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Bekanor Map
The Duchy of Bekanor
The least populated of all Tirgonia's duchies is
also its newest. It lies situated in the broad grasslands
between the Eann Skye mountains to the north and the Aelinn
mountains, as well as the northernmost extent of the Edgemoor
mountains, to the south. The valley of Bekanor is a sea of
lush grass.
Measuring more than 250 miles long and more than
100 miles wide, the great valley is home to the semi-nomadic
Bekanai tribes, after whom it is named. These once-wild
horsemen still graze sheep and goats throughout the valley
in summer, and winter in sheltered upland pastures.
Though very few permanent settlements dot the
grassy valley, a good number of villages dot the foothills of the
mountains. The folk of these villages raise livestock on
small farms, or mine copper and tin from the mountains.
Those villages at the eastern end of the valley are subject to
periodic raids from the nomads and monstrous tribes of the
Rhanalor grasslands, and so tend to be walled and fortified to a
greater degree than those to the west.
Two large settlements bracket Bekanor to the north
and south: Croestar and Ghorm. The first is nearly nine hundred years old, founded in the caldera of a dead volcano by the
Miletian Legions. The second is little more than a century
old, a vibrant, bustling town of miners, traders and soldiers.
To the north and south lie the mountain ranges
which define the borders of the duchy. To the north lie the
wild and rugged Eann Skye mountains, home to dozens of tribes of
goblins, ogres and giants. To the south lie two separate
ranges: the smaller Aelinn mountains, which also shelter many
warlike goblins and dangerous griffons; and the northernmost
extent of the great Edgemoor mountains, which stretch away south
for more than a thousand miles, and form the eastern confines of
Tirgonia. The Edgemoors are rich in heavy ores, and the area
is continually contested between human settlers from the west and
gnoll tribes from the east.
History
For centuries, the Bekanai tribes lived just
beyond the eastern borders of present-day Bekanor, and tried to
seize the land by force of arms on numerous occasions. In
2641, Bekanai tribesmen, allied to Dyrethis the Black King
suddenly betrayed him, joining with the Tirgonians to defeat the
lich-lord of Daerond in the decisive Battle of Dwarfbridge.
Thereupon, they were granted an independent kingdom in Bekanor.
However, this kingdom was to last for only 122 years.
In 2756, King Wolkriyë of Bekanor was
assassinated by his own tribesmen, who quickly attacked Tirgonia, which
had then lost nearly a third of its territories to the resurgent
Black Dukes of Daerond. The Bekanai managed several quick
military successes, but were soundly defeated by the Tirgonians in
three months of fighting in 2763. Bekanor was re-annexed and
made into a Tirgonian duchy under martial law.
The City of Croestar
(Small City - pop. 9,150)
Founded by the Miletian legions in the year 1901, the ducal
seat of Bekanor is a highly unusual city in that it lies entirely
within the caldera of an extinct volcano, Mount Emendar, or Neldothan,
as it
is known by the Bekanai. Croestar is
actually a ring, with the volcanic Lake Adarska at its
center. Generally, more wealthy districts are higher up in
the city, closer to the rim, where the districts closest to the
lake tend to be among the poorest in the city. The outer
flanks of Mount Emendar sport several watchtowers (linked to
the city by paths leading over the rim. Only one road leaves
the city, and that leads west towards the important villages of
the Eann Skye foothills which supply it with needed materials and
food.
It is well-known that Mount Emendar is riddled
with volcanic caverns and ancient lava tubes, most of which are
now flooded with the waters of Lake Adarska. Long ago, some
of these caverns were home to a large tribe of gnomish miners, but
their numbers slowly dwindled and the caverns beneath the city
were abandoned by the year 2520. All entrances to these
caverns from outside Mount Emendar were collapsed in the century
that followed by order of the Mayor and Governor.
Although the gnomes no longer maintain their own
city-beneath-a-city, there is still a significant gnomish
population in Croestar, and they are leaders among the wealthiest
of the guilds, being expert craftsmen. A smaller population
of dwarves may be found in the northernmost quarter of the city,
mostly journeymen miners and smiths from the dwarf-city of
Naharadûm in the Skane March.
Among the well-known sights in the city is
the Citadel, a great hulking edifice of close-laid stones erected by
the might of the Miletian legions. It rises from the middle
of the northern interior slope of the city, and the tallest of its
towers comes near in height to the rim of the crater itself.
It is the oldest and largest building in Croestar and now stands
largely empty, housing the barracks of the city guard, as well as
three hundred Tirgonian soldiers and the city jail.
Another well-known spot is the Percalian
Fountain. It contains a statue of Roldein rising from the
waves. In his right hand is a great conch shell from which
geysers water more than thirty feet into the air, falling into a
broad, low pool at the center of a large public plaza. The
water is used by many in the eastern half of the city as drinking
water, and the plaza is used for public gatherings, fairs
and celebrations.
The most-visited place in all of Croestar is the
Arena. This amphitheater, which seats more than 5,000
people, is the cultural center of the city. Gladiatorial
contests, jousts, games, speeches, plays and sacrifices are held
nearly every day of the year. The priests of Fargalann
preside over the proceedings from a raised dais adjacent to the
Governor's box.
Major Inns -
The Bridle - On the
Tower Road not far from the west gate of the city stands a
fine-looking two story building made of local stone below and oak
beams above. The excellent accommodations are costly, but
the hot baths and crisp linens are beloved by travelers wealthy
enough to afford them.
The Adarska Inn- On the
shores of Lake Adarska, this rambling building has a few
inexpensive rooms, but most of the guests sleep on the common
floor for a mere Common a night. Udorsk, the half-orc
watchman keeps peace inside and at the door.
The Town of Ghorm
(Small Town - pop. 1,890)
Though referred to by its residents as a city, Ghorm is not
in fact even a large town. Nonetheless, its importance to those
living on the broad plain of the Bekanor valley is out of
proportion to its size. Ghorm serves several important
roles. It is a center of trade for the whole of southern
Bekanor and controls the trade between the nomads and the cities
of Munarch and Sirion to the south. It is also a military
center: its stout wooden palisades and 200 soldiers keep the
ever-present Aelinn Mountain goblins at bay.
Ghorm has a large new temple of the Great
Church, as well as smaller edifices dedicated to Artorius and
Calandra. By far its most famous structure is the Giant's
Skull Tavern, which is in fact an inn constructed entirely within
the ancient skull of a colossal being thought to actually be a
titan. Some have reported hearing strange whispers in the
inn late at night, which only adds to the place's popularity.
The Twisted Tower, formerly the home of the
traitorous sorcerer Horatian, now stands empty and boarded
up. This oddly-constructed tower was created by the sorcerer
who was also famous for his clockwork constructs. He was
lately revealed to be a traitor in the employ of the mysterious
figure known as Jade.
The Nomads
The fourteen tribes of the Bekanai nation wander
the long valley named for them, herding their sheep and cattle
from pasture to pasture. Despite more than a century of
contact with the Tirgonians, little changed in their lives until
the disastrous war against Tirgonia which devastated their herds
and killed many of the tribesmen. Now, in the wake of the
war, their new overlord, Duke Alvus, is trying to end their
nomadic ways and force them into permanent settlements, where he
believes they will eventually blend with the native Tirgonians.
Alvus' policy has been to encourage the nomadic
Bekanai tribes into permanent settlements, which he has pursued by
dual policies of land grants and heavy-handed restrictions on the
use of his land for grazing. These policies have had some of
the desired effect, but have also driven a wedge between the
city-dwellers and the nomads. A barely-contained anger is
growing among the dispossessed tribes.
The People
Duke Alvus Varian - Tirgonia's newest duke was the most
important of the Tirgonian generals who blunted the Bekanai
invasion of Tirgonia in 2763. A keen strategist with a
record of ruthless discipline, he was given the ducal diadem by
the ailing King Aramayne shortly before the latter died.
Short, bald and muscular, the Duke was a champion wrestler and
swordsman in his youth. He values order and discipline, and
takes a dim view of adventurers, who rarely possess either
quality.
Ghulark the Destroyer- As the power of the Rhanalorian
barbarians spreads to the east, the fierce gnoll tribes,
traditional scourge of the Bekanai, are traveling westward in
greater numbers than ever. Pressed for territory, the gnolls
have taken to increasing raids against the eastern borders of
Bekanor. The most feared among them is the depraved and
bestial self-named warrior chief, Ghulark the Destroyer. In
the last three years, Ghulark has burned half a dozen villages and
taken over a hundred prisoners for slaves.
Garthane - Rumored to be a wizard of
considerable knowledge and power, Garthane lives on a houseboat
tethered in the placid waters of Lake Adarksa in Croestar.
Despite the fact that he does a brisk business in magical potions,
no one alive has ever seen the face of this enigmatic man.
Kelvin the Archmage - Foremost wizard of Bekanor, who
lives in a tower at the north end of Ghorm. This
youngish-seeming, handsome man with deep blue eyes and sandy blond
hair is the most accomplished enchanter in all of Tirgonia.
Some say that his good looks and charismatic demeanor are a result
of his magicks, others that he rarely needs his compelling sorcery
precisely because he is so charismatic. Kelvin is an
important figure in the politics of Bekanor, and many believe he
is the de facto ruler of Ghorm.
Leonath- Known to many as "the Hillwarden",
Leonath is a ranger, and leader of a small, loose alliance of
rangers who keep watch on the Eann Skye border, protecting the
settlers and miners from the dangerous denizens of those nothern
mountains. Though little trusted in either Croestar or among
the nomads (both of whom suspect that he is a spy), he is a hero
to the people of the Eann Skye foothills.
Nydann - Chief of the Tulanai tribe of nomads. As
the eldest tribal leader, and as one who spoke out against the
Tasmarr clan that led the war with Tirgonia, he is viewed by many
as the voice of the nomads. Old, but still vital, Nydann
strives to find an accommodation between his people and the
government of Duke Alvus. It is a position that has made him
unpopular with the more warlike faction and has led to an
estrangement with his son, Rhevann.
Pukannigalimar - Popularly called "Puck", this
gnomish craftsman from Croestar is widely regarded as among the
most innovative (and lucky) of her people. Her clockwork
animals are popular curiosities in the homes of the rich, and her
curious inventions occasionally draw the interest of outsiders,
especially adventurers. She is a homely gnome with wide-set
eyes and a soft lisp, but her fame is sufficient to support stiff
prices for her goods.
Rhevann the Brigand - Son of Chief Nydann, Rhevann and
his followers are violently opposed to the civilizing policies of
the duchy, and seeks to foment a revolt against Alvus' rule.
Though he has the sympathies of many Bekanai, few have joined him,
and so his band of outlaws live by brigandage and stealth, seeking
to slay the Tirgonian conquerors and rob the merchants who keep
them supplied. His daring and skill have become the stuff of
bard's tales, and these tales do more damage to Tirgonian rule
than the bandits themselves.
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