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Yndaros - Ordo Magica - The Triplet Towers

Like the nearby Cathedral of Martyrs, Ordo Magica’s residence is built on Lindarian foundations – three tall and narrow towers which supposedly served a similar purpose back when they were first constructed.

The northern tower is shared by the three schools of the wizardry tradition – the pyromancers at the bottom, the illusionists in the middle, and the mentalists near the top, below the two floors reserved for Grand Master Seldonio and his staff of novices and adepts.

The southern tower is dedicated to alchemy, medicine and, more recently, artifact crafting, while the eastern one houses magistrates and students of the learned disciplines – linguistics, history, culture, art, philosophy and so on. People who once studied or worked at the Triplet Towers claim that Ordo Magica’s headquarters is a boiling cauldron of conflict, where infighting over resources, recognition and authority is fierce.

But no matter how bad things might be, many are still attracted by the security which Ordo Magica can provide for its students and members.

Admittance does not rely as heavily on contacts, wealth and family as in other organization, but rather on proven skill and diligence. There are countless stories about people of modest background winning great riches and influence thanks to Ordo Magica. But perhaps this is also the very thing which triggers the conflicts – those who achieve success are afraid of losing what they have gained, and will use all their newly acquired power and influence to avoid falling back into the wretchedness from whence they came.

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Yndaros - The Cathedral of Martyrs

The year after Korinthia’s arrival to the Promised Land, it was finally ready for inauguration – the Cathedral of the Hallowed Martyrs, better known simply as the Cathedral of Martyrs. It was built on foundations from the time of Lindaros, fitted with the hemispherical copper dome of Prios, and with new exterior ornaments and interior paintings.

The atrium, with its balconies, can accommodate more than a thousand worshippers turning their collective gaze to the golden podium where First Theurg Peonio conducts his sermons, in the light which streams through the temple window portraying a triumphant Queen Korinthia on her prancing steed. Along the edges of the hall are towering statues of martyrs and lightbringers, and incense burners emitting the same scent as in the temples of old Alberetor.

In Yndaros, Prios is ever present. His spirit watches over family dinners, court proceedings, business transactions, solemn ceremonies, births and deaths, and the people must all praise “Prios, the One” in good times and in bad. The city’s residents still live as much in the shadow of war as they do in the radiance of triumph, and none are allowed to forget who brought victory to the Ambrians during the Great War.

Guilt, gratitude and duty are recurring themes, preached by the First Theurg as well as his eminent liturgs – the Ambrian people have a long way to go before Prios has regained his strength; darkness must be vanquished, the wilds must be cleansed, and the gifts of the One must be harvested and cultivated. And these themes are undoubtedly being given a more prominent role with each passing year.

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Karvosti - High Chieftain Tharaban’s Coronation (year 5)

Due to the nature of the position, the election of a high chieftain is usually quite an orderly affair. Certainly, there are often two or more candidates nominated by different clans, and disagreements between clan chieftains will occasionally put the pretenders to the test with a varying degree of violence. But with few exceptions, the elections rarely threaten the peace between the clans.

A particularly notorious exception was when Gorema, the vain and hot-blooded daughter of clan Yedesa’s chieftain, lost the election in favor of Oroman. In an outburst of violent rage, Gorema slew her father and gathered her newly acquired warriors for an attack against their southern neighbors, the Baiags (Oroman’s clan), before her own witch killed her with a spear-thrust in the back.

Tharaban’s election also caused great commotion. The northern clans favored another candidate, the Saar Iaholas, and when the new high chieftain was nearly assassinated not long after his coronation, many blamed the northerners.

As the chieftains Razameaman, Rabaíamon, and Karona denied any involvement whatsoever, and since there was no proof as to who had fired the poisoned arrow, the situation eventually calmed down. There are still suspicions floating around, but perhaps it is true as many people say – that the attack was entirely Iaholas’s doing.

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Karvosti - Aloéna’s Claws (about 90 years ago)

The uncrowned queen of the southern edge – the towering, horned she-giant called Aloéna – is rarely seen by anyone. But every two or three years she wanders the plateau, and everything stops.

For many moons, people talk of nothing but her – what she looked like, in what direction she was headed, whether she was carrying anything, and to whom (if anyone at all) she paid attention. The latter is a particularly hot topic, as it is said that a look from Aloéna will cause a person to either suffer the worst misfortune imaginable or be blessed with extraordinary luck.

On one of Aloéna’s strolls across the plateau, something happened that will not soon be forgotten. A crowd of speechless and paralyzed spectators watched her stop next to three people and pierce their throats with her long, sharp claws. These people – a young Karitian woman and two men of clans Zarek and Baiaga – died instantly.

There was nothing to suggest a connection between the victims or that they had even met each other before their executions. The witches have affirmed that they know nothing about Aloéna’s motives, and since the executioner has not spoken of it, the mysterious incident is as incomprehensible as it is terrifying. For without knowing why this happened, it is of course impossible to predict if, or when, Aloéna will choose her next target.

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Karvosti

Whatever the truth may be, the cliff of Karvosti rises like a lonely island from the ocean of trees. For centuries, if not millennia, its plateau has been a sanctuary for people fleeing the horrors below. For the last five hundred years, it has also been considered neutral ground – a place where people from all corners of the world may engage in conversation, negotiation and commerce, and where the Guard of the Slumbering Wrath will guarantee their safety.

The question is, for how long will the wrathguards be able to carry out the duties that demand more of them with every passing day?

Many people, barbarians and Ambrians alike, fantasize about what life is like up there amongst the wrathguards, sun priests and witches; how it would feel to stand on the plateau and behold the mighty forest below. Very few ever get the opportunity to actually set foot on the cliff. Usually, such a visit would require a difficult and perilous journey through monster-infested woods, and a lengthy absence from one’s crops or whatever means of livelihood one might have.

Hence, apart from its small number of permanent residents and members of the delegations sporadically sent by the clans, Karvosti is visited almost exclusively by people with nothing to lose or live for. Sure, there are exceptions – meticulously organized expeditions made by explorers or fortune hunters who are using Karvosti as a base of operations, or have planned a brief stay on the cliff to rest.

These may be groups led by Ordo Magica, the Black Cloaks, or possibly some ambitious noble. Such visits tend to aggravate the already tense atmosphere on the cliff, for though the High Chieftain and the witches must accept the Ambrian presence, they do not look kindly on fortune hunters who violate the barbarians’ well-founded taboos. All too often their fears are confirmed when the expeditions bring with them the darkness of the forest below – as a result of shameful intrusions into some abominable creature’s territory, or the theft of its treasures.

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Yndaros : Iskandro’s

Healing elixirs and other drugs can be found anywhere in Yndaros. Prices vary depending on what part of town one is in, even though the products themselves are the same. Still, they say that pricing is the clearest indicator of a charlatan – a relatively low price in the Temple District should raise suspicion, and a relatively high price in the eastern parts of town could mean that someone is trying to sell you a bottle of dyed syrup or a pound of ground sunflower seeds. No, where alchemical substances are concerned, it is always wise to buy directly from members of the Alchemists’ Guild.

With mystical artifacts the situation is different. Ordo Magica has so far kept the secrets of artifact crafting to themselves; those who are not connected to the witches, elves and trolls of Davokar must go to the Southern Tower to purchase lesser artifacts. But there is one exception: the newly opened shop Iskandro’s in New Town, which specializes in ritual codices, spell scrolls, and seals for mystical powers as well as rituals.

However, there are speculations that Master Iskandro, once active at Ordo Magica’s chapter in Ravenia, is running the shop on secret orders from Grand Master Seldonio, as a test to see how such a business should be managed. After all, how else could Iskandro offer artifacts with the properties of all the mystical powers and rituals included in the Wizardy tradition?

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Yndaros : Grondel’s Masks

Have you been invited to some country estate for a masquerade party? Do you desire some of the powers wielded by the barbarian witches? Or do you simply wish to scare a loved one into an early grave? Whatever the reason, Grondel’s Masks is the place for you!

The enormous Grondel of clan Godinja is a proficient manufacturer of masks. Moreover, he has a vast network of contacts within Davokar – people who are making masks themselves as well as those peddling the works of others. Sometimes he also purchases objects from adventurers and explorers, only to sell them on at a higher price.

His primary interests are authentic witches’ masks or facial ornaments infused with mystical powers, but ordinary masks can also be of value, provided that they come with an interesting story. Among other things, he prides himself in having sold the mask of stained glass – a relic from the glory days of Lindaros – which Arch Duchess Esmerelda wore at the New Year’s Ball in year 21.

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Town Map : Yndaros

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Yndaros : Old Kadizar

The barbarian village of Kadizar was established about a century ago, by the clan Kadiz which had made an enemy of the Jezites – the region’s most powerful force back then. Searching for a safehaven, they dared to challenge the taboos and entered the abandoned city-state, where they soon settled down and built a claystone wall for further protection. The location they selected lay close to the waters of River Doudram and included an ancient tower-ruin to function as a lookout for keeping an eye on the enemy up north.

The twenty-foot-high bailey is still standing, and within it is still a mixture of Kadizian claystone houses, Lindarian buildings and a few ruins from the time of Symbaroum. Before the arrival of the Ambrians the old tower ruin was the residence of the chieftain, but since then its sections have been divided between different occupants – the local headquarters of the city watch composes one section, while the informal leader of Old Kadizar, the thief king Nobleman Dastan, resides in the remodeled tower itself. Beneath the complex a widely debated excavation is taking place, organized by Ordo Magica. If they have found anything noteworthy, the excavation leader, Master Marbela, has managed to keep it a secret.

Today the overcrowded Old Kadizar has about four thousand inhabitants, a majority of which only survive thanks to alms, day laboring and begging in the streets. The jobs available are often burdensome, dangerous and smelly: the city’s tannery lies within the wall, as well as the headquarters of the sewer workers and the guild of the blacksmiths. Of course, the leaders among the tanners, the “sewer rats” and the blacksmiths have a lot of power and influence in Old Kadizar, just like the proprietor of the claystone plant, Lord Manselm.

Many of the inhabitants choose to lead a criminal life, too proud or too greedy to settle for the meager outcome of honest labor. Because of that, an informal power structure has emerged, with Nobleman Dastan on top. It is said that he has made a fortune from organized begging, pickpocketing, renting out manpower and so on. And he is of course as determined to oppose any rebellious tendencies as the city watch has ever been.

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Yndaros : The Artisans District

The capital’s many craftsmen mainly keep to four city blocks – two directly below the Palace District, and two west of the harbor basin. The competition is deadly due to the fact that most of the artisans who previously were scattered over Alberetor now have assembled in Yndaros. And the situation is hardly improved when the craftsmen get additional competitors in the form of migrating barbarians and, in some areas, goblins.

In Year 19, hoping to address the many conflicts and feuds caused by the surplus, the Queen dictated that a guild system should be installed, much like the one that already existed within Ordo Magica. The idea was that bricklayers, blacksmiths, brewers, tailors, potters and so on should get organized in systems of novices, adepts and masters, based on the skill of each individual.

Then again, there is another storm cloud hovering over the neighborhood. During year 13 the first of a dozen dwarven families arrived, asking permission to settle in the city. As they could pay their way and possibly develop into a valuable contact between Ambria and the secluded kingdom of Küam Zamok, they were warmly welcomed and made their homes in the Artisans District.

However, it has become more and more apparent that the families are feuding and that they are not capable of, or are uninterested in, performing any crafts. Instead they have by various methods acquired a long list of businesses – taverns, warehouses, dives and so on – that they now manage. The rumors about what they are up to, why they oppose one another and gather in large groups that clash in brutal fights are numerous; as many as the connections made between the dwarves and various criminal deeds in the western districts of Yndaros. But even if their activities have started to spread to adjacent parts of the city, the authorities do nothing – another strange fact which gives rise to wild speculations.

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Yndaros - The Palace District

The palace with its pavilions, parks and barracks is located in the southern part of the capital, and is completely based on foundations from old Lindaros. It is placed on a wide hilltop surrounded by a polished, and nowadays somewhat eroded, stone wall; a hill that likely harbored the lords of the dead city-state two centuries ago.

Aside from the sequentially remodeled palace with its sky high central tower there are lots of other buildings inside the wall. The dukes and duchesses share two pavilions, one of which also is the permanent residence of the mother of the Queen. The Queen’s Guard, the Pansars, has its barracks close to the Palace Park with its sculptures and encaged beasts. Close by is also the highly appreciated Triumph Theatre, housing an ensemble of actors, a male choir and two dance companies. Finally, the residence of the Key Master must be mentioned. Since four years ago, it is the beloved Herakleo Attio who runs the city administration.

Many would say that his fierceness, made evident in the expansion and harsher methods of the city’s reformatory, would never have been tolerated if he were not such a celebrated and adored war hero.

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Yndaros

Yndaros is built on the well preserved ruins of the city-state Lindaros. Regarding the latter not much more is known than what has been told by the barbarians – the contact between Alberetor and Lindaros was never developed because of the great barrier called the Titans. The general belief is that the city-state was ruined about two centuries ago when a terrible epidemic wiped out its population. It is also said that the fate of the Lindarians was self-inflicted; that the scourge was sent from Higher Powers, as punishment for their arrogant and slothful ways. The ruins of Lindaros were for a long time shunned and feared by the people still living in the area.

But as the Ambrians arrived at the shores of the Doudram they were greeted by a walled, barbarian village situated inside the ruined city.

After a short siege and an even shorter parley, the chieftain of Kadizar agreed to surrender and dissolve his clan. In return, he was awarded the title Baron Manvar Grendel and was given a piece of land to govern. The oldest daughter of the newly appointed baron refused to submit herself to the rule of the intruders and eloped to the mountains along with two hundred Kadizans. The rest of the clan folk stayed and were soon put to work by the new lords of the land.

Thanks to thousands of prisoners of war, Lindaros was rapidly transformed into the new high seat of Queen Korinthia. When she arrived with her court, seven years after the forerunners, a respectable palace was already waiting for her, and the basic structure of streets and city blocks was also in place.

With her arrival, the development gained momentum. The palace was remodeled and expanded; lots of buildings were demolished to leave room for bigger and more beautiful ones; parks and squares were established, most of them crowned with pompous monuments; grandiose constructions like the Cathedral of Martyrs, the Dome and the harbor basin were based on foundations of old Lindaros and could be finished in a matter of years.

According to estimates about 100.000 people call the capital their home, but many of them live under harsh conditions within the walls of old Kadizar or in the refugee camp southeast of there. And the immigrants keep coming; lots of people arrive on a daily basis from the dying south. Some have been invited because of their special skills or thanks to siblings already there, other are hopefuls lured by the inflated rumors of Yndaros’ splendor. And even if many are referred to colonies in the west or to work at the edge of Davokar, one may wonder if, and for how long, the authorities will be able to maintain some kind of order.

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Thistle Hold : The Salons of Symbaroum

In Thistle Hold there is a huge selection of dives, dens and finer taverns where the townsfolk can appease their various needs and wants. But among these establishments the Salons of Symbaroum has earned itself a special status. You may get the best tenderized deer steak at Afadir’s Triumph Tavern, the sweetest syrup beer at Brew and the best gaming odds at Benego’s, but only under the roof of Ordelia Wildjoice do all these pleasures come together.

The Salons of Symbaroum, or “the Salons” for short, offer three stories of pure delight and two of the dirtier kind – the visitors may eat, drink, gamble, enjoy exotic shows or pay for entrance to the top floor where they can appease various carnal desires. However, the latter is only an option during six out of seven days. What happens up there on the seventh is not commonly known, but there are three main rumors: meticulous cleaning, sessions with special guests, or occult rites led by Ordelia herself.

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Thistle Hold - Ordo Magica Chapter

The tower of Ordo Magica is, besides the Beacon, the tallest building in Thistle Hold. Reaching seven stories high, it stands on a plot surrounded by a stone wall, a plot where the novices of Master Cornelio grow and study various herbs salvaged from the forest. A short time ago, they discovered the flammable oil that can be extracted from the damdra-seed – something which has resulted in large-scale, troubled excavations on the turf of the lindworm Skaramagos.

Officially, it is the Master of the Chapter, Cornelio, who runs local affairs. But there are always other masters at the tower, and sometimes, the arguments between them echo far across the rooftops. The greatest conflict seems to be the one between the

Chapter Master and the two other permanent masters in Thistle Hold, Goncai and Eufrynd. The fact that the latter two have been observed cuddling in a stall at the Salons of Symbaroum is hardly to the advantage of Cornelio. In fact, it may eventually lead to a change from the Chapter’s current caution to more bold strategies of exploration.

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Thistle Hold : The Missionary Station

In close proximity to the Antique Plaza is a building which has acidified the relations between Mayor Nightpitch and the ruling body of the Sun Church, the Curia – namely the missionary station of the highborn sun priest Father Sarvola.

The elderly liturg has long been notorious within the Church for calling its practices crude, heartless and condemning. He says that: “Just like the sun generously shines upon high and low, wretched and pious, so shall our Church treat all children of Prios with the same warmth and love.”

Since coming into an enormous inheritance a couple of years ago he has used his newly acquired wealth to spread this message of love and compassion – a message that persuades a slowly increasing number of newly ordained priests to help him in the tasks of running the soup-kitchen in Blackmoor and proselytizing both there and among the Karabbadokks.

The fact that Mayor Nightpitch allows Sarvola to run his heretic movement in town is highly disapproved of by literalist theurgs and Black Cloaks, especially by father Elfeno, the head of the local sun temple.

But the mayor argues that so long as you pay your dues and refrain from inciting riots, anyone is welcome to stay. However, there are many indications that the agents of the Church will take matters into their own hands. New malicious rumors about Sarvola surface on a daily basis and his sermons are often disrupted by boos and seemingly spontaneous outbursts in the audience.

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Thistle Hold - Nighthome

Aside from his companion Yagaba and a staff of servants, Mayor Lasifor Nightpitch lives alone in a wooden palace called Nighthome. The building, three stories high, stands atop a softly sloping, grass-clad hill encircled by a man-high fence. The only other building on the plot stands by the fence gate, and is occupied by the Mayor’s personal guard.

The rumors swirling about Nighthome and what can be found within are of course many. There is talk of vaults full of gold, walls draped in antique tapestries and facial masks, and not least of the miraculous herbs growing on the roof terrace – for example the moonlight-loving Nightrose and the Silverlily that emanates sweet sugar-sap.

But aside from the witch and the servants only a few select people have been allowed to see more of the building than the Mayor’s ground floor office. Great caution is taken, since Nighthome must be considered every burglar’s most coveted target.

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Thistle Hold: The Queen's Legation

One of Crow's Unofficial Rivals : Suria Argona

The eldest daughter of House Argona, a meticulous and educated widow named Suria, acts as the official legate of the Queen in Thistle Hold. The newly constructed legation is placed close to the fence of Nighthome and houses a staff of seven, entrusted to speak for Korinthia’s administration and to send daily reports on large and small matters back to Yndaros.

Suria’s father, the imposing Count Alkantor Argona, has come to spend more and more time on the upper floor of the building, a floor which he disposes of as if he owned it. Persistent rumors claim that he governs his daughter with an iron fist, and that she for her part is fully occupied by trying to cover up her father’s taste for all forms of lowly pleasures.