Cailn

The Barony of Cailn is among Terrinoth’s poorest lands, plagued by lingering troubles since the Third Darkness. Baron Gilliam Xarles resides at Castle Tagis, overlooking the verdant, yet abandoned Thelsvan Plains. The charred ruins of farmhouses dot the green and verdant plains, uninhabited since the Dragon Wars. The soil is rich and fertile—said to be fertilized by the blood and ash of those who once lived there—the plains are haunted by the dragons’ victims and the soldiers who made their final stand. All who have attempted to resettle the Thelsvan Plains in the intervening centuries have met with disaster.

West of the plains is the beautiful and dangerous Starfall Forest. Named for the haunting blue-and-black stones that litter its grounds, said to have fallen from the heavens, the forest is the subject of many strange tales and legends. Many who enter the forest in search of the valuable and, some say, mystical stones never return. The ancient castle of Caer Loc stands just beyond the forest. Constructed of the same mysterious stones found in the forest, the keep’s name dates to before the age of the Elder Kings. It is said that Caer Loc’s marbled walls are proof against dark magic and the undead—though this claim has not been tested in living memory.

The city of Nornholt is perhaps Cailn’s only lifeblood in this age. Owing to its location along multiple trade routes—being centrally located between the Free Cities of Nerekhall, Greyhaven, and Tamalir—the city brings in much of the barony’s wealth, such that it is. This trade and travel has also led to a high Gnome population in the city. It has recently become evident that something is greatly frightening the Gnomes of Nornholt, who have largely ceased their customary (and frequent) celebrations, locking themselves away in the evenings. Even stranger, the normally loquacious Gnomes have been unwilling to talk to others about the problem.