Classic World of Skârn historical discovery
Feb 14, 2018 4:50:26 GMT -5
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Post by Hexenritter Verlag on Feb 14, 2018 4:50:26 GMT -5
Classic World of Skârn - from November 2010 [Wow! What a find, I am glad that I kept a back-up of my initial pre-5e/RMU version of Skârn. I created this to run games for my older niece & nephew - though it never occurred, except one session. The Swamp Hobz are greatly inspired by the Swamp dwelling Gremlins of the Malifaux Skirmish game. Also note, the Shintar was not inspired by the Shaintar setting - just similar. This take on the World of Skârn was more Tolkienesque than it became, especially the High Elves; again I was developing it initial for my niece & nephew, still real young & younger in 2010. I think I developed this version in hopes they'd grow up to play in my games; at this time I was strictly a player in a Rolemaster Campaign & occasional modern set supernatural based game. I actually really like this version of the setting & may just rename it World of Adonia & rename the Wilds of Drun in my revised World of Skârn. Now that my nieces & nephews are older I might run them in this version over the summer break if I can convince them to play it. IF I do use it I'll need to flesh out the other Duchies, Counties & Baronies of the Kingdom. I am glad I archived the e-mail I sent to an ex on the setting.]
Introduction :
The World of Skârn , is a campaign setting I’ve created to help introduce my niece & nephew to playing RPGs. I wanted to keep it simple & not tied to real world influences as my World of Adonia is becoming. I wanted a world influenced by anime , manga/comics , Japanese console RPGs & a number of newer MMOs . I may end up using this as my default world if it turns out better than I expect.
The setting is home to versions of the standard races found through-out most D20/OGL & other generic fantasy settings with a few minor exceptions. Elves & Half-Elves play a big part in WoS , like in all of my settings, as I’m quite partial to my Elves . Hob-Goblins take the place of Halflings & Gnomes are basically shorter hill dwelling fey kin to my more traditional mountain Dwarves. Orcs are divided into two subraces , the feral but mannish Graal Orcs & their vile corrupted kin the Kraal Orcs . The Graal Orcs are more akin to Eberron’s Shifter race than true orcs . Dragons are feral , they cannot speak or use magic, except for the very rare ‘Old Wyrms’.
The World of Skârn , is being developed in an “Old School” fashion unlike my previous campaign settings . Which were attempted to be built as completely as possible prior to use . Where as WoS , is being developed organically region by region. Though the local region is part of a larger realm (the Kingdom of Drün ) , other than a few minor details , anything beyond it’s borders will be left for later. The local region is called the Barony of Khand , which is part of both the County of Ord & Duchy of Grond. It is one of the three Baronies that make up the County of Ord. While the County of Ord is one of the three counties of the Duchy of Grond & the Duchy of Grond is one of the three duchies that make up the Kingdom of Drün. The original king of Drün is a superstitious man & chose how his new Kingdom would be set up. Although Drün was originally part of the Old Empire , it was largely wilderness claimed by Elves , Orcs & the local Khandian (human) barbarian tribes. Drün is one of the several kingdoms & city-states that sprung up when the Old Empire nearly crumbled & was forced to pull back it’s borders closer to it’s older borders.
The Western Wars between the Old Empire & the local Elves , Orcs , Fey & Khandian vassals who sprung up in rebellion led in part to the Old Empire’s fall. The local men & non-humans fought to carve out their own lands. King Cordin Dolthar is the second king of Drün & has ended hostilities with the local Elves with the Zandwood treaty. They have a treaty with a few local Graal Orc tribes for trade & mutual defense from their savage kin the Kraal. The Graal are still treated with suspicion but are accepted once they prove they are not threats to the community. The kingdom of Drün & to a larger extent it’s vassals in the Duchy of Grond have close ties with the local Elves , including those who dwell in Zandwood ( the Forest Realm of Zanindil ) , the gnomes & Dwarves who live in the local hills & bordering mountains. There are also large populations of Hob-Goblins living in region.
Realm : Kingdom of Drün
Ruler: King Cordin Dolthar & Queen Bretta Dolthar
Duchy of Grond :
The Duchy of Grond is the third & northern most duchy in the Kingdom of Drün . Like most of the Free Realms , the Kingdom of Drün & it’s vassal domains is part of what was once the frontier region of the Old Empire & only recently gained it’s freedom , establishing it’s own dominion on the barbaric frontier. King Cordin Dolthar is decended from the chiefs of one of the human barbarian tribes conquered by the Old Empire . His father King Cord Dolthar was one of the heroes who had risen to cast down the imperial shackles of the Old Empire’s dominion.
The Duchy of Grond is made up by the Counties of : Ord , Khand & Vŏrg. It’s a realm of large of mixed forests , fertile grasslands & ore rich hills n’ mountains that border it. It’s borders to the west by the Great Forest of Zanindil ( locally known as Zandwood) , to the north by Bay of Storms & Thunder Peaks , to the east by the Barrier Peaks & the south the Duchies of Dröm & Targ .
Ruler : Duke Morlig Felor II & Duchess Khrissa Felor.
County of Ord :
The County of Ord is the northern most part of the dominion of the Duchy of Grond . It is made up the Baronies of : Khand in the north , Bront in the east & Vand in the south west. The County of Ord lies in great vale of Ord ,with the river Ord winding through it’s center to empty out into the Bay of Storms. The River Ord is birthed in the south eastern reaches of the Barrier peaks & winds through all three of the baronies that comprise the County of Ord with the bulk of it flowing through the Barony of Khand. The City , Lake of Ord & the Ordwood lie on the nexus of all three baronies.
Ruler : Count Hador Korban II & Countess Nida Korban .
Barony of Khand :
The Barony of Kand is the northernmost domain of the County of Ord . It lies at the northern end of the Vale of Ord at the apex of the River’s of Ord & Khand as they empty into the Bay of Storms. The Barony of Khand is home to the rivers of Ord, Khand & Fesk ; as well as the Ironhills, Barrow Hills & Grün Hills. It is also the home to the forests of Grünwood , Vardwood , Brontwood , Stonewood , Ordwood & Khandwood, plus the Swamp of Khand. House Korban has ruled the Barony since the founding of the Kingdom of Drün. The Barony is the heart of County of Ord’s mead , cider , syrup & fishing industries.
The Barony of Khand is also the most diverse in population of the Baronies that comprise Ord. It is home to Humans , Elves , Elf-Kin , Graal , Graal-Kin , Hob-Goblins , Hob-Kin, Gnomes Gnome-kin & Dwarves .These races get along well , with only minor prejudices - - mainly towards the Graal & occasionally towards Hob-Goblins (the Shintâr & swamp dwelling Hobz mainly). The Barony is home to the highest concentration of Hob-Goblins , Hob-Kin , Elves & Elf-Kin in all of County of Ord. Thus the Barony of Khand has a not-so undeserved reputation as the backwoods of the County. It is more wooded than the other Baronies thus less developed. But the people of the Barony of Khand prefer it that way , as they are more freedom loving people.
The Barony of Khand is bordered by Thunder Peaks & Bay of Storms to the north , the Forest Realm of Zanindil (Zandwood) to the west , the Barony of Vand to the south & the Barony of Bront to the east.
Key Exports & Imports of the Barony of Khand:
Exports: Ore , weapons , armor ,wooden goods , hemp , cannabis , mead , cider , brandy , salted & smoked fish , plus preserves.
Imports: Textiles, spices , exotic foodstuffs , livestock ,timber & mercanaries.
Population Centers of the Barony of Khand:
Capital : Port of Khand
Towns & Villages : Brontford , Gand , Hobstead , Irontown , Lysk , Torsk & Var.
Irontown:
Irontown is the second largest town in the Barony of Khand , second only to the Port of Khand . It is nestled in the Ironhills & is home to the highest concentration of Dwarves , Gnomes , Gnome-kin , Graal & Graal-Kin in the Barony. Outside Clefttown , it is one of the few places in the Barony that Dwarves are found on the surface, as they prefer their tunnels under the mountains . Irontown is a dirty & smelly place full of smithies , plus the people who work or trade in Iron or other kinds of metals . There is also several gem merchants that have operations here. Most of the population is male , those females (of what ever race) are either wives n’ daughters , tradeswomen (cooks ,maids & seamstresses ect.) & prostitutes or the rare adventurer .
Irontown is a frequent stop for the nomadic Hob-Goblin Shintâr clans. One of the few places that accepts them openly. In fact there is a small but growing Shintâr community in Irontown. They often bring exotic wares from their distant travels as well as wares of their own making. The people who populate Irontown are of a rough n’ rowdy sort who like to drink , fight & make love.
Irontown is the main place to buy Smoke Powder weapons , smoke powder & explosive devices. It also has steam powered Dwarven engines that run various vehicles & other devices in town but they refuse to share their secrets with non-Dwarves. Smoke & steam billow from almost every building in Irontown. It is home to several gambling halls , Inns/Taverns & brothals frequented by Irontowns citizenry & visitors.
Races of Skârn :
Hob-Goblins : Hob-Goblins also known as Hobz are one of the fey-touched races including Elves & Gnomes. They are short & slender , with small eyes , wide flat noses & wide mouths (the female Hobz have full lips). Their skin runs from mocha brown to olive green . While their eyes run from hazel to dark brown & their hair runs from rust to black in color. Male hobz often bald early while their womenfolk usually have long & full heads of hair. Hobz can’t grow beards beyond wispy fuzz on their chins. Hob women have an exotic attractiveness compared to their homely if not ugly men-folk .
Hobz marry & have large extended families but don’t marry until later in their life after their ‘wild season’. Hobz like humans even though they are often seem as little better than pests by the more ‘civilized’ humans. Hob women tend to like human & elvish men , often to the consternation of their men-folk. That said , Hob men fancy human women nearly as much but unlike their women-folk rarely are able to woo them (they often frequent brothels to ‘scratch their itch’). Thus the growing number of Hob-Kin is rising in areas where Hobz & humans live near each other.
Hobz are split into three sub-races :
Rural Hobz , which are the most common & most intelligent n’ wise of the hobz. They also tend towards lighter coloration , more handsome & wear finer dress. Rural Hobz also have better manners than their swamp living kin. They are also the most industrious of the Hob races , working primarily as farmers & fishermen . Rural Hobz worship most gods but primarily honor agricultural gods & Devyna , Goddess of hearth n’ home , as well as marriage. Rural Hobz live in underground burrows within hills or squat homes in mannish cities.
Swamp Hobz, which are the second most common but most dim of the Hob races. They love their drink & pipe weed .They also are the most clannish of the Hob races & tend to have feuds between their fellow clans frequently. Wild boars are frequently seen in their company & where as in warmer climes they frequently domesticate alligators instead . They are the most shabbily dressed of the Hob races & give Hobz in general their reputation as pest. This reputations is rivaled only by their cursed nomadic Shintâr kin. Swamp Hobz worship mainly nature Gods , especially Gâr-Nogg the Goblin god of nature & plenty . His totem is the Boar in cooler more temperate climes or the Alligator in warmer tropical climes. Swamp Hobz live in stilt homes or homes suspended in some of the larger trees in the drier areas of the swamp.
Shintâr Hobz , are the rarest of the Hob races. They are the cursed kin of the more common Rural & Swamp dwelling Hobz. They are from distant Shintâria to the far east. They were cursed to wander & never settle in one pace (as a people) by God-King of Shintâria , Shin-Târ during the age of God-Kings. Other than their swamp dwelling kin they have the worse reputation of the Hob races. Though they are more akin appearance wise to their rural kin , they have a reputations as thieves &shiftless conmen. They are disliked by most races , including their rural kin as many rural youngsters have ran away from home to join their caravans.
Shintâr Hobz dress in a mix of styles depending on the cultures they’ve been in contact with. They prefer bright colors & lots of gold jewelry . The poorer Shintâr dress nearly as shabbily as their Swamp dwelling kin but with a more exotic flare. They work as performers , tinkers , conmen & thieves. Shintâr Hobz are the most handsome & tallest of the Hob races. It is said because of the Elven & human blood that flows through their veins. They are also the longest lived of the Hobz , giving more truth to those claims. Those Shintâr that settle amongst humans are either , outcasts for some crime against their clan or married (or were married) to humans or rural Hobz & settled in one place. Possibly as part of the curse , female Shintâr are born in greater numbers. This has led to polygamy being common among their clans & prostitution amongst the poorer Shintâr to make a living for their families.
The two main branches of Shintâr Hobz are the wagon dwelling Shintâr-Jos & riverboat dwelling Shintâr-Vos. Both of their wagons & boats are brightly decorated. Though cursed Shintâr Hobz are not atheistic but worship Vârda the goddess of love & romance n’ Ranŭk , the God of mischief & fortune. They also honor various other gods depending on their needs.
Elves : Elves are the third most common of the civilized races after Humans (most common) & Hob-Goblins . They are split into four sub-races :
a) True or High Elves : who rule the Fey-lands , who taught early man magic & woodcraft. They now disdain most humans & only deal with them in the most dire of circumstances . They are the most noble & arrogant of Elven-kind. They are tall (5’9”-6’5”) & slender build n’ fair of coloring . They often surrounded by a pale nimbus & are rarely seen during the daylight hours, as like most true Fey they are nocturnal in nature.
b) Common or Wild Elves : Who are the most common of Elven-Kind. They are not true elves but men who were tainted by Fey magic & slowly evolved into their current form. They are long lived but lack the discipline of their True Elven kin. They are wild of heart & love to dance n’ sing. They are great at woodcraft & nature based magics , as well as skilled warriors. They are great cooks & tale spinners. They love to mingle with Hog-Goblins , Gnomes & most goodly humans. Though they prefer to live in wild areas they also love to spend time in cities or on ships (both seaborne & airborne kind) travelling the world.
Unlike their True Elven kin , Wild Elves are short (between 4’ to 5’5”in height) & are darker in complexion (walnut to mahogany skin) , Rusty to moss green hair & jade green to sky blue eyes. They dress in leathers & fine linens & woolens , with woodland motifs common. No matter their gender , Elves are slender and feminine in build but female Elves have ample assets that clearly mark their gender .
Elves mate for life but only once they have found their soul-mate , that said Elves views on sexuality is very liberal compared to some humans & dwarves. They have no problem ‘sampling the fruit’ while single & often quite enjoy it. There is a reason Elf-kin (half-Elves) are common where humans & Elves live close together. Elves worship the Earth Mother Eyphira , Queen of Fey & her ‘new’ consort Mordoc , God of Nature , fertility , music & mead , lord of the Fauns n’ Satyrs & Centaurs . They do honor other gods when they desire , usually those of nature & magic.
c) Dark or Slaar Elves : Dark Elves are the corrupted kin of both High & Wild Elves who turned from the grace of the Great Mother to worship vile fiends. They led to the madness & corruption of the old ‘Horned God’ , Khadâr by the Fiendish powers they worship. For their betrayal they were marked physically by dusty black skin & chalk white hair as a permanent stigmata to mirror the blackened souls. Not all Dark Elves are evil , a small number have rejected their peoples evil ways & banded together n’ seek redemption, they are the Xin-Vor (Shin-Vor). But most Dark Elves embrace their corruption & revel in violence & pain.
Dark Elves are much like their Wild & High Elven kin physically except for the skin & hair coloration. Clothing & decoration is another story altogether . Dark Elves prefer leathers of dark colors with silver or black iron studs & spikes n’ chains. They prefer motifs of Skulls , Demonic & perverted imagery in their art & decorations/jewelry .
Dark Elves are raiders , taking slaves & livestock from nearby human communities. These slaves are used for manual labor or in their dark rites. Dark Elves live in walled cities of dark stone that are placed upon lower cities (catacombs cities that link to the under realm). These cities are located in former Elven forest realms that were corrupted by their dark magics or isolated regions. Dark Elves have mastered arcane magics that power their sinister Sky Ships or control Dragons or other monsterous creatures n’ steeds. They worship dark fiends of the outer planes & only allies are Night Goblins , Graal & the Fiend-corrupted Vulkâr men.
High Dark Elves are actually the most corrupted & sport further stigmata , like horns , tails & or wings. They frequently mate with demons & devils they summon n’ bind to their service. They are even more wicked than their common Dark Elven kin.
d) Lastly are the Elf-Kin (Half-Elves) : Elf-Kin are half-blood children of Elves & humans most commonly but occasionally of Graalish & Hob-Goblin blood. They are often taller & of heavier build than their Elven kin. Though they are still more agile & have better site n’ hearing than their human kin. They are also shorter lived & less wild of heart compared to their Elven Kin. Their coloration tends towards lighter shades of their Elvin kin but occasionally human hair colors pop up. They worship as the community they were raised in & also dress in a similar fashion. Elf-Kin do not have their own communities as they are welcome in either parents communities equally.
Dwarves : Dwarves are a race of underground dwelling humanoids who are known as great miners & craftsman as well as hardy warriors. They are short ( 3’9” – 4’9) but broad of build , who have dusky skin & dark hair n’ eyes. They wear their hair long & male Dwarves wear long full beards which they are very proud of. Birth rates among Dwarves is 50/50 male to female ratio but females slightly outnumber males as males die more often due to mining accidents & battles with Goblins n’ Graals.
Dwarves are a sober & serious people who love to work & see Elves as flighty birds worthy of little respect. Dwarven females often learn to smith & fight as to better defend n’ provide for their communities. They rarely leave their communities except when exiled . Dwarves & Gnomes are related but have enough differences to be considered separate offshoots of the same racial family tree. Dwarves love to work metal & craft excellent weapons & armor prized the world over. Dwarves worship ‘?’ the God of smithing , strength , industry & invention. They also honor other gods , especially ‘?’ the God of war & Devyna the Goddess of Hearth & Home.
Gnomes : Gnomes are smaller (3’5”- 4’5”) & slighter in build kin to Dwarves who live in hilly regions especially wooded hills. Like their Dwarven kin Gnomes love to mine & work as smiths. They also share an interest in alchemical studies & experimentation , that their Dwarven kin do. Unlike Dwarves , Gnomes delight in using magic especially illusion & nature based magic. Many use such magic to hide & guard their communities in hostile regions. Gnomish males like their Dwarven kin like to wear beards but usually wear their hair shorter. Gnomish women wear their hair long , usually in braids & amply developed physically. Gnomes are ruddy in complexion & have hair that ranges from rust to golden, plus have eyes from brown to green in color. Gnomes though they love to work hard they love to relax & enjoy themselves. They love to dance , sing ,drink & eat when they are not working.
Gnomish women are more common than Dwarven women & freely travel with their male kin. Both male & female Gnomes like to meet new peoples which has led to a greator number leaving their communities for a time ‘to explore’ before they return home & marry. Like Elves Gnomes don’t have issues with premarital sex unlike their Dwarven kin. They like to ‘sample the fruit’ prior to marriage , but once they do marry it’s often for life. Gnomes are known to have dalliances with Rural & Shintâr Hobz , as well as some humans. Some believe that Rural & Shintâr Hobz have both Gnomish (or Elvish in the case of Shintâr Hobz) .
As they share aspects of Gnomish character & features compared to their more Goblinish Swamp dwelling kin. It also accounts to the growing number of Gnome-Kin that more & more Gnomes & Humans are mating in recent times.
Gnomes worship ‘?’ the God of smithing , strength ,industry & invention , Devyna the Goddess of Hearth & Home , Ranŭk the God of Mischief & Fortune , Vârda Goddess of Love & Romance as well as various Gods of Nature.
a) Gnome-Kin : Are the product of union between Gnomes & Humans . They are rare but slowly become more come in areas that have mix human & Gnomish communities. They are taller (4’2”- 5’2”) & of broader build than Gnomes , nearly equaling their Dwarven kin - but standing side by side a Gnomekin & Dwarf - though of similar size; look different from each other. Dwarves are more bulky & muscular than Gnome-kin & have a more severe countenance than Gnome-kin. Gnome-kin coloration is often a mix of their human & Gnomish kin.
Gnome-kin are less industrious than their Gnomish & Dwarven kin, but do enjoy hard work but like to have more fun & explore more. They also tend to favor the study of magic , alchemy & rogue-like arts than their Dwarven & even their Gnomish Kin. They get along greatly with humans & Hob Goblins (especially Shintâr & Swamp Hobz). Rural Hobz are wary of Gnome-kin as they often remind them of their shiftless Shintâr kin. Gnome-kin females are more common than male Gnome-kin as two out of three Gnome-kin babies are born female. Plus Gnome-kin males die more often in work related accidents mining or during magical experiments.
Like Gnomes , Gnome-kin like to explore & ‘sample the fruit’ during their ‘wild years’. But like their Gnomish kin , they tend to eventually find a soul-mate & marry for life. Depending on if they marry a human or Gnome , the child will be considered either human or Gnomish.
Introduction :
The World of Skârn , is a campaign setting I’ve created to help introduce my niece & nephew to playing RPGs. I wanted to keep it simple & not tied to real world influences as my World of Adonia is becoming. I wanted a world influenced by anime , manga/comics , Japanese console RPGs & a number of newer MMOs . I may end up using this as my default world if it turns out better than I expect.
The setting is home to versions of the standard races found through-out most D20/OGL & other generic fantasy settings with a few minor exceptions. Elves & Half-Elves play a big part in WoS , like in all of my settings, as I’m quite partial to my Elves . Hob-Goblins take the place of Halflings & Gnomes are basically shorter hill dwelling fey kin to my more traditional mountain Dwarves. Orcs are divided into two subraces , the feral but mannish Graal Orcs & their vile corrupted kin the Kraal Orcs . The Graal Orcs are more akin to Eberron’s Shifter race than true orcs . Dragons are feral , they cannot speak or use magic, except for the very rare ‘Old Wyrms’.
The World of Skârn , is being developed in an “Old School” fashion unlike my previous campaign settings . Which were attempted to be built as completely as possible prior to use . Where as WoS , is being developed organically region by region. Though the local region is part of a larger realm (the Kingdom of Drün ) , other than a few minor details , anything beyond it’s borders will be left for later. The local region is called the Barony of Khand , which is part of both the County of Ord & Duchy of Grond. It is one of the three Baronies that make up the County of Ord. While the County of Ord is one of the three counties of the Duchy of Grond & the Duchy of Grond is one of the three duchies that make up the Kingdom of Drün. The original king of Drün is a superstitious man & chose how his new Kingdom would be set up. Although Drün was originally part of the Old Empire , it was largely wilderness claimed by Elves , Orcs & the local Khandian (human) barbarian tribes. Drün is one of the several kingdoms & city-states that sprung up when the Old Empire nearly crumbled & was forced to pull back it’s borders closer to it’s older borders.
The Western Wars between the Old Empire & the local Elves , Orcs , Fey & Khandian vassals who sprung up in rebellion led in part to the Old Empire’s fall. The local men & non-humans fought to carve out their own lands. King Cordin Dolthar is the second king of Drün & has ended hostilities with the local Elves with the Zandwood treaty. They have a treaty with a few local Graal Orc tribes for trade & mutual defense from their savage kin the Kraal. The Graal are still treated with suspicion but are accepted once they prove they are not threats to the community. The kingdom of Drün & to a larger extent it’s vassals in the Duchy of Grond have close ties with the local Elves , including those who dwell in Zandwood ( the Forest Realm of Zanindil ) , the gnomes & Dwarves who live in the local hills & bordering mountains. There are also large populations of Hob-Goblins living in region.
Realm : Kingdom of Drün
Ruler: King Cordin Dolthar & Queen Bretta Dolthar
Duchy of Grond :
The Duchy of Grond is the third & northern most duchy in the Kingdom of Drün . Like most of the Free Realms , the Kingdom of Drün & it’s vassal domains is part of what was once the frontier region of the Old Empire & only recently gained it’s freedom , establishing it’s own dominion on the barbaric frontier. King Cordin Dolthar is decended from the chiefs of one of the human barbarian tribes conquered by the Old Empire . His father King Cord Dolthar was one of the heroes who had risen to cast down the imperial shackles of the Old Empire’s dominion.
The Duchy of Grond is made up by the Counties of : Ord , Khand & Vŏrg. It’s a realm of large of mixed forests , fertile grasslands & ore rich hills n’ mountains that border it. It’s borders to the west by the Great Forest of Zanindil ( locally known as Zandwood) , to the north by Bay of Storms & Thunder Peaks , to the east by the Barrier Peaks & the south the Duchies of Dröm & Targ .
Ruler : Duke Morlig Felor II & Duchess Khrissa Felor.
County of Ord :
The County of Ord is the northern most part of the dominion of the Duchy of Grond . It is made up the Baronies of : Khand in the north , Bront in the east & Vand in the south west. The County of Ord lies in great vale of Ord ,with the river Ord winding through it’s center to empty out into the Bay of Storms. The River Ord is birthed in the south eastern reaches of the Barrier peaks & winds through all three of the baronies that comprise the County of Ord with the bulk of it flowing through the Barony of Khand. The City , Lake of Ord & the Ordwood lie on the nexus of all three baronies.
Ruler : Count Hador Korban II & Countess Nida Korban .
Barony of Khand :
The Barony of Kand is the northernmost domain of the County of Ord . It lies at the northern end of the Vale of Ord at the apex of the River’s of Ord & Khand as they empty into the Bay of Storms. The Barony of Khand is home to the rivers of Ord, Khand & Fesk ; as well as the Ironhills, Barrow Hills & Grün Hills. It is also the home to the forests of Grünwood , Vardwood , Brontwood , Stonewood , Ordwood & Khandwood, plus the Swamp of Khand. House Korban has ruled the Barony since the founding of the Kingdom of Drün. The Barony is the heart of County of Ord’s mead , cider , syrup & fishing industries.
The Barony of Khand is also the most diverse in population of the Baronies that comprise Ord. It is home to Humans , Elves , Elf-Kin , Graal , Graal-Kin , Hob-Goblins , Hob-Kin, Gnomes Gnome-kin & Dwarves .These races get along well , with only minor prejudices - - mainly towards the Graal & occasionally towards Hob-Goblins (the Shintâr & swamp dwelling Hobz mainly). The Barony is home to the highest concentration of Hob-Goblins , Hob-Kin , Elves & Elf-Kin in all of County of Ord. Thus the Barony of Khand has a not-so undeserved reputation as the backwoods of the County. It is more wooded than the other Baronies thus less developed. But the people of the Barony of Khand prefer it that way , as they are more freedom loving people.
The Barony of Khand is bordered by Thunder Peaks & Bay of Storms to the north , the Forest Realm of Zanindil (Zandwood) to the west , the Barony of Vand to the south & the Barony of Bront to the east.
Key Exports & Imports of the Barony of Khand:
Exports: Ore , weapons , armor ,wooden goods , hemp , cannabis , mead , cider , brandy , salted & smoked fish , plus preserves.
Imports: Textiles, spices , exotic foodstuffs , livestock ,timber & mercanaries.
Population Centers of the Barony of Khand:
Capital : Port of Khand
Towns & Villages : Brontford , Gand , Hobstead , Irontown , Lysk , Torsk & Var.
Irontown:
Irontown is the second largest town in the Barony of Khand , second only to the Port of Khand . It is nestled in the Ironhills & is home to the highest concentration of Dwarves , Gnomes , Gnome-kin , Graal & Graal-Kin in the Barony. Outside Clefttown , it is one of the few places in the Barony that Dwarves are found on the surface, as they prefer their tunnels under the mountains . Irontown is a dirty & smelly place full of smithies , plus the people who work or trade in Iron or other kinds of metals . There is also several gem merchants that have operations here. Most of the population is male , those females (of what ever race) are either wives n’ daughters , tradeswomen (cooks ,maids & seamstresses ect.) & prostitutes or the rare adventurer .
Irontown is a frequent stop for the nomadic Hob-Goblin Shintâr clans. One of the few places that accepts them openly. In fact there is a small but growing Shintâr community in Irontown. They often bring exotic wares from their distant travels as well as wares of their own making. The people who populate Irontown are of a rough n’ rowdy sort who like to drink , fight & make love.
Irontown is the main place to buy Smoke Powder weapons , smoke powder & explosive devices. It also has steam powered Dwarven engines that run various vehicles & other devices in town but they refuse to share their secrets with non-Dwarves. Smoke & steam billow from almost every building in Irontown. It is home to several gambling halls , Inns/Taverns & brothals frequented by Irontowns citizenry & visitors.
Races of Skârn :
Hob-Goblins : Hob-Goblins also known as Hobz are one of the fey-touched races including Elves & Gnomes. They are short & slender , with small eyes , wide flat noses & wide mouths (the female Hobz have full lips). Their skin runs from mocha brown to olive green . While their eyes run from hazel to dark brown & their hair runs from rust to black in color. Male hobz often bald early while their womenfolk usually have long & full heads of hair. Hobz can’t grow beards beyond wispy fuzz on their chins. Hob women have an exotic attractiveness compared to their homely if not ugly men-folk .
Hobz marry & have large extended families but don’t marry until later in their life after their ‘wild season’. Hobz like humans even though they are often seem as little better than pests by the more ‘civilized’ humans. Hob women tend to like human & elvish men , often to the consternation of their men-folk. That said , Hob men fancy human women nearly as much but unlike their women-folk rarely are able to woo them (they often frequent brothels to ‘scratch their itch’). Thus the growing number of Hob-Kin is rising in areas where Hobz & humans live near each other.
Hobz are split into three sub-races :
Rural Hobz , which are the most common & most intelligent n’ wise of the hobz. They also tend towards lighter coloration , more handsome & wear finer dress. Rural Hobz also have better manners than their swamp living kin. They are also the most industrious of the Hob races , working primarily as farmers & fishermen . Rural Hobz worship most gods but primarily honor agricultural gods & Devyna , Goddess of hearth n’ home , as well as marriage. Rural Hobz live in underground burrows within hills or squat homes in mannish cities.
Swamp Hobz, which are the second most common but most dim of the Hob races. They love their drink & pipe weed .They also are the most clannish of the Hob races & tend to have feuds between their fellow clans frequently. Wild boars are frequently seen in their company & where as in warmer climes they frequently domesticate alligators instead . They are the most shabbily dressed of the Hob races & give Hobz in general their reputation as pest. This reputations is rivaled only by their cursed nomadic Shintâr kin. Swamp Hobz worship mainly nature Gods , especially Gâr-Nogg the Goblin god of nature & plenty . His totem is the Boar in cooler more temperate climes or the Alligator in warmer tropical climes. Swamp Hobz live in stilt homes or homes suspended in some of the larger trees in the drier areas of the swamp.
Shintâr Hobz , are the rarest of the Hob races. They are the cursed kin of the more common Rural & Swamp dwelling Hobz. They are from distant Shintâria to the far east. They were cursed to wander & never settle in one pace (as a people) by God-King of Shintâria , Shin-Târ during the age of God-Kings. Other than their swamp dwelling kin they have the worse reputation of the Hob races. Though they are more akin appearance wise to their rural kin , they have a reputations as thieves &shiftless conmen. They are disliked by most races , including their rural kin as many rural youngsters have ran away from home to join their caravans.
Shintâr Hobz dress in a mix of styles depending on the cultures they’ve been in contact with. They prefer bright colors & lots of gold jewelry . The poorer Shintâr dress nearly as shabbily as their Swamp dwelling kin but with a more exotic flare. They work as performers , tinkers , conmen & thieves. Shintâr Hobz are the most handsome & tallest of the Hob races. It is said because of the Elven & human blood that flows through their veins. They are also the longest lived of the Hobz , giving more truth to those claims. Those Shintâr that settle amongst humans are either , outcasts for some crime against their clan or married (or were married) to humans or rural Hobz & settled in one place. Possibly as part of the curse , female Shintâr are born in greater numbers. This has led to polygamy being common among their clans & prostitution amongst the poorer Shintâr to make a living for their families.
The two main branches of Shintâr Hobz are the wagon dwelling Shintâr-Jos & riverboat dwelling Shintâr-Vos. Both of their wagons & boats are brightly decorated. Though cursed Shintâr Hobz are not atheistic but worship Vârda the goddess of love & romance n’ Ranŭk , the God of mischief & fortune. They also honor various other gods depending on their needs.
Elves : Elves are the third most common of the civilized races after Humans (most common) & Hob-Goblins . They are split into four sub-races :
a) True or High Elves : who rule the Fey-lands , who taught early man magic & woodcraft. They now disdain most humans & only deal with them in the most dire of circumstances . They are the most noble & arrogant of Elven-kind. They are tall (5’9”-6’5”) & slender build n’ fair of coloring . They often surrounded by a pale nimbus & are rarely seen during the daylight hours, as like most true Fey they are nocturnal in nature.
b) Common or Wild Elves : Who are the most common of Elven-Kind. They are not true elves but men who were tainted by Fey magic & slowly evolved into their current form. They are long lived but lack the discipline of their True Elven kin. They are wild of heart & love to dance n’ sing. They are great at woodcraft & nature based magics , as well as skilled warriors. They are great cooks & tale spinners. They love to mingle with Hog-Goblins , Gnomes & most goodly humans. Though they prefer to live in wild areas they also love to spend time in cities or on ships (both seaborne & airborne kind) travelling the world.
Unlike their True Elven kin , Wild Elves are short (between 4’ to 5’5”in height) & are darker in complexion (walnut to mahogany skin) , Rusty to moss green hair & jade green to sky blue eyes. They dress in leathers & fine linens & woolens , with woodland motifs common. No matter their gender , Elves are slender and feminine in build but female Elves have ample assets that clearly mark their gender .
Elves mate for life but only once they have found their soul-mate , that said Elves views on sexuality is very liberal compared to some humans & dwarves. They have no problem ‘sampling the fruit’ while single & often quite enjoy it. There is a reason Elf-kin (half-Elves) are common where humans & Elves live close together. Elves worship the Earth Mother Eyphira , Queen of Fey & her ‘new’ consort Mordoc , God of Nature , fertility , music & mead , lord of the Fauns n’ Satyrs & Centaurs . They do honor other gods when they desire , usually those of nature & magic.
c) Dark or Slaar Elves : Dark Elves are the corrupted kin of both High & Wild Elves who turned from the grace of the Great Mother to worship vile fiends. They led to the madness & corruption of the old ‘Horned God’ , Khadâr by the Fiendish powers they worship. For their betrayal they were marked physically by dusty black skin & chalk white hair as a permanent stigmata to mirror the blackened souls. Not all Dark Elves are evil , a small number have rejected their peoples evil ways & banded together n’ seek redemption, they are the Xin-Vor (Shin-Vor). But most Dark Elves embrace their corruption & revel in violence & pain.
Dark Elves are much like their Wild & High Elven kin physically except for the skin & hair coloration. Clothing & decoration is another story altogether . Dark Elves prefer leathers of dark colors with silver or black iron studs & spikes n’ chains. They prefer motifs of Skulls , Demonic & perverted imagery in their art & decorations/jewelry .
Dark Elves are raiders , taking slaves & livestock from nearby human communities. These slaves are used for manual labor or in their dark rites. Dark Elves live in walled cities of dark stone that are placed upon lower cities (catacombs cities that link to the under realm). These cities are located in former Elven forest realms that were corrupted by their dark magics or isolated regions. Dark Elves have mastered arcane magics that power their sinister Sky Ships or control Dragons or other monsterous creatures n’ steeds. They worship dark fiends of the outer planes & only allies are Night Goblins , Graal & the Fiend-corrupted Vulkâr men.
High Dark Elves are actually the most corrupted & sport further stigmata , like horns , tails & or wings. They frequently mate with demons & devils they summon n’ bind to their service. They are even more wicked than their common Dark Elven kin.
d) Lastly are the Elf-Kin (Half-Elves) : Elf-Kin are half-blood children of Elves & humans most commonly but occasionally of Graalish & Hob-Goblin blood. They are often taller & of heavier build than their Elven kin. Though they are still more agile & have better site n’ hearing than their human kin. They are also shorter lived & less wild of heart compared to their Elven Kin. Their coloration tends towards lighter shades of their Elvin kin but occasionally human hair colors pop up. They worship as the community they were raised in & also dress in a similar fashion. Elf-Kin do not have their own communities as they are welcome in either parents communities equally.
Dwarves : Dwarves are a race of underground dwelling humanoids who are known as great miners & craftsman as well as hardy warriors. They are short ( 3’9” – 4’9) but broad of build , who have dusky skin & dark hair n’ eyes. They wear their hair long & male Dwarves wear long full beards which they are very proud of. Birth rates among Dwarves is 50/50 male to female ratio but females slightly outnumber males as males die more often due to mining accidents & battles with Goblins n’ Graals.
Dwarves are a sober & serious people who love to work & see Elves as flighty birds worthy of little respect. Dwarven females often learn to smith & fight as to better defend n’ provide for their communities. They rarely leave their communities except when exiled . Dwarves & Gnomes are related but have enough differences to be considered separate offshoots of the same racial family tree. Dwarves love to work metal & craft excellent weapons & armor prized the world over. Dwarves worship ‘?’ the God of smithing , strength , industry & invention. They also honor other gods , especially ‘?’ the God of war & Devyna the Goddess of Hearth & Home.
Gnomes : Gnomes are smaller (3’5”- 4’5”) & slighter in build kin to Dwarves who live in hilly regions especially wooded hills. Like their Dwarven kin Gnomes love to mine & work as smiths. They also share an interest in alchemical studies & experimentation , that their Dwarven kin do. Unlike Dwarves , Gnomes delight in using magic especially illusion & nature based magic. Many use such magic to hide & guard their communities in hostile regions. Gnomish males like their Dwarven kin like to wear beards but usually wear their hair shorter. Gnomish women wear their hair long , usually in braids & amply developed physically. Gnomes are ruddy in complexion & have hair that ranges from rust to golden, plus have eyes from brown to green in color. Gnomes though they love to work hard they love to relax & enjoy themselves. They love to dance , sing ,drink & eat when they are not working.
Gnomish women are more common than Dwarven women & freely travel with their male kin. Both male & female Gnomes like to meet new peoples which has led to a greator number leaving their communities for a time ‘to explore’ before they return home & marry. Like Elves Gnomes don’t have issues with premarital sex unlike their Dwarven kin. They like to ‘sample the fruit’ prior to marriage , but once they do marry it’s often for life. Gnomes are known to have dalliances with Rural & Shintâr Hobz , as well as some humans. Some believe that Rural & Shintâr Hobz have both Gnomish (or Elvish in the case of Shintâr Hobz) .
As they share aspects of Gnomish character & features compared to their more Goblinish Swamp dwelling kin. It also accounts to the growing number of Gnome-Kin that more & more Gnomes & Humans are mating in recent times.
Gnomes worship ‘?’ the God of smithing , strength ,industry & invention , Devyna the Goddess of Hearth & Home , Ranŭk the God of Mischief & Fortune , Vârda Goddess of Love & Romance as well as various Gods of Nature.
a) Gnome-Kin : Are the product of union between Gnomes & Humans . They are rare but slowly become more come in areas that have mix human & Gnomish communities. They are taller (4’2”- 5’2”) & of broader build than Gnomes , nearly equaling their Dwarven kin - but standing side by side a Gnomekin & Dwarf - though of similar size; look different from each other. Dwarves are more bulky & muscular than Gnome-kin & have a more severe countenance than Gnome-kin. Gnome-kin coloration is often a mix of their human & Gnomish kin.
Gnome-kin are less industrious than their Gnomish & Dwarven kin, but do enjoy hard work but like to have more fun & explore more. They also tend to favor the study of magic , alchemy & rogue-like arts than their Dwarven & even their Gnomish Kin. They get along greatly with humans & Hob Goblins (especially Shintâr & Swamp Hobz). Rural Hobz are wary of Gnome-kin as they often remind them of their shiftless Shintâr kin. Gnome-kin females are more common than male Gnome-kin as two out of three Gnome-kin babies are born female. Plus Gnome-kin males die more often in work related accidents mining or during magical experiments.
Like Gnomes , Gnome-kin like to explore & ‘sample the fruit’ during their ‘wild years’. But like their Gnomish kin , they tend to eventually find a soul-mate & marry for life. Depending on if they marry a human or Gnome , the child will be considered either human or Gnomish.