A journey through a land of fantasy…

Talnoor is located in the center of the continent, and most trade routes pass through it by physical necessity.  Thus, it is the melting pot of Chorenn, where most travelers will at least stop for a few nights.  The region is the most “generic fantasy” of all of them, and it’s where I expected the group to spend most of its time, and thus it has a bit more detail than the rest of the continent.  (Though, I might note, I haven’t actually created detailed maps of these areas, mostly due to laziness.  Nemeril will probably be the first city I actually design specifically, because of the events that will need to take place there.)

The three largest cities in Talnoor are Silverleaf (the capital, ruled by Lord Miken Salbold), Dryreach (Lord Steward Antius Graymoir), and Fin Quil (Lord Darren Quil Tam).  The region stretches the entire length of the southern shore of the Inland Sea, and it provides a small navy to police that body of water.

Silverleaf is the second-largest city on the continent, an open city with no walls and a deep, developed harbor to encourage all types of trade traffic.  It is a lively city, and certainly a magnet for all types of people.  Its people have a feeling of security, since most attacks on the region would have to work their way through either Dryreach or Fin Quil first.

Lord Miken is considerably proud of his prosperous city.  He is quick to claim credit for it, though he inherited much of it from his more competent father.  He is quite ambitious and is aware that the throne’s succession could be thrown into chaos with a mere accident to the Crown Prince.   He is also aware that his two greatest opponents are the other Talnoorian lords, Antius and Darren.

Dryreach, on the edge of the Topaz Desert, is much like its name — dry and dusty.  It obtains most of its food from farmers to the northeast and through trading with Silverleaf and Valuria, and exports stone and metals from the nearby mountains. 

Its lord, Antius, is actually a lord steward; the lord’s line ended abruptly centuries ago, and according to tradition, a new lord can only be proclaimed when a worthy successor places his or her hand on and is accepted by the magical artifact known as the Dryreach Topaz.  Until then, the city is kept by a line of lord stewards.

Antius, a very ambitious and cruel man, lives under the shadow of a complete stranger grabbing his throne out from under him.  He also feels that the other lords do not consider him their equals and resents them mightily for it.  He also has his eye on the throne of Chorenn and thirsts either for it for himself, or to be favored exclusively by the king.  He ensures that Dryreach has a large standing army, to protect himself as well as have many trained men for loan to the king, by buying mercenaries.  To fund this, he keeps the taxes high and the water supply tightly controlled.  His people resent him for this, but also appreciate that he keeps a tightly run and safe city.  Or at least that’s what he tells them he does.

Fin Quil is much like Silverleaf.  Though not nearly as large, it profits off the trade routes and its people are quite content.  Traditionally, Fin Quil has served as the training ground for the army that protects Talnoor, and Lord Darren is its commander.  The Quil Tam family has always taken this responsibility very seriously and has trained its heirs in war and strategy; as such, Darren is considered one of the greatest strategic minds of the land.  Darren’s commanders also control the navy that polices the Inland Sea, but since Fin Quil’s shoreline is too shallow for deep-hulled ships, the navy ports in Silverleaf.

Darren’s main concern, however, is the well-being of his city.  He is aware of Miken’s ambitions and disapproves, feeling that Miken does barely an adequate job in his own city and does not have the brains to manage a realm.  Though he is not one for diplomacy or politics, he has been opposing Miken as of late.  Miken’s response lately has been to begin training a Silverleaf army of his own.

In general, though, very little of these politics have affected the party, though they will in the future.