Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #288

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #288 

October 16th, 2023 

• Number: 288 

• Name: Deep Dive on a Site of Interest: Harroe Peoples Palace – Part 1 

• Location: Capital of County Harroe on the slopes of the Tuton Maug Spur in northeastern Ceannar 

• Population (approx.): 1,100 

• Brief: When Ceannar was defeated by the Ta’arnan Legions, the Harroe Peoples, a lesser group of Cean, went all in and became of the Empire in every aspect but bloodline. They welcomed and celebrated the conquest, built churches to honor the dozen Ta’arnan masks of the Six and brought Ta’arnan blood into their families by marriage whenever possible. The Harroe flourished for a time, then the revolution came and succeeded and again, five centuries ago, the Harroe found themselves on the outside looking in. Their lands shrank, lost to rising Peoples like the Penin to the south and others to the east. Harroe County became a region of misfits, reprobates and some who long for a Ta’arnan reconquest that will never occur. Others would like to see Harroe rejoin the greater Peoples of Ceannar in good standing, whether by deeds or perhaps marriage. Furthermore, the churches of the region seek to reclaim their standing, which was diminished due to the schism that destroyed the Empire. 

• The County seat, the “Peoples’ Palace,” like Surecliff (#46) to the west, retains the style of the Empire draped about lesser shoulders. The Eldest, Count Ingar Harroe, and his Elder Circle, plot openly and scheme quietly, cultivating relationships with nearby criminal elements such as the pirates of Buccaneer’s Arc (#12) or those found in the back alleys of Surecliff. The Harroe hope to someday reclaim their “ancestral lands” to the south especially the mineral and material wealth of Orchard Hills (#14) and the mines near Firewalker Ridge (#47). 

• Geography: The County seat, the Harroe Peoples Palace, sprawls over a hill on the north slopes of the Tuton Maug Spur with a view of Staplefish Bay on a clear day. The palace was built in the Ta’arnan style at the height of the conquest, featuring six spires dedicated to each of the Gods about a central keep. A courtyard encircles the keep and towers, with outbuildings for guests, servants, stables, barracks, and workshops.  It has fallen into disrepair as fast as Harroe’s fortunes declined. A small town huddles against the outer walls of the palace, the inhabitants aligned to any number of the factions within. 

• Next Article: Over the course of this week, we’ll present some of the notable people, happenings and plot threads of the Harroe Peoples Palace in County Harroe.