Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #291

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #291 

October 19th, 2023 

• Number: 291 

• Name: Deep Dive on a Site of Interest:  Harroe Peoples Palace – Part 4 

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

• Population (approx.): 1,100 

• Brief: The three City-States (Ceannar, Noldrune and Taodeas) with somewhat traditional structures of royalty usually have a surfeit of unlanded nobles (second children, cousins, unmarried relatives and the like) with too much time on their hands. In Noldrune, there has been some success in convincing young nobles, with few prospects, to join the Noldrune Diplomatic Corps (NDC) and serve as ambassadors to the courts of the surrounding City-States (matching the ambassador to the court as befits their title). In exchange for keeping out of trouble and their relative’s hair, they might earn some experience, fame, perhaps a bit of fortune and in some cases receive a landed title after years of exemplary service to the NDC and the Baron. Being the Court of a Count, Noldrune has dispatched a series of senior Ambassadors to reside at the Harroe Peoples Palace and serve as the voice of (the current) Baron Claid in all matters concerning the two City-States. 

• Grer Nukog, Viscount Bellicost of House Berian, 45, male Human, is the current ambassador from the City-State of Noldrune to the court of Count Harroe. He is tall, thin, and holds himself ramrod straight. His hair is graying at the temples. He has light brown eyes and loves to laugh. Grer has a scar on his neck from a battle he fought in his youth. He also walks with a bit of a limp. Grer enjoys dressing up for formal events, but much prefers casual dress. His favorite weapon is a rapier, given to him by his father on his eighteenth birthday. 

• Grer has been an ambassador to Harroe for many years. He enjoys the work and has many contacts in Harroe and Noldrune. He is an expert trade negotiator but handles everything from border patrols to wooden toys. Grer indirectly works with Tia Wolfheart, 22, a Human, a maid, and a spy for the NSS. The two gathers as much intel as possible during the week and then independently report to their handler.  

• Grer lives in a two-floor guest residence in the Tower of Water adjacent to the embassy in Harroe Peoples Palace. His wife, Che, 42, Human, works as his secretary. They have two children, Beni, 20, and Ivana, 15. Beni and Ivana love to party and have gotten into trouble with the authorities. Grer loves to carve small wooden toys and hands these out to people he likes. He made a whole ship with animals that he gave to Count Harroe as a gift. 

• Geography: The central citadel of the Harroe Peoples Palace, in ancient Ta’arnan fashion, is surrounded by six spires, each dedicated to one of the six Gods. The northernmost is the tower of Day, followed, clockwise, by the towers of Fire, Earth, Night, Water and Air. Each features a chapel to the applicable deity on the entry level. The levels above have rooms for the clerics and staff of the chapels. Above that are several luxury apartments (single or multi-floor) connected to the citadel by walkways. The very top is the apartments and private chapel of the head priest of Church of that element. Ambassador Nukog resides near the top of the Tower of Water (location 3 see below) as befits his royal station. If he leans out his window, Grer can see Lavender’s Laundy (location 2) and thus signal them (or be signalled) in a dire emergency.