Post by Head Moderator on Mar 1, 2013 15:42:32 GMT -5
ABOUT THE KINGDOM
Climate: Temperate Maritime
Language: Accented Common
Capital City: Lorelei
Shalott was considered part of Kyngfeld for many generations, but eventually the citizens of Shalott broke away from Kyngfeld and reformed their ancient kingdom, which is known as the Bronze Court.
IMPORTANT FAMILIES & TITLES
Royalty
The royals of Shalott are dragonborn, a bronze dragon (whom some say still lives in a cave on the island) being in their ancestry. It is a source of great pride for the family, and the kingdom. During the last war, both the King and Queen and many nobles were killed, leaving a child king. His sister, Iseult, rules as the Regent of the kingdom. There are two other factions that wish to take this opportunity to take control of the Crown of Shalott, but they have not made their move yet.
The dragon blood shows itself in different ways in each of the royal line, such as bronze flecks in their eyes (usually green or brown), bronze tinted hair, bronze scales on parts of their body, or claw-like nails. They also live a good deal longer than a normal human, some have lived to nearly 150 years of age. There are none of the royal lineage under six foot tall, including women. The pupils of their eyes are vertical and can open very wide. They have pointed ears, similar to an elf's. They never arrange marriages, believing very deeply in the idea of a 'soul mate', and mating for life. They are known to have frequent love affairs before settling with a mate, though.
To take the Dragonborn (Bronze) race in OH, you receive:
-- Draconic Heritage
-- Immune to Lightning
-- Born to Water : A bronze dragonborn is at home in the water. They can breathe underwater, and have a swim speed the same as on land. They take no penalties for activity beneath the waves.
The Bronze Court
High King Fergal Niall Dalcassian the Thirteenth
Fergal is a cute, red-headed 5 year old.
Regent: Princess Iseult Edana Dalcassian
Iseult was a rebellious tomboy in her youth, hot tempered and impulsive, and rose to prominence in the kingdom and hearts of the common folk for her valiant fighting against the Kullyrian Sea Raiders who attempted to take the island kingdom over. She is accomplished in battle and strategy, and has spent most of her young life fighting and riding horses with the noble sons and heirs of the realm. She was very close to her father, who died during the recent war. Iseult has fiery red hair, and oak-brown eyes. She stands as tall as any knight in her mithril plate armor, but strikes the eyes as slimmer and more agile. The armor was a gift from the Chancellor of Kyngfeld. Iseult hates court life and diplomacy, but she takes the wise advice of her Counselors and the Dowager Queen Aideen, and misses few nuances and usually does the right thing. So long as she can pour her frustration into occasional sword-fights, she is happy. Iseult is twenty-four years old.
Iseult's Circle of Friends: Lord Baird Keane, Jr (He is loyal, his family, not so much); Lord Jerome "Jer" Goren; Lord Balton "Bally" O'Hara
Dowager Queen Aideen Dalcassian
The Dowager Queen is still in great health, brilliant and insightful. She loves a game of chess. She has great foresight of future events and intrigues hatching in the lands. Her fragile, delicate beauty conceals stubborn bravery, and a mind that notices everything. She is approaching a hundred years of age. She is a great help to the Regent as she spends all of her time in court, sizing up folk who come to court, learning of their doings and sizing up their moods. Her first son died at the hands of an assassin 75 years ago, and she has never truly gotten over it. Those who wish to anger or wound her need only mention her son, Thorven. She has taken weapons training with daggers, and shortsword.
Counselor Oisin Hanratty, Archdruid
Counselor Eefa Devlin, High Druid
Court Mage: Tavish Sholto
High Judge Luvell
Main Clanns
Red = Clanns that wish to overthrow the Bronze Court.
Clann Cassidy
Chief Ronan Cassidy, Lady Brigit
Lord Baird Keane, Sr
Lord Farris & Lady Maeve Whyte
Lord Finn Cassidy
Lady Catriona
Ronan's grandfather was a bastard son of the High King, and Ronan has the bronze flecked green eyes of the royal line. He feels he would be a much better ruler than the Regent, and is currently gathering followers to one day make a claim for the throne.
Clann Fayden
Chief Liam Fayden, Lady Eileen
Lord Alsander & Lady Brenna Goren
Clann O'Hara
Chieftess Keeva O'Hara
Lord & Lady Nuall & Caelan Bayne
Lord Barra Noble
Lord & Lady Gael
Clann Breckan
Chief Caleb Breckan, Lady Fara
Lady Bridie Carrig
Lord Iver Carrig
Lord Quinlan & Lady Ekna Tawse
Clann Brennan of Deepreef
Chief Alastair Brennan, Lady Heather
Lord Donell & Lady Regan Bede
Lord Aiden & Lady Aine Gregory
Clann Magrath of Deepreef
Chief Farquar Magrath
Lord Alby & Lady Coleen MacCrie
Exiled Nobles
Lord Leinster
Lord Leinster plots against the Bronze Court from Kyngfeld. His father was disloyal to the former King, and so his family was exiled out of Shalott. While forgiveness could be had, there are too many rumors of the Leinster's continued disloyalty for that to happen.
Lord Kenneth & Lady Pildar Kormyth
The High King's father exiled the Kormyth family for assisting with the Kullyrian war. They are doing all they can to support Clann Cassidy, with promises to be restored their title and land if the Cassidy Clann takes control of the throne.
Other Rank Titles
0 - Servants
1 - Freemen, Non-Property Owners
2 - Freemen, Property Owners
3 - Craftsman
4 - Druids & Bards
5 - Clann Lords
6 - Clann Chief
7 - Judges
8 - Prince or Princess - These are the direct sons and daughters of the High King and Queen.
9 - High King and Queen
IMPORTANT CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES
SHALOTT ATOLL
LORELEI
This town is on Shalott Atoll, and is named after a woman drowned in the sea, that legend says turned into a siren and sings to lure ships into the many rocks and barren islets around the atoll.
The city grew from a central keep, and as such is roughly circular. The keep is located at the center and is visible from almost anywhere in the city. The palace has seen work by a large number of craftsmen from very different backgrounds. The lower floors and cellars are notably Dwarven, built with the same sturdy design used to hold up mountains of stone in the great halls of the Dwarven kings. Directly above the sturdy architecture of the Dwarves lies the delicate towers of the Elves. Gnomes added their ingenuity with all sorts of contraptions, magical and otherwise, that allow the occupants to live in great comfort such as indoor heat and air, indoor water, and even flushing toilets!
Crowning the towers and the palace itself, the highest levels were crafted by local dragons. Having studied the building styles of both the Dwarves and the Elves, it was constructed with a style that, while blending both the solid designs of the Dwarves and the flowing, serpentine forms of the elves, also incorporated a certain grandness of design unique to dragons. The end result are spires unlike anything that had been built in the past, and the palace alone draws many to the city.
The area surrounding the palace are residences for the nobles and wealthy. The houses here are grand affairs, having two stories at least and small surrounding gardens. The architecture attempts to mimic that of the palace, and while grand it doesn’t quite measure up. There are a handful of merchants operating in this district, generally selling wares that only the very wealthy would feel any need to buy.
To the northwest of the palace lies the Rowan Gate, the entryway to the domain of the Elves. The surrounding area has become more or less the ‘Elven’ district, and it is here that all Elf merchants set up store. There are a number of Elves who live here, in houses that tend to incorporate the stones and nature around them. The Rowan Gate district actually looks like a park, the areas that aren’t pathways or homes are coated in rich green grass.
The Poor District, to the south of the palace, is pretty average as far as poor districts go. The houses are small one level affairs, generally with thatched roofs. The streets are dirt, and can quickly get churned into a thick mud in the rain. The entire district is speckled with low grade taverns, most of which water their ale a good amount.
Reaching from the Rowan Gate district and around the Eastern side of the palace and ending at the poor district sprawls a hodgepodge of assorted businesses and residences. Generally referred to as the trade quarter, it is here that much of the action in the city takes place. Walking down but one street, you may pass a bakery, an arms shop, a theater of performing arts and a reputedly haunted house, not to mention dozens of merchants selling wares from small stalls. Many of the buildings here, though usually not particularly long or wide, are two or three stories high. This has inadvertently led to the rise of a new pastime among some young daredevils: leaping from roof to roof, and then outrunning the guards when they inevitably try to stop them. There have of course been injuries of varying severity arising from this, but that seems to only further the thrill that the rest get from their freerunning. Some of the more unscrupulous freerunners have recently been giving the rest a bad name, using their athleticism to enter houses from any point except a door and proceed to make off with their valuables.
Singing Siren Inn
The Singing Siren is the most well known inne and tavern in Lorelei. It is also the largest, and has rooms suitable for any financial bracket.
NOALL
Noall is mainly black against grey and brown hills. The huts are built with sturdy black timber with grass-roofs close to the ground. The weather in these hills can be very harsh and the soil is not very fertile.
They are mainly hunters and train falcons to help them locate game. A "Noall Falcon" is considered the best trained bird to be had and it takes years to train them. The people of Noall hate to sell their falcons that they love very much, but are forced to do so by the need for profit to continue their existence.
Royal Falcon Inne
CLOGEEN
There is a special school in Clogeen, the village has a strong tradition of swordsmanship, and the Clogeen swordmasters have long served noble and country as bodyguards. Clogeen is more commonly known for making wooden swords, toys, and the hooded robes worn by the local druids.
The Queen's Swords
The local inne.
C'NOCKILLY [Clann Breckan]
Most of C'nockilly is dug into the side of a sea cliff, with long stairways cut into natural crevasses leading to the actual homes among the stone. It is a naturally defensible position that has only been compromised by it's lack of harborage for larger ships.
SLEEGO [Clann Cassidy]
Sleego has a ghost ship, and they are proud of it. Nearly a century ago, the three masted Sleego Maiden was lost as she sailed home from a bitter and bloody sea battle. Damaged as she was, the ship foundered and broke on the rocks within sight of her home. The ship and her crew of 150 were lost to the sea, but on the anniversary of her loss, the ship appears on the horizon and repeats her last trip, ending on the rocks where she sinks beneath the waves. The locals hold a festival on that night, lifting giant balls of pitch on long poles along the coast. These giant torches are lit at sundown and the local tradition holds that who ever lifted the torch that goes out last is blessed for the next year.
KILDAVEN [Clann Fayden]
Kildaven is a quiet agricultural market and a center for wool trade in the area. The village can boast having a very large amount of sheep. The sheep herds itself and are too massive in numbers for the villagers to watch over. This, however don’t seem to pose any problems as the area lacks any large predators that could pose a threat to the sheep. In addition it seems that they never wander to far away from the hills surrounding Kildaven.
The Crook and Hammer
Currently the only Inn in a growing community, the Crook and Hammer is the dream of Arther the carpenter. As a man with a vision, Arther built most of the inn with his own hands, employing his three sons and several workers. Situated in a country area settled by herders of sheep and goats and a tin mine, he drew his sign from those two professions. The Inn is a bit on the small side, having only six rooms for rent and a rather cramped common room, it is a very busy place. Locals flock to the inn on the days of rest where they consume large amounts of ale and the copious pots of poultry stew Arther’s wife cooks. Most of the room customers tend to be men from the towns that buy the ore, wool, leather, and other goods produced in the area. The stables behind the tavern are more than adequate, able to accommodate two dozen horses and covered areas for two wagons or carriages.
God's Teeth
Kildaven would be on few maps were it not for the presence of extensive ruins to the northeast. These consist of a vast circle of standing stones, with a smaller ring of megaliths inside it. The sharpness of the inner ring of stones and their resemblance to broken teeth have inspired the locals to name the structure "God's Teeth". Despite the nickname the common church does not claim the ruins. Druidic scholars, however, claim that the site might be an astrological calendar. The people of Kildaven care not, all they know is that this area is remarkable for breeding and maintaining sheep.
MOUNT DRAKK
Operated by the Bronze Knights, Mount Drakk Monastary is a retreat for soldiers in service to the common church but have reached a point where they need time for spiritual recovery and healing. Mount Drakk is a place of peace that reverberates with military precision.
BLACK TREE
Black Tree is is a perfectly normal village, they farm, hunt and have cattle. The only out of the ordinary element of this sleepy village is a charred, black tree in the center of it. Nobody remembers what burnt the tree and why. But everybody agrees that it must never be touched or spoken about. This strange custom is still thriving and will probably continue to do so.
More interesting towns and villages...
GREENWICK
As villages go, Greenwick is very strange, as there is not a single animal in it, no agriculture, and no industry to speak of. The village is also inhabited by mainly by dryads and forest nymphs, and thus have no need for crops or forges and hammers. The dryads have shaped trees into their meeting places and halls for trade with humans and the like, though they prefer to let their allies among the druids and rangers deal with merchants to get the jewels, gemstones, and other rare things that the treelings desire. The village is heavily defended by dozens of treefolk, and the dryads can rouse even mundane trees to uproot themselves to do battle.
INISFRI
Few know that Inisfri is ruled not by local chief, but by the guildmasters of the Prostitute's Guild. This has worked well in the past, as Inisfri sits on a minor trade route and is host to a temple to the Goddess of Lust and Love. While the facade economy of Inisfri is agriculture, fishing and minor trading, flesh-peddling draws in the lion's share of funds. Unlike other rural sex-peddlers, Inisfri is a place of refinement as well as exploration and documentation, with both the guild and the temple working scribes to write Kama Sutra type scrolls.
Green Wench Inne
The namesake green wench is none other than Eireen, the proprietress of the popular tavern and part-time brothel. The tavern was named after her and a particularly scandalous green silk dress that she wore when she was a younger and more buxom woman. After running the tavern for nearly four decades, she is now comfortably wealthy and is slowly transferring the day to day running of the tavern to her god-daughter Salome. While not the cheapest alehouse, or the best furnished brothel, it is quite popular.
BALLYKEER
A hamlet with a strong magical tradition, Ballykeer is as peaceful as it is strangely beautiful. Hidden deep in the forest, this hamlet is a cultural nexus for a race of pale complexioned humans with spiral horns protruding from their heads. The offspring of forbidden unicorn-human matings, the Ballykeerans are wracked with guilt and shame over their existence, and try to redeem the sin of their ancestors through promoting healing magics, meditation, and creating works of art.
DEEPREEF ISLAND
DEEPREEF CITY [Clann Brennan]
This city is built on the ocean behind a coral reef. The pavements are floating pontoons whilst boats are rowed or sail through the streets. Many of the citizens are fishermen, providing food for the city, and sailing further and further out as the years go by to gather more fish and seafood as food for the city. Flooding is not a major problem as the houses are themselves tethered houseboats and rise up and down with the tide. Whilst a storm might blow individual houseboats loose of their moorings, it would be unlikely unless colossal to be large enough to destroy the whole city.
Apart from a small number of jewellers who have formal city licenses to harvest coral, the taking of coral from the reef is strictly forbidden and one of the major tasks of the city guard is to keep the reef safe from irresponsible destruction. Murderers and illegal reef harvesters are chained to the reef and left to drown. Should the reef be destroyed, it would cease to keep the large waves away from the city.
TOOMSLIEVE
During the day, Toomslieve is a sleepy fishing village, but things change at night. The waters around Toomslieve are rich with fish that are only active at night. Once the sun sets, the boats set out with their lights dim and nets ready to snare the nocturnal fish that flourish in the dark waters. Aside from most of the locals sleeping well into the afternoon, and working into the darkling hours of the morning, it is a normal village.
Toomslieve is also built upon and around a series of catacombs in the rocky hills, which gave it it's name ..toom being a bastardization of tomb, and slieve being the word for mountain.
MAMCROSS [Clann Magrath]
The Village of Mamcross, sitting on a gravel strewn coast is home to pearl divers and a small fleet of Skipjacks, small dredging boats that haul in baskets of oceanic mollusks and shellfish. The clann chief of the area makes his permanent home in Mamcross and when not adjucating disputes and tending to matters of the court is commonly found on his own ship working the dredges or supping on wine and fish-rolls.
Magrath Inne
RATHVIEW
As far as coastal communities go, Rathview is post card perfect, with dramatic stone bluffs, small sandy beaches, and a quaint village of pale white wood and dark thatch. The local noble is currently in the village inspecting damage done to the pier and to the official buildings. It is obvious that the locals are upset and some of the buildings show fire damage. Rathview has recently suffered a raid from goblin pirates and the knights are on full alert.
SHRULE
The village of Shrule's existence is focused on a run down temple and the oracle who lives within. The oracle changes from year to year, and is chosen to be the bride of the temple's fickle god. What the villagers don't know is that the 'fickle god' is actually a shapeshifting mage who is an accomplished illusionist, and the village offerings go to supporting the mage in a rather comfortable if not opulent lifestyle. He has a sharp eye for visiting good-looking visitors.
