GM BB's First Shot

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Trouble in a small town leads to an interesting proposition.

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Map of Kandaria

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Kandaria:
The Isle of Kandaria

Geography
- The island of Kandaria lies on the westernmost part of the known world.
- The portion north of the dividing mountains is deciduous forest with frequest rainfall.
- The mountains that make up the spine of the island are sharp and rugged and covered with high pine forest.
- The lower portion of the island is defined by dry grassland plains broken up by the sharp ranges of hills and the "sky islands."
- The "sky islands" are mountains that rise out of the grasslands abruptly. The ecology progresses from grassland to scruby trees and bushes to pine forest at the higher elevations.

Ecology
-The forests are home to bears, wolves, elk, deer, wyverns.
- The plains are home to deer, antelope, aurocks, hyenas, lions.

Inhabitants
- Elves live in sprawling cities that are built into the northern forest rather than clearing it.
- Gnomes live inside the northern forest in small clan villages.
- Dwarves live in/under the great mountains
- Hobgoblins live in/under the great mountains
- Humans live in fortified towns on the southern plains and in cities along the southern coast.
- Half elves have a city of their own (Libertatia) in a broad pass that separates the northern forest from the southern plains.
- Gnolls liveand raid on the southern plains with camps in the hills and sky islands.
- Halflings live among the humans and in secluded villages of their own throughout the southern portion of the island.

Political Dynamics
- The elves and gnomes tend to keep to themselves. The elves have fought hard to keep the hobgoblins from taking territory in the lower forests of their lands.
- The humans and halflings are generally allies
- The gnolls frequently raid the humans and halflings settlements and retreat into the hills when pursued.
- The dwarves and hobgoblins live in a state of constant war over the mountains, the hobgoblins have some tunnels beneath the mountains that they have taken from the dwarves.
- The dwarves trade with the humans, but distrust the elves.
- The half elf city-state of Libertania acts as an intermediary in trade between the elves and humans.

Common Bronze:
Iron is a semi-rare commondity on Kandaria. It isn't so rare that we need to adjust the prices of items (that would be a book keeping nightmare) but it will color the culture of the people's who live on the island. The two biggest sources of iron are from the dwarves and from trading with "the continent."

The dwarves in order to keep the humans and Halflings from encroaching into their lands in the mountains struck a deal with them long ago. They agreed to provide the humans with some iron, but the amount available to the human nation's it limited. They also trade the human nation's many semi presious gems in exchange for grain and wool. These gems and wool are kandaira's main exports to the continent, iron products as well as luxuries are the main imports. The dwarves have also sent a few of their kind to live among the humans to serve as emissaries and spies.

One way that Kandarians have adapted to the lack of iron is by utilizing bronze in many places where it will perform fine and reducing the amount of iron used in weapons. Halflings run mines in the sky islands and other smaller hills/mountain ranges extracting the tin and copper needed.

The Gypsies:
The caravans of the gypsies travel the length of the island from the half elf city all the way to the southern tip of the island. They are known for the jewelry they craft, the garish colors they wear and are often thought of as thieves. However they move free between the city-states' territories because they facitiate trade and the passage of news among the villiges of the interior. They as a whole revere Desna as their patron goddess. Recieving a steel starknife is a sign of the passage from childhood to adulthood. Aside from starknives (which are precious) the gypsies often use atlatls, and slings to take game during their travels and in defending their caravans from gnolls. The wagons they travel in are ornate wood structures pulled by tamed aurochs.

Durauch:

Spoiler:

- Titles: The Delta, Council Seat
- Size: Large city
- Population: ~12,500
- Demographics: 9500 humans, 2000 halflings, 65 dwarves, 25 elves, 85 gnomes, 275 half-elves, 450 half-orcs, 100 others
- Government: Council
- Alignment: Lawful Neutral
- Demonym: Durauchan
- Major Religions: Abadar, Desna, Sarenrae, Erastil, Asmodeus
- Districts: North Shore, South Shore, the Channels, the Heights, the Docks, Guildseat, the Foundry

Durauch is one of the largest and most of the City-States that rule in Kandaria. It exerts it's influence over the other many towns and villages in the middle portion of the island. The city straddles the Anduan River as it flows into Durauch Bay. The bay is incredibly shallow inside the Point most of it having a depth less than 10 feet. Because of this the sea going ships have to anchor beyond the Point and flat bottomed barges work between the rivver's mouth where most of the city lies and the anchored ships. The effect of the tides is also greatly reduced, so much so that a whole district of the city (the Channels) is built on piles driven into the muddy floor of the bay. Occasionally a large storm will cause the waters of the bay to surge and flood the Channels, but the residents are used to cleaning up after and take it in stride.

Most of the city's wealth is build on trade. Wool and grain, as well as gems from the Dwarves in the Spine are traded for iron and luxury goods from the continent. Durauch also flows goods traded with the half-elf city-state to the north onto ships that travel to the southern portion of the island and to the continent.

North Shore:
This is a middle class neighborhood. If is mostly a residential district, but there are markets shops and smaller businesses.

South Shore: this is an upper class residential district.

The Channels:
This is Durauch's slum and red light district. It sits on the water of the bay on piles as well and on marshy land and sand bars. Many narrow canels criss-cross the area, passing beneath and around the wooden walkways that connect homes and businesses.

The Heights:
This is Durauch's governmental and religious center. It has government offices and tempest.

Guildseat:
This is the heart of the Durach economy. It is the market district of the city, full of open markets, specialty shops, theaters and guild headquarters of most merchant and artisan guilds.

The Docks:
This is where the barges that work as go betweens the city and anchored ships in the deep bay beyong the point are kept. It is closely monitored by the city guard and is well organized. There are inns and bars for sailors, and for facilitating business, but the prices are higher than most sailors are willing to pay.

The Foundry:
This district is the military district of the city.

Lion's Bay:

Spoiler:

- Titles: Sailer's Rest
- Size: Large city
- Population: ~12,925 [b]
- Demographics: 10,000 humans, 1500 halflings, 15 dwarves, 5 elves, 55 gnomes, 250 half-elves, 1000 half-orcs, 100 others
- Government: Overlord
- Alignment: Neutral
- Demonym: Bayman
- Major Religions: Besmara, Desna, Cayden Cailean, Norgober, Abadar

Lion's Bay was originally founded by a group of half orcs that sought independence from the nation's of the continent. However half orc independence didn't last long as trade with pirates led to human settlement. Tensions grew between the humans and the half orcs.

A bloody fight broke out in which the half orcs nearly routed the humans, but in the end were quelled by a coalition of pirate crews. The leader of the pirate coalition took control of the city and negotiated a peace between the factions. The half orcs were allowed their own section of town where their own leaders ruled. The humans agreed to allow half orcs full rights as citizens. Both factions were forced to accept the rule of the pirate coalition as ultimate authority. Captain Lion was appointed Grand Overlord and the settlement was renamed Lion's Bay.

Captain Lion was actually a talented leader and his rule brought prosperity to the the town which grew into a thriving city. It is still a pirate's haven, but the Grand Overlord maintains order well enough to allow commerce to take place in relative safety.


Adventure Start:
Recently, gnolls raided the town of Rhiannon. Mayor Fellstone and his fellow citizens were outraged, and thus formed a party from the town’s surviving guards to track the creatures back to their lair so that it might be assaulted. To their surprise and grief, the tracks led to Lord Kent’s keep. Mayor Fellstone realizes that Lord Kent, the ruler of the region, cannot be brought to justice by usual means. Resigned, the town began the slow process of reconstruction. Still, the villagers wonder why the young lord would do such a thing, and the mayor wonders why the creatures stole his old journals, books, and maps.

However an opportunity has presented itself. Lord Kent has announced a tournament at his keep, inviting those of “all walks of life with a propensity for the gambling arts.” Contestants shall stay at his keep for four days, and regularly compete . Mayor Fellstone, hearing word of the open invitation to the gambling tournament, has devised a plan of his own. He means to learn Lord Kent’s motives for sending raiders to Rhiannon and see some of the town’s treasures returned. Thus, he seeks out the PCs and asks them to infiltrate Lord Kent’s keep under the guise of a legitimate contestant.