Verdant Prairie
Perhaps the most iconic region of Rhyderia, for when one thinks of Rhyderia aside from knights and horses one thinks of the rolling hills and plains that go on as far as the eye can see. Nowhere is more Rhyderian than the Verdant Prairie, it is common to see riders on horseback simply enjoying the seemingly endless sea of grass. Wild herds of horses roam freely but with any environment the fear of predators is present. The usual grassland predators are a secondary concern to the occasional Roc, wyvern and the beast of legend that stalks from mists that can roll over the prairie from the various rivers and lakes, the Melrakki.
Melrakki: A beast that stalks from the mists, no victims of its attacks have ever been found only the tracks. Wagons leaving distinct trails as well as man-sized wolf tracks and just suddenly there are no more tracks from that wagon or the wolf as if they just vanished.
Fort Arvala
This fort was nothing more than a simple roadside fort designed to watch over the highways near it, this like so many things changed after the cataclysm. This was where the cult of Raxanis was first found to be working raising the undead to attack at caravans and travelers. After the fall of the cult the clergy of Sobeyr took it upon themselves to take a more active role in Rhyderia, being one of the only Rhyderian groups left unharmed by the cataclysm their group was the strongest organization. They began building up Fort Arvala into a true keep which the order is now based out of, despite being a castle now they have kept the name of what it originally was. Fort Arvala now hosts the Shining Knights of Sobeyr those pinnacles of chivalry and decency that often patrol Rhyderia and sometimes elsewhere in the world. In the three hundred years since the cataclysm the fort is now a mix of fortress and monastery. Those who come from Fort Arvala take with them a sense of honor and decency that they inspire others to become, it was by their example that Rhyderia has formed into the country they are now. Düncaster (Dune-cast-ah) Large City; The population of 20,455 is largely human (56%) and half-elves (23%) with smaller numbers of other races. Large domed stadium sized buildings with other smaller buildings and plazas within. Tall torus shaped buildings arranged in triangular formation with support buttresses between them. Far fewer ‘normal’ style buildings with the fortress of the city a mix of gothic style castle and Düncaster’s pillars and domes. Decoration and aesthetics of the city are Nordic with more stone and wood buildings. The major city of the province is Düncaster it has become a hub of trade throughout Rhyderia with nearly everything that goes through Rhyderia stops at Düncaster. With the city being such hub for trade and travelers it is no surprise that crime has found its way into the city. Criminal families have a hold on the underworld of the city and have enough power to remain unknown even with the Rhyderian government trying to remove these corrupt and unlawful families. Outside of the city are large stretches of farms owing to the comfortable climate, with the exceptions of seasonal tornados and generally higher winds than the rest of Rhyderia. Düncaster has unique architecture in the form of low to the ground wide domed buildings, or tall torus shaped buildings all bearing Germanic influences. The crime in Düncaster is more sophisticated as they fleece merchants with inflated tariffs and taxes. Most are smart enough to keep the inflation low to avoid detection but there are some who are notorious for making them massive. There is a rumor of a crime family that lives in Düncaster that employs these ‘Taxmen’ as well as enforcers that deal with troublemakers, mostly robbing them blind, other times leaving their bodies in a ditch.Adventure hooks
Düncaster 1st tier The Spark: The group arrives into Düncaster with a merchant that they had stayed with the previous night on the road. This merchant having told of how he is a small trader working to keep his family fed and clothed, a happy and humble man more than eager to tell the group about his children if they ask. When they arrive, the Taxmen are demanding an exorbitant amount to enter the city. When he makes a fuss about it, they rather suddenly and suspiciously lower the price and let him in without another word. The commoners in the area who saw it look concerned but also look away from eye contact. If the group stays with the merchant, they will be present when he is attacked by enforcers, if not they will hear about the attack the morning after. Depending on the commotion raised by the group at the gate he is either dead or robbed. If the group made a large commotion, they will be visited by the enforcers first. This leads to tracking down the Taxman who issued the order and into finding more about the network of the Von Coriss family. Tier 2: Enough is enough: Emboldened by the strike against the Taxmen the group has made people begin to rally more bringing information and pleas for help to you, feeling they can’t trust the guard. Eventually, you are told of a single person the people do trust, the local priest of the Justiciar who is said to be under constant watch by the agent of Von Coriss. Judge Helric Ettridge the priest of the Justiciar is a human male in his late 20s of fiery passion to his faith and desire to bring the reign of the criminals to an end, he never had information on who was behind the Taxmen as anytime he put them away they were freed shortly after. With more people attending his church he has heard of the group and if they are willing to help him, he will begin a process to hit the Von Coriss family hard. Starting first with rounding up the Taxmen and finding other operations and identifying family members in the government. It is a widespread corruption that must be removed. This, of course, marks both Helric and the party to be attacked on sight. In one of the larger operations they find information leading back to the head of the family, the Baron of the city, but perhaps it is just a bit too direct a tie. Tier 3 A den of evil: Finally, the head of the Von Coriss family has been determined, and the time has come to end the corruption on the city. The family knows you are closing in and has prepared themselves in their manor. Their strongest soldiers and mercenaries are on site as well as an unexpected prisoner that casts doubt on all they had found before. Hunting a Legend: The Melrakki has begun more and more frequently attacking caravans on the road, with whole wagons vanishing in an encroaching fog leaving only a few giant wolf prints near the last seen location of the wagon. There is a wide campaign to find and put an end to the threat. As you are on your way to the gathering a dense fog rolls in and you feel as if there are hungry eyes upon you. The next thing you know you find yourself in an ancient garden waking up to see a massive mist covered wolf stalking from behind thin bars, not coming nearer but watching you. A series of wagons broken and their food and goods nearby with bones near the one gate to the outside, presumably slain by the wolf. You must find your way home, and in so doing learn about this place.Melrakki:
A beast that stalks from the mists, no victims of its attacks have ever been found only the tracks. Wagons leaving distinct trails as well as man-sized wolf tracks and just suddenly there are no more tracks from that wagon or the wolf as if they just vanished.
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