Hot Locations and Important People in West Guiness

Snazzy Intro: West Guiness is where the game is going to start and probably where most of the action is going to take place. Where I play AD&D, Guiness has become a well-established place with history and customs. New players sometimes have a problem catching on, since the players that already know things about it are much more comfortable and can talk about locations and people freely. Since everyone here is new to this campaign world, it should go at about the same pace and that shouldn't be a problem. This handy dandy Who & Where guide should help out. Some people like to have certain favorite campaign settings and I'm no different. Guiness is my favorite. The disadvantage is its never been written down before. Well, that’s what I'm starting to do now.

Before we get to locations, one thing about Guiness is that each new player tends to add something to it: a new culture, city, or legend. Hopefully this can continue. Anywhoo, here’s the meat:

Remember that everything here is from what your character has probably heard and although it is probably, not all of it might be correct. This is not supposed to be a tell all like a book in a campaign setting is, so lots of random information and details of cities is left out. If your character lives in or comes from one of these places, you will get a separate mailing describing that location in detail. A much shorter East Guiness setting email will be sent, though it won't be as important as these places is where mostly everything will take place.

Area Overview -

The Mages: The concentration of mages here is more than anywhere else. Although nowhere near majority, or even a large minority, mages are much more common here than in other parts of the world. Perhaps drawn to the unexplored area for research or maybe for entirely different reasons, the commonness of mages makes this area a bit unnerving to be a thief in as any innocent looking unarmed man may be a mage.

Even more peculiar than the commonality of mages may be the heavy influence of specialization. Four out of five mages are specialists and the different schools often have harsh competition. You can often tell a mage by their colors, as each school has its own pride and often wears the school colors proudly. The system goes like this:

Purple: Transmuters

White: Diviners

Black: Necromancers

Silver: Enchanters

Red: Invokers

Blue: Abjurers

Green: Illusionists

Orange: Summoners

Geography: A mountain range helps to split apart the Guiness Empire. Running mostly north/south on the Western end of the Empire, these mountains are surrounded by forests. Brushland extends out for much of the region and is farmed to provide for the main source of food. The Northern border is the Grapen Sea, where most of the trade in the country takes place via ship. A bay extends into the continent and provides a port closer to the middle of the empire for the faster transportation of goods.

Religion: Each city has one or two goods they tend to view as a sort of patron, with a couple of notable exceptions. In many places religion means very little, as there is a heavy emphasis on exploration and magic.

Fort Hinterland -

Probably the most important location in all of Guiness, this city is what separates the Wildlands from the rest of the world. Walled on all sides and open to all races, this city is used as a neutral ground for all those with an interest in the Wildlands. It serves as a resting place for rest for adventurers traveling west. Adventuring and Magic research are the cities main industry, and all its food is imported. Hinterland has no patron god.

A primarily human city, Hinterland was recently attacked by mages and orcs. Hinterland has a very large minority of wizards with guilds to every school of Magic present. The leader of the Invokers guild, an eccentric known as Zippy, formed an alliance with a dragon, an army of orcs and the necromancers guild to attempt to over take the city. After destroying the cities consulate and killing many civilians and soldiers, the Strong Hills Dwarven Army and Halfling Flying-Eagle Brigade along with some human conscripts and an outside human army from the Kingdom of Dastin came in to defeat Zippy. Being too far from the imperial city, the empire's "real" troops were unable to get to the place in time to be of any good.

Due to the circumstances of its recovery, a shared government council now rules Hinterland with representatives from the Dwarves, Halflings, original government and the outsider army. No one knows too well if this rouge army means well for Guiness or wants to take over the key location that is Fort Hinterland, but if they did, it wouldn't be a rouge army.

Who to know:

Renton, Viscount of Dastin - A ruler, a general and handsome bachelor, Renton is a dreamboat and many women's dream. With unknown intentions, he turned on Zippy to turn the battle's tide and stop Zippy's takeover. He remains an enigma, but also a powerful wild card in the control games of Hinterland and in the game of love.

Zippy the Wonderboy: A pure eccentric. He was the former head of the Hinterlands Invokers guild. He has his skin dyed completely blue and just to contrast his hair is green and eyes are yellow. A very powerful wizard, though a bit insane, Zippy's almost successful attempt at taking over Hinterland fell short, though he was able to escape. Little personal information is known about him, except that he is rumored to have made twelve different versions of the magic missile spell. He is impossible to mistake, but tends to have method in his madness.

Everything in this area is constantly changing as the people struggle to find a niche and gain power. As this place is far from most other areas and changes take place so fast, no other names of importance have come to pass into any sort of repetition.

Falchion -

A large city in the middle of Western Guiness, an area known as Clemont. This place has its own local Duchy in place for overseeing local law. A very diverse social population exists in this capitalistic town with extremely distinct upper, lower, and middle class neighborhoods. This is a huge center for entertainment and people often come to enjoy it. The city is the home to such famous places as "The Pit" and "The Grand Falchion Arena." Both the rich and poor can find a place to entertain themselves here as it is place for all people. With many taverns to visit, shows to see, and passing merchants to be swindled by, a person can make or loose a lot of money in a single night. The patron god of Falchion is Cecil, God of Wealth (or greed). The population of this city is about 180,00.

WWAG's headquarters are located here. WWAG (WorldWide Adventures Guild) is the most universally trusted place to find and put up commissions. Many young adventures work hard to try to get into WWAG, as since many people place their trust in WWAG, there are many commissions to be gotten as a member.

Smithing is a popular occupation in Falchion and many fine weapons are made here. Prostitution and drug sales are also common practice on the more deviant side of things. Some downtown (the poor section) homes are actually warehouses for production of these ingredients and compounds.

The black market here is extensive and many items that can't be found anywhere can be found in Falchion. The unspoken hierarchy in this field is a deadly one and many would be gangbuster adventures find themselves in a bad way.

Sports and the arts are also supported. Falchion has its own Orchestra and Pigskin team, as well as a common stop for most major vagabond dance "companies" as well as courtly pleasers and famous bards. Many large events are held here due to the sheer room and amount of inns. Major meeting can be held in the Grand Arena as well as other events.

Falchion is a walled city though, for all its tourism, and has 3 main entrances. Also, Falchion has by far the largest standing army in all of West Guiness. The base, which is a huge complex, is a mere three miles away from the northern wall of the city. One fifth of all Falchion citizens belong to the army and another five percent are trained as reserves. The city is not under as martial a system as may be expected, as the town treats the soldiers well the favor is generally returned. Falchion citizens have a lot of pride in their city, army, and sports, as it is a way of showing off their superiority.

The most apparent structure in Falchion is the giant "Tower of the Gods" that rests in the center of the city. It seems to reach towards heaven as it passes well beyond the clouds. Constructed out of black marble, the Tower has no windows or door and its walls are smooth and featureless. The citizens have countless tales of how it got there and what it is, but none of them seem to match.

The Duke of Falchion rules over it with a very loose iron grip. He allows much to go one in his city as he feels restricting freedoms will only get him killed. The army is trustworthy, but very independent minded and does not simply roll over blindly at orders. The Duke is simply a noble who sorts through the affairs of the city and keeps its foreign relations smooth and ensures that its pigskin team doesn't get abused.

The racial Demographics in Falchion are as follows:

77% Human

5% Elven (includes half-elves)

10% Gnome

3% Dwarven

5% Halfling

Hartshire Forest

A large woodland area in the center of Clemont, Hartshire forest is the home to a number of groups. The largest is the High Elves of Hartshire, whose homes reside in the treetops in the dark center of Hartshire. The orcish lumberjack encampment is a growing population of orcish "tradesmen" who make surprisingly good furniture. Trolls have become extremely unwelcome guests to this place and have been known to munch on the deer and elves without much discrimination. Also, a druidaic circle supposedly operates out of Hartshire and many strange looking creatures have come out of the woods in the deep, long hours of the night.

The Elves are known for their desire to be left alone. The "kingdom" is a monarchy and they do not respect the will of the Empire, though since they keep to themselves and never bothered to send a representative to the imperial council, no one really minds. The city they live in is very much a naturalistic one with a focus on simple agriculture and hunting as well as some art. They view their homeland as heavenly and protect best they can against the trolls who happen to like the taste of elf a lot more than the taste of orc.

The king of Hartshire, whose name is never told to a non-citizen of the kingdom, is a very vile and nasty ruler. He is known for executing those that suggest any type of treacherous activity. His enemies and rivals disappear with bodies never found. He keeps order, but has not been extremely successful in the task of protecting his people from the trolls, though he has excellently protected himself from his people.

The Citizen to Know in Hartshire is Flinter, the scout. A loyal follower of the king, Flinter had been on many an adventure in his younger days and is well known for his capabilities to track and kill. He is also known for being a humble and religious man, though many blame him for mindlessly following the orders of the bad king. Flinter is one of the world's premier hunters, of both animals and people. Whether he is the one who the king uses to make people "disappear" with is unknown, but there is a very strong suspicion about this and whether his faith is real.

The orcish lumberjack encampment is a very small community of orcs, who seem to be rather peaceful lot, especially for orcs. They have furniture and contracting business that few people use, as they are very wary of orcish goods. Orcs are not known for being good craftsman. Many people feel that their highest feet of engineering was adding rusty metal shards to the common club, so do not trust them building a house. Having struck some sort of alliance with the High Elves of Hartshire, the elves have allowed the orcs to use the forest for lumber, provided that they replace it. They even allowed a farmer to help teach the orcs proper tree harvesting and replanting techniques, as well as basic agriculture. Needless to way, if orcs are eating carrots, something's is definitely strange. They also follow a strange religion revolving around some sort of strange god called the Gorth.

The troll crisis is well known. No one knows about any "society" that they have. They just eat people. The people of Falchion are considering an attack, but the Elves of Hartshire do not want an army rolling in troops and war machines. Still, trolls can breed and the Falchion citizens believe that the problem should be stopped before it becomes a problem for them.

The druidaic order that meets in Hartshire is a complete mystery, surrounded by myth and groundless observations. Still, many people are believers.

Pinston

The working class town of Clemont, Pinston is has one-third the population of Falchion and has half the land. It is only a four hours walk around Hartshire forest on the Southern end if one is walking from Falchion. Also a capitalist town, Pinston relies heavily on the huge chemistry factory that is situated in the center of the city. Chemistry is basically the same thing as alchemy. All the products are hand mixed and brewed (no interchangeable parts or assembly lines invented yet). Other sources of employment in Pinston are the gem market, the wagon making company, and the famous Zoo. Pinston has no patron god.

Though technically a democratic city, the Pinston is completely run by Elise. She is a very old human woman who appears to be in her mid-twenties, but has been ruling for over fifty years. Being a pioneer in the alchemical field, Elise discovered some of the principles of the field of chemistry. Not sharing with the gnomish community who desperately wants her knowledge, she has used her adventuring parents money and rare finds to find out how many "superhuman" biological processes work and (this was the smart part) started up an industry based on these discoveries, creating a total monopoly. After settling down in Pinston, due to a strange marriage to the local gym owner, Elise started up her company by handmixing and selling chemicals in a local bar. Dan, her husband, turned out to be an intelligent advertiser and Elise's childish looks helped to sell product. After many years of work, she built up a factory and a work force of 3,000+ employees. Still doing research and keeping her secrets to herself, Elise runs Pinston as she is always re-elected the mayor every year. The city is prosperous and no one is truly poor, though Elise is probably one of the richest people in Guiness (if not the richest). Considering this, Elise's house is no bigger than her average workers are. It is the first house she bought.

A family lives on the border of Guiness and is also very rich, though through bloodline so old that no one knows where the money came from. They are the Keldrichs and have a huge plot of land that extends far beyond the borders of Pinston. Most people pass them off simply as the idle rich and they have never done anything except fill the description.

Port Enoch

Port Enoch is the crossroads of Guiness. For people that own ships at least. Located on the bay, Most imported goods coming into Clemont come through Enoch, as well as goods to some of the mid-Eastern parts of Guiness. Enoch is best known for its foreign goods and lively inhabitants. A person who needs to go somewhere far away knows to go to Enoch. Having no standing army, strategic location seems to be a very good target for invasion. Port Enoch's patron god is Letermine, goddess of justice.

Recently, pirates thought this. That story will come shortly. First, Enoch is a very commercial city. Its entire economy is based around the merchant trade. Overpriced imported goods are the bread and butter of an Enoch citizen. Owning a ship in Enoch is a way of living, as is owning a shop. You either are one of these people, or you work for them.

Enoch is ten hours away from Falchion, walking.

Pirates recently attacked the people of Enoch. Intended to be a surprise, a gnome stumbled on to the lead ship and found out their plans. He was held captive, but escaped with time to warn the town. The gnome happened to belong to a guild, not WWAG, though, a new guild called Warg. Lead by, of all things, an orc from the lumberjack village, this guild was well known for not getting any commissions. The house it is based in is owned by a popular elven whore who was away at the time. The orc, Ongorth, the gnome, some chef, and a fisherman from Hartshire, the guild members who were around at the time were able to sabotage the pirates attack and lead the resistance against the pirates. Ongorth is a local Port Enoch hero, though people from outside the town suspect that this was some ploy by the orc to give his guild some instant reputation. Adding to these suspicions the fact that lumberjack village received a contract to build ten structures in a Port Enoch expansion program directly after the Ongorth's heroics.

Port Enoch is a town with a population of about two thousand. The amount of people who comes through the town helps make it seem a lot bigger and busier than it really is. Port Enoch is the fashion and commercialism head of Clemont. Most people who want to be on the trendy list go to Enoch to see what people are wearing.

The Academy

The best-known wizard's academy in Guiness, The Academy at Clemont is a premier educational facility for mages. Having classes training in all 8 schools of magic, the Academy is more than just a place of learning. It also functions as full-fledged city. Housing is abundant for all the school-related people. Common shops, such as butchers tailors, and all other things needed to keep a city running exist here. There are also taverns, antique shops, and spell component shops, as well as a thriving wizards cloak industry, available in all colors and sizes.

The Academy is its own government. The school leaders also act as town counselors. The prices

of magical goods are completely uncontrolled here and a simple magical hardening enchantment can cost a thousand gold pieces.

Many powerful mages teach at The Academy. They are able to compare notes with other powerful mages and conduct research using a collective library that may be the most extensive one on the continent. The relative distance from the Wildlands is also a plus. Having to teach is small price to pay for these premier resources. A great number of students attend the academy to try to learn from some high quality wizards.

The location is also very nice on the school, as it is located a mere eight hours walk from Falchion.

The Strong Hills

The Strong Hills appear to be just a few mountains, but that area is very well populated by a number of different races. Three days by caravan from Clemont, this geographical area blocks the fastest route from Clemont to Hinterland by land. Most trade with Hinterland is done by ship for this reason. Trying to around the mountains will add a minimum of 10 days via caravan to the journey and will force passage through the territory of Acland, a very militant and anti-foreigner society.

In the shadow of the mountain on the east side are scattered forests with no particular society holding any claim. The main feature is a local witch who makes a famous stew and is gifted in the soothsaying arts. She is well known for being a benevolent person and a skilled prophet. Many caravans feel that stopping in her hut on any journey to the strong hills will bring good luck.

At the base of the mountains is the Dwarven trade city of the Strong Hills Dwarves. The inner cities' actual whereabouts are not known to any outsiders, though they are assumed to be in the deepest heart of the mountain.

The Strong Hills Dwarves are a friendly people, as far as dwarves go. They are fine craftsmen and if a knight is in need of a new suit of plate, this is the place to go. The main tavern at the base is a friendly resting stop for non-elven merchants, though even elves are tolerated with moderate prejudice. The town is very clan-based and hierarchical. Few liberties are given and the Kings word is final the moment it has been spoken. Those that fall out of line or cannot fulfill what society does require of them, they are quickly exiled and eliminated from the problem status.

The society has an extremely strong army with numerous patrols traveling through the area to protect their trade routes and allies. For this reason, they are the definite powerhouse of the area. As they are in control of the fastest land route to the Wildlands, they act as a buffer zone to protecting Guiness's interests from capture. Also, these forces were critical in the re-taking of Hinterland after Zippy's takeover. Basically, they are the police force of the far Western end of Guiness, whether or not they wanted the job.

At one of the Strong Hills plateaus, a group of unusual Halflings has made a home. These Halflings are known as the Highfrosts and call the same mountain range that the dwarves call "Strong Hills" "Pine Needles." In these snowy lands, the Hobbits have made a happy society and make their living in the very unique business of Giant Eagle breeding. Up in these parts, the eagles are trained for many different purposes and used to receive goods to feed the otherwise inaccessible and unfarmable lands where they live. They are also mounts for wartime and hunting. They are on excellent terms with the dwarves who built a tunnel leading from the base town to the Highfrost village. Only about one hundred and fifty halflings live here. They can be easily recognized, as they have ghostly pale skin and a distinctive wide brimmed riding hat to protect the eyes from the sun while flying.

In the valleys of these mountains are a healthy population of ogres. Three major tribes, the Khrick, the Beating Sticks, and the Lrvren compete here for territory. They enjoy hunting the hook horrors that live in some the caves in these mountains and especially enjoy catching lost halflings. About every five years, these three tribes set aside their differences and attack some common foe, the dwarves or the wood elves and cause plenty of destruction before they are driven back. Each of these tribes has unique characteristics, but no one has bothered to interview and observe them to record these differences.

Under the west shadow of the mountain there is a dense forest inhabited by a tribe of wood elves. They tend to be extremely angry and ill tempered, though they mind their own business as long as people stay away from them. These are a mysterious people and few know a great deal about them.

The Dirtlands

These barren, mostly infertile plains are located east of Falchion. Basically all of the areas farming is done here. A number of small villages, plantations, and farming communities are banded together here to form a makeshift militia alliance. The total population of this area is approximately 110,000. Besides the plantation of Harmon Trevy, there is no real wealth in this area. Food prices are decent only because these lands are the only available ones, for the most part. Much of this land is close to desert in quality and cannot be used for farming whatsoever. Of the 350,000 square miles that make up this area, only a quarter of it is farmable.

The people of these various towns are generally simple farmers, primarily human and hobbit. They work side by side, trying to work the poor soil the best they can so as to make a good amount of money. Most of there food goes to Falchion, Pinston, and Port Enoch. They trade for fish, textiles, medicines, and arms mostly. Not much is to be said about these people except when wondering through these lands there one can usually find themselves a way around as if they were to get lost they could follow the nearest cornfield into a town for directions.

Harmon Trevy's plantation is one a huge "thing" that rests near the southern end of the Dirtlands. The massive manor that rests on it could easily house three hundred people comfortably, but instead is resided in by only one man, Harmon Trevy. He has hired hundreds and hundreds of kobold workers at extremely low prices to carry out the farming and affairs of his land while he reaps the rewards. His prices are extremely low as his labor costs and financial backing allow him to undercut the common farmer. Some people blame him for keeping the price of food lower than it should be in a land with bad soil, but Harmon is too busy drinking imported tea to hear them.

The Northern side of the Dirtlands is run by a large orcish camp. Approximately 20,000 orcs make residence here and farm, not for crops, but to feed their pigs. These pork eaters do a very bad job of farming and often rob the farms of others to make ends meet. Led an ever changing general as no one has been able to effectively turn around the bad look of this area, the orcs refuse to budge from where they are even though they are horrible farmers and would be better off raiding goblins far away. They are taking up farmland that could be used by the humans and halflings of the Dirtlands, but are instead being wasted on pigs. These orcs also have a rivalry with the kobolds of the Stark Mountains and often wag war upon them having to travel the entire length of the Dirtlands to reach them, trampling over farms and farmers along the way.

The Stark Mountains

The Stark Mountains envelop the Dirtlands on the Southern end. These are bad places to visit if you’re an elf, as it is owned by kobolds (of the same line that Harmon Trevy uses), goblins, and orcs. There is a constant battle for control here, as each of the races wants have access to the mountains resources. Deep inside the heart of Starkenlim, the highest of the Mountains in the range, is rumored to be a diamond mine that collapsed well before its contents could be significantly harvested. The legend says that this mine was endless and though even a goblin knows that endless mines don't exist, they do know how much diamonds are worth. Starkenlim is a warzone of great proportions.

The kobolds have arguably the most power in this area. They breed even faster than the goblins, which is quite an accomplishment, and have the most raw materials. Working at Harmon Trevy's plantation is not worth much money for one person, but hundred kobolds working twelve-hour shifts certainly adds up. Because of there wealth (most of which is stored) the orcs and goblins have constantly hammered on them to no avail. The orcs even call upon the help of their North Dirtland allies and still cannot purge the plague that is koboldkind.

The kobold's success is not simply due to a high fertility rate and hard work. The kobolds are excellent managers of money and even better opportunists. They rob innocents at every opportunity, eat the meat off of their victims to save money, as well as any other possible means to create funds. Whatever they're planning to buy with this money is not known, but they sure do a good job of making it and keeping it safe from thievery.

The orcs of these parts are called the Brigade of Death, led by the feared Black Orcs. This group of loosely organized killers leads the society in smiting all of its foes. The Stark Mountains are an excellent piece of territory and the Brigade has a firm grip on it. South of the mountains, the orcs have a reign of terror over most of the peasant villages and they pillage and extort them with pleasure. The Stark Mountains mark the southern border of Guiness and these peasants have no real army or country to protect them from the orc's tyranny. The kobolds also rob and loot these villages, but it is the orcs who "own" the area and keep everyone in check. The theory why they can't defeat the kobolds and rid them is not that they can't defeat them in strait combat, simply that they are too big (and stupid, some say) to catch the kobolds and navigate their tunnel network.

The goblins are the lowest form of life on Stark. They have a place, near the bottom of the mountain in the worst smelling holes. They often have to eat each other to stay alive. They can breed rapidly, but unlike the kobolds lack the resource skills to capitalize. They are viscous, but unlike the orcs they aren't strong. The predicament is simple: two other races are occupying the important niches in the mountain and are better at it than the goblins. What exactly can the goblins do about this? They have a lot of spirit (for goblins) and fight hard, but never make up any ground. What they really could use is a leader, as goblins do possess some skills that could be utilizes. One thousand arequebuses would also help, but neither is likely to happen anytime. Not much is known about their actual organization, though it is doubtful if they possess any what so ever. Mostly they through their crap all around which is probably the reason they are so low to begin with.

Acland

Southeast of Hinterland, Acland is a large city at the southern end of the Strong Hills, along the edge of Hell's Pool, a lake whose sources come from the peaks of the Strong Hills. Acland's population is very mixed and rich with culture, though extremely militaristic. It seems strange that a place with a number of racial groups living side by side could be so hateful to outsiders, but the unity of these people comes from a similar conviction in a single god.

Aclanders worship Gen, the god of the sun. The followers of Gen believe that all people owe their lives to the sun that brings them life and will not except those who disagree. Acland's citizens are all enrolled in the army and one third are full time soldiers. The need to keep the city pure is one of the people's most important goals. The light that the sun gives is not tainted and neither shall the city that worships that light.

The Racial Demographics are as follows:

Human: 19%

High Elven: 7%

Orc: 3%

Wood Elven: 15%

Gnoll: 2%

Hobgoblin: 29%

Lizardman: 9%

Dwarf: 3%

Ogre Breeds: 6%

Goblin: 5%

Halfling: 2%

The government of Acland is essentially a nonentity. Instead, whenever a political decision needs to be made, the words of Gen are consulted. All people are equal and Aclanders refer to each other a "child" or of they have time on their hands "child of the sun." Gender and race mean nothing; everyone is a child of the sun, no more, no less. Even calling a halfling "little child" would be a grave sin in Acland. The priests are not more powerful like in most religious society and there is no organized "church." Most people conduct worship themselves and use priests only when in dire need of advice and when they unable to determine the meanings of some of Gen's words. The people know their place in society and bind themselves to it, fulfilling the duties that Gen has given to them.

Farming is extremely important to the people of Acland, as the plants gain energy directly from the sun. Acland has some of the greatest farmers in the world and grows many different vegetables. Salad is the favored food of most Aclanders, but deer and fish are also very important for building muscle. The life expectancy is about five years longer for the average human. The work is hard, but not brutal, the food is nutritious and diets are balanced, and the faith gives the people hope and the strength to live on.

A surprising fact about Acland is that literacy is enforced. Everyone knows how to read and write, as these skills are necessary for determining Gen's word. Also, every member of Acland is trained how to use the mace, Gen's weapon.

Theoretically, Acland wishes for the whole world to become enlightened. The city bides its time, though, and has been able to fend off anyone who finds their goals unjust. Their location prevents land travel from reaching Hinterland without detouring even farther to the South, so is useless to Guiness in that way. Otherwise they are feared wholeheartedly.