Session 2: Performance Anxiety (11/7/21)

Pulyana 16, 1423.

The PCs decide instead on a short rest, and examine the quartz/gold mine a bit closer before they decide to head back to the cave from which the wailing and blue flashing lights emit. Nebel'shoy climbs up to see through the opening in the corridor, and finds that there is an emaciated corpse lying against a wall, facing away from the entrance. Rucia climbs and up his divine sense notices some presence of undeath within the caves ahead. Along with Bjork, he starts to clear more rubble to permit access, but the minotaur clumsily falls through the rubble. They move further in, and discover that the corpse does indeed seem to be that of Sol Molodin, although it has been drained of all muscle and essence. They turn the cavern corridor to find the source of the crying in the well, and the blue lights...a ghostly lantern which seems to contain the swirling phantasm of a young child. But in the spaces 'between' the flickering lights, two shadows reach and attack the heroes, one of which seems to resemble the corpse just outside!



Our heroes manage to vanquish the creatures, although most of their attacks seem barely effective, and they take a few hits which sap away some of their Strength. They decide to remove the lantern, and find that is is of a flawless construction, the glass perfectly sealed to the electrum frame and handle. Rucia knows that the being within is undead, but it seems benign, and its wailing even ceases once Aldren takes it into his possession. They notiec a strange sigil in the groove where the lantern was sitting, almost a bastardized version of the Brazoskov national crest. The group chooses to make its way out of the well, report and rest up before exploring the other water-filled passage to the west. They emerge and split up, Rucia reporting on their findings to Krykba, and the others going for some shopping to get some better mining equipment, and speaking to Zilya Obylensky. The Kapitan is most curious about the lantern, and Rucia brings his companions back to get their reward in gold for solving the crying and learning the fate of Sol Molodin, whose body they leave at the barracks. The group decides to pitch in together and get a mountain-side suite at the Meek & Marrow, and Bjork preps for a performance. Nebel'shoy and Rucia purchase eight bottles of rotka between them, and they all take baths, Bjork barely able to fit in one of the wooden tubs.

They hear some rumors from the bath attendants, and then decide to retire up to the suite, which gives a beautiful view of the fading sun across the mountainside. Rucia decides to wander off into the village, promoting his friend's upcoming stage show, and then takes a turn to visit the Molodin family, who weep when he offers them the ill news, and a bottle of rotka for consolation. The dragonborn spends some time dazed by the Molodin's slaughter-lanterns, which are lit for each animal the family has butchered that week, then heads back to the Meek & Marrow. After a change of wardrobe, Bjork is ready to go, and Nebel'shoy joins him down in the tavern area. His first performance seems to stutter, so the gnome uses illusion magic to enhances the dancing, storytelling and cowbell with a little lute melody, that seems to at least stabilize the show for the crowd. For the second set, the same trick is employed, plus Rucia begins dancing with a random elderly woman from the audience, a Madame Grazilda. This and the increasing drunkenness off the audience earns Bjork some coin, a mysterious key thrown onto the stage, and Rucia also receives one from the old city widow!

Meanwhile, Aldren is examining the lantern, and notes that the face within seems to make expressions of surprise and wonder at its new surroundings. But leaving the lantern out too long begins to form MORE shadows between its blue flickerings! The half-elf covers it back up and then places it inside the chest that came with their suite, locking it. The rest of the party eventually retires to the suite also, after Rucia has some tea with the widow Grazilda, and Bjork politely declines the key he received, from none other than the barkeep Lubomir! They fall asleep in their suite after a long and eventful day.

Pulyana 17, 1423.

The PCs wake up and everything is normal, until it isn't...after some complementary tea and refreshments from a serving maid, they notice that one of the windows, which was carefully shuttered by Aldren the evening before, is open...and it looks like it was opened by one who knew what they were doing, with a file to slip the latch, and some evidence that a grappling hook or some device was used to scale the inn. They look outside but see nothing below, and then report the incident to Lubomir, who falls over himself to apologize, and offers them their lodgings and meals for free. They decide to do a little poking around outside, and notice that a small candle-stand with a burnt out stub of wax is sitting on one of the windows below, but even after Lubomir has interviewed other neighboring guests, nobody seems to have noticed any intruders. The PCs, suspicious, gather their gear and the lantern and head back towards the well. There, they notice what appears to be a small, corded grappling hook which is nearly impossible to see as its stashed behind some ivy on the inside of the well. The prongs on the hook look identical to the size that might have been used at their window at the inn!

They proceed with caution, and find more evidence that someone has been following them or spying on their activities...pieces of thread have been left on the sharp rock below the well, and on the old mining tent they found in the larger cavern near the mine. They also find a narrow blade stuck into the gold vein in the quartz cavern, to more carefully mark where it might be valuable! Nebel'shoy claims the slender knife, and they backtrack after hearing a splashing and some sounds near the entrance to the well. With his darkvision-extending goggles, the forest gnome notices what just might be a wet looking, white paw disappearing up the well-shaft before the party can get too close. They decide to then wade through the western cavern and see what else lies below the village. They arrive on a muddy beach across which movement is slow, and they find bones and other remains strewn about the place, and several sharp rocks. As Rucia moves to examine the remains and see if they might belong to his former fellow Soverat, the other PCs note that a group of five mottled, scaly humanoids are poised to ambush the dragonborn!



A brutal battle ensues, with the awful stench cast by the creatures causing the PCs to fight more weakly than usual, but despite this, our heroes are victorious without taking too much damage. They search the 'beach' to no avail, then travel south where they can see some illumination dancing against the cavern walls, which turns out to emanate from a fire in a larger cavern, around which more of the scaled creatures dance around a human torso that is simmering on a spit!

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebel'shoy, Rucia

NPCs:

Elisavetta Hearth-lighter (human female): A lean woman wearing flowing burgundy robes and a white rope sash around her waist, with a sparkling green star pendant about her neck. Her auburn hair is tied back into an efficient bun, and her dark eyes glitter with the near permanent if slight smile she wears on her face. She gently swings a silver censer that smells of sweet herbs in one hand, and has what looks like a fold-out wooden fan in her belt.

Madame Grazilda (human female): A, lean elderly woman, with feathery white hair, whom Rucia asks to dance while Bjork is performing at the Meek & Marrow. She excitedly invites the dragonborn to her room later, but only for chat and tea. She ends up telling Rucia that he and his companions would be welcome to call upon her family manor in the capital city of Yurishad, should they ever pass that way.

Yvan (human male): A teenage groom and bath-attendant at the Meek & Marrow in Svodnikha, Yvan stands just over 5 feet and wears a gray robe and white apron over a pair of fine leather boots. His hair is neatly trimmed in a bowl-cut, and he looks as if he has unnatural freckles painted upon his cheeks.

Session 1: Taking the Top Bunk (10/3/21)

Pulyana 15, 1423.

The PCs are sharing a campfire and meal near the foothills of the Gargoyle Steeps when approached by a local courier, Pavli and his Samoyed pup. The boy wishes to share some food and drink and mentions that the nearby village, Svodnikha, known to several of the PCs, has some troubling news. A child's voice has been heard wailing from a condemned well near one of the farms, but none of the local children have been unaccounted for. After breaking open the well, a young farmer and a pair of Soverat soldiers have already disappeared trying to find the source of the distress. Our heroes are prompted to investigate, and Pavli is on his way to try to spread the news westward towards the Skorbi river. They decide to travel on into the evening, and arrive within a few hours, where they split up for lodgings.

Aldren and Nebel'shoy decide to stay at the Obylensky farm, where the half-elf has some pull. As they approach, they agitate some dogs, but the matron of the farm, Zilya, welcomes them with a meal of soup and some lodging. It turns out that the well in question is on the corner of their property, and as the pair are trying to sleep in one of the farmhouse stalls they can hear it throughout the night. They also notice that the dogs running about the place tend to avoid the well. Meanwhile, Bjork and Rucia head to the Meek & Marrow, where Bjork plans to perform for some lodgings, which the proprietor Lubomir does agree too. The tales by cowbell start out rough, but after Rucia hawks his friend's performance to some agitated locals, the crowd grows and the minotaur does quite well, earning some coin. He retires to the top of a bunk being occupied by a human couple, and Rucia stays at the local Soverat barracks.

Pulyana 16, 1423.

The groups meets back up at the Meek & Marrow for some breakfast, where they learn that Lubomir believes the voice in the well is good for village business, a potential tourist trap. They then head over to speak with Kapitan Krykba of the Soverat, who claims he can spare no more soldiers investigating the strange phenomenon, and offers the PCs coin to find the missing villagers and uncover whatever the disturbance may be. They ask for supplies and he permits them to take whatever they can find lying around. Aldren finds a strange arrow near the Soverat's target range, and learns that it has come from the river market at Zolovny. After gathering their bearings, the PCs approach the old Obylensky well, which they learned was condemned years ago after a local businessman, Aleksi Bazeilevsky, deemed it collapsed and unsafe, thus boarding it all up.

After Rucia carries Nebel'shoy down the well on a rope, Bjork falls on his other companion, but the mounds of dirt and refuse that have gathered at the bottom protect him from being crushed to death. The bottom of the well has indeed collapses into the cavern below, which is heaped with junk that has been thrown in over the last few days by locals or tourists listening for the wailing below. Two natural, flooded cavern passages exit the area, and after finding some clothing left on a stone near the southern passage, the PCs wade their way through, to an overgrown cavern which seems to have developed its own ecosystem after a tree and vegetation fell from a sinkhole on the Obylensky farm, the same terrain instability that might have collapsed the drinking well. They find a fetid pool of green liquid here, dripping from a rotted tree-trunk poked through the ceiling, but avoid drinking it.

They split up, two of the party investigating a corridor stacked with rubble. An eerie blue light emanates from a stone that has been removed at the top of the pile, and they find tracks and evidence that recently someone has climbed up and removed it. The others find a larger cavern full of stalagmites, stalactites and old mining equipment. After reconvening, they determine that they'll check out the larger area first. Several of the stalagmites have been shorn down to create small tables, here lanterns, picks, rope and old candles are set up, covered in years of webs and dust. They find a small, single-person tent, and a corpse within, which seems to have been strangled by some now some tentacled creature which is still wrapped around its throat. It turns out that several such creatures still dwell in the cavern, and they attack the PCs, dropping from above! A savage melee ensues, the creatures ensnaring the heads of some of our heroes while others had to try and fight them free. Nebel'shoy is knocked out at one point but saved, and at last they manage to obliterate the aberrations.

Within the tent, they found a strange pair of goggles that seem to extent or grant darkvision to the wearer, and a lockbox belonging to the dead miner, who they presume to be Aleksi after discovering a nearby mine full of quartz crystals and potentially some gold veins! Before turning back to search the corridor of blue light, the PCs decide on a long rest...

PCs: Arlend, Bjork, Nebel'shoy, Rucia

NPCs:

Kapitan Krykba (human male): The Kapitan wears the leather duster so common in the Soverat, with a black cap dressed in brown and white owl feathers. His long, slightly graying hair is kept neatly in a ponytail down his back, while his drooping moustache is decorated with brass rings. He has deep-set, suspicious eyes and a nose that looks to have been half-mulched against his face. A scar runs from his forehead down to beneath his left ear, and his right hand is missing a middle and forefinger. He leans steadily upon a pike, and wears a shashka and length of spiked chain on his belt. Mail clinks beneath his jacket, and four golden hawk pins denote his rank.

Lubomir Longbelts (dwarf male): A smiling dwarf of many winters, with a shock-white head of hair that arranged into braids and arches, a neatly-trimmed beard and thick, sharp eyebrows that accent his mismatched, grey and green eyes. He wears a thick leather apron with a fine fur trim, upon which are strapped the two bandoliers from which he gets his name. Each is packed with tabs and sheaths that contain spice shakers, bottle openers, a mallet, carving knives, spoons, and other utensils; for rough customers he reserves a falcon-beaked mace on his belt.

Pavli (human male): A young boy of around 10 years, with a fur cloak pulled up over a pale, freckled face, and carrying an unlit lantern on the end of a quarterstaff. At his heels, a white-furred Samoyed pup nips excitedly, keeping pace with its master.

Zilya Obylensky (human female): A graceful, 6’ tall matron with a strong upper build from her many ears toiling about her garden plots. She wears a simple leather vest over a long wool skirt and furred boots caked with earth and grass. Her brown hair is streaked with gray, tied back in a practical braid and her high cheekbones offset the many lines and cracks in her face from age and weather. Her left arm is missing below the elbow, but it has been replaced by a wooden forelimb to which she can attach tools and utensils for farming and cooking.

Brazoskov Races

Aarakocra: Few of these avian creatures make their residence in the kingdom of Brazoskov, generally sticking to family units out in the wilds, but there are several exceptions like the Stormbeak clan which can be contacted through Orekh in Omnuty.

Aasimar: These celestial touched beings are only ever encountered as individuals, often embedded within certain churches or noble enclaves in larger cities like Yurishad.

Bugbear: Bugbears often make their livings as brutes among goblin communities, occasionally bullying their way to positions of power above their smaller kin, but they also thrive as raiders and trappers within their own communities through the Tzarswald and cold Umbrilya.

Changeling: The changelings are most common in urban settings throughout Carpezce, Myrkyba and Brazoskov, where they tend to remain quiet and blend in with their human and dwarven peers.

Dhampir: Largely connected to the great presence of Blood-Counts of old Karnovya in centuries past, dhampir are not terribly rare even today, with the vast majority inhabiting or dwelling in the margins of society in Brazoskov and Carpezce.

Dragonborn: Though they have no sizeable presence, dragonborn do exist throughout Karnovya in small tribes, generally in the same terrain inhabited by their respective draconic ancestors. So, silver dragonborn in the Gargoyle Steeps, green dragonborn in the Tzarswald, black dragonborn in the Hexen Downs (often mixing it up with lizardfolk), and so forth.

D'vryn: A largely nomadic people seeped in superstition, the D'vryn are rovers and gypsies who can be found across Brazoskov, all 

Dwarf, Duergar: The duergar are a large threat to western Karnovya, where they raid the surface from numerous regions, and tend to take and trade in slaves from those villages or groups they conquer. But what really draws them to the surface are the alloys and precious stones being mined by their surface kin or the rock gnomes that also inhabit their raiding grounds. Occasionally a deep dwarf might find her or himself philosophically opposed to the doings of her/his clan, but even so they will find little trust among the other civilized races. 

Dwarf, Hill: Hill dwarves are among the most common of Karnovyan races, but unlike their presence in other distant lands of Khel Vanor, they tend to integrate almost completely with human communities who can appreciate their workmanship and family-oriented lives.

Dwarf, Mountain: Mountain dwarves are more apt to form their own isolated clans than their hilly cousins, but most of them are still mixed in with alpine or highland human cities and villages.

Elf, Dark: Not as common as the duergar who raid the surface regions of Karnovya, but there are purported to be drow civilizations deep beneath the continent, and individuals or hunting parties have been encountered throughout the centuries, not all of which are hostile.

Elf, High: High elves are not quite native to Karnovya, but several of their clans have taken up places in the more refined societies of Myrkya or Brazoskov, in cities such as Gladenspyr or Yurishad.

Elf, Wood: The most common of elven kin in Karnovya, wood elves exist in large family units throughout the Tzarswald and Jaggarwood. Though they don't integrate as often into human societies, they are known to hunt and trade just about anywhere, and offer travelers refuge when encountered.

Firbolg: Several firbolg families survive in the cold woodland known as The Dirge, but if there are any elsewhere in Karnovya, they have yet to be seen.

Genasi: Genasi of all heritages are exceedingly rare in Karnovya, but water genasi are often found in coastal areas, and fire genasi have a presence in Oslek communities in and about The Bellows.

Gnome, Forest: Fleeting and shy, forest gnomes nonetheless can be found in small, hidden communities throughout the mighty Tzarswald, and some individuals might have reason to drift into more populated areas.

Gnome, Rock: More common than their woodland counterparts, rock gnomes often inhabit regions of Western Karnovya like The Shorn, The Promontory and the Wolfen Waste, where they work and trade among humans.

Goblin: Goblinkind is nuisance enough throughout Karnovya to be considered a danger, and large warbands mixed with hobgoblins and bugbears can be found in most uninhabited regions where they have access to raiding outlier communities or trading routes.

Goliath: Though extremely rare throughout most of Karnovya, goliath clans nevertheless do thrive in the mountainous region known as the Thunderblight, southeast of the Tzarswald.

Half-Elf: With the sizeable presence of wood elves in some of the rustic areas across Karnovya, half-elves are more than inevitable. Much rarer would be half-elves of dark elven, high elven, sea elven or eladrin stock, such beings would likely be singular in their communities.

Halfling: Halflings are non-native and somewhat rare in Karnovya, but individuals or family units of all the subraces can be found in larger human communities, especially coastal or pastoral cities.

Half-Orc: Orcs are non-native to Karnovya, and almost unheard of, but it's not impossible that a sailor of their species might put to port, resulting in half-orc offspring. 

Hexblood: Hexbloods are not unknown in the Hexen Downs of Myrkyrba where witchcraft is a staple of many lives in some form or other, and hags live among man.

Hobgoblin: Very rarely found outside of goblin communities, which hobgoblins are known to take charge of, organize and rally for raiding purposes. Hobgoblin mercenaries are also prized for their fighting capacities in the kingdom of Oslek, or in brigades such as The Red Weather.

Hsin (locked): A human sub-race hailing from the neighboring continent of Shara'zai, the Hsin are slightly shorter than native Karnovyan humans, with skin tones ranging from fair to tan or even brown in some instances, generally dark hair, and occasionally different-angled eyes. They come from several cultures, each with unique cuisine, dress, and weaponry, and are most likely to be found in port cities and communities on the southern coasts.

Human: The 'default' Karnovyan humans tend towards lighter skin with hair ranging from dark brown to blonde or even platinum. Albinism is also a rarely common affliction in many bloodlines throughout the kingdoms of Brazoskov, Carpezce and Oslek.

Kobold: Kobolds are a scant threat throughout Karnovya, but they are known to thrive in some subterranean areas like cavern networks, mines, and sewers.

Lizardfolk: Lizardfolk are fairly common in regions such as the Hexen Downs or Blacktooth Bog, where their tribes' dispositions from man-eating savagery to peaceful trading. 

Minotaur: Most often found in Oslek, where they represent a reasonable percentage of the overall population, but individual Minotaurs or small families can be found spread throughout Karnovya, often taking up trades within human communities that won't shun them.

Ounce: Bipedal snow leopards that can be found in numerous prides across the continent, very often beyond the fringes of human civilization. While many are savage and hostile towards other races, a few such as the Orkhul Pride of Forlornya are more benign fishers and traders.

Reborn: On a continent where necromancy is strong, and higher undead often flaunt their presence publicly, it's no surprise that there is a larger presence of the Reborn. 

Svirfneblin: Deep gnomes are a rarity, but no more so than their forest counterparts. Traders, explorers and prospectors from this species aren't unknown in woodland or mountain regions

Tiefling: Like the aasimar, these plane-touched beings are little more than a curiosity across Karnovya, though they seem to have a solid presence within the nobility of Carpezce, and several tiefling artists, musicians and vagabonds roam the continent.

Tortle: Though unknown to most of Karnovya, tortle traders do wander the southern coast of the Sollum Span, and several hostile 'snapper' tortle mud-villages have sprung up throughout the Hexen Downs east of Kurstav.

Character Generation

Ability Scores: 27 Point Purchase

Starting HP: Maximum for 1st level, reroll results of 1 at later levels (though you must accept the new result).

Starting Wealth & Equipment: At 1st level, use equipment kits as per your Class and Background in the Player's Handbook, and normal starting wealth, although you may also spend that as part of your initial build. Characters coming in at higher levels will use the Standard Campaign column of the Starting Equipment table, on page 38 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Starting Level: 1st, or at the same level as your dead/retired character, but with the minimum XP for that particular level.

Feats: At higher levels, you may indeed select Feats in place of your Ability adjustments.

Classes & Specializations

Artificer: Alchemist, Artillerist, Battle Smith

Barbarian: Path of the Ancestral Guardian, Path of the Battlerager (Dwarf only), Path of the Beast, Path of the Berserker, Path of the Storm Herald, Path of the Totem Warrior, Path of the Zealot, Path of Wild Magic

Bard: College of Creation, College of Eloquence, College of Glamour, College of Lore, College of Spirits, College of Swords, College of Valor, College of Whispers

Cleric: Ambition Domain, Arcana Domain, Forge Domain, Grave Domain, Knowledge Domain, Life Domain, Light Domain, Nature Domain, Order Domain, Peace Domain, Solidarity Domain, Strength Domain, Tempest Domain, Trickery Domain, Twilight Domain, War Domain, Zeal Domain

Druid: Circle of Dreams, Circle of Spores, Circle of Stars, Circle of the Land, Circle of the Moon, Circle of the Shepherd, Circle of Wildfire

Fighter: Arcane Archer, Battle Master, Cavalier, Champion, Eldritch Knight, Psi Warrior, Rune Knight, Samurai (Hsin only)

Monk: Way of Mercy, Way of Shadow, Way of the Astral Self, Way of the Drunken Master, Way of the Four Elements, Way of the Kensei (Hsin only), Way of the Long Death, Way of the Open Hand, Way of the Sun Soul

Paladin: Oath of Conquest, Oath of Devotion, Oath of Glory, Oath of Redemption, Oath of the Ancients, Oath of the Crown, Oath of the Watchers, Oath of Vengeance

Ranger: Beast Master, Fey Wanderer, Gloom Stalker, Horizon Walker, Hunter, Monster Slayer, Swarmkeeper

Rogue: Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Inquisitive, Mastermind, Phantom, Scout, Soulknife, Swashbuckler, Thief

Sorcerer: Aberrant Mind, Clockwork Soul, Divine Soul, Draconic Bloodline, Shadow Magic, Storm Sorcery, Wild Magic

Warlock: The Archfey, The Celestial, The Fathomless, The Fiend, The Genie, The Great Old One, The Hexblade, Undead

Wizard: Bladesinging (Elf only), Order of Scribes, School of Abjuration, School of Divination, School of Enchantment, School of Evocation, School of Illusion, School of Necromancy, School of Transmutation, War Magic

The Meek & Marrow Menu

 

Svodnikha Map

Northeast Tzarswald Map

Brazoskov Factions

Brothers Dim: A highly secretive thieves’ guild which is said to have had its fingers in a great many pies, not the least of which are the smuggling of contraband weapons and drugs, prostitution circles, pick-pocketing and burglary at even the highest echelons of society, and purportedly some illicit acquisitions of foreign relics and lore that find themselves in the possession of the Skolareum at Arkany. They have run afoul of both the Soverat and numerous D’Vryn families who have often been blamed for their activities. That said, there is as of yet next-to-nothing known about their leadership, their numbers, headquarters or whatever qualifications are needed to join their ranks. The one exception is that they operate under the symbol of a skeletal hand clutching an extinguished, smoking candle, and physical representations of this have been left behind the scene of several of their crimes.

D’Vryn: A semi-nomadic human folk found throughout the continent of Karnovya, the D’Vryn are said to be the direct descendents of a being known simply as ‘The Host’, whose very living essence has been dispersed into its bloodline, giving them minor supernatural abilities like eyes that glow a ghostly white by darkness. Known as mystics, storytellers, musicians, dancers and fortune tellers, the D’Vryn often make their living as entertainers in both urban and rural areas, but they’ve also accumulated negative stereotypes of thieves and hustlers. Several of their camps can be found across the Northeast Tzarswald region, though individuals or tighter family units come and go as they choose.

Ounce Prides: A race of anthropomorphic snow leopards, the Ounce are not uncommon in many of the northern regions of Karnovya, where they are most often organized intro large family groups which rove, raid, and barter together. Local to the Northeastern Tzarswald are the Khentii, Mhago and Uul Prides, the last of which is often known to stir up trouble for the local Skovian populations. On occasion, Ounce trappers and traders who exhibit more civil behavior are allowed into local settlements for commerce.

River Monks: Devotees of the deity St. Flume, the River Monks of Brazoskov are quartered at their stilted temple of Herring House in the small village of Omutny. Here, and across the waterways of the region, they charge themselves with blessing the nets and vessels of honest fisherfolk, the repairs of stranded or scuttled barges and boats, tracking the local freshwater fish populations to ensure bountiful harvest for their flocks. In between such tasks, they are known to patrol the Skorbi River and Jaggerhead Lake in accordance with the Soverat, dealing with brigands and offering what healing and help they can to believers. They are known to shave their scalps clean, both male and female, and decorate them with tattoos in various blue or green nautical patterns, and they often wear robes in similar colors, with white or silver threaded patterns and lots of pockets and sashes to carry nets, lures, and other implements. When traveling beyond their home villager, they wield fishing spears, tridents, knives and nets, blessed within the waters beneath Herring House. River Monks also maintain celibacy and temperance outside of their order, permitted only to marry within their own ranks, and to drink only on Holy Days marked by tides and currents.

The Red Weather: A feared mercenary company, independent of Skovian rule, known for its brutal trials and training regimen, and named for the bloodshed it commits on the battlefield. Red Weather officers are infamous for adorning suits of horned, barbed, spiked and pronged armor into combat, increasingly ridiculous by rank, and always lacquered in crimson. They’re often employed to quell political insurrections or drive back Ounce raids in the northern regions, but have also fought in wars against neighboring kingdoms such as Carpezce and Oslek. They operate from a fort in the foothills of the Gargoyle Steeps, but interested parties will find it safer to inquire after them at one of their local recruitment offices in Arkany or Svodnikha.

The Soverat: The official military body of Brazoskov, the Soverat serves the whims of its Empress and nobility. In peacetime, Soverat soldiers are assigned as wilderness patrols, city watch and constables for small settlements. They enforce the Empress’ Law and are responsible for jailing and executions, as well as taxing the populace for goods and coin each year. Soverat soldiers are easily spotted with their black-feathered caps and fur-lined leather dusters, which conceal their mail and weapons. Ranks are denoted on the left breast by a number of golden hawk emblems that range from 1 to 7. They wield a wide array of armaments by specialty, from sabers and pole axes to crossbows and flintlocks.

Brazoskov Settlements

Arkany (pop 14,000): The sole ‘city’ located in the Northeast Tzarswald region, Arkany is both a seat of nobility and the kingdom’s largest repository of knowledge, most of which is gathered together in the Skolareum, a massive domed structure lying at the heart of the city, and visible well outside its walls. Arkany has about as many temples as it has inns and taverns, as well as the region’s largest concentration of Soverat troops. The city and the endless stores of knowledge within are of paramount importance to the Empress, as heavily guarded as Her treasury at Yurishad, complete with escape routes out the sub-cellars, dungeons and docks, through which the monks and scholars can evacuate their scrolls, ledgers and tomes in the event of an invasion, fire or some other catastrophe.
 
Borgaborsk (pop. 1800): A prosperous, walled town with the added defense of a Skorbi River inlet that serves as a natural moat. A larger-than-average dwarf population resides here, which explains the columns of forge-smoke that can be seen by daylight for many miles around. Craftsmen abound, from carpenters to smiths, who work from imported timber and iron, and their wares are sought all across Brazoskov.

Halfwynter Lodge (pop. 100): An elaborate, alpine resort in the Gargoyle Steeps, which caters primarily to a nobility from all corners of Brazoskov who fancy outdoor sports. Hiking, hunting, skiing, spelunking, dogsled racing and other activities are encouraged, and generally half the residents are staff who attend the wealthy clientele. Despite its name, the Lodge is active year round.
 
Omutny (pop. 200): A small community of fisherfolk on the western shore of Jaggerhead Lake, known as a particularly superstitious lot in how they ply their trades. The centerpiece of the village is Herring House, a stilted temple to St. Flume that overlooks the waters, staffed by an order of River Monks.
 
Svodnikha (pop. 900): An alpine village on the edge of the Tzarswald, in the foothills of the Gargoyle Steeps. Several farms have been tilled into hardened, cold terrain just south of the place, with some root vegetables and livestock available. Other local trades include hunting, prospecting and lumber. Svodnikha is generally the last stop-off point for Soverat patrols or explorers headed east across the Umbrilya glacier, merchant caravans traveling to Carpezce and Skovian elite en route to vacation at Halfwynter Lodge, so it attracts one of the more interesting and mixed crowds in the region.
 
Zolovny (pop. 400): A river market which swells up in traffic during the summer months, but otherwise maintains a rather low population. Zolovny serves as a nexus between D’Vryn traders and entertainers and the Skovian majority, but is also known as a haven of corruption rumored to harbor a discreet local thieves’ guild. Little more is known, but those who go inquiring loudly tend to end up chained below the docks, with their corpses picked at by the fish and flowing river.

Brazoskov Geography

Deepwood Barrows: A hilly region amidst the Tzarswald pines north of the Skorbi River, said to house the remains of thousands of soldiers and heroes from the Tricentennial War, fought between the Myrkyban Witch-wardens and the Blood Counts of Old Brazos, hundreds of years before the crowning of the first Emperor. Though much of the area is overgrown, the crests and contours of these burial mounds remain evident, and some are still crowned with indecipherable stones or tombs denoting sepulchers below. Several have been partially dug out or pillaged through the centuries, by both robbers and adventurers, but it is an ill-advised practice, since neither the local wildlife (dire wolves, bears, badgers, etc) or the ‘residents’ of the Barrows desire to be disturbed.
 
Flailing Marsh: The Marsh is named for its dominant rotfeather ferns, pale plants whose leaves whip about constantly in the breezes off the Skorbi River and Jaggerhead Lake. The ferns are the primary ingredient in the rotka whiskey so popular throughout Brazoskov, and harvesters can be found in camps throughout the summer and autumn months. Never alone, for the Marsh is also home to threats like hydras, bullywugs, witching vedma/vedmak, and the restless spirits which haunt the areas surrounding the Crumblemoor, a half sunken keep which was once home to a local baron whose family profited heavily off the rotka trade.
 
Gargoyle Steeps: The Steeps rise to around 3-3,500 feet at their highest, a snowy alpine range which plummets down steeply at its north face into the Sea of Specters. They are snow-covered through most of the year, and the slopes make for excellent skiing or climbing challenges. The mountains get their name for the strange, grotesque statues and visages that have been carved into their peaks, monuments of an ancient, otherworldly culture from millennia before mankind became dominant on the continent of Karnovya. Treacherous, icy caverns and old mines abound throughout the Steeps, from the foothills to the heights, and the Skorbi River is fed from the melting accumulating as it runs both southwest into the Tzarswald and north to some falls above the Sea. The region is also home to threats such as yeti, ounce hunters, dire goats, and wyverns, as well as a handful of silver dragons and their reclusive dragonborn kin.
 
Jaggerhead Lake: A primary resource for the common folk throughout the Northeast Tzarswald, the Jaggerhead’s waters provide fishing and trade for most of the local settlements, and they are constantly repopulated by the Skorbi River currents. The lake is so-named for the dangerous, rocky promontories which abound through its waters, some of which are estimated to stand between 40-60’ at its deepest points. These can be treacherous to fisherfolk or bargemen at night or when a dense mist rolls off the nearby Flailing Marsh, so the Rowers’ Point lighthouse was established to help guide them. The steep slopes of these ‘Jaggerheads’ are often home to beds of freshwater mussels, crab and crayfish colonies, and the peaks are often infested with nests of herons, grebes and loons. More intriguing are the reports that several of these natural rocky protrusions hide submerged cavern networks that contain anything from smugglers’ caches to lost treasures of the Blood Counts of Old Brazos.
 
Skorbi River: The lifeline of the Northeast Tzarswald region, the Skorbi River flows from a source high in the Gargoyle Steeps through much of the woodland and also out north to the Sea of Specters. Due to the lack of a proper road system (beyond beaten paths), most of the local communities are located along its banks or on adjoining water bodies, and a large percentage of trade is by boat alone. The Skorbi is not without its dangers: river brigands, malevolent vodyanoy and rusalka, as well as treacherous rapids nearer to the mountains.

Tzarswald: The vast woodland that stretches across much of the sprawling kingdom of Brazoskov and even the western reaches of Carpezce, the Tzarswald provides a livelihood and home for tens of thousands of Skovian residents and a myriad of other races and peoples. Divided into both coniferous and deciduous areas, the wood is rich for hunting, foraging, and the near endless supply of timber, furs and other resources that so much of the country is founded upon.  Millennia of rule and exploit at the hands of different kingdoms and empires have ensured that the place is peppered with the ruins of old castles, villages, and other structures that lie abandoned or overrun by the local flora. The most famous of these are Old Bloodwalls, the last bastion of the Counts who once reigned during the time of the Tricentennial War, and Smite-Eye’s Tower, an 80’ tall stone fortification which once housed a powerful dwarf sorcerer, unseen for a century or more, but still purported to be heavily defended from intruders. Of course, the forest itself has its own hazards, from the many species of the wildlife you’d expect, to murderous ambulatory trees, clans of secretive forest gnomes, leshy, lycanthropes, and the occasional green dragon.

Brazoskov Cultural Notes

Population: 390,000 [mixed; 79% human, 9% dwarf, 5% D’Vryn, 3% gnome, 2% elf, 1% ounce, 1% other]

Ruler: Empress Rozyna Nozdrova

Capital: Yurishad

Standard: Two shashka crossed between unfurling wings, with a sharply angled falcon’s head between.

The people of Brazoskov are renowned for their dour outlook and dry humor, but loosen their guard with a flask of their favorite local rotka, and they become a warm folk who speak proudly of family, childhood, relationships, trades and crafts, and what they’ve managed to accomplish in the scant few centuries since the fall of the Blood Counts that once ruled their land. They are a deeply traditional, superstitious, and polytheistic lot, although most adhere closely to one particular patron deity related to their trade or family background. A full list of these has been included, although most of their gods and goddesses are not unique to the area.
                Skovians are generally fair-skinned with a tendency to blonde or brown hair, though some of mixed Carpezci and Myrkyban bloodlines have swarthier complexions and even darker (black) or salt & pepper hair. There is a higher than normal rate of albinism among them, affecting perhaps 5% of the populace, a trait inherited from their forebears of Old Brazos. Men favor elaborate moustaches, greased or braided, across numerous social classes, while the women enjoy all manner of bonnets and dresses that range from sea-green to scarlet. The richer the family, the fancier the trappings, though most of the elite reside within isolated rural estates or the marbled districts of larger cities like Yurishad and Kurstav.

Common Names (Female): Afimiia, Akilina, Akulina, Alena, Anastasiia, Anna, Antonidka, Avdotiitsa, Bezubaia, Chiudka, Dedenia, Deretka, Dominika, Domna, Ekaterina, Elizaveta, Euprakseia, Evdokeia, Evdokiia, Evdokseia, Evfrosiniia, Fedorka, Fekla, Feodosiia, Fetiniia, Fevroniia, Gostiata, Iarina, Iriniia, Iulianiia, Katerina, Katerinka, Khristina, Kosenila, Kseniia, Makrina, Maremiiana, Marfa, Mariia, Marina, Melaniia, Milka, Miropiia, Nedelika, Negoshka, Nezhka, Ogrofena, Olena, Pelageia, Peredeslava, Proskurniana, Sapozhnika, Sofiia, Tanka, Tatiana, Uliiana, Varvara

Common Names (Male): Aleksandr, Aleksei, Andrei, Anton, Bolda, Boris, Boroda, Buiak, Chernek, Chort, Davyd, Dmitrii, Domaslav, Domazhir, Drozd, Fedor, Filofei, Foma, Georgii, Grechin, Gridia, Grigorii, Guba, Iakov, Iakun, Iaroslav, Iev, Ignatii, Iosif, Iov, Ivan, Kisel, Kozel, Kriv, Kuritsa, Kuzima, Maksim, Mal, Malina, Matfei, Mestislav, Mikhail, Mil, Miloslav, Miroslav, Mixail, Nezhek, Nikita, Oleg, Orekh, Pavel, Prokopii, Radoslav, Sbyslav, Semeon, Shchuka, Shuba, Sidor, Sobol, Stanimir, Stepan, Sviatoslav, Tretiak, Tvorimir, Vasilii, Viacheslav, Vladimir, Voislav, Volchok, Volotok, Vsevolod, Zaiats, Zavid, Zaxarii, Zhiroslav, Zhiznobud, Zub

Family Names: Abramtsov, Akimov, Aksenov, Aleev, Aleksandrov, Alekseev, Alyoshka, Andreev, Andreyev, Andropov, Anisimov, Anokhin, Arkhipov, Bakhmetev, Balakirev, Baranov, Baranova, Barishnikov, Batukhtina, Bazilevsky, Beketov, Belanov, Belousov, Belov, Belyaev, Belyakov, Beregovoi, Berzin, Bezuhov, Biryukov, Bogdanov, Boricov, Borisenko, Borshevsky, Buinovsky, Bukharin, Bykov, Charkov, Chashnikov, Chernienko, Chernitsky, Chernov, Chernyshev, Chicherin, Chistyakov, Danilov, Dashkov, Demidov, Denisov, Derevenko, Dmitriev, Dolohov, Dostoevsky, Dubrovskiy, Duchovny, Efimov, Egorov, Erikeev, Ermakov, Evdokimov, Fedorov, Fedorova, Fetyukov, Filatov, Filimonov, Filipov, Filippov, Fomin, Frolov, Gagarin, Ganelin, Gerasimov, Gogunov, Golitsin, Golubev, Gopchik, Gorbachev, Goryachev, Grigorev, Grigoriev, Grishkuv, Gromov, Gromyko, Ignatev, Ignatiev, Ilin, Iltchenko, Isleniev, Ivanov, Izedinov, Jakov, Kalashnikov, Kapustin, Karin, Karpov, Katzev, Khokhlov, Khromoi, Khvostov, Kiselev, Klevshin, Klimov, Kochetkov, Kolesnikov, Kolokoltsov, Koptev, Koslov, Kostiurin, Kovalenko, Kovalev, Kozlov, Krylov, Kubarev, Kulik, Kupchenko, Kuzmin, Kuznetsova, Kuzyomin, Kyznetsov, Laptev, Larionov, Lasovskaya, Lazarev, Lebedev, Lebedyenko, Leonov, Lepechin, Lermontov, Litvinov, Lobachev, Lobanov, Loginov, Lukanov, Lukin, Lukyanov, Mahayev, Maikov, Makarov, Markov, Maslov, Matiushkin, Medvedev, Melnikov, Mendeleev, Merkulov, Mikhailov, Mikulin, Mironov, Mizirov, Molodin, Molotov, Morchenko, Morozov, Nakhimov, Naumov, Nazarov, Nesterov, Nikanov, Nikitin, Nikolaev, Novakovsky, Novikov, Obolensky, Omelchenko, Orlov, Osipov, Ostrogorsky, Ovcharenko, Ovinko, Panin, Pankratev, Panov, Panteleyev, Pasternak, Pasunin, Pavlov, Petrenko, Petrov, Podgorni, Polyakov, Ponomarev, Popov, Potemkin, Prerovsky, Prokhorov, Pushkin, Putilov, Putin, Rachmanov, Ratkov, Razumovsky, Revnik, Rokossovsky, Ronzhin, Rudakov, Rumiantsev, Sadykov, Salamov, Samarin, Satyev, Savelev, Savin, Scherbakov, Schlensky, Seleznyov, Semenov, Sevruk, Shcherbakov, Sherikov, Shirkov, Shukhov, Simonov, Skvortsov, Smirnov, Sokolov, Solzhenitsin, Sorokin, Spiridonov, Stepanov, Strogonov, Suvorov, Sviridov, Talietzin, Tarasov, Tatishchev, Tchechenko, Teplov, Tikhomirov, Tikhonov, Timofeev, Titov, Topolev, Tretiakov, Turov, Tyurin, Ukhtomskoy, Ulyanov, Ushakov, Vasilev, Vasiliev, Vdovushkin, Verkhovsky, Vezirov, Viazemsky, Vladykin, Vlasov, Volkovoi, Volkv, Volodimerov, Volsky, Vorobev, Voronin, Voronov, Yablokov, Yakovlev, Yavlinsky, Yazykov, Yudin, Yumashev, Yuriev, Zaitsev, Zajaczek, Zakharov, Zbruev, Zhadovsky, Zharov, Zhdanov, Zhukov, Zhuravlev, Zinoviev, Zmiev, Zotov, Zubov

Calendar (1 year = 365 days)
Sarunya (New-winter) 31 days
Silvnek (Midwinter) 29 days
Loschoy (Late-winter) 30 days

Novna (New-spring) 31 days
Nevernya (Mid-spring) 31 days
Lapina (Late-spring) 30 days

Crestov (New-summer) 31 days
Kyunik (Midsummer) 30 days
Martzov (Late-summer) 31 days

Pulyana (New-autumn) 30 days
Desnova (Mid-autumn) 30 days
Mednikova (Late-autumn) 31 days

Coinage
Golden Greva (1), Silver Souvla (10), Copper Curst (100)