Principality of Lornham
Overview:
The dour, drear land of Lornham exerts an outsized influence of world affairs despite being lashed by unpredictable weather and deadly monsters alike. A small maritime nation on the Sea of Blades, Lornham is renowned for its horrible cuisine and weather. It is said that on any given day, there is a 9 in 10 chance of torrential downpours, driving many to madness. Worse, Lornham is haunted by horrible vampires, eldritch beings, and rampaging monsters in the highlands. Among the haunted lands of the east, Lornham is only surpassed by Barovia and the Greatwood in fell aspect. Yet the people of Lornham endure, and even thrive. Having forged a unique culture from diverse beginnings, the Lornish are a hardy folk, skilled in artifice, trade, and sailing. Through their mastery of the waves, riches from the four corners of the world pour into the gothic city of Darkon. Though a guarded and superstitious lot, the Lornish are known to be stoic, fiercely independent, and surprisingly good hosts, when one gets on their good side. Geography: Despite being situated far from the vast ocean of the Shimmering Sea, and in a relatively temperate latitude, Lornham is cursed with perpetually dreadful weather. The scholars of the realm have produced three explanations for this: firstly, that the winds of the Sea of Blades blow in a east to west fashion; secondly, that the Balinok range acts as a sort of "rain-trap", ensuring Lornham is perpetually overcast, and third, that the nearby Great Rift throws off frigid storms towards Lornham.
The dour, drear land of Lornham exerts an outsized influence of world affairs despite being lashed by unpredictable weather and deadly monsters alike. A small maritime nation on the Sea of Blades, Lornham is renowned for its horrible cuisine and weather. It is said that on any given day, there is a 9 in 10 chance of torrential downpours, driving many to madness. Worse, Lornham is haunted by horrible vampires, eldritch beings, and rampaging monsters in the highlands. Among the haunted lands of the east, Lornham is only surpassed by Barovia and the Greatwood in fell aspect. Yet the people of Lornham endure, and even thrive. Having forged a unique culture from diverse beginnings, the Lornish are a hardy folk, skilled in artifice, trade, and sailing. Through their mastery of the waves, riches from the four corners of the world pour into the gothic city of Darkon. Though a guarded and superstitious lot, the Lornish are known to be stoic, fiercely independent, and surprisingly good hosts, when one gets on their good side. Geography: Despite being situated far from the vast ocean of the Shimmering Sea, and in a relatively temperate latitude, Lornham is cursed with perpetually dreadful weather. The scholars of the realm have produced three explanations for this: firstly, that the winds of the Sea of Blades blow in a east to west fashion; secondly, that the Balinok range acts as a sort of "rain-trap", ensuring Lornham is perpetually overcast, and third, that the nearby Great Rift throws off frigid storms towards Lornham.
by Jernau_M_Gurgeh
Culture
Lornish culture is influenced by the ocean and surrounding lands. Clothing is conservative, favouring umbrellas and long dresses for women and oiled greatcoats for men, with various types of elaborate but functional hats being in vogue. The realm's cuisine is internationally infamous, mainly consisting of dried meats, biscuits, and salted fish, a byproduct of a society dependent on long sea voyages. Authentic Lornish cuisine is, however, notable for the creative use of fresh sea-food, as well as their locally brewed salt-beer. Legally, Lornish women tend to hold property on land, with males owning watercraft - ubiquitous in most regions.
Lornishfolk view the world around them as a hostile and dangerous place to be tamed, thanks to their long history of monstrous attacks. They are unsympathetic to religion, magic, nature and things of beauty, instead tending to place their faith in technology and engineering; what magic there is only exists to be exploited by mortals. Individualism is held to a high regard here, and creation of wealth is only secondary to academic learning as an ideal.
Lornham is also the only state in Erden with anything resembling an elected government. The aristocratic class chooses a Grand Prince from among themselves, who serves ten year terms. In practice most Grand Princes rule for life, but a few Grand Princes have lost office due to particularly foul scandals. The power of the Grand Prince is countered by the Mercantile Exchange (a council of burghers and townsfolk representing the merchant class) and the Provost Council, a group of senior academicians from both Reliquary Isle and the Darkon College of Physick.
Assets
Darkon
Darkon, the capital and primate city of Lornham, is among the largest cities in the known world, with a population of well over 100,000. Famed for its gothic architecture, rich intellectual heritage, and laissez-faire laws, it is situated on an island only accessible sea or a long causeway, and thus near-impervious to attack. This does not mean Darkon is a safe place. In the high vaults of its gothic spires and the vast expanses of its sewers, monsters and criminal gangs lurk aplenty.
Great houses dominate Darkon, among them the famed van Richtens. The houses constantly plot against one another in a shadowy war of influence, for the most powerful among them is elected Grand Prince; this occasionally evolves into open street warfare.
Shrivenport
The second largest town in Lornham is a far cry from Darkon, being a sprawling congregation of tarred huts surrounded by a stone and log palisade on a kelp covered beach. Shrivenport gets its name from a grisly discovery, where the founders of the town discovered a nearby mass grave full of shrivelled, dessicated corpses. Later found to be the work of a night hag, the so-called "Shrivener", the townsfolk celebrate her demise by burning effigies of witches on Shrivener's Eve. The people here are very superstitious, often stereotyped as mad.
Tarrenford
Situated inland among the foothills of the Balok mountains, Tarrenford was once under the dominion of Baron von Metus, a dreadful vampire subordinate of Strahd von Zarovich and archrival to Rudolph van Richten. Paranoid ever since their liberation, Tarrenford is both well-defended and the home of an elaborate network of underground catacombs designed to shelter its denizens from attack by swarms of bats or vargheists.
History
Thousands of years ago, large groups of Emrathi refugees, fleeing a civil war in their homeland, settled what is now Lornham. Under the rule of Princess Lorna the Old, her people peacefully melded with the native Mistwalker half-elves and Dourfoot tribe of Halflings. This group formed a group of disparate Emrayn speaking tribes, and the language of the newcomers morphed into a unique tongue. Unfortunately, the land they found was a harsh one. Lashed by storms and a large monster population, the settlers built an island holdfast, Darkon, as their principle city, with those trapped on the mainland locked in a state of fear.
Millenia passed in obscurity, until a Balok chieftain named Zarovan invaded Lornham in the 200s HR. His son, Barov, completed the subjugation of Lornham, built a palace in Darkon and a great castle in the Balok range, and likely allied with the Holmgardian Empire. He drove north, wiping out the native dusk elves and forcing them into the mountains of the west. In turn, Barov's son, Strahd von Zarovich, expanded the realm towards Delmor, bringing it to its greatest extent. What happened next is unknown, but the von Zarovich dynasty clearly lost control of most of Dunharrow in the following years. A lieutenant, Baron von Metus, was left in charge, but his control receded into the Balinok mountains. The rule of the Zaroviches was forgotten for over a century.
Yet the late 500s, it became apparent that a fell power had taken control of Castle von Metus. Adventurers there spoke of a gargoyle-clad castle deep in the mountains, and of terrified villagers fleeing the Balinok region. But with the terror limited to the distant reaches of Lornham, the government in Darkon had little reason to act. Nearly a century passed before the creeping darkness spread to Darkon itself. At first, the mangled remains of prostitutes and urchins were found in the dark alleys of the shambles before hundreds disappeared. The sheer brutality of the murders shocked the ruling class and spurred them to action. It quickly became apparent that the former ruler of Lornham, Baron von Metus, had turned into a nosferatu - a monstrous, blood-addicted vampiric sorcerer. The resulting investigation and struggle between Rudolph van Richten and Baron von Metus became legend. Ultimately, the rule of von Metus was ended, and Lornham became a free state. The van Richten family founded an order called the Custodians, famed monster hunters, to ensure that Lornham was never again subjugated by evil. The country prospered, becoming wealthy through trade and innovation.
Religion
Religion in Lornham revolves around folk belief in an entity called "the Sea-Mother", depicted as a mermaid with a trident. Most Lornishfolk believe in the Sea-Mother to a varying degree, though there is no formal Lornish church. Instead, lay-cultists known as "Sea-speakers" run various holidays based on her legends and dispense wisdom, all while operating out of grottos and damp temples. Lornham is known for its religious tolerance however, and temples of Kelemvor, Tyr, and Mystra can all be found across the land.
Holidays:
The Wending:
The most important holiday of the year, the Wending occurs on the 6th full moon of the year. Traditionally, folk form processions around town, singing mournful songs, rattling strings of sea-shells, and sprinkling damp kelp around the roads to attract the attention of the Sea-Mother. At the height of the procession, celebrants dip themselves in salt water, and a traditional feast of sea-food is served, along with ale brewed with salt-water. Traditionally, a bag of rats is drowned in the ocean as an offering to the Sea-Mother at the end of the feast.
New Hallow's Eve
New Hallow's Eve, the Lornish New Year's festival, is a raucous tradition where children dress in horrible masks and run from house to house frightening folk in exchange for dried fruit. Originally intended to ward off vampires and other creatures, New Hallow's Eve has evolved into a festival aimed at appeasing bratty children
Trade & Transport
The cogs of Lornham haul vast quantities of timber, cotton, and ore into the great ports of Darkon, where they are processed by a thriving industry into finished goods. In exchange, the Lornish export high quality crossbows, furniture, porcelain, and jewelry to other nations. A share of the proceedings of this booming trade are kept by the Princely Bank of Lornham, one of the largest institutions of its kind in the world - a treasury where folk can lend and borrow coin for interest. As a result of its sophisticated economic policy, Lornham boasts one of the highest quantities of per-person wealth in the world. However, this wealth is extremely unequally distributed; wealthy landowners in the capital live in luxury rivalling that of a high elf magister, while most folk live in slums or run down villages.
Ours is the safe harbour.
Home of the van Richtens:
Lornham's most famous residents are the monster hunters Rudolph and Ilyanov van Richten . The half-elf brothers were responsible for killing the dread vampire Baron van Metus in the aftermath of their family's destruction, freeing Lornham from a terrible foe. Following the death of van Metus, Rudolph wrote treatises and became famous in Lornham for his expertise in both physick and monster hunting. Ilyanov though, took a darker path, becoming an expert in blood magic in order to bring creatures of the night to justice. Both monsters are masters of their craft, but have very different philosophies around it. The Order of Custodians: Also known as the "Ghost Slayers", the Custodians are specially trained monster hunters and among the finest warriors the world has ever seen. Trained from childhood in fell magicks, cunning brutality and martial proficiency, the Custodians put monsters down using their own evil against them. Founded by Ilyanov van Richten, the Custodians base themselves out of the Bloodmoor Reliquary, an ancient and ominous tower in Darkon that predates the founding of the city. It is said that the place itself is haunted by the souls of slain monsters, trapped there for all eternity.
Lornham's most famous residents are the monster hunters Rudolph and Ilyanov van Richten . The half-elf brothers were responsible for killing the dread vampire Baron van Metus in the aftermath of their family's destruction, freeing Lornham from a terrible foe. Following the death of van Metus, Rudolph wrote treatises and became famous in Lornham for his expertise in both physick and monster hunting. Ilyanov though, took a darker path, becoming an expert in blood magic in order to bring creatures of the night to justice. Both monsters are masters of their craft, but have very different philosophies around it. The Order of Custodians: Also known as the "Ghost Slayers", the Custodians are specially trained monster hunters and among the finest warriors the world has ever seen. Trained from childhood in fell magicks, cunning brutality and martial proficiency, the Custodians put monsters down using their own evil against them. Founded by Ilyanov van Richten, the Custodians base themselves out of the Bloodmoor Reliquary, an ancient and ominous tower in Darkon that predates the founding of the city. It is said that the place itself is haunted by the souls of slain monsters, trapped there for all eternity.
Demographics:
500,000 40% Elven, 35% Human, 20% Halfling, 5% Other
Language:
Lornish is the official language of Lornham, and is a distant relative of Emrathi spoken only in the region. It is considered extremely difficult to learn, and is characterized by a large number of consonants. Over half of Lornhamers speak thickly accented Holmgardian, the lingua franca of the Eastern Realms.
Sample:
"Ced dyffrn ap Thyrmn von Thifynwych. Ach nfyfwith ap vthiln thulth leffnmth. Villentrethminath von trillth."
(My name is Thurman von Thifwich. I am a fisherman. Pleased to meet you.)
Cuisine
Though held in high regard by the native inhabitants, Lornish cuisine is regarded as uniquely terrible by most cultures. Because Lornham was founded by seafarers, dried fish and biscuits are the staple foods, along with fresh fish from the sea - usually heavily battered and fried in oil of dubious quality. Dourfoot halflings are considered the finest chefs in Lornham, but their traditional food mostly consists of "bangers" (dried sausage), "tatties" (boiled potato) and "mush" (mashed peas). Nonetheless, many fine salty ales are brewed in the country.
A Maritime Capital:
The capital city, Darkon, is a large city situated on an island near the coast. From Darkon, trading cogs ply the Sea of Blades and bring home great riches while the fishing fleets haul large catches of cod and herring. Yet the city is not only a home for sailors. It is the home of two renowned institutions: the Darkon College of Physick, and the Argent Reliquary, based out of Yarnburg Castle. The Argent Reliquary is a unique organisation that is part magic school and part eldritch prison. For Darkon was founded over the tomb of a Dark Power, one that would wreak untold devastation if unleashed. The wizards and warlocks of the city stand watch over the Reliquary, ensuring that the Power remains imprisoned. Due to the influence of eldritch powers and the horrible climate, Lornham has a much higher percentage of insane folk than other regions. These poor unfortunates are thrown into the Glastonbury Asylum, a nightmarish institution from which piercing shrieks keep the poor inhabitants of the nearby Shambles awake at all hours.
500,000 40% Elven, 35% Human, 20% Halfling, 5% Other
Language:
Lornish is the official language of Lornham, and is a distant relative of Emrathi spoken only in the region. It is considered extremely difficult to learn, and is characterized by a large number of consonants. Over half of Lornhamers speak thickly accented Holmgardian, the lingua franca of the Eastern Realms.
Sample:
"Ced dyffrn ap Thyrmn von Thifynwych. Ach nfyfwith ap vthiln thulth leffnmth. Villentrethminath von trillth."
(My name is Thurman von Thifwich. I am a fisherman. Pleased to meet you.)
Cuisine
Though held in high regard by the native inhabitants, Lornish cuisine is regarded as uniquely terrible by most cultures. Because Lornham was founded by seafarers, dried fish and biscuits are the staple foods, along with fresh fish from the sea - usually heavily battered and fried in oil of dubious quality. Dourfoot halflings are considered the finest chefs in Lornham, but their traditional food mostly consists of "bangers" (dried sausage), "tatties" (boiled potato) and "mush" (mashed peas). Nonetheless, many fine salty ales are brewed in the country.
Type
Geopolitical, Principality
Currency
Ducat = 1 gold
Thaler = 1 silver
Penny = 1 copper
The capital city, Darkon, is a large city situated on an island near the coast. From Darkon, trading cogs ply the Sea of Blades and bring home great riches while the fishing fleets haul large catches of cod and herring. Yet the city is not only a home for sailors. It is the home of two renowned institutions: the Darkon College of Physick, and the Argent Reliquary, based out of Yarnburg Castle. The Argent Reliquary is a unique organisation that is part magic school and part eldritch prison. For Darkon was founded over the tomb of a Dark Power, one that would wreak untold devastation if unleashed. The wizards and warlocks of the city stand watch over the Reliquary, ensuring that the Power remains imprisoned. Due to the influence of eldritch powers and the horrible climate, Lornham has a much higher percentage of insane folk than other regions. These poor unfortunates are thrown into the Glastonbury Asylum, a nightmarish institution from which piercing shrieks keep the poor inhabitants of the nearby Shambles awake at all hours.
by Jernau_M_Gurgeh
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