Map of the Bloodstone Lands
Cities & Towns
Bay Town Population: 11,750. Bay Town is the community that the twelve Lords of Imphras II would most like to forget. Dominating Traders Bay in central Impiltur, Bay Town shelters thieves and pirates, smugglers and other unseemly types of every profession. The leaders of Impiltur acknowledge that thieves and rogues will carve a niche for themselves somewhere, so they simply turn their eyes away from the goings-on. In truth, they prefer to keep the scum confined to one area, preferrably one of minimal importance, and Bay Town fits that bill. PCs wandering into the town are likely to be "invited" to serve as slaves on one of the many pirate ships - an offer they may find difficult to refuse!
Dilpur Population: 35,000. For a very long time, Dilpur was the smallest and least important of the Impilturian city-states. When trade from Damara declined, and Sarshel fell, many of the refugees from Sarshel settled in Dilpur, the next closest city. The population nearly doubled. Dilpur quickly expanded its docks, and a new wall is under construction to encompass the sprawling additions built onto the city over the last few years. The three lords who rule Dilpur are concerned for the future of their city. The Lords Imbraun, Soargilm, and Sambrar recognize the potential for renewed trade with Damara. While Impiltur as a whole would benefit greatly, a renewed flow of bloodstone from the north might prove disastrous for Dilpur. The lords must wonder how many citizens might return to Sarshel if trade resumes. Therefore, when planning new additions to the city, the lords are proceeding cautiously. Their efforts focus on improving areas like the docks, areas that will prove useful even if the new arrivals do not remain.
Dunfee Population: 3,100 Dunfee is Impiltur's most important mining town. Located in the southeastern corner of the Earthspurs, Dunfee is barely a stone's throw from the Damaran border. The people of Dunfee have close ties with their neighbors: their fellow miners in Sudrav and the Carmathan nobles in Ravensburg. Dunfee's proximity to Damara brings watchful eyes and ears into the town. One or more of the Lords of Imphras II are almost always present. If not one of them, then their Heralds are here. They watch the continuing political struggle in the north and patiently gather information.
Hlammach Population: 41,000 Like all the important Impilturian cities, Hlammach is a major seaport. Walled and compact, the city is home to merchants, tradesmen, and sailors. Her docks are extensive and always filled with laden ships, for Hlammach is the final stopover before the village of Uthmerg and the trade road going east. Before the reunification of Impiltur, Hlammach was second only to Lyrabar in importance, because the city controlled the entire northwestern corner of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Hlammach's principal rival was Sarshel, and relations between the two cities were never friendly. Even today, under the united banner of Impiltur, relations between the people of Hlammach and Sarshel remain cool. (This partly explains why those who deserted Sarshel when trade fell off settled in small, unimportant Dilpur.) Hlammach retains great importance today as the center of Impilturian economic planning, being the location of the kingdom's mint. War-Captains Imbra, Silmgar, and Lashilaun work to maintain a level of currency proportionate to the true wealth of the kingdom.
Ilmwatch (Citadel) Population: 3,060 - 500 military, 2,560 civilian. More a fortress than a city, Ilmwatch stands on the north bank of the infamous Buzzard Beak Harbor. It protects merchants traveling to and from Damara, and those who cross the Easting Reach to Uthmerg. Patrols from Ilmwatch regularly visit Uthmerg and the string of small villages that dot the road north. Mulltown, Guidodale, Maracrath, and Cairnpur are overnight stops along the Merchant's Run, part of the Herald's Road. Contingents from the garrison often accompany merchants journeying south.
Lyrabar Population: 62,000 The great port of Lyrabar is the largest city in the Bloodstone Lands. Impiltur's capital, the city is ruled by the twelve Lords of Imphras II. The castle of Kyrlraun stands within its walls, as does Tower Pureheart. The rising spire of the Tower can be seen for many miles. The most beautiful and dominant structure in the city is the golden-domed palace of Queen Sambryl. Lyrabar is long and narrow, a strip city arrayed along the waterfront. Her docks are extensive and her fleet is the envy of all the region, floating numerous warships and merchant vessels. Westernmost of the major cities of Impiltur, Lyrabar maintains good relations with the independent city-state of Procampur.Good relations also exist with the nations bordering the Dragon Reach, and those on the western banks of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Mulltown Population: 1,250 Typical of the larger Impilturian villages is Mulltown, the first stopover for caravans moving south down Merchant's Run from Damara. Many of the smaller cities in Impiltur support the trading routes to and from the four major city-states. Defensible Mulltown offers well-managed inns and skilled smithies, and is a perfect example of a community whose role is service to visitors.
New Sarshel Population: 3,500 The recently-completed structures of New Sarshel stand across the water from the city of Sarshel. Built out of defiance for the old city, New Sarshel does its utmost to steal merchants and sailors away from its namesake. The construction of New Sarshel was financed by a committee of fifteen merchants, disgruntled by the city's apparent indifference to its decline in the wake of the Damaran disaster. The founders of New Sarshel have an aggressive hunger for trade from the east. But convincing trade to come to the new city is not an easy task. Certainly the great port of Hlammach will offer no assistance! Bettors get even odds that the new city will not survive the next winter.
Sarshel Population: 26,000 Sarshel is a walled city with extensive dock facilities. Seaside Palace is the city's main structure and governing house; the palace houses Lords Rilaunyr and Silaunbrar. The 200-room complex includes a covered wharf complex, which harbors Rilaunyr's Warship, the flagship of the extensive Sarshel fleet. Sarshel is the largest Impilturian city close to Damara and points east, and for many years it served as the primary port for Damaran merchants. Since the Witch-King's rise halted Damaran trade, the city has suffered. Once a flourishing city of 48,000, Sarshel has shrivelled to only a half its former size. Lately Sarshel has been eclipsed by Hlammach, a city better equipped to handle the east-west trade routes. Still, the people remaining in Sarshel are proud and stubborn. They sail onto the Sea of Fallen Stars often enough to bring them an ample piece of the trading pie.
GEOGRAPHY
Buzzard Beak Harbor Buzzard Beak Harbor is a sheltered arm of water jutting into Impiltur from the Easting Reach. Weedy and full of treacherous reefs, the place has long offered a treacherous sanctuary to the smugglers and pirates of the region. These evil sailors know Buzzard Beak Harbor like their own back yard, and are always quick to flee there when pressed by a superior vessel such as Rilaunyr's Warship. The pirates and smugglers have come to know the dangerous harbor out of necessity. No sane captain would take the risks to follow them unless he absolutely had to.
The Easting Reach The Easting Reach is a broad, sheltered harbor located on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Fallen Stars. The waters are deep and usually calm, with few reefs and predictable currents. The harbor is the best tradeport for goods coming into and out of the Bloodstone Lands. The city of Sarshel guards the harbor's mouth, and provides extensive docks; many merchant vessels fly Sarshel's banner. The fortress-city of Ilmwatch keeps an alert navy afloat from further up the reach.
Earthfast Mountains This small range of mountains marks the western border of the Kingdom of Impiltur. Not as high as the Earthspurs, the Earthfast Mountains are equally difficult to traverse, with steep slopes and sudden gorges. Mines in the Earthfasts have yielded moderate amounts of iron and silver in the past. However, none of the mines were productive enough to balance the hardships miners endured. Today, only a few dozen stubborn, solitary prospectors roam the rocky peaks.
Forests of the Great Dale. Collectively known as the Forests of the Great Dale, Rawlinswood and the Forest of Lethyr comprise one of the largest tracts of woodland in the Forgotten Realms. The forests encompass nearly 70,000 square miles. Rawlinswrood is the larger, but the Forest of Lethyr is 'small'only by direct comparison! These forests once provided lumber for buildings in Impiltur and Damara, but few woodsmen travel here today. Thickly packed with firs and huge, ancient oaks, these woods are darkened by a thick canopy and a pervading aura of doom. Fireside tales speak of the woods as remnants of a past age, and legends tell of sentient trees that stubbornly hold onto the Forests of the Great Dale as their last stand in a world of shrinking woodlands. Outsiders consider these tales to be fanciful superstitions, but the people living near the woods take the stories seriously, and rarely venture under the thick boughs. Druidic Nar folk reside here in large numbers, and the priests of their ancient order do not welcome strangers - particularly strangers bearing axes. In the heart of Rawlinswood lies Dun-Tharos, the imposing home of the mighty Nentyarch. It is not known if he is a wizard or druid, or even if he is a man or something dire. Few doubt his disdain for trespassers, however. Hardy souls have ventured into the gloom of Rawlinswood, but only a handful ever came out. These few have expressed no desire to return!
Great Imphras River The Great Imphras River network is comprised of three major rivers. The Great Imphras River itself flows out of Lake Mogador, and the two Sidewinders stream along the Damara-Impiltur border. The rivers are rough, with many dangerous stretches of white water, especially along the southeastern fringes of the Galena Mountains. The rivers end at Traders Bay, a series of connecting lakes that lead into the Easting Reach halfway between Sarshel and Ilmwatch. The river is frequented by Damaran merchants anxious to beat those who use the more conventional land route down the Merchants Run. The southern stretch of the rivers, and Traders Bay particularly, are much used by smugglers and thieves. The waterway enables these miscreants a route to the Sea of Fallen Stars, and a chance to escape the fleets of Impiltur.
Sidewinder River The Sidewinder is actually two rivers: the River Lench flowing west from Rawlinswood; and the original Sidewinder, rushing east from the Earthspurs, Both feed into the Great Imphras River network, and are considered part of that network. Little shipping is done along the Sidewinder. Nothing comes out of Rawlinswood, and the river from the Galenas is too wild and treacherous. The Sidewinder's primary importance is to mark an indisputable, easily defensible border between Impiltur and Damara. The border has gone unchallenged throughout history. When Zhengyi had conquered Damara, Impiltur massed its forces not know which way the Witch-King would turn. They could only be sure Zhengyi could not cross the Sidewinder. Had he chosen to invade Impiltur, the Witch-King would have had to march west and pass through the difficult Earthspurs, or go far to the east, braving the dangers of Rawlinswood and Dun-Tharos. Clearly, the Sidewinder provided a measure of security to the people of Impiltur in that dark time.
Traders Bay Traders Bay is more commonly known as Traitor's Bay. The boats riding out over the Bay usually carry fugitives or pirates seeking an easy escape out into the Easting Reach beyond the attention of Sarshel and Ilmwatch. Traders Bay is the only interior waterway in the Kingdom of Impiltur. It encompasses the southern stretches of the Great Imphras River system and two large lakes, Bluefang Water and the Old Water. The only settlement on Traders Bay, Bay Town, has never gained prominence. The town cannot compete with the major cities located on the seacoast. The harbor of Easting Reach meets the legitimate needs of caravans coming from Damara and through the Great Dale. Bay Town survives by serving best those who do frequent the area: the scum.
STRONGHOLDS RUINS & DUNGEONS
Dun-Tharos Buried in the ever-evening of the depths of Rawlinswood is a tree-lined fortress known as Dun-Tharos. Knowledge of the place remains more rumor than substantiated fact, but one thing is known: the Nentyarch dwells there. Little more than that is known about this powerful wizard, for he does not take kindly to intrusion. Even the centaurs of the fringes of Rawlinswood take great pains to avoid him. Dun-Tharos itself is said to be a hundred square miles of permeating evil. Local Nar druids are quick to point out that darkness and evil may go together symbolically, yet they are not one and the same. Still, even the druids agree that the Nentyarch should be viewed with suspicion. Whispers through the trees speak of grim beasts, perverted creations, and horrid slaves of the mighty wizard. Neighboring nations view the place with suspicion. Impiltur keeps a wary eye on the region, and the Nars of Narfell will not go anywhere near the forest. With all that has happened in Damara recently, Dun-Tharos remains unexplored by any of that nation's heroes. The twelve Lords of Imphras II would eagerly hire any adventurer willing to delve into the forest and enlighten them on Dun-Tharos and its suspicious and powerful ruler.
Ephran's Skinny Tower It starts when a thirty-foot high pole appears mysteriously on the outskirts of a city somewhere in Impiltur. A yellow banner flies over it, emblazoned with a picture of a stick man. A few years ago, the people would have scratched their heads and wondered what this was. Now, almost everyone in Impiltur recognizes the home of Ephran, an incredibly thin, cheerful, and eccentric magic-user. The tower is actually a dimensional trick. What appears to be a pole just inches in diameter is actually a comfortable home on the inside of a cylindrical tower. Fifty guests could congregate without bumping elbows! Ephran's story is an odd one. While still a simple apprentice, Ephran was ensorcelled by the Red Wizards of Thay, forced to make a harrowing journey through the planes of existence. Sometime during this ten-year trip, Ephran stumbled into a world between the planes, a place where everything and everyone was distorted into nothing more than a series of connecting lines. In this home of 'stick-men' Ephran found a means to escape the wrath of the Red Wizards. He returned home bringing his pole-tower, a gift from the friends he made in the stick-world. Apparently, however, Ephran was personally affected by his stay there! His waist measures a scant ten inches around, his shoulders no more than twelve, and his neck only four! Those who know him say these measurements decrease month by month. But Ephran retains his jollity, the same gift of mirth that got him into the soup with the grim Red Wizards in the first place. He takes his tower around the land of Impiltur in a cycle of unending parties and merry-making. People smile and nod whenever they wake to the sight of the yellow banner.
Rilaunyr's Warship. Now in dry dock at Sarshel, Rilaunyr's Warship was once known as the scourge of the Easting Reach. Swift and strong, it patrolled the length of the Reach and out into the Sea of Fallen Stars. In the heyday of the Impilturian port city, the ship protected merchant vessels putting into or out of Sarshel. Then the shipments of bloodstone bars stopped flowing down from Damara, and Sarshel's importance waned. The Lord Rilaunyr could see how the winds were blowing, and brought his pride into dry-dock for refurbishing. Rilaunyr longs to get back to sea. He hopes that the flow of bloodstone will soon resume, and restore his city to its former prominence. When trade is restored, Impiltur's crossed wand and sword banner will once again fly proudly above the deck of this formidable vessel, to the dismay of pirates hungry for merchant prey. The ship herself is a three-masted ninety-footer. She carries a sailing crew of thirty, and a hundred fighting marines. Mini-ballistae line her ironbound sides; a catapult shoots from the flying deck in the rear, and two massive ballistae are directed over the prow. The real power of Rilaunyr's Warship lies in magic. When fully manned, she carries six wizards, levels 5-8, and a complement of twelve sea clerics, one of whom is a 9th level war priest. Three of the magic-users possess rings of air elemental control; they keep the sails filled with enchanted wind. The other three handle the offensive and defensive chores, surrounding vulnerable areas in globes of invulnerability, and laying low pirate ships with fireballs and lightning bolts. The clerics provide supplies and heal the crew when they are ill or wounded. Daily, they commune with their deity to keep Lord Rilaunyr informed of the fickle attitude of the god of waters, and of his domain.
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| Laviguer-Sudrav at 10 miles/hex |
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