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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9777431" data-attributes="member: 6750502">Chapter 5: Lands of the Six Towers, Part 2<img src="https://i.imgur.com/j9Kge6i.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 780px" /><a href="https://x.com/LucasStaniecArt/status/945605925183868931" target="_blank">Messenger by Lucas Staniec</a>Lands of Palanthas: Ever since their valiant struggle against the Dark Queen's armies during the Third Dragonwar, Solamnia long held the vaunted reputation of being the strongest bastion of Good on Ansalon. Even when Istar sought to claim this title for itself, the excesses of the Kingpriests caused many of that empire's critics to point to the knighthoods of the west as more proper examples of virtue. Encompassing all of Solamnia as well as the lands of Lemish, Throt, and Kayolin, Palanthas is the largest terrestrial realm in the Magocracy, and its fertile fields and Utopian principles provide the highest quality of life for its people.While the Untouched here live safer existences than elsewhere in Ansalon, there is still a social hierarchy, where upwards advancement comes in the form of Examinations of Merit. These Exams test candidates on a wide number of subjects, from magical proficiency to general knowledge to valued personality traits and moral values such as empathy, community, and self-restraint. Those who successfully pass an exam are given a badge of office denoting their position in the government, level of magical proficiency and/or White Robes. Many Order members and Knights of Huma can be easily distinguished by the glittering assortment of accessories upon their persons. The Test of High Sorcery is reserved for people who passed enough Exams, acting as a safety valve in ensuring that most Test-takers are already inclined towards the White Robes of High Sorcery. Although this system is meant in theory to promote both the most moral and qualified people to positions of power, the Exams have been slow to change. A person's economic background and education still act as the primary barrier to advancement. Even the children of high-ranking mages who end up scoring poorly on the Exams can still wield unofficial power via nepotistic connections.Palanthas is divided up into administrative regions known as Councilships, presided over a White Robe mage with the title of Councillor. The existing Councilships are Coastlund, Elkholm, Gaarlund, Heartlund, Hinterlund, Kayolin, Lemish, Nightlund, Palanthas Capital, Southlund, Tanith, Throt, and Vingaard. While the various Councilships have degrees of self-government in regards to decision-making, they are subservient to the Principal Constitution of the Heavenly Society, the chief legal document outlining the Utopian ideals of eventually turning Krynn into a magical paradise virtually free of hardship and toil. The Knights of Huma act as Palanthas' primary military unit, supplemented by local militias and Councilship armies.Coastlund and Southlund are maritime domains who have close contact with the lands of Daltigoth and Wayreth, and the Vingaard Mountains geographically isolate them from the eastern territories. Combined with their cities being a favored destination for people escaping Black Robe persecution, this results in a distinctive blend of cultures. Western Solamnic dialects have a preponderance of Ergothian loanwords, houses are built with gnomish craftwork, and goblinoid and kender board and dice games are popular ways to pass the time.Gaarlund, Elkholm, Heartlund, and Vingaard are in Palanthas' geographic center, dominated by fertile plains fed by the Vingaard River's many tributaries. Elemental-powered ships are a common means of transportation on the rivers, operated by specialist mages fluent in Primordial dialects. These mages bear titles corresponding with their preferred elemental language: Earthspeakers speak Terran, Firespeakers Ignan, and Riverspeakers Aquan, and Windspeakers Auran. Most communities have a pillar etched in runes capable of summoning elementals, which are used to assist in various forms of agricultural labor but can also double as a defense against threats.The city of Solanthus is the of its kind in central Solamnia, and its possession of a Teleportation Circle along with proximity to the dwarven Councilship of Kayolin makes it a prosperous trade hub. It is also the greatest center of Solamnic culture, having many tall spires and castles repurposed into centers of art and learning. An extensive series of underground tunnels were dug by dwarves linking to Thorbardin and Zhakar in prior Ages, but now many of the tunnels are unpatrolled and used by smugglers, particularly gem thieves looking to bypass Kayolin's steep tariffs. Vingaard Keep is notable for being one of the few places in Palanthas that still contains overt displays of iconography of the Knights of Solamnia. This is due to it being the former residence of Vinas Solamnus during the Rose Rebellion, and thus serves as the foundation of Solamnia as it is known today. The White Robes and Knights of Huma chose to keep them intact out of respect for cultural history, which in turn has made the Keep a discreet pilgrimage site for sympathizers of the original Knights.Nightlund and Hinterlund are regarded as the boondocks of the lands of Palanthas. Nightlund is home to a dread aura that bathes the land in perpetual fog where undead of all kinds congregate. The White Robes and Knights of Huma dedicate extensive resources to guarding the border settlements. So far, they've only managed to contain the spread and not reverse it. Hinterlund is a region of verdant grassland in the south, although a significant portion of the center and north are searing badlands known as the Northern Wastes. Further broken up by earthquakes during the Cataclysm, the Wastes are a mazelike network of canyons and gorges prone to flooding during high tide from the Turbidus Ocean. Many important sites of Solamnic history were swallowed up, making Hinterlund the primary destination for archeologists and adventurers eager to discover and explore the water-logged ruins of prior Ages. Kalaman is the largest city of eastern Solamnia, and the influx of Waste-bound treasure hunters as well as its proximity to Estwilde in the south have caused quite a bit of complaints as large numbers of armed foreign forces regularly pass through the area. Although the Dragonarmies are seeking to claim Estwilde's swamps, a tinge of good old-fashioned xenophobia muddies the waters in sifting out true threats.The Councilships of Palanthas Capital and Tanith comprise the extreme northwest. These domains are in a dry, rural region that is half grassland, half desert in the west and mostly desert in the east. Its small population and relative remoteness make it a favored place for the Knights of Huma to conduct endurance training and test new innovations in magical warfare that would be detrimental to use in more fertile, populated areas. In spite of the heavy military presence, the Black Robes of Daltigoth often send spies here to keep up with Palanthian developments in warfare.The city of Palanthas is nestled in a deep water bay surrounded by the Vingaard Mountains, making it both a highly-defensible location and a valued destination for maritime travel across northern Ansalon. Known far and wide as the Jewel of Solamnia, the city lives up to its name for emerging from the Cataclysm virtually undamaged. Gateways housing Teleportation Circles contain magic orbs showing what the sky looks like in various other population centers, acting as a primitive means of showing time zones. The Great Library is the foremost of its kind in the continent, and its Tower of High Sorcery is the host of the Grand Conclave. Alfred MarKenin, the Master of the Tower of High Sorcery, is noted for both his kindness and wisdom, and he genuinely hopes to spread Merroc's ideals across Ansalon.Diplomatic envoys, archmages, and other power players in the Magocracy and beyond do well to keep a finger on the pulse of the city. This makes it a hotbed of intrigue as spies of the three major Orders of High Sorcery, and even anti-Magocracy elements such as the Dragonarmies and Homecomers, regularly deploy agents into the city. As so many people are coming and going via mundane travel and Teleportation Circles, it's not difficult for those of shadowy intentions to slip in and out once their business is done.The three Councilships of Kayolin, Lemish, and Throt dominate Palanthas' south-southeast, and are noted for being more culturally distinct than the Solamnic norm. Throt is similar to the central plains in terms of geography and economy, but is the center for hobgoblin culture in Ansalon. The region's position south of Nightlund results in a continual sharpening of skills against undead foes, and some of the most talented Knights of Huma hail from this province. Kayolin is a dwarven land, nestled comfortably within the Garnet Mountains and half of its population lives in a capital of the same name. The White Robes rule with a comparatively light hand here, reliant on the trade in precious metals yet also aware of the dwarven cultural aversion to using them for spell components, resulting in a delicate dance by both sides of how much they can get away with squeezing out or withholding the mountain's resources. Lemish was forcefully incorporated into the Magocracy in 253 A.M., when the White Robes invaded the lands to overthrow its tyrannical rulers. The Lemishites hold little love for the robber-barons of old, but aren't too happy that they weren't given a choice in the matter. The rumored presence of druids of the Forgotten Gods in the forest haven't helped matters, as this caused an increased presence of the Knights of Huma scouring the land in search of "practitioners of dark and forbidden magic."Adventure Ideas: The PCs are hired by the Knights of Huma to act as the opposing force in a fictional battle simulation against their forces in the northern desert. The unexpected arrival of Black Robe spies, monsters from the Northern Wastes, undead from Nightlund, or some other threat causes widespread confusion. The PCs must parse the convincing contingency illusions to find out what is a distraction and what is a danger in plain sight!While in Lemish or the southern reaches of Palanthas, the PCs are approached by warlocks of the Sylvan Guard, telling of gray-robed mages and their monstrous allies moving into the mountains and forests. They do not wish to tip off the Knights of Huma, fearing that this will be the perfect excuse for a permanent occupation of their lands. Although none too fond of the White Robes, Lemish is also the warlocks' home, and they don't want to see it invaded. What do the PCs do? Getting aid from the White Robes can help provide strength of numbers, albeit at the cost of losing support from the fey and their mortal allies.A young man is placed under arrest in Vingaard Keep due to suspicion of being a Knight of Solamnia sympathizer. He was caught delivering a magic sword to a grave of one of his ancestors, a Knight of Solamnia who fell in battle fighting the Wizards of High Sorcery. The young man claims that he wants some closure on what happened that day by using the sword to contact the grave's spirit, but the Knights of Huma aren't willing to take chances. Is the young man sincere in his goal? How will the Solamnic Knight's spirit react upon being summoned, if the sword's stated power is indeed genuine?<img src="https://i.imgur.com/i6xwJks.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 378px" /><a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/kl5rY2?album_id=4255097" target="_blank">The Village of Derfal (Water Village) by Guillermo Martínez</a>Lands of Silvanesti: Consisting of the eponymous elven kingdom as well as (in theory) the human lands of Khur and the eastern Plains of Dust, Silvanesti is an ancient, beautiful realm full of history and magic. Lorac Caladon, the current Master of the Tower, is the only one among these ranks who can claim to have met and spoken with Merroc the White during the Magocracy's infancy. Although agreeing with the Magocracy's goals of providing stability in the wake of the Cataclysm, he disagreed with Merroc's plans of Utopia. To hear it from members of House Royal and House Mystic, they do not believe that the other races possess the goodwill or foresight in wanting to build a better world, and that good works must be done out of assuming that non-elven and lowborn people are innately corrupt. Critics of the House system claim, quietly or outside of Silvanesti's borders, that the rulers dread a world where they're held to the same standards as everyone else.The majority of Silvanesti's population are elves living in the kingdom of the same name, with a sizable minority of humans living in the northern deserts and Plains of Dust. Such humans are usually of Khurish descent, made up of various nomadic tribes plus a few cities along the coast and the Khalkist Mountains. The Silvanesti allow the humans to govern themselves and are given regular supplies and magical aid to better survive in their harsh homelands. This is not done purely out of altruism, as the Silvanesti view the Khur as a useful buffer against ogre raiders and other hostile forces in central Ansalon. The Tower of Silvanesti was built outside the forest to the north, a goodwill gesture between the elves and the Wizards of High Sorcery at large so that meetings between the two groups could be held without violating the sanctity of elven territory.The woodland kingdom of Silvanesti is an expansive evergreen forest, with the King's Road linking together its largest cities. Most settlements are found along the Thon-Thalas River, with the Towers of E'li serving as fortresses that oversee oceanic travel at the river's mouth. Foreign visitors are admitted via one of several pre-determined access points, with the border town of Thon-Karr serving as the primary means for foreign trade to enter and exit the kingdom.Silvanesti society is a caste system, where one's ancestral lineage determines what professions are allowed, who they can marry, what land and property they can own, where they can live, and whether or not they are allowed to practice certain forms of magic. The lineages are divided into classifications known as Houses, and informally these Houses can be divided into High, Middle, and Low:High Houses: Royal, Mystic, ClericMiddle Houses: Advocate, Gardener, Woodshaper, ProtectorLow Houses: Mason, Metalline, ServitorThe High Houses have the highest standards of living and the most rights and privileges in Silvanesti society. Middle and Low Houses are expected to come to their aid and defer to their needs and judgment, and they are more or less allowed to take up the arcane arts without restriction. House Royal is made up of the direct descendants of Silvanos, their kingdom's founder, and thus comprises society's formal rulers. House Mystic teaches and trains Silvanesti's wizards, and while their more advanced members formally join the Order of White Robes, they rarely participate in wider politics save when it affects their own affairs. House Cleric served as voices of the Gods of Light, but their absence after the Cataclysm saw their roles limited to being the caretakers of temples and organizers of holidays and ceremonies.The Middle Houses make up the bulk of trades viewed as particularly prestigious in Silvanesti culture. They are allowed to learn up to Journeyfolk spells, but only those in line with their expected role in society, can own and manage their own plots of land, and have the right to seek legal recourse in a court of law in disputes with other castes of their level. House Advocate is made up of scribes, teachers, lawyers, record-keepers, accountants, and other civil servants tasked with specialized scholarly knowledge. House Gardener is made up of farm owners, horticulturalists, and distributors of food. While many Gardeners engage in manual labor alongside House Servitor farmhands, this House has more than a few well-to-do commoners who live comfortable lives and leave others to work the land. House Woodshaper occupies a similar role as House Gardener, save that they use magic to direct and control the shape and growth of the forest, and are Silvanesti's chief architects in the use of living trees designed specifically as residences. House Protector makes up Silvanesti's military, and is unique in that elves of other Houses can join into it without marrying a member. However, there is still a distinction between the "old lines" who are treated akin to feudal knights in making up the bulk of officers, and "new blood" which is most often Low House members seeking a better lot in life and thus they form the bulk of the kingdom's armed forces.The Low Houses are both the most numerous and least privileged in Silvanesti society. They are not allowed to own land, require permission from the local ruler to take leave, and they are only ever allowed to cast cantrips and the most minor and economically vital of spells. They are expected to remain out of the presence of High House members at all times and require the use of a Middle House member (usually House Advocate bureaucrats) to speak on their behalf regarding affairs of the state. They cannot seek legal means of address against higher-ranked Houses, and the Silvanesti court system rarely if ever bothers with disputes between Low House members. The law is quick to react, however, when the Low commit crimes against their superiors. House Metalline and House Mason include metalworkers and stonemasons, viewed as inferior to Gardener and Woodshaper for "lacking the gentle hands to guide the forest's life." House Servitor ranks even lower than these two, performing the most dirty, dangerous, and physically-demanding jobs. They receive little if any compensation for their labor, living in cycles of generational debt to the High Houses. After the Thon-Karr Riots, the fate of the low Houses has grown even worse, causing continual flights into seeking refuge elsewhere. Much as some would claim to be "glad of such ingrates," the Low Houses are the kingdom's backbone of cheap labor, and Silvanesti has clamped down on inter-kingdom travel. Elven soldiers patrolling the deserts of Khur and the Plains of Dust have been seen in greater numbers. Derisively called "bloodhunters" by both human natives and elven refugees, their presence is causing increased tension with the inhabitants of these arid lands.In theory, elves not belonging to House Mystic are allowed to learn arcane spells, but nothing beyond the rank of a Journeyfolk. In practice, House Royal counts many of its own skilled mages, their talents justified as a necessity for the security and prosperity of the kingdom. House Cleric has started delving into arcane magic as justification of it being a gift from the Gods of Magic and thus falls under their purview. Spells that deal damage or cause debilitating conditions require special licenses for Middle House members to learn, and are never legally taught to Low House members.Although technically part of the White Robes and following the ideals of Solinari, the Silvanesti of the High Houses rarely practice what they preached when it comes to their own society. The kingdom's incorporation into the Magocracy was met with a good deal of controversy among the Utopians, who feared that their presence would draw the White Robes as a whole down a darker path. They were eventually tolerated as a necessary evil in helping spread Merroc's ideals while also having previously relied upon Lorac's aid in legitimizing the Magocracy. But the Thorn-Karr Riots stretched this to the breaking point, threatening to turn Silvanesti into a pariah state in wider Ansalon.The northern deserts of Khur are a human-majority realm between the Khalkist Mountains to the north and west and the Bay of Balifor to the east. Consisting mostly of desert, much of the Khur's ancestral lands sank beneath the waves during the Cataclysm. Their people were technically part of the Empire of Istar's jurisdiction but lived far away from most others. So when the Cataclysm struck, the gods' judgment came as an utter surprise to them.The Khur incorrectly believe that the Forgotten Gods were but "lesser gods for lesser people," and took the silence of their own gods as a test for them to learn to live on their own. These cultural beliefs put them in a bit of a legal limbo in the wider Magocracy, as they clearly have no love for the Forgotten Gods but also still pledge loyalty to entities other than the Lunar Gods. As their closest neighbors are lands unclaimed by the Magocracy in the Khalkist Mountains and the Silvanesti who keep them around as a bulwark against raids from the north, there is no great demand to conquer Khur by the wider Towers. It still causes culture shocks and arguments when Khurish people visit elsewhere in Ansalon, particularly newly-inducted Wizards traveling to other lands via Teleportation Circle.The people of Khur are a mostly-nomadic civilization divided into seven tribes claiming descent from a beloved leader of old, Khan Kaja. Most live simple lives of grazing what few fertile grasslands exist in the region, with some taking up fishing, pearl-diving, and seafaring on the eastern coasts. Their major towns and cities are located by the sea, with some cities such as Alek-Khan being further inland. This is primarily to take advantage of the Khalkhist Mountains' mineral veins. The scarcity of resources is the primary cause for inter-tribal warfare, although this has been partially mitigated by the sale of Decanters of Endless Water by foreign merchants and the Silvanesti backing the Garmac tribe in both being the most powerful and the closest to the Taman Busuk region. While the Garmac have performed greatly in safeguarding the region from ogre raiders, they have used their power to exploit and drive off the less-powerful tribes. The Dragonarmies know that Khur is their lifeline into Ansalon's east and south, and thus seek to use hatred against the Garmac and Silvanesti into getting the other Khur tribes into forming an alliance with them.Adventure Ideas: Weapons dealers from the dwarven kingdom of Zhakar are selling to the Khurish tribes aligned against the Garmac, as well as Blood Elf refugees from Silvanesti. The Kirath, the Silvanesti's elite forces, caught wind of this and are moving into Khurish cities to put a stop to the illegal sales. Innocent people are bound to get killed if someone doesn't step in soon, and the PCs are assigned by a third party to act as peacekeepers.A Silvanesti belonging to one of the High Houses bears sympathy for the low-caste elves, and is willing to finance an underground "study circle" in providing teaching materials and spell components. Although possessed of good intentions, the highborn doesn't have the proper connections. They need to rely on trusted assets to ensure that this black market scriptorium doesn't get discovered by agents of the status quo or corrupted by the Duskmen and other ill-intentioned parties.</blockquote>

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