Elfenburg
Barony: old human city, built on 5 steep hills, and surrounding valley; client-state of Alfheim. Ancient source of plagues. Also known as Bergelfen or Elfanburg.
Resources: trade, starsilver mine, poisonous plants, magic, a season pass into Alfheim, a 'semi-public' magical portal which can exit in various notable towns in the Western Kingdom and Alfheim.
POI: Don't eat the food!
Languages: Elvish, Kravonian, Common
People
- Baron Anastasius-Grendl (son of *Grendl, Guild necromancer)
- Silken
- Ambassador Prospero
- Treasurer Alberich or Aubrey
- Serendipity, Lady Godrock, the Burgraf (Minister of Police)
- Isil Eth
- Previous persons of note include Aurelius and Ambrose.
Persona-non-Grata
Places
Keep & Waterfall
The Keep, on Bergfriedhügel (the SE hill), is the fortress controlled by the Burgraf and guards the only bridge into the city. Beside the keep, there is a waterfall, a gift from the Elves, fed directly from the elemental plane of Water. The waterfall is the source of the city's drinking water, the city moat, and the river that flows down the valley.
The Regency Hotel
This luxurious stone mansion is renown as the finest hotel in Western Alusia. It is on Namensgeberberg (the SW hill), with commanding prospects of the river and approach road.
Treasury
The Treasury is on Botschaftbuckel (the N hill), across the piazza from the Elvish Embassy. The Treasury is over the old starsilver mine: trespassers will eaten and/or melted down for their metal content.
The Elven Consulate
This jewel of Elvish architecture houses includes an extensive library of Elvish political history and, on the top floors, private apartments belonging to Elvish notables. Airships to and from Alfheim moor at the Embassy; on market days, duty-free but expensive Elvish goods are sold in the piazza.
In Autumn 808 the Beltan Elves requisitioned the eastern wing as a base of operations and hospital for their wars against the Calamar and other threats to Elves.
Museum
- available by invitation only
Surrounding Countryside On the lower slopes of the city hills the land is cultivated. Beyond, the valley levels out and the river becomes a wide noxious swamp of a few square miles.
The South Road to Bowcourt skirts the swamp before crossing a low pass and into wild forested hills. The Alfheim Road climbs northwards into the Dragonspine Mountains, passing over a high saddle and eventually drops into the Wintergarden province of Alfheim. This road snows in over winter.
Elfenburg Forresters Guild The hunters, wood-choppers, and herbalists etc of Elfenburg belong to the Forresters Guild. The Guild Hall is a large 'log cabin' in the forest above the southern end of the swamp. The hall can be reached by a cart track off the South Road or by a foot track along the hillside from near the Keep. In addition to supplying meat and wood to the city, the guild supplies guides for the Dragonspine Mountains and archery training.
Slow Portal
The Elfenburg Slow Portal, is a roadway through ephemeral mists, and takes approximately 3 hours to walk from one end to the other. While in the portal, other transport magics will not work and you will only encounter entities who have entered the portal in the same direction and within 20 mins of you. Use of the portal is free to Guild Members, citizens of Elfenburg, and various other friends of the Baron.
The Elfenburg end is in a small unused stable inside the keep, very near the gatehouse. There is a watchman on duty who will take brief details of travellers, and record any unusual portal behaviour. There is a faint chance that you may come out in the Elfenburg swamp rather than within the Keep.
The other end of the portal can be moved to anywhere within 700 miles of Elfenburg. It takes a couple of days to move and set up. Various merchant houses have regular bookings and other wealthy individuals sometimes utilise it.
Seagate Booking:
The portal end is in the Seagate Adventurers Guild carrot closet. It always ends in Seagate for two weeks before Guild day and one week afterwards. The end is not moved until the next booking so it may be available for some time. NB merchants also use the Seagate booking by arrangement with the Baron and the Guild.
Outside of these times enquire with the GM where the non-Elfenburg end is and whether it is freely available (some destinations only allow use by agreed parties).
Trouble Inside the Portal
For a period between Autumn 809 & Autumn 810 the portal was dangerous as it was dumping travellers out in various dangerous swamps and sometimes hungry fossegrim came through the hole to hunt on the road. This was due to a guild party using a null magic item within it. The Guild were obliged to repair the portal - which was neither cheap nor easy. The next party to break is liable to be required to fix it themselves.
History and Events
25000- 20000 years ago
Settled by human auxiliary troops, for services to the Elvish Crown, and refuges from the War of Tears.
787 wk
First Guild involvement ("A New Hope") when a Party comprised of Motley, Fenris, Grrth, D'ma, Serendipity and Mortimer were involved with the accidental assassination of the Baron.
Subsequent events in the Barony lead to the death of many of the nobles, at which point Guild Member Serendipity became Burgraf.
807 wk The Legacy of Kael
Beltan Elves return from the outer reaches of the universe.
Swords World Raiders attack and burn some of the city, particularly the Elvish Embassy and Treasury raiding for specific artefacts on behalf of the Calamar.
808 wk In Her Majesty's Somewhat Secret Service
Beltan Elves take over the east wing of the Elvish Embassy as a hospital and training base for their war against the Calamar and other threats to Elves. They repair the building in a rather more austere style than previously. The addition of a large military 'camp' starts to change the nature of the Barony.
809 wk Looking for the Ladle
The Slow Portal is broken by a guild member using an anti-magic substance. While partially repaired quickly, safe passage is no longer reliable.
810 wk Slow Portal to China and 811 wk We are still walking to China
The first party gathered information to identify how to fix the Slow Portal and found two missing travellers. The second group collected material components and assisted a professional with rituals to repair the portal.
