Gorgons Crown
North and east of Mhoried, the Stonecrown Mountains collide with the Hoarfells in a twisted knot of stark peaks and impassable gorges. This riven land is the Gorgon's Crown, the seat of the Gorgon's power. Dark towers watch over the narrow passes leading into the Gorgon's land, and the mountains are riddled with secret armories and forges of his armies.
The center of the Gorgon's realm is the great fortress Kal-Saitharak; in Avonlaer lands, it is called the Battlewaite.
Five hundred years ago, the Gorgon slew Michael Roele. The Gorgon's armies conquered Markazor, the goblin kingdom, soon after. And two centuries ago, the Gorgon unleashed his armies against the Brecht land of Kiergard and razed it utterly.
The Gorgon's emissaries and spies permeate Avonlaer lands. It is said that no man has seen the Gorgon's face and lived, but I know that to be untrue. Since meeting him, I truly believe the legend that the Gorgon is none other than Raesene the Black Prince, who once led the ancient Anuireans against the elves and who was seduced by the promises of the dark Dyrosh. The Black Prince of the Gorgon
• Law: The Gorgon is the law of his kingdom. No one can turn his people or his land against him.
• Temples: The religion of the Gorgon's Crown falls under the purview of the Hand of Dyrosh, a mysterious priestess from the lands to the east. She is not blooded; if she were, the Gorgon would have consumed her long ago. She has devoted herself totally to the Gorgon and will never work against him freely.
• Sources: No one is foolish enough to try taking magical holdings in the Gorgon's Crown;the fearsome abomination remains the domain's lone mage.
* Guilds: No guilds maintain a presence in the Gorgon's Crown, as the kingdom does not engage in trade.
Army: The Gorgon's army strikes fear into the heart of any regent within three kingdoms. The masses of troops nurse only their ill intent. Though quiescent for now, the army will move again, and all Avonlaer will tremble in terror under the Gorgon's cloven foot. This force includes:
• 4 units of dwarf guards.
• 3 units of dwarf crossbows.
• 5 units of goblin infantry.
• 4 units of goblin cavalry.
• 3 units of gnoll infantry.
• 3 units of gnoll marauders.
• 3 units of mercenary infantry.
• 2 units of mercenary cavalry.
• 2 units of mercenary pikemen.
• 1 unit of scouts.
Rumors also whisper that the Gorgon employs giant-kin, including fhoimorien, in his army. One report even places a dragon with these forces!
Regent: The awnshegh rules the Gorgon's Crown with a fist tighter than iron. Once called Raesene, the half-brother of Azimir and Roele-, the Gorgon found himself lured to the side of evil with the blandishments of Dyrosh. None proved abler than the Black Prince in the strategies of evil. He quickly rose to become the champion of Dyrosh and absorbed much of the god's essence at Battle of Mount Deismaar. All Cerilians consider him the first and mightiest of the awnsheghlien.
It was the Gorgon who halted the advances of the Avonlaer armies under Roele, and the Gorgon who tore apart the Avonlaer Empire by killing its last emperor, Michael Roele. His crimes, too many and heinous to name, grow as his evil multiplies every day. He owns at ieast two of the 12 tighmaevril weapons (and perhaps as many as four), taken from the bodies of those stupid enough to challenge him in his place of power.
Though the Gorgon has great power—perhaps more than any other creature in the world—he remains a master of subtlety, deceit, and lies. He carefully crafts rumors to destroy kingdoms and grind bloodlines into the dust. He plans his political moves with patience only a 2,000-year-old being can muster.
Those living on his border claim he can see the future. Avonlaers say the awnshegh harvests bloodlines like a vintner harvests grapes—with great care and deliberation. He helps the scions of an individual line grow ever more powerful, and then subtly encourages them to seek him out. Only a few have provided even modest entertainment, but all have nourished his personal bloodline.
• Lieutenants: It has been said that evil turns in on itself. As a firm believer in this adage, the Gorgon doesn't want to become a victim of such inevitable betrayal; therefore, he replaces his lieutenants every decade, or whenever he thinks they've become too ambitious for their own good. One of his current lieutenants, a crusty old dwarf named Kiras Earthcore, hails from the realm of Mur-Kilad. This master tactician and fierce warrior hates the Gorgon with all his heart. He has planned a careful treachery to repay the monster for his years of servitude—a plan that now nears fruition. Kiras thinks the Gorgon doesn't suspect a thing.
Important NPCs: No other important nonplayer characters live in the Gorgon's Crown. Some scouts have ventured far into the abomination's domain, but only one of them appears willing to make the journey again: Timaeras Bachie seems insane enough to dare it. Some claim this cunning and headstrong fellow is more than a little unbalanced. He's said to know the Gorgon's Crown in all its details and can guide explorers to its heart—but who would be foolish enough to want him to make the attempt?
Description: The Gorgon's Crown, the largest kingdom in Avonlae, borders Brecht and Rjurik territory. Covered in ountains and hills, the Gorgon's domain encompasses some of the most forbidding land in Avonlae. High peaks carry snow year round, and steep slopes drop loads of loose rock periodically into the sheer ravines below. Rogue towers pepper the kingdom, manned by twisted humans and goblins seeking to curry favor. Volcanic activity is uncommon, but occasionally the lurid glow of spouting magma fills the sky, and rains of ash sweep across the land for weeks.
• Capital: The province Kal-Saitharak takes its name from the capitol of the Gorgon's Crown, known in Avonlae as the Battlewaite. This obsidian and iron fortress sits in the forested province between two volcanoes; its spiky spires and towers seem to rise just as high into the reddish sky as the volcanoes nearby.
• Trade Goods: The Gorgon does not trade with anyone. What he desires, he takes. He uses the Fellport harbor on the Dauren Arm as his major sea access.
Allies: This abomination controls the kingdom of Kiergard in Brechtur, plus Mur-Kilad and Markazor . Though they each maintain a nominal ruler, none may act with true autonomy. And, apart from those three, no kingdom will deal with the Gorgon.
Enemies: Any person not a vassal or servant of the Gorgon is his enemy. Any kingdom not under his direct control becomes a foe. Consequently, nearly all of Avonlae stands as the declared enemy of the Gorgon. Yet, hardly any kingdoms willingly take action against the most ancient of the awnsheghlien. They fear his periodic rampages, and they remain unwilling to join forces to crush him—the last group of regents that attempted to take the Gorgon's life vanished.
Special Conditions: Folks say the Gorgon knows every footstep that transgresses upon his domain. Folks also say he flies and eats small children, though, so this rumor may hold no truth. However, anyone who would travel into the Gorgon's Crown should remember that no one in five centuries has offered the awnshegh even a slight challenge
The center of the Gorgon's realm is the great fortress Kal-Saitharak; in Avonlaer lands, it is called the Battlewaite.
Five hundred years ago, the Gorgon slew Michael Roele. The Gorgon's armies conquered Markazor, the goblin kingdom, soon after. And two centuries ago, the Gorgon unleashed his armies against the Brecht land of Kiergard and razed it utterly.
The Gorgon's emissaries and spies permeate Avonlaer lands. It is said that no man has seen the Gorgon's face and lived, but I know that to be untrue. Since meeting him, I truly believe the legend that the Gorgon is none other than Raesene the Black Prince, who once led the ancient Anuireans against the elves and who was seduced by the promises of the dark Dyrosh. The Black Prince of the Gorgon
• Law: The Gorgon is the law of his kingdom. No one can turn his people or his land against him.
• Temples: The religion of the Gorgon's Crown falls under the purview of the Hand of Dyrosh, a mysterious priestess from the lands to the east. She is not blooded; if she were, the Gorgon would have consumed her long ago. She has devoted herself totally to the Gorgon and will never work against him freely.
• Sources: No one is foolish enough to try taking magical holdings in the Gorgon's Crown;the fearsome abomination remains the domain's lone mage.
* Guilds: No guilds maintain a presence in the Gorgon's Crown, as the kingdom does not engage in trade.
Army: The Gorgon's army strikes fear into the heart of any regent within three kingdoms. The masses of troops nurse only their ill intent. Though quiescent for now, the army will move again, and all Avonlaer will tremble in terror under the Gorgon's cloven foot. This force includes:
• 4 units of dwarf guards.
• 3 units of dwarf crossbows.
• 5 units of goblin infantry.
• 4 units of goblin cavalry.
• 3 units of gnoll infantry.
• 3 units of gnoll marauders.
• 3 units of mercenary infantry.
• 2 units of mercenary cavalry.
• 2 units of mercenary pikemen.
• 1 unit of scouts.
Rumors also whisper that the Gorgon employs giant-kin, including fhoimorien, in his army. One report even places a dragon with these forces!
Regent: The awnshegh rules the Gorgon's Crown with a fist tighter than iron. Once called Raesene, the half-brother of Azimir and Roele-, the Gorgon found himself lured to the side of evil with the blandishments of Dyrosh. None proved abler than the Black Prince in the strategies of evil. He quickly rose to become the champion of Dyrosh and absorbed much of the god's essence at Battle of Mount Deismaar. All Cerilians consider him the first and mightiest of the awnsheghlien.
It was the Gorgon who halted the advances of the Avonlaer armies under Roele, and the Gorgon who tore apart the Avonlaer Empire by killing its last emperor, Michael Roele. His crimes, too many and heinous to name, grow as his evil multiplies every day. He owns at ieast two of the 12 tighmaevril weapons (and perhaps as many as four), taken from the bodies of those stupid enough to challenge him in his place of power.
Though the Gorgon has great power—perhaps more than any other creature in the world—he remains a master of subtlety, deceit, and lies. He carefully crafts rumors to destroy kingdoms and grind bloodlines into the dust. He plans his political moves with patience only a 2,000-year-old being can muster.
Those living on his border claim he can see the future. Avonlaers say the awnshegh harvests bloodlines like a vintner harvests grapes—with great care and deliberation. He helps the scions of an individual line grow ever more powerful, and then subtly encourages them to seek him out. Only a few have provided even modest entertainment, but all have nourished his personal bloodline.
• Lieutenants: It has been said that evil turns in on itself. As a firm believer in this adage, the Gorgon doesn't want to become a victim of such inevitable betrayal; therefore, he replaces his lieutenants every decade, or whenever he thinks they've become too ambitious for their own good. One of his current lieutenants, a crusty old dwarf named Kiras Earthcore, hails from the realm of Mur-Kilad. This master tactician and fierce warrior hates the Gorgon with all his heart. He has planned a careful treachery to repay the monster for his years of servitude—a plan that now nears fruition. Kiras thinks the Gorgon doesn't suspect a thing.
Important NPCs: No other important nonplayer characters live in the Gorgon's Crown. Some scouts have ventured far into the abomination's domain, but only one of them appears willing to make the journey again: Timaeras Bachie seems insane enough to dare it. Some claim this cunning and headstrong fellow is more than a little unbalanced. He's said to know the Gorgon's Crown in all its details and can guide explorers to its heart—but who would be foolish enough to want him to make the attempt?
Description: The Gorgon's Crown, the largest kingdom in Avonlae, borders Brecht and Rjurik territory. Covered in ountains and hills, the Gorgon's domain encompasses some of the most forbidding land in Avonlae. High peaks carry snow year round, and steep slopes drop loads of loose rock periodically into the sheer ravines below. Rogue towers pepper the kingdom, manned by twisted humans and goblins seeking to curry favor. Volcanic activity is uncommon, but occasionally the lurid glow of spouting magma fills the sky, and rains of ash sweep across the land for weeks.
• Capital: The province Kal-Saitharak takes its name from the capitol of the Gorgon's Crown, known in Avonlae as the Battlewaite. This obsidian and iron fortress sits in the forested province between two volcanoes; its spiky spires and towers seem to rise just as high into the reddish sky as the volcanoes nearby.
• Trade Goods: The Gorgon does not trade with anyone. What he desires, he takes. He uses the Fellport harbor on the Dauren Arm as his major sea access.
Allies: This abomination controls the kingdom of Kiergard in Brechtur, plus Mur-Kilad and Markazor . Though they each maintain a nominal ruler, none may act with true autonomy. And, apart from those three, no kingdom will deal with the Gorgon.
Enemies: Any person not a vassal or servant of the Gorgon is his enemy. Any kingdom not under his direct control becomes a foe. Consequently, nearly all of Avonlae stands as the declared enemy of the Gorgon. Yet, hardly any kingdoms willingly take action against the most ancient of the awnsheghlien. They fear his periodic rampages, and they remain unwilling to join forces to crush him—the last group of regents that attempted to take the Gorgon's life vanished.
Special Conditions: Folks say the Gorgon knows every footstep that transgresses upon his domain. Folks also say he flies and eats small children, though, so this rumor may hold no truth. However, anyone who would travel into the Gorgon's Crown should remember that no one in five centuries has offered the awnshegh even a slight challenge
