Torreón and Narvaez
The dark lands of Torreón and Narvaez are plagued by the Red Curse, poverty, and persecution. These states produce the finest mercenaries on the coast. They view the Red Curse very much as a curse, a punishment sent from the Immortals; perhaps it is. I know one thing: The people of these nations, perhaps more than anywhere else, want to end the curse.
The Chronicle of the Curse
by Don Luis de Manzanas
The humans of these baronies are primarily of Ispan descent, with strong traces of Oltec blood. Narvaez and Torreón are also home to many elf and dwarf families, and a few members of other races are residents of larger settlements in the two states. The people of both states are stereotyped as brave and passionate and are reputed to be fine warriors.
Torreón and Narvaez are known as lands of mercenaries, supplying professional soldiers to other nations of the Savage Coast. Torreóner mercenaries, found throughout the Savage Coast, are known for their loyalty and skill; Narvaezan mercenaries are valued for their fierceness and high standards. Sellswords of both nations are considered skilled professionals, well worth the money required to hire them. While the people of the Sea Powers may dominate the oceans with their navies, these states have strong land forces to be reckoned with.
Each of these nations has a long and violent history of wars and conquests that have allowed them to achieve their present status. The harsh conditions have made their people tough survivors. As a result, Torreón and Narvaez are the most populous of the Savage Baronies, each covering a comparatively large area.
Because of their aggressive histories, these states are often rightly viewed with trepidation. The ruler of Torreón dreams of expanding her nation's boundaries to include more resources and riches. The leaders of Narvaez believe theirs is the only true religion, and many of their more assertive members want to carry the flame of Ixion to the other baronies, even if doing so requires force of arms. Narvaez mounted such a crusade only five years ago aided by Torreón and the Sea Powers. Only by presenting a united front were the remaining baronies able to stave off the military might of these four nations. Narvaez and its allies would probably have worn down their opponents had Hule not chosen to attack all the baronies just then, forcing them to put aside their arguments and face the greater threat.
Now despite their threatening postures, dreams of conquests, and crusades both Torreón and Narvaez are weakened by internal problems: Poverty cripples Torreón, and unrest within the clergy paralyses Narvaez. Both states try to build and consolidate their forces so they can one day achieve their goals. If those goals were more similar, few obstacles would keep the two states from unifying into a force against which no others could stand.
Baronía de Torreón
This land is notorious for its poverty but respected for its mercenaries, who travel to all parts of the Savage Coast. The majority of Torreón's people are poor, barely managing to eke out a living by farming. Those who are able become mercenaries to fight and sometimes die in someone else's war, leaving their families behind. Most mercenaries earn enough to break the cycle of poverty that enslaves them, but seldom do they make enough extra to send hard coin home for family. Instead, sellswords help their family and friends by encouraging them to become mercenaries as well, passing on rumours of opportunities and putting in a good word when they can. It is a Torreóner aphorism that gaining fighting prowess is the best way to break away from the poverty of the land. Since most Torreóner mercenaries come from deprived backgrounds, they are unwilling to lose steady pay and are loyal to those who supply it.
Thus, while Torreón is a poor land, it is also reputed to produce the most steadfast mercenaries on the Savage Coast. Other nations welcome Torreóner mercenaries for their reliability and worry at the thought of those same mercenaries being turned against them. The existence of so many fighting men and women in Torreón strengthens the nation's reputation as a formidable military presence.
The Nation
One of the few land-locked baronies, Torreón is built around the rich river valley of Rio Guadiana and its tributaries Rio Frio, Rio Torrentes, Rio Tuntos, and Rio Fangoso. Beyond the rich farmland of the river valleys, most of Torreón's hills and flats are thickly forested. Grasslands ripple only in the east where Torreón shares a border with Texeiras and Terra Vermelha. Note that in the east, Torreón occupies the higher ground above the cliffs known as O Grande Escarpamento (which Espans call La Grande Escarpadura). This geographical feature defines and defends Torreón's southern borders.
Torreón has had a violent history. The first political entity to appear in this region was the Barony of Cristobal, founded in 916 on Rio Torrentes. Almost a quarter century later, some successful adventurers settled down and created the Baronies of Alcazar (in 940) and Torreón (in 941). Later still, the Barony of Los Elegidos was established to the north (along Rio Tuntos) and the Barony of Morales in the centre (at the junction of Rio Frio and Rio Fangoso).
The founding of Morales created a problem for Torreón because Morales was laid out in a position where it could control river traffic between Torreón and the other small baronies. With an eye to preventing future problems, Torreón attacked Morales. To settle ongoing border conflicts, Torreón also attacked all its other neighbours. Torreón conquered Morales and Alcazar, extending its holdings to the north, east, and west, weakening Elegidos and Cristobal as well.
Torreón then consolidated its gains, rapidly building several settlements to control extensive portions of the river valleys. A couple of years later, Elegidos disappeared completely and mysteriously, removing a threat from Torreón's northern border. A decade later, Cristobal relinquished its barony claims. Torreón left the remnants of Cristobal as a buffer between itself and the goblinoids of the Yazak Steppes. The tower served to blunt the most recent invasion attempt before being destroyed.
Since consolidating, Torreón has been an aggressive, somewhat expansionist nation. Its baroness, Doña Isabel, plans to continue building her armed forces in the hopes of some day conquering both Texeiras and Terra Vermelha. However, her military build-up has wrecked the local economy through excessive taxation.
The People
Torreón has a racially mixed population. About one-third of its people are elves; in addition, at least half the people in Torreón have some elven blood. The rest of the population is human, leavened by a very few members of other races. Torreón's violent history and prevalent poverty attract few people from other nations (it's hard to imagine a Torreóner native as a model of "the good life"), leaving these humans and elves to the lands they have inhabited for centuries. The humans of this nation are not as mixed as in other baronies; here, they are of primarily Oltec descent, and those of Ispan or Ispan and Oltec mixed ancestry are quite rare.
The common people of Torreón are farmers, but many of those farmers have fighting experience. Torreóners are known to be brave, passionate, hot-tempered, and proud. Like the people of Texeiras, Torreóners are quick to suggest a duel over the smallest offence. Hardships have produced generations of tough and ruthless soldiers in this barony.
Warriors are common in Torreón. The Myrmidon kit is seen most often. Some Honourbound, Swashbucklers, Local Heroes, Gauchos, and a few Defenders (devoted to Faña) are also seen. The nobility is small in Torreón, so the Noble kit is uncommon. While most Torreóner nobles are elven, the rest are humans of pure Ispan descent.
Torreón also has a fair number of Militant wizards and War Priests, but few rogues live in Torreón, which lacks the large population centres and the wealth needed to support them. Most Torreóner rogues are Scouts or Swashbucklers, the latter kit also being used by most Torreóner wizards. Some Inheritors do live in Torreón, but they keep to the larger towns or the company of nobles because they are despised by peasants and Afflicted.
The mercenaries of Torreón are reliable and reasonably priced. A typical fee is one oro (gold piece) per person per week with a bonus percentage allotted for experience, so most common mercenaries in the company actually earn about five dies (silver pieces) per week. Several well-organized mercenary companies operate in the barony, each of which follows a skilled captain. These mercenary captains gather for an Assembly once a year to discuss issues important to them all, such as payment scales and employment opportunities. A person who wishes to form a company of his or her own must go before the Assembly, where the current captains vote on the applicant. If approved by a simple majority vote, the applicant can recruit a mercenary band and seek employment. The captains approve only those individuals who they believe will uphold the honour of Torreón and obey the Assembly's decisions.
Torreóner mercenaries prefer not to fight against other companies of Torreóner mercenaries but will do so if ordered by their employers. However, employers should realise that if they order such a battle, leaders of the involved Torreóner companies meet before the battle and allow any mercenaries who have friends or relatives in the other company a chance to refuse combat, without loss of honour or pay. All Torreóner mercenary captains adhere to this policy, a fact known to most potential employers across the Savage Coast.
Note that some mercenary companies are composed of only Afflicted. Their prices, leadership, and attendance at the Assemblies are the same as for standard companies. Afflicted companies are shunned in polite society but are known to cause dread and disgust in their enemies, sometimes giving them a psychological advantage.
The Red Curse
The Red Curse is a constant threat to the people of Torreón. While citizens in the larger towns do their best to ignore the curse, a very large proportion of the people in Torreón as much as half are Afflicted. Some Afflicted join mercenary companies; most others live in small enclaves. Small size, however, does not guarantee small incidence. Afflicted enclaves are found everywhere in Torreón: ragged sections in towns and villages, tiny farming villages along rivers, and hidden camps in forests and hills.
The people of Torreón never forget the Red Curse, and those who are able go to great lengths to avoid it. Unlike those in the Sea Powers, Afflicted here are not able to pretend they are normal even when among other Afflicted. The Afflicted of Torreón hide themselves from view and avoid contact with most other people, even other Afflicted, shunning themselves before others can.
Industry and Trade
Torreón's biggest "export" is mercenaries, who serve as military forces, castle or fortress guards, and marines on Texeiran ships. The government receives a small share of all money earned by Torreóner mercenary companies.
Torreón also exports some wood, food, and even a little red steel. The state gets most of its cinnabryl from Terra Vermelha or by trading red steel with Slagovich. Torreón, home of the discoverer of red steel, has stockpiled the material for years. In addition, Torreón's mercenary companies, which use quite a lot of cinnabryl, also retain a sizeable amount of red steel. The government of Torreón takes about 10% of this red steel for taxes, giving the barony an ample supply of the magical metal. Mercenary companies use the rest of their red steel to arm themselves. Torreón's capital, Ciudad de León, harbours a famous Guild of Swordmakers whose red steel weapons are prized throughout the Savage Coast.
Torreón's best trading partner is Renardy, with which an overland trade route is maintained. Torreón exports red steel, weapons, mercenaries, wood for ships, and a small amount of cinnabryl to Renardy. In return, Renardy provides wine, food, and finished goods. Torreón has also begun acquiring smokepowder in hopes of building smokepowder cannons; the cannons have not yet proved successful. Torreón imports smokepowder from Gargoña, Renardy (who gets it from Cimmaron), and some directly from Cimmaron. By using several sources, Torreón hides the sum of its acquisitions.
Religion
Religion is of some importance in Torreón, where Faña is revered before all other Immortals. The General and the Judge are very popular among Torreóners, while Milan, Valerias, and the Ambassador have small cults. As a result of contact with Narvaez, Ixion's following has been growing in Torreón.
The Ruler
Baronesa Isabel "La Terrible" de Torreón y Morales, a human noble in her early 30s, rules Torreón with an iron fist. The baronesa has been in charge of the state since her early teens after the death of her father. She had to withstand ruthless political attacks in order to survive, but this has only made her more ruthless in her approach to politics.
Doña Isabel plans to build an army of conquistadors and eventually take over Terra Vermelha and Texeiras. To raise funds, she has instituted many new taxes on her people, driving many of them into poverty. This poverty is what has encouraged the people of Torreón to become mercenaries or enlist in the baronesa's armies.
Doña Isabel needs most of her troops just to guard the outer limits of her territory against bandits or goblinoid raids. The remaining troops enforce collection of her unpopular taxes among the population. Torreón probably has an army large enough to take over Terra Vermelha right now; however, because of the recent wars, Torreón wants to hold off on the attack and consolidate its forces. After all, an attempt to take over Terra Vermelha would break the Treaty of Tampicos, probably causing the other baronies to ally against Torreón. The only possible exception is Narvaez, which has long been on friendly terms with Torreón and could probably be counted as a supporter.
Doña Isabel's driving ambition is to be able to leave a good inheritance for her heirs, even though she does not yet have any children. Doña Isabel's heir presumptive is a younger sister, Rosa, a lovely girl in her early 20s. Despite her greedy and power-hungry style, the baronesa recognises the need for a successor, but she still harbours fantasies of marrying for love. She would be happy to leave to her sister the political responsibility of marrying to produce an heir.
If Doña Isabel's family should die out, the succession would pass to her elven adviser, Augusto, who has counselled her family since the barony began and who was a companion of the adventurers who founded both Alcazar and Torreón. Augusto is a Noble fighter who, not quite two centuries old, could potentially rule Torreón for another two centuries.
Like Augusto, many other nobles of Torreón are elves, and most have been around since before any of the Savage Baronies were founded. The early inhabitants of Torreón came to an agreement with the prominent elven families of the area and have always considered them part of the barony's nobility. For this reason, the preferred language of the nobility, and of diplomacy and etiquette, is elvish.
The Capital
The capital of Torreón is Ciudad de León, a town of 7,400 that sits on the state's southern border. Slightly more than half of the townsfolk are elves. More than 1,000 half-elves live here, and most of the other citizens are human. Ciudad de León is home to most of Torreón's nobility, though each other town and village in the barony boasts one or two noble families. Besides the nobility, the capital also houses numerous merchants, crafters, soldiers, and a small labour force consisting mostly of poor Afflicted.
Ciudad de León is an orderly town, safe because of the squadrons of soldiers that patrol its streets. The townspeople live in designated districts, so nobles live among nobles, merchants among merchants, and so forth. The Afflicted are in this manner kept from mixing with high society in Torreón.
Other Places of Interest
A town of 6,800, Ciudad Morales lies in the centre of Torreón. It is a major trading centre for the barony; most of its people are merchants, crafters, and labourers. The barony also has six major villages: Casanegra, a village of retired soldiers named for the recently ruined tower near which it was built; Puebla de Alcázar, a farming village that is a headquarters for prospectors and expeditions headed into Terra Vermelha; Villavieja, a farming village that is one of the largest producers of food in the Savage Baronies; Pueblo Real, a village devoted to farming and forestry; Las Guajacas, a farming village in which the entire population of over 500 individuals is Afflicted; and Las Chambas, another trading and farming centre. Note that Las Guajacas houses the largest concentration of Afflicted anywhere in the Savage Baronies, possibly on the entire Savage Coast. It is a sombre and eerie place, where haunted people go about in masks and cloaks even during the hottest days. An air of depression lies thick over Las Guajacas, and few visitors stay for long.
Torreón also has two major forts, Castillo Grande and Torres Calientes, both of which help defend the state's western borders from goblinoids. Castillo Grande sits on La Escarpadura, its towering form overlooking Ciudad de León and serving as a deterrent to possible Narvaezan invaders.
Torreón also owns several sets of ruins, most from the recent wars: the villages of Chiquitín and El Lugar, both deserted settlements (most buildings are still intact), their populations drained to support the war; the "Fortaleza," sacked by goblinoids and rumoured to be a storehouse of treasure protected by traps and vile monsters; and two towers, Torre del Duende and Bastión de los Caballeros, both ruined by Hule. Torreón would like to rebuild these two towers, as well as the one at Casanegra, and has been looking for bold adventurers willing to reclaim them.
Baronía de Narvaez
Although Narvaez is a larger barony and has a higher population than its neighbours, its people still suffer from excessive taxation by a brutal rulership. In addition, Narvaez endures the Inquisition, which appears unexpectedly to check the loyalty of commoners and nobles alike, ensuring devotion to Ixion.
Narvaez is known for its mercenary forces but is also seen as a dangerous nation that wants to thrust its patron Immortal and his accompanying Inquisitor upon the other nations of the coast. The nation has no real allies, though it gets along reasonably well with Torreón, Texeiras, and Gargoña.
The Nation
Like Torreón, most of Narvaez sits along a river valley; the barony's lands run mostly to farmland and forest, broken by small ranges of hills. The land is very fertile in Narvaez, supporting good farming.
Also like Torreón, Narvaez has had a long and bloody history. It was the first barony founded along the Savage Coast and is the only one ever officially chartered by the distant government of Thyatis. Narvaez once stretched all along the western coast of the Gulf of Hule, from La Escarpadura in the north to the Claw Peninsula in the south. This claim covered land on which humans, dwarves, elves, and tortles were already living, including the lands now known as Cimmaron, Almarrón, Gargoña, and part of present-day Texeiras.
Three years after Narvaez was founded, the southern tip of the barony declared independence. This area eventually became Cimmaron. A year later, another small area broke away from Narvaez, declaring itself the Barony of Montoya; held by elves and dwarves, Montoya included what is known today as Castillo de Los Hidalgos and the nearby range of hills.
In 913, Narvaez was split between two heirs; the north, including most of the present-day barony, remained Narvaez. The south, including present-day Almarrón and Gargoña, became the Barony of Sotto. Sotto had a very rocky history, most of which is detailed under Gargoña and Almarrón.
Narvaez remained relatively stable until 930, when the Barony of Marino splintered off, remaining independent until conquered by Texeiras in 958. In 935, the Barony of Quimeras also declared independence from Narvaez, claiming the land from Ciudad Quimeras to La Escarpadura. Narvaez, fed up, began building military forces. In 937, Narvaez attacked both Quimeras and Montoya, and after a short war, reabsorbed them both. Most Montoyan dwarves fled to other places, but the elves remained to become fully integrated into the population in Narvaez.
By the end of these hostilities, Narvaez established approximately the same borders it holds today. However, the military build-up continued, growing numbers of troops helping Narvaez to retain its territory for more than 70 years. Despite this growth, the barony had remained relatively peaceful, concentrating on fortifying its holdings and building power.
However, five years ago, internal theological dispute escalated into a holy war in Narvaez; to unite the feuding factions, Barón Hugo declared external enemies. The northern states of Torreón, Texeiras, and Vilaverde allied with Narvaez against the remaining baronies. This manufactured war was supplanted by a greater threat when Hule attacked all the baronies, and was later postponed again so the baronies could deal with increasing goblinoid raids. For the last year or so Narvaez has been peaceful, but other baronies still remember the attempted conquest, and many consider Narvaez an enemy.
The People
Like the people of Torreón, the folk of Narvaez are brave, passionate, and easily offended. The hardships faced by Narvaez forged a people both rugged and pitiless. Narvaezans are also devoutly religious, or at least act devout to avoid being persecuted by the state's elite troops, usually known as Los Matónes ("the bullies," with slang connotations of "killer" and "rat"). In addition, natives of Narvaez feel superior to other Guardianos because they are confident in the righteousness of their religion and because they are the oldest of the Savage Baronies some go so far as to say the only legitimate barony.
The people of Narvaez are mostly human, though some dwarves, elves, and half-elves make homes here as well. A few tortle peasant families remain, scattered widely throughout Narvaez, living as peaceful farmers. Members of other races are usually only visitors. Economically, Narvaezans are mixed; while many are peasants, a substantial middle class (which includes the clergy here) and a relatively large nobility also exists.
Like Torreón, Narvaez is known for its mercenaries. Warriors are the most common here, but clerics and rogues are also common. Practically no wizards or druids exist in Narvaez because they are considered heretics to Ixion and have been outlawed. Multi-class and dual-class characters are more frequently encountered than wizards or druids.
In Narvaez, the most common kit is Myrmidon. War Priests, Local Heroes, Nobles, Swashbucklers, Honourbound, Gauchos, and Scouts are seen as well. Inheritors and Defenders are not legal in Narvaez, nor are they welcome, but sometimes such characters are seen anyway. Swashbucklers have a special place in Narvaez; considered lawbreakers by the government, they are often heroes to the local peasants and merchants. Swashbucklers enjoy thwarting the schemes of the church and of Los Matónes.
The mercenaries of Narvaez should be handled like those of Torreón, with three exceptions. First, they do not have an Assembly; a mercenary captain must be granted a charter through the church before building a company, and all companies are responsible to the church. Second, no Afflicted belong to Narvaezan mercenary companies. Third, some Narvaezans become mercenaries simply so they can travel to other lands and avoid religious persecution.
The best Narvaezan mercenaries are sometimes asked to join Los Elegidos (the correct title of Los Matónes) who answer directly to the baron. The current leader of Los Elegidos is Angelíc de Ariéla, an elf Swashbuckler ranger from a tiny elven settlement in Bosque de Los Ojos. Though she takes her job seriously, Angelíc secretly harbours more liberal views than most of Los Elegidos. She is reasonable in her attitudes and is actually a nice person when allowed to relax. She has been trying to curb the violence, bullying, and persecution found in so many Matónes. Despite Angelíc's efforts, most of Los Elegidos remain little more than thugs.
Los Elegidos have also begun spreading rumours about Angelíc, claiming that she is a sadistic punisher who can use "elven ways" to painfully wring information from even the strongest person; while this is untrue, the threat of someone even worse than the average member of Los Elegidos has worked to loosen many a tongue.
The Red Curse
The people of Narvaez believe the Red Curse to be Ixion's punishment for those who are not devout followers; in a way, they are correct. It is the clergy that distributes cinnabryl to the needy, but the church relies more on maintain spells to keep people healthy. Those who do not see their clergy regularly are thus most likely to become Afflicted. When a citizen manifests an Affliction, he is moved to one of the special enclaves outside the state's major settlements, maintained by Ixion's followers.
The Afflicted of Narvaez believe they are being punished for some transgression and spend much of their time trying to atone by serving Ixion. Many Afflicted become priests themselves, but Afflicted priests usually retreat to monasteries or serve in otherwise isolated capacities; they are not allowed to become part of the church hierarchy.
Industry and Trade
Fertile Narvaez trades food for cinnabryl, usually with Texeiras. Excessive food exports have occasionally provoked famine and peasant revolts. The barony also exports mercenaries, and like Torreón, earns a percentage from all companies based in Narvaez.
Besides cinnabryl, Narvaez is currently interested in buying wood for ships and smokepowder to experiment with building big guns. Narvaez relies heavily on Texeiran fleets for trade, but would like to change that situation. Slowly, trade routes are being forged with Torreón and Gargoña, with Torreón supplying wood and Gargoña supplying some smokepowder.
Religion
Narvaez is the only barony in which religion is an important aspect of life, and it is of utmost importance. Narvaezans are profoundly pious followers of their Immortal patrons, in particular Ixion, who is regarded as higher ranking than all other Immortals. The Inquisitor is also revered. The General, the Ambassador, and the Judge are all considered lesser powers who are worthy of some, though little, respect. Narvaezan Swashbucklers also worship Milan and Valerias.
Knights of Narvaez commonly go on religious quests to retrieve holy artifacts or bring the good word (with the help of their mighty swords) to faraway natives. One such "recovered" artifact now lies at the Grande Catedral de Ciudad Quimeras, a heavily fortified area and the focus of constant pilgrimages. Ixion's philosophy is taken very seriously in Narvaez, to the point where anyone suspected of the least irreverence risks prompt imprisonment, ruthless "questioning," and merciless execution for heresy by burning at the stake. The Inquisitor is the patron of those who punish heretics. The recent bloody wars elevated her to great importance among the worshippers of Ixion.
The Ruler
Barón Hugo "El Despiadado" de Narvaez y Montoya holds the reins of statehood in a tight grip. Baron Hugo "the Merciless" is a human War Priest of Ixion who controls the church as well as the nation. The baron's leadership of Narvaez is never questioned in the slightest. A man in his late 40s, Baron Hugo directs most of his efforts to foreign affairs, such as building a war fleet to break the Sea Powers' hold on shipping.
The baron has a devoted wife and four children. His eldest daughter, Catalina, four years ago ran off with Don Crístobal, Baron of Guadalante, one of the leaders of the Gauchos who attacked Ciudad Quimeras during the recent wars (see "Other Places of Interest" in the following text). Catalina apparently became so enchanted with the suave Gaucho that she married him without her father's permission or knowledge. Naturally, Baron Hugo was infuriated at his daughter for allying with the enemy and refuses to send a dowry to Señor Crístobal, despite periodic requests.
Baron Hugo's oldest son, Monte, recently turned 20. Monte has a lovely young bride and is the obvious heir to the rulership of Narvaez. The baron's third child is another son, Julio. Just a year younger than Monte, Julio has married the daughter of the baronesa of Gargoña. Baron Hugo's youngest, Damita, though still in her teens, promises to be one of the most manipulative women to ever live in the baronies.
Baron Hugo does not get along well with the other barons, and his is the only nation that has failed to ratify the Treaty of Tampicos.
The Capital
Puerto Morillos is a large town with a population of 12,300, the largest in the Savage Baronies. It suffered a devastating attack by Swashbucklers of the southern baronies during the recent war, and much of the city burned. The ruins are now home to Afflicted and rogues, though the government is trying to clean up and restore the area to chase out the riffraff.
Though a bustling centre for commerce, Puerto Morillos is one of the most boring towns on the Savage Coast. Los Matónes watch for anything out of the ordinary and are quick to stop any disturbance. The general attitude of townsfolk is subdued, and the only true excitement occurs when a Swashbuckler decides to cause it, whether by making a speech from a church tower, challenging a member of Los Matónes to a duel, or just walking around in an outrageous outfit and being friendly. Swashbucklers enjoy baiting Los Matónes, and many are quite skilled at the witty banter and flashy swordplay needed to embarrass the thugs. The better blades are also fleet enough to evade capture if things go wrong. It is not unusual for Swashbucklers to wear masks in Puerto Morillos, though such a thing is, of course, illegal.
Other Places of Interest
Three major villages are located in Narvaez: Almavegas, a quiet and well-protected farming village; Paz del Sol, a major trading centre built where an important trade route crosses the Rio Guadiana; and Punto-Eseobar, another trading centre that handles most commerce with Texeiras and Torreón. Two exceptionally large castles are in Narvaez: Castillo Blanco, the oldest baronial structure still standing; and Castillo de los Hidalgos, once the capital of Montoya, now a formidable barrier between Narvaez and Saragón. Ruins smudge the Narvaezan landscape, including the remains of Ciudad Quimeras (a town that once served as the capital of the Barony of Quimeras) and Los Peregrinos and Puente-Guadiana (once important fishing villages). All three towns were sacked in the recent wars by Gauchos from the southern baronies. Also, numerous hamlets and tiny farms too small to be military targets survive throughout Narvaez.
Nearby Lands
Outside the baronies themselves are a number of interesting geographical features. Colinas Grutescas are the badlands east of Narvaez; Barón Hugo does not believe these lands to be worth claiming, but rumours circulate of cavern networks hiding ancient settlements and great treasures. Pirates and other bandits seek shelter in the region.
The ruins of Torre Cristobal, located west of Torreón along Rio Torrentes, also spark interest in taverns and around campfires. The first lord of Cristobal claimed the area around the tower as a barony in 916. Nearly 65 years later, his granddaughter relinquished the title of Baron and gave up her family's claim to surrounding lands, while still maintaining independence. The tower was ruined by goblinoids about two years ago, and remaining members of the Cristobal family can occasionally be found wandering the Savage Coast looking for a few stalwart adventurers to help them reclaim the tower.