EDRulebook: 20 Barsaive

AREAS OF INTEREST

Most adventurers will journey through the following cities, towns, and regions of Barsaive during the course of their travels.

The dwarf Kingdom of Throal lies to the northeast in the massive Throal Mountains, Barsaive’s largest mountain range. King Valurus III, the current king of Throal, rules over the five completed underground cities and two still under construction that comprise the kingdom. The subterranean kaers protected Throal’s inhabitants and countless refugees during the Scourge, and each of these cities can hold a population of up to 25,000 at need. A full third of Barsaive’s population has accepted the dwarf kingdom’s open invitation to live in Throal and resides in the cities of Bethabal, Wishon, Tirtarga, Oshane and Yistane. The cities of Hustane and Valvria remain under construction. All of these multi-leveled cities boast large bazaars, as well as some of the finest inns and taverns in Barsaive.

Royal families who have sworn fealty to King Valurus III rule these multiracial settlements, which spearhead the dwarf-led Barsaivian resistance to Theran attempts at occupation. Though most Barsaivians remain as strongly allied to Throal as they did during the Theran War, in which all of Barsaive’s peoples united to repel a Theran attack on the dwarven kingdom, some have become suspicious of Throal’s growing power. The mountain kingdom may one day itself become the site of battles for control of Barsaive.

BARTERTOWN

Originally a bazaar, Bartertown has become a sprawling city sitting outside the gates of Throal. Bartertown was founded by merchants who wished to take advantage of Throalic trade policies without becoming a part of the dwarf kingdom. Lacking formal city government to oversee planning, these traders built shops and homes wherever they saw fit, giving the city a haphazard layout. Barsaivians claim that travelers can buy any good or service in Bartertown, if they look long and haggle hard enough.

PARLAINTH / HAVEN

The ancient ruins of Parlainth, the Theran Empire’s provincial capital before the Scourge, grace Barsaive’s far northeast corner. Knowledge of the city’s existence mysteriously disappeared from the minds of Barsaive’s population during the Scourge, and the city has only recently been rediscovered. Parlainth goes by the name of the Forgotten City, a reference to its many splendors lost to time and the Scourge. The Forgotten City has become a mecca for adventurers, who seek the mysteries and priceless treasures hidden within its ruins. Even tales of the Horrors and other dreadful creatures that dwell in the city’s catacombs have done little to dissuade these treasure seekers.

The small town of Haven lies at the southern edge of Parlainth. A trading village, Haven has become a staging area for explorers seeking Parlainth’s treasures, and boasts a variety of goods that almost rivals the selection available in Bartertown. Haven’s shops also occasionally offer goods from the nearby Blood Wood, though such items are usually difficult to obtain.

THE WASTES

Along Barsaive’s western border lie The Wastes, an area inhabited by little more than monsters, Horrors, small plants and animals. Scholars believe the Horrors breached a higher percentage of kaers and citadels here than in any other region of Barsaive during the Scourge, and the area’s former population never recovered.

Many believe The Wastes contain more undiscovered kaers and citadels than any other region of Barsaive because of this lack of population. This also would seem to explain the numerous bands of adventurers who enter The Wastes in search of ancient treasures and magical artifacts, despite the fact that few ever emerge.

Low clouds of gray dust continually swirl over The Wastes and extend over the Poison Forest and the city of Jerris.

[Badlands]

THE BADLANDS

East of the molten Death’s Sea lies the blighted area known as The Badlands. Before the Scourge, this area contained some of Barsaive’s richest farmlands. The Scourge turned the fertile fields into rocky hills and blasted heaths. The rugged terrain precludes all means of transportation save walking. Virtually uninhabited, the area is rumored to be the home of countless Horrors and other terrible creatures. Of the great number of heroes who enter the Badlands, few return from them alive.

BLOOD WOOD

The massive forest called the Blood Wood lies along Barsaive’s northern boundary. Known as the Wyrm Wood before the Scourge, this forest holds the Elven Court ruled by the Elven Queen Alachia. Though the Elven Court was once the center of elven culture, the horrible mutilation to which the elves of the Wood subjected themselves to survive the Horrors caused many elves living outside the Blood Wood to forsake Alachia. They see her and her ilk as abominations, as monstrous as the Horrors themselves, and many scholars share this sentiment. Travelers who have visited the Blood Wood, however, often contend that the elves of the Wood remain a beautiful people, despite the horrible things they did to their bodies in order to survive the Scourge. The inhabitants of the Blood Wood remain capable of intricate magic; the Elven Queen’s castle, built on a foundation of six Blood Trees, is still universally recognized as a wonder to behold.

KRATAS

Located almost exactly in the geographical center of Barsaive, Kratas is known as the Thieves’ City. Almost all mercenary and illegal activities in Barsaive take place in Kratas, and some of Barsaive’s most notable thieves and informants make their homes there. Garlthik One-Eye, the legendary ork Thief, controls the city through his gang, the Force of the Eye.

A veritable crossroads of information and stolen goods, adventurers can find almost any type of equipment or service in Kratas, though at a higher price than in any other Barsaivian city.

IOPOS

Located in the northwest corner of Barsaive, the city of Iopos is ruled by a powerful family of magicians called the Denairastas, who have held power since before the Scourge. Though their success at bringing the city through the Scourge earned the Denairastas the loyalty of most of Iopos’ population, the magicians continue to rule with an iron hand, arresting and often killing dissidents. The Denairastas subject outsiders to the same drastic measures as city residents, and so visitors to Iopos are advised to keep any comments about the city’s rulers to themselves.

In the years since the opening of the kaers that followed the Scourge, the Denairastas have repeatedly vowed to defeat both Thera and Throal and claim control of Barsaive. Though the magicians currently lack the power to accomplish such a feat, they continue to gather magical and mundane forces.

JERRIS

The wealthy trading city of Jerris lies along Barsaive’s western edge, between the Liaj Jungle on the city’s east and the Poison Forest on the city’s west. A perpetual cloud of black-gray smoke hangs over Jerris, floating in from The Wastes that lie just west of the Poison Forest. Many Horrors reportedly roam The Wastes, and rumors claim that the city suffers under a curse.

A fiercely competitive group of trading houses act as the de facto rulers of Jerris. Only issues vital to the city’s livelihood motivate these traders to suspend their otherwise continuous infighting and treachery.

TRAVAR

Of all of Barsaive’s ancient cities, Travar alone has maintained its pre-Scourge splendor and grace. Its white marble towers and spires overlook the banks of a tributary of the Serpent River in southeast Barsaive. Travar’s location provides excellent trade access to both the t’skrang and the kingdom of Throal, and ensures the city’s prosperity.

Three magistrates rule Travar, each serving a three-year term. If a magistrate wishes to serve another term, he must win his position in the Founding, a tournament in which champions representing the magistrate and his would-be successors compete. The patron whose champion wins the Founding becomes a magistrate.

THE THERAN EMPIRE

In the Selestrean Sea southwest of Barsaive lies the isle of Thera, seat of the Theran Empire that held sway over Barsaive in the years before the Scourge. Though the Scourge cost the Therans control of Barsaive, they regained a small area of the province in the years that followed. The Theran-controlled lands in Barsaive include the city of Vivane, Sky Point, and their surrounding vicinities. Theran territory extends to the southern edge of the Delaris Mountains, the western shores of the Death’s Sea, and into the far southwestern portion of the Twilight Peaks. Adventurers often encounter Theran patrols and airships in these regions. The Therans rarely venture beyond the Twilight Peaks, preferring to consolidate their hold on the territories they already control.

[Skypoint] For the moment, the Therans seem content to settle for the small portion of southwest Barsaive currently under their control, but rumors place Theran spies in virtually every major Barsaivian city, as well as several of the larger towns and villages. Though the Therans pose little or no immediate threat to Barsaive, few people doubt the Therans’ intention to one day reclaim Barsaive as part of their empire.

SKY POINT

One of the few remaining Theran outposts in Barsaive, Sky Point lies southwest of the city of Vivane. The Eighth Theran Legion quarters at Sky Point, giving the outpost the strongest Theran presence of any Barsaivian settlement. The outpost consists of a large platform supported by several huge pillars, and many small villages beneath the massive platform supply the Therans with necessities and slave labor. Sky Point also serves as the home port of the Theran Armada, comprising more than 25 airships that include three kilas and two dozen vedettes. Half the vedettes are outfitted for elemental mining and unfit for combat; the remaining craft boast fire-cannons and can carry up to 100 troops.

General Crotias commands the Le-gion’s 5,000 soldiers and cavalry. The area around the perimeter of Sky Point is heavily guarded against intruders.

VIVANE

Once one of Barsaive’s most beautiful cities, Vivane now stands as a testament to Theran power. The Barsaivian city nearest to the seat of the Theran Empire, Vivane fell first to the Therans when they returned to reconquer Barsaive almost 60 years ago. With many of its buildings still in ruins, this southwestern city remains a shadow of its former self.

Though the Barsaivian magistrate Quarique Oathstone nominally rules the city, all of Barsaive recognizes his true status as a puppet ruler controlled by the Theran Overgovernor Kypros. Kypros often docks his massive airship, Ascendancy, at Vivane to remind the city’s residents of Theran power. A support base for the Theran outpost at Sky Point, Vivane is also the only Barsaivian city with a sizable slave population.