History
Twenty centuries ago the first humans to creep forth from the forests - the Tuath - constructed a great hill fort atop Talan's Bluff. Built as a place of refuge from their ancient enemies - the goblins of the Tangled Wood - the stronghold was their greatest (and final) bastion.
The Tuath also raised crude temples to venerate the primitive spirits of earth and water they believed dwelled in the forest, sought precious metals deep below the towering cliffs and built great monuments to their fallen hero-kings. They warred incessantly with the goblins that pressed ever inwards upon their lands. This bloody, merciless struggle was shattered in a final battle of terrible carnage at Talan's Bluff. The few survivors - remnants of a broken people - disappeared back into the forests from whence they came. Their holy places and strongholds fell into neglect, the forest reclaiming those not occupied or destroyed during the fighting and the many tombs they built to honour their dead were broken into and systematically looted. Within a century little remained to tell of the Tuath's hold upon the Lonely Coast. Now they are remembered simply as the "Old People"; subjects of fanciful, half-remembered tales of fallen glory.
For centuries, the area was a lawless place; roving bands of goblins and other predators drifted northward as they tested the boundaries of the fledgling kingdoms struggling to establish themselves there. Occasionally vessels sheltered in isolated bays from the fierce storms or put ashore a party to replenish water supplies and to hunt the boar and deer of the forest.
A century ago, one such expedition carrying a powerful noble noted the defensive properties of Din Kershal. The noble - Maban Locher - instantly realized the potential of such a site to act as a check against both the pirates that often preyed on the realm's shipping and the humanoids infesting the area. Claiming the area, he set about building Caer Syllan and in the process discovered the vast quantities of slate and some smaller deposits of tin buried in the bay's towering cliffs.
Ten years later, Caer Syllan was complete and the Lochers turned their attention to the profitable business of mining the cliffs and hurling back the tribes of humanoids that periodically sought to exterminate the newcomers. To this day, the nearby villages suffer raids from humanoids and pirates alike but these are never enough to seriously threaten Locher's grip on the area.
Ruler: Lord Kenver Locher
Government: feudal fief
Population: 6,200
Alignments: LN, N, CN, NG, NE
Languages: Common, Goblin
Towns: Wolverton (pop. 1,826)
Villages: Bossin (pop. 648); Hosford (pop. 678); Oakhurst (pop. 413); Swallowfeld (pop. 526)
Fortifications: Caer Syllan
Resources: lumber, tin and slate
Sites of Interest: Arius’ Watchtower, Deepwater Lake, the Priory of Cymer, the Orestone, Talan’s Bluff, the Twisted Gorge.
Features of the Lonely Coast Dense Woodland: The Tangled Wood shrouds much of the coast. Much of it is unexplored.
Trails and Tracks: Meandering tracks link the main settlements with a patchwork of farms and the isolated farmsteads of hunters and charcoal burners.
Cliffs: Lofty cliffs dominate the approaches to the Lonely Coast. In a few places, shingle beaches stand at their base, but most are inaccessible from the cliff's above.
Hills: A nameless range of rugged, tree-cloaked hills rises to the north. Beyond the range lies the deep Tangled Wood and, hundreds of miles away, the glittering northern kingdoms.
Locations of Note Talan's Bluff: The remains of an ancient hill fortress sprawl across the summit of a high hill giving impressive views over the Tangled Wood.
Arius' Watchtower: A ruined tower hidden deep in the Tangled Wood, the watchtower is famous for the powerful conjurer who once dwelled within (and for the eldritch manner of his disappearance).
The Twisted Gorge: Many caves and passageways honeycomb the steep, overhanging cliffs of this foul place. Ferocious monsters dwell here in profusion.
Deepwater Lake: This lake's cold and deep waters are rumored to hide much treasure (and a ferocious beast).
Priory of Cymer: An isolated, rundown church dedicated to Darlen and the defeat of a slumbering evil said to lurk beneath the priory.
The Orestone: A wind-swept and wave-lashed shard of rock upon which many ships have come to grief, the Orestone is clearly visible from Wolverton.
Settlements of Note
The four villages and single small town are home to around 4,000 souls. A further 2,000 settlers dwell in the surrounding lands, surviving as best they can. A few hardy folk dwell in isolated farmsteads on the forest's fringes. Such individuals are mostly hunters, trappers, or charcoal burners. A rudimentary stockade, thick hedge of brambles and thorns or a ditch often surround their homes.
A major trail known as the Cliffway links the villages of Swallowfeld, Hosfosford, and Bossin to Wolverton
Bossin: Set roughly five miles to the east of Wolverton, life in Bossin revolves around mining and farming. Located near several rich mines, the village stands in a deep dell a short distance back from the cliffs. Thus protected from the worst gales battering the coast, the lower parts fo the village, where the poorest folk dwell, are unfortunately prone to flooding during fierce storms.
No fortification protects the folk of Bossin, but weekly patrols from Caer Syllan pass through the village. Further to the east lies nothing but broken cliffs and unexplored forest. Few villagers dare to travel far in that direction.
Caer Syllan: The impregnable fortress of Caer Syllan stands proudly upon Din Kershal, a rocky, steep-sided promontory linked only to the mainland by a narrow, slick neck of land. Lord Locher has his seat here and it is within its lofty walls that most of his men-at-arms reside. The fortress comprises the entire promontory, which has enough open ground to temporarily house the residents of Wolverton. This is a refuge of last resort, however, as murderous onshore wind renders the sanctuary extremely cold (at best).
Hosford: A fishing and mining village, Hosford sits upon the Cliffway roughly equidistant between Swallowfeld and Wolverton. The village is the site of the Lonely Coast's largest operational mine.
Several decades ago, the mine collapsed dropping a large proportion of the nearby cliffs (and a few unfortunates and their cottages) into the sea. The collapse created a large, sheltered cove in which the villagers still mine, honeycombing the cliffs with narrow passageways. The village's fishing vessels also use the cove as a harbor. The cove is too shallow to allow ocean-going ships within; many rocks lurk just beneath the surface ready to rip the hull apart of any such vessel daring entry.
Oakhurst: Set deep in the Tangled Wood, Oakhurst is a place of hunters, trappers, and foragers. Rumors of inbreeding and strange religious practices swirl about the settlement, which is the smallest and most isolated of the four villages. Few travellers, except peddlers and merchants, come here, as the village's residents are said to be dour and unwelcoming.
Swallowfeld: Named for the vast numbers of swallows nesting in the surrounding forest, Swallowfeld is a relatively quiet place. Protected by the garrison at Kerensa's Hold the folk work hard in the fields or nearby mines. Sir Talek Annear, Lord Warden of the Lonely Coast, has his seat in Swallowfeld.
Wolverton: The Lonely Coast's only town, Wolverton stands at the social and industrial heart of the Lonely Coast. Protected by a high earthen berm, dry ditch, and rambling stockade, the town and the attendant fortification of Caer Syllan are the safest places on the Lonely Coast.
Home to around 1,900 souls, the town is a loud, malodorous place. Its muddy streets ramble along both of the Arisum's steep banks, straddling the river bank just north of where it widens into its estuary. Unfortunately, for the folk dwelling along the lower west bank much of the area is prone to flooding. Consequently, only the poorest and most desperate folk dwell there. Above the stench and detritus of the main town, the houses of a few well-to-do merchants and other wealthy folk perch upon the bluffs overlooking the town.
Wolverton's docks are the pulsating mercantile heart of the town (and indeed the entire Lonely Coast). Without the constant flow of goods from more civilized states, life on the Lonely Coast would be all but impossible. A weekly market, held in the aptly named and flood-prone Water Meadow, provides an opportunity for local traders and merchants to sell their wares and an excuse for villagers to visit Wolverton. Such events are the social highlight of the week and are usually busy.
The worship of Conn dominates the religious landscape of the town but a small temple of Darlen (that doubles as the town's magistrate's court) stands in its shadow. Few common folk worship here but the clergy act as local magistrates and so the faith clings to some measure of influence.
Deities:
Gods of the Lonely Coast Conn
LN god of Community, Family, and Rulership
Epithets: The Father, Lawgiver
Symbol: Two hands clasped in a handshake
Domains: Community, Law, and Nobility
Favoured Weapon: Light mace
Raiment: White robes emblazed with two clasped hands
Teachings: Order brings prosperity. Together, believers can achieve safety and contentment. The family is the most important unit of society; its protection is the most sacred duty.
Holy Texts: Law and Duty - a dense, legalistic text setting out Conn's teachings and the place and duties of each community member.
Darlen
LG god of Law, Order, Justice, and the Sun
Ephithets: The Justicar, the Shining Light, the Noble One
Symbol: The rising sun
Domains: Good, Law, Protection, Sun
Favored Weapon: Longsword
Raiment: Voluminous, white cowled habits. Unless expecting battle, clerics do not wear armour.
Teachings: The strong must protect the weak, for this is the natural order. Those with great abilities or aptitudes must use their gifts for the betterment of their fellows. The faithful must be ever vigilant for evil's rise, but must show mercy in dealing with its tools.
Holy Texts: Darlen's teachings are set down in the Scripture of Law - a vast tome containing teaching, stories and lessions by some of his early, prominent followers. Divine Order and On Darkness' Rise are important early commentaries penned by legendary high priests.
Gods of the Nearby Kingdoms Lada
The Golden Goddess of Dawn, Love, and Mercy, the Bear Maiden, Lady of the Healing Hand, Daughter of Aten, Mistress of the Petal Palm, Patron of Mothers and Children, Wife of Volund
Domains: Charm, Healing, Nobility, Strength, Sun
Subdomains: Day, Leadership, Love, Resolve, Restoration, Resurrection
Alignment: Neutral Good
Favored Weapon: Staff and scimitar
Mavros-Perun
God of War and Thunder, Lord of Strife and Rebirth, Patron of Valera and the Seven Cities, Lord of the Storm Court
Domains: Death, Healing, Strength, War, Weather
Subdomains: Blood, Murder, Restoration, Resurrection, Storm, Tactics
Alignment: Neutral
Favored Weapons: Longsword, spear
Rava
The Gear Goddess, the Clockwork Oracle, Mother of Industry, Spinner of Fate, Merchant Goddess, Patron of the City of Zobeck, Patron of Weavers and the Gearforged
Domains: Artifice, Clockwork#, Knowledge, Luck, Travel
Subdomains: Construct, Exploration, Fate, Metal, Toil, Trade
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Favored Weapon: Dagger, scimitar
Volund
Master of Fire and Anvil, God of Horses, Smiths and Marriage, Patron of the Cantons, Patron of the Kariv, Master Smith of the Gods, the Wanderer, the Rider
Domains: Animal, Artifice, Community, Earth, Fire (Travel instead of Animal among humans)
Subdomains: Ash, Construct, Family, Metal, Smoke, Toil
Alignment: Neutral
Favored Weapon: Hammer
Yarila and Porevit
The Green Gods, Father Forest and Mother Field, the Fair Gods, the Keepers of Sowing and Harvest, Gods of Fertility, Forests, and Wine
Domains: Earth, Healing, Plant, Water, Weather
Subdomains: Caves, Decay, Growth, Metal, Resurrection, Seasons
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Favored Weapon: Bow, sickle
