Size: Small Town
Population: 2,200
Geographic Region: Northwestern Conorrian Empire
Province: Phaedros
Liege: Reverend Mother Julia Enkylades
Information Current: 2804

Vendarius is a small town¹ which sits astride the Saxosus² river in the province of Phaedros. The region is far from the great cities of the south and is considered half-wild by most Conorrians. Despite being on a wilderness border, Vendarius bustles with trade. Trappers, miners, lumbermen all travel down the Saxosus or along the Via Mendalus, carrying their wares to the cities in the south. And always, there are the shipments of food: grain and livestock for the hungry citizens of those same great cities.

HISTORY -

Vendarius was founded in the year 2636 by a group of settlers who followed a woman named Irene Enkylades. Irene was a priestess of Calandra, the Earth goddess who was visited by The Wanderer and told to travel up the Saxosus river until she found a hill with a white cave and there build a church to honor the goddess.

Irene did as she was told. She and a small band of followers proceeded up the wild river until they found a hill in which was set a cave of white stone. Knowing this to be the place, they marked off the precincts of a city in the wilderness and staked out the future location of their church, and built their new settlement around it.

It was nearly a generation before the people of Vendarius could raise the money for their new church, but the abundance of the area’s harvests and mines began to fill the settlement’s coffers and the church was eventually built. It still stands where it was built, directly over the white cave and atop the Venine Hill.

Vendarius has grown considerably in the nearly two centuries since its founding, but it is still dominated by the Reverend Mother of Calandra, who rules the town as well as the church. In 2701, the people of Vendarius were given an imperial charter and made citizens of the Empire. The same charter granted the lands and their revenue to The Temple of the Earth Resplendent, Calandra’s temple, and made the Reverend Mother the imperial governor of the city. All taxes are essentially paid to the Calandran church, and only the clergy of other churches are exempt from these taxes.

The town was among the first to be overrun by the orcish hordes in the invasion of 2723, and was devastated. Many of the townspeople were slain or driven off as slaves, and the city was looted and burned. Calandra’s temple was sacked and burned. For most of the next twenty years, the town served as the private fiefdom of Vroolhak the Riven, a troll chieftan sworn to the service of the evil god Andobulos, lord of pestilence. Many plagues and twisted creatures were released upon the land.

But Vroolhak and his orcs were killed or driven off by a Lyonessan crusader army in 2746. The crusaders remained in the town for three years, and Duke Geoffrey of Aldon had the temple rebuilt with a portion of the vast booty he had won during his sweep eastward. He also endowed the new Church of the White Maiden. When the men of Lyonesse returned home, the town was turned back over to its surviving inhabitants.

As the town slowly rebuilt and began to attract new settlement, new groups and new forces made themselves known. A small garrison of imperial limitanei, or provincial troops, was stationed and the town was heavily taxed to build the small fortress and barracks in which they are housed. Merchant houses set up offices along the waterfront, and bargemen began to bring more news of the outside world. Vendarius is still growing and more prosperous than ever.

LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY -

Vendarius sits in a fertile valley at the southern foot of the Calendine hills and the southwestern tip of the Laternum forest. A half-dozen villages and tiny hamlets lay within a day’s ride of the town, and provide it with most of its food. The town may be said to consist of four districts: Venine Hill, St. Cyrian’s, the Saxetum and Redshore.

Venine Hill: The oldest district lies atop the Venine Hill and has a commanding view of the town. This district is bisected by the paved imperial road known as the Via Mendalus and is the site of many important buildings, including the Temple of Calandra and Borlamnos, as well as the Temple of the Grail and the large market at the foot of the hill. This area is also where most merchants have their shops. There are establishment catering to all levels of wealth, ranging from the fur traders and wool merchants clustered near the wealthy homes to the north to the ale shops and blacksmiths huddled near the poorer homes to the south.

There are homes here, too, where the merchants and priests live. The streets see regular patrols of the watch, though many of the smaller alleyways do not.

St. Cyrian’s: This district, centered around fashionable St. Cyrian’s Square³ is home to Vendarius’s oldest and noblest families. Many of the newly rich merchants also make their homes here among the tree-lined avenues. Shops here cater to wealthier tastes and the broadest avenues have street lamps which are lit each night and extinguished each morning. Small groups of bucellarii⁴ are also to be found scattered throughout the quarter. The most important buildings in St. Cyrian’s are Elius’s Academy and the domus publicus, or governor’s house, which belongs to Reverend Mother Julia Enkylades.

The Saxetum: The "common"quarter of the town, the streets of the Saxetum are narrow, often little better than alleyways. The buildings are usually two or three stories tall, lean closely against each other and sport lines of wash like ragged streamers overhead. The houses and shops are small, cramped and crowded, just like the streets. A few vagrants and stray dogs wander the back alleys. There are also less savory denizens of the neighborhood, criminals who prey on the weak and unwary.

Redshore: The youngest of the town’s quarters, Redshore was originally a separate hamlet on the north shore of the Saxosus, but was quickly annexed by the Calandran temple in the name of Vendarius. It is the area most frequented by the boatmen and traveling merchants who move in and out of town during the spring, summer and fall months. It houses Vendarius’ barge-making yard, a tannery, several taverns and a large mill, as well as several of Vendarius’ newer houses.

POWER AND POLITICS -

All the power in Vendarius belongs to the church of Calandra and its leader, Reverend Mother Julia Enkylades. The town is essentially a benevolent theocracy under the authority of the Empire and answerable to imperial laws. There is an advisory council made up of prominent local citizens, but it has no real authority and is only occasionally consulted by the church.

The Calandran church in Vendarius is both lawful and good, as is the Earth Goddess herself. Nearly 80% of the citizenry are active worshipers of the goddess, and most see the rule of the Reverend Mothers as beneficial to the town. Certainly the land has been very good to Vendarius, with excellent harvests, plentiful mining and a large supply of building materials.

DEFENSES -

Static defenses were destroyed or fell into disuse throughout the empire during the Orc Dominion, and Vendarius was no exception. The town has no walls, but it does have one bastion. Castle Vendarius, as the small fortress just east of the edge of town is called, is nearly finished, and already parts of it are used by the limitanei for the town’s defense.

The Temple of Earth Resplendent: Built over the site of the white cave that marked the location for the original settlers, the Temple of Earth Resplendent is both the center of Calandra’s worship in the area and the center of government in Vendarius. A great dome in the Conorrian style, the building is set amid a wooded park on the northwestern side of the Via Mendalus in the midst of the town. It houses not only the temple but the living quarters and offices of the priestesses. The temple itself boasts several beautiful religious icons draped in silver and one gold reliquary. Temple bucellarii are on guard at all times.

Services are held daily, and Starday services are attended by the great majority of Vendarius’ citizens. The temple offers divine blessings (spells) in exchange for donations to the church. Naturally, adherents of Calandra are given a discount on the required donation.

Reverend Mother Julia Enkylades is a serious woman in her 50's, who has been Vendarius’ governor for more than a decade. She was widowed when her husband Kaleinus succumbed to a fever two winters ago. She is a competent administrator and views the citizens of Vendarius as her children. Although she was opposed to the growing power of competing churches when she was younger, age and widowhood has made her more thoughtful, and she has begun to glimpse some of the advantages of cooperation.

Holy Mother Kaleina is Julia’s daughter, and a moving force in the church and the town. She is the heir-apparent to take over both when her mother gives up those offices. In her early 30's, Kaleina is very active, working with the merchant guilds and other churches to improve Vendarius. Recently, she has begun to plan an ambitious and costly sewer project. Although a somewhat plain woman, her company is much sought after by the leading men of the town. But so far, Kaleina has shown little interest in men or marriage.

The Temple of the Grail: The most important church in Theeurth is the second-most important church in Vendarius. The Temple of the Grail is run by the Great Church and contains chapels to all the gods of the Grail, including those who have their own temple elsewhere in the town. Most Vendarians who are not adherents of Calandra worship here, as do most of the travelers and visiting merchants who pass through the town.

The temple is a new, marble-fronted square structure on the Venine hill, adjacent to both the public baths and the Temple of Earth Resplendent, just off the Via Culvarius. All visitors are welcome during the day, though the temple is open at night only by agreement with Father Marcian.

Father Marcian is a young man, newly married and not a native of Vendarius. Hailing from the more cosmopolitan south, he is still adjusting to his role as the leader of a small community within a much larger one. Marcian reveres Calandra as much as any of the gods, and recognizes that Vendarius is a special place for her. However, he is not pleased with the preeminence of the Calandrite church. Like most priests of the Great Church, he sees no need for separate hierarchies for each of the gods, and feels that it breeds an unknowing contempt for the other divinities.

The Temple of the Grail is also home to the paladin Lady Eskardia. Deeply dedicated to the good of the people, Eskardia has fought bandits on the roads around the town, and can often be found wandering through the alleys of the Saxetum, vigilant for the opportunity to do good. Eskardia is somewhat aesthetic, living in a nearly-bare cell in the temple and bearing only the simplest weapons and armor.

The Halls of the Opener: The small temple to Borlamnos, god of knowledge and magic, is one of the few buildings to survive intact the Orc Dominion, and is thus one of the oldest buildings still standing in Vendarius. Despite its name, the temple is actually a five-story tower supported by thick buttresses. The bottom level of the tower contains the chapel to the god, while the upper floors contain living quarters, a library, an observatory and are widely believed to contain a wizard’s laboratory as well.

Brother Seeker Quintus Amantes is an expert in the lore of magic. He is also thought to be an astrologer, but he denies this as spurious rubbish. Though his store of books is small, it is still the largest collection in Vendarius, and Quintus Amantes is often consulted on a wide variety of matters. He maintains correspondence with his brother Seekers around the empire and is a surprising trove of information...for a price. In his late 50's, the Brother Seeker has five adoptive children, one of whom has followed in his footsteps and likely to be the next Seeker of Vendarius.

Castle Vendarius: The "castle" is a small fortress in the Conorrian style. Its purpose is not so much to provide a refuge (all the citizens of Vendarius could never fit within the walls) as to provide a strongpoint for the defense of the town. The garrison commander is Marcus Julius Enkylades, brother of the Holy Mother. Like the governorship, the garrison command is not technically hereditary, but few Vendarians can picture either position in the hands of someone not of the Enkylades family.

In addition to defense, the castle serves Vendarius as a full-time prison. Persistent rumors claim that there is a prisoner held in the dungeons below the castle whom no one but Commander Enkylades is permitted to see. This rumor is ignored by the town government, but is kept alive by the infrequent visits to the castle of members of the Imperial Post.⁵

1. Elius’s Academy: This large building on the river road is home to a fighting academy that teaches both the traditional Conorrian martial arts (riding, close-order fighting, the pankration unarmed fighting style) and specialized form of precision sword-work popular in the city of Adamos and named for that city: Adamora. The Academy is open to all who can pay its rates, but Elius’ Adamora training is popular enough that he can afford to turn away all but the most skilled or influential students.

2. Bluestone: This turreted mansion off St. Cyrian’s Square is the traditional home of the noble Rulianus family. Its sole inhabitant (other than servants and guards) for the last three decades has been the aged recluse wizard Anastasius Cyprian Rulianus, more simply known as Cyprianus. A master conjurer and retired imperial war wizard, Cyprianus now spends his days about his own business, seeing no one and only occasionally sending potions or other wares down to the market for sale.

The house itself is best known for the strange property that it is struck by lighting in nearly every storm that passes by, yet never sustains damage from the strike.

3. The Baths: Despite being a small town, Vendarius is thoroughly Conorrian, and no self-respecting Conorrian population center above the size of village is without public baths. The baths, which are open to both sexes, represent the true social and political center of the town. This is where the town’s elite gather to discuss business and arrange the affairs of Vendarius. The baths are divided into three separate rooms, the hot calderium, the warm tepidarium and the cold frigidarium, as well as changing rooms.

4. The Domus Publicus: The "Public House" is in fact the grand dwelling of Reverend Mother Julia Enkylades and her family. Though nominally the home of the governor of Vendarius, it has been the Enkylades family mansion for generations, and is unlikely to change hands any time soon. This great marble edifice is both richly appointed and well-guarded. The Reverend Mother holds two annual events at the Domus Publicus. The first, on the first day of Vernarius (the Calandrite spring festival) is open to the entire public, and features parties, games and a public feast. Most of Vendarius’ townsfolk attend, if only to see the inside of the famed building. The second, held a week before Harvestide, is a much more exclusive affair for the town’s most important personages.

5. The Dancing Griffon Tavern: This popular tavern is located on the Venine Hill, midway between the Temple of the Earth Resplendent and The Halls of the Opener. Its genial atmosphere and lively entertainment belie the divine gravity of its setting. The taverner, Marcus of Ildorin, is a retired soldier, a former centurion of the XIII Legion ("The Lucky Thirteen") whose dream was to settle down with a comfortable tavern. The Dancing Griffon can be a boisterous place, but it rarely becomes violent. Not only is Marcus still a dangerous man when angered, his three bouncers are all trained soldiers specifically chosen for their ability to disarm or incapacitate any unruly customers.

6. The Old Oak Inn: This large inn on the Via Mendalus is quite new, having been rebuilt when the previous inn burned down during the Orc Dominion. For many years, the old structure had been the most important and well-known inn for many miles. During the Dominion, it was used as quarters for the orc troops, who set fire to it and the rest of the town as the crusaders approached. The large oak that lived in the courtyard was cut down by the orcs, but its wood was used to make the frame of the new inn that now graces the northern slope of the Venine Hill.

The inn is run by Perseida Enkylades, first cousin to the current Reverend Mother. Perseida, once the most beautiful and eligible woman in all of Vendarius, is now in her early 50's. She is still a striking figure, and has at one time or another been linked by romance or rumor to many of the leading men of the town. However, Perseida has never married. Some say this is because she has no wish to surrender her complete control over her own life; others, that she pines for a long-lost love. Whatever the truth, Perseida is an affable and friendly hostess, as able to trade jokes with the traveling merchants who stay with her as to discuss high politics with the Imperial officials who sometimes stop within her walls on their never-ending journeys.

7. The Domus Equitus: This public stables is imperial property. Like all Conorrian towns of any size, Vendarius supports a herd of horses specifically for the use of the Imperial Post. These horses are stabled in the Domus Equitus, though they spend most of their time in the fields of local farmers and breeders. Travelers may lodge their horses in the stables for a fee whenever the stalls are not occupied by the Emperor’s herd.

8. The Bridge: This triple span across the Vendarius river is the only viable crossing (other than the occasional ferry) for more than forty miles in either direction. The two outer spans are of stone, and guarded by three-story wooden towers which can turn the bridge into a veritable fortress in times of war. The long central span is wooden and can be removed to stop an opposing army from crossing.

The bridge is always manned by at least two town guardsmen at each end.

9. The Hearth of the White Lady: The fourth temple of Vendarius, and the most often forgotten, is this sturdy but humble wooden edifice dedicated to Omara, situated on the River Road in the Saxetum. Nearly all of the residents of the neighborhood are faithful Calandrites, but most also pay homage to the Goodlady. The ovens of the Hearth are used communally, and the dinners of a great number of local residents are cooked in the fires of Omara’s temple.

Goodmother Lucia Varankalla is the chief priestess of the Hearth. She and her two acolytes(the twin brothers Ezel and Ezem) quietly tend to the hurts and health of the Saxetum’s poor. Lucia is the youngest of Vendarius’ leading clerics, only twenty-nine years old, she is also a widow, her husband Lentulus having succumbed to a long illness only last winter.

10. The Hadrasian Theater: The center of all entertainment in Vendarius, the theater was named for the Emperor Hadrasius. No one can quite agree on which of the eighteen emperors to go by that name is honored by the theater, and the theater’s owner seems to change the story every time he is asked. Originally built over 100 years ago as a venue for religious performances, it is now home to all kinds of entertainment, including dance, poetry, song, drama and even religious performances.

The theater’s owner, the gnome Relikkallimakkan, or "Relik" as he is more commonly known, was instrumental in building the theater a century ago and has remained an ally of the Reverend Mothers ever since. Relik is a smiling, keen-minded entrepreneur with a roguish sense of humor and a taste for the finer things in life.

11. The Bell Tower: Situated on the Via Culvaris opposite the Temple of the Grail, the bell-tower of Vendarius has a long and important history in the small town. Originally built as a sturdy watch-tower, it was converted to housing the town’s main bell more than a century ago when the dragon Ungrith took up residence in the Calendine hills. Known as The Wyrmcall, the great bronze bell can be heard for many miles, and was used to warn the town and countryside of the approach of the dragon. It is still rung today on ceremonial occasions or, as was the case a half-century ago, when foreign armies threaten.

12. The Foundry: Second only to the building of river barges, the smelting of copper and its alloys is one of the most important trades in Vendarius. This large building houses the foundry where copper, bronze and brass are made into useful items which are traded all across the Empire and beyond. The most important such works are the bells. The bronze bells of Vendarius are considered to have no equal in the empire, and rival even the works of the dwarven smiths of Dhunazhar.

The master bell-smith is Septimus Vargus, a large and vulgar man much given to brawling and other low passtimes when he is not crafting his masterworks of sound and metal. A brute and a boor, Septimus is nonetheless one of the richest and most influential men in town, responsible for nearly all of Vendarius’ notoriety.

^1. Theeurth uses seven sizes for population centers: Hamlet, Village, Small Town, Large Town, Small City, Large City and Metropolis.

^2. Saxosus - Conorrian word connoting "rocky" or "difficult". However, the river is easily navigable below Vendarius and for several miles above it. It is plied mainly by large, slow river-barges carrying timber, iron, copper and furs to the cities of the south.

^3. St. Cyrian was a 17^th century Calandran priest who drove the mysterious darkminds out of the Saxosus valley.

^4. Conorrian word meaning "biscuit-eaters"; private soldiers.

^5. The Consulares, or imperial post-riders are well-known as agents for the Magister Domesticorum, the head of the imperial secret service.