Kingdom of Braejr and the Radiant Vale
by Håvard(Semi-Official)
Technology Iron Age
Lifestyle City Dwelling, Society based on magic
Population 197,000 (95% Humans, 4% Progeny, 1% other)
Outer World Origin Glantri ca AC 500 (Then known as Braejr)
Location: North of the Azcan Empire
Languages: Flaemish, Neathar
Government Type: Magocracy
Industries: Magical research, Mining
Further Reading: Gaz 1, Glantri: Kingdom of Magic, Dragonlord Trilogy
DESCRIPTION:
Before the founding of the Principalities of Glantri, that part of the Known World was known as Braejr, a kingdom that was settled mainly by Flaemish Alphatians. During their war with the Dragons of Norwold (see Dragonlord Trilogy), Ka the Preserver feared that this magic based Kingdom was about to be obliterated. He preserved a small portion of the Flaemish population in the Hollow World, directly below Glantri City. Due to some anomalies in the inner core, the magic of The Radiance is actually able to penetrate the World Shield and alter the effects of magic within the Hollow World Kingdom of Braejr.
Within this realm, magic-users may still learn to cast spells without the 16 Int requirement. Spells that normally do not work in the Hollow World will function normally here. However, all of these effects stop functioning once the magic-user leaves the Kingdom of Braejr. Note also that Clerical Spells are not boosted by the Radiance. Also, spells that are unknown in the Hollow World are also unknown here. The Radiance has also created special magical pools. These "Radiance Pools" are magical bodies of water. If a magic user submerges his body into one of these pools his spell reportoire is replenished that day.
Given their dependency on magic, the people of Braejr very rarely leave their secluded valley. However, since their magical research does require rare ingredients, they do sometimes send out brave adventurers to find such items for them. They will also be interested in outsiders, though that curiousity could lead to the Flaems subjecting visitors to research that could lead to the unfortunate death of those visitors. All in the name of research of course.
Progeny: Given the history of the Flaems wandering the Planes of Existence, producing offspring with outer planar magical beings or in other ways obtaining innate magical abilities is fairly common among this population. (See Glantri: Kingdom of Magic for details)
BACKGROUND:
The idea of a kingdom based on magic comes from an old issue of Dragon Magazine
The valley is based on an idea introduced in Voyage of the Princess Ark Part 24, p 50, Dragon #177, January 1992:
Bruce Heard wrote:
The F.S.S. Beagle was a starship. The Immortal’s magic was added to its reactor after it crashed on Blackmoor. The effects of the artifact do not reach the Hollow World. Should you (as the DM) decide to affect the surface of the Hollow World, the area would be located exactly six hexes north of Fort Xichu in the Azcan Empire. The effects cover a 5-hex radius. Care to populate this desolate wilderness with Hollow World wizards?
Previous discussion of this realm here on the Piazza.
I posted a map of the Radiant Vale here.
Map of Outer World Braejr by Lo Zompatore.