The Northern Head
This post contains a collection of info about the northernmost peninsula of the Hydrahead Peninsula, which juts out of the southwestern corner of the Vallest continent. The Blackfens marshlands stretch across the base of the northern peninsula, and the port city of Ione sits at the top.
Verdas to southern edge of Blackfens: 35 miles N (no road, Boulder Fields)
Southern edge of Blackfens to New Briar: 20 miles N (no road)
New Briar to Feather Falls: 15 miles N (stone road)
Feather Falls to Avan'ti: 12 miles E (stone road)
- Avan'ti to Dragon Dock: 3 miles E (stone road)
Feather Falls to Ione: 52 miles NNE (dirt road)
New BriarHistory: Over forty years have passed since the infamous Acid Queen was last seen, but her final act encapsulated the violence for which she was renown. The outlying settlements that remained had grown into small cities under a cruel grip. Worry festered that she was building an army to expand her territory, though, those who knew her best knew that she needed no such force to do so. Instead, each city was razed to ground. Thousands are believed to have died at her hand that day, but she was responsible for far more death and destruction in the end. For as dusk fell upon the land, scores of her full-blooded spawn set out to spread doom as far and wide as possible.
None in their right mind dared to venture near the Blackfens for decades. Despite the lack of any definitive black dragon sightings after that day. The relative quiet, however led to curiosity, and in time, two questions arose above all others: Was the dragon dead? What of her horde? Explorers, adventurers, and treasure-seekers delved into the marshes for answers. Few came out, but that was more than ever before. The dragon was not found, alive or dead, nor was any horde, and much of the marshland remains a mystery to this day. Over the years, however, two things grew to be believed by most: the Blackfens were still teeming with danger, but the reign of the Acid Queen was over. Eventually, new settlements took root again in outlying areas. Not all persevered, but enough did and for long enough to inspire others to push further.
The modest city of New Briar began as a tiny village on the northern edge of the Blackfens. The half-breed spawn in the area were hunted down or driven off, but a full-blooded dragon was also discovered. It was still a juvenile but proved to be considerably cunning, deadly, and elusive. A massive hunt revealed that it took refuge within a series of underground tunnels through which flowed rivers of acid. A plan was developed between city leaders to drain the tunnels under and near the city. The project took more than a year to complete but was a success that also uncovered a hidden boon: mithral.
New Briar prospered under the promise of safety and wealth. The city borders spread as the population tripled in just six months, and the influx of workers greatly expanded the mines. City leaders reaped fortunes but worried that more dragons would emerge from deeper inside the marshes. Perhaps biding their time until ready to strike, and what more do dragons desire than riches? Yet it was this very notion that led to an unusual but effective defense. The Church of Abadar, which was instrumental in draining the tunnels and developing the mines, forged a strict contract between the city and a pair of bronze dragons from the coast. In exchange for a seasonal bounty, the dragons - Aarthyx & Grixyl - were to protect the New Briar from any black dragon and related ilk but not interfere with internal matters of the city in any way.
Current: New Briar (population ~3,500) is surrounded by a smooth-shaped stone wall standing 20-ft high. Nearly a third of the city sits atop what was once marshland with the rest jutting out into the plains. The majority of private residences and shops are located inside wooden buildings, but most city-owned structures and those with wealthy sponsors are composed at least in part of stone (smooth or blocks). The threat of dragons and other flying monstrosities keeps the city spreading outward, and even downward, rather than upward. Few buildings rise more than a few stories, but many have at least one more level below the surface for additional space and protection.
Like most other settlements on the Hydrahead Peninsula, New Briar strongly values its independence. Both from greater Vallest and foreign powers. Not that it wants to be isolated or insular, depsite its remote location. Quite the contrary. Unlike the major cities of the Hydra, and even many of the smallest villages, which have been around for decades or centuries, this city continues to grow. While it does not want to be ruled by others, it exudes a warm air of welcoming to those who come in good faith. Especially since it is the newcomers who often arrive to mine the mithral, shape it into wares, and export these goods to new locales - all of which contribute to the burgeoning prosperity.
A free spirit and bold attitude are often associated with those who make their way to a frontier as historically perilous as the Blackfens. These qualities can be found among the citizens of New Briar, but they are also tempered by a strict rule of law. It is a rather orderly society, perhaps surprisingly so for being at the edge of such a foreboding and mysterious wild.
BriarbogBriarbog represents the darker side of prosperity. While many newcomers fared well enough upon their arrival in New Briar, there are those who failed to find fortune. Additionally, some of the original citizens were displaced, and others had no desire to remain in a village that was booming into a city. Crime increased as well, and any convicts not imprisoned or executed were expelled. Briarbog is not a cohesive community by any means but rather a smattering of lone dwellings and small neighborhoods that arc through the swamp about a mile or so south of New Briar.
IoneIone is known as the “Eye of the Hydra” and sits atop the northern head. Just over 50 miles above New Briar. An economic relationship between the two cities was sparked with the discovery of mithral under the swamp. This led to the creation of a new trade route to the eastern coast by land and up the coast by sail. Mithral flowed out of New Briar while coin, goods, and people from all over Vallest flowed into it through Ione. Geographically, Verdas lies south and much closer to New Briar, but the most direct route from one to the other would require a treacherous, slow-going journey through the Blackfens. Therefore, the northerly route to Ione is not only safer but also quicker for transporting heavy loads.
BlackfensThe Blackfens encompass several dry moors and watery swamps which stretch across the base of the northern head of the Hydrahead Peninsula. This expansive marshland was once home to a mighty but terrible black dragon whose wrath and influence dominated the region for centuries. Her true name may have never been known, but most referred to her as the Acid Queen in one tongue or another. It was thought that neither blade nor spell could penetrate her scales. Any great effort to do so failed miserably, and the notion was abandoned long ago. Well before anyone alive today was born.
The dragon, however, was not a constant torment, and many years, even a decade or more, could pass without her presence being felt or a single sighting. Furthermore, her interest beyond the Blackfens often fluctuated. These factors - combined with perhaps hope or naivety - led to the establishment of settlements in outlying areas. The longer one lasted, the more likely for another to spring up, but in the end, all fell prey to a dreadful fate. The dragon always returned, and when she did, nearby settlements were destroyed or enslaved.
Even when the dragon was not present, other horrors lurked within - and sometimes beyond - the Blackfens. Not only vicious beasts and ravenous monsters common to dangerous marshes, but a plethora of her spawn were also left to infest the water, land, and air: full-blooded brood as well as half-breeds of native species. None near as powerful as their mother but quite deadly and wicked nonetheless. And as if that was not enough, tortured souls were rumored to roam as far and wide as the taint of the Acid Queen had reached.
I know there's not a direct correlation to level, but is this the sort of world where the people in charge are level 40, or level 15 and Epic being some hero told about in tales? Just curious about the power scale of the world.