4E - Turn of the Tide - Paragon
768 years. For 768 years the nation of Ildenhoth withstood the turn of ages. But that was before they came from the North on ships of ebon wood and bone. Frightful figures in the dark, the Black Legion. A scourge from the beyond the North Chondathian Sea, none know from whence they hail, many whisper of an accursed land ruled by death and corruption. From whence they came matters little, all that matters is that by the 769th year of the modern era the grand fey nation of Ildenhoth was destroyed, the blood of its High King spilled in his own court by a traitor hero, Lady Valin Icendarth.
Once hailed as one of the greatest heroes of Ildenhoth; slayer of the Valgoth the Black and vanquisher of the Ashen Court, was now its greatest villain. From the ashes of the capitol, Goldathar, rises the Obsidian Citadel; stronghold of the Black Legion. The remaining free nations that border the once mighty lion that was Ildenhoth prepare for war with a force unlike any evil they have faced before.
But hope remains as the neighboring free nations of Verandis, the Republic of Ferenth, and the Hiral Imperium attempt to form a strategic alliance to stem the tide and hopefully push this menace from their borders. The path to victory begins in the fortified port city of Heron’s Rest as delegates from the great nations come together in an effort to align their resources against a foe that no single nation can hope to defeat.Northern Chondath is a large region located on the continent of Chondath in the northern hemisphere of the known world. Northern Chondath is prone to long and severe winters, especially in the Hiral Mountain range that extends from the Northern Chondathian Sea to the far south into the Impassible Desert in the far south.
Four great nations dominated the landscape of Northern Chondath; Republic of Ferenth, Verandis, Hiral Imperium and the now destroyed nation of Ildenhoth. The Republic Ferenth is a human dominated nation where the government is elected by wealthy citizens. The Republic bore the brunt of the initial conflict with the Black Legion after the fall of Ildenhoth and Heron’s Rest lies within the nation a mere 20 miles or south of the of the old Ildenhoth border. East of the Ferenth are the territories that comprise Verandis; lush hills and rolling forests of beautiful natural landscape contrast the fractious internecine politics that wrack the nation. Queen Helena Olthen de Verandir II has ruled from her court for nearly forty years and kept the varied feudal states in line through force and political guile. Finally north and east of Verandis is the stoic and aloof Hiral Imperium, a dwarf dominated nation that makes its home on and within the Hiral Mountains.
Heron’s Rest is located in northern Ferenth and is a powerful port city and fortress. A large contingent of Ildenhoth refugees live outside the city seeking safety and refuge from the Black Legion. Nearly 20,000 souls call the city home, with a large transient population and now another 2,000 or so Ildenhoth refugees living in ramshackle tents and homes. Winter has just set in, as the short autumn gives way to falling snow and chilly temperatures. Heron’s rest has always been a popular location for adventurers and that notoriety has grown as delegates from the free nations descend on the city to hopefully hammer out an alliance to stem the Black Legion threat.
