    is one is a departure from

w previous issues for a number of reasons. First, it’s a collabo-

ration between Lucas Magnusson and myself, Justin Howe.
We’ll be sharing the editorial office for the near future at least. Secondly, we
have left Hârn behind, traveling over to the mainland of Lythia.
is issue focuses on the Malnoren of Loala, a Duchy in the Kingdom
of Shorkyne. It is a strange and tragic place with plenty of mysteries to
Editors: Lucas Magnusson · lucas.magnusson@tele.se
unravel. We have tried to use as broad of brushstrokes as possible, painting
Justin Howe · heelox@aol.com
Website: alterego.sverok.net/thonahexus in the culture of the region. is has been the most fun and rewarding part.
How are these people different from everyone else? Maybe, we have been
too fantastic for some tastes, but we didn’t want to reveal everything.
It is a tough balancing act between details and mystique, and it has been
CO
C ON
NTTE
ENNT
TSS
our policy to always come down on the side of mystique. We wanted to
he Malnoren of Loala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  create Shorkyne’s Evael without the Elves. It’s hard to know if we suc-
repura & The Lado Colle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ceeded. ere is certainly something here for everyone, and probably a bit
ado Via . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
more left over. ere’s a place for tournaments as well as fairy tales, a place
for humble beginnings and grand adventures. Loala can be whatever you
he Imperial Vinta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
want it to be. is is only our version of it. Walk around, explore and let us
he Wreckers of the Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  know what you find.
onis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  In the future, we will be heading south; we will meet bandits and more.
he uestion of a Hârnic Dark A . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Quareld and Kemol await, the glass works of Shorkyne, and Imeruva, the
Court of Illusions. But, don’t think for a moment we have left Hârn behind.
Hârn still fascinates us and holds many questions. e article, “e Ques-
tion of a Hârnic Dark Age,” speculates on some of the island’s mist shrou-
ded history. It doesn’t have to be true, but it is a possibility. Send us your
thoughts, ideas, and articles. How do fashions in Aleath differ from those

4
in Coranan? Which merchants rule the Ulmerien League? What secrets do
the Emela know? Both the big schemes and the humble details are equally
important to us.
Remember, the mystery is only as much fun as we make it.
—e Editors

© , N. Robin Crossby (www.kelestia.com) and Columbia Games, Inc. (www.columbiagames.com). e articles in onahexus are derivative works of copyrighted material published by Columbia Games Inc. and/or N. Robin
Crossby and released for free distribution and personal use with permission by N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games, Inc. Hârn, HârnWorld, and HârnMaster are Trademarks of Columbia Games Inc. and N. Robin Crossby. Use of
these or other trademarks are not intended as a challenge to the status of said trademarks. e content of onahexus is not canon, unless otherwise stated.
 LOA LA 1

∞e Malnoren of Loala
n introduion to the isolated and enimatic county of Loala in horn.
ext: ustin owe  Illustrations: Eun Jin Lee & Lucas Manusson  aps: Lucas Manusson.

’   except section has always been isolated, being a

t fishing villages and ruins: old forts,

burnt cottages, an empty chapel in
a spinney of trees. Everywhere is the property of
squatters, urchins, and wanderers. Human be-
ings caught between the dark of the forests and
the force of the sea.
—Jerbo Hitha, merchant of Eslon.
Introduction
e Malnoren of Loala has seen a great change in its
fortunes. At one time, it spread across a larger expanse of
land and sea, holding the Norlay Marshes and the isle of
Helegat. Over two hundred years of viking raiders and
the ascendancy of Clan Byrelsen, have reduced much of
this countryside to ruin. e population dwells close to
the coast and along the rivers of the south. e western
LUC A S MAGNUSSON
region of rugged hills and dense pine for-
ests. e Earthmaster ruin of Imeruva lies
somewhere in this wilderness.
e north and east of the county saw
the worst of the viking years. Four ruined
towns cast their shadows over an empty
coast. Castle Andrin defends the entrance
to the Realen River. is river empties
into the Gulf of Shorkyne and allows easy access to the
forests of the interior. East of here is a region called the
Ostrian Peninsula, a thinly populated expanse of coast-
line.
Southern Loala houses most of the county’s popula-
tion along the banks of the Holime, Quantere and Edaren
Rivers. e Malnira, Emane Hethara, holds the castle of
Holegore on the north bank of the Holime. is area was
once famous as a haven for outlaws preying upon river

  º 
 LOALA 2

traffic and south into Quareld and Kemol. In the last 

TIME LINE
years the Malnira has improved the security of the area. It
is far from safe, but the days of the bandit chiefs appear to   Henge building culture flourishes in Western
be numbered. and Central Shorkyne.
Despite its isolation, Loala remains tied to the rest of   First wave of Pharic people begin to arrive
Shorkyne by its central location. ough not as wealthy from the east.
as neighboring malnoren, vast amounts of information –  e Atani Wars.
  Kingdom of Melderyn founded.
and traffic must pass near Loala. Its isolation within this
  Azeryan Empire founded.
stream makes it an ideal retreat from overt intrigue but   Arrival of Hlarakor and the Azeryani
without losing contact with the pulse. e Lado College expedition.
on the Ostrian Peninsula is typical of this type of base.   First fortifications at Trepura built.
e general population sees the pilots as poor vagrants,   Lado College founded by Eudomicus.
referring to them as “sea beggars.” But, the college has the   Calamisa destroyed by vikings.
respect of the crown and the local powers. It even draws   Daman destroyed.
the attention of the rest of Lythia.   Trepura destroyed, Lado College used as
pirate base.
  Goedeke the Pirate dies off the coast of
History Daman Isle.
  Clan Byrelsen’s forces invade and capture
By   Loala had become the eastern frontier of the Norlay castle.
Henge Culture. However, increasing migrations of Pharic   Kingdom of Shorkyne founded by Edan .
tribes pushed this culture far to the west. e Phari built –  Red Death devastates all of Shorkyne.
forts and settlements along the coast of Loala, fighting –  First Karetan War fought between Shorkyne
amongst themselves. When Hlarakor the Azeryani ar- and Trierzon.
–  Second Karetan War.
rived in  , he found the coast to be an unpleasant
  Letryn destroyed.
area of hostile tribes. Some members of his expedition –  ird Karetan War.
remained in the area to trade with these natives.   Kingdom of Harbaal founded.
At this time Clan Hethara was a Pharic tribe that had   Peledeo destroyed.
taken to the sea, settling on Helegat Isle. ere along with   Sagath Hethara dies, Emane Hethara
other clans they built the town of Calamisa. eir role as appointed clanhead.
traders quickly brought them into contact with the Az-
eryani. e combined efforts of the two people built the
town of Trepura in  . e next decades saw the continuing decline of Loala’s
For a time, all trade had to pass through Trepuran fortunes. What the vikings did not destroy, the Red
hands. e Azeryani merchants grew wealthy and Clan Death did. Clan Hethara faced increasing unrest and
Hethara flourished. Within a generation they had domi- disorder. e south of the county became rife with brig-
nated the other tribes in the area. Over the next century ands and mercenary soldiers, while the north still faced
their power grew and they spread into the interior. ey sea borne raiders. e town of Letryn was sacked in 
may have conquered more territory, but in   Cala- , and Peledeo in  . When Emane Hethara came
misa was destroyed by Harbaalese raiders. Daman was of age it was the joke that her future husband could only
sacked in  , Trepura in  . Raiders made their expect stones as his dowry.
way upriver to attack new settlements. e survivors fled
from their homes. Some settled deep within the forests,
Population
while others left Loala entirely. Clan Hethara was left in
disarray and there were other enemies to take advantage e coastal population is a mix of Pharic bloodlines, with
of their weakness. traces of southern ethnicities. e interior is more homo-
In the spring of  , Clan Byrelsen’s forces invaded genous and typical of Shorkyne. Most of the population
and captured the Castle of Norlay. Whyth Hethara was no live in small isolated manors and are suspicious of outsid-
match for his more organized opponent. He could hardly ers. ese farms barely make enough to support the local
muster a sufficient fighting force from the Malnoren’s de- population. ey are a superstitious people with peculiar
pleted population. Edan I graciously accepted his surren- customs. For instance, it is a common practice to hang a
der and Whyth became one of his most loyal supporters. bag of bones and herbs above the door as a ward against

 º  
LOA LA 3

the ‘Evil Eye.’ is tradition dates back to the days of the
THE WOLVES OF LOAL A
Red Death.
Clothing tends to be a mix of wool and linen garments
decorated with intricate needle work. Undyed blouses
and pants are worn beneath animal skins and colorful
cloaks. e pilots at the Lado college affect the long
woolen caps of local fishers. ese caps combine the traits
of a hat and a scarf into one garment.

Industry
As a rule, most manors do not produce enough to export.
What crops are grown are consumed locally with few
exceptions. Sonise is able to produce enough wool to ex-
port the material. Bulen Hethara makes a nice profit, but
has become bored with the trade. He plans on turning his
concerns over to representatives, and taking a less pri-
mary role in production. His attention has shifted to
Lome Abbey, where the Peonian monks produce a tasty
ale. Bulen visits often to discuss methods of production
and also to sample the wares. Fish is exported, sometimes
dried but mostly pickled. e salter of Lado produces
several varieties that are famous in Sagora to the south.
Clan Hethara is eager to exploit the wealth of their
forests. e Timberwright’s guild has set up several
camps throughout the region which the family hopes to
profit from. However, the camps are hard to maintain.
Locals are superstitious and accidents too common. Only
the desperate would choose to spend so much time iso-
lated in the wilderness.
Forests and Wildlife
Wild game abounds throughout the deserted country-
side. Wolves, bears, and wild dogs now make their homes
among the stones that were once cottages. e marshes
and rivers teem with birds during the season. Dense sec-
ond and third generation forests grow almost to the edge
of the sea. e interior has only been slightly logged, and
still holds miles of first-growth pine. Steep cliffs and stony
beaches are common along the shore. These coves nor-
mally hold a cluster of hovels. The smell of stewed fish
hangs above them like a cloud.
T H E B LU E C R A B S O F DA M A N I S L A N D
 It is considered bad luck to eat the blue crabs of Daman Is-
land. Known scavengers, these creatures have been seen to feast
upon shipwrecked corpses. In the mythology of the locals, the
crabs represent those souls lost at sea. Some villagers even claim
to see the faces of the dead on the crab’s exoskeletons.
 As the sun sets barks and howls can be heard throughout the
countryside. Farmers lock and bolt their doors, and the shep-
herds stand alert beside their fires. What is commonly called a
“wolf” is actually a hybrid of domestic species. Feral descendants
of mastiffs and other hunting dogs, these brutes have become a
common threat. Especially during winter when food is scarce.
Religion
Loala remains very primitive in its spiritual outlook.
Most serfs worship Peoni at village chapels or small road-
side shrines. e Lome abbey is maintained by a chapter
of the Irreproachable Order. is community oversees a
hospice on the shores of Lake Oas in the highlands of the
Ostrian Peninsula. Larani holds some sway over the no-
bles in the south, while Halea is worshipped almost ex-
clusively in the Lado Village. Both Bulen Hethara and his
grand-niece Alath worship Save K’nor. Ostelones con-
tains a house maintained by the church. It appears as a
merchant residence and serves as a launching point for
expeditions inland to Imeruva. ere is a small chapel to
the Scholar in Sonise, maintained by a reclusive priest.
Andrin castle has a temple of Sarajin used by northern
merchants. Naveh, Ilvir, Agrik, and Morgath have few
followers.
Clan Hethara
Clan Hethara claims descent from inhabitants of Helegat
Isle. By the time Hralakor’s expedition arrived, they had
already established trading posts on the coast. It was not
until the first Azeryani exiles arrived in Trepura that the
clan grew powerful. However, the initial raids on Ca-
lamisa and Daman took them by surprise. e Malnir at
the time, Demellio Hethara, died during the sack of
Trepura in  . e title passed to his nephew,
Whyth. He paid too much attention to the northern

  º 

threat to notice what was happening in the south. In 
, Clan Byrelsen took Norlay castle and marched on
Holegore. Whyth pledged loyalty to Byrelsen and served
faithfully at the expense of internal problems. Pockets of
raiders festered across the countryside. Lawlessness
spread and the family slipped into decline.
e nadir of the clan’s fortune was Rammes Hethara,
– . A corpulent man, Rammes was a self cen-
tered and corrupt ruler. He did nothing to stem the in-
creasing tide of bandits and there are stories that he
profited from them. His only surviving son, Sagath, took
power in  . Sagath was hardworking but shared his
father’s temper. e two men had been estranged for
years. By the time Sagath came to the throne, he was al-
ready an old man and thought himself cursed. His first
wife disappeared after giving birth to a crippled son, Bu-
len. e second died after giving birth to a daughter,
Emane.
Sagath’s first project was to repair the castles that the
clan still held. After that he set about the task of marrying
off his daughter. Sagath could offer little as a dowry and
she had few suitors. Finally, he broke with convention and
allowed her to marry a freeborn man, Jerge of Skolk. Jerge
was a retired pilot from the Lado College. Sagath was
pleased with the choice. e pilot was competent and
began to quell the growing unrest in the south. Sagath
died of a heart attack in  . It was only in the past ten
years that Jerge made any progress against the bandits.
Since his death in  , Emane has continued this cam-
paign and in some ways improved upon it.
e members of the household are considered pecu-
liar by the general population and noble clans. e Het-
haras are a gifted and detached minority, their lives shad-
owed by the loss of their former glory.
Emane Hethara
e present clanhead looks older than her forty-eight
years. Emane spent most of her youth in the area around
Sonise. Her half-brother, Bulen, gave her an education,
teaching her to read and write.
Emane grew up with the knowledge that her father
thought of himself as a failure. She often heard Sagath
cursing his own fate over the years. is has made her
think less of herself than she deserves. Bred to be married
off and forgotten, Emane never expected to inherit the
title of clanhead when her father died. Sagath’s hatred of
Bulen placed her in this role. Emane is too insecure to
recognize her own competence.
Emane is a small woman with soft features. She wor-
ries about the future and her two youngest children.
Kirdus is too much like his grandfather to suit her tastes.
Her vassals respect her and trust her to make good deci-
 º 
LOALA 4
THE SPIDER WOOD
 Bulen’s mother, Ingrae, disappeared in the forests southeast
of Sonise. Some called her a witch. Sagath spoke little of how he
met the woman only that she claimed to be a knight’s daughter
from a forest manor. Ingrae is said to have laughed after Bulen
was born. Soon afterwards, she walked into the wood never to
be seen again. To this day the woods hold a peculiar mystery.
Every year at the end of harvest the spider population tends to
explode more than normal. Villagers are greeted daily by the
sight of webs hanging from the trees, and the fields buried be-
neath a layer of wispy silk. e event lasts only a few tendays
but its eerie quality adds to the wood’s reputation. Animals
that stray into the wood sometimes disappear.
sions. Emane has a head for figures and remains close to
her late husband’s associates at the college.
Bulen Hethara
Emane’s older half-brother, Bulen holds the keep of So-
nise for Clan Hethara. He maintains the surrounding
lands efficiently, rewarding competence above noble birth.
Born in the year  , Bulen is the only live child born
to Sagath’s first wife. A cripple from birth, he suffers from
a curvature of the spine as well as being sterile. His father
was disgusted by him, referring to him as “that witch’s
son.” He was mostly raised by members of the Irreproach-
able Order.
Bulen is short and frail, with a head that appears too
large for his body. He walks bent forward with the help of
a cane. Bulen has a keen mind and a frivolous nature, suc-
ceeding at most of what he attempts. First, it was bee
keeping, then sheep herding, and now he has shown inter-
est in the abbey of Lome’s ale. Despite this prosperity, his
vassals do not entirely trust him. ey consider him in-
human and fey. Bulen chooses to overlook this prejudice

LOA LA 5

for now. He had a large role in raising his two nieces, and
is an avid naturalist and bird-watcher.

EUN JIN LEE

Alath Hethara
Emane’s eldest child, Alath studied in Emelrene and is a
Savoryan Shek-Pvar. Only twenty-six years old, there
have been few suitors for Alath’s hand. She is an extreme
introvert suffering from several phobias. is fact
however does little to destroy her reputation as a
charming wit and keen observer. Alath maintains
correspondence with the great minds of Shorkyne’s
nobility. Whenever she must travel, Alath is
always accompanied by her younger
sister, Lisel.
Alath resembles a younger, more
intense version of her mother. Her one
love is knowledge, and she tries to pur-
chase books whenever possible. Like her
uncle she worships Save K’Norr. She recently
returned from a visit to Cherafir on an unknown
errand.

Lisel Hethara
Considered the most competent of the Hethara children,
this nineteen year old is already an accomplished pilot,
passable warrior, and gifted diplomat. She enjoys travel
and spends most of her time around Trepura.
Lisel has her mother’s dark hair, but a slimmer build.
She is level headed and able to remain calm in emergen-
cies. She loves her sister and her uncle, but thinks her
brother a bore and enjoys teasing him.
Kirdus Hethara
Emmane’s only son, Kirdus, is a headstrong twenty-two
year old eagerly awaiting his mother’s abdication as clan-
head. He holds the castle of Andrin on Loala’s north
coast, but feels marginalized. He would rather be in the
south hunting bandits, and not overseeing a group of
“wood choppers.” Emane knows that he is too rash and
lets her other vassals handle the situation. Kirdus finds
this behaviour disrespectful, claiming his mother is sti-
fling him.
MURDER IN THE CAMPS
 For the past four years the camp at the head of the Realen
River has been the site of grisly murders. Bodies have been
found mutilated, and the camps are understaffed. People claim
it is the work of a ghost or demon. e guild demands that
Kirdus do something to stop the killings and bring the mur-
derer to justice.
Glygenhaal the Herald, Lisel Hethara and Kirdus Hethara.
Kirdus is blond and thin. He resembles his grand-
father, Sagath, and takes after the man. Kirdus’s greatest
fear is to be over-shadowed by his sisters. e fact that he
constantly oversteps his limits does little to temper his
exuberance. His mother hopes he matures a little and
outgrows this current chauvinistic phase. Alath ignores
him, and Lisel laughs at him. Even his vassals snicker
behind his back and wish he spent more time tending to
his duties.
Glygenhaal the Herald
Glygenhaal is Kirdus’s closest friend and senior by two
years. A member of Clan Bitifre, his parents were killed
by bandits while travelling in the west. e boy was found
by the Count of Dumala’s men and returned home. He
was raised with Emane’s children. Glygenhaal is never far
from his friend’s side. He is a gifted draughtsman and
poet. However, he is a spy for Anfla Dasendis, the Count
of Dumala.
When he was eleven years old Glygenhaal’s parents
were killed by bandits and the boy taken as a hostage. He
spent months with the group suffering much abuse, be-
fore being rescued by the Count’s soldiers. Anfla learned
the boy’s identity and gained his trust. He uses the herald
to keep tabs on his eastern neighbor. For his part, Glygen-
haal hopes the day never comes when his loyalties are
tested. He feels deeply indebted to Anfla, but also loyal to
his cousins. m

  º 
Merchant’s Map of Loala LOALA 6

 º  
T R E P U R A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 1

Trepura & ∞e Lado College

On the eastern coast of Loala stand the crumblin ruins of Trepura—home to e Bears from the Sea.
Text: Justin Howe · Illustrations: Eun Jin Lee & Daniel Berkvist · Maps: Lucas Manusson.

   Gulf of Shorkyne north of

l Demath Bay, Trepura boasts one of the finest
harbors in Northwest Lythia. Two headlands
connect with rising hills to form the edge of a great bowl.
e bottom of the bowl forms the lagoon and water enters
through a narrow canal passing between the seaworks.
e town lies in ruins, having been sacked by vikings in
 . However, life is slowly returning. On the hill to
the south overlooking the lagoon, a beacon burns atop a
stone tower. Clusters of buildings stand at the foot of the
tower hill. is is the Pilot’s College of Lado, the nominal
‘rulers’ of the district.
History
Trepura first came to prominence as an Azerayni trading
station. e damp chilly weather combined with the rug-
ged landscape made the town a profitable but unpleasant
posting. e coffers filled and with the help of Clan Het-
hara, the seaworks were built. By  , Trepura was
seen as large enough and dismal enough to serve as a suit-
able home for imperial exiles. Hoping to make the best of a
bad situation, these undesirables began to shape the town
to suit their memories of the south. During this time the
foundation stones were laid for what would become the
Lado College.

DA NIEL BER GKVIST

  º 
 TREPUR A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 2

It’s only been in the past fifty years that the college
S C Y L I S S I S A T H E N AV I G ATOR
began to resemble the town it does now. Part of this
 Scylissisa lived during the height of the Mafanese Empire. change came about after the marriage of Jerge of Skolk to
She travelled far and wide around the world leaving behind Emane Hethara.
descriptions that bordered on the fantastic. Eudomicus fell in
love again. It became his obsession. Several failed expeditions
into the east made imperial favor turn against him. Azeryan The Lado College
needed gold and profitable trade routes, not scavenger hunts
after scraps of information. Before he could be exiled, Eudo- The Masters
micus chose to leave the Empire. He travelled north, following
the fragmentary account of Scylissisa’s final expedition. ere are currently five masters in residence at the college.
Each one has travelled extensively throughout the seas of
Lythia. A sixth master has been at sea for the past four
e genius behind the construction of the college was years. His return is eagerly awaited.
an exile from Azerayn by the name of Eudomicus. He
was common born and as a youth traveled extensively Ivor Senj
with his family on trade expeditions. When he was of age, A lean sixty year old man, Ivor, is of mixed heritage. He
Eudomicus apprenticed with the Pilot’s Guild. For the was born a slave in the Venarian Sea and worked his way
next twenty years the sea was his mistress. His travels up to master pilot. His knowledge is a mix of both north-
took him far from his home in the Azerayni Empire. ern and southern traditions. Ivor has whaled in the north,
While in the Gulf of Mafan, Eudomicus came into pos- sold spices in Dalkesh, and even visited the ports of Evael.
sesion of the Scylissisa Fragment. is tablet recorded the He spends as much of his time on board ship as possible,
exploits of the legendary pilot, Scylissisa. e search for
the rest of the tablet became an obsession that lead to his BEMBEN’S HOARD
fall from imperial favor.
For three years he lived on the isle of Melderyn. en
in   Eudomicus, along with two master pilots from
Nurisel, landed at Trepura. Within a decade these three
were attracting students of their own. e college had
been born and it flourished over the next century.
In  , an apprentice pilot named Goedeke entered
the college. He showed remarkable talent and quickly
surpassed most other students. But, he was reckless and
in   one of his “expeditions” left several of his class-
mates dead. Goedeke fled north rather than face the
wrath of his masters. His talents proved to be a valuable
commodity in the Gulf, and he established a name for
himself as a daring captain. Goedeke joined with other
raiders from Harbaal and sailed south to Trepura in 
. His knowledge proved vital in undermining the town’s  Bemben was one of Goedeke’s men. A cruel Ivinian, his
seaward defenses. While the town and castle burned, Go- thirst for blood rivaled only his thirst for gold. When Goedeke
edeke returned triumphant to the college. He would spare set sail on what would turn out to be his final voyage, Bemben
the school on the condition of being named a Master. The was left in charge of Trepura. Word returned that Goedeke had
current Head Mistress committed suicide rather than died at sea and the area erupted in violence. Local villagers
allied with pilots sought revenge upon those pirates still on land.
submit to the ruffian. e other Masters bowed their
Bemben and his men found themselves outnumbered. e pi-
heads and decided to bide their time. rates fled but not before Bemben packed a chest of gold. For
For the next four years Goedeke plundered the coast. days they sailed one step ahead of their pursuers. Finally, thirst
Trepura became his headquarters and a pirate base. He and hunger forced the surviving pirates to land at the mouth of
exacted bloody tribute from the villages in the area. Fi- the Realen. ey were soon surrounded and butchered. Bem-
nally it is said, even the sea grew disgusted with Goedeke. ben, however, was not among them. Some say he escaped up-
In  , his ship broke upon the rocks north of the Da- river with his gold. Others say his body lies at the bottom of the
man Straits. Sailors claim his ghost still haunts the bay, gulf, victim to a final mutiny.
searching for the way home.

 º  
T R E P U R A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 3 North

E
YN
F SHORK
LF O
GU

T R E PU R A

  º 
South TREPUR A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 4

E
YN
K
R

O
SH
F OF
L
GU

L A DO


Local scale (feet)
 


 º  
T R E P U R A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 5
piloting small craft out into the bay. Recently, he has be-
friended a group of Chymak. If Follastro does not return
Ivor may recruit one of them as a replacement. Ivor was a
close friend of Jerge of Skolk.
Grenda
e old man known simply as Grenda maintains the bea-
con on the hill. He has a vast knowledge of the stars and
his weather sense is unparalleled. He also oversees the
work details of the apprentices. ough he sleeps most of
the day, his wife Ingeld makes sure most of his orders are
followed. ey have three children, all pilots, and five
grandchildren. e oldest of which is an apprentice at the
college.
Pell of Estes
A blond woman from Elmerene, Pell appears much older
than her thirty-seven years. Weather and other hardships
have left their marks on her features. She studied at the
Pilot’s College in Nurisel. Eight years ago she spent four
months adrift at sea. Her ship collided with a submerged
object in the dead of night. She does not speak of these
experiences. Pell is on very good terms with Lisel Hethara.
Hanth of Gos
is heavy man oversees the security of the lagoon. He is
forty-three, balding with long strands of gray hair on his
scalp. An axe blade removed the fourth and fifth fingers
from his left hand. Hanth spends most of his days at the
harbour overseeing the market. His gap-toothed smile is
normally the first thing strangers see when they arrive in
port. It is his task to ensure that all ships that come into
dock fly no colors and pay the appropriate fees. He has
close ties to the Sailor’s Guildmaster.
Aasnir of Enslon
A stout man of thirty-two, Aasnir has a head of thick
black curls, and a neatly trimmed beard. He sports an
earring in his left ear. Aasnir has been sailing the Gulf of
Shorkyne since he was a child. He is often away for weeks
at a time accompanied by experienced students. He hopes
to replace Ivor as head of the college and supports the
conversion of the school into a naval base. He makes a
display of his worship of Larani.
Follastro the Lost
e sixth master of Lado, Follastro set sail to explore the
western coast of Anzeloria four years ago in a venture fi-
nanced by Anfla Dasendis. He was forty-four at the time
and has yet to return. e other masters wait and keep a
place at table for him. e apprentices refer to him as the
Lost Master. Privately, the Masters have begun to worry.

THE NO COLOR L AW
 Neutrality is the law, and all fights
and disputes end in the lagoon. is
law is enforced by Hanth and his
mercenaries. e college pays
them well. It is customary for
ships that use the harbor for re-
pairs to sell some of their goods in
market. e college always profits
from this arrangement.
Current Situation
e ruined town and College are currently in a state of
flux. e pilots have spent years maintaining their neu-
trality only to have it now threatened by politics. Bargas
Tarin, Lord Privy Seal of Shorkyne, keeps several spies in
the town. Shorkyne hopes to build a standing navy like
Chelemby to the north. Trepura would make an ideal
spot to establish the base. Bargas remains on good terms
with the pilots while Lisel Hethara petitions to keep the
college independent. Anfla Dasendis also supports con-
tinued independence.
e more serious threat comes from pirates that prey
upon the Gulf trade. ough they have always found a
ready market for goods in the port, there are some who
would follow Goedeke’s example and transform it into a
stronghold.
Like most coastal settlements, the diet is largely made
up of fish. e college oversees the restoration of several
fruit orchards west of the town. In the past it has relied
heavily on imported foods and now strives to become
more self-sufficient. Runaway serfs can easily find a place
for themselves in Trepura. e journey is dangerous and
few live to find its sanctuary.
Tools of the Trade
Common tools include a sink and line, used to take depth
measurements and a bowl and sundial to determine the
altitude of the sun. e astrolabe has made some progress
this far north. But none of these tools can replace the
memories of the pilots. ey steer by the direction of the
winds, by the stars, and by the descriptions handed down
orally or on paper from generation to generation. It is this
reason that makes the rutter library so important.
A Pilot’s Rutter
It is the duty of all pilot’s to record an account of their voy-
ages. ese accounts vary according to the personality of
 º 

D ANI E L B E R GK VI S T
their author. Some are catalogs of numbers recording sun
height, water depth, and hawking fees. Others describe
the position of the moon and stars, the direction of travel
and the name of the winds.
Pilots normally keep their rutters packed in a small
case about half an arm’s length long, and varying in deco-
ration from polished wood inlaid with scrollwork to
simple salt stained pine. ese cases serve as storage area
and desk for the wandering pilot. At times, it is necessary
for a rutter to be censored or falsified in order to protect
a trade route. Or, the pilot out of a peculiarity of spirit
will write in a complicated cipher. Pilots are encouraged
to be skeptical and to believe only what they have seen
with their own eyes.
Lado college has a wide selection of rutters from for-
eign seas. Entering students work in the scriptorium
copying the rutters of visiting pilots. All students are
taught the Lakise alphabet and most try to learn as many
other languages as possible.
Legends of the Ostrian Coast
The Legend of Fionne
South of Trepura a strange ritual is performed. At the
end of Morgat, the villagers descend to the beach along a
winding stair cut into the cliff. ey carry lit candles and
follow behind a young woman. Little more than a child,
she walks to the edge of the sea. e girl pulls a ring from
her finger and shouts “Death to Goedeke,” throwing the
band of metal as far into the waters as she can. en she
turns and walks back up the beach. So starts the Feast of
Fionne, a holy day in the Peonian church.
 º 
TREPUR A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 6
Fionne was the last in a long list of child brides de-
manded by Goedeke. Her village could offer no resistance
and one night the pirate’s men arrived, taking the girl
away. For six months the village thought Fionne dead.
One night in the dead of winter, she stumbled into the
village wrapped in a blanket. Fionne collapsed in a fever
and on the morning of the third day she woke and made
her way to the beach. e village followed and there on
the sand the girl took off her jeweled ring and laid a curse
upon the pirate. It was that very night that the storm
raged which killed Goedeke and his crew.
Fionne’s feast marks the end of winter. Every year a
village girl is selected to represent Fionne in the drama.
She is isolated from her family and given only water and
broth to sustain herself. e night before the feast, the
girl is visted by an old crone. e crone’s task is to instruct
the girl in the “Art of Cursing.”
The Ghost of The Gull
e Gull was a twelve man fishing vessel operated by the
Approio clan. ey were part of the fledgling fishing fleet
of the Lado town. One night three years ago, the ships
were scattered by a storm and e Gull drifted out of
sight. In the days following, the fleet regrouped but there
was no sign of e Gull. e worst was confirmed when
one of the ships picked up a survivor floating on a piece of
wreckage. He told how e Gull now lay on the ocean
floor.
Or, so it was thought. In the dead of night a fisherman
on his way home saw e Gull return to port. e ship
was white like moonlight, the crew visible on the deck
preparing for the storm. Seaweed clung to the railings. It
was that same night that the single survivor of e Gull
died. Since then e Gull has been sighted six times. Each
time a member of the Approio Clan died by morning.
EU N JIN LEE

T R E P U R A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 7 Trepura Harbor

8
9

10

6 3
2 5
7
5
4

1 14

13

12

11

Local scale (feet)

   

  º 
 TREPUR A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 8

1. The Hall 10. Captain’s Residence

is building is used by Hanth’s men as a dormitory while
the tower to the north is repaired. e ground floor serves
as a gathering place for porters that work on the docks.
2. Sailor’s Guildhall
e guild master, Jorgal Mabden, is a barrel chested man
with dark hair. A pink scar splits his lips and he has a gold
tooth. He was once a ship’s carpenter and still uses his
skills to make repairs around the place. e hall is a loud
place when ships come into port and damage expected.
e other permanent resident is a legless sailor named
Odd Rendru. Odd makes his living tattooing the visiting
sailors. He is fascinated by stories of the Kubora of Hârn.
3. Brothel (Beillas Mabden)
:  :  : Average
is building is almost attached to the guildhall. Jorgal’s
wife, Beillas, is a local woman that grew up on the docks.
She is more intelligent than her husband. Her girls work
as servants in the guildhall. Once a year when the ship
from Byria arrives, Bellias houses the crew. Inevitably, she
will lose a girl or two at this time.
4. Market Square
5. Warehouse
ese buildings are owned by the shipwright, Madriano
of Calmsita.
is house belongs to an old sailor named Bolor. All of
his children and grandchildren have spent time at sea.
11. Ruined Keep
is structure is little more than an empty shell. e
floors and roof of the building burned when the town was
sacked. Apprentice pilots often wander on the island. In
the summer, children dare each other to swim out to the
ruin.
12. The Canal
ese two towers, like the ruined keep, are severely dam-
aged. ey are speckled with the droppings of seabirds.
Locals refer to them as the “White Towers.”
13. Harbor
In the summer months the harbor is always busy. ere
are three wrecks at the bottom of the lagoon.
14. Shipwright (Jorgas of Vilenheim)
:  :  : High
Strangely enough, Trepura houses the second largest and
one of the best shipyards in the entire Shorkyne region.
It’s run by an Ivinian immigrant who’s assisted by a Tri-
erzi shipwright, Pellad de Jireno. e two combine their
different ship design techniques to build some of the best
ships that sail the seas. eir reputation stretches as far
south as Goris. m

6. Warehouse
is building is used by Som the Wine Merchant. He
hires guards whenever he has a shipment awaiting pro-
spective buyers.

7. Warehouse
ese warehouses are owned by the College and are rented
to visiting merchants. ey are administrated by Hanth.

8. Sailmaker (Marten of Rovuras)

:  :  : Average
Marten has recently inherited the business from his for-
mer master, Jorn of Saramel, who was killed by brigands
on a southern business trip. Marten is skilled but not a
very good businessman.

9. Woodcrafter (Gilas of Sedema)

:  :  : Average
e shipyard is Gilas’ only client and has been so for
many years. Loggers from Vedon supply Gilas with tim-
ber once a week.

 º  
T R E P U R A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 9 Lado College (Cellar)

Interior scale (feet)

   

All surfaces stone

unless otherwise shown

Cellar Ground Floor

[1] Storage [1] The Great Hall

is room is used primarily as a root cellar. Some dry
foods will also be stored here. e shelves on the south
wall hold empty pots and bottles. e east shelves hold a
collection of tools the servants can use to make small re-
pairs about the college. Behind these shelves is a concealed
door.
[2] Passage
is small tunnel leads to a cave on the other side of
Gazer’s Hill. A flight of stairs there lead up to the base-
ment of the Beacon.
e hall is the social center of the school and where meals
are eaten. Present students eat at table with the masters.
In the morning the kitchen staff leave out fruit, cheese,
and hard biscuits. e door to the kitchen is behind a
suspended curtain.
[2] Kitchen
is room is the lair of the cook, Welem of Gelmeni.
Welem is a tall, lanky man of thirty-two with a fondness
for wine. He is a competent cook drunk or sober but ar-
gumentative. Welem trained as an innkeeper but never
completed his apprenticeship. He considers himself a la-
dy’s man, and keeps a room over at Sina’s Brothel. He
sometimes works there as a bouncer. Grenda’s wife Ingeld
makes sure he does his job.

  º 
Lado College (Ground Floor) TREPUR A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 10

Interior scale (feet)

   

All surfaces stone

unless otherwise shown

10

[3] Servant’s Quarters [6] Hanth of Gos’s Room

is room contain two sets of bunk beds. e servants
here are responsible with cleaning and maintaining the
school, and each one oversees one of the master’s rooms.
ey are a quarrelsome bunch, competing with each other
over who serves the best master.
is room is bare and non-descript. A chair is kept before
the fire with a long stemmed pipe beside it. His room
shares a fireplace with Aasnir’s. Hanth will spend hours
looking into the flames talking to the other Master, espe-
cially during the long winter nights.

[4] Ivor Senj’s Room [7] Aasnir of Enslon’s Room

ey are simple rooms with table chair and bed. Most Aasnir has a small shrine to Larani in the corner of the
masters maintain a residence elsewhere in the town. Ivor room. He also has a book of the goddess’s devotional
is hardly ever in this room, and spends most of his time prayers. He makes it a point to pray every morning upon
on land in the library. waking.

[5] Pell of Este’s Room [8] Follastro the Lost’s Room

Pell keeps a collection of bird’s nests and bones in a cabi- is room is kept closed and locked. It has not been en-
net. is is her only home in the village. She wakes early tered since Follastro set sail.
to spend most of her mornings on Gazer’s Hill.

 º  
TREPU R A & T H E L A DO COLLEGE 11 Lado College (First Floor)

Interior scale (feet)

   

All surfaces wood

unless otherwise shown

3
1

[9] Stables houses  more rutters of a sensitive nature and cases for
ere are normally two Enseller horses here. e kitchen rare items. Each master has a key to the room, but none
servants are charged with the care of the horses. of the servants.

[10] Sauna/Bathhouse [2] Guest Rooms

is building sees a lot of use during the winter months. ese rooms are identical to the Master’s. ey house
Fresh wood is brought in daily. visiting pilots and other noble guests.

[3] Student’s Quarters

First Floor
ese rooms contain bunk beds. Female apprentices stay
in the southernmost room.
[1] Rutter
is room contains the collection of rutters. ere are 
Roof
rutters in all. ere are also books on astronomy, geome-
try, and biology. e cases around the edges of the room
contain curious items the pilots have brought back from [1] The Walk
their voyages. e room to the south is used as a meeting is platform offers a good view of the harbor and is an
room and study chamber. is room is crowded with ideal spot to observe incoming ships. Ivor spends his eve-
students during the winter months. e secret room nings here. m

  º 
Lado College (Roof) TREPUR A & THE L ADO COLLEGE 12

Interior scale (feet)

   

All surfaces stone

unless otherwise shown

D A N I EL BER G KV I S T

 º  
LA DO V I LLAGE 1

Lado Village
n isan o civiization in a sea o anarc.
ext: Lucas Manusson & ustin owe  Illustrations: Eun Jin Lee & Daniel Bervist  aps: Lucas Manusson.

Location: Loala, Kingdom of Shorkyne a competent woodsman and spent much of his youth
Status: Independent town wandering the ruins. At the age of , he has recently
Government: Lado College married for the second time. e fact that his wife was
Population:  (approximately) once his servantgirl has given rise to some gossip. Dernal
has received large gifts of money from Chelemby, to en-
   Lado grew organically in the sure that the school maintains its independence. He has a

t sixth century. After the reign of Goedeke peo-

ple slowly returned to the ruins surrounding
the college. ey cannibalized the urban structures to the
west and stone by stone built on the foundations of the
old town. e manor was finished in  —a year
which marked the beginning of Lado as an independent
and civilized community. It offers security, stability, and a
window to the world. Its size does not give justice to the
cosmopolitan atmosphere of its streets and inhabitants.
During the season, half a dozen different languages can
be heard in Lado.
At any given time there will be close to a dozen stu-
dents at the school. ese numbers double during the
winter months when the sea is at its worst. Pell and Aas-
nir take senior students on longer voyages as far west as
Melderyn. Ivor, Hanth, and Grenda oversee the educa-
tion of junior students. All pilots are welcome inside the
college and tales from all of Lythia can be heard. Some are
complete balderdash while others may hide a kernel of
the truth.
small militia of eight well-armed men: two mercenaries
who act as lieutenants and six locals under their com-
mand. ey keep the daily peace of the town and organize
its defenses in times of conflict. Most inhabitants own a
weapon and are trained in its use.
Dernal is aided by a four person staff of scribes, lead
by Dioud of Abelbach. Dioud might be the sourest Ha-
lean in all of Lythia. For a follower of the Goddess of ex-
cess and wealth, he inexplicably maintains a dry almost
prudish state of mind. e son of local fishers, Dioud has
severed all contact with his family; even though he passes
several of them in the streets daily. He fears Hanth of
Gos, and trembles every time the ex-viking asks to bor-
row a scribe for the afternoon.

Government
Since the sixth century the college has been the
ruling institution of Lado, but in   this
power was transferred to a town mayor. e
present mayor is Dernal Yleges []. He is re-
sponsible for the day to day administration of
the college and town. ough not a pilot, he has
E
LE

earned the trust of the other masters and over-

JIN
N
EU

sees defense of the town. Dernal is a descendant

of one of the original masters from Nurisel. He is

  º 

TAX E S
Property:  per annum (residential)
 per annum (business)
Bonding:  goods value per month
Pilotage: d flat fee
Wharfage: f per foot per day
Registry: d per foot per annum
Economics
Lado is the economic hub of the Ostrian Peninsula, but
at the same time it’s very self-centered: most of the goods
traded in Lado and Trepura don’t leave the docks—in-
stead they are almost directly loaded onto another ship.
Lado survives as a regional trade center by virtue of its
lack of ‘hostile’ authorities. ere is a substantial trade
between the coast and the inland but it’s generally focused
on less exotic wares (fish, salt, lumber, furs, etc). Most of
the inland households can’t afford such luxuries as wine,
weapons, textiles, silverwares, and spices.
Compared to other towns of its size Lado has a very
evolved economic structure. Much of the economic activ-
ity is directed towards visitors. If the harbor in Trepura
were to be closed, Lado would deteriorate into an ordi-
nary fishing community.
Religion
ere is very little of organized religious worship in Lado
and most consider religion a private affair. A small chapel
of Peoni [] is the only place of worship in Lado. ere is
almost total religious freedom, but openly violent follow-
ers of any god would be dealt with by the authorities.
Local Map Key
1. Lado College
is two story stone building was the original college. It
now houses the rutters as well as an assortment of maps.
Students sleep on the second floor, and are in charge of
maintaining the collection. See the article  
   (p. ) for details and interior maps.
2. Shipwright (Madriano of Calmsita)
:  :  : Average
is building was once part of the town fortifications.
e Trierzi shipwright Madriano came to Trepura seven
years ago. He’s employed by the College to keep the train-
 º 
LADO VILLAGE 2
ing ships seaworthy, but most of the time he repairs visit-
ing ships. Apprentice pilots may rent rooms on the upper
floors.
3. Lado Manor
4. Apothecary/Chapel of Peoni (Elesti of Noun)
:  :  : Low
is small chapel is tended by an elderly woman named
Elesti. She is trained as an apothecary and midwife. She
has taken a group of village children under her wing to
serve as assistants.
5. The Guiding Star (Guadio of Haelyn)
:  :  : Average
Guadio’s grandmother opened the first inn in Lado. at
was  years ago. In that time, e Guiding Star has grown
to be the most popular establishment in the area, catering
to farmers, fishermen and merchants alike.
6. The Beacon
Master Pilot Grenda lives here with his wife on the sec-
ond floor. e lower floor is used for storage, along with
the third floor. e beacon consists of a large shallow
dish, when needed a large signal fire burns here. ere is
also a shuddered glass that can be used to signal to ships.
e ground continues to rise behind the beacon to a
grassy field, called Gazer’s Hill. It makes an ideal place for
students to study the stars. Grenda walks here most after-
noons and evenings upon waking.
7. Miller/Millwright (Jaan of Lapinda)
:  :  : Average
e restored windmill is the only mill within many lea-
gues. Jaan, an Harbaalese immigrant, has great difficulties
keeping the mill in working condition. e grindstone is
very worn and it’s too expensive to buy a new one. Jaan
regularly ventures into the ruins of Trepura to try to find
a suitable slab of stone to shape into a new grindstone.
8. Warehouses/Harbormaster
9. The Rutter Inn (Merlyn of Elora)
:  :  : High
e Rutter is considered the official inn of the College. It’s
the favored place for students, masters, pilots and other
distinguished people. ere is a deep rooted rivalry be-
tween the patrons of e Guiding Star and e Rutter. One
is either a ‘Star’ or a ‘Rutter.’ Each group goes to absurd
lengths to prove the supremacy of their respective drink-
ing establishment. is tends to break the monotony of
the winter months.

LA DO V I LLAGE 3 Lado Village

G
U
L
F
O F E
S H O R K Y N

22

8
1
13

9 2

10 11 23 26

20 21 19 25
18 24
6
14 17
12
16 3

5 7

15 4

D
A
RO
RA
U
EP
TR
GAZER’S HILL

TO WN COMMON

Local scale (feet)

   

  º 

10. Mercantyler/Userer (Joonas of Kinumas)
:  :  : Average
Joonas is a second generation Harbaalese immigrant who
does a lot of business with the isolated villages west of
Trepura. He’s also a popular storyteller at e Guiding
Star [] with uncanny tales from the wilderness of Loala.
11. Brothel (Sina of Sarud)
:  :  : Average
e brothel is considered to be an outlandish element by
the rest of the town. It was established in   and Sina
has yet to be fully accepted by the community. She caters
mostly to student pilots and visiting merchants, setting
high standards for her establishment. Sina is an Hurisean
courtesan wanted for the murder of a distinguished mem-
ber of the Beldiran society and there is a reward offered
to anyone who can bring her back to Beldira—dead or
alive.
12. Woodcrafter (Erren of Solera)
:  :  : Average
e younger of the Solera brothers is a short but heavy
built character. He’s known as one of the strongest men in
the area and frequents the guildhall in Trepura harbor.
ere he makes a steady income from arm wrestling con-
tests. He supplies the college with furniture and firewood.
Most of the work is done by his apprentices.
13. Clan Hethara Residence
14. Bonding House
15. Ostler (Lemien of Solera)
:  :  : High
ere’s a great need for horses in the Trepura region so
Lemien’s business is booming. Lemien specializes in the
very large and strong—but slow—Enseller race. Its pri-
mary use is heavy labor in farming and logging. Lemien is
woodcrafter Erren’s [] older brother.
16. Mercantyler/Userer (Sorros of Jostim)
:  :  : Average
Sorros makes a living being an agent for several foreign
merchants and charges a fee based on his client’s profit.
He maintains a warehouse on the wharf.
17. Potter (Landurs of Jostan)
:  :  : High
When times are good Landur’s apprentice, Marcus,
makes frequent trips to an abandoned clay mine south-
west of Trepura. e journey takes two days and Marcus
 º 
LADO VILLAGE 4
DANI E L B E R GK VI S T
Som of Haresea
hates every second of it. Most people wouldn’t travel
alone in Loala, especially at night. Landurs isn’t willing to
spend money on “murderers and rapists” to escort Marcus
and his wagonload of clay.
18. Tentmaker (Samara de Syntiana)
:  :  : High
Samara comes from an old bloodline of Azeryani exiles.
Her family has always been proud of its foreign blood and
many southern traditions have passed from one genera-
tion to the next. Samara is saving up for a journey to her
“homeland.” She’s a widow with two sons aged ten and
eight.
19. Metalsmith/Weaponcrafter (Machan of Holgar)
:  :  : High
Machan is probably the only weaponcrafter in Shorkyne
who sells any kind of weapon to any kind of person. e
lack of feudal control has rendered the usual restrictions
on weapons irrelevant. Most people in Trepura carry a
weapon that would draw the attention of the authorities
in any other region of Shorkyne.
20. Lexigrapher (Surden Essawi)
:  :  : High
Surden is almost employed full-time by the college and
produces all their maps and charts. A more secretive side
of Surden’s business is forgery. Since much of the trade in
Trepura is of a questionable character there is much need
for false documentation to avoid problems when the
goods are sold on more controlled markets.

D ANI E L B E R G K VI S T
LA DO V I LLAGE 5

25. Mason (Ram of Soulakin)

:  :  : Low
Ram, who has a great sense of humor, calls himself a
Master Mover. “I don’t build houses, you see—I just move
them from one place to another.” He has an almost end-
less supply of usable stones in the ruins of Trepura. So far
he has never had to use newly mined material. He be-
lieves in ghosts, and claims the ruins are haunted. Ram’s
wife is pregnant with their fourth child. His  year old
son has shown an interest in becoming a pilot. His yard is
littered with piles of stone and tiles.

26. Salter (Sven of Timbla)

:  :  : Average
Fish, that’s Sven’s business. Occasionally he’ll salt a sheep
or maybe even a deer, but one could definitely say that
Sven is an expert on salting fish. He sells his products di-
rectly to visiting ships or to Joonas []. e town people
usually buy their fish fresh from the fishermen. m

VILL AGES OF THE OSTRIAN PENINSUL A

21. Chandler (Wallim of Luddock)
:  :  : Average
Wallim is an innovative chandler who specializes in
“lighting devices for maritime use.” He has designed and
constructed with the help of the metalsmith, several lan-
terns that work under the harshest maritime conditions.
He keeps the college well supplied with candles.
22. Fish Pier
Every morning returning fishermen unload on this dock,
working beneath a chorus of screeching gulls. At the base
of the pier is the market square. West of the pier are the
houses of the fishermen.
23. Clothier (Trissina of Luddock)
:  :  : Average
Trissina specializes in simple but good clothes suitable
for daily hard work. Her favored textiles are wool and
linen. She buys almost exclusively from brokers in the
Sonise area.
24. Mercantyler/Userer (Som of Haresea)
:  :  : Low/High
Som is the undisputed wine king of Trepura and the sur-
rounding land. He has many trade contacts in the
Shorkyne region and functions as a middleman for the
trade between Shorkyne and the northern coasts of the
Gulf. He makes regular journeys south to Sagora and
Eilyria. Som maintains a warehouse in Lado harbor [].
 e Ostrian Peninsula in northeastern Loala is a thinly
populated region but nontheless important. e inhabitants
live in small settlements, and only a few of them can be called
villages. Most villages are fairly similar and uninteresting, but
the ones listed here may catch someone’s interest (see map on
page  for reference).
Gygger
is Laranian Abbey shows the signs of neglect. Bulen has
little regard for the liturgy of the church and favors the churches
of Peoni and Save K’nor. is has lead to some tension. e
abbot, Vherd Chadrel, dislikes Bulen and complains to his
superiors about the “godless man.”
Kershle
ere is a large inn in the village called the Wheel and Cloak.
Travelers spend the night here before entering the forest in the
morning.
Ruins
ese manors have been forgotten by most of the population.
Hythol
is village is small and stands on the site of a former settle-
ment of the same name.
Lome
is is an abbey run by members of the Irreproachable Order.
ere are several springs in the area which are rumored to
have therapeutic properties. Bulen Hethara spends at least a
tenday here once a year.

  º 
The Ostrian Peninsula LADO VI LLAGE 6

One hex equals  Hârnic

G U L F O F S H O
leagues (approx.  km) R K
Y
N
E

E
OISSOIN

IS

B
N

LO
SCANT

SO

KO
TORFLE
KERRABA
GYGGER LY TH WHRUN
AIDURL
PODOBEN
BASDON

JURG PULVER THE

SP
ID
ER
W
ENSLETH WERLENT O

O
D

Ruins

KERSHLE

Ruins
Ruins

LAPRADE TR EP UR A
HY THOL
VEDON

HERROYE

AWLAIXE

Ruins

Clay

IPLLEGE

DEVYN LEFERT

LOME

GERTLE

FERRUSH

YORUND

CRANWOLD
LOGGING CAMP

NELLONE

 º  
T H E I M P E RIAL VINTAGE 1

∞e Imperial Vintage
n adventure among the ruins of Trepura.
ext: ustin owe  Illustrations: Eun Jin Lee  aps: Lucas Manusson.

   take place at any time of gionnaire, his muscles have softened to fat over the years.

t year. Ideally, there should be several ships in

port. e party may be strangers or familiar
with the area. Having already established the trust of some
He heard the story of the Apo Vintage from a temple
priestess and investigated the exile’s history. He expects
the amphor was placed in the family vault.
locals may make it easier. Possibly, they are members of
Hanth’s mercenaries or apprentice pilots. It begins when Daizhan
Ram the stone mason is attacked. News travels fast, and Daizhan used the military as his means of escape from
within hours Ram’s story will have spread throughout the poverty. He met Romalesh in Azeryan soon after muster-
village. He was attacked by two men who questioned him ing out. e two established a partnership and have trav-
about a stone in his yard with the word ‘’ carved elled together for years. Daizhan is muscular, and good at
upon it. His attackers have not been seen since. his job. His association with Romalesh has given Daizhan
e incident is curious but not exceptional by the expensive tastes.
village’s standards. Besides a bloodied lip and black eye,
Ram is fine. e locals buy him drinks for a day and listen
to his story. When he describes his attackers, several
other villagers comment on them. e two men app-
eared to be soldiers from the south. ey travelled
with a third companion. is member of the
group was small and stayed hidden be-
neath a cloak. e three stayed at the
Rutter Inn, where the party may learn
more details.

The Trio
e three came from Azeryan
searching for a bottle of wine:
the fabled Apo Vintage. Set down
in   to mark a victory over the
Empire of Dalkesh, an amphor was
placed among the funeral gifts of an
exiled noble, Boccio Ukiom. Now
Azeryani nobles offer gold for the
chance to drink a single glass.

Romalesh
EUN JIN LEE

A Halean devotee named Romalesh

is the leader of the group. A former le-

  º 

Athuul
e pair found Athuul while traveling the south coast of
Hepekeria. A Numec bandit, he had been captured by the
Falanese and left for dead, tied to a tree with his tongue
cut out. Romalesh freed the tribesman curious if he
would survive. Athuul looks upon his saviors as minor
gods, a notion Romalesh encourages.
The Wine Merchant
Several people around town will remember the trio. Ro-
malesh made frequent trips to Sina’s brothel. On one trip
Welem, the college’s cook, saw the man speaking with
Som the Wine-Merchant. ey exchanged a pouch of
coins. On another occasion the two met in the Rutter Inn.
ey spoke briefly, and the merchant left visibly elated.
at was the night before Ram was attacked.
e wine merchant will be hard to approach. Villagers
that work on the docks saw him days ago speaking with
the captain of a Malpynian ship. He gave the captain sev-
eral sealed letters. e party should be able to learn that
Som is a wealthy man. He specializes in importing and ex-
porting wine and has started to make extravagant purcha-
ses. He will be keeping a low profile, staying in his house.
Som has heard of the legendary Apo Vintage. He is
trying to broker a deal with a group of afficianados in the
southern city and hopes draw the attention of the royal
court. He did not expect violence from Romalesh and
worries now about his own safety. He may approach the
party if he thinks he can trust them, but will try to keep
the value of the wine a secret.
The Ukiom Stone
e party should question Ram about the attack. He says
that the men arrived and showed interest in a lintel stone.
Ram was reluctant to tell them where he found it (he
tried to sell the information) and received his beating. He
does not know why the stone is so important or the mean-
ing of the word ‘.’
Ram found the stone on a scavenging trip outside of
town. He made two trips to the area and will describe it
as peculiar even for the ruins. But, the materials were of
good quality, in particular, a large fresco of a blue heron
caught his eye. He returned a second time to remove the
image. At this point, Ram will become nervous. He kept
the next part from Romalesh and Daizhan. e ruins are
haunted by ‘hopping demons’, he claims, small hairy men
with devilish faces. One of the demons attacked him and
now Ram is too terrified to return, but he will give direc-
tions to the party.
 º 
THE IMPERIAL VINTAGE 2
HOPPING DEMONS
 What Ram refers to as ‘hopping demons’ are mandrills
from onia, sacred to an Agrikan temple. ey were cap-
tured and sold as part of a cargo destined for Melderyn. e
ship caught fire in the lagoon and the creatures escaped into the
ruins. Villagers remember strange things about the winter: a
stolen animal, a scream in the night, a strangled cat or dog.
Extremely territorial, the apes emit a loud shriek when they
want to threaten opponents. ey will steal unguarded food
and items from camps. If threatened they will stay at a distance
and throw stones. eir bite could easily lead to infection.
Into the Ruins
Travel through the ruins should not be easy. e terrain
is unstable and full of natural hazards. e breadth of the
destruction should be made clear to the party. e follow-
ing table can be used to determine obstacles.
 livestock/herder
 blocked passage
 plant hazard (poison ivy/hornet’s nest)
 bear/wild dogs
 squatters/runaway serfs
 collapsing wall/tilting cobblestones
 animal spore
 a loud scream comes from the ruin
 old campsite
 skeleton among the ruins (human or animal)
House of the Blue Heron
e house is located in an area beyond the walls of the
town. It was originally the home of Boccio Ukiom, a sur-
geon and heretical priest of Morgath. Like Ram described
there is a fresco of a blue heron on the walls. is was
once a fashionable district with small shops lining the
streets. Wealthier guildsmen lived on the slopes to the
north. On the night of the Trepura raid, the wealth of the
inhabitants drew the raiders like flies. Fires burned most
of the houses to the ground and now, only the shells of
their first floors remain amid the overgrown gardens.
e party should have encountered the apes by now.
e sounds of the battle will alert the trio and they will
move into the roofless area attached to the garden wall.
is area holds the stairs to the basement. Daizhan car-
ries a crossbow and will shoot at players when they enter
the garden. Romalesh guards the entrance of the house,
while Athuul tries to circle behind the party. e three are
ruthless fighters and fight as a team. ey will flee into the
basement if the fight goes against them.

THE IMP ER IA L V I N TAGE 3 Typical Area in Trepura

Interior scale (feet)

   

All surfaces stone

unless otherwise shown

  º 
 THE IMPERIAL VINTAGE 4

ere is an uncovered pit in the garden. It was this pit

that attracted Boccio to the area. It falls straight to jagged
rocks, but not before opening into a limestone cave.
When the party arrives at the square there will be a
monkey’s corpse near the mouth of the pit. A crossbow
bolt sticks out of its chest. ere is a “cold spot” at the edge
of the pit caused by the trapped spirits below.
e basement of the house holds inches of dust and
cobwebs. A skeleton sits on the floor with its back to the
wall, its skull smashed in by a weapon. ere is a Duran-
gash carved in the wall behind the skeleton. e stone
that holds the Durangash can be removed along with the
adjoining stones. Beyond is a staircase leading down into
darkness.

The Crypt
When the players enter the crypt, through either the pit
or concealed stairs, they will hear a humming groan. is
groan is the collective lament of the imprisoned spirits.
Scattered throughout the drone will be snatches of words,
laughter, and the crack of a lash. Characters should feel
like they are under assault from every direction. Most
ghosts are only strong enough to manifest as sounds, their
collective presence accumulating to form the dirge.
ere are four chambers to the crypt. e stairs end in
a roughly circular chamber. ere is a stone bowl in the
center of the room its inside dark with carbon ash. ere
are three exits from the room. e east and west lead to
identical chambers holding the remains of the dead. Each
chamber houses the members of a different family, the
bodies placed in niches set in the wall. ey have decayed
to the point of being bundles of bones. Set amongst the
bones are faded mementos, withered flowers, trinkets,
and religious items. e chamber straight ahead from the
stairs holds the Ukiom family remains and ceremonial
chamber with the opening to the pit shaft. e floor be-
fore the opening is inlaid with tiles showing a winged
skull. Characters that approach the edge of the pit will be
assaulted by Boccio’s ghost.
ere are four distinct spirits in the crypt. e prime
personality is the spirit of the priest, Boccio Ukiom. is
ghost manifests itself as a giant black bird. Characters
sensitive to his presence will see a shadowy bird at the
edge of their vision. His is the only coffin in the crypt. e
Durangash is carved in the center of the sepulcher. e
body still wears the mask and robe of a Morgath priest.
e mask is made of leather and wood, resembling a ra-
ven’s head. His skeletal fingers hold the lash in one hand
and a smooth black lodestone in the other. e Apo vin-
tage lies in a sealed amphora between his feet, its contents
thick and bitter with age.
: e location of the House of the Blue Heron.
: A typical area of Trepura and the surrounding ruins.
PHILOSOPHY AND PR ACTICE OF
THE MORGATH CULT IN TREPUR A
 Boccio trained as an acolyte in the Church of Morgath. His
first knowledge of anatomy came from the study of corpses. He
fled the church and entered the army as a surgeon. Boccio
campaigned for years and settled in the north
upon his retirement. He brought with him
the possessions of his family’s vault and
the budding beliefs of a Morgathian
heretic. He believed that the spirit
could be sustained after the death of
the body. ese spirits could then be
called upon to answer questions and
give advice to later generations. He
found his way into the upper circles of
Trepuran society. His worship of Morgath
was largely centered around a form of ancestor wor-
ship. He claimed to be able to capture a person’s soul, centered
on the bones and relics held in the crypt.
When family members sought council from their ancestors,
they called upon Boccio to act as an intermediary between
themselves and the dead. Some spirits accepted this state as a
form of immortality. Besides the masks common to the Mor-
gathian Priesthood, the cult practiced acts of severe self-morti-
fication. Priest and acolyte carried wooden rods strung with
knotted cords. With these they would work themselves and
their followers into trance states during rituals.

 º  
T H E I M P E RIAL VINTAGE 5
���
� ��
���
��
Interior scale (feet)
   
All surfaces stone
unless otherwise shown
e east chamber is dominated by the spirit of a ma-
tronly woman, Kianiopei. ere is a cruel set to her
mouth and her eyes shine like a snake’s. Her remains rest
in the south-east corner of the room. Dried flowers sur-
round the corpse. Her skeleton wears a necklace of beaten
brass set with an amber pendant. A perserved centipede
lies curled in the center of the stone. A comb set with sea
shells lies in the waste of her hair.
Another shade appears as a young boy. is is Waness
Ukiom, the final heir to the family. He will appear any-
where in the crypt, manifesting as a running figure at the
edge of vision. e figure always moves a bit faster than
those chasing it. His body lies in the Ukiom chamber
beside a wooden ball and a carved ivory game piece.
e final ghost manifests as a trembling flame with a
human face. Petraen Sythillia was an exiled centurion and
follower of Agrik. His tomb is in the center wall of the
west chamber. A shield lies on his chest, its surface deco-

The Crypt
��� ���
�
rated with spinning wheels of fire. e shield will be red
hot to any non-Agrikan that touches it.
is ghost despises its condition of undeath and the
power of the Morgath priest that traps it. It will first try
to dominate a character, commanding them to set fire to
his remains. is act could be fatal in the narrow confines
of the crypt. If they resist domination, he may try to ally
himself with the party. Petraen will demand that his re-
mains are cremated.
Boccio’s shade will try to disrupt any attempt to exor-
cise the crypt. Kianiopei will aid him, as her spirit clings
to half life. Waness fears the other spirits and will not
help the party. e only area safe from the priest and Ki-
aniopei is near the body of Petraen. ough his ghost
only claims the space around the centurion’s remains, it is
enough to prevent the other spirits from attacking. How
the party feels allied with an Agrikan spirit is another
matter. m
 º 
Adventure Seed
∞e Wreckers of the Coast
 short tale about some not very nice people.
ext: ustin owe
   Oissoin are known to
t be dangerous. Many ships have floundered on
their rocks, their cargoes now littering the
bottom of the bay. In recent years this section of coast has
become home to a vicious gang of Wreckers.
e gang operates out of the village of Oissoin, lead by
two of Mraksur the Pirate’s men. e first is the head of
the Oissoin fishermen, Werle. He is well known in Sonise
and Trepura as a petty merchant and captain of the “Grey
Wave.” His goods are marginal at best. Kleggin, an exile
from Harbaal, spends most of the year with Mraksur. He
has another identity as a huntsman and is famous around
Sonise as a “wolf ” slayer.
eir main tactic is to light a signal fire in the belfry of
an abandoned chapel outside of Oissoin. Ships are lured
by the light and find themselves floundering on the rocks.
Before they can free themselves, the Wrecker’s boats are
 º 
THE WRECKERS OF THE COA ST 1
upon them. e gang strikes without mercy. Werle sells
any survivors to Mraksur, though he kills the pilots. He
rightly fears the College. Many an apprentice pilot ‘lost at
sea’ actually, met their fate at the hands of Werle and his
gang of cut-throats.
Oissoin
Oissoin has a bad reputation among the fishermen. e
crews that come out of there are no better than ruffians.
ey think nothing of chasing away fishing boats from
Sonise and Whrun. e village is little more than a col-
lection of huts among ruins, curious for its all male inhab-
itants. Some are Werle’s sons while others are members of
Mraksur’s gang. ere are no bonded craftspeople in the
village. At best, strangers will find themselves bullied un-
til they leave.
Hooks
) A herald from House Dalame has disappeared while
en route to Harbaal. He carries a vital message for
Lerden Elendy, heir to the throne. Clan Hethara is
charged with retrieving the message.
) One of the masters at the College recognizes a pen-
dant worn by a student. It belonged to a lost appren-
tice, thought drowned. e pendant was purchased
from Werle and the Pilot would like to know where he
found it.
) e fishermen of Oissoin have gone too far. ey have
captured a group of townswomen, and have taken
them back to their village.
) Fagan, the Sarajin Priest of Sonise, knows a bit of
Kleggin’s history. He might tell any visiting country-
men of the outlaw.
) It’s nighttime. e weather is bad and land far out of
sight. But, what’s that in the distance? A light! Salva-
tion is at hand. Or is it? m

SON I SE 1

Sonise
 small but proerin keep on Loala’s northern coast.
ext: ustin owe  Illustrations: Eun Jin Lee & Matthias Janssen  aps: Lucas Manusson.

Location: Loala, Kingdom of Shorkyne

History
Status: Seat of Esuar Bulen Hethara
Population:  Sonise first came to prominence as a trading station for
Clan Hethara. After the arrival of the Azerayni mer-
   the cradle of modern chants, the clan fortified the area. e fall of Trepura and

s Loala. It was Sagath Hethara’s refuge from his

father, and where Bulen and Emane were raised.
It is the largest area of civilization on the Ostrian penin-
sula. Bulen Hethara has done much to improve condi-
tions throughout his holdings. Sonise’s history has been
one of relative tranquility when compared to the rest of
the coast.
other settlements closed the markets which Sonise
needed to thrive. e settlement slowly slid into decline
and the population migrated elsewhere. Lonesome re-
minders of their presence still mark the countryside in
places. Sagath initiated the first efforts at land reclama-
tion while still a young man. e current keep was fin-
ished in   as a protection from viking raids. How-

Bulen Hethara, Lord of Sonise

EUN JIN LEE

  º 
 SONISE 2

demonstrate the qualities of a female warrior than the

TAX E S
subtleties of a good diplomat.
Property: per annum (residential)
 per annum (business)
Hawking:  goods value
Economics
Bonding:  goods value per month ere are few decent harbors on the north coast of the
Ostrian Peninsula. Most villages need to be self-suffi-
cient, and Sonise provides the services of whatever skilled
ever, the bleak coastline has proven to be the settlement’s craftspeople are necessary. Hence, there is a lively traffic
best defense. between these two districts, with villagers coming to mar-
e most important event in recent history was the ket and journeymen visiting the outlying farms.
successful defense of the town from a raiding longship. In e small beach at Sonise is the best anchorage in the
the summer of  , a pilot sighted vikings at sea. He area. e coast to the west and east is rocky and com-
was able to reach the town and warn the castle. Bulen did posed mostly of high cliffs cut here and there by sandy
not waste a moment and sent messengers into the village beaches. ese highlands provide pasture for shepherds
to gather the men and women. Sister Tippire opened the and their roving flocks of sheep. is wool is exported out
armory and armed whoever she could. of the region, a boast few places in Loala can make.
When the raiders arrived they had hoped to have the
element of surprise. Instead when they reached the beach,
Religion
Bulen ordered the waiting villagers to throw nets down
on them. e entangled raiders became easy targets for e Irreproachable Order maintains the only church in
arrows and paving stones. e few that reached the stair- Sonise. Peoni is worshipped by most of the population.
case found it guarded by Tippire, Squire Lorn, and a e church of Larani has a strained relationship with
group of yeomen. After a brief battle, the raiders lay dead Bulen. His adherence to Save K’nor has made him the
or dying on the sand. Bulen ordered the longship scuttled veiled subject of Abbot Chadrel’s sermons. ose nobles
after it was searched. that distrust Bulen find a sympathetic ear at Gygger Ab-
ere were four survivors of the raiding party. ey bey. Followers of Sarajin and Ilvir are tolerated but viewed
have been allowed to stay in Sonise. Two of them entered with suspicion. e worship of Morgath, Agrik, and
Bulen’s service as men-at-arms and find themselves enjoy- Naveh is punishable by death.
ing their life in the castle. e other two have taken jobs
in the village. One of them, the timberwright Fagan, is a
THE HERMIT
priest of Sarajin. He was found a prisoner on the long-
ship. Fagan spends most of his time in the surrounding  Ethru the Hermit is a self-
woods. e other three look to him for spiritual guidance proclaimed prophet of Larani.
and leadership. He has an intense hatred for
Bulen Hethara and spends
his days preaching against
Government the crippled Lord. At night
he sleeps in a crude hut in the
e Esuaren of Sonise is governed by Bulen Hethara. He wooded hills beyond Lyth.
is assisted by his chamberlain Arthem, a childhood friend Ethru has been tormented
and member of the Irreproachable Order. Bulen takes a by visions of a fiery cata-
keen interest in local affairs but is frivolous by nature. His clysm since his youth.
success against the longship earned him the respect of his He predicts the end of
common born vassals. e Nalori on the other hand find the world in a rain of
him too unconventional to suit their tastes. Bulen enjoys fire, with salvation fin-
ding only those he consid-
his judicial duties and his justice is even handed, if his
ers righteous. e Lar-
tongue biting. But, his law is only as good as the security anian church tries
of his settlements. is is maintained by Sister Tippire of to distance them-
Aberroud, a Knight of the Order of the Garden of Ae- selves from the hermit. However, his teachings are becoming
lion, the all female fighting order of the church of Larani. popular with a group of novices and young nobles. eir fervor
e order hopes to spread beyond its borders in the Mal- may soon become dangerous.
noren of Nistone. Sister Tippire was chosen more to

 º  
SON I SE 3 GM Local Map

Local scale (feet)

   

5
3
4
6 2

7
8 11 14
23
9 13 16

12 19
15 22
10
18

17

21 E A
S T
C O
M M
O N
A
A
O N
M M
C O

20
S T
W E

  º 

T H E DA R K PA R A D E
 During the month of Nuzyael, villagers dread the black and
white banner that signals the coming of the Dark Parade, a
caravan of lepers from the Lome Abbey. ey pass through the
town ringing bells to warn of their approach. ese invalids
march to the beach where a waiting ship takes them to Cala-
misa. Among the ruins, there is a hospice for the sick and the
holy shrine of Saint Kemuen.Villagers leave gifts of food outside
their homes lest they catch sight of one of the diseased. After the
lepers have passed, the priests of Peoni take down the banner and
lead a procession through the streets burning scented tapers.
1. Keep
Details are on page .
2. Weaponcrafter (Ignace of Retzen)
:  :  : Average
Ignace’s wife died years ago and the man never remarried.
His two sons left to join Shorkyne’s army and Ignace has
devoted himself to his craft. An adept wrestler, Ignace is
the only man in town not afraid of Bargath the smith. He
walks with a limp, the result of a knife wound.
3. Armorer (Wynat of Perrin)
:  :  : High
Wynat, along with Ignace, does work almost exclusively
for the keep. Recently, an accident caused him to lose the
sight in one eye. is has added to the time it takes for
him to produce a suit of armor. His journeyman’s educa-
tion has sped up as a result.
4. Fisherman (Corl of Akaad)
Corl is the patriarch of the Akaad family. He suffers from
arthritis and spends most of his time on shore. e
Akaads are a pervasive and powerful family throughout
the district.
 º 
SONISE 4
5. Fisherwoman (Idale of Vifre)
Idale’s husband died leaving her alone to raise three chil-
dren. She works on one of the Akaad ships and thinks of
owning her own boat one day.
6. Woodcrafter (Ruyveth of Akaad)
:  :  : Low
Ruyveth married into the Akaad clan and adopted his
wife’s name. He works closely with the shipwright. His
figureheads decorate most of the fishing vessels. Ruyveth’s
wife is expecting their first child.
7. Yeoman/Retired Pilot (Errapus of Kynia)
Errapus and his wife look after the Pilot’s guildhall during
the winter month. Errapus has an indepth knowledge of
the coast, but tends to be long-winded. He often keeps
the pilots awake with his stories. Many a bleary eyed pilot
has wondered if the man even needs to sleep. His wife,
Ruvean, is Reksyni and literate.
8. Timberwright (Calloine of Houd)
:  :  : Average
Calloine administers most of the logging in the area. He
serves Bulen as woodward and employs five journeymen
that travel the district. One of them is Fagan of Dag, a
survivor of the longship that attacked Sonise. He is a
priest of Sarajin and spends most of his time wandering
the woods. He frequently visits the Spiderwood.
9. Sailmaker (Yueda of Etebon)
:  :  : Average
Yueda works closely with the Akaad family. Her work is
well done and she is assisted by her sister and daughters.
In the past year she has begun to have recurring night-
mares of being buried alive.
10. Salter (Tyrin of Horl)
:  :  : Low
Tyrin salts fish and oversees the production of goat
cheese. His eldest son works as a journeyman salter in
Lado. e rest of his children can often be found watch-
ing the sheep. His wife, Myrna, assists him.
11. Chandler (Gert of Hicre)
:  :  : High
A small establishment crowded with dusty wares. Gert is
disappointed with the settlement’s current rate of growth.
He spends most of his time producing candles. ey tend
to be slow burning but sour smelling.

SON I SE 5
12. Hideworker (Teb of Avierrie)
:  :  : Average
Teb is known more for his singing voice than his crafts-
manship. His talents are in demand everynight at e
Gully Row and during religious festivals. Teb knows many
folk songs of the coast. His wife often accompanies him
on the drum.
13. Mercantyler (Poltho of Ferire)
:  :  : High
Poltho specializes in buying and selling wool. His agents
work throughout the district and Poltho maintains a
store house in town. Twice a year he makes a trip south to
Lado to visit Som the wine-merchant.
14. Metalsmith (Bargath of Sodu)
:  :  : Average
e blacksmith is easily the strongest man in Sonise.
Known for his temper, Bargath’s wife and three children
live in fear of him. His wrath has increased since last
winter when his youngest daughter was killed by a ‘wolf.’
Now, Bargath offers a bounty for each wolf ’s head
brought into town.
15. Apothecary (Camorae of Erig)
:  :  : Average
Camorae fled from the south after being accused of
witchcraft. Her husband, Devorr, is a local man and
serves as the village reeve. A devout Peonian, he is active
as a lay brother in the church. e two of them have a
distrust of Laranians.
16. Miller (Malfirth of Ryjn)
:  :  : average
Malfirth has become too old to run the windmill. He now
oversees the work done by his three sons. His daughter,
Faedra works as the village midwife.
P I LOT S ’ CU R R ICU LU M
 Apprentice pilots spend most of the year at sea and new
students are encouraged to wander the coast of Demath Bay.
Most training is done on board ship allowing the students first-
hand experience. At times they are accompanied by one of the
Masters. Normally though, they wander in small groups or
join a fishing crew. is has lead to villagers calling them “Sea
Beggars.” Both Sonise and Andrin Castles have Guildhalls, but
these buildings are little more than cottages reserved for the
apprentices. During the winter students stay close to Lado vil-
lage, studying in the rutter library and copying maps. It’s a dull
time and by spring students are eager to be out on the ocean.

17. Pilots’ Guildhall
e Guildhall is nothing more than a cottage with enough
bunks for eight visitors. Apprentice pilots often work out
of Sonise navigating the coast. e cottage is simple con-
taining a table, chairs, and cupboards. Visitors can some-
times find lodging here.
18. Shipwright (Benkyn of Akaad)
:  :  : Low
Benkyn builds and repairs small fishing vessels. He’s frien-
dly with visiting pilots, and can normally make introduc-
tions to the locals. His twin sister, Vye, is Ruyveth’s wife.
19. Charcoaler (Hykus of Vool)
:  :  : Average
Hykus is a tall nervous man with little hair and bad skin.
One of his apprentices disappeared recently, and Hykus
assumes he ran away. e boy was actually kidnapped by
the slavers at Oissoin.
20. The Gully Row (Uran of Zabe)
:  :  : Average–High
e Gully Row is a small establishment. Its name comes
from a row of wooden gulls carved above the door. Uran
stocks several varieties of wine and ale, including ale from
the abbey at Lome. e “Row” is the gathering place for
locals. e ostler, Farin, is Uran’s younger brother. He is
also responsible for the keep’s three warhorses. e sta-
bles are located on the first floor and the common room
on the second. ere are two private sleeping rooms
crowded under the roof on the third floor. ey are drafty
and overpriced. Visitors prefer to stay with villagers, with
pilots, or at the keep.
21. Temple of Peoni
is a small temple held by the Irreproachable Order.
e head priest is uncomfortable around women. e
order maintains close contact with the abbey inland at
Lome. ey oversee the transport of invalids to the abbey.
One of the Brothers is trained as an embalmer and pro-
vides services for the village.
22. The Harbor
e beach is accessed by walking down a flight of wooden
stairs. Large ships that visit Sonise are forced to anchor
out further in the harbor. Unloading tends to be time
consuming, as cargoes must be ferried to the shore. e
building houses a crane to move goods to and from the
beach. Fishing boats are kept on the sand beyond the
reach of the tide.
23. Bonding House
 º 
Ground Floor SONISE 6

Interior scale (feet)

   

All surfaces stone

unless otherwise shown
3

 º  
SON I SE 7

e keep sits atop a rocky spur connected to the shore by
a stone causeway. It is garrisoned by  light foot,  me-
dium foot,  bow men, and  light horsemen commanded
by Sister Tippire.
Ground Floor
1. Bulen Hethara’s Chamber
Bulen maintains his chamber here on the ground floor
because of his infirmities. e room is well furnished and
comfortable with even a shelf of books. At times, Bulen
will hold meetings here with his trusted aides. Sagath
Hethara’s sword and shield hang on the east wall.
e chamber to the east houses Bulen’s squire, Lorn of
Ensleth. Lorn stays close to Bulen, helping the invalid
with strenuous tasks. Most of his martial education
comes from Sister Tippire, while Bulen has set out to
cultivate his mind. is has only lead to Lorn’s confusion.
He is a quiet brooding sixteen year old. e other bed is
used by Arthem, Bulen’s Chamberlain. Arthem is a Re-
slava of the Irreproachable Order and childhood friend of
Bulen. He is known for his simplicity and wry humor.
mermen and mermaids. In the northeast corner of the
room is a small shrine to Larani. Sister Tippire visits it
daily seeking guidance in her tasks.
3. The Garden
A stone walk leads from the stairs to the tree between
flower beds. During the spring this small enclosure is
alive with fragrant blossoms and colors. e tree is a
gnarled willow whose cascading branches almost touch
the ground.
4. The Kitchen
is room is called the “Swelter” by the servants since it is
always intolerably hot. Poor ventilation and a lack of win-
dows only adds to the discomfort. e cook, Fraensca, is
a withered old crone that does not notice the heat. She
has been a servant in the castle all her life, and was once
Bulen’s wet nurse. She visits the fish market daily.
5. Guards’ Quarters
is chamber houses six members of the keep’s garrison.
One of them, Riam of Scant, is a kleptomaniac. So far he
hasn’t been caught.

2. Great Hall 6. Servants’ Quarters

is hall is only used for important events and when Most of the keep’s servants live in the village. e six per-
court is in session. e tapestry on the south wall depicts manent staff members sleep in this room, including
a scene from the court of the Sea King with cavorting Fraensca. She does not allow any mischief in the room.

Achievement of Clan
Hethara. Azure, three
plumes palewise ar-
gent. Crest a winged
horse passant argent.
3
MAT THIAS JANSSEN
2

Basement. is room 4 4

is accessed using the
stairs in the southeast
tower. It’s a small
chamber cut out of the 5
rock and holds a well
which is the keep’s only
fresh water supply. First Floor

  º 
 SONISE 8

First Floor

1. Sister Tippire of Abberoud’s

Chamber
is room is simply furnished to reflect its
owner’s austere tastes. Tippire is a tall burly
woman with obvious Ivinian anscestry. As a
member of the Garden of Aelion, Tippire tries
to illustrate the virtues of a female warrior.
She finds her station difficult as she is not cut
out for diplomatic work. She has come to re-
spect Bulen over the course of her time here.

2. Guest Room
is room is currently being used by Varig of
Arrenfrie, a priest of Save K’nor who special-
izes in the study of birds. He is here by the
invitation of Bulen. Varig finds Sonise to be a
miserable backwater, and plans to leave as
soon as possible. However, he puts a smile on
his face in Bulen’s presence.
Second Floor
3. Guest Room
is room is used by visiting members of Clan
Hethara. e chests on the north wall contain Interior scale (feet)
All surfaces wood unless otherwise shown.
personal items. At other times the room is    

used by foreign dignitaries.

4. Guards’ Quarters
ese chambers house the rest of the keep’s
garrison. e two survivors of the Longship
sleep in the east tower. ey find Sonise to be
an easy and comfortable life, even if they are
losing most of their pay on dice. Sister Tippire
oversees the garrison and drills them daily on
the second floor.

5. Portcullis Room
is room houses the winch that controls the
portcullis. A grate in the floor can be removed
to drop stones and oil down on invaders.

Second Floor
e roof is used to drill the garrison. e
southwest tower has two cells to hold prison-
ers. Both are empty at the moment. m

ird Floor

 º  
T H E Q U E STION OF A HÂRNIC DARK AGE 1
∞e Question of
a Hârnic Dark Age
n earlier version of this essa on the technological levels of Hârn was first ublished on the ârnForum.
ext: “Padria” Sean O’Neal.
   is based loosely on
t real world European history. One of the most
significant events in medieval European his-
tory was the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Dark
Ages which followed. is has raised the question of
whether or not Hârn has suffered its own Dark Ages. I
gave this some thought, did some reading and came to a
conclusion. e answer is, yes, Hârn has and is experience
a Dark Age of its own. Here’s what brought me to that
conclusion.
To reach this conclusion I had to find evidence of two
things … that there had at one time been a widespread,
technically more advanced culture or cultures on Hârn;
and second, that the level of technology on Hârn now is
lower than it was then. I found that evidence in some
surprising places as well as being surprised by the amount
of evidence pointing at it. Even more, I found two sepa-
rate cases for cultures on Hârn that are or were more
technically advanced than is generally the case on Hârn
now (at least among humans, there are of course the cases
of the Sindarin and Khuzdul cultures, and the with-
drawal of both which has also contributed).
e first case was the time of the Codominium and
the coming of the Jarin to Hârn. While it is widely ac-
cepted that the Sindarin and Khuzdul possess knowledge
that humans lack, I needed to find something more spe-
cific about this and first whether or not this affected the
early Jarin on Hârn and if so how they were affected.
First, we know that the Sindarin were once wide spread
on Hârn, and along with the Khuzdul influenced much of
the island’s Jarin population. e Sindarin acted as rulers
of the island and coordinated the attempts at defense
against later Pharic invaders. ere are several indica-
tions that the Sindarin and Khuzdul shared at least some

of their knowledge with their Jarin allies in various refer-
ences scattered through out the HârnWorld material.
In the basic  book on Hârn  under
“e Coming of Men” we have the following statement,
“e newcomers called themselves Jarin and recognized the
superior culture of the elder peoples.” So the Jarin of  
were impressed with the Sindarin and the Khuzdul, that
much we can say for certain. But did they learn anything
from them?
ey must have because of several other references,
starting with this one also from the bottom of the same
page, under e Sindarin Abdication, “But without the in-
fluence of the Sindarin and the Khuzdul, the level of Hârn’s
civilization declined.” Which fairly clearly indicates that the
elder races had helped civilize the Jarin people and ad-
vance their culture.
Also, in the article on the Jarin in the  module
we find a reference which tells us on Jarin , third para-
graph, “Most of the Hârnic Jarin first settled the coasts of Sol-
ora and Horadir, although some landed as far north as Jarin
Bay. e southern Jarin quickly came into contact with the el-
der races. e humans swore fealty to Daelda, the elven King
of Hârn, and were granted coastal lands to dwell in. Others
were invited to dwell in Azadmere where their farming and
fishing skills were deemed useful. e Jarin who landed in
northern Hârn had less contact with the elder races and did not
receive many of the cultural benefits that the southern Jarin
gained from the Sindarin and Khuzdul.”
is paragraph tells us several important things. First,
that the Jarin who came to Hârn were already farmers,
they did not learn this from the elder races. e elder
races are not farmers but the Khuzdul at least deemed
this skill useful (the Sindarin seem to oppose farming).
Second it tells us that not all the Jarin peoples benefited
 º 
 THE QUESTION OF A HÂRNIC DARK AGE 2
equally and the northern Jarin were relatively unaffected.
is gives us an opportunity to make an important com-
parison, that being how do the peoples of southern Hârn
differ as these differences are probably due to the influ-
ence of the elder races.
We’ve also proven the elder races were (and still are)
advanced culturally and in technology. I doubt many
would argue this, but now we have some clear references
to build on.
e next question for me then is this. Since the Sinda-
rin and Khuzdul seem reluctant to teach what they know
now, what proof is there they ever shared this knowledge
with the Jarin of the past. Cultural benefits don’t neces-
sarily equal technological benefits … so is there some ex-
ample of them sharing advanced knowledge?
ere is. In the Gelimo article from  we
have the story of an elven adventurer c   who was
ship wrecked there. While the people he encounters are
not the Jarin that came later (they are in fact the people of
the Henge culture) it is still an important example be-
cause it shows us a case of a Sindarin teaching humans
crafts lore and specifically what kinds he taught them. In
the third stanza of the poem we read.
Of beams and sail did they learn,
Of gem and mirror pure,
So laboured they among the stones,
To forge the bowl azure.
e first line is a reference to ships and sailing, so we
know he taught them ship building and how to sail and
navigate. e second line refers to gemcutting and silver-
smithing (making early silver mirrors), so he taught them
jewelcraft. e last line is a reference to the symbol of
Siem, the azure bowl, indicating he probably introduced
them to his religion and they seem to have taken up wor-
ship of Siem. e article goes on to tell us he dwelt among
them for a “time” and taught them many things, the above
references being the clearest examples.
 : I have never found a direct connection to prove this but here is
an interesting theory. Most of Hârn and Lythia seem to be about equal
to medieval Europe of about circa  . Yet some forms of shipbuild-
ing seem well past this and the question comes up from time to time as
to why. We know that the Ivinians helped develop the Dak, but where
did the idea of the Karune come from? Careful reading of the 
module reveals that Sindarin ships are of the Karune class … did human
shipwrights imitating the Sindarin invent the Karune?
Based on this I think we can safely assume that the
elder races were helping the Jarin along and sharing their
knowledge with them. But after the Battle of Sorrows,
there was a decline and these Jarin lost some of the know-
ledge. In all probability some of the more advanced/comp-
 º 
lex knowledge which would be harder to maintain, par-
ticularly in the chaos that followed. However, I think there
are clues to some of what these Jarin learned from the elder
races surviving even in modern examples of Hârn.
’   Bejist, which was one of sev-
L eral cities in the area inhabited by all three races
(Sindarin, Khuzdul and human) prior to the
Battle of Sorrows (which happened to take place very
near Bejist). is is yet another indication of the kind of
cooperation and trade that existed at that time and fur-
ther lends support to the idea that the elder races were
teaching and educating the Jarin, perhaps to a level equal
or higher than what we see generally in Hârn today (ex-
amining the two examples of such ruins, the cities cer-
tainly seemed to equal or exceed anything on Hârn in 
 … but fully  years in the past!). But we also know
that after the battle of Sorrows two things happened.
Many of these Jarin fled north of the Ulmerien, some
settled at and around the Ulmerien, and second there was
a general decline in the “culture” of these Jarin because the
Sindarin and Khuzdul withdrew their presence and sup-
port. is is fact stated in canon material.
From this, and from what we know of Hârn currently,
we can draw some interesting conclusions. For example.
We know some of the Jarin from Bejist settled around the
Ulmerien in what is today the Kingdom of Chybisa. We
know that these people were influenced by the Sindarin.
We know that in the Chybisa of   a higher percent-
age of yeomen are longbowmen than in any other culture
on Hârn. So let’s extrapolate an explanation which goes
something like this. e Jarin of old learned the use and
value of the bow from the Sindarin, after the Battle of
Sorrows the Jarin scattered and fled north. In the years
and centuries that followed much of what they had
learned from the elder races was forgotten. But, those
who settled in the Ulmerien valley remembered the bow
and continued to use it to hunt. In time, these people were
united into the Kingdom of Chybisa, which though small
is like many other kingdoms on Hârn, save that its people
still have a love of the bow and have once again found a
place for it in war.
Likewise, I don’t think it is coincidence that Chybisa
is the only place on Hârn where you find a human fortifi-
cation that is comparable to the kind built by the Khuz-
dul. While it is true the master mason who oversaw the
construction was actually a Khuzdul mason, Hazmaral of
Orinian, I think there is more to it than this and yet an-
other hint at a remnant of elder influence on the Jarin.
Suppose these same Jarin who kept the bow, also kept the
idea of building with stone (at the ruins of Bejist we see
that most of the buildings in the city were built of stone).

T H E Q U E STION OF A HÂRNIC DARK AGE 3
I’m not saying they remembered how to build in the Khu-
zan style (they didn’t), just that they perhaps kept alive
the basic skills of masonry more so than the rest of East-
ern Hârn. A single Khuzan mason cannot build a castle
alone, he needs labor and lots of it. Some of that labor
needs to be skilled labor in the form of stone cutters and
other masons. So let’s suppose this. Burzyn was possible
because there were masons in Chybisa who had kept alive
some of the ancient traditions of masonry, and thus the
Khuzdul mason who oversaw the construction had a la-
bor force skilled enough to both understand his more
advanced methods and to follow his construction plan in
building such a castle with his direction. You don’t see
copies of Burzyn elsewhere on Hârn simply because there
are few if any other places where you can find the same
long tradition of skilled masons. us even if someone
somewhere else on Hârn had the right ideas for building
such a castle, and even if they had or were a Khuzan ma-
son, they wouldn’t have the skilled labor force needed to
actually construct the castle.
 : Some may wonder why the Jarin who settled in the Ulmer-
ien valley would have been more likely to keep alive such skills than
other Jarin who fled further north to the Kald valley or beyond. e
explanation can be found in understanding what would be required in
order to teach and pass on such knowledge to future generations. at
is, in order to teach an apprentice mason to be a mason, you need the
right facilities in the form of a quarry, workshops, etc. e Jarin who
settled in the Ulmerien valley probably did so relatively soon after the
Battle of Sorrows. is gave them a chance to re-establish the tradi-
tions of teaching with less disruption and less loss of knowledge than
those who went further north and thus took longer to settled down
and begin teaching again.
As some supporting proof of this, lets look at Gyth-
run keep in Melderyn. It was built in – , fully
 years after Burzyn, by who … Chybisan and Emel-
rene masons. If it was as simple as hiring a Khuzan mason
certainly you would think Melderyn would have done
this (and probably has the influence to do so). Yet they
didn’t, instead they had to import an entire skilled labor
force, part of which came from Chybisa. Yes, you could
say the Chybisans learned that skill from the construc-
tion of Burzyn, except that the logic doesn’t work. If you
need skilled labor to build such a castle, then they (the
Chybisans) must have already been skilled masons before
Burzyn was built, though they probably learned a new
skills from Hazmaral in the process. By the way, if you
agree with me, then we’ve just put Chybisa on the map as
a source of fine masons and longbows, making it a bit
more interesting and important.
In general, the Jarin of south eastern Hârn seem to
have advanced into feudal kingdoms, developed better
armor, weapons and architecture than the Jarin of the
north who lacked the influence of the elder races. is

makes a strong case for not only the influence of the elder
races, but what its effects have been. But its not the only
such case on Hârn, there is also western Hârn to look at
which was more puzzling to me.
   about the Khuzdul of Kiraz, the
i question was raised as to what relation they
had with humans and whether or not there
were once human farmers living outside Kiraz as there are
now at Azadmere (it was also debated how many it would
take to feed the dwarves of Kiraz which is only relevant
here to say that it would take hundreds farmers to do it,
in short you’d need a significant group of people). In dig-
ging around for information about that debate I came
across indications that the Khuzdul of Kiraz traded with
the Jarin tribes that lived nearby and this tribe could be
reached by river, and more importantly that this group
may well have been the early Corani tribes (as well as the
Shirii and Komii).
at’s an important connection because it helps to
explain what happened later in western Hârn and also
may help explain part of the change in the elder races at-
titude about teaching humans their crafts. I’ll come back
to this second point later, first I’ll deal with the case of
western Hârn because its fairly interesting and has several
solid examples to support my theory.
First, lets assume that prior to any elder influence all
the tribes of western Hârn were barbarians of more or less
the same level of technology. Now lets throw in some el-
der influence from the Khuzdul who were trading for
food, and the Sindarin … but limit it to mainly just a few
tribes, the Corani, Shirii and Komii (why this was the case
I don’t know, but it seems to have been so). ese tribes
get a boost in their development. Pretty soon they are
making better weapons and armor, building better fortifi-
cations and so forth; ergo they are now more advanced
than the surrounding tribes who are still barbarians.
Now, lets take a look at the  and 
kingdom modules at what the published information tells
us about the rise of the Corani Empire. We know that the
Corani were more advanced than their barbarian neigh-
bors. Militarily they were using organized legions and
appear to have had better weapons and armor. It is also
worth noting that Coranan and Shiran, two of the largest
and architecturally advanced cities in western Hârn were
built by these same tribes (Golotha was built by the
Corani Empire later and Aleath seems to have been heav-
ily influenced by them making the Corani directly or in-
directly responsible for every major city in western Hârn).
My initial theory was that the Corani, using what they
had learned from the elder races, gained an advantage
over the violent barbarians around them and then used
 º 
 THE QUESTION OF A HÂRNIC DARK AGE 4
this advantage to eventually conquer most of western
Hârn. ere was just two problems with this theory.
First, the Corani Empire came after Lothrim and after
Kiraz had been abandoned and long after the elder races
has supposedly withdrawn their influence. is was a
problem because if the influence of the elder races alone
was responsible for their rise to power it probably should
have happened sooner and I couldn’t initially explain why
it didn’t. Second, there are obvious Azeryan influences on
arda (specifically in the architecture, government and
their military organization), and I couldn’t account for
where these came from. It poked two large holes in my
theory I needed to adjust for.
is led to a second theory, the Double Influence
eory I call it. It begins much like my first theory …
with the Corani and Shirii tribes being fairly peaceful
farmers that the Khuzdul and Sindarin found easy to
trade with. However, even after the Battle of Sorrows, the
elder races continued their contact with these tribes, but
from more of a distance (perhaps being more cautious
after their experiences with the humans of eastern Hârn).
ey shared some knowledge with them, but not as
much. is explains the slower development. In short,
they helped the tribes survive against more violent tribes
like the Hefiosa and Komii, but not enough to give them
dominance over the region.
 º 
But then there was Lothrim and the carnage of Kiraz.
e elder races had had enough. First it had been humans
who struck down Daelda at the Battle of Sorrows and
now another human had destroyed Kiraz. e Khuzdul
and Sindarin withdrew completely and from this point
forward and virtually refused to share their knowledge
with all but a select few humans (which helps put their
current attitude about this in better perspective).
 : Although the Komii almost certainly had contact with the
Khuzdul, they don’t seem to have benefited as much. ere are two pos-
sible explanations for this. First, lacking the fertile river valley of the
ard they were not able to settle into an agrarian society as did the
Corani and Shirii. Such settlement would have been the chief reason
the Khuzdul wanted to trade (for the food surplus) and also such a cul-
ture has more time to spend on technological advances than a nomadic
hunter/gather culture dwelling in hilly forests. Second the Komii may
simply have been too violent for the Khuzdul’s taste and which would
have discouraged trade as well.
But without their influence, there was now an oppor-
tunity for a second influence among the Corani and Shi-
rii. Studying the Bejist articles I find that at the Battle of
Sorrows there were eight Navehan priest from Karejia
who were present and played a key role in the battle.
Karejia was at that time a part of the Azeryan Empire;
remember this, it’s important. ese eight priest had been
sent to Hârn to subvert the populace and introduce their
own religion but had been frustrated by the influence of

T H E Q U E STION OF A HÂRNIC DARK AGE 5
the Sindarin. At the height of the battle they summoned
the demon Aedlad who struck down King Daelda and
possessed him. e Sindarin killed seven of the Nave-
hans, but the eighth escaped and it is his account of the
events which survived. What this incident tells me is that
the Azeryan Empire, home of many of the Dark churches,
is trying to spread its influence to Hârn, they failed with
the Pharic invasions which brings us back to the Corani.
e Corani were fairly civilized by now, probably had
plenty of craftsmen and artisans courtesy of the Khuzan
and Sindarin influence on them and thus were just what
the Azeryan were looking for. With no Sindarin influence
in the way they were able to introduce the dark churches
to the Corani, turn them violent, and make them into a
pale imitation of the Azeryan Empire. is is why the
ardic military is patterned after the Azeryan model
(and why they use the Azeryan terms for ranks).¹
A now much more aggressive Corani attacked first the
Hefiosa, blundered, recovered and wiped them out. en
they absorbed the Shirii, wiped out the Komii and went
on to conquer almost all of western Hârn. Where ever they
went they took their culture with them. e Corani were
skilled builders. For example, they constructed paved
roads going as far as Khustan in Peran. is kind of skill
was probably a hold over from the Khuzan influence.
In Coranan we also see examples of domes in con-
struction. Domes are difficult to build and would take a
fairly skilled mason to create, this may be another hold
over from Khuzan influence (where as Chybisan masons
learned to build round towers and concentric fortifica-
tions, Corani/ardic masons have mastered the arch
and understand the dome; makes for some nice cultural
and regional differences if you care to use that in your p-
Hârn).
, ’  the  kingdom module
H that I find one of the more compelling exam-
ples of what the Corani artisans were once ca-
pable of. Specifically in the Tesien article. In  , Workol
used the resources of the Corani Empire to build Feniryn
city here. What makes this remarkable was what they did.
First, they were able to drain the swamps which is some-
thing you don’t see any other example of on Hârn (except
possibly Golotha, but that too was build by the Corani).
But it was the observatory they built that is most amaz-
ing. e fact that they were able to build an accurate star
map of the constellations which could be rotated me-
chanically says a great deal about their knowledge of as-
. e information on military ranks and legions in  
applies to arda. But the rest of Hârn doesn’t use legions and so it
doesn’t really apply, go figure.

tronomy, mathematics (particularly geometry), and engi-
neering. e roof of the building was a glass dome in a
lead frame used for observation. at alone would be an
achievement beyond the glass workers and masons of 
Hârn who are still trying to figure out how to make glass
windows (with the possible exception of the Sindarin,
Sindarin definitely have glass windows as is demonstrated
in the  module).
What this indicates is that the Corani Empire of 
 had a level of technology higher than Hârn has now
… possibly higher even than Melderyn, which must have
been quite a shock for the Wizard Isle. en came the
Balshan Jihad and it was much of this was lost. We know
that during the Jihad many scholars and artists were
killed and probably a great deal of this knowledge per-
ished with them.
is, along with the after effects of Lothrim’s Empire
in eastern Hârn (gargun attacks, the Migration Wars, etc.)
presents us with a second Hârnic Dark Age after a first
experienced with the withdrawal of the Sindarin after the
Battle of Sindarin.
One other interesting note from Tesien. We have an
example of an Archimedes screw there, which was appar-
ently an idea imported from Emelrene. So we have at least
one solid example of technology from Emelrene, a tech-
nology apparently not generally present on Hârn.
Taking all this together, we have not one, but two
Hârnic Dark Ages. We have some idea of the kinds of
things humans have learned from the elder races, and
how much has been lost. We have an idea why round tow-
ers are uncommon and why everyone isn’t building copies
of Burzyn. We’ve learned something of the history and
Lythian/Azeryan connections of the ardic Republic
and perhaps why Melderyn seems so threatened by it.
We’ve learned something about the dark churches and if
we connect those dots, something of what the Melderyni
embargo is really about.
It’s worth noting that if I’m right, Melderyn probably
sees itself as the protector of Hârn, sort of inheriting the
legacy of King Daelda. Since previous invasions and im-
migrations from Lythia came first through Melderyn,
they probably assumed future invasions would as well.
Imagine the shock the Ivinian invasion of Jara must have
given them. Between the Rape of ay and continued
Ivinian piracy, the growth of the ardic Republic and
the dark churches in the west (and a renewed Azeryan
Empire on the mainland) I imagine the Council of Eleven
must be nursing quite a few ulcers.
Of course, I could be wrong about everything, this is
just how I’ve interpreted the available information. But I
think its certainly worth thinking about and a fairly ratio-
nal explanation of Hârn’s history. m
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