Geography Of The Lessvan Isles

Geography of the Less’Van Isles The islands are all minor dutchies in and of themselves. Those with fortresses could wage small scale wars, while those on Mollus could hide in the lands, using boats to transport around enemies. It would be quite reasonable to only show PCs either the island they come from (should you be running an all Less’Van game) or only the first island they land on. If someone wanted, entire islands could be stretched out farther to make much more remote islands in a chain between continents. The maps for each island have been cleared of nearby islands for clarity.

Pall’Ush Pall’Ush is the most likely location for outsiders to find. This not due to a lack of protection. It happens to be the most fortified and prepared for contact. The reason it is most likely is that it is nearest to Superius, and it is only a matter of time until someone dares the dangerous Sea of Felderass and happens to win.

Pall’Ush is considered the front lines in the on going war with the Jlull. This is not a misconception. Here is where the scouts and raiding parties of the Kingdom of Less’Va are based. Settlements The Eye of Less’Va is the Fortress where the raiding ships are kept and soldiers are trained. The fortress itself is made of living coral, with stone reinforcements when necessary. There are four towers, making a rhomboid courtyard with walls rising to twenty feet. There are a few subterranean works which aid in storage. A large number of True are employed here in the Tower of Hae’Barth (Northern Tower) which is used to maintain the spells around the isles. The Tower of Jurr’Klobon (Southern Tower) is used mostly by alchemists who specifically try to create mixtures which will, when brought into contact with Jlull, do the most damage. The Tower of Der’Gloh (Western Tower) is

mostly used by guards and scouts to keep an eye towards Superius. The Tower of Werrel (Eastern Tower) is the Marshal’s Office and Quarters. His family will have quarters and living space here. The friends and most trusted aides of the Marshall have offices as well in the tower. Marhsal Jiklar Pallujush’Shin, Nel’Van Warrior. Fleet is a port where the majority of ships are built. This is not due to the proximity of the Fenn or even the Mollusks Spine, but due to where a number of descendants of a NelVan family settled. This family ComEm'ThaLi'SoshIn is known to be commissioned with knowledge of ships. The family has become proud after hearing how their distant cousins have thrived in Getchmir. The town is not heavily fortified however. Most of their defense against the Jlull is from flotilla’s of soldiers ferrying between Fleet and Kel’Lass’ Passage. Governor Tellan’Jun’Mahshin’Lass ComEm'ThaLi'SoshIn, Nel’Van True Mage (focus on Elements). Sites The Buttress is a natural formation of rocky hills. Rains here make a large number of natural lakes. The hills have a number of caves formed by over lapping overhangs of rock. These overhangs sometimes go twenty feet below the surface, with the spelunker crawling on their belly, before opening up into a cave. The Buttress serves as a natural barrier holding the Jlull back. This is not to say that the Jlull are swarming over the southern side of Pall’Ush, but it does help deter the stronger gangs from getting too adventurous. The Soldiers’ Bed is the only Mana Pearl Bed on Pall’Ush. It is named because the largest battle occurred here between the Jlull and the Kingdom of Less’Va. The population of Less’Va was cut down by 10% in one day of fighting. The Jlull would have won were it not for the fact that prolonged time in the Beds, fighting, caused them to pass out. This allowed the Less’Vans to land the killing strikes needed. That day it is said that the pearls were stained red. To this day all of the pearls from this bed are tinged red. People are not supposed to trade with red pearls as it is disrespectful to the fallen. Some even theorize that the sacrifice there has made the pearls more potent than even the Mana Pearls specific to the Isles of Less’Va. This is an unfounded claim. Tor’Gramjal’s Fenn is no longer a true Fen. It has mostly become a woodland, however there are remote places where an unsuspecting woodsman will step carelessly and fall directly into a thick peat bog. Many suspect that the waters below at some point ran to the ocean. In reality a small gang of strong Jlull have taken up residence deep in the woods and are trying to revert it to a Fen. Should this occur the Jlull will be able to reopen the subterranean water ways and have the ability to cut of the Eyes of Less’Va. (Add a new regeant?) Encounters Stuff

Mollus

Considered the mainland of the Isles of Less’Va, Mollus is the center of the population. Being that the majority of wood, ore, and Mana Pearls come from Mollus, Mollus is considering indicative of the kingdom.

The island has a number of homesteads which produce the crops the kingdom tends to rely on. Coral Roads stretch from Mnemo to The Coral Port. Realm is on it’s own with no road through the mountains, but using boats to reach Port Thallim. Settlements The Coral Port is the primary settlement in contact with Al’Da. It is known to be primary exporting settlement of Mana Pearls. The Bed of Providence is partly located on the very shores of the docks. Aside from the abundance of pearls there is very little that makes the town special. This of course is fantastic for the more shady characters. Rumors abound of a Thieves Guild in the Port which smuggles extra Mana Pearls from the Pearl Beds. A number of farmers inhabit the fields surrounding the Eastern peninsula. The Governor here lives in a large estate in the middle of the town. The current

Governor is a Gelling lord who has made a small fortune from being a skilled Scrimshaw artist. Governor Jerron BrassHook, Gelling Skulker. Port Thallim is the main port to travel to Realm. It is a home for many of the woodsmen and miners of the Mollusks Spine. Many Miners live in mountain camps for a month at a time, only switching off with new crews arriving to relieve them for a full month. They pull from the mountains a fair amount of the ores used throughout the Isles. Woodsmen do trapping, reagent harvesting, and occasionally Lumberjacking. Lumberjacking here is not common but done to aid in trade in rough seasons. Trapping furs and reagent gathering is where most of the professions are. The Governor here is a NelVan Woodsman who has retired. He is known to be commissioned with knowledge of the Greyleaf. He owns a small forested courtyard in the city where he tends five Greyleaf trees. These are under constant supervision by guards of his bloodline. Any who enter uninvited are killed without question. It has taken hundreds of years to cultivate these which were planted and grown from the seed by a very distant ancestor of the line. Since they were planted it has been found that planting another tree has ended with one of the prior Greyleaf trees dying. This has led to no further attempts in over 500 years. Unlike the mainland, the Greyleafs are not sold here. To get them an Alchemist must convince the Governor he is worthy. Governor Shojol’Hurahn’Lass GreyleafSaviour (Needs a proper translation), Nel’Van Alchemist, Woodsman skills. Kel’Lass’ Passage is known as the main ferry port to Pall’Ush. It is used as a trading port with Fleet. Fleet puts a lot of pressure on Kel’Lass’ Passage to follow their lead. As such the town has rallied under a member of the same family who rules Fleet, ComEm'ThaLi'SoshIn. There is a port here where repairs are done on ships, but they do not construct ships. They do however construct barges to be used to skim the shorelines. A large number of farms lie south of the Passage and trade through it. Governor Jell’Ik’Gorthen’Less ComEm'ThaLi'SoshIn, Nel’Van Vagabond, focused on skills based in carpenty. Mnemo is known as a very somber town. The settlement is fortified against the Jlull but they have a number of stone buildings. There are large libraries here and it is a center of learning of the history of the islands. The reason for he somber mentality is due to it being the first settlement of the pilgrims but it is close to the Fog Horn. This is the place where the ship of pilgrims crashed and took many lives. A large living monument of Coral is erected in the town square here. Every year on the Tonren of Nahn all cities observe the pilgrims landing, however in Mnemo in additions, on the fifth day, the entire town gathers and the populace attempts to chant for the entire day and night. People will do this in shifts. Any languages are welcome to chant. The Chant itself is a Ghazal which is in remembrance of those who have been lost in founding the Kingdom. The Governor here is a NelVan of a family who were assigned a new commission once they settled in the Kingdom to specifically record the kingdom’s history and preserve it. They forsook their old family name and made a new one. Mnemo is home to many who are in support of reestablishing limited contact with Superius to get documents about the Kingdom to Getchmir. Governor Malhoom’SiltThas’Lass MnemoMollus, Nel’Van True (focused on Senses and Awareness).

Realm is the no man’s land of the Kingdom. Those who live here are mostly lumberjacks, exporting lumber around the kingdom, and Deep Sea Fishermen who provide bones for carving, oil for lamps, and fish for food. Aside from the prior professions, reagents are harvested and traded with Peace’s Hearth. The Governor here is the only Comnar leader. He is a rough sea captain who has gained the support of the other captains. Realm often is at odds with the rest of the Kingdom since the residents follow a Comnar. Governor Bard Tollbridge, Comnar Vagabond (most skills focus on sea faring skills). Sites The Fog Horn is a peninsula with a pearl bed which is where the ship carrying the pilgrims crashed. The Mana Pearl Bed itself is littered with remains of the ship. Some claims artifacts have been incorporated into the beds by the Mollusks. One may be able to find remains or lost treasures of the original settlers if they dug in the beds, however the government tends to frown on such activity. The Mollusk Spine is the forested mountain range which supplies the majority of ore materials for the kingdom. Many of the mines stretch out far beyond the surface lands. Of these caverns, only around 50% are mapped, and 20% in active use. Regularly, parties are sent into caverns near current work areas to scout for dangers to the Miners. Guidance Wood is a very dark temperate forest. It is considered a lifeblood for Realm. Many reagents are harvested within the wood as well as many furs and meats provided. No coral path has been successfully grown in the forest. Whenever True tried, the roads would be destroyed in the night, in perfect silence. This has lead to rumors of a presence in the wood itself. Most of the Woodsmen who base their living in the forest tell those who are too eager to explore that while few have died from this presence, primes have gone mad from their encounters. All children of Realm know that if they ever end up lost in the wood all they must do is scream out at the top of their lungs that they want to leave the woods and then begin walking and the path will come naturally to them. Many theorize whatever entities exist in the forest are happy to let people live as long as the depths of the wood are not violated. The Bed of Yel’Fah is a Mana Pearl Bed where one ancient Hool, Yel’Fah lives. He is a great True Mage with the most perfect understanding of the Paths of the Shallows and the Depths that exist. He taught the first people of the Kingdom of Less’Va. To study under him is a great honor. Yel’Fah will only teach those who can prove to him both a drive for peace and to defend the islands themselves. Yel’Fah is centuries old, breaking all lifespans of the Hool. They have come to revere him as a chosen of the world bearer (their idea of the Creator). None know the truth behind his longevity (he secretly has developed an alchemical combination of rare regents which will slow aging to a 50th of its speed) however the longevity is wearing out and he is believed to be beginning to die. The natural environment around his Pearl Bed is serene, and the Kingdom lays no claim over the bed or the plains and forests within 5 miles of the waters edge. There are rumors that he could tame a Ooram and speak with one should he desire, due to his inherent attunement to nature. Encounters

Stuff

The Island City Al’Da Al’Da is the Capital of the Kingdom of Less’Va. The Great Halls of the Learned are here as well as the Nexus. Here the difficult decisions of the Kingdom are decided. Many who desire education or power come here and attempt to etch their name into the halls of the Lords.

To defend the island city, the Breakers were augmented from natural underwater mountains to large semi-natural hill covered islands. These break storms and other natural phenomena. It also has proven to be difficult to navigate the shallow waters, allowing a natural deterrent to the Jlull. Settlements Al’Da itself is the only city. There are four districts in the city which are sometimes considered small cities themselves. This is not to say each is independently governed but that they could largely be considered their own due to size. The Southernmonst district is called Peralis. Peralis is named to sound similar to “pearls” due to them being close to the Mana Pearl Beds. The majority of this populace are Gelling. Most of the standard merchant businesses and low-middle class housing is here. There are short stout walls of coral to protect the area. There is a port here where the standing ‘fleet’ of Al’Da is stationed. These two dozen ships are small and maneuverable to navigate the Breakers. The North-western district is referred to as The Lost. The name is in reference to the vast number of Comnar who live in the district, to remind them they Lost all of their gifts. Here one finds the grunt work being done. Most of the Comnar here are lower class with a couple in the middle class. Some shops exist but are not very profitable due to the social stigma. Many farm the fields outside the city on all sides. The Eastern district is Jo’Turnal’s Text. Here the Great Halls of Learning are stationed, training many of the young True of the Kingdom. Most Nel’Van try to live here amongst their own. The layout is more like a great university campus than a town. Great stone walls are placed here. There is a great wharf where ships dock from The Coral Port. It is practically against the law to be Comnar in this part of the city.

The Central district has been named Feldera. One will note the similarity to Felderass, this is deliberate. All of the Felinor of Al’Da live here around the governmental buildings. This section is neatly groomed and kept impeccably clean. Also the Coral Amphitheater is located here. The Amphitheater is the center of the only church followed in the kingdom, Heln Tor Kahl. The Heln here have expressed an interest in rejoining their brethren on Superius to strengthen them. If the city were to be sieged, the Lost would be considered a loss. The Lost would empty into Peralis, where they would make a southern stand while Feldera would empty into Jo’Turnal’s Text. The two walled districts would force the enemy to spread the armies thinly or to attack with two walled fortresses, one in their back and the other in their front. The Governmental body is made up of one True for each Path (one of each for Superius, and one for the Shallows), a Merchant Lord, a Grand Marshal, and a High Priest of the Heln Tor Kahl. This council of eleven vote with a simple majority being needed for any decision. Each lord also has a brief tidbit to give some idea of who they are and their weight in the Kingdom. The Current Lords are: Lady of Awareness – Lady Doorana Saanmannolla, Felinor True (also a practiced woodsman) Lord of Senses – Lord HaffantorjanMoll’Lass CammanKorthan, NelVan True (is a practiced artisan) Lady of the Body – Lady AannOlis’Harranna’Ness ComEm'ThaLi'SoshIn, NelVan True (also has shipright knowledges) Lord of Travel – Lord Merryweather Springer, Gelling True (has Skulker skills as well) Lord of Elements – Lord Jurran’Korlan’Woolghan’Lass Koolam’Forthas, NelVan True (also an Alchemist of skills second only to Governor Kaynah Tallrama of Peace’s Hearth. This is a sore spot for him.) Lady of Manipulation – Lady Sesshallhana Moolishanna, Felinor True (If there is a Felinor woman on Aesil;Dan who knows how to get what she wants, its her. She has come to secretly desire the power wielded by Paullia Saulha of the Truespire.) Lord of Forces – Lord Korbalach’Lass Jemmadahar’KoorPoll, NelVan True (A collector of all manner of curios, a very Elderly NelVan, Skilled enough to also be Lord of Elements or Awareness.) Lord of the Shallows – Karraq Jullamnajar, Male Felinor True (One of the rare male Felinor, he studied under Yel’Fah and is considered the pinnacle of Yel’Fah’s teaching.) The Merchant Mistress – Lady Shalla PearlMistress (forced a change on the family name once she came to power), Gelling Skulker The Grand Marshal – Grand Marshal FrudHaffRan’LessVa’Lass Kel’Lass, NelVan Warrior. The High Priest of the Heln – Heln Qul’OshMurJakthan’Lass TallfasMarrjon, NelVan True (focus on Forces). (Note: The reason there is a High Priest is that the call of a cleric is difficult and there have been few, as such a proper council has not been constructed. There are high ranking priests for each race, but they often send Qul’Osh as he has been able to gain a strong respect of the other lords.)

Sites Aside from the city, the Mana Pearl Beds and the Breakers are considered one and the same. They have slowly begun to populate with flora and fauna of the nearby islands. Many of Jo’Turnal’s Text find the islands fascinating and tend to take extended forays to them to observe nature. Encounters Stuff

Tal’Ram The Forbidden Isle is it’s unofficial name. The island itself is shared between the Kingdom and the Hool. Not only is it technically jointly occupied, but it is also largely unused.

The Hool own the foothills of Hoolnya’s Salute from shore to shore (North and South) and own the Mana Pearl Bed. The fields themselves on the Hool side of the island are not used. There are no surface settlements. The Kingdom does not know why it was wanted. In truth the Hool wanted the land to not only test the trustworthiness of the Less’Vans but also to hold for the right time to turn over the Mana Pearl Beds and the rich agricultural lands when it was most needed.

Settlements Peace’s Hearth is a small town with a port to trade with Realm. It is a town of Woodsman and Alchemists. It is the center of Alchemical learning in the Kingdom of Less’Va. It is here where the affect of alchemy on the Jlull was truly understood. It is here where the majority of alchemical mixtures in the kingdom are combined. All races are permitted here, barring the Jlull. The Governor is a Felinor Maid who is a master in many mixtures. She has been very kind to the Hool, which granted her people the boon of building a coral road to the Mana Pearl Bed of the Hool for easier trade. There are no fortifications here, and most buildings are on support beams, suspending them between 2 and 5 feet above the ground. Governor Kaynah Tallrama (Blood of Felderass), Felinor Alchemist. The Less’Van Armitage is the fort where Tal’Ram and Al’Da are protected. A solid fleet is on guard. Patrols station themselves along the border with the Hool as a support pool for strikes by the Jlull. The keep is simple and made of stone. There are no towers, only battlements on and in the walls. Outlying farmers provide food for most of the Kingdom, making Tal’Ram a major strategic location. The Marshal in charge of the Armitage is a Nel’Van soldier who is a master of tactics. He has worked hard to scout and fortify the island. Marshal KylYuh’LoFum’Less, NelVan Warrior. Sites Hoolnya’s Salute is the mountain chain, foot hills, and forest which creates the natural border between the Less’Van Kingdom and the lands claimed by the Hool. The mountains are home to the (beast) and known as a very dangerous climb. There are mines in the western mountain bases which lead into the rest of the range, due to the danger placing the mines higher up in the mountains. Many structures exist up in the mountains which can not be identified. Neither the Hool or Less’Vans know who made them or where the makers went. Some claim that miners who disappeared in the mountains found treasures so valuable that they hid with them. If this is true, the Miners likely have gone deep into the mines. The Hool-Pass is the single passage over Hoolnya’s Salute which is considered safe. The natural wildlife of the island passes through here as well, and predators have learned this. It is considered safe, because with a large enough guard force the majority of beasts will not approach. Small bands however report varied attacks by wildlife and the occasional Jlull incursion (these often being rogue gangs trying to take what they can and hurry back to the ocean). The Hool-Beds are the Mana Pearl Bed which the Hool lay claim to. It is considered the most productive of the beds in the island chain. Many Puritos are raised and harvested here in special Hool controlled ‘programs’. Those who make friends with the Hool of the Hool-Beds can sometimes be taught a little bit of the practice that the Hool here have (Mana Pearl Tending is a skill at 80+). The Ribs of Glulja is the supposed location where Glulja thrust himself on the islands, killing himself and freeing Hoolnya and her followers. There are around twenty large curved pinnacles of white material here. They are so infused with various minerals from both time and the ocean that no Master of Elements can confirm or disprove that they are bone of an Ooram. The Hool view it as a sacred place. The Kingdom of

Less’Va has a number of True who believe that in the area when they cast See Mana that they can see a number of images of various Hool in different ages. (In truth these are the Ribs of Glulja himself. The images of the Hool are not ghost but the Mhirrin of Axterath trying to push through to establish contact with the Shard the Jlull have. No one knows this but the Father of Glulja.) Encounters Stuff

The Tower of Qul’Osh Located over 100 League from the peninsula of The Coral Port, the Tower of Qul’Osh is the only building without an island. The tower rises from the sea bed itself. This tower is made of the same material as the ruins of the unknown prior inhabitants. It was discovered by a Nel’Van named Qul’Osh, thus its name. The tower is viewed as the very key to unlocking the ancient knowledge of the Isles.

The tower is surrounded by potent Mana Pearl Beds and Mana Vents. There are no windows or doors on the tower, and people trying to use the magic of travel find it buffets them to the far side of the tower. The Hool have found the entrance deep in the water. It is a cave, but no Hool will enter. As they get near they can feel an ominous presence and decide to leave. They have not told the Kingdom yet however, since they tend to be more careless. Encounters Stuff