This article provides some brief notes of various cities that are to be found in Heortland and Sartar. They concentrate on the position during the Early Hero Wars period (1613 - 1620).
Classification: Small City
Population: 5290
This is a coastal city, half a days march west of Karse. After the destruction of Karse in 1619, it becomes the capital of Hendrikiland. It is ruled by Lakarstang Battle-Fist, a Humakti war-lord. Before the capture of King Richard The Tiger-Hearted, Battle-Fist had been devoted to the Tanisorian. Battle- Fist's left hand was severed in a battle and replaced with a war-hammer head. It is also home to one of the most eastern outposts of the Rokari church.
Classification: Town
Population: 620
This is a small town, upriver from Karse. It is a well built place and has colourful banners on most shopfronts and decorative signs on the few towers that are there. The captain of the town militia is called Thrakol; he speaks like a scholar and is a competent spearman and brave. Recently the town has had large numbers of strange missionaries proclaiming doom in the market square. The streets are kept quite clean.
Classification: Town
Population: 480
This town is on the border of Hendriki and Volsaxi lands and its history is one of repeated capture and re-capture by the different tribes. Currently the Hendriki have control and it is ruled by a headsman called Sturral Hairy- breeks, a big thug basically. Foreigners going through are normally questioned thoroughly. It is a low built town, rough looking. Here the streets are straw- strewn and muddy. In comparison to Varaquen, the inhabitants are simpler and less affected in their mannerisms. An inn adventurers can call in at is called The Green Dragon (three stars). All know the town idiot, Fridat.
Classification: Town
Population: 812
Buildings: 114
This town is situated ten key miles along the river that Karse is on, inside Volsaxi lands. It is a bustling trade centre and people of many lands have been seen here. A road leads west from here to the city of Northasarn. It's cosmopolitan character is counter-balanced by a steadfast observance of Issarian trading law.
Classification: Small city
Population: 1930
Buildings: 268
Founded in 963 S.T. by fishermen, the village of Tirion has become a moderately sized yet rich city. It is populated by earnest Orlanthi, but one interesting feature is the total lack of slaves in the city as it is a totally free city. Slaves brought in by their masters must be treated well or their masters could be sentenced under the criminal law. Tirion is situated between the two forks of the river that runs out to the Chorilinthor Bay in Karse.
Classification: Small city
Population: 2811
Buildings: 380
Nevrast was ruined many hundreds of years ago by the armies of a Zorak Zoran Death Lord called Ulcharg and had to be rebuilt. An abiding hatred of non-human races has built up since then. The town is also noted for occasional Sea Season flooding, due to faults int he rebuilding work - obviously they did not employ dwarfs. Nevrast is situated a days ride south along the river from Whitewall. After the sacking of Karse, rumours abound in Nevrast that Karse's walls have been weeping blood. Also, some set forth for Pavis after certain prophecies reveal that the return of the first ever Wind Lord will take place there soon.
Classification: Town
Population: 460
Buildings: 62
This town is situated just beyond the northern border of Heortland and lies within the Sun Dome County lands, or Elmalia as it is sometimes called. Larnak- Tavon was one of the first to convert to the Yelmalion religion from the previous Elmale worship. Through contact with Yelmic traders of the Lokarnos religion it has become influenced by Dara Happan culture. This is evident in the ostentatious gate, which has a stylized Sun over it with a griffin and a wyvern on either side. Unusually also for a place of this size, it has two minor temples, one to Yelmalio and the other to Lokarnos. It also has a shrine to the Seven Mothers and is rapidly being Lunarized. The local militia is run by a member of Yelm Miletus, or Yelm the Warrior, and the Town Governor is an initiate of both Yelmalio and Lokarnos. It also boasts a barracks hosting a Lunar infantry division. Public worship of storm dieties is outlawed. In the past raiders came from here to Heorti lands and vice versa.
The best inn for adventurers to stay in here is called "Ranwell`s Beer Festival", a low-life rat hole. It is however, sometimes frequented by hostile Yelmalion militiamen. A habitual drinker here is the Lokarnos merchant Gavarn- Lo, who comes from Tarsh.
Classification: Small city
Population: 1430
This city is in the south-western portion of Elmalia, in Sartar. It is the second largest mainstream Yelmalion settlement in Elmalia, after the Sun Dome itself. It is noted for the vipertitude of its inhabitants - basically they despise foreigners and mistreat them badly. It is ruled by an alliance of the Ernaldan and Yelmalion cults. This is symbolized by a very sacred marriage between the ranking Light Son in the city and the Ernaldan High Priestess. Generally this is very formal and no emotional significance is attached to it. However, recently the two people involved have developed very intense feelings for one another. This has affected the city folk themselves to the extent that the atmosphere in the city is one of a keen intensity about the moral and religious state of the city. During this ceremony, Ernaldan priestess and Yelmalion templars walk in couples down the city's main street; the Ernaldans with pet snakes wrapped around them. The two involved in the ceremony are held at shoulder height on a large platform by many slaves. Two even larger snakes accompany the procession down the streets under the control of the priestesses. During 1619, a snake cult with Lunar origins wrests control of all the snakes, causing them to attack the priestesses. This is to disrupt the ceremony. Whilst the Yelmalion guardsmen dealt with the smaller snakes, a small band of outlander adventurers had to stop the large snakes from attacking the assembled crowds.
Drengist is a rather insular place with tall city walls; the surronding lands are rarely patrolled. One of the things immeadietly noticeable in Drengist are the posters recruiting militia men. These are signed by Marcello, a Light Son and head of the citiy's forces. It is open to anyone of the appropriate skill, regardless of faith (except of course followers of the Storm Pantheon). To anyone making an Evaulate roll, it seems payment is quite good.
Drengist was founded in 1304 by the Rhodri tribe who were originally from Tirion. They were Elmale worshippers. By 1325 it had become a small town and walls were built around it.
lawrence@aslak.demon.co.uk