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ON DISCORD
    The City of Thornward, Part II
    Posted on Thu, November 01, 2001 by Toran
    Thornward. Gateway between the lands of the Bakluni and the lands of the Flanaess. After the Kettite withdrawl from the lands of Bissel, the city of Thornward became the Berlin of the Flanaess, divided into quarters and ruled by (at times) factions hostile to one another. And so it stands today, divided and almost rivalling the infameous City of Greyhawk for it's rampant corruption.

    Part II covers the Temples, Nobles, and some of the nasty rumors circulating in the city.

    Authors: Wayne Rossi and Jesse Dean




    Thornward, Neutral City of, Part II

    by Jesse Dean (jessedn@yahoo.com) and Wayne Rossi
    Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

    Temples of Thornward

    The Glorious Temple of the Voll in Thornward

    The chapel that forms the center of the Glorious Temple of the Voll in Thornward (called the Thornward Temple of Voll in for brevity in the future) is a magnificent structure that was built in the early 400s to serve as a representative to both the people of Bissel as well as those in Ket and beyond to all that the Church of Voll represents and can be. The Temple covers an entire block of the Velunese quarter and is the largest and most awe-inspiring temple this side of Mitrik. It survived the invasion by Ket relatively intact save for some minor looting of the most valuable objects that were not hidden before the soldiers arrived.

    The Church of Voll is organized in a hierarchical manner that is reminiscent of those temples controlled in the lands of Veluna and Furyondy. Bishop Karn serves as the leader of the temple and the faith acting as a director for their overall activities and serving to deal with high-ranking government officials and members of other faiths within the city. Immediately below him are Prefect Alisa, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the temple, Knight-Valiant Tanya al-Naik, who leaves the martial forces of the temple as well as directing the activities of the Sacred Crusaders for the region, and the trio of Holy Jurists who serve the temple as investigators and judges of violations of doctrine. Reporting to the Prefect and the Knight-Valiant are a cadre of priests and servants as well as the military arm of the Church and the Sacred Crusaders. The Bishop, who has ultimate say in matters pertaining to the Thornward and Greater Bakluna region, resolves conflicts of interest.

    The Glorious Temple is served by 129 priests of varying race and orders (90 of which are members of the Shepherds, 20 members of the Sacred Crusaders, 13 members of the Merciful Order, 3 members of the Pious Order, and 3 members of the Just Order) led by Bishop Karn, Shepherd of Greater Bakluna (9th Level Shepherd of Voll; Lawful Good; Wisdom 18, Charisma 16; Age: 42) a native of Bissel who rose through the ranks of the temple through a combination of strength of character, skill, and wisdom. He is a thin, clean shaven man who has many worry lines around his face due to the years of having to deal with Ketite rule and meeting their excessive taxes. He handled this most ably though and was granted the title of Bishop of the newly established region within the church known as Greater Bakluna and is responsible for existing temples (the temple in Thornward) as well as building new converts in the Baklunish lands (which he has failed to do in any significant numbers thus far). His superiors have far more important things to worry about than his expansion at the moment though and are content with him merely keeping the Thornward Temple prosperous and making sure that Orwen does not do anything too detrimental to the reputation of Veluna. Most Velunese are beginning to look to him as the true leader of the Veluna sector of Thornward and ignore Orwen anyway unless he directly threatens them or their livelihood or forces his soldiers on them. This respect and influence that Karn has infuriates Orwen to no end and Orwen frequently contemplates how to regain the control that is rightfully his.

    Prefect Alisa (7th level Shepherd of Voll; LG; Wisdom 16, Constitution 15, Age: 26) of the Glorious Temple of the Voll in Thornward handles the day-to-day matters that would distract from the Bishops attention. Alisa is a stout woman who wears her dirty blond hair in a bun and does not go anywhere in the "uncivilized frontier" without her trusty mace at her side. She is new to this temple having been assigned here fresh from the College of Serenity in Mitrik where she acted as a liaison between Velunese families seeking their children's admission into the college and the board of reagents. She sees the Ketites of the city as being untrustworthy backstabbers and murderers and has difficulty retaining a serene manner when speaking to them. She handles Bisselites, Velunese, and Gran Marchians much more ably and is very good at handling their requests and complaints.

    Shepherd of Truth Calist i'Rinon (3rd level Shepherd of Voll; NG; Wisdom 17, Age: 24) is Gavrel i'Rinon's half-Bakluni grandson who has been disowned for his following of an "Aerdi" faith. Calist has accepted this woeful burden though and strives to serve the Church of Voll to the best of his ability in order to prove that he is not the unfaithful scourge of the earth that his grandfather claims he is. Calist is a skinny man with brown hair and black eyes who wears his hair clean cut and his beard and mustache in a short, neatly trimmed manner. He wears his Mask of Faith almost continuously and leaves it mostly unadorned save for a small symbol of Rao in the right hand cheek. Calist is responsible for handling hiring outsiders for work that cannot be handled for allies for the church as well as provisioning both those outsiders and allies of the church for any mission they need to perform.

    Knight Valiant Tanya val-Naik (8th level Sacred Crusader of Voll; LG; Strength 16, Wisdom 15, Charisma 15; Age: 32) is the captain of all members of the Sacred Crusader of Voll within Thornward and reports directly to Bishop Karn. Tanya is a natural blond of Suel descent with a full, muscular figure and piercing green eyes. She usually has a cold look about her as her constant run ins with Derek tul-Darn have left her stressed and angry. She rules her subordinates with an easy hand and cares not how they accomplish their tasks as long as they meet her expectations and do not perform any acts of evil. She views incompetence as being akin to evil and those who her fail her should expect to regret it for the rest of their days. Tanya has a long-standing rivalry with Derek tul-Darn who she has known since they met during the Greyhawk wars while battling against the Ketites. She believes that he is inflexible and chauvinistic and he sees her as weak-willed and liberal. There war of words grows every day and many predict that a duel will soon result between them.

    Evris e'Selant

    Shira e'Talil Thornwardi (The House of the Faithful in Thornward), Mosque of Evris e'Selant (the "True Faith"): This is a fine piece of architecture, and along with the residence of former puppet Graf Imran is probably the greatest drain on the loot taken by the Ketite army when Thornward fell. A lavish mosque based on the floor plan of a similar one in Ceshra, the mosque takes up a large space formerly given to a temple to Heironeous whose head priest committed suicide along with the old Margrave. Its brilliant sapphire-colored dome is a breathtaking sight to behold along Thornward's skyline. The garden is lavish, as is traditional, and the inside and out are decorated with numerous statues.

    The priests in Shira e'Talil Thornwardi are probably the most ambitious in Thornward. With only a rough outline of the hierarchy that is in Lopolla's mosque, the 129 priests here are a mix of Ketites (76 are from Ket) and a surprising number of proselytes (the remaining 53). Most of the upper ranking priests and the high priest are Ketite, with the converts filling out the ranks, most of them novices or just out of said rank. The mosque is run with clockwork efficiency, and all of its priests have nearly incalculable sway over the human Ketite guardsmen.

    Covi Falin e'Yevant (11th level Son of the True Faith (Evris e'Selant); LN; Wisdom 17, Charisma 15). This fairly young well to do priest saw and seized his opportunity when Ket conquered Bissel. He became a zealous proselytizing force in Thornward, and soon had the funds to build an impressive mosque in the city. When Thornward was given four-way rulership, the Ketite guardsmen ensured that Ket's diplomats controlled the mosque and its surroundings, including the bazaar. Falin is a strict, but capable priest, and runs his mosque with the intent of being the best in Thornward. He is often preoccupied with theological or civic matters and is inaccessible in normal circumstances. A lower Amlan will address most day-to-day concerns. Falin has black, curly hair that he allows to grow as long as three inches on top, but keeps close-cropped on the sides and in back. There is scarcely so much as a hair on his face during public appearances.

    Coun Baran Varenti (9th level Amlani e'Selant; LN; Intelligence 17, Wisdom 16). A young, Baklunish priest with hair kept meticulously no more than 2 inches long, and facial hair describing a neat fringe around his hard-lined face, this priest of 28 is immaculate as any dweller of the Flanaess can be in his personal hygiene and dress. He is equally careful and hell-bent on perfection in his work, making him an excellent right hand for Falin e'Yevant. Baran, both fortunately and unfortunately, suffers from obsessive/compulsive disorder. He keeps the offices of the mosque in perfect order and the records are impeccable. He is irritating to meet in person, because he has an uncanny knack for picking out any given flaw in a person, and will not tolerate disorder around him (he is known for having fits in public places where things are not orderly). Still, Baran is the person to see to get to Falin, and he manages most of the day-to-day funds of the mosque. Not surprisingly, nothing gets by this dedicated, mentally ill priest.

    Holy Cult of Enlightened Knowledge

    The Holy Cult of Enlightened Knowledge is a small religious order dedicated to the worship of Lydia in her aspects of knowledge and daylight. It has established itself throughout Thornward with over half of its 43 priests and numerous followers spread throughout the infrastructure gathering every bit of interesting information within the city and delivering it to the hands of the Grand Lorist. The Grand Lorist and her High Lorists in turn record every bit of knowledge gained and transfer the accounts to the vaults beneath the Temple itself. These vaults extend many hundred of feet into the ground and are specially protected by magic to prevent water from the Fals River from seeping into it.

    The Temple of Enlightened Knowledge is well known among those within the region to be the place to go in order to find out what is really happening in Thornward. Though they may not know everything that is going on they have a good idea of the major plots as well as most of the minor ones of any significance. The Grand Lorist is willing to sell bits and pieces to those who are willing to make the proper donations to the temple. Beyond this the Grand Lorist prefers not to involve herself or anyone with any influential rank within the clergy in any plots that might potentially endanger the temple or the faith. She has acted before to use the cult's vast network to bring down someone who might threaten the city but she prefers to avoid this when at all possible. The Temple is unaware of the presence of an organized church of Nerull within the city, as all the agents who have gotten too close have died. The Gran Lorist is, however, suspicious that something is going on within the Gran March quarter due to the deaths that have happened.

    Grand Lorist Talia Danith, 12th level Priestess of Lydia (Suloise female); AL: NG; Int: 16; Wis: 18; Age: 38. Talia Danith is a Suloise woman slowly approaching 40, and she has managed to age with considerable grace, her blonde hair often worn tied back, white face relatively free of wrinkles. Her eyes still sparkle of youth. Talia's white robes are exquisitely trimmed with gold and silver (it is rumored that she has sent to Ekbir to have them made since setting up shop in Thornward). Talia is calm, patient, and knowledgeable, and she is more than happy to share this knowledge--with the correct person. She only gives out bits and pieces of stories to those not in her or her temple's favor, and is as generous with information as a visitor is generous with gold. Bold and shrewd, Talia yet remains kindhearted, keeping in check an organization that could rule Thornward if it wished to.

    Lorist Cara Godal, 4th Priestess of Lydia (Mixed female); AL: CG; Wis: 15; Age: 25. Cara is one of the Grand Lorist's many agents that have wormed their way into almost any position of influence within the city. In Cara's case it is within House i'Farhad, where she acts as one of several liaisons between Alaq i'Farhad and his various merchant contacts. Cara is currently only charged with contacting Alaq's legitimate mercantile ties but she is on the verge of moving into his more illegal activities. Cara senses this is about to happen but so far she has maintained her cool. After all knowledge is knowledge, what does it matter if it if completely or only slightly hidden?

    Cara is slim and short young woman with Auburn hair and Brown eyes. Her features are slightly hawkish but not unpleasant and she has the bad habit of responding with a sarcastic remark to any criticism or mistake that she sees. Alaq has taken to a liking to her biting humor and her reliability, thus accounting for her potential to move into favored agent status in the near future.

    Dire Cult of Nerull

    If there is one force that poses a true threat to the continued wealth and health of Thornward it is the Dire Cult of Nerull. Rising in the days of the Ketite occupation the Dire Cult originally was a place of succor and power for those who had some influence in Thornward but were not able to flee. Once Ket began the scaling-back of its occupation that would lead to the rulership by four diplomatic envoys, the Dire Cult of Nerull no longer had the simple lust toward power that it had before. Bored young nobles and well-to-do merchants, jaded by the Ketite invasion, began to join. These were the shallowest and most callow of individuals, for whom life was but a game and staring into the face of death the ultimate relief from tedium and the standard ways. As the Cult gained more proselytes amongst the Bisselites and Gran Marchers, a fissure developed. Those with influence in the surrounding areas had been in dire straits through the wars, and some of the cultists began to insinuate their dark ways into the farmers of the surrounding areas, already cynical and without strong moral convictions. The secondary sect that grew from these actions was the Cult of the Harvest King, believed to have sprung from an ancient Flan legend of quartering a man with horses and letting his blood fertilize the land. It fit perfectly with the Nerullite doctrines of death, and yet was a way to exploit the farmers.

    Dire Voice of Nerull Herlan Kal (10th level Dire Priest of Nerull; NE; Strength 7, Constitution 8, Intelligence 15, Wisdom 18, Charisma: 16; Age: 53). Herlan Kal is a thin, bony man that looks more like a scholar or weak-willed merchant than the charismatic leader of a powerful death cult but first impressions are farthest from the truth in the case of this evil man. His short brown streaked with grey hair is rarely below his ears and suffers from a slight bald spot at the center of his head. His clothes appear to be rather simple and messy from infrequent changes of clothes. The sheer charisma of Herlan Kal shines through his rather drab exterior only when he speaks. At this time a vivid light shines in his eyes as he speaks of the glory and power that can be had only by serving Nerull. Herlan Kal is a true fanatic who believes that Nerull is the ultimate power in the multiverse above all else and that all other powers are mere false beings that seek to guide people away from the true state of the multiverse. He realizes however that open preaching of this and aggression against the establishment would merely make him a martyr so he acts covertly instead using his cunning intellect to direct his cult into acts that cement their power within Thornward. He is responsible for the Cult of the Harvest King as well as the plan to convert the wizards of Thornward into his own personal army of undead spellcasters. Herlan Kal is a dangerous man who sees all around him not as human beings but merely as potential souls for his grim master to reap. No one and nothing has any worth to him beyond the potential of more souls for the dire harvest.

    Dire Hand of Nerull, Nabu-Nisir (5th level Dire Priest of Nerull; NE; Str: 16; Dex: 6; Con: 16; Wis: 15; Cha: 15; Age: 31). Nabu-Nisir is Herlan Kal's right hand man and chief agent in correspondence to the Cult of Evil Chaos in the lands of Bissel and beyond. Nabu-Nisir rakes on these tasks with relish seeing them as opportunities to strength the will of Nerull and the Dire Cult upon the land while personally increasing his own power with covert slayings, plots, and raids. Nabu-Nisir has no personal aspirations for leading the cult feeling that Herlan Kal is the best possible leader for the organization. If, however, Herlan Kal died and the position was left open than Nabu-Nisir would use all the resources under his power to kill or subdue all of those who would oppose him gaining his rightful place as head of the cult. Nabu-Nisir is a rather bulky Baklunish man with a good deal of muscles and a solid build. This exceptional strength and stamina seem to have dulled his manually dexterity, however, and he is very clumsy. Nabu-Nisir possesses a great mane of black hair that he ties into a pony tail on formal occasions and a short, thin beard that compliment his eyes of darkest midnight quite nicely.

    Talic il'Salin, the Harvest Bey: 6th level Priest of the Dire Cult of Nerull (Baklunish-Flan male); hp: 18; AL: NE; Wis: 17; Cha: 15; Age: 36. Talic is the most politically powerful member of the cult within the city and without, being one of the infamous merchant princes of the city with large holdings in northeastern Ket. Talic is a tall, stocky, and darkly handsome man who wears his black mustache in a slightly untrimmed manner. He is very popular with the ladies and always seems to have at least one courtesan on his arm. Talic il'Salin is responsible for the ruse of the Cult of the Harvest King within Ket and he uses it as an extension of the Dire Cult's power as well as a method by which to ferment his own power to the level where he can wrest control of the cult from Herlan. Until then though Talic works in the best interests of the Dire Cult in general as he wants it to grow powerful and be a much better prize when he finally plucks it from Harlan's control.

    Valiant Temple of Heironeous Triumphant

    The Valiant Temple of Heironeous Triumphant is the state religion of Gran March as well as an influential faith in the neighboring nations of Bissel and Keoland. The Valiant Temple teaches that the righteous and valiant will triumph just as Heironeous triumphs and that a true follower of the faith will rise to true heights of purity and strength of both body and soul in either this life or the next one. This rather simple credo has appealed greatly to the already militaristic residents of the Gran March and now is the dominant faith within that region. The Valiant Temple's anti-Ketite stance has allowed it to flourish in Bissel and it now rivals the Church of Voll in influence. Within Keoland the Valiant Temple mostly appeals to the ranks of the knights and warriors of the realm though thus far it has gained influence only in the north.

    Within Thornward the Valiant Temple maintains influence primarily within the Gran March quarter where a recently constructed edifice serves as a center of the religious life within the quarter. Almost two score priests serve in this temple under the direction of Righteous Commander Derek tul-Darn a large and loud man who insures that the priests of his temple maintain a strict discipline within this area he calls a "vile sinkhole of heresy and sin." As such the Valiants of the city are frequently found seeking out corruption and sin and stamping it out where possible. They have been only moderately successful at this so far do to a combination of the blocking influences of Arlas and their rivalry with the Church of Voll.

    Righteous Commander Derek tul-Darn (Oeridian male/Triumphant 7, Fighter 4/Lawful Neutral/Age: 34); Str: 18/24, Wisdom: 17. Derek tul-Darn is a strapping, muscular commander who would inspire all those around him with his bravery and piety were it not for his egotism, chauvinism, and driven desire for discipline in the world around him. He drives his underlings mercilessly to greater and greater heights, ignoring any toll that this may have on them either physically or mentally. He also refuses to allow woman to gain any rank of significance within his command, viewing them as not fit for the tasks that the Triumphant must overtake. Derek has a strong rivalry with Knight Valiant Tanya val-Naik seeing her as being unsuited for a position in any church that holds Heironeous sacred a belief that he has held ever since they knew each other as children and preteens. He does not hold the unreserved hatred for her that she has for him but he would not mind seeing her lose her post or her life in some battle... Derek tul-Darn is 6'3" tall, weights around 240 pounds, and has closely trimmed black hair, a short, well-trimmed beard, and brown eyes.

    Merchant Princes

    House Veisrath
    Leader: Norad Veisrath
    Legal Products: Weapons, Gems, Gold, Food
    Illegal Products: Smuggled items listed above
    Norad Veisrath: (5th level Human (Oeridian) male Fighter; NE; Age: 38; Str 17, Con 15, Int 15) Norad is a large, brutal man with a dead look in his brown eyes and a cold look to his face. He wears his black hair long with a ponytail in the back. He dresses in simple, serviceable clothes and is never found without at least one weapon on his person. Norad is a master of using pressure tactics and veiled threats of force to bring others under his influence. He has used a combination of his skills in pressure tactics combined with clever planning and extensive resources to gain control of a large portion of Bissel's economy (including its most productive gold and gem mines). He first arose to prominence in Bissel during the Ketite occupation and retained his influence in the post-war period. Currently he is contemplating where he should expand next.

    House Tagrent
    Leader: Tagrent
    Legal Products: None
    Illegal Products: Prostitution, Assassination, Information Gathering
    Tagrent: (6th Level Human (Suloise) male Thief; CN; Age: 28; Int 16) A noteworthy member of organized crime, Tagrent is probably the most accessible figure in Thornward's underworld (which is not always so "under"). He has an ear for the winds of the less reputable nature, and prospects for the up-and-coming. There is an unique air about this Suloise Gran Marcher. His kinky blonde hair is meticulously kept half an inch longer than the current style; his eyes are a shade too light blue to be entrapping, and his lips are a touch too thin to be trustworthy. He is too short to be tall, too tall to be short, and generally thin. His clothes are a pattern that is just slightly different from what should be in fashion, and his home designed with art slightly different from the most popular. The rumor is that Tagrent is purposefully close, but not precise, in his fashion and such specifically to distract meticulous observers.

    House of Darlad
    Leader: Tarais Darlad
    Legal Products: Cotton, Textiles
    Illegal Products: Opium, Prostitution
    Tarais Darlad: (5th Level Human (Oeridian) male Fighter; LE; Age: 44; Int 16, Con 16, Cha 7) Always one to present a dishonest face, Tarais Darlad is perhaps Orwen's equal in misrepresenting the character of Veluna. A dark Oeridian man, of a big, stocky build, Tarais has little to trust and less to like about him. He runs a very discrete opium ring, and a much less secret prostitution racket. Since even in Thornward, drug dealing is looked down upon, Tarais all but broadcasts his status as a pimp in an attempt to downplay the drug angle.

    House il'Salin
    Leader: Talic il'Salin
    Legal Products: Grain, Rice, Fruit
    Illegal Products: Zombies, Skeletons, Necromantic Lore
    Talic il'Salin, the Harvest Bey: (6th level Human (BF) male Priest of the Dire Cult of Nerull; NE; Age: 36; Wis 17; Cha 15) Talic il'Salin is a short man with thinning black hair, a well-trimmed mustache, and a goatee who exudes an aura of perpetual calm and responsibility that seems to simply attract others. He dresses casually in loose yet fine robes. Talic acts as the exterior face for the Dire Cult of Nerull and acts to spread its influence into Ket through his Cult of the Harvest King. He has established a system in his Ketite lands were every peasant family grants him one child of theirs to work in the fields. He works them to death and then animates them as undead in order to gain tireless workers. He has presented this option to many of the southern nobles and shown them the huge economic benefits of working this way combined with the faith of the Harvest King. This has worked quite well so far and he has presented an excess in the amount of taxes requested so as to avert Beygraf Nadaid's gaze elsewhere. The common Bakluni in the il'Salin and their allies lands revere the Harvest King in order to avoid a bad harvest though the priests of the True Faith preach against it.

    House of i'Farhad
    Leader: Harar i'Farhad
    Who really leads: Alaq i'Farhad
    Legal Products: Fruit, Olive Oil
    Illegal Products: Slaves, Poison
    Alaq i'Farhad: (6th level Human (Baklunish) Male Thief; NE; Age: 24; Dex 17, Int 15, Cha 16) Alaq i'Farhad, a charming young man who always has a friendly smile for his competitors and employees, is the second son of the patriarch of the i'Farhad clan and the true leader of the house. Alaq is a tall man with short, black hair, and clean of facial hair. He has laughing green eyes and full and friendly smile that put others around him instantly at ease. Unfortunately, Alaq is in reality a cold, driven man who cares only about three things in life: personal power, personal wealth, and the honor and strength of his family. That is the only reason that he has not deposed of his father and murdered his worthless brother. Alaq sponsors slave raids into the less organized lands of Bissel and also controls the local Black Market for slavery and poison. Openly his family exports preserved fruit and olive oil to points east, generating most of their income.

    House of i'Rinon
    Leader: Gavrel i'Rinon
    Legal Products: Spice, Silk
    Gavrel i'Rinon: (0th level Human (Baklunish) male; AL: LG; Age: 61; Wis 17) An aging Baklunish man whose black hair streaked with white became white streaked with black years ago, and whose beard is mostly salt with only light pepper, Gavrel i'Rinon is a big, kind-seeming man. He has dark skin against a beard that glacially moves toward white and green eyes with a sparkle still in them. Gavrel is one of the few merchant princes dealing with Thornward who has managed to remain legitimate. He has grown to prefer the fair clime and the idealistic atmosphere of Ekbir, and will retire there fairly soon. He is an optimistic follower of Evris e'Selant, and an honest spice trader.

    Wizards of Note

    Aristeis Caradath, (7th level Elf (Drow) male Mage; NE; Age: 120; Dex 16, Int 18) The name of this member of the weird, mystic clan Aristeis is actually Caradath. The first name is a clan identifier. Caradath, like all members of clan Aristeis, was a promising drow male, "rescued" by the legendary outcast Felianan, and secreted away in human civilization. Because of this, he wears a dark robe, gloves, cloak, and an ivory mask at all times. These are enchanted so they never become too warm. Beneath, Caradath's white hair is shoulder length, his skin as black as jet, eyes drow red. In Thornward, he maintains a fairly mysterious profile (Caradath is, obviously, not his drow name), and is an often-dissenting member of the rather informal group of wizards that has formed of late in the city, and he wants to keep the city from becoming a major center of wizardry, since there is a hefty bounty on the dark elf's head. Beyond this, he is cold and calculating, cruel and arrogant, and ruthlessly works toward attaining personal power.

    Rian Tresallinde, (14th level Human (OS) male Enchanter; N; Age: 40; Int 17, Cha 16) A handsome man, with light skin and light brown hair accentuating eyes that seem at one time to be brown, another to be blue, Rian easily looks a decade younger than his 40 years. Displaying a manner that is at once formal and comforting, Rian's charming personality and dark, but stylish, wardrobe are calculated to disarm any who speak with him. He is an expert in mind control and subliminal messaging, both magically and otherwise, and can say a lot of very powerful things with only a few words and gestures. As he stepped out of the shadow of his fallen paladin half-brother, Sethian Adrionnigals, Rian's mind-control experimentation drew increasing scrutiny and disapproval from the Church of Voll, and to avoid the requests upon him to cease his research, he moved to Thornward in 588. At present, he has only worked with hobgoblins and other humanoids.

    Salera Winddaughter, (10th level Human (Baklunish) female Wind Mage; CG; Age: 24; Int 16, Cha 17) Salera Winddaughter is a beautiful, young elementalist of surprising power who fled her homeland of Ket in order to avoid the reach of her domineering, traditional father's attempts to prevent her learning of magic and marry her off in some sort of politically sound coupling. She fled from her father's household and took the assumed name she holds today. Salera is a classic Baklunish beauty with long, raven hair, skin of a bright and glorious Baklunish hue, round green eyes, a small nose, full lips, and a perfect hourglass figure. She acts as a powerful courtier and sometime courtesan among the nobility and wealthy and is a friendly rival of Erenal and while she lacks the informational resources she more than makes up with it using her powerful magic. Salera is a very generous soul who is usually in a pleasant mood and truly enjoys the intrigues she involved herself in.

    Rumors and Legends

    The Pale Elves: Recently a group of explorers at the base of the Lortmil Mountains discovered an ancient seal imbedded into the mountains and covered with runes in an unknown language. After breaking it an exploring the caverns beyond a tribe of twisted and pale elves, mutated from some unknown source attacked the party killing most of the explorers before they were able to flee. The elves supposedly had vast treasure however and each was armed with weapons and armor made of mithril.

    Shadows in the Bramblewood: This dark forest that covers much of Ket and borders Thornward is rumored to be the home of many denizens of night and evil that are found nowhere else in the Flanaess. Recently tales have told of a new force of utter evil has been gathering together the beasts of the woods and organizing them for raids on caravans.... The Beygraf, strapped as he is for finding mercenaries, has declared a marvelous bounty on anyone who can bring the raids to a stop.

    Deviltry: Those who have come too close to the less upstanding portions of Baklunish culture have found that there is an undercurrent of devil worshipping, and there is believed to be the same in decadent parts of traditional Flanaess culture. In Thornward, the rumors become more severe-the diabolists may be more widespread, they perform weird rituals under the city, and the like. Unfortunately, with an influential Nerullite cult, it is impossible for anyone to measure the extent and influence of devil followers. The devil cults rumored to operate in Thornward are those of Mammon and Mephistopheles.

    Below: Some sort of beast stalks the nights of Thornward hunting down the poor and destitute and dragging them into dark alleys. No one knows who or what this is and most do not care as no one of import has been attacked yet. Some say that the true source of the attacks is not from the streets but rather from some place deep in the earth, below the city, a pit of darkness that reflects the true soul of the city.

    Slavers: There are rumors of a network of Ketite slavers who track out into the Bisselite territory and sell them in Ket and Thornward. This is easily verifiable, since the underworld has a known "unrecognized" market for slaves, accessible through certain individuals. Word is that several lower-class brothels have women who put prime customers to sleep and take them to the slavers, as well.

    The City of the Orcs: Hidden deep within the Yatil Mountains lies a city of orcs who differ sharply from most orcs. Supposedly, they form a highly lawful, controlled society that is also advanced in the arts and culture. Despite this advancement the orcs of this hidden city are still evil to the core employing dark magic and worshiping, among other things, a goddess of vampires and darkness. The group of explorers who discovered this site barely made it out alive, losing half their number to the brutal guards. An invasion is only a matter of time...



    Note: Bissel, Gran March, Ket, Sheldomar, Veluna
     
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    Re: The City of Thornward, Part II (Score: 1)
    by Man-of-the-Cranes on Mon, November 19, 2001
    (User Info | Send a Message) http://www.ManoftheCranes.com
    Temples, merchants, wizards, and rumours round out Jesse and Wayne's excellent work on Thornward. The quality of their work here is no less than that in the first part. This vision of post-wars Thornward presents any DM with a well-rounded out campaign setting, rife with adventure potential.

    Cheers
    Man of the Cranes




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