Village of Harpentha
The small mining village of Harpentha is built on the ruins of the much earlier town of Haranna.
Three hundred years ago, the thriving community of Haranna was rich from silver and other minerals, mined in the nearby mountains. When bandits swept through northern Tvor in 882-895 A.C. (see below), Haranna was destroyed (along with the mines and many other towns). Sixty years ago, a few families began to prospect again, eventually discovering veins of copper and tin. The prospectors settled down and attracted others who set up shop, worked the mines or prospected in turn. The new mines aren’t as lucrative as the old mines were (there’s been no gold rush to Harpentha), but there isn’t much poverty in the village, either.
Five hundred years ago, dwarven clans in the Arancathra Mountains made an agreement known as the Haranna Pact, by which they would share a rich mine in a wondrous cavern known as Wave Echo Cave. In addition to its mineral wealth, the mine contained great magical power. Spellcasters from the nearby Magocracy of Quossa traveled from the Great Tower of Cariben to work with the dwarves to channel and bind that energy into an arcane forge called the Forge of Spells, where magic items could be crafted. Times were good, and the nearby town of Haranna prospered as well. Disaster struck when barbarian tribes swept out of the Carentan Forest and laid waste to northern Tvor.
A powerful barbarian force with sorcerers of their own attacked Wave Echo Cave to seize its riches and magic treasures. The Quossan wizards of the Tower fought alongside the dwarven mining clans to defend the Forge of Spells. The ensuing arcane battle destroyed much of the cavern. Few survived the cave-ins and tremors, and knowledge of the location of Wave Echo Cave was lost.
Comments