Mosswater Domain
The domain of Mosswater is the northwestern-most domain of the River Kingdoms. Bordered by Ustalav to the west and Numeria to the north, Mosswater was a fairly large domain. Founded by an alchemist from Ustalav, the town of Mosswater struck it rich using the special properties of Glow Water Lake to create alchemical items. The most famous of which was Glowwater Oil.
At its height, the domain of Mosswater claimed most of the western Echo Wood and the hills and plains south of that wood down to the Tolemaida River, which marked the northern bounds claimed by Daggermark. The border with Lambreth to the south has always been more nebulous, but Lord Arnefax doesn't seem interested in extending his domain so far.
Now a lawless place, Mosswater has a few towns of note, Thornkeep and Fort Inevitable, along with several smaller villages and steadings. Adventuring bands are drawn to Mosswater by the dungeons and Azlanti and Numerian ruins hidden in Echo Wood. Banditry along the Crusader Road convinced a band of Hellknights to take the village of Southwood as their own, renaming it Fort Inevitable, and using that base to battle the bandits and outlaws preying on those passing through to fight the Worldwound.
Whether you come to Mosswater looking to escape your past or uncover treasures long thought lost. This former River Kingdom is full of opportunities.
Structure
The Politics of Mosswater
Mosswater was once ruled from the town of the same name. Mosswater patrolled the Crusader Road for decades, exacting tolls from those warriors and others heading north to combat the demons of the Worldwound. When the town of Mosswater was overrun by merrow and scrags from Glowwater Lake, the domain became lawless. The two largest settlements in the domain are Fort Inevitable, just south of Mosswater and Thornkeep in the Echo Wood. Both have under 1,000 residents.Fort Inevitable
Fort Inevitable was founded by a group of Hellknights who originally were planning on combating the Worldwound. Beset by bandits, Hellknight Varden was hired by the village of Southwood to defend them from a bandit raid that may have wiped out the town. Varden accepted, and after defeating the bandit king he decided that the best way to support the crusade would be to make this stretch of the Crusader Road safe for travel. He imposed martial law on Southwood, now known as Fort Inevitable. Killed by an assassin, Varden was succeeded by Maralictor Audara Drovust, who has governed the town since. While some of the Hellknights of Fort Inevitable believe that they should take the domain, Maralictor Drovust keeps to the original mission, to make the area around Fort Inevitable safe for travel.Thornkeep
Thornkeep lies about 10 miles from the broad, sluggish West Sellen River and the ruins of the once-prosperous town of Mosswater. The settlement is a disorderly, ramshackle affair that huddles on a low hill beneath the bramble-covered walls of its namesake castle. The presence of the castle provides the people of Thornkeep with just enough protection to deter the pirates and brigands of the nearby River Kingdoms, while offering Thornkeep’s own bandits and thieves a safe base from which they can prey on traffic along the West Sellen or the Crusader Road. The current lord of Thornkeep is Baron Tervin Blackshield, who seized his lofty position by murdering his predecessor 2 years ago. Such has been the way of things in the forest town for 80 years or more: whoever is strong enough to depose the lord of the castle and make it his own claims the title of baron, and rules until the next would-be lord wrenches power from his grasp. The Druscors, the original noble family of Thornkeep, are long forgotten, having been replaced by a bloody succession of robber knights, bandit queens, mercenary lords, and the occasional bored adventurer. While previous lords of Thornkeep dreamed of taking command of the domain of Mosswater, Baron Blackshield has no such ambitions. He complains that these grandiose ideas have depleted the treasury, which seems to grows smaller every month.Assets
Mysteries of Mosswater
The Ruins of Mosswater
The town of Mosswater was wiped out a little over 50 years ago by what was thought to be a family of merrow. Since that time, anyone trying to explore the ruins is bound to face the merrow and scrags who live at the bottom of Glowwater Lake. The streets of Mosswater are covered in 50 years of bones from those who died at the hands of the underwater menaces, yet much treasure certainly exists in the ruins to be had. While the scrags and their merrow henchmen have destroyed a building here or there, they have little use for much of what was left in the ruins due to their underwater existence. The few people who have entered the ruins of Mosswater and returned to tell their story now speak of Skalmud, a huge scrag who calls himself the King of Glowwater Warren.Azlanti Ruins
When Taldor's Fifth Army of Exploration the area which would eventually become the River Kingdoms, they discovered ruins of ancient Azlant hidden in the Echo Wood. The two best known ruins are the Emerald Spire and the dungeons under Thornkeep, though other, smaller ruins continue to be discovered. Echo Wood hides its secrets well. What the Azlanti were doing in Echo Wood, and what happened to them is one of the great mysteries of Mosswater.The Emerald Spire
Six miles northeast of Fort Inevitable lies one of the deepest and strangest dungeons to be found anywhere in the lands of the Inner Sea—the Emerald Spire. Like an iceberg, this weird structure shows only a small portion of itself above the surface; level upon level of hidden vaults and mysterious crypts lie buried deep below the ground. Standing in a wide clearing within the Echo Wood, the Emerald Spire is the ruin of a large Azlanti tower that appears to be made of green glass harder than stone. The upper portions of the tower were destroyed long ago, leaving broken, half-melted glass blocks lying jumbled around the tower’s perimeter and the ground nearby. The site is well known to locals from both Fort Inevitable and Thornkeep, and many travelers passing through the Crusader Road area make the trek into the forest to look on the ruins—from a safe distance. The Spire’s ruins are known to be infested with dangerous monsters, and the surroundings attract an unhealthy number of bandits, raiders, and hungry predators.Under Thornkeep
Beneath Brokenhelm Hill and the weathered walls of Thornkeep lies an ancient maze of magic and madness. Once the workrooms and summoning chamber of a rebel Azlanti lord, these subterranean chambers were forgotten thousands of years ago after the eradication of the evil lord and his followers.Threats
Many goblinoid tribes live under the eaves of Echo Wood. Most goblin tribes are antagonistic remnants of the Kingdom of Zog, which claimed this area before the coming of the Taldorans. In fact, old goblin roads crisscross Echo Wood. Some of the tribes seek a more peaceful existence and have made overtures to barter with the human settlements. However, the fact that those tribes are a small minority of goblinoids makes their attempts much more challenging. In addition to goblinoids, tribes of ogres and trolls live in Echo Wood, along with a few giant clans in the deeper parts of the forest. The local barbarian tribe, the Wolfmanes, also tell of a large green dragon they call Jaderazor.Opportunities
The domain of Mosswater draws adventuring bands in with many opportunities for the young and brash.Dungeon Delving
The Azlanti Ruins located in Echo Wood lure many into their clutches. There is always another adventuring band or individuals looking for a band to join interested in taking on the Emerald Spire, or the Thornkeep ruins. The Emerald Spire is believed to be a more extensive site, and reliable reports speak of bands that have delved six or seven levels below the ruined keep. Those delving into the Emerald Spire are often advised to stay in Fort Inevitable, though living under the Hellknights' law is challenging, but ultimately safe as long as you follow said laws. Those delving under Thornkeep have little choice but to base themselves in Thornkeep, which may prove more dangerous than the ruins underneath. There's also the Pit of Chains, an open pit with corpses chained to the walls, leading down to numerous subterranean cave complexes. Then there are always adventuring bands who travel to the domain with a map to a previously unknown site. Most are never heard from again, but the rare band that returns laden with treasure continue to fuel speculators.Exploring Echo Wood
While exploring the known dungeons of ancient Azlant is captivating, finding a previously unknown Azlanti ruin would be amazing. Echo Wood also has more than a few sites of Numerian mages and technomancers looking to study or experiment beyond the control of the Technic League. A detailed map of Echo Wood sites would be worth a small fortune in Thornkeep, Fort Inevitable, or even the Protectorate of the Black Marquis. This would involve an adventuring band taking the time to canvas mile after mile of forest and uncovering the secrets of the Wood. Of course, if that adventuring band made a lucrative discovery, no one knows what would happen to that information.Becoming a River Lord
Since Mosswater's destruction, no one has stepped up to claim the domain. Previous Barons of Thornkeep tried, but that town's lawlessness and frequently changing leaders (often by assassination) stifled any true progress made to turn Mosswater into Thornhold. The Hellknights of Fort Inevitable want to eliminate the bandit activity and lawlessness of Mosswater, but don't want to get involved with the politics of the River Kingdoms, so they avoid extending their reach politically. The other smaller settlements in the area, Ajelia's Crossing and Fort Riverwatch are either uninterested in or incpable of extending their own holdings. That could leave an opportunity for an adventurer or adventuring band to attempt to take control of the domain. A would-be River Lord would first need to establish a base. It might be possible for someone to play politics and eventually oust Baron Blackshield and take control of Thornkeep, and from there extending their control, all the while defending themselves from the other forces of Thornkeep that would take the town from them. Maybe a would be lord could establish their own holding somewhere in the domain and use that as a base. This would require an influx of enough resources to establish a keep, bring enough people to form a village, and then begin to extend their holdings. Then again, a powerful band of adventurers could take the ultimate prize. By attacking and defeating the Scrag King at the bottom of Glowwater Lake, one could reclaim the ruins of Mosswater. Once the up and coming lord of Mosswater established a large enough claim on the domain, they would then need to travel to Daggermark and be recognized by the Outlaw Council. Those claiming a River Kingdom but not recognized by the Council end up dead courtesy of the Daggermark Assassins' Guild or the Daggermark Poisoners' Guild which compete to see who can finish the job in the quickest and most expedient fashion.Foreign Relations
The Neighbors
Mosswater borders Ustalav to the west and Numeria to the north. Both kingdoms are focused inward and seem uninterested in extending their reach into the River Kingdoms.
Lambreth
To the south of Mosswater is Lambreth, ruled by the tyrannical Lord Arnefax. While Lord Arnefax may eventually turn his attention north, he seems content with his absolute authority over his own domain for the time being.
Protectorate of the Black Marquis
To Mosswater's east lies the Protectorate of the Black Marquis. The Black Marquis is the latest in a line of pirate lords who prey on the river traffic passing through their domain. While the Black Marquis claims all of the Azlanti ruins in Echo Wood, getting these river pirates off of their ships and into the deep woods is unlikely.
Loric Fells
Heading east past the Protectorate, one enters the domain of Loric Fells. The untamed region called Loric Fells is a gloomy, troll-haunted wilderness of dense forests and rocky canyons. Travelers to this realm must contend with a constant icy mist that hugs the land, concealing the lairs of foul beasts and sudden drops into churning gorges. For centuries, raging highland streams have scoured the soft limestone surface and carved miles of tunnels beneath the earth.
Rumors persist of an ancient dwarf hold named Rookwarden located somewhere in Loric Fells, filled with dwarven treasures and innovations.
Daggermark
The most populous of the River Kingdoms, and the location of the Outlaw Council. If the River Kingdoms are where desperate men and women go to escape lives of boredom or persecution, then Daggermark and the region it controls are the beating heart of their desperation.
The people of Daggermark are polite but nearly paranoid in their civility; as the town is publicly known for guilds of assassins and poisoners, life is cheap, and it is easy to have a rival suitor, competing businessman, or annoying political rival assassinated. Daggermark is relatively safe from outside predation, but the biggest threat to its people is its own citizenry—and in this aspect, it may be a perfect microcosm of the River Kingdoms as a whole.
Comments