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Through history, Elkoi has been famous in Balazar for three things: for the construction of the citadel by giants forced to serve the city-founder, Elkoi; for the occupation of the citadel in 1526 by Lunar/Tarshite forces; and since then, for the infamous Elkoi beer, brewed using imported Pelorian technology. Grain-based alcoholic beverages are a novelty in the region (until the last half century, there has been no organized agriculture in Balazar). The locals drink it up. Most foreigners equate it with a system poison of potency 3.
In the days following the Dragonkill war, when the sons of Balazar quarreled and separated, never to be one tribe again, Elkoi, the youngest of the three sons was denied an inheritance. His older brothers Trilus and Dykene took the two citadels built by their father. Not wishing to go further east or north, Elkoi went west, to the Dog Hills. He and his people began the construction of his citadel. However, the son had never learned the skills of the father, and his people were more interested in hunting than in building. Elkoi disappeared for a time, seeking aid throughout the surrounding kingdoms. Legends do not tell where he discovered it, but the hero retumed with three large giants from the far eastern mountains, kept docile by a magic ring. Elkoi commanded the trio of behemoths to build his citadel for him. Upon completion, he ordered them to forget what they had done and go home (they later remembered and mistakenly sacked Dykene in revenge).
Except for an early battle with Trilus in which the Triloi captured Elkoi for a year, Elkoi was relatively peaceful until a retalitory invasion by the Lunar Empire in 1526. The ruling dynasty was wiped out (occasionally some hunter claims the royal bloodline) and was replaced by a family acceptable to the conquerors. Since then the citadel has housed a Lunar garrison and at least one foreign Priest. The Lunars tolerate the worship of the local gods, but have been introducing their own religion.
Currently under construction in the Lunar Pavilion outside the citadel proper is a glistening temple devoted to the pantheon of the Seven Mothers cult. Because the invasion force destroyed most of the original structures in Elkoi's lower bailey, the buildings there now have all been constructed since the coming of the conquerors, with one or two exceptions.
Along with their religions, the conquerors brought agiriculture, brewing, metallurgy, various crafts, and bureaucracy, along with a selection of transplanted Lunar citizens. Most of these people are either farmers or craftsmen imported to produce food and create the new Lunar Pavilion with its fortress walls and graceful temple.
Due to continued contact with the Lunars, Elkoi is moving from its neolithic culture to a more civilized society. It has lost primitive innocence in the process. While still a far cry from the jaded cities of the empire, Elkoi still has much to offer, especially to the Balazarings, who still have yet to independently invent or adopt use of the wheel.
In spite of this contact, the local Balazaring peoples have yet to take full advantage of the benefits. Old traditions die hard. Only now, after almost a century of occupation, are local townsmen learning such crafts as blacksmithing, agriculture, and brewing.
The Lunars are uneasy about the presence of the Lightbringer Rune Masters who have been slipping into the region of late, pioneered by the merchant Priest Joh Mith. Wherever possible, they will station a Lunar agent to keep an eye on things. Currently, the conquerors maintain peace between the Balazaring- citadels, contemplating the possible conquest of Trilus and Dykene. Common rumors condemn Lunar ambitions. The Lunars are interested in developing a trade route through Balazar to Prax, and are looking into a rumor of a pass in the Eleven Big Giants Mountains.
A rough estimate of the population of Elkoi is about 1750 total people, of which 583 are adult men plus equal numbers of women and children. This can further be broken down into 290 hearths. A breakdown of male occupants includes: 30 warriors (chieftain and his retainers); 50 hunters; 17 Priests at the central temple (including Lunars); 80 slaves, assistants, and artisans; 50 pig tenders; 256 farmers (the bulk of these people are situated in two small villages downriver - north from the citadel); 50 foreigners (an average at any given time); 200 Soldiers at the Lunar garrison. About 10% of both the Elkoi citadel warriors and 20% of the Lunar occupation force will be women.
King Glyptus the Good
Queen Jocestis
Glyptus' wife, at 35 years old, she is a domineering woman who controls Glyptus' life for
him. She is a younger sister from a lesser family from within the Lunar Empire. She never
leaves the confines of the palace unless she is carried in her ornate sedan. She is an
initiate into the mysteries of Jalakeel the Witch, the Seven Mothers subcult. Jocestis
works closely with the Priestess Marusa and is often party to her plots. It was she who
arranged the agreement with the ogre Priest of the Cacodemon, Gondo Holst. She has given
Glyptus two sons and a daughter. The queen is highly suspicious of foreigners and will
attempt never to allow Glyptus to be alone with non-locals.
Sylveius
He is Glyptus' 22-year-old heir. Sylveius is soft and thin, wearing his hair long like a
woman's.
Recis (known locally as "The Poisoner")
She is Glyptus' second child. At age 21, she has been widowed three times, all under
mysterious circumstances. She is attractive in a painted sort of way, but is not a real
beauty. She will attempt to arrange an evening with any foreign adventurers she has the
opportunity to meet. Often, her evening entertainment will never see the morning. Should
she be crossed or caught in the act, she will just scream, which should bring half the
household guard armed and on the run.
Eraphion
He is or was the youngest son of King Glyptus. Before he even reached adulthood, he ran
away from home, disappearing forever. As such, he is somewhat of a local hero. Peasant
tales hold that Eraphion will return with a large army and liberate the citadel from Lunar
control. What actually occured was that the boy ran away from home, went south and
eventually joined up with a wandering band of players. In seven years he traveled far and
saw much. He has returned to Elkoi incognito as the mysterious wandering minstrel, Errap
Barbacon.
Errap Barbacon
He is a mysterious wandering minstrel from the south, who speaks excellent Balazaring with
an Elkoi accent. He will talk of all things but himself, and usually earns his keep by
singing songs and reciting epics. He is dressed in princely clothing that is showing
signs of wear and discreet patching. He is young, not more than 19 years old, but
seems experienced beyond his age. Errap is sleight of build, which tends to disguise his
strength. If a PC is familiar with the appearence of at least 2 members of the
ruling house of Elkoi, they may notice a similarity between them and Errap.
After he ran away, Eraphion changed his name to Errap Barbacon, and eventually became an Initiate of Donandar. He has come north again to visit his homeland, see his family (whether or not they know him), and pick up information and local legends. Both mean money to him once he returns south. The only adventure that interests him is the amorous kind. He has heard tales of King Skilfil's concubines and would like to try one or two of them, if only for a night.
Euryptus the Bold
This older, but still dynamic man is the commander of the local Lunar garrison. He is
extremely short, and rumored to be incredibly strong. To look at him, one would not
guess that this tiny, bald man is the feared and respected commander of the Elkoi Lunar
garrison. Corning from a long, colorful career in the Lunar legions, Euryptus accepted
Balazar as his last comission before retiring to a good farm given to him by the state for
his services. He is 55 and would like to see out this last assignment in relative peace.
It grates on him to be subordinate to Halcyon Var Enkorth. Euryptus knows the locals and
can effectively deal with them, using an iron hand if he has to, though force has rarely
been required. He disapproves of the aide's underhanded techniques and dislikes the covert
activity. He prefers everything honest and open.
Euryptus is an initiate of the Seven Mothers subcult Yanafals Tarnils. He is an extremely honorable man and is fair in all his dealings with everyone, regardless of cult, race, or national origin. Through various magical gifts, Euryptus has managed to raise his STR to 21. Rumors suggest that Euryptus is an ogre, but the truth is that he constantly trains to maintain his strength.
Euryptus knows the ins and outs of Elkoi and is kept informed on Trilus. He is often a good source of information. Most regional intelligence eventually crosses his desk or meets his cars. He will know of any group entering Elkoi and has a 10% cumulative chance per day of discovering why they are in town, what their mission is, who they have seen, and where they have come from (a roll of 96-100 will always mean failure). If newcomers to town seem to represent a threat to security, they will be detained until the matter is certain.
Halcyon Var Enkorth
Halcyon is Aide to the Lunar Minister of Provincial Security. The distant minister is a
high authority in the Lunar Empire. He might never appear in a backwater like Balazar, and
instead sends his intermediaries. Halcyon is his mouthpiece for this region. Halcyon can
be found in any of the Lunar regions on the map, but has for various reasons been in the
Balazaring section more and more of late. If he is in the citadel, he is checking up on
the latest plot. He is supposed-to administer the area and advise provincial govemors and
garrison commanders. It is in keeping with his nature to exceed his authority and take
covert actions.
Halcyon is a haughty, self-important man. At 25, he is young for his position. Officially, he administers the area and advises provincial governors and garrison commanders. Unofficially, it is his job to see that border communities are weakened by unrest, to eventually be conquered by the Lunar Empire. He is not trustworthy, finds it easy to lie through his teeth, would stab a friend in the back for a decent profit, and steals from the elderly for fun. Needless to say, he is perfect for his job. The official front he puts up is one of a dignified ambassador easily hurt by accusations. He is not a trustworthy person. The Priestess Marusa reports directly to him.
Halcyon recently returned with the Priestess Marusa from a mission to the south, where the pair relieved a Lankhor Mhy temple of an important scroll relating the location of special chaos holy ground. A slight mishap resulted in Halcyon's death and subsequent resurrection (costing Marusa all the Divine Intervention she had stored up). Halcyon now seeks the whereabouts of a Lankhor Mhy Priest named Bluebird. The Priestess of Jalakeel the Witch, Marusa, is directly subordinate to him.
Cyriel Endelkar
A private citizen of the Lunar Empire and an Etyries Priest, Cyriel runs a large
mercantile business in Elkoi. He is a lean, charismatic man of 40. He is in excellent
shape for a man who lives as well as he does. Cyriel runs a large mercantile business in
Elkoi. He imports the stone for the temple, the food that feeds the troops and the various
items necessary for civilized life. He exports the raw materials of Balazar: horn, hide,
exotic meat, and captured Dykenean and Triloi slaves from the other tribes. The last
category is the most profitable. Cyriel privately finances many adventuring expeditions in
the Balazaring region (although he would never go on one himself), and pays well. The
king, Glyptus, is a close friend of his. Cyriel lives in a walled compound outside the
city.
Taklong Woodheart
An old man, he is Balazar's High Priest of Yelmalio. A very serious and quiet sort of man,
he favors his own company. Officially, the Lunars tolerate him as long as he tolerates
them. The Lunars do not encourage worship of Yelmalio here and the ruling family no longer
patronizes the temple. Taklong is given to moments of compassion; it hurts him to see his
people falling under the sway of Lunar civilization. He cares little for tribal rivalry,
placing himself beyond the petty squabbling. Taklong is one of the few Balazarings who can
travel freely between citadels. Most of his time is taken up with leading worship for the
faithful and teaching them spells.
The temple is staffed only by Taklong and two Priests. A few initiates lend a hand. A temple such as in Sun County of Prax is a luxurious dream for such a congregation. Their "dome" is an enclosed "bee-hive" chapel of roughly-dressed stone. There are no Priests in a lonely tower staring at the sun either. Anyone who ever had such an urge went away to one of the famous Sun Dome temples.
Marusa the Shrew
The young Priestess of Jalakeel the Witch, she is Halcyon Var Enkorth's overseer in the
Balazar district. She too favors his attitude towards covert actions. She often sponsors
illicit missions against other Balazaring royalty. She is tolerant of non-Lunars and
prefers to use foreigners for her missions. Recently arrived in Elkoi, dynamic and
extremely attractive physically, Marusa has a shrewish temperament, a tongue like a
poisoned dagger, and a violent temper. Very few people who have crossed her have lived
long afterwards. She dresses conservatively to cover the fact that she continually wears
armor. Marusa enjoys covert actions and revels in stealth, darkness, and slow lingering
deaths. Officially, her presence in Elkoi is that of junior Priestess at the new temple of
the Seven Mothers. Her real reason is that she is working to assassinate the various
Balazaring royalty not under the thumb of the Lunars. Marusa will usually swear minions to
secrecy, however, she may have her underlings executed should they prove too expensive or
too troublesome.
Elecora Kindtongue
She is a very old woman, the first Lunar holy person to take up residence in Elkoi. She is
a High Priestess of the Seven Mothers. An extreme contrast to Marusa (and most Lunars in
general), she is well-loved by the residents of Elkoi. She gets around only with
difficulty and spends most of her time supervising the final touches being placed on the
temple in the Lunar Pavilion. She is a very old woman. The impression she gives is that of
a favorite grandmother.
Elecora loves cats. Wherever she goes, she is surrounded by at least ten of the furry
felines. Three of these will be her bound spirits. She fears dogs, especially the trained
dogs of the Balazarings. Elecora rarely sponsors missions of any kind. She is unaware of
the underhanded missions and practices of the ether Lunar Priests and officials in Elkoi.
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