Glorium: Difference between revisions

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qual = insular, pious |
qual = insular, pious |
plane = Outlands |
plane = Outlands |
npc = '''[[Flatnose Grim]]''', leader {{NPC|planar|m|human|ranger 10|Indeps|CG}}; '''[[Jek Thanol]]''', elder of bariaur tribes {{NPC|planar|m|bariaur|druid 6||CN}} |
npc = '''[[Flatnose Grim]]''', leader {{NPC|planar|m|human|ranger 10|Indeps|CG}}<br>
'''[[Jek Thanol]]''', elder of bariaur tribes {{NPC|planar|m|bariaur|druid 6||CN}} |
}}
}}



Revision as of 13:36, 30 July 2013


Glorium
CN(G) small town
Corruption +0; Crime +0; Economy +0; Law +1; Lore +1; Society +1
Qualities insular, pious
Danger +0
Demographics
Location Outlands
Government autocracy
Population 1,000 ()
Notable NPCs

Flatnose Grim, leader (Pl/♂ human/ranger 10/Indeps/CG)
Jek Thanol, elder of bariaur tribes (Pl/♂ bariaur/druid 6/CN)

Marketplace
Base Value 1,000 gp; Purchase Limit 5,000 gp; Spellcasting 5th

One could hardly tell Glorium for what it is at first glance; the gate-town to Ysgard doesn't do much to stand out, appearing as little more than a small trading settlement nestled in the shores of a deep fjord on the edge of the Sea of Basilia. A mix of squat wooden buildings and furred tents, it has the look of a recently settled township, but it's dwelled within this crevice for centuries. It doesn't get as much outside traffic as some gate-towns — Yggdrasil and the River Oceanus both help to make that plane one of the more accessible ones — which is just the way its citizens prefer it. Few here enjoy the presence of outsiders, tolerating them at best, but always giving them a wary eye. The weather's always a bit chillier around Glorium, and the day-night cycle tends to be a bit more exaggerated over the year, both thanks to the influence from its sister plane.

Travel into Glorium is most easily accomplished by setting off on the Sea of Basilia from a nearby port. Though it can be reached by land, it's tricky, with but a single winding path leading down through the cliffs to it. Around Glorium above the cliffs, though, is a beautiful land of rolling hills and soft meadows, dotted by a few small copses of trees here and there, never really enough to make for a full forest. The occasional river flows down into the sea as well, making for another route one could take to reach the ports below, and a little-known tributary of the River Oceanus is said to flow into the Basilia as well.

In the surrounding environs of Glorium can be found a number of small bariaur tribes, all respecting the leadership of Jek Thanol, a great man of nature that has helped lead his people for the last 100 years. Though they do visit Glorium on occasion, relationships between Jek and Flatnose Grim, the leader of Glorium, are very strained. Rumors of a battle between the two circulate throughout both communities, but neither is especially willing to make comment on the matter.

Besides the bariaur, also found around the city are a number of small farming hamlets, none bigger than one or two dozen apiece. Though fishing from Basilia is certainly an important part of life in Glorium, just as important to its survival are these farms that dot the hills and fields. Here, farmers raise herds of oxen, pigs, sheep, and goats, and keep small fields of barley, onion, cabbage, beans, and peas. With its satellite thorps, Glorium is an entirely self-sufficient community, with a small amount of export of excess food. Beyond this, what interplanar trade occurs at Glorium tends to be in the way of shipwrights, though Glorium's purely aesthetic woodworking has quite the reputation as well. In recent times, this trade has been increasing as, since Duke Darkwood's ascent to Factol of the Fated, more and more push has been made for a greater Fated presence in Glorium including their various merchant organizations.

Though Grim has resisted the overtures of the Fated, more than a few citizens of the town are already members thanks to its strong Ysgardian presence. Support is shifting, and it is thought that an official presence may appear soon; Darkwood has been pushing for months for the construction of an outpost that could serve as both embassy and barracks; supposedly purely for defense, but of course there are always those that doubt such claims from the Takers. Still, talk of plans by Gzemnid to strike from his nearby realm in an attempt at taking Glorium has been circulating for months, so perhaps the Fated truly are simply offering what they see as a fair exchange.

Government

There is little government to speak of in Glorium, the city living largely by a policy of "live and let live". Though Flatnose Grim is its leader, he holds this position not as the result of any formal selection process, but largely merely because so many in the city respect his strength and judgment. His duties are little more than deciding on disputes that arise between citizens — a task he usually completes through having the two parties enter into some form of competition — and (almost always reluctantly) arranging agreements with outsiders, trade or otherwise. He is largely known for two things here; his great strength, of both body and character, and his capriciousness.

The only true duty of the citizens of Glorium is to its defense. All able-bodied men and women in the city are considered to be part of the hird, a city militia under the leadership of Grim. On the first sign of attack, the blow of Grim's war horn signals all to take up arms in defense, watching for invaders by both land and sea. Such service is mandatory, and any that wish to shirk it are quickly shunned by the others for their lack of interest in protecting the place they call home. The hird has only rarely had to be called, but training occurs constantly so as to be ready whenever they may need.

Sites

Unlike some gate-towns, Glorium actually possesses two means by which a person can pass to the plane of Ysgard. The most commonly traveled is the Watergate, a maelstrom easily 50 feet across nestled in the fjord nearby. Though one can possibly swim into it, this would obviously be quite dangerous; most travel here is by ship, a far less dangerous prospect than it sounds. Though the currents are rough, a skilled pilot can sail a craft into the center of the Watergate and through the portal to Ysgard with almost no difficulty at all. About (but not precisely) every 12 hours, the currents of the Watergate reverse direction, and the portal can obviously only be entered when the currents properly flow, so timing can be an issue; one may potentially have to wait hours before the tides change and the Watergate is again accessible.

Even less easily used, though, is the entrance to Yggdrasil. Located somewhere along the cliff face above Glorium, somewhere in one of these caverns is a root of the World Ash, allowing one to merely walk to Ysgard. Finding it, though, is the tricky part; these tunnels tend to shift over time, rendering any maps only partially useful at best. And more dangerously, some tunnels cross into the realms of some of the nearby underground powers. Stumbling into the Dwarven Mountain is of little concern, but no one wants to end up in the realms of Gzemnid or Ilsensine.

Residents

Reference

  • Player's Primer to the Outlands, pg.18
  • Planescape Campaign Setting - Sigil and Beyond, pgs.27,40-41