Welcome to Varisia!!

“Varisia is a realm fallen in love with the stars. Nowhere amid all the world’s wonders do frosty mountains, sun-painted plateaus, and riotous forests so indulge their desire to touch those airy gems, aspiring to heights and majesty that make all else seem puny. Even the ancients of this beauteous land courted the heavens, their silent monuments nothing if not stairways to the stars.”

—Cevil “Redwing” Charms, noted traveler and author

 Varisia is a true frontier, stretching from the Varisian Gulf in the west to the sheer peaks of the Mindspin and Kodar Mountains in the east. The space between encompasses all manner of terrain – sprawling plains, dense forests, burning badlands, and mysterious swamps. The land remains relatively untouched by the lumberer’s axe or fisher’s trawl, and its wild creatures remain varied and plentiful – and sometimes monstrous.

The Storval Rise, a thousand-foot-tall cliff that runs northwest to southeast across the region, divides the fertile lowlands from the rugged Storval Plateau. The west and south hold lush expanses: woodlands like the Churlwood and Sanos Forest, expanses so tangled even experienced trackers shy from their edge; the Velashu Uplands, a gentle plain home to vast herds of wild aurochs and the rugged Velashu Horselords; and the Mushfens, a dangerous marsh that straggles along much of the land’s southern border.

The Storval Plateau, which includes the burning wastes of the Cinderlands, encompasses the east and north. The Cinderlands are a dry desert where regular firestorms scour the thorny scrub brush and sear the reddened land. Much of the Storval Plateau proves slightly more hospitable though, and this arid stretch of grassland and hard-packed plains is home to equally hard tribes of reclusive giants and the proud Shoanti.

Ethnic Varisians and Shoanti constitute Varisia’s native peoples, having made their home in the region for thousands of years, long before the incursion of the Chelish Empire. In 4405 AR, Chelish armies entered the region, drove the Shoanti into the arid northern regions, and settled the land with an eye toward “civilizing” the native Varisians. The region’s wealth of natural resources bolstered development of the area, and Varisia is now one of the most desirable destinations for settlers and explorers.

Three city-states arose from the Chelish occupation to compete for control over the land. Korvosa, founded in 4407 AR, is the oldest of the three, an established trading magnate governed by a local monarchy. The growth of the younger trade cities in the region threaten’s Korvosa’s standing, a fate the decadent city refuses to accept. Magnimar, founded by discontented Korvosan expatriates in 4584, prides itself on being a more welcoming city with few restrictions on trade. Jutting from Magnimar’s cliffs, the mysterious Irespan – an ancient shattered bridge of phenomenal size – serves as an emblem of the bold city. The outlaw haven of Riddleport is a city of pirates and gamblers, ruled with harsh fairness by a group of master criminals. Riddleport is also home to the mysterious Cyphergate, a rune-carved arch spanning the natural harbor, which draws all manner of daring scholars to the city’s streets.

Five Things Everyone Knows About Varisia

• Dozens of mysterious monuments litter Varisia’s countryside, in the form of gigantic spires, massive bridges, sunken pyramids and towers, titanic stairs, and – some say – even lost cities.
• Varisia has no central government; Korvosa, Magnimar, and Riddleport are distinct and sovereign city-states.
• Varisia’s native peoples, the Shoanti and Varisians, are both nomadic groups, wandering far in great tribes or in colorful wagon caravans, respectively. Despite these proud peoples historical origins, both are distinctly a minority in their own lands. The bulk of the human population living in Varisia’s settled lands are of Chelish heritage.
• When Cleliax invaded Varisia, the Chelaxians displaced the native Shoanti – often brutally – earning the barbarians’ eternal hatred and enmity.
• Varisian is home to numerous kinds of giants. Hill giants and ogres hunt the lowlands, savage trolls roam the forests, stone giants defend rocky holdings, and being of impossible size stalk the far distant mountain ranges.

Adventure Background – “Rise of the Runelords” campaign:

Five years ago, tragedy struck the small town of Sandpoint. First, a spree of murders claimed the lives of dozens of citizens, rocking the foundation of safety and security that the citizens had held for the past forty years. The assailant, called Chopper by the locals, was interrupted during his final attack and was revealed to be a likeable, yet eccentric, local artist by the name of Jervis Stoot. Second, less than a month later, a fire burned the town church to the ground and nearly claimed the entire northern section of the town. Many lives were lost, including the much-loved Father Tobyn and his foundling daughter Nualia.

Physically, the town has healed and rebuilt the damage caused by the fires. A new cathedral has been constructed, and buildings have been replaced. Though, emotional scars still remain, the people of Sandpoint find themselves on the eve of a grand festival, the Swallowtail Festival, with the hopes that games, food, and the consecration of the new cathedral will finally heal the wounds caused by the “Late Unpleasantness”.

Sandpoint Background:

Sandpoint has faced many hardships but also great prosperity in its 42-year history. A small town on the Varisian Bay, fishermen, farmers, and other simple folk make the community one of the rare truly peaceful havens in Varisia. Yet, while the townsfolk have known dark times in the past, a new shadow has begun to loom over the unsuspecting town.

A simple, relatively peaceful town with all the color and common oddities one expects from a tightly knit community, Sandpoint sits at a point on the Lost Coast halfway between Magnimar and Windsong Abbey. Wood buildings and cluttered docks line the town’s natural harbor, while farms and the manors of wealthy citizens dot the surrounding countryside.  During the day, fishing, farming, lumbering, glassmaking, and shipbuilding occupy most of the townsfolk, who commonly retire to their homes by way of Sandpoint’s many taverns. A playhouse and would-be museum make unusual attractions in such a small community, but Sandpoint’s true landmark is the Old Light, a lighthouse of ancient origins that lies in ruins.

A relatively peaceful town, devoid of many of the dangers of a true frontier town and intrigues of a sprawling city, Sandpoint has nonetheless had its share of troubles. The fading scars of a recent terror still linger, a time most folk refer to as the Late Unpleasantness. Just over five years ago, a madman stalked the streets of Sandpoint, killing citizens seemingly at random. The unknown murderer was dubbed “Chopper” by the townsfolk, as the murders were all committed with a heavy axe and the bodies dismembered. Over the course of one long month, 31 residents were killed including the captain of the watch, Casp Avertin. Next in command was young Balor Hemlock, who was able to identify the murderer and avenge his captain’s death.

Adding to the pain, less than a month later the local chapel burned to the ground in a conflagration that nearly consumed the town’s northern half and left the local priest dead. Emerging from the shadow of these events, though, Sandpoint has healed and rebuilt, with many townsfolk viewing the coming dedication of a new church as a symbolic end to the healing and return to normality.

At Present:
Kendra Deverin has served as Sandpoint’s mayor for the past eight years. Lawmaker, judge, and general peacemaker, Deverin has proven to be both an adept diplomat and stern hand when need be—skills likely honed during her youth in Magnimar and adventuring in the region. With a personal—some say sisterly—style of governing, Kendra holds the abiding respect of most of Sandpoint’s people, charming them with her fiery temper and tenacity for justice (as demonstrated during the Late Unpleasantness). A council of several of the town’s most respected and affluent landowners aids Deverin’s work. While several council members have their own agendas and visions for the town, the mayor’s no-nonsense attitude assures that council decisions ever work toward the common good.

Meting out the town’s good justice, sheriff and council member Balor Hemlock keeps watch over Sandpoint’s people. Held as something of a local hero, Hemlock is lauded with being the man who brought the serial killer, Chopper, to justice. Although rarely faced with misconduct more severe than vandalism and public drunkenness, the sheriff is both a keen wit and a skilled swordsman, and openly proves both when the rare crime requires it. While the town’s chief enforcer, Hemlock knows the difference between the word of the law and its intent, and often gives those under his protection the benefit of the doubt.

Their sheriff’s work aside, Sandpoint’s people realize they must often fend for and defend themselves, especially on the outlying farms. In the rarest and most extreme cases— and even then thoroughly discouraged—mob justice is sometimes all that satisfies the outraged people.

The Land
A rolling, lightly forested land of limestone escarpments, rugged tors, and verdant moors surrounds Sandpoint. Most who populate the area live off the land and sea. Numerous farms spread over the surrounding countryside, while the homes of fisherfolk dot the coastal cliffs. Viable farming land is a coveted commodity around Sandpoint, as rocky hills and expanses of limestone pavements—uneven areas of flat rock—break the lush landscape.

Wolves, snakes, and oversized weasels primarily stalk the deer and hares common to the area, along with the occasional stray farm animal, making attacks on humanoids rare. When the fogs common to Sandpoint’s stretch of shore rise, though, every dark shape in the mist becomes a monster, giving rise to numerous local legends of hungry wild men, winged terrors, and reeking things from the sea. One such local folktale tells of the horrific Sandpoint Devil: a winged terror the size of a horse which swoops down out of the misty skies on foggy nights and carries off livestock and naughty children!

The People
A welcoming, largely unprejudiced community of colorful locals call Sandpoint home. Presented here are but a few of the town’s most noteworthy residents.
Kendra Deverin: Town mayor.
Cyrdak Drokkus: Grandiloquent actor, gadabout, and proprietor of the Sandpoint Theater.
Balor Hemlock: The gruff but protective town sheriff.
Ameiko Kaijitsu: Ex-adventurer Bard and proprietor of the Rusty Dragon inn, this lively and outspoken citizen is the rebellious daughter to nobleman Lonjiku Kaijitsu.
Lonjiku Kaijitsu: Stoic noble, owner of the town Glassworks.
Jargie Quinn: One-legged owner of the Hagfish tavern.
Titus Scarnetti: Tradition-minded noble who controls Sandpoint’s bustling lumber trade.
Ethram Valdemar: Oldest of the town nobles.
Ven Vinder: Owner of Sandpoint’s best-stocked general store.
Abstalar Zanthus: Sandpoint’s mild-mannered local priest.