms, much to the annoyance of the
| |
− | neighborhoods below.
| |
− | Flim and Jhonda Vreen
| |
− | These dwarf siblings of the warrior and archer disciplines
| |
− | are the heroes of the kaer guard. Their teamwork
| |
− | made them very popular and there are at least two different
| |
− | songs about them sung in the taverns.
| |
− | Flim and Jhonda are investigators, known all over the
| |
− | kaer for their effectiveness.
| |
− | Fohr Brosle
| |
− | Brosle the thief became famous when he picked a star
| |
− | from the heaven for the woman he fell in love with, a feat
| |
− | no other Scout or Thief has managed to top.
| |
− | The star in question was the one closest to the light
| |
− | crystal at the center of the Hall’s domed ceiling.
| |
− | Elmar Firehammer
| |
− | Besides being the main weaponsmith of Khar Rhûz,
| |
− | Elmar Firehammer is the son of Dunar, the famous
| |
− | weaponsmith who died on the first expedition.
| |
− | Elmar has a deep-rooted hatred for all Horrors and
| |
− | works on his own heartblade that shall be used to destroy
| |
− | the Horror at the gate.
| |
− | Brelduin
| |
− | This dwarven Nethermancer lives underneath the
| |
− | pump house of Lake Goch. He is seen rarely, and there are
| |
− |
| |
− | rumors that he had a major dispute with Ghandjoon, the
| |
− | grandmistress of Ardanyan’s Nethermancers.
| |
− | The Silence
| |
− | of Shal’Minar
| |
− | Being the home of Kaer Ardanyan’s elven population,
| |
− | Shal’Minar is the main source of food for the whole
| |
− | kaer. Idyllic fruit-gardens, wide fields, small forests and
| |
− | huts woven from living plants define the landscape of
| |
− | this hall — even the sidewalls are covered by ivy and wine.
| |
− | Horses, cows, sheep, and goats run freely here, guarded by
| |
− | shepherds. Ghandoz designed Shal’Minar with the elven
| |
− | and windling races in mind. Each of the huts dotting the
| |
− | landscape is woven from living plants, although only the
| |
− | roof is visible. Most of the huts extend further underground,
| |
− | some even have extended cellars.
| |
− | After the Separation, most Name-givers of the other
| |
− | races decided to leave the elves alone and moved out. There
| |
− | is not much change in Shal’Minar as a result — elves grow
| |
− | very old and have only few children. Additionally, the elven
| |
− | population seemed to have an increasing rate of deaths due
| |
− | to a mysterious plague in the past decades. Even though
| |
− | Shal’Minar was always sparsely populated, only five
| |
− | hundred Name-givers live under the domed ceiling. The
| |
− | windlings make up at least half of the population.
| |
− | Scholars suspect the illness is just a random event, as
| |
− | there are no clues indicating Horror taint as the cause.
| |
− | Their investigations counter the rumors in which Leldrin
| |
− | has brought back a disease from the expedition. The hero
| |
− | was examined several times for Horror taint, but always
| |
− | with negative results. Now, about five decades after he
| |
− | returned, no one dares to accuse the kaer’s greatest hero
| |
− | without hard evidence.
| |
− | Places of Interest
| |
− | The most prominent spots of Shal’Minar include the
| |
− | Wise Tree, the various lakes and fields, and the Groves.
| |
− | The Wise Tree
| |
− | A massive, old oak grows in the center of Shal’Minar.
| |
− | It is the largest tree in the kaer, and the treetop holds the
| |
− | governor’s house — woven from the branches of the tree in
| |
− | elven tradition. Right in front of the Wise Tree is the largest
| |
− | gathering place of the hall — Sand Square. A wooden
| |
− | statue of Jaspree was carved from a dead tree that once
| |
− | grew here. There is a large gathering here once a week,
| |
− | when the elven merchants come to distribute tools, clothing
| |
− | and jewelry they traded for the good of the community
| |
− | in Council Hall.
| |
− | Of the Name-givers following the magician disciplines,
| |
− | most of the apprentices seem to come from the hall of
| |
− | Okoros. The house of the Magician’s Guild is located in
| |
− | Shal’Minar, however, and it is the only one built with traditional
| |
− | materials — wood, stone, and metal. There is only
| |
− | one grandmaster for every single magician discipline. They
| |
− | form the Council of Mages and are tasked with the control
| |
− | of the kaer’s wards.
| |
− | Lakes and Fields
| |
− | As Kaer Ardanyan’s main source of food, Shal’Minar’s
| |
− | rolling fields produce enough wheat and grain for the entire
| |
− | kaer population. Over a dozen smaller springs water the
| |
− | fields, forming small streams flowing toward Lake Sumven
| |
− | and Lake Vevenna. While Sumven is the main source of
| |
− | Shal’Minar’s drinkable water, Vevenna is used for swimming
| |
− | and washing.
| |
− | The Groves
| |
− | Ijandii Grove, Jaspree’s Grove, and Sweetgrove are the
| |
− | three main forests of the hall. Ijandii Grove contains a huge,
| |
− | hive-like formation of rocks. The formation houses the
| |
− | windling clan of Ijandii. Small windling homes have been
| |
− | carved from the soft sandstone, but some windlings have
| |
− | built new homes in the nearby treetops. Jaspree’s Grove is
| |
− | home to Ardanyan’s woodworkers and woodcrafters. The
| |
− | fast-growing bal’nesh trees produce firewood exported to
| |
− | the forges of Khar Rhûz. A small shrine devoted to Jaspree
| |
− | can be found where the woodcrafters create wooden farming
| |
− | tools. The largest forest is Sweetgrove, although it looks
| |
− | more like a large garden. Entirely composed of trees bearing
| |
− | fruit, Sweetgrove is a popular spot for taking extended
| |
− | walks.
| |
− | Personalities of Shal’Minar
| |
− | The following Name-givers hail from Shal’Minar and
| |
− | are well-known across the kaer:
| |
− | Asandel
| |
− | As governor of Shal’Minar, Asandel lives on top of the
| |
− | Wise Tree alone. He is relatively young, and his family was
| |
− | killed by the mysterious plague a decade ago. He relies on
| |
− | the judgement of his mentor, although he constantly tries
| |
− | to better the relationship with the dwarves of Khar Rhûz
| |
− | against Leldrin’s advice.
| |
− | Ghandjoon
| |
− | As a Nethermancer, Ghandjoon lives in a small hut on
| |
− | the edge of Ijandii Grove. The windlings are rarely seen
| |
− | here, they consider the grounds around it cursed. Ghandjoon’s
| |
− | master Jandaan died only recently and she was
| |
− | appointed as a new member of the Council of Mages.
| |
− | T’Schrrt Zru’Ul
| |
− | This t’skrang Wizard came to the Magician’s Guild right
| |
− | after his awakening, stating that his long-time membership
| |
− | entitles him to a seat in the Council of Mages. His request
| |
− | was denied on the behalf of the human Wizard Khandif,
| |
− | although very old documents clearly state that T’Schrrt
| |
− | was one of the guild’s founders almost five hundred years
| |
− | ago.
| |
− |
| |
− | Vespundi
| |
− | Beastmaster Vespundi is tending to a swarm of Zoaks
| |
− | native to Shal’Minar. He is often seen taming them and
| |
− | teaching other windlings how to ride. The elves watch his
| |
− | activities with care, uncomfortable with the thought of a
| |
− | windling-gang on fast-flying mounts.
| |
− | Rokku u Rôl
| |
− | In charge of the horses living in Shal’Minar, the elven
| |
− | Cavalryman Rokku has a long and proud family history,
| |
− | which was said to have ancestors native to the elven nation
| |
− | of Shosara. His brown steed Varak is always close.
| |
− | Sylphis
| |
− | Although it is forbidden to enter other halls and houses
| |
− | without checking with the kaer guard, the windling Thief
| |
− | Sylphis slips by them almost every day.
| |
− | His enemy is Jhonda Vreen; the Archer usually pays him
| |
− | a visit first if anything of great value is reported stolen.
| |
− |
| |
− | The Chaos of Okoros
| |
− | When the population of Okoros decided to separate
| |
− | themselves from the rest of the kaer, the Hall became the
| |
− | home of almost all Name-givers not of the dwarven and
| |
− | elven races. Okoros is filled with houses of different architectural
| |
− | styles, each one dominating a different district.
| |
− | Everyone began building using their own plans after the
| |
− | Separation, with no visible concept.
| |
− | The large longhouses of the kaer’s trollmoot stand right
| |
− | next to the orkish and rather hive-like Castel — which looks
| |
− | like a large number of buildings placed on top of each other.
| |
− | Simple, but elegant houses with shops on the floor level
| |
− | dominate the human district while the t’skrang hibernated
| |
− | in their underwater houses beneath Lake Vross. The two
| |
− | obsidimen known as The Sleepers have no house at all, living
| |
− | on the streets or with anyone providing them shelter.
| |
− | Remarkable is the unity that binds the different cultures
| |
− | together, despite the fact that Okoros is only a few
| |
− | Name-givers short of being overpopulated. The 1,700
| |
− | Name-givers show their heritage openly, and tend to side
| |
− | with each other as soon as they deal with anyone not from
| |
− | Okoros. Outsiders are sometimes treated like intruders,
| |
− | as there is a definitive mistrust towards elves and dwarfs.
| |
− | More jokes about elves and dwarves make their rounds
| |
− | than jokes about orks and trolls — although that might
| |
− | have a different reason...
| |
− | Places of Interest
| |
− | The most prominent spots of Okoros include the Sleeper’s
| |
− | Square, Lake Vross, the Castel, and the Okoroi.
| |
− | Sleeper’s Square
| |
− | As opposed to the central squares of the other halls,
| |
− | Sleeper’s Square has no statue anymore. But a rounded
| |
− | base is still there, which once held the obsidimen brothers
| |
− | known as The Sleepers. On the way to their Liferock, they
| |
− | were forced to enter Kaer Ardanyan just before it closed its
| |
− | gates. The Scourge was already too near, making it impossible
| |
− | for them to return in time.
| |
− | A few months after the closing, the brothers embraced
| |
− | each other and became the statue on Sleeper’s Square. The
| |
− | sleepers woke up only once every century, spending several
| |
− | weeks to eat and talk to the population. Almost a year ago,
| |
− | they woke up again and haven’t entered their sleep since.
| |
− | All they say is that they don’t feel like dreaming anymore.
| |
− | A U-shaped building is the residence of Galvan Andur,
| |
− | the human governor of Okoros. The house is made of white
| |
− | marble and its steps lead up to the many pillars surrounding
| |
− | the house. The steps are a favorite spot to sit on and
| |
− | watch the stars during the evening or the colorful market
| |
− | in the morning.
| |
− | Following the street towards the gate, a number of
| |
− | small workshops form the Artisan’s Mile. The craftsmen
| |
− | and artisans of Okoros settled here to create clothing, barrels,
| |
− | tools, and even butcher animals. Most of them have
| |
− | a small store attached to their workshop. Members of all
| |
− | Name-giver races can be found here, dominated by an
| |
− | above-average share of humans.
| |
− | Lake Vross
| |
− | The waterfall of Lake Vross is the main attraction of
| |
− | Okoros. The underground river enters the kaer here, and
| |
− | the lake below holds the t’skrang niall of K’Tan Vross.
| |
− | The niall’s small tower juts out of the water on the northern
| |
− | shore, sealed shut until a few months ago, when the
| |
− | t’skrang awoke from their hibernation.
| |
− | The first t’skrang to come out of the water scared away
| |
− | the local fishermen, who had never seen a living t’skrang
| |
− | before. One fisherman almost had a stroke, so it took a
| |
− | moment before they realized that the reptilians were not
| |
− | Horror-spawn, but Name-givers.
| |
− | The Castel
| |
− | The birth rate of orks is high. The kaer Council once
| |
− | had strong regulations to control breeding, but the law was
| |
− | not enforced since the events of the Separation. The orks
| |
− | needed more space fast and — akin to the dwarven neighborhoods
| |
− | of Khar Rhûz — they connected their buildings
| |
− | before building upwards. Orks build for their own convenience
| |
− | and not for beauty, so the entire quarter looks chaotic
| |
− | and haphazard. Entire buildings have collapsed over
| |
− | time, but the orks are tirelessly rebuilding and expanding
| |
− | them.
| |
− | This district is dubbed the Castel by the other Namegivers,
| |
− | because there is only one street left leading into
| |
− | the district. Near the end of this street, the Gate Tavern
| |
− | serves the dreaded beverage hurlg and is a favorite meeting
| |
− | place.
| |
− | The Okoroi
| |
− | The simple longhouses of the trollmoot Okoroi are
| |
− | known for their festivities. Every month sees a different
| |
− | challenge or game, which is usually physical in nature. The
| |
− | festivities are open to everyone, and every so often, orks
| |
− | and even humans dare to enter a challenge, much to the
| |
− | joy of the whole hall.
| |
− | The Okoroi are lowland trolls, and proud of their heritage.
| |
− | They insist that they have no connection to the uncivilized
| |
− | highlander pirates.
| |
− | Personalities of Okoros
| |
− | The following Name-givers hail from Okoros and are
| |
− | well-known throughout the kaer:
| |
− | Galvan Andur
| |
− | The governor of Okoros is constantly trying to keep his
| |
− | hall under control. That’s harder than one might think, as
| |
− | all the different cultures are constantly quarreling with
| |
− | one another — the unity shown to the outside is just that:
| |
− | show.
| |
− | Okoroi Mangrath Armbreaker
| |
− | Mangrath is the main initiator of the games and challenges
| |
− | in the Okoroi quarter. He uses these challenges to
| |
− | practice the warrior discipline and oversee the training of
| |
− | his apprentices. As a regarded questor of Thystonius, he
| |
− | takes part himself — usually as an opponent for anyone
| |
− | participating.
| |
− |
| |
− | Haragasun K’Tan Vross
| |
− | Haragasun tries to reestablish her rightful position in
| |
− | the kaer. As the lahala of the K’Tan Vross niall, she strives
| |
− | to become the new governor, or to at least get a seat in the
| |
− | kaer Council.
| |
− | Marliena Swordsinger
| |
− | This troubadour’s lute is almost as famous as her sword.
| |
− | Marliena is also a Swordmaster and has written countless
| |
− | poems and songs about Ardanyan’s history.
| |
− | She knows how to touch a Name-givers heart and her
| |
− | fans tend to go crazy when she appears somewhere to give
| |
− | a performance.
| |
− | Grishnag the Poor
| |
− | This Cavalryman and his trusted donkey Maul are a sad
| |
− | sight. Grishnag lost his family’s money to a gambler and
| |
− | was exiled from the Castel afterwards. His mount remains
| |
− | his only friend, and Grishnag is often seen in his company
| |
− | on the shore of Lake Vross.
| |
− | Sham’Sin
| |
− | Sham’Sin is the highest-ranking Elementalist of Kaer
| |
− | Ardanyan and head of the Council of Mages. He is in charge
| |
− | of the kaer’s wards and elemental spirits. He recently
| |
− | moved to Okoros with his sluggish apprentice, a fat little
| |
− | windling nicknamed Broom.
| |
− |
| |
− | Spilvan the Red
| |
− | Spilvan is a common sight in the taverns of Okoros. He
| |
− | is belligerent, and very quick to pull his blade. As a human
| |
− | Swordmaster of some reputation, Spilvan has found new
| |
− | friends among the t’skrang — although he has had to prove
| |
− | himself worthy of their attention.
| |
− | Council Hall
| |
− | The central hall of Kaer Ardanyan is nothing
| |
− | more than a very large square with several buildings huddled
| |
− | up against the walls. Four gates dominate the hall. The
| |
− | three largest gates each lead to one of the other halls, while
| |
− | the fourth one is smaller and opens to Freedom Gate. The
| |
− | way to Freedom Gate is opened only during the Passing of
| |
− | Years festival, when the entire kaer celebrates the beginning
| |
− | of a new year.
| |
− | The large gates leading to Council Hall are usually
| |
− | closed, but the kaer guards let travelers pass between the
| |
− | halls. The gates open only in the early morning of every
| |
− | third day, when the designated merchants enter Council
| |
− | Hall for business. During these hours, the large square
| |
− | turns into a colorful market. The merchants offer their
| |
− | wares and deliver orders. They buy or trade for items their
| |
− | hall needs, depending on demand. The merchants from
| |
− | Khar Rhûz are known to be the greediest, using their position
| |
− | to sell everything with a huge profit to their own kin.
| |
− | Travelers passing through Council Hall must check
| |
− | with the kaer guards of their own hall and the guards of
| |
− | their destination. They need to file their names along with
| |
− | their estimated duration of stay, which must include at
| |
− | least one night.
| |
− | Places of Interest
| |
− | The most prominent spots of Council Hall include
| |
− | Council House, the Pillar, the Temple of Greed, the library,
| |
− | and Freedom Gate.
| |
− | Council House
| |
− | Every day after the market closes, the kaer Council
| |
− | meets in the grand council house overlooking the Hall. The
| |
− | council members usually discuss current events and problems
| |
− | affecting the kaer as a whole. Kaer politics are made
| |
− | here, and many of the discussions eventually lead — as the
| |
− | people say — nowhere. On the front wall near the entrance
| |
− | hangs a golden memorial plate, honoring the dead of the
| |
− | first expedition. A second door leading to the levels underneath
| |
− | the council house contain the detention cells and are
| |
− | heavily guarded.
| |
− | The Pillar
| |
− | A wide pillar stands in the middle of Council Hall’s
| |
− | square bearing a huge statue of Garlen on top of it. Two
| |
− | large metal doors covered with orichalcum ornaments lead
| |
− | to the levels directly underneath Council Hall. The doors
| |
− | are heavily guarded and a metal railing keeps people from
| |
− | getting too close to the pillar.
| |
− | The door facing the council house leads to the safest
| |
− | and most disputed place in Kaer Ardanyan: the treasury.
| |
− | All of the kaer’s treasures are stored in the caverns below,
| |
− | warded with mechanical and magical traps of all sorts. A
| |
− | special division of the kaer guard watches the treasures
| |
− | underground.
| |
− | The other door is the entrance to the Azhûn-ka, a room
| |
− | in the exact center of the orb-shaped kaer. The walls inside
| |
− | the Azhûn-ka are made of shimmering white marble lined
| |
− | with orichalcum. Each piece of marble is enchanted with
| |
− | magical runes controlling one of the numerous wards
| |
− | of the kaer. Only members of the Council of Mages have
| |
− | access to this room.
| |
− | Library
| |
− | A few decades have passed since the great fire, which
| |
− | destroyed countless tomes — including the original copy of
| |
− | the Book of Tomorrow and the only copy of the Book of
| |
− | Sigils. The Library has been rebuilt and restocked, so most
| |
− | of the literature remaining is of a more recent date. The
| |
− | hall of records is located in the basement of the library, and
| |
− | governs birth and death certificates, logs of past council
| |
− | meetings, and the status of the treasury.
| |
− | The library used to hold the extended texts of kaer law
| |
− | until the Separation. Most parts have been removed and
| |
− | are governed in the separate halls. The current laws stored
| |
− | here still concern kaer-wide rules only, but mainly include
| |
− | rules on how business is conducted in Council Hall. When
| |
− | the trading came, much changed for the librarian, Master
| |
− | Xond. He now administers the transfer of treasure between
| |
− | the halls and families’ accounts.
| |
− | Temple of Greed
| |
− | The temple grounds are abandoned; there is no questor
| |
− | of Rashomon left. After the hidden treasures have been
| |
− | collected, no one touched the temple ever since. Broken
| |
− | pillars, shattered walls and piles of rocks have been put
| |
− | behind a fence. A layer of dust has settled on the ruins over
| |
− | the centuries.
| |
− | Freedom Gate
| |
− | A long, broad corridor runs from Council Hall toward
| |
− | Freedom Gate. The walls are covered with beautiful mosaics
| |
− | depicting the kaer’s history and Ardanyan’s past. Once
| |
− | a year, the gate leading to the corridor is opened for festivities
| |
− | marking the beginning of a new year. On the first day
| |
− | of these celebrations, a new mosaic is uncovered showing
| |
− | the events of the past year. Dancers and troubadours sing
| |
− | of the beauty of the world to which the kaer-dwellers will
| |
− | once return.
| |
− | Freedom Gate itself is watched by at least four kaer
| |
− | guards at any given time. The massive gate is the largest one
| |
− | in the kaer, and seems to be made entirely from orichalcum.
| |
− | Thin lines of warding emanating an eerie white light cover
| |
− | the gate. Close to the gate is a small caisson, resembling a
| |
− | round doorway. The caisson works like a sluice, with one
| |
− | door on the inside and another on the outside. Only one
| |
− | door can be opened at any one time, allowing Name-givers
| |
− | to leave the kaer without compromising the wards.
| |
− |
| |
− | In front of Freedom Gate is an elemental well, crafted
| |
− | to perform the rituals from the Book of Tomorrow. The
| |
− | well holds elemental water and a ball of elemental earth
| |
− | hovers just above the surface. The ball has not moved in
| |
− | decades, which leads to discussions among the magicians
| |
− | every so often.
| |
− | Personalities of Council Hall
| |
− | The following Name-givers spend most of their time
| |
− | in the Council Hall and are well-known throughout the
| |
− | kaer:
| |
− | Joran Hardhelm
| |
− | A distinguished human in his early 40s, Joran is the
| |
− | ambassador for Okoros. He also acts as the speaker for the
| |
− | Council whenever something needs to be announced to the
| |
− | public. Joran is not an adept, although he usually wears
| |
− | long robes colored in brownish tones and embroidered
| |
− | with elaborate patterns.
| |
− | Gathlaen Velidien
| |
− | Leldrin usually accompanies Ambassador Gathlaen
| |
− | when she attends a council meeting, and relies heavily on
| |
− | him whenever she makes a decision. Like Shal’Minar’s
| |
− | Governor Asandel, she is young and lacks experience.
| |
− | Kolgan Redbeard
| |
− | Being governor of Khar Rhûz, Kolgan is also one of the
| |
− | most prominent Troubadours in the hall. He believes in
| |
− | taking things into his own hands to make anything work.
| |
− | He displays the three braids of his f laming red beard
| |
− | proudly and always has a story to tell.
| |
− | Master Xond
| |
− | The changes concerning the Passion of Erendis were
| |
− | barely noted in Kaer Ardanyan. Following the ways of
| |
− | Erendis, Xond’s personality twisted to become a follower
| |
− | of Dis almost unnoticed.
| |
− | As head of the hall of records and the library, he delegates
| |
− | massive amounts of writing work off to his underlings,
| |
− | while he takes endless joy in calculating the current
| |
− | balances of the kaer’s numerous accounts.
| |