Otrin
The Barony of Otrin begins just northwest of Riverwatch and extends to the Blackwing Swamp in the north, and as far east as Riverwatch. The people of Otrin cultivate rich farmland on the Velvet Plains and respectfully gather rare herbs from the Gardens of Tarn—under law of the barony, to fell a tree in that sacred forest is punishable by death.
Otrin’s lands abut the Mountains of Despair, which cast a long shadow over the barony. Officially, Baron Trevalyan could lay claim to parts of that gloomy range and the mineral deposits that doubtless lie within, though his ancestors learned long ago that no good comes from those stormwracked peaks. By tradition, the baron protects the people of Otrin and surrounding lands from the dangers of the mountains. Skydown, the ancestral home of Otrin’s baron, is not situated at the foot of the mountains as a defensive position against other baronies, as one might suspect of such a fortified castle, but as a bulwark against the creatures of the foothills and heights. Trevalyan lives in constant vigilance for threats descending from the mountain, and hosts aspiring Knights of the Citadel, who hunt manticores or other monsters in the mountains to prove their worth.
In recent times, foul creatures and fierce beasts have descended from the mountain even more brazenly and regularly. To the chagrin of some Knights of the Citadel, Baron Trevalyan has begun to enlist the aid of traveling adventurers for expeditions to track down specific beasts or launch preemptive strikes against the mountain denizens more generally. Some believe the monsters may in fact be fleeing the near-constant storms of the mountains, which have grown in severity and even frequency in recent years. Despite this, knowledgable folk continue to dismiss tales of an ancient and powerful sorcerer who dwells in the mountains and commands the elements as just that—mere stories.
Across the plains is the unusual range known as Mennara’s Teeth. Though the mountains cover a relatively small area, they pierce high into the sky, sharp and narrow, like the fangs of a great beast. It is said that dragons come to these mountains when they feel their life’s end drawing close, and most people avoid the foothills for fear of encountering such a monster. Still, stories persist of the Cave of Wonders, said to lie somewhere amid the dagger-like slopes. Few who seek the cave ever return, and those who do come back changed—strangely serene, yet distant from their old lives, and unwilling to speak of their experience.
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