Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #294

Settlements and Sites of the Four City-States #294 

October 22nd, 2023 

• Number: 294 

• Name: Deep Dive on a Site of Interest:  Harroe Peoples Palace – Part 7 

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

• Population (approx.): 1,100 

• Brief: As well as regional power, Count Harroe considered his needs for magical or spiritual allies and support. The Arcane Guild remained troublesomely neutral but the local Churches, despite being diminished in the aftermath of the fall of the Ta’arnan Empire, still held sway over the local populace. The Count and his Steward met with the head priests of each of the six chapels, individually and as a group. The clerics were pre-disposed to support the Count’s ambitions but sought something in return. During the fall, a relic, the Orb of the Masks, was stolen from the Palace. Recent auguries suggest that it made its way to Firewalker Ridge (#47) to the south. This news suited Count Harroe for one of his next projects was to determine how to deal with the troublesome Dwarves of the Canton and their lack of interest in returning to the fold. He bade Azure mount an expedition to the Tuton Maug in search of the Orb. 

• Nalva Evenstone, 130, female Dwarf, is a Grand Depths Mining Corporation miner. She is tall and quite agile. Her dark brown hair is long and worn in a braid down her back. Her hazel eyes sparkle when she spies gems. Nalva wears linen clothes in bright colors. Her boots are sturdy and made of rugged leather. Nalva is skilled with her pickaxe, but her weapon is a large hammer.  

• Nalva has been working in these mines for many years. She could be a supervisor if she wanted but prefers the act of mining. She loves finding gems and seems to be particularly lucky at finding them. Nalva has recently uncovered a unique Kin-made item, a dodecahedron the size of a melon with twelve differently colored facets, that was not buried but perhaps lost or dropped in the depths of the mines. Her boss, Lassris Stoutbraid, 155, male Dwarf, asked her to keep the item secret. Nalva is concerned, as nothing like this has been discovered before. 

• Nalva is engaged to Katmore Gutglert, 136, male Dwarf, a fellow miner. Together, they adopted Dalrigg, seven months, Dwarf. The three of them live in a comfortable cottage near the mines. Nalva has an extensive family, and someone is forever visiting. Katmore loves this as she is an only child and loves talking to people. Nalva and Katmore love walking around Firewalker Ridge and are quite friendly with many shopkeepers. 

• Geography: The great hall of the Harroe Peoples Palace (location 8 see below) features a grand mosaic covering most of the floor. A central circular decoration, representing the facets of the six Gods, is connected to the surrounding spires by decorative paths across floor of the hall to the base of each tower. Ancient writings of the churches, assembled by the head priests, suggest that during ceremonies of great important, the Orb of the Masks was placed in the center of the hall. Great magic manifested, connecting the Orb to the upper and lower chapels of the six spires. If priests were present in all 12 locations, linked by faith to the applicable facets of the dodecahedron, they could produce wondrous blessings for worshipers or wreak terrible curses upon enemies.