Hârndex/3rd Edition/B
A courtyard enclosed by fortified castle walls.
On Hârn, a bailiff is either a person appointed to run a manor on behalf of the owner, or the assistant to a Sheriff. If the former, a bailiff will manage the fief either for a fixed stipend or a percentage of the revenues and will reside in the manorhouse. If the latter, a bailiff will probably be one of several bailiffs in a shire responsible for royal justice in a subdivision of the shire, usually called a “hundred.” His formal title will then be “Bailiff of the Hundred” and he will reside in a manorhouse owned by the king.
An archipelago off the northeast coast of Orbaal in the Sea of Ivae. The largest island, Kereva, is inhabited. Numerous reefs make the islands hazardous for seafarers.
The early history of the Church of Agrik, the Chronicle is the legacy of Ilpylen, the first prophet of Agrik. It was written by Moralin, the greatest of Ilpylen’s eight disciples.
The twenty-third monarch of the Kingdom of Chybisa. Balesir succeeded, almost by default, when the tragic death of Udine II brought an end to the House of Burzada in 664. The first ruler of the new House of Geledoth, perhaps through no fault of his own, became involved in the Treasure War with Kaldor in 675. After long years of peace, Balesir’s Chybisan army was no match for the Kaldoric knights and Balesir soon found himself besieged in Burzyn. Balesir held out until 678, when plague and rebellion forced him to surrender. Receiving honorable exile from King Torastra of Kaldor, Balesir and his few vassals journeyed to Melderyn, where the outcast king was finally able to raise an army in 686 after promising his fealty to Melderyn’s King Chunel. At the battle of Geda in 687, Balesir won back his throne but then broke his promise to swear fealty to Chunel (an act for which Verlid VII, Balesir’s successor, still has ulcers). Balesir himself died of stomach cramps in 691.
The legendary flame-shrouded fortress of the god Agrik and his minions, possibly located at the center of Kethira and said to be the location of Ak-Syt.
A good natural harbor and anchorage at the mouth of the Beldel River on the Isle of Keron. Sandy beaches allow shallow-draft vessels to be dragged ashore for repair. An Ivinian settlement was established in 704 before the planned attack on Thay but was mysteriously destroyed by a freak storm in 707. The anchorage is still occasionally used by mariners plying Hârn’s east coast.
A shire of the Kingdom of Kaldor. The Shire moots are held at Shebra, the keep there being held for the king by the Sheriff of Balim.
A flail with a metal ball attached to a handle by a short length of chain. Numerous varieties exist, including some with multiple spiked balls. See Flails.
The celibate, female order of the church of Peoni. The mother house located in Thay is the residence of the Peonian primate of Hârn. There are subsidiary temples in Aleath, Coranan, Cherafir, and Tashal, as well as hundreds of unmanned rural shrines dotted throughout civilized Hârn. The sisters of the order are beloved and welcomed by common folk of good heart. Each temple has an infirmary that is open to anyone of reasonable morals on a “pay as you can” basis. The sisters spend most of their labors among the people, providing comfort and healing. The order abhors violence and most members would rather die than cause suffering. The sisters tend to be aesthetic vegetarians but there is no rule to this effect. The Irreproachable Order is the fraternal male equivalent of the Balm of Joy.
Born to a common soldier of the Corani Empire in the Province of Rethem in 520, Balsha was the most important religious personality in the history of Hârn. His preaching of Balshanism, his charismatic personality, and the accuracy of his prophesies, won him a massive following. The emperor Medak had Balsha impaled in 558 but his martyrdom fostered the Balshan Jihad, a rebellion that destroyed the Corani Empire in seven bloody years. Some have suggested that Balsha was a renegade Melderyni mage, but this is unlikely.
The rebellion triggered by the execution of Balsha in 558 and which by 565 had engulfed and destroyed the Corani Empire. The jihad led to the founding of the Theocracy of Tekhos in 568.
A variation of the dogma of the Church of Morgath, espoused by and named for the prophet Balsha. Morgathian philosophy teaches that the afterlife is an eternity of misery and that one should live only for today. Balshanism argued that since the worldly existence of most was in itself misery, to avoid eternal misery, one must serve Morgath well today and receive the rewards of a grateful deity, with “half-life eternal.” In effect, Balshanism argues that worship of Morgath during one’s lifetime will moderate the misery of the afterlife, creating a state of eternal “undeath,” now and forever.
Also known as the False Blueberry, the deadly berries of this plant are difficult to tell from those of its edible cousin. They are found in the highland slopes of Orbaal and are used as a potent poison.
The most important festival of the Halean religious year. It begins on the first and ends on the seventh of Halane. The activities are meant to offer a taste of what a pious Halean can expect in Corsilea.
The lowest hereditary title of nobility on Hârn, ranking below Earl. A baron’s fief is called a barony and usually contains a keep and about 20 manors. Roughly 70% of these will be held by vassal knights and the rest held by his appointed bailiffs.
A 120-foot waterfall on the Kald River. Uvien, one of the Pradeyalkri and a master of elemental water, is said to dwell nearby. Uvien’s residence may or may not be submarine, but is at least well hidden.
| Realm: Kaldor | Holder: Constable |
| Population: 660 | Liege: Earl of Minarsas |
A keep in Meselyneshire on the east bank of the Kald. Baseta was originally fortified before the Migration Wars (c.140 TR), when it was part of the Kingdom of Nurelia. The present keep dates from the sixth century. A local legend relates that the ghost of Prince Brant, the last prince of Nurelia, was murdered here and haunts the site. The constable of Baseta is Sir Eres Tereneth, a robust and jolly man said to keep one of the finer tables and cellars in Meselyne.
Any hand-and-a-half sword between 40” and 48” in length. Bastard swords have longer hilts than broadswords and their name derives from the fact that they may be used either one or two handed.
The last battle of the Atani Wars in BT 683. Although the Sindarin and their allies won the battle over the Lythians (the Atani), King Daelda was mortally wounded. His successor, Aranath, withdrew the Sindarin to the Shava Forest and established the Kingdom of Evael.
A single- or double-bladed axe mounted on a shaft about 48" in length. The battleaxe is a hand-and-a-half weapon with considerable blunt and edge impact.
Any large, two-handed sword. Most battleswords have broad, straight blades 48–60” in length, but there are regional variations. They are chivalric weapons and somewhat uncommon.
| Realm: Rethem | Holder: Warriors of Mameka |
| Population: 380 | Liege: King of Rethem |
A fief held by the Warriors of Mameka, an Agrikan fighting order. The keep was built in 699 TR, allegedly on land granted by King Nemiran. No legal title seems to exist; it is likely the land was seized from its legal holder during the turmoil caused by Ezar’s War. The grandmaster is Horab Gerund, a sadistic and corpulent sensualist.
Bejist is located on Setha Heath, two leagues inland from the Belna Strait. A mysterious, foreboding place, its location is known only to a few. The site has buildings from three different periods in various states of repair. These include an Earthmaster structure, extensive ruins of an Atani War–era Sindarin prison, and a recent temple built and occupied by a renegade sect of Naveh known as the Cult of Aedlad the Imprisoned. The surrounding terrain is unappealing at best, mostly windswept heath with numerous and treacherous bogs. The Navehan clerics suffer no interlopers; trespassers they catch are unlikely to have a pleasant memory of their visit.
Although it is commonly believed that the Sindarin King Daelda died of wounds he received at the Battle of Sorrows c. 683 BT, he is actually “imprisoned” at Bejist in a chamber hidden by great enchantment. For 12 centuries, Daelda has been engaged in a great struggle with the demon Aedlad, his evil alter ego. The Navehan clerics seek the prison of Aedlad, but do not understand the significance of their quest.
| Realm: Rethem | Holder: Baron Orgatt |
| Population: 260 | Liege: King of Rethem |
A baronial seat in Parachshire. The keep was built in 653 by Arlun the Barbarian and granted to clan Orgatt by King Nemiran in 673. The Orgatts have considerable Kuboran blood, something Branal, the present baron, tries to hide. Branal is regarded as a pliable idiot, easily manipulated by the king.
An island to the south of Setha Heath. The windward margins are hilly heathland but the island is mostly mixed forest and woodland. Belna is the home of the Chymak.
The strait separating Belna Island from Setha Heath. The western entrance is hazardous due to reefs and shoals.
One of the demi-divine servants of Peoni, Belsirasin is portrayed as a weeping young warrior without weapons. He is said to shed tears for every deceit of mortal man. A lord of truth and virtue, Belsirasin is the most stern and least forgiving of Peoni’s servants.
Hârn’s largest lake is fed by rivers of the Felsha and Rayesha Mountains and drained by the Thard River. The few small islands are uninhabited. The lake is important to Shiran’s prosperous fishing industry and is a source of some raw materials for the town’s famous perfumeries. The lake is normally quite calm but can become very rough during southwesterly storms. Lake Benath has the usual legends of fearsome monsters, but only a particularly nasty type of stinging freshwater eel is known to exist.
A plant found in shady forest, berilik is used to make a battlefield anesthetic.
The Ivinian name for a byrnie, an armoured shirt or hauberk.
| Realm: Kaldor | Holder: Sheriff of Neph |
| Population: 425 | Liege: King of Káldôr |
A royal keep and the moot of Nephshire. The keep was built in 430 TR and is urgently in need of repair. The cellars have a tendency to flood during spring run-off and the foundations are showing signs of weakening. The sheriff is the Baron of Getha.
The most northerly of the Hârnic Isles, inhabited only by seals and sea birds.
(see Poleaxe)
A cape projecting into the Sea of Ivae north of the Anoth Delta.
The central river of Solora, which flows from the Anadel highlands to the Indatha Straits. The river passes through the heart of the Solori tribal lands.
A shire of the kingdom of Melderyn. The shire moot is at Racyn, where the Sheriff of Biren holds the keep on behalf of the king. Theoretically, Birenshire includes the Solora wilderness region.
The legendary “wind demon” of Mount Fyso.
(see Uhla)
(see Durakhar)
To extract a payment in exchange for the armour of a defeated opponent. Mercenary knights are sometimes called blackmailers because poorer knights preserve their mail by soaking it in oil, rendering it black.
A verbal description of an heraldic achievement or device. Blazonry is the art of describing heraldic devices.
The euphemistic name (the real name is unknown) of the present home of Siem. The Sindarin were, at the time of their arrival on Hârn, headed for this realm, lying “far to the west.” Periodically, groups of Sindarin set sail for the Blessed Realm, which almost certainly lies beyond the bounds of Kethira, through a “gate” that opens only to Siem’s command.
A cheerful domestic spirit of Jarin belief, fascinated by the hearth fires of human homes and believed to bring good luck. However, if the Bogaern is ignored or abused by its chosen family, it causes complete chaos, even to the extent of wrecking the house or terrorizing entire settlements.
A great mage, alchemist, and herbalist of the Fyvrian convocation who dwelled in the Anoth Delta. Bognor and his household were destroyed by one of his experiments, providing the Shek-Pvar with a teaching parable known as “Bognor’s Folly.”
An arm of the Gulf of Andurien at the mouth of the Thard River.
When anyone brings trade goods into a settlement with a market, they must either purchase a hawking license to permit sale of the goods or place the goods in bond at an authorized bonding house. Hawking fees are one-time payments of generally 8–10% of the goods’ value. Bonding fees are charged monthly and are typically 1–3% of goods’ value. Goods placed in bond are usually re-exported but may be taken out of bond on payment of the appropriate hawking fee. Goods are not always inspected, and bribery, undervaluing, and graft are common.
The official responsible for the administration of a bonding house, and the collection of hawking and bonding fees. Appointed by the mayor or aldermen, the bondmaster is usually a guild member.
(see Cottar)
A spike affixed to the boss (raised central portion) of a shield to give a thrusting option to its wielder. They are most often found on roundshields. Although shields are not good attack weapons, the boss gore can be effective against lightly armoured opponents in close combat.
Many different types of bows are used in Lythia. The shape of a bow is a cultural matter. What really matters is the bow’s size, which determines its range and accuracy. In general, the larger the bow, the more powerful it is. Bows are generally used as hunting weapons or employed en masse by foot archers to break up enemy formations. (See Longbow, Shortbow, Crossbow, Hartbow.)
The third king (172–207) of Nurelia’s only ruling house, clan Ethelyen. Brant guided his kingdom skillfully through much of the Migration Wars. He was succeeded by Nurelia’s last king, Lotin the Grey.
The uncrowned heir to the last king of Nurelia, Prince Brant was captured during the Kaldoric conquest. The young prince was confined in Olokand and later disappeared. Most folk suspect murder, possibly by being cast into the pit known as Ona-Setrum on the orders of King Kalabin of Kaldor.
Another name for the Shadow of Bukrai.
Any one-handed sword 30–40” in length. Broadswords are usually double-edged with broad, straight blades, but there are various regional variants. The broadsword is, by far, the most popular weapon of the feudal nobility of western Lythia.
| Realm: Kaldor | Holder: Church of Peoni |
| Population: 115 | Liege: King of Káldôr |
The Peonian monastery at Bromeleon was built by the Irreproachable Order in 420 with a grant from King Aidrik III of Kaldor. It is a contemplative community that serves as a retreat for itinerent priests, ranking clergy, and high-born benefactors. Pelnala (high priest) Rablar Oppias is an inspiring spiritual leader who excels at spiritual and theological training and resolution of disorders of the soul. The subordinate manor of Poynter is a hospice for lepers and their families.
Also known as the Taleweaver, Bronduschithrin is one of the Althar, the chief servants of Save-K’nor. He has charge of fiction and legend; his repertoire of stories is limitless.
| Realm: Kaldor | Holder: Rekela of Serelind |
| Population: 245 | From: Serekela of Kaldor |
Brynd is the seat of the Rekela (bishop) of the Laranian diocese of Serelind in Kaldor. Rekela Verda Emerel, an elderly man in failing health, has been a steadying influence on the church, carefully mediating between the archbishop and the dogmatic Rekela Hadan of Abriel.
A small shield, usually strapped to the secondary wrist. Bucklers are generally of light construction, allowing them to move faster than larger shields, but they are less durable.
A nation of shy, superstitious forest nomads with a strong matrilineal culture. Their tribes, some 30 in number, rarely exceed 100 in strength. They gather twice each year for a summer and winter moot, the latter in the hills overlooking Telumar. Inheritance and lineage are traced through females and Bujoc women play a subtle but dominant role in tribal affairs. They sit in council and often settle tribal disputes among themselves. The male chief of any tribe always acts on the advice of his wife, the Sha woman. She is the real power in the tribe, although this will not be apparent to outsiders. When the chief dies, his wife takes a new husband who becomes the new chief. When the Sha woman dies, the chief will take “the long walk.” Her eldest daughter (usually) will become the new Sha woman, and her husband the new chief. The Bujoc do not see marriage as a sexual institution; any woman may summon to bed any unmarried male, or a married male with permission of his wife. Only the women are aware of the connection between sex and procreation. The Bujoc are not very warlike, but if forced to fight, they will employ bow and arrow from ambush.
An orb and power owned/wielded by Morgath.
Also called the “Breath of Klyss,” the Shadow of Bukrai is an evil emanation of the undead of Morgath (see Gulmorvrin).
A strait separating the Isle of Domid from the mainland.
| Realm: Chybisa | Holder: Constable |
| Population: 520 | Liege: King of Chybisa |
The principal seat of King Verlid VII, who also holds Onden Keep. Burzyn may be the most impressive fortification on Hârn. Located at the only bridge across the Ulmerien River, the original castle was built some 500 years ago to guard against barbarian encroachment. It has been improved and enlarged many times since, often with the aid of Khuzan masons. Burzyn is a mercantile center of some significance. The Hodiri use it for trading and it also commands caravan traffic between Thay and Tashal.
A gargun cave complex located at an elevation of some 5,900' on the southeastern flank of Mount Obew in the Felsha Mountains. Winter forces the Gargu-kyani inhabitants into virtual hibernation. After centuries of relative peace, the Kyani of Bwaft now find themselves involved in a vicious war with the Hyeka of Huxuth.
| Realm: Tharda | Holder: Bythe Cohort (1c) |
| Population: 1,175 | From: Shiran Legion |
A fortress and district capital in Shiran Province. Bythe is built on the site of an old Shira tribal fort. It is functionally a castle although still called a keep. It guards a bridge over the Thard leading into Shiran, the only crossing upriver from Coranan. The district legar is Carounda Polivar. The commander of Bythe Cohort (three companies) is Marvaen Sudela, a competent soldier with ambition to become provincial marshal.