You have set sail from Seaton, trade centre in the Viscounty of Salinmoor, and crossed over to the principality of Monmurg in the Hold of the Sea Princes. At the docks, a harbourmaster greets you:
“Welcome to the Sea Princes, Captain! Our subtropical country will surely warm your salty bones. Renowned for its beautiful hot and humid weather and pleasant beaches, nobles from as far as Nyrond flock to Monmurg every winter, hoping to escape the dreary north for a few months of relative paradise. Unless you are headed up to the mountains in the west, our winters are mild as well. I warn you though that we do get daily rainstorms during the rainy season… and every few years, a massive hurricane or two hits the region. But let that not stop you to drop anchor here"
History
A land of pirates?
We might have been, but most are on the straight and narrow now. Let me give you a short history lesson captain. Keoland colonised the mainland here, and by King Tavish’s orders establishing Westkeep in 304 cy to protect his colonies from the dangers of the Hool Marshes. Only a mere two years later, Keoland managed to win the Last Toli War and thereby absorbing Port Toli and the Grand Duchy of Berghof into the new ‘Duchy of Monmurg’.
From 350 ‘till 445 cy, the buccaneers of the Azure Sea and Jeklea Bay grew strong and wealthy while Keoland was at the height of its power and had their sights on northern regions. The sea raiders were ignored. These privateers took to calling themselves the ‘Confederacy of the Sea Princes', after a particularly successful captain of noble Keoish birth. Sailing unchecked from their island and mainland strongholds, these raiders were the scourge of the coasts from Gradsul to Scant, on the Pomarj, and even beyond into the Sea of Gearnat and the Tilva Strait. These were the golden days of Grand Piracy, captain.
When Keoland turned back from imperial expansion, the Keoish fleet, even with the aid of a squadron of Ulek warships, could at best manage the cessation of piracy at the Battle of Jetsom Island, in 464 cy, by sinking the Sea Prince with all hands lost. This ‘lesson’ caused the pirates to rethink their policies however, and many of the old captains retired from piracy, settling the mainland and forming a more stabilized government. During the next 20 years the younger captains turned from piracy to relatively legitimate pursuits such as exploration of the Amedio coast, building forts and trade northward with the rare woods, spices, ivory, and gold which they wrested from the jungle inhabitants.
Thus, a chaotic nation of pirates and scalawags turned their attention to mercantilism, and the coffers of the Sea Princes swelled to bursting and by 527 cy, the Hold further expanded its territory to the edge of the Hellfurnaces, peacefully absorbing the Duchy of Berghof.
So, what are the people like?
Well, it might come as a surprise, but these lands are one of the earliest human-settled lands, with Flan tribes arriving here first and building settlements. Suel explorers arrived here decades prior to the Twin cataclysms and even established mining enclaves and scouting outposts, producing small but notable settlements such as Melkot near the Tors and Alran on the Jeklea (Jeklee) Coast.
When in -422 cy, the stream of Suel refugees arrived in the Yeomanry, large numbers of dissidents, escaping imperial eyes, were already living on the shores of Jeklea Bay. Thus, Suel have been here for a very long time and the backbone of our culture here is most definitely Suloise. One prominent characteristic is that personal honour is of the utmost importance, be careful not to offend someone or you’ll be in more than one duel. Folk walk these lands in full display of their wealth and boasting the marks of the accomplishments that made them rich or important. I note that brazen raiding of savages, brings no honour to one’s name nor does outright manual labour.
The majority of the mainland population is distributed in a few cities and a fair number of towns within 100 miles of the coast, all connected through a system of well-travelled roads. The inland is made up of villa holdings, most often hard to reach, far from the coast and highly independent. Though they remain loyal toward one of the princes.
Talking about princes, have a look at this map. The land on this map is divided into 30 separate domains, each ruled over by a Sea Prince who hold hereditary positions. They all come together in common cause to govern the country and, if needed, elect a single Prince to act as the head of state, while the princes make up the House of Peers. The most influential are the Prince of Monmurg (Monmurg), the Princess of Toli (Port Toli), the Plar of Hool (Hokar) and the Grandee of Westkeep (Westkeep). Below these noble families are the common people who do trade, conduct piracy, smuggle a little, or do whatever else they like, so long as the princes get their cut of the money.
You might be surprised to hear, the land here is fertile and suitable for farming all manner of crop. Actually, fruit production is perhaps the Hold’s most famous industry. This tropical land is home to a decadently wealthy nation with seemingly bottomless pockets, a place of wealthy nobles living in large manors and plantations because of it. But the nobles didn’t work the land themselves, their vast plantations were worked by, (487-517 cy) imported Amedio slaves. This resulted in shiploads of tropical fruits and sugar, goods that could be exported to foreign ports for unheard-of low prices. Though the sale of human beings drew the ire of some, the Sea Princes’ slave trade was seen by most of the Flanaess as a necessary evil on the road to fantastic wealth. In fact, the slave trade of the Sea Princes was so lucrative that captains called their captured Amedio slaves “two-legged admirals,” referring to the gold coinage (admirals) of the realm.
When the Liberal-minded Prince Jeon II of Monmurg assumed the throne in 573 CY, he assembled a grand council of his peers 4 years later, demanding an end to slave-taking. The princess of Toli, the plar of Hool, the grandee of Westkeep, and the commodores of the Isles shouted down his plan. Only the ineffectual governor of Sybarate Isle and the duke of Berghof supported him. In disgust, he withdrew his proposal.
The reason slavery has not been abolished is that the economies of two of the leaders of the Hold, the Princess of Toli and the Plar of Hool, rely to some degree on slavery. Port Toli is the centre of the slave trade, the home port for ships raiding the tribes of the Amedio jungle for slaves. The Plar of Hool supports slavery as the mines and plantations that encompass his holdings are the major users of slave labour in the realm. Slavery in the city of Monmurg is technically legal, but is rarely tolerated to any grand extent while in Westkeep, slavery is generally frowned upon, although a few slaves are used as dock laborers and sailors.
Mainland
Monmurg
Founded by the Keoish Prince Monmurg, in 301 CY to act as the seat of Keoish power in the region and to counter the naval might of Port Toli, which I’ll get into in a minute. By 446 cy Monmurg was finally seized by the Sea Princes, formally ending Keoish rule and by 464 cy. After the Battle of Jetsom, it became the de facto capitol, although Port Toli has always been richer.
Monmurg, with a population around 25,000, is the largest city in the Hold, and the main naval centre for the Hold. Trading vessels that call this their home port ply the Azure Sea, trading goods, Olman-style golden trinkets, quality treated wood for use in shipping, and food ferries, as far away as City of Greyhawk and the Great Kingdom. Not surprisingly, it is a very metropolitan city where influences from around the entire Flanaess have gained a foothold here. Safe to say that the amount of trade makes the Prince of Monmurg and his council of advisors, most belonging to the great trading families, extremely wealthy. Although the city itself is not walled, the extensive harbour, protected by a curving, two-mile-long spit of land, is too important not to be defended. That is why a pair of forts, one at each end of the spit are vigilant day and night. That is not to say that many buildings, estates and fortifications are not protected. Most are walled themselves. Between the four hills, can be found the High Bazaar, a massive market of rare woods, exotic spices and goods from the Amedio, and smaller marketplaces selling goods from all over the Flanaess. Together with a myriad of street stalls around the city, the wealth coming into Monmurg trickles down to the common man. Everyone takes a share in the success of this country.
Inns, such as the Weary Traveller, serve typical food dishes which are very flavourful, either sweet or spicy. Eating is more than mere nourishment here where cooking is seen as an art form, and it is an offence to serve a person bland food.
Port Toli
Between -368 to -348 CY, bands of Suel mercenaries and slavers, lowborn Suel driven off by House Rhola in Gradsul, establish the town and realm of Port Toli. These Suel started sporadic wars with Berghof, between -245 to -146 CY, for a hundred years but could not advance past Alderweg Pass into the grand duchy itself, despite numerous attempts. In 445 CY, the port was eventually conquered by the confederacy of the Sea Princes who used the town and the coastline to strike out on voyages to exotic locales like the Amedio Jungle, the Olman Isles, the Hellfurnaces or even across the Azure Sea.
The city, of about 11,000, is the ideal place to repair vessels, trade cargoes, sell loot, acquire rare contraband, conduct deadly duels, and rub elbows with haughty evil nobles. Port Toli sees a large amount of sea trade, especially from those ships sailing to the south and east coasts of Jeklea Bay. These ships bring back rare woods, spices, ivory, gold, and especially… slave labour from the jungles. Port Toli has a number of upscale marketplaces, catering to the rich upper class, and the only remaining slave market in the Hold.
Although the Port has a fair ruler, it has many rough edges and the strict law in the city favours the rich and powerful. Those who can pay or influence the right people, can do whatever they like. Slaver Square in particularly, is a place that most people want to avoid and is referred to as the blight of the western lands. Port Toli is as dangerous a town for the unwary and unsuspecting as the south coast’s wave battered, rocky cliffs. The southern coast is mostly unpopulated or often abandoned all the way to where the Kamph mountains border Berghof.
The north coast of the city is better protected from the elements and possesses a wide, protected harbour. The ‘Cliffs’ is a neighbourhood along this coastline of rich mansions sitting on large, lush grounds and are very opulent. All these houses and grounds are well guarded, and owners have been known to deal with intruders by their own methods.
Hokar city
Hokar is the only large city of the Hold that is not on the coast but is situated on the edge of the mountains, a burgeoning mining town and a hub of trade between the main ports and all inland landowners as far west as Berghof.
The city of 11,000 people is ruled by the Plar to Hool, who has by far the worst reputation amongst the princes and who is a big supporter of the institution of slavery, as it fuels his current economy. His aristocracy, keep that negative practice alive in the Hold because their lands are mostly set up as feudal plantations, large tracts of land ruled by a rich family and worked by numerous slave laborers. The mines in the mountains and hills are likewise run by a rich family and using large amounts of slave labour.
Hokar’s famous Hool Market is huge and sells goods of all kinds, but for those in the know go to a small corner of the market where all things forbidden, and exotic are sold. Procurers come back from the Hool wilderness with lizard scales, demon blood, rare marshland herbs and roots. You never know what you will find at this market.
HOOL MARSHES
Once the swift-flowing Hool River leaves the foothills of Berghof it spreads into a broad, slow meander across the plains, giving rise to the waterlogged lands of the Hool Marshes. The Hool river slows, the further it runs, until the broad river with its swampy banks is made impossible to find by the enormous Hool Marsh. The river eventually merges with the longest river in the Flanaess – the Javan – and flows out into the Great Azure Sea. The whole area around the river is a vast marshland and bogs are dotted with standing pools of deep, fetid water. Travel is very difficult because of the treacherous terrain and on top of that animal predators and diseases of all sorts are prevalent in these wetlands, only desperate people flee into the Hool. It thus comes to no surprise that it is a natural border between the Yeomanry, Keoland and the Hold and then we haven’t spoken about the various monsters that find shelter in these marshes such as a numerous Lizardfolk and Bullywug tribes.
Westkeep
The Great Javan River cuts the marshland in two and, as you now know, is an effective border between Keoland and the Hold. There is a lot of history there and the city of Westkeep factors heavily into the history of the Sea Princes and their ongoing conflict with the rival kingdom of Keoland.
Westkeep was established by Keoland’s King Tavish I in 304 CY, to protect his colonies from the dangers of the Hool Marshes. But when the rule of the Sea Princes expanded inland to include all the land south of the Hool Marshes in 450 CY, King Tavish III orders the eradication of the Sea Princes. Two years later Tavish III personally led an army through the Hool Marshes to Westkeep but the whole campaign was a disaster, his demoralized army was routed, and he himself was slain.
Since then, the city of Westkeep has been in the hands of the Sea Princes.
Where Monmurg is a metropolitan city, Westkeep is a militant city. The city has never been particularly healthy nor vibrant. Being too close to the Hool Marshes, coupled with the high temperatures and muggy weather makes the city a breeding ground for diseases. But the land has valuable resources to be harvested from the Hools, mostly medicinal herbs as well fish from the Javan. That is why the city walls were expanded on, a few decades ago, in order to protect it from the growing marauding of creatures from the Hools. Though the city is not directly located next to the Javan river, the port town of Westkeep, which is nothing more than a harbour, is vital for the economy. Ships leave the port town towards the Bay of Javan and sell their goods to towns and cities on the coast, sometimes all the way to Gradsul.
West of the Hool
We have come full circle captain. I am sure you now see why this place is talked about as far as Nyrond and beyond. Hm, what is that? You are wondering why I haven’t talked about the lands west of the Hool. That is because all lands west of the Hool River is wilderness. The settlements here are home to outcasts and although there is some trade between the Hold and the inhabitants of the wilderness, it is informal and impermanent. Rumours talk about these people as savages and even …cannibals. Besides the Javan river and the Hool Marshes, the series of hills jutting from the Crystalmists called – the tors – divide the Yeomanry and the Hold. Where the Tors borders the Marshes, the land is a dangerous place, full of bandits, monsters, and goblin tribes that frequently raid into the Yeomanry.
Best to avoid it altogether.
Azure sea
Standing on one of the hills you gaze east.
That’s the Great Blue plain of the Azure Sea, it stretches east as far as the eye can see. It connects the Sea of Gearnat in the north with the Jeklea Bay to the southwest and the Densac Gulf to the south. It is a dangerous place with local pirates, and numerous sea monsters, but it also hides wonders and mysterious places.
Jetsom Island, Flotsom Island and Fairwind Island
You do not need to sail far to find an island from here though. Three large islands, along with a number of smaller islands, lay off the east coast of the Hold of the Sea Princes. These islands were, in fact, the first places settled by the original buccaneers and pirates and later in 434-444 CY, they formed the confederation of the Sea Princes here.
These islands are now home to the rich trade families of the Hold of the Sea Princes who own the large estates, that cover these islands. Each estate is the centre of its own small territory which has only hamlets or no settlements villages or towns at all. The pristine beaches with hidden coves, and pacified jungles, near the coast are prime destinations for either relaxing or the growing of spices. If you head deeper towards the centre of the isle however, you will most surely find hidden ruins and ancient temples. Apparently, the isle of Fairwind is home to a wood or even wild elven enclave. While more than once a seafolk specimen has been spotted of the coast.
Sybarate Isle
The 20 square mile isle of Sybarate is but a short distance south of Fairwind and it is in fact the Commodore of Fairwind that rules the island through the local governor. Once a week one of the commodore’s war vessels docks, at Sybar to maintain the commodore’s authority. The capital is the small fishing port of Sybar which, although small, has administration buildings, marketplace, the governor’s palace and so forth. Because Sybar is located on the northern coast, a daily ferry is run to and from Fairwind which arrives each mid-morning and departs mid-afternoon.
But Sybar is not the only place of civilization, the island has several large villages with an economy based on fishing and agriculture – there being extensive olive, orange and lemon groves, vineyards and vegetable gardens, while on the central hills flocks of sheep and goats are grazed. The people here are civilized, industrious and friendly but, like on the mainland, their honour can be easily offended, and a duel is never far off.
It is a beautiful island with a colourful past and the people enjoy life with song and drink. Stories abound and you will hear the story of the Lover’s Fate more than once.
Jeklea Bay
The Jeklea Bay is largely encircled by the Hook Peninsula and the Hellfurnaces, was the private realm of the Sea Princes as they raided the Amedio Jungle for slaves and riches. Although more countries sail these waters, it still is the realm of the Hold. The steady clockwise-moving current has a multitude of friendly sea life such as dolphins, octopus, various harmless fish, sea horses, sharks, whales…you name it. But it is also home to the fearsome kraken, dragon turtle, Aboleth, Sahuagin tribes and whatever tale you are afraid of.
Blackwell
At the tip of the most northern stretches of the Amedio jungle known as the hook Peninsula lies Fort Blackwell, a walled town with an extensive dock and with only a single inn - the Sultry Siren. It is ruled by the 'Captain's Council', a City Council, which meets in the 'Captain's Cabin', the City Hall. It gets its name from the fact that the revolving members are frequently retired ship captains. Who really rules here is the fearsome Governess Tania Terwall of House Adderly. Like many of the so-called “forts” along the coast of the Amedio Jungle’s “Hook,” the settlement now known as Fort Blackwell was built atop the ruins of many previous efforts to settle the area. We know that more than a thousand years ago, Olman explorers first rounded the tip of the Hook and found an ancient well, made of basalt from which they drew exceptionally pure water. When the Toli Suel found the ruins of Blackwell in CY -341, the only clue to its apparent abandonment was a faded bas-relief on the well. They found Blackwell ideal to consolidate control over Jeklea Bay and fortified it as a base for jungle expeditions.
Berghof
Embraced by the Hellfurnaces to the west and the peaks of the Kamph Mountains to the east and south, in a broad, high vale lies the, relatively isolated, Grand Duchy of Berghof. Suel refugees, fleeing the destruction of their homeland by the Rain of Colourless Fire, first settled Berghof in -422 cy, nearly a millennium ago. Compared to the sweltering plains and swamps of the Hool basin, the cool climate around Lake Spendlowe must have come as a relief to the first bedraggled settlers. They founded the settlement of Kusnir on the shores of the lake and somewhat grandiosely proclaimed their leader as the first Grand Duke of Berghof.
Fishing, farming and forestry are the main staples of Berghof’s populace. The forests of Berghof have long provided timber for the fleets of the Sea Princes, while Lake Spendlowe is known for its large brown trout and the giant pike that prey on them. The cleared land of the Vale is mainly used for goat and sheep herding, though small fields of barley, grain and corn thrive on the fertile fields along the lake shore. Some south-facing slopes boast small vineyards that provides the locals with a dry white wine.
Kusnir, Berghof’s capital, is beautifully located in Spendlowe Valley next to the serene and strikingly lake, which is the source of the Hool River. The cool, clear waters of Lake Spendlowe lie at the heart of the Vale. Rumours say that fleshy, plant like, pacifistic humanoids inhabit the black depths of that lake, though few of Berghof’s human inhabitants have any dealings with them. The land rises gently from the lakeshore, sloping up in meadows and cleared fields to the wooded foothills and the steeper mountains slopes. Conifers, Evergreen Oak, Rhododendron, Kara and Camphor trees predominate here.
Though the Vale of Berghof is well watered, the encircling mountains shelter it from the worst of the seasonal rains and its relatively high elevation ensures that the temperatures here are moderate. It will come to you as a welcome relief from the sweltering summer heat in the rest of the Hold, captain.
Hellfurnaces
Unlike the Crystalmists to the immediate north, the Hellfurnaces feature many active volcanoes. These peaks are accurately described as a hive of evil, a treacherous landscape made worse by the presence of giants and fire-loving abominations. The steep walls of the Hellfurnaces are reliably reputed to hide many cavernous entrances to a place some call - the Underdark. There is a silver lining to this dark place, the Hellfurnace mountains shields the Hold, and the Flanaess in general, from the horrors of the Sea of Dust. It would, however, be very bad for Berghof, the Hold and nearby countries if the volcanoes in these mountains would erupt violently. Aye Captain, this land is not for the faint of heart.
KAMPH MTS
A minor spur of the Hellfurnace range, the Kamph mnts march north and east along the shores of Jeklea Bay, petering out into low coastal hills about 70 miles west of Port Toli. Unlike their towering parents, the mountains are relatively low and untroubled by volcanic activity. Lush subtropical forests cover the lower east-facing slopes, while higher up, forests of conifers, oak and brightly flowering rhododendrons, decked with hanging mosses, cover the low peaks, giving way only on the loftier mountains to grassy heaths, which are often shrouded in mist and low-lying clouds. Rainfall is heavy on the eastern slopes during the summer and autumn months, though snow persists only on a handful of the highest summits. This ring of mountains is broken in only two places. In the southeast, the Pass of Adlerweg winds along the upper reaches of the Gann River, through the Kamphs and down to the shores of Jeklea Bay. For a hundred years, commencing in -245 cy, Toli sporadically warred with Berghof but could not advance past Adlerweg Pass into the grand duchy itself, despite numerous attempts. Talking about the Gann River, it is one of several fast-flowing torrents that pour into Lake Spendlowe, fed by rains and spring melt waters, most can only be crossed at a handful of fords and bridges.
To the north, the fast-flowing upper Hool cuts a broad gap, near Hallbridges, where it tumbles towards the plains in a series of spectacular cataracts.