Russkland
On the easternmost coast of Raskia is the domain of the
hardy Russks, a people whose history includes many years
of oppression, enslavement, and hardship. It is little
wonder that the Russks of today are a stubborn, bitter
race who fight tooth and nail any attempts to compromise
their liberty and freedom.
If one listens to the scholars, which Russks rarely do,
one would learn that Russkland is thought to be the
oldest of the Russk kingdoms. Although originally it
was owned by the Raskim, during the last five hundred
years that slowly changed. Now, Russkland and its two
sister kingdoms are autonomous and proud of it.
The capitol city of Russkland is ancient in both history
and appearance. In the southern kingdoms, its age is
surpassed only by Cardosa, the capitol of
Anar. The reigning
monarch, currently Queen Palafons, resides in the
towering Bluestone Palace, a magnificent
structure said to be over fifteen hundred years old.
Home to temples representing nearly all of the Russks'
major religious orders, visitors will most definitely
want to see the Shrine of Palabard,
residing in the Temple of Bryonia. King Palabard I was
a brave warrior who led Russkland's warriors during the
Anfalas war, and originally won Russkland its
independence in 312 AG. His remains are supposedly
buried beneath the shrine. The Revelyard of
Pykano is also located in Attregna. This
large, open ale hall is a tribute to the deity of
drinking, revelry, and agriculture, and is open
all year long, despite the bitterly cold Attregna
winter.
Attregna has an active seaport. Ships leave regularly
for Brell, the
North Coast, and
Holwich.
Periodically, one may also find a vessel traveling to
the Geirlish nations, particularly
Tannik and surrounding
areas.
The Argent Tower's
second-largest school is in Attregna (its largest being
in Tannik, of course). Travelers through this fair and
civilized city may wish to frequent the King's
Inn, which is rumored to be changing its name to
the Queen's Inn shortly, given the recent shift
in power.
Leading both north and south from Attregna is the
King's Road, which is constantly
patrolled and maintained by the King's
Rangers, the elite of Russkland's armed
forces and the Russk answer to the Knights of Kuthra.
Once it crosses the border into Holwich, the King's Road
is called the Brell Road.
Where the Raskian Sea meets the Sea of Goag, treacherous
waters and strong winds make for an interesting
existence for the string of fishing towns along the
north coast. The people of this area are rugged and
hardy, and take great pride in their heritage and
locality.
Paethel, Midkeep, and Hale are the largest of these
villages, but at least half a dozen smaller villages
dot the coast. Among those three, Midkeep stands out
as the only one sporting any fortification. For many
years Midkeep Castle has collected tolls from passing
merchant ships, its massive trebuchets and catapults
able to reach all but the most seaworthy of vessels.
In typical Russk tradition, each of these towns sports
temples to Hadwn and Pykano, with the odd shrines to
Bryonia and Aggrek thrown in. Paethel is known for its
raukaus Pykanothras celebration, and many pilgrims
converge on the seaside town every year to take part in
the revelry.
Between Attregna and Holwich is a swath of rough, rocky
land unsuitable for anything but grazing sheep. Called
Hallow Hills for the legends surrounding this region,
these days it is populated by Visany, and plagued by
persistent rumors of goblins and trolls.
These days, only one Russk settlement remains in Hallow
Hills. On the south bank of Hadwn's
Chain is Denrod, named for the Shrine
of Denrod. According to legend, Denrod was a
brave warrior who defeated a massive three-headed troll
guarding Hallow Bridge, which leads to the Gellton Road
and the only guarded passage out of the haunted hills.
Located between Hallow Hills and
South Fork where
Hadwn's Chain meets the Rock
Sea, Hentig is a small town consisting mostly
of fisherman, shepherds, and farmers.
Hentig itself is not exactly a metropolitan area, but
for those in the area it is perhaps the only civilized
outpost for travelers and adventurers heading into
Hallow Hills or
Trollwood. The Hentig Bridge
to the east of town crosses South
Fork and meets with a road heading northeast to
Attregna. In the town, the
Crow's Nest, run by the Sanduval family, provides
adequate shelter and mediocre food. In addition, a
Visany clan living outside of town sells riding horses
of excellent quality and endurance.
From Hentig, one can hire riverboats or fishing boats to
take one nearly anywhere the water reaches. In
addition, a small temple run by a friendly priest of
Hadwn sits near the
town green.
Breaking away from the rushing Hadwn's
Chain to empty into the Sea of Goag, South
Fork is a calm, meandering river frequented by fishermen
and pilgrims. Pykos, the smaller of the two towns on
the river, claims the Holy Seat of the Church of
Pykano. Farther south, a large Temple of Goag sits just
outside Inmark on a lofty cliff overlooking the
turbulent sea.
Inmark is a small city, and is protected by
fortifications dating back several thousand years. The
Earl of Inmark is a powerful man in southern Russkland.
Because of its location, Inmark remains somewhat
isolated from the rest of the peninsula. It therefore
comes as little surprise that the dominant religion of
the city is Goag worship.
Every AD&D world has one: a forest seemingly
populated only by ogres and ghouls. Trollwood is it in
Raskia, and in the last few decades stories of even
darker, more mysterious things have begun to pop up.
Naturally, Trollwood is a popular place with Russk
adventurers. Some speak of ancient elven ruins or
deserted castles deep in the tangled woods.
Only one small settlement has managed to make its home
in Trollwood. Willowside is a small village of loggers,
trappers, and fisherman on the south edge of the haunted
forest. It was settled approximately eighty years ago
by a brave adventurer named Quent Harrowspear, whose
descendants have ruled the tiny community ever since.
Holwich
Called the "Chosen Land of Pykano", many
natives of Russkland and Anar wonder if perhaps Holwich
should instead be called the "Sodden Land of
Yvyx", instead. The open corruption and
underhanded politics of the Syndicate of Yvyx do not sit
well with its fellow Russk nations.
Still, Holwich's economic and political clout cannot be
ignored by any means (despite the size of a certain
Earl's bribes, this chronicaller might add). Here we
shall examine two of Holwich's westernmost centers of
civilization: Brell, and Gellton.
At the mouth of Gellton River is
Holwich's largest city, Brell. In addition to being the
rumored seat of the Syndicate of Yvyx, it also serves as
the home of the Brell Senate, a collection of rich old
merchants and land owners who run the city and the
country.
Brell is home to a number of colorful taverns, including
(but definitely not limited to) the Spilling
Tankard, the Horny Pirate, and a rough-and
tumble den of thieves and cutthroats called the Three
Friends. In addition, both the Order of Ase and
the Order of Kuthra have tried to make a presence for
themselves in the city. The Temple of the
Ancient Brotherhood of the Holy Monks of
Kuthra is a surprisingly Russkish monastic
order worshiping the Sun God. Meanwhile, the Church of
Hadwn maintains a rather sizable library and a
contingent of monks of its own.
As such a center of trade, it should come as little
surprise that ships can be found traveling to both
Attregna and Tannik. Riverboats
carrying pilgrims and merchants are also available.
Just a few days south of Brell is the small city famous
for its odd politics and exciting Summer
Market. For one week every summer, merchants
from all races and walks of life converge on Gellton to
exchange goods and enjoy a jolly old time.
The Earl of Gellton is usually said to be a pawn of the
Yvyxian Syndicate, but he is still respected by the
people. The current Earl often has public spats with
his wife, and the two are often caught trying to
outmaneuver each other politically.
|
