Difference between revisions of "Hârn Adventure Dead of Winter"

Revision as of 07:45, 5 June 2018

A Hârnic Murder Mystery

A stormy day in early winter. Gusts of wind whip up the powdery snow cloaking Ternu Heath in a mantle of white. A lone group of travelers hurries to a remote Laranian abbey to escape the merciless weather. The powers of fate have chosen them to become involved with a series of violent murders at the abbey.

Chendy is an abbey of the Laranian Order of Hyvrik, held from the Bishop of Ternula. Someone is killing clerics of the abbey. But why isn’t there a corpse to be found after each murder? Are there in fact really any murders, or is someone playing a devious game? Why are the other noble guests of the abbey so chilly and remote? Has the time of the final battle between Larani, the shining guardian of Dolithor, and Agrik, the Lord of the Four Horsemen finally come, fulfilling an ancient dark prophecy? In an atmosphere of fear, mistrust, political intrigue, and religious hysteria, the characters must discover the answers to these questions if they hope to survive.

Dead of Winter contains detailed descriptions of a Laranian abbey and village situated on the southern edge of the Ternu Heath in Kandáy. The complicated political situation in Kanday and the kingdom’s difficult relations with its neighbors influence the plot. Gamemasters will find this module a valuable aid when designing further adventures in western Hârn.

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**Coat of Arms**
File:Kandáy Player Map.png

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**Coat of Arms**
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Dead of Winter COL5041

HârnManor COL5660
Hârn
- Kingdoms
  - COL5660 Kingdom of Kandáy ~ Kingdom Module

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Dead of Winter COL5041 38 Pages ~ details of CHENDY (a rural secular Abbey) including Saint Aedan of Chison (abbey’s patron saint), and complete writeup of the population Abbey (31) and village (205).

**Subinfeudation**
Region	Kingdom	Shire	Hundred	Fealty	Settlement	Map	Fortification	Market	Port	Population	Moot	Manor/Fief Name	Title Holder	Title	Name of Person	Acres	LQ	HD	Notes
Hârn	Kandáy	Selionshire	Asolena	KORRI	●	[E9]	ABBEY (Unfortified)	●	●	205 (Village) 31 (ABBEY)	●	CHENDY	Serolan	●	Iblis Milaka	2670	0.98	41	Tin Mine [E9]

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Introduction

A stormy day in early winter. Gusts of wind whip up the powdery snow cloaking Ternu Heath in a mantle of white. A lone group of travelers hurries to a remote Laranian abbey to escape the merciless weather. The powers of fate have chosen them to become involved in a series of mysterious and bloody crimes soon to take place at the abbey.

Someone is killing the clerics of Chendy Abbey. But why isn’t there a corpse to be found after each murder, just a pool of blood? Are there in fact really any murders, or is someone playing a devious game? Why are the other guests of the abbey so chilly and remote? Has the time of the final battle between Larani, the shining guardian of Dolithor, and Agrik, the Lord of the Four Horsemen, finally come, fulfilling an ancient dark prophecy? In an atmosphere of fear, mistrust, political intrigue, and religious hysteria, the characters must discover the answers to these questions if they hope to survive.

Dead of Winter is the first HârnMaster adventure module written by German authors. It contains detailed descriptions of a Laranian abbey and village situated on the edge of the Ternu Heath in southern Kanday. The complex political situation in Kanday and the kingdom’s conflict-laden relations with its neighbors, Rethem and Tharda, influence the plot. Gamemasters will find this module an invaluable aid to designing further adventures in western Hârn. The year, as always, is 720.

STRUCTURE

Dead of Winter consists of three parts. The first part describes the village and abbey of Chendy and their inhabitants. The second part contains a mystery adventure and a description of the current political situation in western Hârn. The third part is a glossary that briefly explains all the Hârn-specific names and terms used in this module. More detailed descriptions of these and other terms can be found in our base HârnWorld module and religion is covered in much greater depth in our HârnMaster Religion publication.

Like all HârnWorld modules, this publication is divided into separate articles that can be taken apart, three-hole punched, and placed in your own Encyclopedia Hârnica binder.

CHENDY

Location: Selionshire, Kingdom of Kanday

Status: Fief of the Church of Larani

Government: Serolan Iblis Milaka

Population: 205 (village)

31 (abbey)


TOLL RATES	FROM RETHEM
Per person afoot	0.50d
Per horse/mule	2.00d
Per sheep/goat	0.50d
Per ox	1.00d
Per cart *	0.50d

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Chendy is a prosperous Laranian abbey held by the Order of Hyvrik from the Rekela of Ternula. The abbey has approximately 2670 acres, including an attached village of the same name. It is located on the southeastern edge of Ternu Heath, a moorland in southwestern Kanday.

Chendy is located in Asolena hundred, one of seven districts in the shire of Selion. Sheriff Jens Demilaen, assisted by his Bailiffs of the Hundred, is responsible for security and administering the king’s justice in Selionshire. Only four of the hundreds have bailiffs; the hundreds of Lakane, Raden, and Tamsen are sparsely settled and are administered directly by the sheriff.

The sheriff maintains his seat at Avertu, a small town four leagues south of Chendy. The bailiff of Asolena has his seat at Asolen, two leagues south of Chendy but six leagues by road. Courts are held at regular intervals: every three months at the shire moot of Avertu, and monthly in the hundred moot of Asolen.

Of the 41 peasant families living in Chendy, five are freemen and 36 are serfs. The main difference between them and the freeholders is their legal status. The shire courts are open only to freemen. Serfs have no access to the king’s justice, cannot leave the land, and cannot marry or inherit without their lord’s permission. But serfs are not slaves; the land they work cannot be taken without lawful reason. Judicial matters concerning serfs are resolved by customary law at a monthly court administered by the manorial lord, in this case by the Serolan of Chendy Abbey. The Serolan also protects the serfs and provides help in case of crop failures, cattle epidemics, and the like.

HISTORY

The beginning of the Church of Larani in the Kingdom of Kanday is inseparably tied to the name of Saint Talroc (364-421). In 392, Talroc left his home temple in the Corani Empire to spread Larani’s teachings in the rising Kingdom of Aleathia. The intelligent and charismatic preacher was graciously accepted at the court of King Elana (393-409), gained the king’s trust, and converted him to Laranianism. Talroc became Elana’s closest counselor and convinced the king to demonstrate his faith by founding a number of temples and abbeys to further the conversion of the nobility of Aleathia.

King Elana granted land as well as the privilege to fortify an abbey at Chendy to a group of Laranian missionaries around the year 400. By 407, a wooden motte and bailey castle had been completed.

The Corani Empire

After the conquest of Aleathia by the Corani Empire in 453, Chendy remained a holding of the Church of Larani. By the emperor’s decree, however, its fortifications were dismantled. Being situated in a remote area, Chendy was almost completely unaffected by the turmoil that shook the empire over the next century. The abbey was expanded and the wooden buildings were eventually replaced by stonework.

The Theocracy of Tekhos

Beginning in 558, the corrupt and tottering Corani Empire suffered a series of internal revolts triggered by the martyrdom of Balsha, a Morgathian prophet who preached a heresy of that dour religion. These events, known to history as the Balshan Jihad, culminated with the impalement of the last Cornani emperor in 565. A brutal struggle for power ensued until Horahnam of Tekhos emerged as sole leader in 568 and established a Morgathian regime that terrorized most of western Hârn for 20 years.

Chendy regained political and military importance during this time. It became a center of opposition to Tekhosian rule for almost two years, but succumbed to the holy warriors of Morgath in 569 after a heroic defense organized by Aedan of Chison (see: Chendy 3).

Chendy then served as a regional temple and barracks for the Tekhosians until the Theocracy collapsed in 588, although the abbey remained Morgathian until liberated by Laranians in 590. The few surviving Morgathians were burned at the stake. The rebels then razed the desecrated abbey complex so nothing would remain of the Morgathian presence.

Rebuilding

Chendy’s ruins remained uninhabited until 621, when Brun Daltene founded the kingdom of Edern and ordered the rebuilding of the abbey. The reconstruction was completed by 630. At the consecration of the temple, Aedan of Chison was canonized for his deeds during the defense of the abbey against the Tekhosians.

After the nearby strongholds of Sarkum and Hebon fell to Rethem in 689 during Ezar’s War, King Rogryn II of Edern swore an oath of fealty to King Andasin III of Kanday. The small kingdom of Edern became a barony of the kingdom of Kanday. The strong relationship between the crown of Kanday and the church of Larani has benefited Chendy ever since. It is a wealthy abbey, with ambitious plans for expansion.

The New Serolan

From the second founding of the abbey in 621, the office of Serolan of Chendy was held by six consecutive members of clan Demilaen. With the death of Gweran Demilaen, a relative of the current sheriff of Selionshire, this tradition came to an end. The Rekela of Ternula ignored qualified candidates from clan Demilaen and appointed his sister, Iblis Milaka, as Serolan in 718.

The matakea of Chendy greeted this appointment with a mixture of indignation and skepticism. The young, energetic Iblis soon succeeded, however, in winning the respect and affection of most of the clerics. She has now firmly established herself as head of the abbey and is building her influence with the local nobility, although her efforts have been undermined by clan Demilaen whenever possible. The Serolan’s relations with Sheriff Jens Demilaen, needless to say, have been strained.

ECONOMICS

Rural abbeys like Chendy are crucial to the economic welfare of the Laranian church. The upkeep of the church’s higher dignitaries, their courts, and the temple guards consume vast sums. In addition, urban temples, which usually don’t own estates, are dependent on the money made in the country. Of its total income, Chendy abbey must pay two-thirds to the Rekela of Ternula.

Land Use

The economic structure of Chendy is similar to that found on secular fiefs. Excluding wooded areas, streams, and the space occupied by the village and abbey, there are about 1800 acres of land available for cultivation, half farmed out to tenants, half kept by the abbey as a demesne. Each tenant family holds an average of 20 acres. Freehold tenants pay an annual rent of 6d per acre; serfs provide four days labor per acre, which is used to work the abbey’s demesne. Only half of the land is actually planted each year; half is left fallow to rest the soil but also used as pasture for livestock.

The peasants survive by cultivating grain, mainly oats, rye, or barley. They supplement their diet and earn income from livestock pastured on the fallow land. Every peasant family owns some animals, generally sheep, goats, or pigs. Sheep are coveted not only for their wool, but also for their milk (from which cheese is made). Goats are raised mainly for their milk, and pigs as food. Most families also have chickens. The peasants cannot afford to feed newborn animals over the winter, so they are sold in late autumn at the markets of Avertu and Gimon.

Chendy Linen

The local soil has proven to be excellent for growing flax, which the tenants’ wives weave into linen. Chendy linen is well noted among regional masters of the Clothiers’ Guild for its fine weave and fetches aboveaverage prices. This lucrative trade is exploited by the abbey, which plants half of its available cropland with flax and pays tenants 1d per yard to convert the crop into linen.

Abbey Revenues

Chendy Abbey has an average annual revenue of £150, or 36,000d, two-thirds of which is sent to the Rekela of Ternula. This revenue is raised as follows:

Poll Tax: For every adult resident, serf or free, a poll tax of 3d is paid to the abbey on the first of Kelen. The abbey considers everyone above age 12 to be an adult. This tax yields about 400d per year.

Crop Revenues: From its available demesne, the abbey can cultivate about 450 acres per year. Half of this is devoted to grain crops and half to flax. The grain fields produce about 2,000 bushels, one-third consumed by the clerics and two-thirds by the abbey’s livestock as winter fodder. The flax fields typically yield enough flax to produce 6,000 yards of linen, sold for 3d per yard (wholesale) to provide income of 18,000d. The sale of apples and pears from the abbey’s three-acre orchard raises an additional 300d.

Wool: The abbey also owns a herd of 60 sheep, pastured on fallow land in the summer and kept in sheep pens about a league north of the abbey in winter. The sheep are sheared at the end of Nuzyael. The sale of about 480 pounds of raw wool earns the abbey around 1,920d per year. Newborn lambs are mostly slaughtered in late autumn for the abbey’s consumption.

Tithe: A critical source of income for the abbey is the tithe. Followers of Larani (most of the feudal nobility and some peasants) donate a tenth part of their income to the church. Because Chendy is the only Laranian temple in the hundreds of Asolena and Gimonae, the annual tithe yields about 12,000d. In addition, extra donations are always made by the faithful when they worship in the abbey temple.

Tolls and Taxes: Chendy is strategically located on the only road between Aleath and the ports of Hebon and Sarkum. This ensures a steady flow of merchant traffic through Chendy. The abbey has a charter from the king granting it the right to collect a toll from all non-residents entering Chendy. The abbey also receives annual license fees from the local innkeeper, miller, metalsmith, and woodcrafter, and taxes them 5% of their gross income. These toll and business tax revenues average 3,000d.

Saint Aedan Tournament

The Serolan of Chendy has sought to improve traffic by hosting a new annual tourney in honor of the abbey’s patron saint. The first such “Saint Aedan Tournament” took place last summer (2nd–4th Nolus). Attendance was not as high as the Serolan hoped, largely because the Sheriff of Selion refused to attend, but she is hopeful for the second event since the King of Kanday has agreed to come.

RELIGION

The region’s nobles are followers of Larani and strive to take part in a lay mass at least once a month. Matakea visit the estates of the region at regular intervals. This cultivates relations between the church and its followers and educates the young. Most of the peasants worship Peoni, the Lady of Industrious Labors and the Ripe Harvest.

The religious climate in Chendy is fairly tolerant. The churches of Ilvir and Sarajin are not banned, but missionary work and open displays of faith are widely suppressed. The churches of Halea and Save-K’nor are not very attractive to the rural population and have very few adherents. Worship of Agrik, Morgath, or Naveh is punishable by death, though banishment is more common if no other crimes are involved.

Saint Aedan of Chison (527–569)

The abbey’s patron saint, Aedan of Chison, came from one of the most distinguished noble families of the Corani Empire. At 16 years of age, he joined the imperial army. When the Balshan Jihad broke out in 558, he was a cohort commander, befitting his family’s rank. Although he led his men in many successful battles, it was a hopeless struggle. After the fall of the city of Coranan to the followers of Balsha in 565, the success of the Jihad could no longer be prevented. Aedan retreated to the southern province of Aleathia with the remnants of his cohort.

Aedan was present when Chendy fell into the hands of the Tekhosians in 569. He had lost all but a few trusted retainers in the ongoing struggle, and then retreated to the abbey, weary of bloodshed. In spite of this, he organized and led the defense when the abbey was attacked and made his name a legend. Driven by his heroism, the defenders, most of them matakea, fought and slew many of their foes.

Although their courage did not prevent the abbey from falling, the few who did escape owed their lives to the hero of Chendy. The Tekhosians took only one prisoner, Aedan of Chison, but it cost them dearly in lives to take him alive. Aedan was tortured and died a long and agonizing death in one of the Thirteen Degrees of Nyardath. Today, the holiest relic in the abbey is a battered and sword-scarred knight shield said to have been used by Saint Aedan in defense of the abbey.

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@@ Line 155: / Line 155: @@
 (abbey)
+{| class="wikitable sortable"
+|+ style="caption-side:top; color:#008000;"|''' '''
+! class="unsortable" | TOLL RATES
+! FROM RETHEM
+|-
+| class="unsortable" | Per person afoot
+| class="unsortable" | 0.50d
+|-
+| class="unsortable" | Per horse/mule
+| class="unsortable" | 2.00d
+|-
+| class="unsortable" | Per sheep/goat
+| class="unsortable" | 0.50d
+|-
+| class="unsortable" | Per ox
+| class="unsortable" | 1.00d
+|-
+| class="unsortable" | Per cart '''*'''
+| class="unsortable" | 0.50d
+|}
 '''Note:''' '''<span style="color:#FF0000">ADD</span>''' Table for above