Nomen Heights
Prior to the cataclysmic event
known as Earthfall, which took place six thousand years ago, an ancient
civilisation had colonised the area that is now known as Nomen Heights (wherein
Varnhold has been built). Unfortunately
Earthfall wiped out whole civilisations and decimated the beings that dominated
the landscape (except in exceptional cases where very powerful individuals
found ways to hibernate and survive the mass-scale destruction that befell the
world from above), it also destroyed all records pertaining to this time.Five thousand years ago it was Rashalka centaur who roamed these lands and settled here, calling it home, until 2,00 years ago when the Human Empire of Taldor repeatedly launched expansionist military campaigns into the region in order to increase its territory and wealth. In trying to gain a foothold in this region, Taldor clashed repeatedly with the Rashalka, resulting in mass casualties on both sides. In the end a portion of Taldor (who would become House Surtova) had to be content in claiming land that would become known as Issia (northern Brevoy), whilst the centaurs eventually migrated or dwindled in size due to the aggressive nature of expansionist humans, leaving behind an offshoot tribe of centaur: the Nomen tribe. Though they have lost much of their knowledge and heritage, the Nomen believe that it was Cyclops who once held dominion in this land up until the events of Earthfall.
Ley-Lines of Energy
There are several documented
cases of druids and nature clerics researching the strange nature-based energy that
run through the lands of Dragonmere and Varnhold. They all concluded that mortals are unable to
tap into this energy, but speculate that the energy is either a result of, or
has resulted in, a number of locations where the boundaries between this world
and others (in particular ones related to nature, fey and elemental forces) run
thin, with effects (and denizens) bleeding through and affecting the environs
in strange ways.Three documented locations include:
· The elven-built watchpost to the West of Wyvernshore, where the boundaries between the material plane and the fey first world allows powerful fey to manifest once or twice a year for limited periods.
· The weather of Talon Peak is known to change very quickly due to the thin boundaries between the material and elemental planes, working against those that use magic to try and reach the mountain’s summit - elementals and other unexpected creatures have been reported to reside in the vicinity of the mountain in years past.
· To the East of Talon Peak is a small strange monolith that marks a weakness in the boundary between the material and ethereal planes and often plays host to weird beasts with unnatural anatomies and unfathomable agendas.
Yetis
Fierce, loyal, stealthy and
strong, Yetis are denizens of mountain peaks that occasionally come down from
the heights to make raids and take livestock or human prey for food. They do not display murderous or cruel
intent, unless their lairs are situated close to where the boundaries between
planes are weakened, in which case they become filled with a cruel madness and
seek prey to stalk, torment and toy with.Yetis are very strong and their attacks can deal cold damage. Their eyes are known to instil fright into the bravest of mortals. They are very stealthy in snow and at night. They always have a lair and are very susceptible to fire damage but are naturally immune to all cold damage.
Mudmen
Mudmen are weak elementals
composed when the planes of earth and water mingle with magic from the material
plane; evidently the strange energies in the Varnhold region and the right
conditions within Lake Silverstep were the perfect confluence of conditions
that spawned these creatures. They are
unable to leave their muddy habitat and are hostile towards any that trespass into their ‘mud’. There are no documented cases of them
communicating with humanoids nor do they seem to understand conventional
attempts at communication.Being elemental, Mudmen are immune to mind-affecting effects and certain conventional attacks, but are susceptible to Dispel Magic and Transmute Mud to Rock spells. They can sling mud over great distances that can immobilise their enemies and are able to engulf nearby foes with the mud that they are made from.
Crystal Tree
Somehow a sentient being has used
very powerful necromantic energy to tap into the strange nature-based energy
that runs through the Varnhold region and has created blooms of necromantic
power at key locations. These blooms
resemble trees that are scarlet in colour and look crystal in composition. Divinations conclude that they are less than
a fortnight old and if left unchecked they can give life to the dead and mutate
the living, allowing the root cause to gain control over all those that are
effected. Blooms are easily destroyed by
cold iron weapons due to the nature energy that the necromancy has tapped into,
but because it is formed from necromancy it can also be destroyed by potent
positive energy. The undead centaur
knight is known to respond to attacks on these blooms and works for
‘Vordakai’. Both the centaur and the
root cause are shielded from divination.It would appear that five of these blooms were created, four have been determined to be:
· within the centuar burial grounds, north-east of Varnhold.
· based at the linnorm’s grave, hidden within the skull of the long-dead beast, south-east of Varnhold.
· atop Talon Peak, the tallest mountain for hundreds of miles, west of Varnhold.
· harboured in the deepest depths of Lake Silverstep, south of Varnhold.
Undead Centaur Knight
The party have encountered a
black-armour clad centaur who is linked to the blooms and responds with
violence when they are destroyed. S/He
deals fire damage, is immune to both fire and electricity as well as
non-magical weapons and can intimidate opponents with ease. Attempts to discern the location of this being are being shielded against, but they have yielded the name ‘Kerezar’. However this name does not correlate to any documented texts in Dragonmere. Presumed to be some
sort of undead, the knight could be a:· DeathKnight - a 'Paladin' that either serves the gods of death or a powerful necromantic being that brought it back to unlife - they believe that being dead is the perfect state of existence (no hunger or pain) and that in killing someone they are in fact bringing it the greatest gift of all. They usually ride an undead mount, can infuse their weapon with necromantic energy and have a corrupting aura that can instil fear into the bravest of souls.
· GraveKnight - a disgraced hero or nefarious warlord, killed and raised with a strong battle lust - they seek to challenge themselves and others in battle and claim that anyone slain by their hand dies out of the sight of the gods. They are said to have an affinity to a particular element which is based on the moment that they died.
· HellKnight - a devil-tainted undead knight that follows its own black-or-white philosophy which varies based on how it lived. Whilst alive, a Hell Knight sold part of their soul to infernal powers in order to gain more martial power, eventually becoming a dark-armoured knight who values intimidation and might and is able to imbue their weapon with flame, chaos or unholy energy.
Vordakai
One of the few pieces of text that mentions the name
Vordakai reads:And so it was, high upon the Torres and well above the Vale’s Stairs, where rises from the high water a stony isle of dire report. Known as Vordakai’s Island to those that do live thereabout, some legend of its name doth come down through the locals. For they speak of a guardian that doth destroy all who would set foot upon its accursed shores. They did name no fewer than a twelvecount of their hero-knights who had left their bones upon its rocky shores over the years after having tested their mettle against its dread warden, ’til none would any longer go there for fear of its hidden terrors. And the name of this terror was given unto this Island.
Vordakai could either be a “Nomen Centaur God” or a “Slumbering Warlord of Immense Power” – in either case this being would be over 5,000 years old. The Nomen centaur do not have any information regarding the nature of this being and whilst divinations pertaining to Vordakai’s location and exact nature are being blocked, as is Scrying (due to a permanent ancient spell akin to Mage's Private Sanctum) spells have revealed that this being has recently awoken due to a trespass and is not yet at full strength due to its atrophied state.
Jade Bracelet
On their return to Wyvernshore,
the party discovered a parcel awaiting them containing a jade bracelet which
was sent by Varnhold’s Willas Gundarson several months ago. The ‘bracelet’ is in fact a ring for
something larger than a human, made from jade and is quite old. It can be sold quickly for 300gp, but a
specialised academy of learning may purchase it for more.
Ring of Friend Shield
Whilst one of these rings was
found in Varnhold, the location of it’s other half cannot be determined – it is
shielded in the same manner that ‘Vordakai’ is, leading one to speculate that
it is in close proximity to this being.
