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Regions: Mowbrenn, Curtulenn.

Located North of Rel Mord and Woodwych, Mowbrenn is located on the trade routes to Urnst and the Pale. This is a fertile area of Nyrond, with much grain-growing and cloth-weaving, giving most people their living outside the city. Thus, most of the people in these land, like many of the central lands, don't live within the cities. The rural population numbers more than a hundred thousand.

Appointing Cunal Huldane to replace his father as Count was a move based on a strong personal friendship with King Lynwerd. It was also a popular move in many circles. The old Count, Blackmar Huldane, was a war hero who had earned quite a reputation in battles in Almor during the war with the Great Kingdom. Blackmar had always been strict, but, before Lynwerd took the throne, strict had become cruel and tyrannical. He was a harsh repressive ruler who extracted every copper owed by his cowering subjects, who in turn lived in fear of his brutish militia. Cunal's much lighter hand was greeted with joy.

Mowbrenn

Now there are those who are not so sure Cunal was a good change. Freedom to act includes the freedom to act badly. The capital, Mowbrenn, a walled city of 20,700, is facing an upsurge in crime, with a militia that is dispirited because it is not allowed to enforce "law and order". The Captain of the Blackguard, Jerrus Malstronn, is particularly vocal about this point. More scary are the rumors of dark cults, and the people who disappear in the night. Defenders insist the rumors started well before Cunal came to power and people vanish in big cities all the time, but as the man in charge, Cunal gets the blame. The critics claim Blackmar is the man for the situation, that Cunal is simply incapable of the strong response needed.

Blackmar, who detests his son as a soft, weak ruler, is eager to return to power. Some want to blame Blackmar's chief adviser, Quarlanth, for Blackmars fall from power. If he were to replace him, Blackmar would be just the man to restore public order, according to this theory. Others dismiss this as typical "evil adviser" scapegoating. If the prince's policy works, the prince takes all the credit. If it doesn't, the prince blames the adviser for bad or evil advice and dumps him, even if he gave precise advice and opposed the policy. Those viewing him this way argue, depending on their other views, that Quarlanth be retained when Blackmar returns to power, that he become Cunal's chief adviser,or just be avoided as too identified with the old regime.

Cunal, aged 29, black hair, brown eyes, 6', tall and lean, is almost the picture of his father. He is deemed overly idealistic and sensitive. There was talk of his marrying a sister of Xenia Sallayarian, which would have made him an in-law of the would-be Queen, but the attack on Xenia has put all that on hold. His closest adviser is a priest of Mayaheine, who was with him during his years of exile at Barren Keep, in the Duchy of Orberend, as a member of the youngbloods there. When Cunal is not at the capital, he often vacations at his old stomping grounds. At the moment, with the king's friendship and other advantages, he is secure in power. But as the dark whispers in the towns increase, how secure remains to be seen.

Mowbrenn is built on 2 hills. The main town is built on what is called the Greater Mound, divided by a second wall into the classic Oeridian architecture of the Old Town and the New Town, where the taxation and oppression of the old regime was felt most heavily. Ironically, the lighter hand of the current Count has not reduced the hostility towards their rulers here.

At the highest point of the Mound, also known as known as Sharphill, lies Castle Blackmar, and within are also the verdant grasslands of the Gardens. A repaired shrine to Ehlonna lies here, tended by Count Cunal Blackmar. Beyond the Castle lies the Temple of Pholtus, ruled by Faric Luthinson, Shining Paragon of Pholtus, lit by divinely charged light globes. This Temple is now in less favor, despite and maybe because of, visits by Zylinchin and the Valorous League. A small fortress in the western district of town serves as the Temple of Heironeous. Agrin Forastar, Glaive Virtuous of Heironeous, strongly disapproved of the actions of the former Count and is thus enjoying the favor of the new one. Other notable temples are for Zilchus, under High Acquirer Duvend Newrak, and Boccob, under Racondite Brenderris.

The second mound, the Lesser Mound, is home to a small community of the poor, destitute and displaced who have made a dingy shantytown upon the second hill. Rumor says several highly evil cults are somewhere within. It is the sort of place where the desperate and starving might join such a cult, but that may be the source of the rumor. Zylinchin performed one of his witch-hunts here and "exposed" a cult. Unfortunately he followed his normal pattern and consigned the evil ones to the flames before he bothered to tell the local authorities. The confessions and other evidence he presented was sufficient to keep him from being arrested, but not from making him quite unpopular in official circles, not to mention among those who claim the confessions were false.

There are of course a large number of inns in the city. The largest inn within Mowbrenn is the Teller of Tidings, owned by Radmac Laddeman, human male. The smallest is a matter of definition as many buildings become an inn any time they have a bottle and somebody else has coin. One of many small specialized taverns is one called the Grey Bow Inn, owned by Cirimyre of Labelas, who is ancient even by elven standards. Its patrons are almost entirely elves. Even half-elves are encouraged to go elsewhere.

As might be expected of a city on 2 hills, there is a thriving undercity below the official city. Since it officially doesn't exist, the details are rather vague. Some areas are quite safe, at least if you watch your back, while nobody is known to have returned from others. All assume this underground is a center of the local thieves guild, whose existence is also officially denied and whose leadership is secret. Those who brag about knowing the leaders tend to turn up dead. However, these are usually objectionable characters whose demise might have been speeded up by any number of people for many possible reasons, so it is not clear their bragging had anything to do with their ends. Most, however, prefer not to take a chance on it.

Curtulenn

A serious problem to deal with is Curtulenn, a town of 6,800 on the trade route from Mowbrenn to Trigol, where it crosses the upper Franz. Almost a suburb of Trigol on the other side of the river, it's great ferry boats are constantly busy. Its people are described as determined, self-reliant, defiant, and individualistic. So when its popular leader and chief landholder, Sir Lellend DeFreiden, defied King Archbold over higher taxes and jailed his bailiff, they vigorously supported him. The king did not want to disrupt the nations prime trade route and so settled for the old tax rate. This in turn led to vigorous growth in the area. The strong growth, and its attitude towards the law, has in turn led to a vigorous growth in crime. Rogues, thieves, bandits are common. Some merc companies claiming to be hunting the bandits and guarding caravans are believed to be bandits. Cunal, with his own background as a "bandit", is hesitant to put these down. While few of the bandits want to benefit any but themselves, there are some out to help others, and a great many willing to claim they are. The locals are not enthused with the idea of his troops, or any of the Kings troops, in the area anyway.

[ Gazetteer ]