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Alqualondë Map
The Duchy of Alqualondë
Geographic Overview
Among the richest and most powerful
of Tirgonia's duchies, Alqualondë lies south of Tirgon, astride
the great Greenwood peninsula. Its chief city, also called
Alqualondë, sits at the extreme tip of the peninsula, at the back
of a narrow bay whose high, rocky walls provide it with much
protection from pirates and invaders. The city is the only place
along the peninsula for a hundred miles in either direction where
the high, jutting cliffs give way to a gradual slope, allowing
easy transport of goods from the harbor up to the city.
The rolling fields of the Plain of
Forthing form the rich, northern baronies of Alqualondë. Of
these, the farming town of Dunhaleth is famous for its fall
festival, while the Abbey of the Sleepless Ones at Longinus is
well-known for it's Conorrian architecture and Miletian art.
The Greenwood dominates the
southern peninsula of the duchy. It is a dense, old forest
still populated by mysterious creatures and crossed by only a few
roads. Until half a century ago, it was held in the grip of
a powerful evil spirit, which made travel and trade
dangerous. Now the Greenwood has a good road cut through it,
and is the domain of many rangers and elves, but it retains its
primeval feel, and most who travel its ways are content to remain
on the road.
Points of Interest
The Greenwood - This forest separates the
main area of the duchy from its capital. Though free the
evil which once dominated it, some dangerous beasts still make
their home in the thousand square miles of dense forest.
Lately, manticores have been in the northern part of the wood, and
there are rumors of an ancient Conorrian portal somewhere
in the western woods.
The Towers - Two mysterious citadels stand
within the duchy, on the northern shores of the Bay of Ben-Thael.
The first is Black Haven, the brooding fortress of the Eleanturi,
the elves known as the Oathtakers. More is said of
Black Haven on the Legends page.
The other is the Tower of Nur-Halveth, rumored to be the bastion
of a powerful cabal of sorcerers who wish no contact with the
outside world.
The City of Alqualondë
(Large City - 21,500)
Alqualondë is often called the City of White
Towers after the many tall, fluted elven spires which dominate its
skyline. It was founded around the year 850 by the legendary
elven lord Celimron, and is still host to a small community of
elves from the Misty Isles. Though the ships of the western
isles now come seldom to the hither shore, it is to Alqualondë
that they still most often sail.
There are many other wonders in the White
City. The city is built upon series of hills which rise up
to the Greenwood plateau, and is divided by the Thendam River,
which plunges down from the heights in a series of waterfalls and
rapids to meet the sea. The lower reaches of the city's
hills are thronged with many winding streets and narrow alleys,
while the higher elevations are home to wooded estates and
temples. The twin harbors are divided by a long tongue of
land which ends in a broad, tall rock on which sits the Sea
Tower,
an imposing fortress which guards the sea routes into the city.
A common sight in the skies overhead are the
griffon mounts of the Ascalian Knights, an order that traces its
origins back to the Miletian Empire, is related to the Church of
Thandor and which is dedicated to the
defense of civilization. The Duke of Alqualondë himself was
once a member of the Ascalian Knights.
The Warlock's Keep is another famous, if less
savory landmark. It is situated near the heart of the city, in a
small and verdant park surrounded by a high wall. The park seems
to be immune to prevailing conditions of wind and weather. No one
dares to enter the park unbidden, for it is said to be inhabited
by rare and dangerous beasts. The keep itself is fifty tall and
just as wide. It is made of unremarkable local stone, but the
walls glow softly at night, similar to phosphorescent lichen. Each
of the four turrets atop the keep fly the famous (or infamous)
Warlock's Ensign, a golden banner emblazoned with a storm cloud.
Foresters' Park is a large, densely-wooded park
within the walls of the city. It is dedicated to the goddess Daria.
A small group of druids from Nereseä watch over the park and tend
it. It is a favorite spot of poets, elves and lovers.
The Titan Shell - The most famous temple to Roldein, the
god of the Oceans, in all of the Successor States is
situated on a cliff above the harbor of Alqualondë. It is
built within an actual gargantuan whorled shell (like a nautilus)
which lays half-buried on its side in the cliff. The
outermost chamber is where services to the god of the deep are
held, and it can hold nearly a thousand people under its colorful
roof.
Noted Taverns -
Harper's Rest - This large, bustling alehouse just
inside the north gate is a favorite with merchants and travelers
who have come down the Greenwood road. Lively music and
heaping plates of roast boar lubricate the atmosphere and help
settle many a deal.
Varl's - A large white building on the lower slopes of
the city, near to the harbor, Varl's was once the villa of a
wealthy shipowner. It's clientele are mostly sailors and
dockworkers, but also includes fair number of the city's less
reputable characters. The faded opulence of the multi-room
tavern doubles as a temple to the goddess Ilion. The
proprietress, a middle-aged woman named Sciana, who herself
possesses a certain half-faded beauty, is a priestess of the wild
goddess.
Land's End - Built at the top of the city's hill in a
quiet and out of the way district, this two-story marble and wood
building consists of open, windowless galleries which permit
superb views both of the ocean and of the Greenwood. It is
popular with elves and is named for the fact that for many, Alqualondë
is the last sight of the mortal lands they will ever have.
The People
Ardenscar the Mad is Count Khilroën's personal
wizard. He gets his nickname because of his chaotic demeanor. He
babbles riddles and rhymes at random moments and dresses in
outrageous fashions. Oddly, Ardenscar is only calm when using
magic.
Aurilea is the High Priestess of Valkrys in
Alqualondë. She is a prodigy, healing the sick and lame with
ease. It is widely believed that she actually resurrected Wodron,
Captain of the Ascalian Knights, but this is denied by the Church.
Bauchus is the High Priest of Thandor in
Alqualondë. He is an old man who has served his church for many
decades. He is known to be an expert on elven history and lore.
Cloakshadow is a sorcerer who runs The
Crooked Tower, a college of magery in the small town of
Zanamir, just outside Alqualondë.
Cylene, Captain of the ship "Heart of
the Storm", Cylene is a heroine of the first order,
famed throughout Alqualondë. She and her crew are famous for
hunting the Mahadran pirates, having sunk or captured seven
vessels so far. Cylene is also a renowned swordswoman and
prodigious drunk, whose crew can often be seen carting her back to
her ship.
Farionh, Duke of Antiphia, is an old but
vigorous man. He can be ruthless with his enemies, and Alqualondë
is relatively free of crime only because of his harsh justice.
Khilroën, Count of Forthing, is Farionh's
brother, and his junior by almost two decades. Where Farionh would
make any sacrifice for his realm, Khilroën would make any
sacrifice for power. Rumor has it that his his nephew met his
untimely death for this reason. Khilroën is a schemer, and aided
in all he does by his henchman, Ardenscar the Mad.
Varens is Farionh's son. Educated in far-off
Conorria, many whisper that he is not the leader his father would
wish him to be, and fear that Varens will heed his uncle's
teachings more than his father's.
Wodron is the Knight-Commander of
the Ascalian Knights. He is a huge tower of a man not given to much
talking. He is always found near his beloved griffons, and is
usually only seen in the skies.
The Cupbearers - Fifty years ago,
the Cupbearers were a famous adventuring group that cleared out
the evil spirits haunting the Greenwood and made Alqualondë
their home. Led by the elves Beleg, Erol and Manden, as well
as the half-elf Tarl Wolfspaw, they were also famous for
destroying and scattering the cult of Drauluin and were
instrumental in returning the Conorrian emperor to his
throne. Most of the Cupbearers disappeared in the year
2747. Two, both with long-lived elven blood, are known to
survive. Tarl Wolfspaw went on to be king of Airnim
barbarians. Krynn became the controversial baron of Braelin
Don, in Estwilde.
Three structures related to the Cupbearers still stand in Alqualondë. The first is a statue to the four original members, commemorating
their courageous battle against the dragon Belthazar on the
docks. The second is the townhouse once owned by Erol, which
is now a sort of public museum to the heroes. The third, and
least well known, is the rundown inn known as the House of
Peace. This was owned by the wizard Manden and was often the
unofficial home of the Cupbearers.
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