Tag: Verdant Kingdoms

Lyrian Rivers

Overview

Lyria has thousands of brooks, rivers, rivulets, streams and tributaries. These are the well known, large waterways.

Rivers

Baugh, a small river in Ashenvale that flows from the west into the Lyrian Gulf at Wulferton.

Bourne, springs in the east, and flows into the Lyrian Gulf, picking up small streams along the way, dividing the Riverlands on the northern bank from Fairfields on its southern bank.

Bray, flows past Brayford and is a tributary for the river Bourne.

Dirk, a small river in Westershire that flows from the west into the Lyrian Gulf at Kenton.

Dunan, a small river in Dunashire flowing into the Lyrian Gulf from the east at Dunagore.

Ivel, a river in the eastern part of Lyria that flows into the Lyrian gulf at Eastray, where it has turned into a swampy delta due to the strange underwater embankments off the coast preventing a free flow from the estuary.

Lea, a tributary that flows into the Ivel from the north, dividing Fairfields to the north from Eastmarsh to the south.

Lyn, large river coming from the border with the Daerlan Empire in the north, flowing into the Lyrian Gulf at Kingsport. It separates the Plans of Strife from the Elder Foothills and the Tiverton Glades from Northshire.

Polivar, large river starting in the north-west, flowing into the Lyrian Gulf at Blue Harbour, dividing the Tiverton Glades along its northern shores from Ashenvale on its southern shores. It has two tributaries; the Lovar coming in from the east, and the Monk coming in from the north at Hungerford.

Tamar, small tributary that flows from the Riverlands in the north, past Green Orchard and into the river Bourne.

Teign, springs in the north-eastern Silverpine Hills, close to Silesia, flows through the Riverlands, past Blackbridge and into the river Bourne at Egremont.

Trident, a river with three sources coming from the north, travelling south before pouring into the river Lyn, dividing the Silverpine Hills and Riverlands on its eastern bank from the Plains of Strife to the north and northshire on its western bank.

Wye, a small river in Fulham, flowing into the Lyrian Gulf from the east at Fulcaster.

Map

Verdant Kingdoms Timeline

Date Event
Sixth Day, First Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262 Xarrombus, the once guardian of the Newport vault, is defeated by the Heroes of the White Eye, sending a shockwave throughout Kingsport and its environs. Many people are reported to have died in the night, while even more reported terrifying nightmares.

Epidemius the Cataloguer appeared in Kingsport through a rift, demanding his Book of Woe be returned to him. He promised to return at a full cycle of the Darkmoon and visit decay upon the city should the artefact not be returned to him.

Seventh Day, Third Ride, Autumn Red, 1262 Queen Isabella Valois was revived by the Heroes of the White Eye. Her aunt, princess Mildred was killed in the process as she was trying to stop the queen’s revival, outing her as an agent of Takhisis. The princess’ husband, lord Gabriel was also killed.
Third Day, Third Ride, Autumn Red, 1262 Kalauranthalasis and Azsharastrasza died in the fight against Xamael the Dreadlord, who in turn was defeated by the Heroes of the White Eye, banished back to the Nine Hells.
Tenth Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262 The living saint, prior Benedict McAllister, delivered a sermon at the Cathedral of the Platinum Father which shocked the foundation of the church.
Ninth Day, First Ride, Autumn Red, 1262 After days of rioting in the Carceratum, the rebel lords broke out of the prison and escaped from custody.
First ride of Autumn Red, 1262 A riot broke out in the Carceratum and several crownsguard were held hostage. The crownsguard is blocking the entrance, while the rioters are threatening to kill the hostages. Lord Gabriel assumed command of the crownsguard and temporarily relieved Lady Commander Miranda Ravensbourne of her command.
Third ride, Autumn Harvest, 1262 The queen found a box in her ante-chamber. When she opened it, it had a head of a goat man in it with nails stuck in its eyes and strange symbols carved on its horns. The queen immediately sounded the alarm and the grounds were thoroughly searched. No intruders were found and the morbid package was taken away. The next morning, the queen fell to illness, slipping into a torpor from which she has not awakened.

Accusations of dark sorcery were levelled at House Radowan, claiming that the rebels were in league with demon worshippers and had made pacts with warlocks. This has mostly been lead by Lord Gabriel Valois-Antille, who has used his connections in the capital city to spread rumours of dark sorcery by leaking propaganda to Goodman, the Kingsport crier and Prem Shakeslock, trying to shape public opinion

 Autumn Harvest, 1262 Regular emissaries were sent back and forth between Kingsport and Farcorner. Things got heated, hostages were taken, but it did not come to open warfare yet. Houses began to speculate on the queen’s inaction, and the divide between support and opposition to the rebels grew even wider.
Third Ride, Summer End, 1262 A cart filled with tarred heads of goat men was delivered to Kingsport by an armed escort of House Fetterling, Mazurek and Longstrider guards. It was meant as proof of the invasion of savages into Farcorner. It was decried by the noble houses of the westerlands as a crude gesture.

Every ride for the next month, carts of body parts were delivered by the rebels. At first they were sent to the Circle for examination. Later they were immediately destroyed.

Second Ride, Summer Flame, 1262 Lord Royce Grey of House Grey, escorted by crownsguard and knights of the Order of the Lance, was dispatched to Farcorner to parlay for a solution. Upon arrival, they were taken hostage with a few casualties. Lord Royce was separated from the guards and knights and moved around from location to location to prevent his rescue.

When news returned back to Kingsport, House Grey was outraged and called for the crown to field troops to bring down House Radowan. The queen refused to wage war against the rebellious houses without exhausting diplomatic options first, but refused to blindly give in to house Radowan’s demands. It was the crown’s opinion that it was up to House Radowan to secure the eastern border as they had for generations.

First Ride, Summer Flame, 1262 Lord Szymon Radowan, younger brother to Lord Mirek, was sent as an emissary to Kingsport to once again plead for the crown’s help. He was detained in the Kingsport Carceratum on orders of the Steward of Kingsport for treason in a move that was meant to pull house Radowan back in line.
Summer Light, 1262 House Radowan and its banners moved to stand in open rebellion to the crown, withholding its dues and refusing to levy taxes from their people until the crown commited aid to protecting the kingdom’s eastern border from the encroaching threat of the savage races coming from Silesia.
1258 Brief rebellion of House Courtenay
1258 Queen Isabella takes the throne. Age 12.

King Augustine is assassinated by foreigners. Age 41.

1256 Queen Consort Luciana dies from winter fever.
1246 Crown princess Isabella born.
1238 First Royal master angler competition
1237 Prince consort Amrand dies.
1221 House Sheridan was lifted into nobility for their actions in defeating the dreaded Admiral Dapperfang.
1217 Royal armada sunk at the Lyrian Tooth by Admiral Dapperfang, who was eventually brought to heel by House Grey with the help of merchant vessels from the Sheridan Trading Company.
1217 Crown prince Augustine born.
Summer End, 1069 Negotiations between King Phillip Valois II and Pinrce Guillaume de Launfal were finalised under the arbitration of the Daerlan kingdom and the Beauclair troops withdrew from Lyria.
First Day, Third Ride, Winter Eve, 1068 On Midinváerne, King Phillip Valois II narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by five szygani while at Gryphon’s Roost.
Eighth Day, Second Ride, Spring Blossom, 1064 Kingsport captured by Prince Guillaume de Launfal. King Phillip Valois II fled Kingsport and Prince Guillaume was declared regent of Lyria.
Greengras, 1064 Invasion of Lyria by Prince Guillaume de Launfal
Autumn Twilight, 941 King Phillip d’Aragon III decrees the emancipation of women.
917 Declan of Ioun, a Lyrian scholar, finishes his Treatise on Bloodlines of Beauclair Nobility.
Second Day, First Ride, Spring Storm, 872 Defeat of the Càrcerian armada at the Lyrian Tooth.
730 Càrceres makes a breakthrough in irrigation technology, allowing them produce fresh fruits quick and in abundance. Especially citrus and cinnas fruits.
0, 2500th Year of the Crusade Start of the new calendar, the start of the Age of Peace
1250th Year of the Crusade End of the Age of Fear, the end of the crusade, the start of The Great Waning
2nd Day, 3rd Wik, Æftera Līþa, 736th Year of the Crusade Defeat of the 17th Gryphon’s Roost Expedition to Atilesceon’s Tower
620th Year of the Crusade Founding of Lyria, crowning Sir William of Garamond as the first king of Lyria
600th Year of the Crusade Founding of the Order of the Gryphon by Sir William of Garamond
300th Year of the Crusade Founding of the Knights of the Silver Crusade by Sir Marcus Garamond.
0: Year of the Crusade Start of the old calendar, start of the crusade, start of the Age of Fear
1250th Year Before the Crusade The start of the Age of Arcanum

Cycles and Ages

Every cycle lasts for five millenia. Like the cycles of the moon, it follows the phases of low sanction, waxing, high sanction and waning. Each phase takes 1250 years. The phases of the last cycle are referred to, in modern parlance, as an Age.

Date Cycles and Ages
1250th Year of the New Calendar The New Age: strength of magic is waxing, the tide of magic is rising
2500th Year of the Crusade, Start of the New Calendar Age of Peace: strength of magic is at low sanction, low tide of magic
1250th Year of the Crusade The Great Waning: strength of magic is waning, the tide of magic is lowering
The Year of the Crusade The Age of Fear: strength of magic is at high sanction, high tide of magic
1250th Year Before the Crusade The Age of Arcanum: strength of magic is waxing, the tide of magic is rising

 

The Careless Wanderer, Inn, Quayhill, Kingsport

At the very western bottom of Quayhill, overlooking both the river as well as the House of the Raven Queen, stands The Careless Wanderer, a place where travellers, minstrels, free-thinkers and adventurers come to eat, drink and lay down their heads to rest.

The first floor of the building is built out of limestone masonry, while the top two floors is half-timbered, with dark wood impregnated with oils and light plaster. A fresco of a travelling minstrel carrying a knapsack and a lute is painted above the door with “The Careless Wanderer” written below in elegant script. The roof is slightly sloped with red clay shingles that have become popular throughout Kingsport.

Before its opening as an inn, The Careless Wanderer was a spacious merchant’s house to a large family. The house was sold and the family moved away to Tiverton. They left behind a very well maintained building that they obviously were very proud of. Throughout the different rooms in the building there are paintings and portraits of some of the original family members, giving the entirely place a cosy and inviting atmosphere.

Tavern

It has a large common room with a bar, tables, chairs and benches, a small podium, and two fireplaces, both along the eastern outer wall. Lauryn is Aen Cannel, and runs the tavern, together with Durham, a dwarven brewmaster from Ard Thoradun. Lauryn keeps control of the room, while Durham pours the drinks.

Several large barrels of ale are set behind the bar and Durham makes it a point to be the first to tap the barrel with a spigot and have the first sample, “to make sure the ale didn’t go off”. There is a trap door which leads to a cellar behind the bar as well. The cellar is connected to a small lower pier on the river.

Kitchen

The kitchen offers food ranging from modest to luxurious, and the chef, a gruff man named Ramsey, prides himself on his creations. He makes sure that everything is made exactly right. He spends most of the morning shopping for the best ingredients in Southside. Fish, sausages, leek, tomatoes, barley, radishes, mutton, spices. He also makes sure that the tavern stocks some of the finest Beauclair wines and is very familiar with Célestes, who provides half the city with wines.

The kitchen leads out onto a tiny courtyard where Ramsey smokes his pipe while waiting for his stew to settle. This is also where the stables are housed and where he chats with his best friend, Wojciech.

Stables

It has stables at the back, with enough room for half a dozen horses. For a few pennies the horses can be stabled, fed and rubbed down. Due to a lack of stable space often the horses have to be brought all the way across Steward Square to The Bridle. The stables are run by Wojciech, a middle-aged Silesian man who arrived in Kingsport a decade ago and has been working as a handyman and stablemaster at the inn since his arrival.

Wojciech and Durham have been experimenting in the basement with several types of strong liquor made from fruits and fermented potatoes.

Lodgings

The upstairs provides a dozen beds in the common room for a silver stag a night. There are six small, single rooms with a table, chair, bed and a small closet, which can be rented for a gold crown per night. There are three luxurious rooms with ample space, a four poster double bed, lavish interior and room for at least four other people. The luxury rooms can be rented for four gold crowns a night for the room overlooking the stables, five gold crowns for the room with a modest balcony overlooking the House of the Raven Queen, or six gold crowns for the room with a spacious balcony overlooking the river.

Baths can be drawn for a small price. Cold baths are eight pennies, while heated baths are two silver stags. The tubs are set out just on the lower pier, and water is drawn from the river. This is also where clothing is cleaned, which can be done for four pennies for an entire outfit.

Ownership

The owner of The Careless Wanderer lives on the top floor and rarely comes down to sit among the visitors in the evenings. Her name is Magda, an elderly lady with grey hair tied in a neat bun. She is blind and either wear a veil or a blindfold over her eyes. She is remarkably spry for her age, but has been enjoying the solitude of the attic more and more over the last couple of years.

While she doesn’t come down in the evenings, she’s often downstairs during the day when there are fewer visitors. She maintains warm relations with the people who work for her. She has left the day to day to Lauryn but occasionally will help out tidying up. Even though she has lost her sight, she seems to have a remarkable way of navigating the tavern, even when there are people about.

Several rumour are told about how Magda lost her eyes decades before while adventuring in the Elder Foothills. The most popular of rumours is that while she explored the ruins of an ancient elven city, she stumbled upon a basilisk and gazed into its eyes. Rather than turning to stone she gouged her own eyes out before the petrification could take hold.

Another often heard story is that when she was near death after she was shot with several arrows from an orc raiding party while being chased through the hills. Terrified that she would be found, she prayed and pleaded for her life. She promised that she would give up her adventuring days, that she would give anything to retire to the city and open a tavern and tend to the needs of others. Suddenly her vision turned dark and the only thing she could hear were the snarls and screams from the orcs who had been closing in on her. Something or someone answered her pleas and took her eyes as payment.

Prices

Good/Service Price
Common Room 1 silver stag per night
Simple Room 1 gold crown per night
Stables Room 4 gold crowns per night
Raven Queen Room 5 gold crowns per night
River Room 6 gold crowns per night
Cold Bath 8 copper pennies per bath
Hot Bath 2 silver stags per bath
Laundry 4 copper pennies per outfit
Cheap Meal 5 copper pennies per day
Modest Meal 3 silver stags per day
Lavish Meal 8 silver stags per day
Common Wine 3 silver stags per bottle
Modest Wine 2 gold crowns per bottle
Fine Wine 10 gold crowns per bottle

Lyria – Kingsport

Because the first humans settled themselves around what is now known as the Lyrian Gulf, Kingsport is likely to be the oldest human city in the Verdant Kingdoms. It is also the oldest trading port and the seat of the oldest monarchy.

As with all ancient things in modern day Lyria, Kingsport has a lot of features that its inhabitants take for granted, but whose existence can currently not be explained. Some of the masonry of the palace, the canalisation of the river, the walls, gates and bastions, the subterranean waterways; few of it could be reproduced with modern means. The levels of magic involved in their creation makes their reproduction virtually impossible.

The masonry of the castle, the city’s ramparts, streets, bridges, canals and most masonry buildings are built using Northshire limestone, a honey coloured stone, sprinkled evenly with colourful calcium deposits. It has resulted in a very distinct and harmonious appearance throughout the city. The smaller buildings are mostly half-timber framed buildings, with brick or wattle and daub infills, covered with a light plaster for a stark contrast against the dark timber. These buildings used to be covered with thatch, until the great fire of 1054, after which clay roof tiles became more popular.

While it’s not the largest city in the Verdant Kingdoms, it’s the largest city in Lyria. It has an estimated population of well over three hundred thousand people residing inside the city walls, while another hundred thousand are estimated to live in close proximity to the city. Its population tends to swell during the winter, as food scarcity drives people towards the city from the countryside, as well as during times of war, rebellion or uncertainty. All of this makes it one of the most densely populated cities in the Verdant Kingdoms, which is why priests of Pholtus have urged the Steward to maintain the ancient waterways underneath the city, in order to have access to clean water from the river, and to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Below is an overview of some of the landmarks and points of interest in Kingsport.

The River Lyn

The city is cut in two by the river Lyn, which enters the city from the north-west, and makes its way to the Kingsport Bay, which is part of the the Lyrian Gulf, in the south. The flow of the river was controlled by canalisation long ago. Intricate masonry, starting just outside of the city walls, has helped to keep the river from meandering, allowing for buildings and streets to be built right up until the river’s edge without worry.

Inside the city, the height of the river’s water sits significantly below the embankment. This is done to accommodate changing water levels and easy boarding of boats. The average flow of the river is not very high, which makes swimming  across, or taking a boat up-river a possibility. Higher flows occasionally occur during periods of heavy runoff.

The river also provides the city with a source of fresh water, opportunities for fishing, and a mechanism to keep the underground waterways from stagnating. Both embankments of the river are enthusiastically used for all manner of purpose and as a result, it’s usually the busiest part of the city.

There are three bridges that cross the fifty meters of the river, from east to west; Knightsbridge, Queensbridge, and Lynbridge. Queensbridge is the widest of the three bridges, allowing for a procession to pass from the Silver Square directly across the river and up toward the palace. The other two bridges can easily accommodate two wide carts passing each other without a problem. Each bridge is about fifty meters from end to end, but in some places the river is less wide, due water-level walkways and embankments created for smaller riverboats.

In the winter the Lyn tends to freeze over but the people of Kingsport break the ice to keep access to the fresh water and to allow for transportation to continue.

Wards

Kingsport has evolved in different wards, all divided either by the river Lyn or the different large roads. Scholars from the Bournemouth Academy have concluded that the oldest remnants of the city can be found on top of Garamond Hill, the current location of the palace. The city expanded towards the river and later across the river, building ever eastward.

A ward is usually divisible in smaller districts. Most of the time the feel or purpose of a ward doesn’t change from one of it’s districts to another, but sometimes distinctly different districts are grouped together to form one ward. Each ward is represented by an elected alderman who represents the interests of their wards in front of the steward of Kingsport. All of the aldermen together form the Council of Aldermen. Unsurprisingly, many of the aldermen are accused of nepotism and corruption and there are constant feuds between different aldermen as they jockey for more power and influence. Because aldermen are elected the majority of them are commoners, and it is likely one of the highest positions a commoner can reach in Lyria without being uplifted into nobility.

Old Town
The Hill
The Salt
The Docks
Southside
Steward Square
Northside
La Costa Verde
Lewisham
Correntine
Sevenoaks
Ravensbourne
Grimsdown
Bremerton
Blackheath
Eastminster
Quayhill

The Kingsport Ramparts

Kingsport is surrounded by a thick city wall, about ten meters in width, reinforced at strategic places with fortified bastions and gates. The inside of the walls have narrow passages running along them, allowing troops to make their way from one bastion to another.

Each gate consists of two bastions and a double portcullis. The only exception is the River Gate, which doesn’t feature a portcullis, but instead has large, grated doors which can be closed from inside each bastion on either side of the river.

Each bastion is a large, tower connecting two ends of the wall. Each bastion differs in look and dimensions, most are diamond shaped, but some are round. They are all constructed in such a way that they stick out from the wall in a way to leave no blind spots, and each of them have thick parapets to hide behind. Each bastion also has a large fire in the middle which gets ignited at dusk and burns until dawn.

The most noticeable is the most easterly bastion, called the Bastion of Illumination, which sits on the shores of the Lyrian Gulf and functions as a light house. The fire burning on its roof is brighter by several orders and can sometimes be seen from Blue Harbour.

Together, the entire city’s defences are referred to as the Kingsport Ramparts. Below are a list of the bastions and gates that make up the ramparts, starting at the palace, but not counting the bastions around the palace itself.

Bastion of Strength
Bastion of Will
Western Gate
River Gate
Bastion of Clarity
Brown Gate
Bastion of Patience
Locked Gate
Bastion of Humility
Corbray Gate
Bastion of Diligence
North Gate
Bastion of Focus
Bastion of Restraint
Elysian Gate
Bastion of Modesty
Bastion of Generosity
Old Gate
Bastion of Compassion
Eastern Gate
Bastion of Forgiveness
Bastion of Bravery
Salt Gate
Bastion of Resilience
Bastion of Illumination

There are several bastions outside of the city, along the major roads which are garrisoned by crownsguard. These bastions are equipped with a rooftop bonfire which can be seen from the city’s ramparts and each have their own rookery which can send reports back to Kingsport.

Palace

At the very top of Garamond Hill lies the royal palace. It is simultaneously a bustling place, with servants, diplomats and nobility coming and going, as well as a secluded place, when compared to the rest of Kingsport. The castle isn’t open unless you can produce a letter of pedigree, you have an official invitation, or it is one of the few days a year where the royal family opens up the castle grounds to the public. The current dynastic family, house Valois, is extensive and many of them stay at the palace when in the capital.

Besides a lot of smaller buildings, the palace exists of two large, sprawling structures; the manor and the dépendance.

The royal manor overlooks the terrace, a sprawling, immaculately kept park, filled with ponds, marble statues, rose gardens and the like. It also has a prominent shrine to Chauntea. The entire space is meant to impress any visitor who makes it from the gate to the manor’s entrance. The terrace is where official ceremonies and celebrations are held, but the royal family is rarely seen there.

The manor’s facade consists of a rusticated limestone base from which rise impossibly tall, white granite columns, framing the windows of the three main floors. The top floor is hidden by a decorated cornice, which encircles the manor and is capped with a large balustrade, richly adorned with statues of kings, queens and saints of Paladine. It gives the sprawling manor an almost fairy tale beauty. The inside of the manor is the subject of much speculation by the peasantry, and it said to be richly adorned. It is said to have 342 rooms, not counting any of the multitude of cellars.

The dépendance is a much simpler looking building, designed specifically for that purpose. A much plainer facade overlooking the terrace, but made from the same limestone masonry as the palace. It houses the servants, the barracks, the armoury the stables, most of the stores and larders.

Between the manor and the dépendance sit the water gardens, a secluded and private garden, designed by renowned Arroyan architect Francesca Sabatini, where the queen is rumoured to spend time on hot days.

Crownsguard

The peace keepers in Kingsport are the crownsguard, a force of roughly two thousand trained militia men and women who regularly patrol the streets, man the gates, walk the ramparts, garrison the forward bastions, support the harbour master and accompany tax collectors.

They are uniformed in half plate armour, adorned with the engravings of the three Valois lilies on their breast plate, angels on their pauldrons and crimson cloaks.

The lady commander of the guard is Dame Miranda Ravensbourne, youngest sister to Lady Olivia Ravensbourne, first of her name, head of House Ravensbourne. She is a Lyrian knight, formerly of the Order of the Gryphon, zealous follower of Paladine and completely dedicated to the monarchy. She can often be seen patrolling the skies on her griffon Frostfeather.

An elite group of 250 veteran crownsguard guard the palace under the leadership of another Lyrian knight, formerly of the Order of the Shield. His name is lieutenant William of Eastwarren a handsome and charismatic folk hero who made a name for himself on the Plains of Strife when a large host of orcs descended down the valley.

Underworld

The Steady Hand
A city the size of Kingsport attracts all manner of opportunists, thieves and crooks. There are several active gangs, the largest of which is The Steady Hand, who specialises in bribery, theft, smuggling, extortion and prostitution. It considers itself a proper guild in which apprentices are taken in to learn the trade of racketeering. They have a very large network of connected people, like pickpockets, beggars, prostitutes and smugglers, which makes them very well connected with what is happening in and around Kingsport at all time.

It is rumoured that there are two competing factions within the guild. The Daymaster runs all the business between dawn and dusk, while the Nightmaster takes over for all operations that take place from dusk until dawn. Another rumour is that they have been able to map the ancient waterways underneath the city and use it to get around.

The Sunken Knuckles
While the Steady Hand is the largest underworld organisation in Kingsport, the Sunken Knuckles – Knuckles or Knuckleheads, for short – are the most violent. They run a protection rackets, fighting rings and gambling dens, and they are known be violent when it comes to collecting their coin. They are often employed to intimidate, harm and sometimes murder people.

The Ravnos
A large group of Szygani stay just outside of Kingsport in a camp of wagons, which they call vardo. They are musicians, beggars, pickpockets and fortune tellers. The Ravnos is a family within this group of Szygani who are rumoured to be bandits and thieves. They supposedly use curses and magic in order to steal from people and caravans.

They are also well-known herbalists who trade in all manor of rare and illicit substances like Fadeleaf, Blindweed and the incredibly toxic Purple Lotus or Nightmare Vine. Fadeleaf is a popular herb among the peasantry for its intoxicating effect, but it’s illegal in Kingsport, and most of the lands of the nobility because it makes people dim-witted and unconcerned with work.

The Penumbra
It is rumoured that a powerful noble house is using a loosely connected group of people within Kingsport to manipulate markets and gain financial influence. They are referred to as the penumbra, because of the cross over between what is supposed to be the side of light and the side of dark. Oftentimes people operate in the interests of the penumbra and the house which is pulling the strings without knowing it.

The crownsguard have been working for years to find out who the puppet-masters behind the penumbra are, but have yet to find any conclusive evidence pointing to one particular house. They started to suspect that occasionally the group does things that is to the detriment of the guilty noble house in order to deflect suspicion.

The Procyon
A predominantly non-human group of burglars and brigands the Procyon are known to operate in Kingsport mostly due to its harbour. The majority is elven, but they have offered membership to dwarves, half-elves, halflings and sometimes humans. Politically, they believe that humans have become too dominant in the Verdant Kingdoms and as a result they are radically anti-nobility, because they have come to believe that to be the source of true human dominance.

The Guv’nor
A special character in the Kingsport underworld is the person they call The Guv’nor, a title reserved for the champion bare knuckle boxer. With the title of Guv’nor comes the deed to The Hoxton, a Lewisham tavern which is considered neutral ground by the gangs operating in Kingsport.

The current Guv’nor is a popular and lovable man by the name of Lenny who has held the title for over a decade now. He is a legend in Kingsport and an easy to approach man who is always willing to listen to your problems and see if he can facilitate a solution.

Ancient Waterways

Underneath the streets of Kingsport lies an array of tunnels that function as aqueducts and sewers. Their extent is such that they have never been fully mapped and explored. For most people in Kingsport they’re presence is so axiomatic that they hardly ever think of them.

The crownsguard, however, worry about them extensively, due to some of the tunnels running so far and so deep that it forms a gap in the defence of the city. They have explored some of them and barred them off with heavy iron gates, hoping that to be enough to keep possible invaders out.

Many of the estates inside the city use the waterways to provide them with fresh water. Even some of the estates outside of the city walls have dug wells that tap into the aqueducts, something that the crownsguard is very concerned about.

The easiest ways to access the waterways is along the embankment of the river. Half a dozen entrances are built into the lower landings along the embankment walls. They are gated and locked and the crownsguard keeps a close eye on them. Otherwise, there are several hundred metal, grated manhole covers found throughout the streets of the city, all designed to carry rain water into the waterways.

Who built the waterways, and why they are so incredibly extensive has been lost to time. There are rumours that some of the tunnels lead to fantastic, submerged estates which used to be above ground. Several scholars and engineers from Bournemouth Academy spend time studying the waterways and each year new techniques and engineering principles are gleaned from them.

Harbour

All along the southern coast of Kingsport, between Garamond Hill and Quayhill, there are quays, wharfs, piers and anchorages designed to facilitate the embarking and disembarking of passengers and the loading and unloading of good from and onto ships and riverboats.

Harbour fees are steep and as a results few boats and ships remain in the harbour for long, preferring to quickly disembark what they came to deliver and take on board what they plan on returning. As a result, the bay in front of Kingsport is usually crowded with boats whose crews row ashore to make arrangements before they sail into the harbour and start paying harbour fees.

Where there are plenty of dock hands available, but because each ship is on such a tight schedule it is not uncommon for ships to bribe dockworkers with extras in order for them to drop what they are doing for one ship and go and help another. This leads to friction between captains and sailors, which in turn leads to violence.

The harbour master, Master Albert Coehoorn, is a veteran who grew up on the streets of The Salt and started working at the harbour as a dockworker at an early age. He knows everyone who works at the dock and has a great working relationship with most captains who frequent Kingsport. He also knows his way around a knife fight, should his experience prevent him from talking two rivalling groups from violence.

There is a group of fifty crownsguard permanently garrisoned at the docks in order to support Master Albert in his task of maintaining the peace. He hand picked the fifty crownsguard, and it came as no surprise that most of them are lifelong Salters.

Shops, Taverns, Crafters, Temples, etc.

Lyria – Kingsport – Points of Interest

Here are several points of interests in Kingsport. Places of worship, shops, crafters, taverns, etc. They are arranged in no particular order.

Sacred Baths of Sedna

Fast Feathers Rookery

The Silver Cross

The Hoxton

House of the Raven Queen

Cathedral of the Platinum Father

Temple of Light

Temple of the Mother Creatrix

Tomb of Saint Catherine of Dunagore

Shrine to Lady Luck

Church of Deus

Daerlan Embassy

Library of Ioun

Circle of Mages

College of Bards

Forgewright Arms

Lyandra’s Leatherworks

Kingsport Carceratum

L’eau Célestes

Adria’s Novel Idea

Herbs, Salves and Ointments

Heartseeker’s Strings and Fletchings

Kingsport Manège