Dural:Cambria

Agrilan

Overview

Agrilan is in the south of Cambria. It was founded 4 years after the Arrival.

Environment

Agrilan is located in the south of Cambria near to the border with Sarbar. The castle Caer Jassad controls the main rift valley, where Summerset is located, as well as its southern branches. Agrilan is in the largest of these branches, in a valley that was formed by the lowering of the land, several ages ago. The changes in the land forced Nardonar river into its current bed. Since the river has calmed down over the centuries, it is now safe to live in the valley, even during the spring floods.

Agrilan's site is elevated above the surrounding valley. To the east is the Nardonar. The Haretone Forest's outskirts reach Agrilan in the southwest, and extend into the Dark Vale in the south. A range of hills protects Agrilan from floods of the Eluryh Lake, which is to the north. There is a saying that the rocky formations that are visible in the center of the lake and on the small island in the Tesayre stream are reminants of former times, before the creation of the riftwall. There is rumored to be an entry below the formations which lead to buildings built in the same period as the foundations of Caer Jassad.

Population

• Humans: 16
• Elves: 2
• Half-Elves: 1
• Dwarves: 1
• Total: 20

City

Agrilan was founded on the west bank of the Nardonar river 4 years a.A., about 30 years after Summerset. Summerset is a direct connection to Caer Jassad even if the Nardonar is impassable due to high flood.

The founder Argile Stoutlaw intended it to be a major trading town, but those plans were halted by his murder early in his term as mayor. Since then, not much has come of the town. The name Agrilan originates in the land's predominant utilization as farmland.

Agrilan currently has a population of only 20, and offers little more than a few shops, a farm, a blacksmith, a town hall, and an inn.

Since the inhabitants of Agrilan are almost the only people living in this part of the river valley, their knowledge about the paths, routes and passages of the area are important to travellers.

Locals often act as guides for travellers who need to cross the cliffs on their way to Aes'Aeion or Caer Jassad. However, no one in agrilan will enter the Haretone Forest.

Culture

The culture is predominantly Cambrige. There's no entertainment except for the occasional travelling entertainer from Cambria or the neighbouring nations.

Government, Law and Military

Agrilan is one of the rare places in which law and government are in the hand of one person, namely Raredi Altow. He has been elected from the inhabitants of Agrilan because he has studied law for many years. It was expected that Agrilan would benefit from his experience and his fair jurisdiction. For important issues all inhabitants older than sixteen meet at the major's mansion to decide the best for their village. Usually the jurisdiction is adapted to Cambria's codex.

People in Agrilan feel secure without additional military structures, because of the neighboring castle Caer Jassad, 5 km away. There is a busy barter between the castle and Agrilan, because Caer Jassad covers his primary needs of food and weapons in Agrilan.

Religion

Since there is not a druid in Agrilan, religious feeling there is not particularly intense.

Economy

Despite Argile Stoutlaw's intentions, business in Agrilan is slack. It is sufficiant enough to allow a simple living standard, but not enough for anyone to become a rich.

Technology

The blacksmith of Agrilan are famous for the making of Cambrige helmets and chain mails. It is selfevident that they can make various other weapons and utility articles.

Magic

There is no magican currently living in Agrilan. If one of the inhabitants does have some magic abilities, then this has not become public knowledge.

History

Don't go to far to the south...

Foundation

Agrilan was founded 4 years a.A. in the the south of Cambria by Argile Stoutlaw. His idea of building up the major trading town in the southwest of Cambria was motivated by two reasons: The southwest is still well protected by it's geographical situation and the neighbouring castle Caer Jassad, only 5 km away from Agrilan. So the inhabitants of Agrilan hadn't to be anxious about sudden attacks.

Furthermore the ground nearby the Nardonar river hadn't to be drained for agricultural use. This was an important advantage compared to Summerset in the center of the marshy rift valley. Agrilan had a short flowering period after the foudation before immigration of people ebbed because of the founder's death and the disturbing stories of the Dark Vale in the south.

The First Bridge, the Haretone Forest and the Dark Vale

It is unknown, that a stranger has ever been told about the incidents of the years after 196 a.A.. This historical period seems to be a dark chapter in the history of Agrilan.

It is rumoured, that one of Agrilan's inhabitants had a strong interest in some shady deals with the creatures of the Dark Vale. Whatever went wrong, it led to an unspoken threat from the side of the Dark Vale and perhaps even to the Big Flood in those days, too. The First Bridge, which has outlived almost 200 years, was destroyed and the inhabitants feared for their lifes.

They are still afraid of awakining the evil of the Dark Vale and it's creatures again, which could threaten their families by creeping through the Haretone Forest up to the front doors of their homes.

Baile Plataipus

Plataipuses can seldomly be found nowadays. One of the places in which they are likely to live is the Eluryh Lake near to Agrilan. A small group is to be said to have chosen this remote region as their home. Although they haven't been seen for a very long time, some people still tell stories about the Cambria's Plataipuses in a very convincing way.

The plataipuses are remainders of Dural's very early days. The world was populated by many creatures, that nowadays seem to be forgotten or only live on in the tales of the old and wise. Many old races were wiped out by natural disasters, but the platypuses survived the lowering of the tableland in the region, now called Cambia. They are said to live in fresh water lakes with the possibility to travel through the land in the rivers binding the different lakes.

Plataipuses are very shy and so it needs a plataipus charmer to reach their trust and friendship. This person needs to be sincere and well educated, otherwise he will not be accepted. Unfortunately the knowledge seems to be lost and so Dural is still waiting for the next plataipus charmer to come...

Meaning of the banner

The inhabitants of Agrilan still use the original banner, that was created in the year of the city's foundation.

The riff stands for the geographical landmark: the riffs in the middle of the lake Eluryh.

The balance and the coins in the order of the banner symbolize the intention of Argile Stoutlaw to make Agrilan the major trading town. There were discussion about the creation of a new banner sometimes, but the inhabitants of Agrilan concluded at least to use the current banner as a sign of their historical origin, althought Argile's goal has never been reached.

Map of Agrilan

1. Levene and Gerner's Cabin Lyvene and Gerner Hoeldan, an old Elven couple, live in this cabin on the outskirts of town. The two keep to themselves and are rarely seen outside of their cabin. In their long life they have collected a big store of knowledge and old songs. So it is quite obvious that anyone of Agrilan who wants to know something about the past will ask them. The Elven couple maintain a good friendship with the Danylsens, who visit the cabin frequently. There are no roads leading up to the cabin, and it is surrounded with a few trees.

2. Abandoned Home Once the home of several Khatinid's, this house was burned down recently. The Khatinid's left town immediately, and the culprit was never found. Most, however, believe it was a adventurer traveling through Agrilan who was the arsonist. The smell of ash is still present here, and the remains are still black, though most of the ash has been washed away. The jagged wood and nails here are dangerous, and people try to avoid this location. But as always, the things which are forbidden by adults are most attractive to children. When children visit the Abandoned House, they prove their courage to each other.

3. Market Place Agrilan's marketplace is surprisingly large, and for a reason, too. When Argile Stoutlaw founded the village, he intended for it to be a large trading grounds for good from all over Cambria. He intended to ship and receive goods from Summerset and other cities via the Nardonar River. After his death, however, the new mayor showed no interest in pursuing Stoutlaw's dream. Today, most of the buildings in the marketplace house dust rather than goods.

Sometimes the market is visited by travelling merchants; it is however not a big business for them except they offer very extraordinary goods as books, jewels, music instruments, cloths and stuffs.

The marketplace also doubles as a town square, where many villagers gather to gossip or just relax.

4. Vacant Shop This store is empty and has been for many years.

5. Harrowe's Farmstand This is where the Harrowe family sells their goods. Fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, and meats local to the area are sold here. Praised by the villagers for the fresh food, this shop is frequented by many. Deata and Weltea Harrowe work here, and they are open weekdays from sunrise to sunset.

Harrowe owns two big fields near the towncenter and some more in the south, located eastern of the Haretone Forest.

6. Felay's Fish Shop Geams Felay runs this shop, where he sells fresh fish from the Nardonar River. Business has slowed significantly since the Freshriver Fishing Shop opened last year. Still, people are often seen buying fish here. Some complain that Felay's shop makes the whole marketplace smell pungent. Geams opens the door every weekday at sunrise and closes it at sunset.

7. Vacant Shop This shop was deserted recently, when the Khatinids who ran it left town. It was cleaned out before they departed and is now bare.

8. Trofore Fardnor's Metal Shop This shop, run by Dwarven blacksmith Trofore Fardnor, sells weapons and armor made of iron and bronze. Due to poor sales, he has also started selling everyday items made of metal such as kettles, pans, and bells. His new line of items is fairly successful. Trofore doesn't have specified opening and closing hours, and the store is open rarely.

9. Vacant Shop Like many of the other shops here, this is an empty building serving no purpose.

10. Danylsens's Item Shop This small pawn shop, run by the Danylsens, sells and buys small items. Nic-nacs, herbs, and other random things can be found here. The occasional rarity is sold to this store by a traveler, and is usually quickly bought by a curious local. It is open from sunrise to sunset, every day of the week.

11. Vacant Shop This building has not been used in years.

12. Vacant Shop One of the many vacant shops in this marketplace, this building simply collects dust.

13. Ye Towne Inn This small inn is run by Rena Searae. It has only two rooms, and is not fancy in any manner. Rena works here every day of the week, and she opens the doors every morning and shuts them every night. The occasional traveler stops by, and spends a night here.

As the people go to visit the elves in order to achieve knownledge about the past, they visit the Inn in order to to hear latest news about life in Cambria and it's neighbouring countries.

Due to the lack of visitors, however, Rena has been forced to charge quite a sum for a night of rest, and consequently, it is not rare to see a wandering adventure storm out of the Inn, cursing the price of rest.

14. The Danylsens' Residence Twaine and Shewla Danylsen live here, with their four children: Twaine Junior, Sera, Jotuna, and Erat. They run the item shop in the Marketplace, and the children can often be found fishing at the river. The house is unremarkable, but quaint. It's rather large and painted white, and seems to stand out in the village.

15. Mayor Altow's Mansion Perhaps not a one by city-folk standards, but given the surroundings, this building certainly is a mansion. Owned by Mayor Raredi Altow, it has been passed down from Mayor to Mayor. The elegant building also serves as a town-hall and the few nobles who have visited throughout the town's history have stayed here. It is surrounded by large gates but the doors are usually open and the mayor is almost always available.

16. The Freshriver Fishing Shop Owned and operated by Hyjar Swifrin, a Half-Elf, this store sells fishing bait and equipment. It is very popular with the villagers and has a nice view of the river. Hyjar keeps the store open from very early morning to afternoon. He also lives here. If Hyjar Swifrin is not at home, he will be surely be out to guide travellers through the difficult ground surrounding Agrilan.

17. Geams Felay's Residence Geams Felay lives in this small house on the bank of Nardonar, alone. It is small and not a pretty sight. He has a small boat and fishing equipment as well as a wheel-barrow in his front lawn.

18. Haretone Forest This is a deep forest that extends from the southwest of Agrilan to the Dark Vale in the south. Local legends have scared the locals away from the depths of the forest. This is obvious why, because there is a saying that creatures from the Dark Vale haunt the forest from time to time. Although the villagers are afraid of going too deep into the forest, it is common for them to gather wood on the outskirts of it. One tree stands above the entire forest, towering at least 300 feet above the others.

19. Giant Tree This tree can be seen from anywhere in the village. At least 50 feet tall, it towers over the other large trees in the forest. Not much is known about it, but several town legends are based on it.

20. Eluryh Lake Eluryh Lake is the topic of many local legends. One of the most popular ones talks of a small group of friendly platypuses who roams between the tall reeds surronding the lake and the cliffs in the middle of the lake. It is also said that only a platypus charmer will persue the platypuses to show the entrance to the underworld below the cliffs. As the platypuses are probably very shy, no one has ever seen one of them. This lake is very deep and there are several rocky formations that jet out of the water near the center of the lake. Until recent years, this lake was a favorite of the local children, but just over a decade ago three children drowned in the lake. The occasional child can still be found here, unknown to the parents of the village.

21. Nardonar River and Tesayre Stream The great Nardonar extends to the south and north to Summerset and beyond. The locals are fond of it - children are often seen swimming in it, and there is much fishing done here. A small stream flows westward from the Nardonar, named Tesayre Stream, and into Eluryh Lake.

The small island which devides the Tesayre Stream for a short distance is called Tol Tesayre. Nobody has ever forged ahead to the middle of this island with it's steap cliffs in it's center. Tol Tesayre can only be passed along in the summer in certain places of the banks, which are flooded the other times.

22. Harrowe's Northern Field Owned by the Harrowe family, this is a large field of corn. It crawls over a large portion of land. It's surrounded by a small fence.

23. Harroe's Southern Field This field has a large variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as animal pens and a chicken coop. It is owned by the Harrowe family and is surrounded by a fence.

24. Trofore Fardnor Residence This is where Trofore Fardnor, a Dwarven blacksmith, lives. It also contains his workshop. The rough exterior is coupled with a dirty and disorganized interior. Trofore lives here alone and spends most of his time indoors.

25. Harrowe's Farm This is where Jowes and Harla Harrowe live, grow their crops, and raise their 6 children. Herza, Mayla, Eros, Alinea, Deata, and Weltea help with the farm and occasionally work at the farmstand their father runs.

26. Murdan Road The only road that leads into or out of town, Murdan Road has gained local notoriety as the road that, after he had laid the final cobblestone, village founder Argile Stoutlaw was murdered on. It is also the widest road in the village, although it receives much less use than the others. It is not often traveled due to the fact that Agrilan's citizens tend to stay in the village, and the only visitors the town receives are the occasional traveler looking for a night's rest. For these reasons, even though they were laid several centuries ago, the original cobblestones remain.

27. Murdan Bridge This bridge leads Murdan Road across Nardonar River, and north towards Summerset. The original wooden bridge had been destroyed in an extraordinary strong storm.

Although rebuilt from stones the inhabitants of Agrilan fear to loose the bridge again, because this would mean to be cut off from the rest of Cambria. Luckily those strong floods are very rare.

Credits

Map by sdt based on original map by SlapAyoda. Text by SlapAyoda and pegasus. Map artwork by SlapAyoda and sdt. Banner artwork by pegasus.

Cabrin Za Tai

Cabrin Za Tai means Followers of Shadow. They are often called in slang "Shadows" or "Wraiths".

Environment

The Cabrin live at the base of a box canyon, with high rock walls on all sides. The Cabrin have built their city both on the ground there, as well as created some buildings out of the rock walls, making a layered, terrace effect.

Government

The Shadows are a simple people, that use what most would consider a 'traditional' governmental structure. They have a monarchy, running from their ruler, which is a Queen, with the King as the secondary. Government runs through the woman primarily, unless there is no queen. (the queen dies, or only a son is born. Queen-consort does not hold as much power as the king, blood is stronger than marital vows) Court is held with councilours and aides, with have discussions with the royal couple.

Motivation

The Shadows are the human version of a 'classic', Tolkien dwarf. From their home in the side of the cliffs, they have dug deep tunnels and mines, where they have pulled both precious gems, and more importantly, strong building and smithing metals from the various layers of rock in the cliffs. They get their names from the darkness they work in, and from the fact that the sun only strikes their home from 11-1 because of the cliffs. They are a very money-centered people, and their mining and creating of things.

Race

The Shadows are all human, though they are very pale skinned, and due to their miner backgrounds, often powerfully built. While they act like dwarves, they have none of those qualities.

Languages

The Shadows can not 'afford' their own language, as the Common language suits their needs adaquately. They are not a people of many frivolous things, they are too busy with their mining and production to worry about a language that other peoples would need to spend time learning in order first do business. It is said that the first people of the Caibrin had an old language, but it has long since faded out of use.

Calendar

As with language, the Caibrin don't use a calendar system of their own, but use the more standard month/week/day system. They have a few major holidays. Founding Day, which was on the 13th of the third month of the year, symbolizes the day the city was founded. (hence the name) New Years is still the same, and mid year's day is Dragon's Day, which is said to be used to honor a battle of many weeks of the Caibrin against a drake that came from inside the tunnels 30 years after the founding of the city.

Technology

The Shadows use a steel-age technology level, involving mine shafts, pick axes, blacksmith forges, and all the like. They can forge chainmail armor, but do not deal with plate mail. They do, however, use armored wagons for transporting their gold and gems.

Magic

The Shadows have no magic of their own, and dislike anyone with magic. Magic is something not man (or dwarvish, or elvish) made, and so don't trust its use. They are especially afraid that such powers could make their fortunes and mines dissapear.

Trade

Yes! They are more than willing to produce great armor, jewlery, and all the rest for anyone who wishes to pay for it, and they send great trading caravans out to major cities in order to peddle their wares. Caibrin goods fetch a heavy price by some, and many nobles tend to order specialty swords, with jeweled hilts and fine edges from the Shadows at hefty fees.

Law & Order

Crime. Don't do it. The Shadows are extremly strict in all crimes, but burglury ranks right beneath murder, right along with high treason. The Caibrin also believe in an Eye for an eye system... murder gets the death penalty, and theivery gets the hand cut off. Cities and mines are both heavily patrolled by both their own police force, and mercenaries, who tend to like Caibrins because of the good pay they can expect.

Religion

Once again, the Caibrin don't deal in their own deitys, and use those of the common world. However, they only tend to worship the god/goddess of commerce and the smithing god. Temples are devoted to these two, and before every caravan leaves, a service is led, and tribute left for both powers.

Relations

Everyone is a customer to the Caibrin. Except mages. (covered already) Most races believe the Caibrin are just merchants, who make excellent wares, and so are tolerated by all. Except mages.