Difference between revisions of "Cinnamon Valley"

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The Sea of Windbourne Hills, A Children's Primer

See the history of the Windborne Hills for the origins of the Hill People and Hmanans.

Cinnamon Valley lies in the south central part of the Windbourne Hills, jutted up against Culverwood.

Geography

The Cinnamon Valley is a fertile place, blessed by the gods with the Volcano Glitterox and many geysers and numerous lava pools. Glitterox spectacularly erupts every year on the winter equinox and enriches the soil. The volcano sends up sparks that resemble firecrackers exploding. These "sparks" land across the valley, and where there is a spark, a Glittermint Tree sprouts in the spring, a gift of health and goodness from Alemi.

Another sacred landmark in the valley is Magpie Lake and Magpie Falls. The lake has some of the purest water in The Wold. "Cleansed by Alemi," these waters help the folk of the area to remain healthy and able to work until the day they die.

Throughout the valley, there are always some people -- more often, Hill People -- who are blessed with talents, unusual powers. Some said that Alemi used the sacred waters of Magpie Lake to bestow these liberal gifts, used for the good of all. Others said that certain beings, called The Sisters, watched over Cinnamon Valley and blessed those with talents.

The Dread lies to the north and east. This neighbor is an area of hilly woods and meadows perverted by a powerful lich. The Dread sought to rule by power and strove to become powerful enough to bring upon everyone The Great Death, a horrible blight that would signal the end of The Wold. The lich created a group of mages called the Sons of Dread, who played a prominent role in the Year of Ascension.

The City-state of Effacia, a boisterous port town is a day¹s travel north. The small Kingdom of Rowena lies to the north and west. Rowena is as peaceful as the Dread is violent. It's people are kin to the Hill People of Cinnamon Valley, but they have become estranged since the coming of Royd the Merciless.

The Time of the Jarl

In the Scab, the people of the valley say there lived a mighty race of Fire Giants who were manipulated by a great evil so that their culture diminished into servitude. A powerful group of adventurers invaded their home of the weakened giants and slaughtered half the tribe. Those giants who were young and could not remember the honor of their people moved into exile, led by Royd the Merciless, the Jarl. Traveling the high valleys of the Scab, Royd and his followers traveled west, towards the Windborne Hills. He simply walked into Castle Wolf, asked for an audience, killed Sorngrim the VII, the Hmost Honorable Hnand, and took over. Royd and his three giant-kin recruited a most vile army that taxed the land horribly. Once a month he visited the Honorable Hnand and Hill People Chiefs and collected taxes. No one dared to refuse. The Witchspawn Coven tried to overthrow him, but lost their power when Jarl and his two fire giant brothers, Hrolf and Magnor, knocked over the sacred stones, robbing the Witches of power. He burned those witches he could catch. A few still survived in secret.

At that time the evil of the Dread threatened the valley. Royd declared that all males over the age of 14 must join the army to defend the homeland. The army, spurred on by Hrolf and Magnor, held back the Dread armies and a great battle was fought near Strongwind Castle. After that the Dread seemed to turn their energies elsewhere.

The Hill People of Rowena, however, did not come to aid their neighbor. They believed Cinnamon Valley had forsaken their faith, or Royd and the Dread would never have come. They also blame Cinnamon Valley for the influx of witch covens into the Windbourne Hills in the first place. The Cins argue that the witches' coven were always loyal, even giving their lives in its defense.

But even though the army of the Dread was turned away, no one was inspired to rejoice. It is as if the spirit of the Hill People died in Cinnamon Valley the day Royd took over. Gifts were lost, accusations about traitors supporting Royd’s coup, and even gifts of the gods seemed to have left the Hill People and priests.

The Dragon Consortium

This was the poor life in Cinnamon Valley until arrived the noble heroes known as the Dragons! A one time collaboration of Storm Dragons and Gold Dragons, they came to Cinnamon Valley when one of their own, a son of the Hill People named Gareth, learned that the Dread had kidnapped his father. Coming in like a proverbial storm, they rode into The Dreadlands and rescued the patriarch. Then they turned their wrath upon Royd and his allies, and slain were the giants, their army, and Blast the red dragon who had allied himself with the giants. The Cinnamon Valley was once again free!

Before leaving, the Dragon Consortium helped the people set up a government, The Pitchfork Council. This group would have a representative of each culture group within the valley: Hmanas, Hill People, Witches, and Druidfolk.

A decade after the Year of Ascension, another heroic group arrived and moved north; the Grey Dragons! This group fought the Sons of Dread and eventually, high above Mount Bone in a flying castle, destroyed the lich leaders and the Dread himself! Leaderless, the Dread was no more, though the evil of the woods to the north endured...

Cinnamon Valley is once again free and self-governed. However, the Windbourne Hills is a hotbed of contested kingdoms that tends to fight and vie with one another. The future is hopeful, but very fragile. May Alemi guide them and give them health.

Places of Note in the Valley

Jarlwolf

Jarlwolf is the largest town in the Cinnamon Valley, and the seat of government for the area. Following the overthrow of the Jarl, the Pitchfork Council was formed and convenes in the Jarlwolf Assembly Hall. This map only shows one quarter of the city, but the most interesting part for adventurers!

Three roads enter the town of Jarlwolf and converge on an open area where there is a fenced park for training of adventurers and is the location of the WLA Outpost. The largest markets and festivals in Cinnamon Valley are found on the fair grounds where adventurers perform feats of prowess, merchants sell their wares, and music, theater, and revelry abound.

To the Northeast and along the road to Effacia, lies a small castle whose outer wall was destroyed during the overthrow of the Jarl. The ruins of the outer wall provided building materials for the rest of the town and the dry moat is now a grassy ditch for a flock of sheep. The inner wall and great hall were repaired and turned over to the Pitchfork Council to be used as the Jarlwolf Assemby Hall and apartments for visiting council members.

Across the road from the old castle lies Dulcet's Manor. Formerly an abbey for a sect of monks that has long since disappeared, it has been used by different groups and kept in repair by the Witch Circle of Weal. It contains a number of interesting features including a glass roofed inner garden and a fruit orchard and apiary behind the main building. It is surrounded by a low stone wall. Who knows what lies beneath the old abbey!!

There are two inns in Jarlwolf, mostly catering to the caravan trade. The Friendly Shadows is the best kept, but The Broken Cauldron has more rooms and is renowned for it’s hearty meals. A tavern, The Last Drop, doesn't offer rooms but is a good place to conduct negotiations or relax at the end of the day. Its name pays tribute to the many citizens who were hung by the Jarl’s forces during his bloody reign.

Jarlwolf has a small cadre of merchants and craftsmen that support trade through the Windbourne Hills and even well-armed caravans to Culverwood and Plateau City. Some of the more prominent citizens include:

Thelonius Bedstraw , a half-elf who runs Thatches, a building company, and is the Hill People representative to the Pitchfork Council and only one who lives in Jarlswolf. Dorik Riverstone, a dwarven merchant who owns several warehouses and has his hands in nearly every caravan going in or out of Cinnamon Valley. Hmartin runs Jarlwolf Woodworks and specializes in ornate specialty carving for artists and nobility. He is seen as the leader of the craftsmen in Jarlswolf and his family also runs the WLA Outpost in Cinnamon Valley. Inge and Hobbs, two halflings originally from Rowena, run Trakkers, a general store that services many of the local farmers and is an entrance to the Catacombs. Sweets, the confectionary, is run by Hmona Nightshade, a hmana with a gift for cooking. The copper candies and chocolates are good, but she is known for her soaring and life-like baking confections across the Windbourne Hills. There is a Mailed Fist branch office in Jarlswolf, commonly having a Fist on rotating duty to recruit locals and support getting immediate hires as caravan guards.

The two main temples in Jarlwolf are dedicated to Alemi and a twin tempe to Maab/ Eberyon respectively, neither particularly large. There is a small shrine to Gargul on the outskirts of town, watched over by a ragged hermit, and unmanned shrines for the other Woldian gods and the Sisters.

To the south of town, along the road to Merrydale and Magpie Crossing, lie the remains of an ancient circle of rough, uneven standing stones. Some have toppled over and no one knows who erected them, they have been there long before any written records began. The local druids and witches treat the circle with great reverence. A convergence of ley lines occurs beneath the stones, and just perhaps some ancient evil lies beneath them.

Magpie Crossing

A thriving town along trade roads, Magpie Crossing is known for its recuperative baths and spas.

Merrydale

Merrydale is a village of halflings with some humans and a smattering of other races, the majority of the village in halfling-holes in several embankments on one side of the town. The human buildings are stone cottages, as it is not wise to build with wood so close to the Culverwood! Most have flowerboxes in the windows, and roofs of sod or thatch. There is a single inn -- The Thirsty Lad, with an indoors for Small people and an outside awning for larger people.

The Elders Council governs the village, headed by Simmay Swanfeathers, an elderly female halfling druid and farmer. The other major player in the council is Hned Cooper, a bespectacled middle-aged man, owner of the general store and holds the title of "mayor," but Simmay is more respected.

There are no manned temples, only roadside or household shrines. A Faerie Trail runs south from Merrydale into the Culverwood, but generally only elves, druids, and the forestborn walk there. Even they tread carefully. The Spring of Alnair is on the Trail, just inside the wood.

The Tower of Boydos

A tall magical tower stands on a low hill in the western part of the valley, near to the Culverwood. It is a lawless place, east of Merrydale, and the Pitchfork Council has little power there. There is a band of people thereabouts -- some call them renegades -- known as the Sons of Chaos. The tower itself is the place where an immortal power, named Boydos, sleeps. The tower changes in appearance from time to time. It has looked like a lighthouse painted as a candy cane. It has appeared as a blue lightning bolt, frozen as it hit the earth. It is a very dangerous place, guarded by strange mad dwarven monks who can teleport short distances.

The Pillar of Cnut

This sole standing pillar certainly seems odd, especially since there are no other ruins or signs that an ediface might once have stood here. Legend says this pillar appeared here overnight long ago without any hand building it. Maybe it comes from the legendary Tower of Cnut, of which all that now remains (they say) are a few scattered magic stones with strange rumored powers. In any case, inscribed on the base of the pillar itself are these words in antique common: "Let this Pillar here stand, in tribute to the glorious accomplishments of the Reknowned Cnut!" But no one now knows what those accomplishments were. At the nearby intersection, there are three signs on a signpost: To Jarlswolf, To Magpie Crossing, and To Merrydale.