D&D 3E/3.5 [Kulan] The Lands of Harqual (Updated: Feb 3/2022)

[Knightfall]

I just updated the three following posts: Four Cities (Post #107), Greolin (Post #163), and Xcellian (Post #164).

I needed to change the list of Major and Minor Religions as well as the list of Cults for each entry.

 

[Knightfall]

Here's another PDF preview of of my Races of Harqual document. I've selected the cat races section, which includes three races: the rakata, the tabaxi, and kitts. - KF72

 

[Knightfall]

THE IRON LANDS​

The Eulayan Territory and the Märii Divide look to profit from the arrival of the Kingdom of Ahamudia and to sway rights to mine the new mountain range and the surrounding hills. These two lands are all that's left of the region known as the Iron Lands. The Iron Lands used to reach as far west as where the city of Eberal now stands with Toraa Bagul and the Soreney Domain to the north and unfertle plains and scrub to the east between the Iron Lands and the Morhan Region.

This lost land was called Solände and was strongly aligned to both Eulayan and Toraa Bagul. During the events of The Transformation, Solände and its people vanished from the continent. The only thing left to remind the world of its existance is the Town of Feiland, which is now part of Eulayan and the tower called Mustal Tornii, which was once the home of a mysterious, evil wizard in the employ of the Regal Man of Solände. Both the Steel Lord of Eulayan and the Despairing Prince of the Toraanes wish to gain exclusive rights to the Rilous Mountains, and they have been less than diplomatic with the King of Ahamudia regarding those rights.

The Eulayan Territory
Also known as the Steel Confederacy, Eulayan is a group of allied communities that work together in regarding to the mining of coal and valuable metals. The communties come toeach others' aid in times of crisis like when the Judges of the Sword South try to annex the region using all of their (il)legal machinations. Eulayan is ruled by a man named Tjaard Yvoinga, The Steel Lord, who is a devoted priest of Hel, The Interloper Goddess of Death and the Underworld..

Unlike many of the other Old Sword Lands, Eulayan is an integrated confederation of various races including dwarves, giants, half-orcs, jovians (half-giants), kobolds, and the baklath as well as humans. The diversity has led to a lot of infighting but it has also led to a lot of diversity. Half-breed are common in Eulayan and there isn't much of a stigma attached to those of mixed bloodlines. The captial is the city known as Eulayan, and it is that city that holds this land together in the wake of The Transformation. The Eulayan Territory lost several communities during the magical conjunction, and its citizens blame the Kingdom of Ahamudia and its citizens for these losses.

The dwarves, elves, and gnomes of Ahamudia and Bitran are especially hated by the giants, half-orcs, and kobolds of Eulayan. There have been violent clashes on both sides of the border and only the intervention of the "sundered" dwarves of Eulayan on behalf of both sides has kept these skirmishes from breaking out into full-out war. Tjaard Yvoinga and King Loghan Halonnan don't like each other, but they tolerate each other in the hopes of forging some kind of lasting peace in the region.

The sticking point is mining rights within the Rilous Mountains that the Steel Lord insists should be shared between Eulayan and Ahamudia. Both agree that Toraa Bagul and Soreney's expansion into the mountain range without any legal recourse is a threat to negoitations. King Loghan is willing to give Eulayan mining rights in exchange for military support against Toraa Bagul and Soreney. However, such an agreement would pit the citizens of Eulayan against those that have been their allies in the past, and it would mean the end of Eulayan's trade alliance with Märii as that land has an alliance with Toraa Bagul.

The issue isn't likely to get resolved any time soon.

The Märii Divide
Of all the southern lands of the Ragik Peninsula near the Rilous Mountains it is the Märii Divide — a cold, dryed-up watershed land — that lost the least. Only a few of its most distant communities and outposts vanished during The Transformation, and its citizens don't really blame the Javaldians of Ahamudia for this tragedy. They blame the Sword Gods and have turned away from worshiping them. Märii is mainly a human-dominated land with some sundered dwarves, half-orcs, and half gnolls. Besides dwarves, the communities of this land don't welcome demihumans. The land has become very anti-Imperium, which strengthens its ties to both Toraa Bagul and the Eulayan Territory.

The Märii Divide is known for the follwoing two things: its harsh environment and its fantastic horses.

In ages past, before the destruction of Toraa to the east, Märii was a fertile watershed. However, the destruction of Toraa and the surrounding lands shifted the land and the climate. Now Märii gets colder in the winter than most of the surrounding lands and the river that ran through it dried up. No one is sure where the water went, but everyone assumes that the waters flowing into Toraa doesn't just simply disappear. More likely, a new Water Legacy is forming under that ruined city.

Regardless, after that event, Märii went through an major change. Its lands are no where near as fertile as they use to be, so the citizens of the land had to adapt. Most have moved away from farming as a way of life, and instead they raise cattle and horses. Horses have always run free in the region but now they are Märii's best resource. The citizens also began to brave the western forest for timber but that hasn't been as successful.

Before The Transformation, the ruler of Märii, a man named Vilppu Bjørnson, attempted to forge an alliance with Toraa Bagul, Eulayan, Soreney, and Solände. These four lands together, along with the Märii Divide, would have been strong enough to oppose the Sword Emperor and the Princes of such lands as Järir Autarchic and the Ara-Ragik City Alliance. However, after the magical conjunction occurred, the Lord Monger's plan fell apart and a new political map was drawn. The Merchant Prince of Märii still wishes to form the alliance, but he doesn't want to offend (or anger) King Loghan at the same time. He and his people witnessed first-hand the spirit of King of Ahamudia during the short-lieved war between the forces of the Sword Emperor and the Javaldians.

The Märii Divide's strong alliance with Toraa Bagul hasn't helped matters any. Bjørnson and Niels Haag, The Despairing Prince of the Toraanes, hve always been strong allies, especially with the Warlord of Järir, Halvor Ødegård, on both their doorsteps. The man known as Autocrat would dearly love to conquer both Märii and Toraa Bagul, which would give him the power to try to claim the title of Sword Emperor. Still, Vilppu hopes that he can forge his alliance and placate King Loghan or even convince himto join the alliance (not likely). The Lord Monger has tried to convince the Despairing Prince not to push the matter with the Javaldians. So far, he hasn't been abel to convince the man. Prince Niels believes that the old borders should be enforced and is unwilling to give up the mineral riches in the Rilous Mountains.

It's a mess.

Map: World of Kulan Maps (Updated: Nov 22/11)

 

[Knightfall]

Eulayan
Proper Name(s): The Eulayan Territory, The Steel Confederacy
Ruler: Hel's Defender, Tjaard Yvoinga, The Steel Lord [LN male human Ftr6/Temple Defender6 ¹ (Hel)]
Government: Confederacy
Capital: Eulay
Major Towns: Eulay (pop. – 10,780), Feiland (pop. – 4,015), Feriko (pop. – 3,855), Reilvan (pop. – 4,204), Tylvan (pop.– 1,890), Veyhiln (pop. – 2,058), Yuijand (pop. – 1,501)
Provinces: Eulayan is a confederation of communities that pays fealty to the Steel Lord of the City-state of Eulay. There are three major towns and four minor towns in this confederacy. Each community often acts independently but when it comes to mining concerns they must answer to the Steel Lord.
Resources: Coal, fish (sea), magic (general), metals (cobalt, iron, and lead), poultry and eggs.
Coinage: Steel (pp), Ax (gp), Fire Iron (iron coin), Pick (sp), Coalpiece (cp).
Population: 435,430 – Human 40%, Dwarf (sundered) 18%, Giant ([Fire 8%], [Stone 6%]) 14%, Baklath 8%, Kobold 8%, Jovian (Fire) 6%, Half-Orc 4%, Other Races 2%.
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Kobold, Meai, Orc.
Alignments: LN *, LE, N, NE, CG
Patron God: None.
Major Religions: Annam, Aoskar, Cull, Dumathoin, Eddelis, Hel, Inanna, Math Mathonwy, Meriadar, Wee Jas.
Minor Religions: Abbathor, Aegir, Hades, Karontor, Kord, Kurtulmak, Loviatar, Sanh, Trithereon, Valkar, Vergadain.
Cults: Amand, Anacoro, Boccob, Dike, Enduma, Halmyr, Maglubiyet, Persana, Rán, Teve, Velit, Vespin, Yeathan, Zell.
Alliances: Märii Divide (trade alliance).
--------
¹ A class from Ronin Arts' Core Class Variants (pg. 6).

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Märii
Proper Name: The Märii Divide
Ruler: The Lord Monger, Vilppu Bjørnson, The Merchant Prince of Märii [LN male human Trd10]
Government: Plutocracy
Capital: Märii City
Major Towns: Härhifar (pop. - 3,367), Helok (pop. - 4,100), Hinjial (pop. - 3,892), Märii City (pop. - 8,945), Weiland (pop. - 3,622)
Provinces: One major mongership, four minor mongerships, and eight minor lordships (trade houses).
Resources: Feeds and seeds, grain, livestock (cattle & horses), metals (iron & zinc), timber.
Coinage: Patrician (pp), Horse (gp), Wagon (ep), Harness (sp), Tack (cp).
Population: 368,095 – Human 94%, Half-Gnoll 2%, Half-Orc 2%, Dwarf (sundered) 1%, Other Races 1%.
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Gnoll, Meai, Orc, Toraane.
Alignments: LG, LN *, LE, N, CG
Patron God: None.
Major Religions: Apollo, Altua, Cull, the Daghdha, Dike, Dumathoin, Hades, Issek, Kord, Moradin, Sanh, Wee Jas.
Minor Religions: Anacoro, Clangeddin, Draven, Gaea, Halmyr, Inanna, Mayela, Meriadar, Mirella, Satiria, Tok, Valkar.
Cults: Amand, Anon, Euphoria, Hak, Hel, Jaeger, Loviatar, Nessus, Teve, Vergadain, Zell.
Alliances: Eulayan Territory (trade alliance); Toraa Bagul (mutual protection alliance against the Järir Autarchic).

 

[Knightfall]

Back to the North Gods...

SANH
God of the Wind and Sky, Lord of Thunder, The Stormmaker

Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Raindrops falling from a gray cloud with a golden lightning bolt streaking down
Home Plane: Ouno
Godly Realm: The Storm Citadel (floating fortress on a storm cloud)
Alignment: True neutral
Portfolio: Air, rain, storms, weather, wind
Worshipers: Elementalists (air & water), barbarians, cloud giants, druids, pirates & sailors, storm giants
Cleric Alignments: N, CN, NG, LN, NE
Domains: Air, Obscuration, Storm, Water, Weather
Favored Weapon: Spear

Sanh is the North God of the Wind and Sky. He is also known as the Lord of Thunder and The Stormmaker. Sanh, like Jalivier, is slowly becoming known beyond the shores of the Lands of Harqual. He is the patron deity of storms in the City of Freeport and his church is spreading slowly throughout many of the island realms of Kulan from Merria in the southern hemisphere to Valus in the northern hemisphere. His worship isn't as strong on the Outer Planes as Jalivier, but it is becoming common on Ouno and on the Beastlands.

Sanh doesn't manifest an Avatar in the traditional sense. His Avatar always appears in the form of an elemental creature — usually an air or water elemental in a humanoid-like shape. Mortals almost never see his true form and only the most devout priests of Sanh ever gain this honor at the end of their lives. If Sanh appears to a follower as they die, especially if that follower dies at sea without fear, then that follower will gain a favored place in the afterlife.

Sanh's true form is that of a large-sized barbarian-shaman who is covered in fetishes, the skulls of avians, and wearing fine leathers and a ornate headdress. He carries a +5 wild spear of returning that is called “Through the Air.” For his Freeport followers, his true form is different. He appears as a large-sized pirate king carrying a magical scimitar.

Sanh is currently courting Bylgja who is one of the Nine Daughters of Aegir and Rán. Their relationship isn't very serious yet, but it is moving forward with the approval of bother her parents (but not his). Yet, if the two bond, then both Bylgja and Rán will likely be allowed to become members of the Pantheon of the North. Right now, they are both considered Interloper Goddesses.

Dogma
Love the torrents of the skies; honor the sea and its fierceness; shy not from the rain or the wind. These are the tenets of the Church of Sanh. The Stormmaker teaches his followers to rides the winds of the world and the waters of its oceans. However, the clergy of Sanh are also responsible for teaching their charges to use the wind and rain to their advantage. These elements are a resource to be used and to be protected. Cloud and storm giants are to be respected and to be feared. They are favored by Sanh as much as he favors his human and demihuman followers. Clerics of Sanh must follow the Tenets of the Balance and druids are to be respected for the powers they have over nature. The Lord of Thunder teaches his Harqualian followers to honor the followers of the other North Gods, especially the followers of the Daghdha and of Larea, his sister.

Clerics and Temples
Sanh's clergy range the gamut from standard clerics to rangers and other divine spellcasters devoted to the wild places of the world. Many of these followers are sailors as it allows them to be closer to air and rain. Just as many of them are pirates. However, Sanh's clergy is limited to the shores and seas of Harqual. They are just as likely to be found inland, especially on high mountains or anywhere that violent weather can be found. Tornadoes and other violent storms are considered holy to the members of the Church of Sanh. Rain is the lifeblood of their god, and clerics of the Lord of Thunder have been known to be encountered laughing and dancing in the rain.

The clergy of The Stormmaker tend to be wanderers by nature and rarely settle in one place; however, there are temples dedicated to Sanh almost everywhere on the continent and beyond. From the Northlands to the shores of the Far South, Sanh is oner of the most recognized North Gods. Many in the south don't even consider him to be a true North God anymore, but he is and always will be. He loves his divine family as much as his clergy love watching over their followers. The followers of Sanh are a passionate group, and they jump to protect Harqualians from the worst that nature has to offer just as often as they chase tornadoes.

Note that while most Sanh temples are unbound by the trappings of civilization not all of them exist beyond the reach of urban settlements. The largest temples to The Stormmaker are found where people look towards the weather for their livelihood. From the City-state of Reims on the edge of the Northlands to the Four Cities one the southern shoreline of the Far South, temples dedicated to Sanh can dominate urban and pastoral life just as much as they can dominate the wild places of the continent.

Other cities with notable temples of Sanh include the following: Caloric, Falcûne, Gillian, Hallowridge, Märii City, Metan, Nasundria, Raln, Sunwater, and Yuln in the north and Anthmoor, Ferinmal City, Muurizon, Osebye, Pite, Rhamsandron, Tallawan, Valhia, Waile, and Xcellian in the south.

Note: There is a particular area of the Nomad Lands that is considered to be a holy place of Sanh. This free-standing monolith is known as The Stormmarker. No one is sure why the monolith is sacred to Sanh but many have guessed that he erected the monolith himself or that his tears fell here after the death of his sister's divine son, Anon, at the beginning of the Divinity War. (It is rumored that Anon fell to Amand's blade somewhere in this region.)
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Next deity to be done... Tok, The God Hound

 

[Knightfall]

TOK
The God Hound, The Wild One

Demigod
Symbol: Dog's head or bloody maw
Home Plane: Alternate Material Plane (Nehwon)
Godly Realm: Lands of the Gods (Tear of Sorrow)
Alignment: Chaotic good; chaotic evil if separated from Issek
Portfolio: Dogs, hunting, tracking
Worshipers: Dog lovers, druids, half-elves and half-orcs, hunters, rangers, rogues and wilderness rogues, scouts
Cleric Alignments: CG, NG, CN; or CE, NE, CN
Domains: Animal, Celerity, Chaos, Good or Evil
Favored Weapon: Bite and claw (dagger)

Tok, The God Hound, is the youngest “offspring” of Immotion and Jalivier. Tok is the patron of all those who love dogs, hunting, and the art of tracking. Tok is a dual-natured deity. When he is with the god Issek, Tok is a good-hearted, free-loving demigod who loves both man and beast. When he is separated from the Lord of Tortured Souls, The Wild One is a evil, vicious, wolfhound of death and destruction that makes the Fenrir of the Asgardians look tame.

Tok doesn't have an Avatar; he only exists in his true form. (This fact makes it easier for Issek to keep track of The God Hound.) In his good form, Tok looks like a Large-sized, shaggy wolfhound with felicitous, green eyes; a friendly, seraphic demeanor; and a rapscallion-like gait. While he is always accompanied by Issek, that alien god often hides himself from mortals when Tok is interacting with his worshipers.

In his evil form, Tok forgets who and what he is, grows to a size of Huge, and goes on a rampage throughout the cosmos. His appearance changes to that of a worg-like half-demon with blood-red, glowing eyes; long, fang-like yellow and black teeth; and bloodied, mottled fur. Any mortal being he kills while in this form rises as undead and accompany him on his rampages. He remains this way until Issek tracks him down and calms Tok down.

Dogma
The irony of Tok's faith is that there isn't any set “dogma” to follow. Followers of Tok are allowed to interpret the demigods portfolio any way they want. However, there are some guidelines as provided by the deities portfolio. Followers of Tok honor the hunt, and they always see dogs as sacred animals. Wolfs and other wild canines are also respected but that doesn't mean they can't be hunted for their pelts. Note that there are both good and evil followers of Tok and they are always at odds with each other.

Clerics and Temples
There isn't a set clergy for Tok's faith because there isn't a organized church devoted to The God Hound. Worshiping Tok is always a personal thing and his followers range from the devout cleric living in the city who take strays off the streets to the isolated druid or ranger living of the land with not only a dog animal companion but dozens of hounds under his or her protection. Rogues and scouts are also drawn towards the faith of the God Hound, but they are rarely considered to be clergymen of The Wild One. Half-elves and half-orcs are also drawn towards this faith as it allows them to feel like they belong to something without having to give up their personal goals and freedoms. Of all the divine classes, rangers are the most likely to become the most devoted followers of Tok.

Because of the fact that The God Hound doesn't have a true clergy or church, there aren't any true temples dedicated to Tok. Instead, followers of Tok take shelter wherever they can including other temples dedicated to the North Gods. (Only the wickedest of these followers must get by on their own; although, hidden temples of Xuar have been known to shelter truly evil followers of Tok's evil form.)

Temples (and other structures) dedicated to Cronn, the Daghdha, Kuil, Larea, and Lokun will rarely turn away a good-hearted follower of The God Hound, and there is always a place for such fun-loving followers in a temple dedicated to Issek. The Interloper God known as Uller has a fondness for Tok's followers; therefore, the priests of The Winter God always welcome the followers of The Wild One into their temples, such as they are. Priests of Uller adoringly refer to Tok as Larea's Little Brother or Winter's Untamed Nephew. (Neither of these are official titles for Tok nor are they used by the followers of the North Gods.)

Note, however, that while Tok doesn't have his own temples, there are countless shrines and sacred places dedicated to him throughout the Lands of Harqual. Most of these shrines are located in the wilderness or in rural areas where dogs are beloved. There are also many organizations and religious sects that pay homage to Tok by allowing its faithful followers into their groups. The Hounds of Cronn in the Monarchy of Avion are one such group even though its members normally must be followers of Cronn. The MaShir Wolves of the Kingdom of MaShir, the Outriders of Kuil, and the Striders of the Dawn all allow Tok followers to join their groups.

 

[Knightfall]

Now that I've completed the original group of North Gods, I have five new ones to detail before moving on to the Sword Gods:

• Brenna, The Traveler’s Companion
• Casiia, The Princess of the Thicket
• Draven, Bird Brother
• Narvi, Lokun’s Dead Son, The Binder, The Eviscerated God
• Vali, Lokun’s Living Son, The Born Vengeance, The Wolf

After these five are done, I'll be posting all the North Gods in a handy dandy PDF file for the reference of anyone who wants it.

Cheers!

KF72

 

[Knightfall]

MORE GAZETTEER ENTRIES
Something to go along with the new map I just posted in my maps thread. This township originally had a more complicated name but I decided to simplify it.

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Kimsbridge
Proper Name: The Township of Kimsbridge
Ruler: Leanora Tobbish [N female human Drd7 (the Daghdha)]
Government: Clan Structure
Capital: Kimsbridge
Major Towns: Holden (pop. - 879), Horse Crossing (pop. - 1,064), Kimsbridge (pop. - 4,199)
Provinces: NA
Resources: Dwarven crafts, gems (black amber and rock crystals, mainly), metals (iron and silver), spices (cumin and pepper, mainly), trained hunting birds.
Coinage: NA
Population: 122,840 – Human 80%, Dwarf (hill) 8%, Dwarf (high) 4%, Halfling (icefoot) 3%, Elf (silver) 3%, Half-Orc 1%, Other Races 1%.
Languages: Auran, Barbarian, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Halfling, Orc, Waracou.
Alignments: LN, NG, N *, (NE), CN
Patron God: None.
Major Religions: Cull, the Daghdha, Dionysus, Dumathoin, Hansa, Konkresh, Larea, Math Mathonwy, Ptah, Uller, Urogalan.
Minor Religions: Abbathor, Brandobaris, Darahl, Lokun, Muamman, Mussin, Nether, Rellavar, Sanh, Tarsellis, Vergadain, Wee Jas.
Cults: Anacoro, Angrboda, Annam, Deltum, Enduma, Fenmarel, Nessus, Olidammara, Seraph, Sheela, Vespin, Xan Yae, Zell.
Alliances: Archbishopric of Coldstone (trade alliance); Giant Steadings of Muirmaer (non-aggression, secret).

 

[Knightfall]

A couple more gazetteer entries . . .

Ahalgot
Proper Name: The Domain of Ahalgot
Ruler: Wynn Ironstout, Protector of Ahalgot [NG female halfling (northchild) Clr12 (Arvoreen)]
Government: Tribal/Clan Structure
Capital: NA
Major Towns: No large towns exist within Ahalgot, but see below.
Provinces: Dozens of small, independent steadings/hamlets scattered throughout Ahalgot. These small communities band together, fiercely, when threatened by an external force.
Resources: Crafts (halfling), herbs, huntsmen, nuts, and totems.
Coinage: NA; denizens use barter system; rarely they will accept the coins minted in the Kingdom of MaShir.
Population: Exact numbers unknown, but the bulk of the population is said to be a mix of icefoot halflings, silver ‘wild’ elves, centaurs, kitts, and a few clans of good-aligned human barbarians.
Languages: Auran, Barbarian, Centaur, Giant, Halfling, Kitt, Sylvan, Treant.
Alignments: NG *, N, CG, CN.
Patron Gods: Halfling Pantheon.
Major Religions: Araleth, Brenna, Casiia, Damh, Draven, Ehlonna, Emmantiensien, Hendomar, Nathair, Mielikki, Oberon, Rillifane, Sanh, and Titania.
Minor Religions: Aerdrie, Caoimhin, Cronn, Dionysus, Fenmarel, Khonvum, Larea, Mahridaar, Mirella, Pashandara, Rellavar, Sanh, Sarula, and Uller.
Cults: Brandobaris, Puck, Seraph, Sheela, Sialic, Sigyn, Solonor, Tarsellis, Telchur, Thorn, Tulle, Verenestra, and Zealot.
Alliances: Kingdom of MaShir (mutual protection alliance versus the Old Sword Lands); Town of Fade Hill; Twilight Lands.

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Fade Hill
Proper Name: The Town of Fade Hill
Ruler: Vitor Whitewaul, Lord Mayor of Fade Hill [N male human Ftr8]
Government: Clan Structure
Capital: Fade Hill
Major Towns: Fade Hill (pop. – 4,700)
Provinces: NA
Resources: Clay/pottery, gems (diamonds and sapphires mainly), metals (silver and copper), pelts/hides, and vegetables.
Coinage: NA
Population: 72,310 – Human 96%, Elf (silver) 2%, Dwarven (hill) 1%, Other Races 1%.
Languages: Barbarian, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Halfling, Waracou.
Alignments: NG, N *, CG, CN
Patron God: None.
Major Religions: Corellon, Cronn, the Daghdha, Hansa, Kord, Larea, Muamman, Sanh, Valkar.
Minor Religions: Aerdrie, Brenna, Casiia, Draven, Dumathoin, Hendomar, Mahridaar, Lokun, Uller, Vali.
Cults: Aasterinian, Deltum, Euphoria, Nessus, Seraph, Sialic, Tarsellis, Telchur, Thorn, Zealot, Zell.
Alliances: Domain of Ahalgot; Kingdom of MaShir; Twilight Lands.

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Map: World of Kulan Maps (Updated: Nov 22/11)

 

[Knightfall]

BTW, I've created an index of the gazetteer entries I've posted at the beginning of the thread (page #1, post #2). The index lists the post number where you can find each entry, but I didn't go so far as to embed links.

I'll likely create an post index for the Gods and for the various characters I've posted as well. However, it isn't my first priority.

Cheers!

KF72