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Note: Major portions of the material for Queequeg's Canton
were designed by Jeff Hartke, the player of Queequeg.
Refer to the Overview Map of Slumber when referring to this document.
An Opening Myth:
In the days before Slumber the gods were quarreling, and their conflicts threatened to engulf the world, the very thing over which they fought. And so the God of Cleverness, he to be known as the Deceiver, proposed a novel solution…that the gods would build for themselves a grand hall and within it they would lock themselves in a divine sleep, so that they would remove themselves from the temptations of the world and the covetousness it evoked.
And so the gods agreed, unanimously, to fashion such a hall. But the debate was not there ended, for the question remained regarding where to locate this hall. And many gods had each his or her own idea or preference as to where the great hall should be located.
And so a great convocation was called, to which all the gods attended. And there was to be a vote amongst the gods to determine the location of their slumber. Some gods had no care, for to them sleep was sleep and it mattered not where it took place.
But other gods had preferences, for they carried still some of the lingering bitterness and jealousies of the gods' war and they sought to use the placement of the hall as a sign of their supremacy. It may also be that the gods had an inkling of the power of worship by mortal beings to come and they jockeyed for a location that best suited their worshippers so that temporal power would accrue to them even after they were locked in slumber.
These gods, one and all, stepped forward in the convocation and pled their case. Many were eloquent; some were crude. Most agreed that the hall should be located in a remote place or a place sheltered from the centers of mortal civilization, for otherwise mortals might be too tempted to awaken the gods at every trivial crisis and, if the gods were awakened too often, they might grow covetous of the world once again.
Flupnir suggested that the hall teleport to random locations, both to satisfy all the gods, and to make things more interesting. He was dragged off the lectern and banished from the convocation.
Penultimate to speak was Galisiria, Mother of Forests and the Fey, Goddess of the Elves. And she took the lectern and spoke with passion and eloquence, arguing that the hall should be located deep in the heart of her greatest forest…a forest she would create specifically to house the hall. She proposed this forest be located along the southern shores of Jerranq, where the climate was most conducive to the growth of greenery.
Most of the gods seemed to favour Galisiria's idea. A forest would provide the remoteness needed, and would be a pleasant surrounding for the slumber of the gods. Further, the elves, who would then be caretakers of the hall, were noble, learned, and long-lived. Ideal servants for such a task.
Lothar, Lord of Frost, had yet to speak, and he was the last to speak, but he was a crude god, unused to parley or debate, and so it was presumed he would bellow and rage and howl about being treated unfairly and then the convocation would decide upon Galisiria's choice.
But Lothar surprised all, as he stood forth and in a tongue both eloquent and calm, outlined his cogent reasons why the hall should be located north, in the heart of his icy realm.
His realm was the remotest of all, accessible to be sure, but requiring a journey of no small magnitude and specific purpose to reach. No less, he also revealed to the gods that there were mystical connections between his cold and sleep. When a mortal succumbed to hypothermia, was it not much a sensation of drifting off to sleep? What other natural means of death could be so likened to sleep? And was not being asleep for eternity within the hall yet a form of preservation and inactivity that mimicked being frozen?
Such was the force behind Lothar's words that, upon hindsight, it is argued that these words were given to him by the Deceiver, who perhaps desired the hall to be located close to his already established stronghold in Mordasht.
In any event, the gods were swayed by Lothar's reasoning, and the convocation elected to build the hall on the tip of a peninsula suggested by Lothar far to the north of Jerranq.
But Galisiria was wroth at this, for she suspected some chicanery, and she alone was not swayed by Lothar's uncharacteristic eloquence. And so, while the hall was being built, she was busy herself, for she gathered her power and caused to arise a great forest in the midst of Lothar's lands. This was the greatest forest ever seen on Therra, and she grew it as close to the hall as she could without countermanding the decision of the convocation. Thus, she was able to at least have the sacred hall near to her forest, and thus was she able to cast an affront to Lothar for denying her the honour of the hall.
However, Galisiria knew that no forest could easily survive in the icy wastes of the north, especially not populated with her sylvan progeny. And so she invested a great portion of her power into permanently altering the climate of her great forest, so that even though it occupied the northern latitudes of Jerranq, the climate was ever mild and ever sylvan within its precincts and the will of Lothar held no sway.
Even then, though, the jealous goddess was not satisfied, and she took one final measure of revenge for being spited. She quickly thrust her power out north from her forest into the peninsula where the hall was located, and attempted to banish Lothar's frost from the very peninsula where the hall stood. Lothar fought against her power with his own, and once again the gods contested, though only two did so. And the hall itself was threatened with ruin at the powers wielded by Lothar and Galisiria.
But the Clever One, who became the Deceiver, intervened, for he did not care about the climate and simply wanted the hall located near to his fortress, and he warned that this conflict was further proof of the need for the gods to enter slumber immediately. And so the gods, even Galisiria and Lothar, left off their battle and entered the divine sleep.
But Galisiria had struck hard and struck first, and the final conflict of the gods' war ended with the peninsula housing the hall being extremely mild in climate. Not as idyllic as the forest to the south to be certain, but nowhere near as frigid or inhospitable as Lothar had desired.
And this is why, to this day, the Kingdom of Slumber enjoys a modest climate despite its location. And this is why the clergy of Lothar, to this day, despise elves and seek to return the frost to the Kingdom of Slumber.
Introduction:
The Kingdom of Slumber occupies a peninsula that is roughly 100 miles in width by 200 miles in length, with the long axis running north-south. The peninsula is situated far to the north of the western portion of the Continent of Jerranq, lying north of the great Blanthil Forest and north of both the tundra of Hagrog and the Grashtilim Mountains.
The Kingdom houses the famous Hall of Slumber, a massive god-built structure that is the resting place of the slumbering gods of Therra. Within, the gods sleep and dream and, in their dreams, coaxed forth by worshippers, they are able to enjoy the world they have created without becoming so tempted that they covet it and war over it and, ultimately, destroy it.
Past History:
The peninsula upon which the Kingdom of Slumber is set has no real history prior to the building of the Hall of Slumber. Before that time it was merely a small outcropping of land reaching north towards the polar icecap. Its inhabitants were mostly polar creatures, such as white bears, seals, winter wolves, etc. Ancient lore of the Lothar clergy, especially amongst the few denizens of Hagrog, tell of a shrine to Lothar set on the very spot where the Hall was built, supposedly the very spot where Lothar first used his powers to freeze water.
When the gods chose to build the Hall at the tip of the peninsula, the place went from an obscure patch of ground to the locus of world-shaking historical events.
The Deceiver locked the gods into sleep and then set about taking the Gems of Power for himself. Eventually he destroyed these gems, but while they existed, set into a crown upon his brow, he set as a guardian over the Hall and the peninsula his most trusted Maug servant. The Maug who ruled the peninsula changed over time as Maugs competed for the Deceiver's favour and some fell out while others rose in the evil hierarchy. Eventually, dominion was passed to a particularly powerful Maug called Demogorgon. Demogorgon had great ambitions to become the Right Hand of the Deceiver and to rule the world as the foremost Prince of Therra. To this end, he constantly plotted against the other Maugs and built a great army to serve his needs.
When Lolth conquered the Blanthil, Demogorgon worried about her as a threat to his own position, for Blanthil was a much larger region as compared to the peninsula, and it dominated access to Demogorgon's territory, thus allowing Lolth to basically isolate the Maug should she desire to do so. So Demogorgon struck decisively and defeated Lolth and drove her down into the underworld with her servants, the drow elves.
Now Demogorgon ruled both the Blanthil Forest and the peninsula, and he twisted both into a mirror of his mad, splintered personality. The land of the peninsula was twisted, tormented, and its spirits driven to evil. When the Heroes of the Gem penetrated the land, they encountered horrific, monstrous earth spirits that rose up against them, mutated animal life, and other chthonic perversions.
The peninsula was dotted with the fortresses and dungeons of the generals of Demogorgon's armies, many of them fiends transplanted from the netherworld. These were punctuated by occasional towns and cities infested with evil beings, though to call the disordered and anarchic conglomeration of evil a city is being generous. A rabble or mob would be more appropriate.
When the gods emerged from the Hall of Slumber and bound the Deceiver, they also captured and bound Demogorgon. A good many of his servants had either previously perished in the war or the Last March to Mordasht, and most of the remainder were decimated by the wrathful gods or fled to the netherworld.
The gods then granted dominion over the peninsula to the Heroes of the Gem, who had used a Gem of Power to open the Gates of Slumber and free the gods. Five of the Heroes accepted the charge to rule the land, and they drew up the borders of five cantons, each of which was to be presided over by one of the Heroes and, eventually, their heirs or designees.
To memorialize this grant, the gods raised a great obelisk before the Hall of Slumber recounting the deeds of the Heroes and proclaiming that the peninsula was to be theirs and their heirs' and designees' forever.
Recent History:
In the 21 years since the gods returned to slumber, the Heroes have worked to carve a kingdom out of what was either a barren land or an evil land. Certainly, many adventurers and persons of skill were immediately attracted to the fledgling Kingdom of Slumber, and those who were not over weary of fighting and warfare were set about rousting the remaining minions of evil from their castles, and fortresses and hidey-holes. Even as Princess Imerika and her elven kin sought to begin the long process of cleansing the Blanthil Forest to the south, the Heroes worked their way from the Hall of Slumber south, sacking towers and keeps as they went. Behind them, artisans and masons and architects, from all over Therra, were glad to help to honour and give thanks to the Heroes by lending their services and efforts to build up a new Kingdom in the stead of the evil realm of Demogorgon. Many of these had been only too willing to flee their homelands, site of bad memories, lost loved ones, nations in turmoil, and widespread plague and famine.
The first decade after the formation of the Kingdom was one of constant warfare and clearing of territory. By 10 N.S. however, most of the current borders had been cleared and towns and villages had been established, roads and paths had begun to be cleared, and the realm was settled enough to begin to attract immigrants. The remaining 11 years have been spent trying to clear and secure the hinterland south of the Kingdom between the cantons of Queequeg, Lancre, and Eracuss and the Blanthil. Most of the Blanthil west of the Ellithil River is still wild and corrupted and a great many nasty things still issue forth to hunt and reside in the lands south of the peninsula.
Climate:
As mentioned, the climate of the Kingdom of Slumber is surprisingly mild, comparable to the climate in the south of England (in the Devon or Cornwall area) or to New England (in the Vermont or New Hampshire area). Summers are mild, and are not as muggy as in New England, with temperatures never usually topping 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Springs are rainy, and there is a goodly amount of rain despite the moisture that is locked in the surrounding seas as icebergs and ice floes. Winters are generally moderate; snowfall is common throughout the winter months, but blizzards are rare and winds do not usually rise above 10 mph.
The table below provides generalized weather information:
|
|
|
|
|
| Spring |
|
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Frequent |
| Summer |
|
|
Rare |
| Autumn |
|
|
Occasional |
| Winter |
|
|
Frequent |
The moderate climate of the Kingdom is entirely magically oriented, induced by the will of Galisiria in ancient times, and perpetuated first by Demogorgon and then by decree and ascension of the gods as they renewed their slumber 21 years ago.
The climate does not greatly vary from canton to canton, and is fairly consistent south to the Blanthil Forest, wherein it becomes even more temperate and sylvan.
Galisiria's power only extends to the edge of the peninsula, and begins to wane quite quickly thereafter, for she did not dare contest with both Lothar and Hotor at the same time.
If one were to stand on the shore of the Kingdom and stick one's hand out over the water, one would experience a drastic temperature differential between one's body and the tips of one's finger…sometimes as much as 30 degrees or more! The temperature rapidly becomes even more arctic in nature as one leaves the shore behind, and after about 2 miles is completely free of the influence of Galisiria and is entirely arctic.
Daylight is constant in Therra, even in the extreme latitudes, as the seasons are defined by divine ordination and not an axial tilt of a planetary body. As such, the Kingdom enjoys 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness throughout the year and the sun is always in the southern section of the sky year round.
Demographics:
The Kingdom of Slumber's population is steadily increasing, and has been in the two decades since its formation. People were and are attracted to the Kingdom for a variety of reasons, including:
· To flee political or
internecine strife in the Southlands
· To flee religious persecution (especially in the case
of Mordants)
· To dwell close to the gods
· To dwell close to the saviours of the world
· To start anew
· To flee from Southland justice
· To escape horrible memories of the War of the Gem and
reminders of the loss of loved ones
· To escape the ravages of plague and famine that occurred
just after the end of the War
· To become landowners
· To hunt for adventure or treasure left behind by the
minions of evil
· To make money
The current population of the Five Cantons is approximately 250,000 with a fairly steady growth rate, so far, of around 5% per annum. Most of these dwell in either a single large city established as the capital of each canton, or in the rural lands surrounding the capital. Those who dwell outside of the capital usually live on clustered steads or farms and work the land.
Most of the population is human. There are a fair number of half orcs, coinciding with the Jerranq-wide increase in half orcs due to rapine practiced during the war by the orcish armies of the Deceiver. Many of these half-orcs were persecuted or could not find acceptance in the Southlands, with jealous husbands returning from war and driving them out of their mother's house. As a result, a good number of these have fled north to the Kingdom of Slumber, hoping to find acceptance and a place for themselves.
Additionally, though rare, combinations of fiends and humans are also found in the Kingdom more than would otherwise be expected. As with the orcs, a great many women were violated by the fiends of the Deceiver during the War, and those that survived gave birth to strange offspring, including cambions, alu-demons, tieflings, and other planetouched individuals. Many of these who were not killed outright fled to the Kingdom of Slumber in the hopes of finding acceptance. They have particular hope for acceptance here buoyed by the fact that Biphoustus, the cambion scion of Orcus, was instrumental in saving the world and was accepted as a companion by the Heroes of the Gem.
Elves are not uncommon here, though most are native to the Blanthil Forest and are merely traveling to the neighbouring Kingdom on business. A few have taken up residence in the Kingdoms, usually for a specific purpose, and some of the larger woodlands in the Kingdom have small elven communities.
Halflings and gnomes are quite rare in the Five Cantons. A few Halflings have journeyed from Onlor simply because Morg is an Onloran native, but these are clustered amongst a few dozen of their kind in the capital of Morg's Canton.
Dwarves were instrumental in helping to construct the castles, cities, and infrastructure of the Kingdom in its early stages, and for a certainty the Kingdom would not have arisen as quickly as it did without massive dwarven aid. But with much of the heavy lifting finished, most of the dwarves have headed south to reclaim Helkazum and the rest of the Grashtilim Mountains from the giants and evil beings who still infest it. The few dwarves remaining are prospectors mining the hills of the Kingdom, craftsmen making a living in masonry, smithing, or gemcutting, or mercenaries clearing the southern frontiers.
Most humans in the Kingdom are occidental in heritage, though an ambassadorship of Morakki is present in each of the canton capitals.
Economics:
The Kingdom of Slumber imports a great deal of products, brought by large caravans heading north along the border of the War Plains and the Wolf Lands, though the Vale of Tears, across Hagrog, and into the Kingdom usually via Queequeg's Canton. Most of these imports consist of various food items, such as grain and dried fruits and nuts, which are not grown natively. Also imported are certain hardwoods, precious metals, and iron ore.
Fortunately for the economy of the Kingdom, a good portion of the exports are gifts from the kingdoms of the Southlands, honouring the Heroes of the Gem, though some detractors label this as either bribery or tribute.
The Kingdom is regaining its fertility, but the land suffered heavily under the twisting influence of Demogorgon. Even after two decades, in many regions it is not considered safe to eat vegetables or fruits borne of the soil. Much of the native sustenance derives from livestock, for kine, sheep, and goats do quite well in the region and seem to be able to live on the surface foliage without encountering any corruption. Corn and potatoes are being planted in the northern regions of the Kingdom and these have been deemed pure by the Vastallan priesthood.
The Kingdom currently exports coal, lime, and gems mined from the hills and the occasional relic or trinket or souvenir dug up in some ruins and shipped off to wealthy collectors in the Southlands.
Rule:
Each Canton is ruled by a Hero of the Gem. His rule is absolute, handed down by divine decree. It is not known what would happen if one of the Heroes became unfit to rule or ruled badly, though some speculate that the gods themselves might intervene.
The issue of succession has not yet been raised, as the Heroes are expected to live long and blessed lives. However, the gods decreed the Kingdoms to belong to the Heroes and their heirs and designees throughout time, so presumably succession will be passed through decree.
The leaders of the cantons meet together in council at least one per annum. This council is held in a great hall erected within sight of the obelisk commemorating the formation of the Kingdom. At this council, the leaders and their advisors meet, discuss issues, plan strategies, etc. By tradition, if a consensus cannot be reached, a vote is taken.
Each of the leaders arranges the rule of his canton as he deems fit, and such arrangements are explained in more detail below and in the individual write-ups of the cantons.
Each canton maintains an internal militia, and the elite formations of these militias, led by cadres of Cantonic knights or other special units, can be grouped together in times of war into an army.
Religion:
The Kingdom has no official religion, though several predominate, especially in one canton or another.
Lancre's Canton contains many churches dedicated to Mordantism, and although the Pope of the church does not dwell in the Kingdom, Lancre's grand cathedral in the capital is regarded as the greatest edifice to Mordantism in the world and is the second most important site to the religion in Therra.
Cults dedicated to the three gods who spoke to the Heroes are quite prevalent in the Kingdom. This includes the religion of Vastalla, which has a strong presence in the region due to Vastalla's appearance to the Heroes as well as due to the need for healing and replenishment of the land.
Meredros' temples are also strong here, for the land is still tainted by evil and the southern verges are uncleared and dangerous and so there is much call for bravery and valour and many paladins serve in the armies of the Kingdom or as knights thereof.
Flupnir has many shrines dotting the region, and every capital city has a secret "lodge" of Flupnirans, which meets to plan pranks and mayhem. The Flupnirans especially delight in playing tricks on the Heroes of the Gem, for they love to humble the high and mighty and there is no one higher or mightier. However, they also have a great respect and a good measure of gratitude for the Heroes, who after all completed a task set to them by Flupnir, and such pranks are usually not too embarrassing or malicious in nature.
Aghorrit has a major presence in the Kingdom as well, due to the presence of Korvar and the fact that the Kingdom is the greatest prize of war in the greatest War in the history of Therra. As expected, most of the Aghorrit religion centers around Korvar's Canton, though they are also well-represented on the southern verges, where the most fighting can be found.
Other religions can be found here, though in lesser quantity than the five mentioned above. Dhalis' priests are present, working with the Vastallans to cleanse the land. Most other deities have shrines in the region due simply to the proximity to their gods.
Of note, however, is the religion of Lothar. While the Lothar cult has no direct grudge against the Heroes, and appreciate their deeds, they still bear great malice to the fact that the land of the Hall of Slumber is not given over the rightful climate that predominates in the area. As such, Lotharios (as they are derogatorily called) view the peninsula as a cursed land. Most will not enter the region, except for their incessant plots to try to negate the divine magic regulating the climate and return arctic conditions to the area. Many embassies of Lothar clergy have been sent particularly to Queequeg, whom they see as a "Brother in Cold" trying to convince him to renounce Galisiria and the elves and demand that the gods return Lothar's breath to the region.
Current Conflicts and Issues:
The Lothar religion is currently somewhat hostile to the Kingdom, which prospers in the face of their gods' loss of influence. It is believed on some occasions the priesthood has imported dangerous beasts of the frozen wastes into the area to cause havoc. They have also attempted to conduct rituals to weaken Galisiria's hold on the land, and there have been several murders of elves traveling in the Kingdom by Lothar worshippers.
In addition, Morg is currently in a standing feud with an arcanaloth, whose head adorns his throneroom. The arcanaloth was driven from his fortress by Morg and others of the Heroes and now regards the warrior as his number one enemy (and vice versa).
The south verges past the three southern cantons are wild and untamed, and many horrors left over from the War or from the Blanthil still wander that land. Settlers and knights of the land are constantly struggling with these beasts and other agents of evil.
The Five Cantons:
Below are brief descriptions of the Five Cantons of the Kingdom of Slumber. These are brief overviews and not intended to be exhaustive treatises on them. More detailed descriptions of the cantons await further works.
Korvar's Canton:
Korvar's canton is the northernmost of all of the cantons. It is the most remote from the trade routes and immigration routes, and accordingly is the least populated, with a total census of around 35,000 souls. Korvar rules the canton from his capital city of Indereghit, a fortress-like affair set atop a spur of the hills to the south of his canton. A great temple to Aghorrit has been built in the city, and this is regarded as the High Temple of Aghorrit in Therra.
Korvar's Canton includes the Hall of Slumber, as well as the Obelisk of Decree (which tells the story of the deeds of the Heroes of the Gem and proclaims their title to the Kingdom) and the Kingdom Council Hall, where the leaders of the cantons meet yearly.
The canton is occasionally plagued by creatures in winter coming across the ice bridges that form along the northern coast of the canton, and many strange sea creatures dwell in the frigid depths of the nearby ocean, and some of these occasionally make forays onto land.
Korvar also serves as acting general in command of the Kingdom armies, and a great training centre is located on the grounds of the Aghorrit High Temple.
The knights of this Canton are known as the Knights of the Mailed Fist, and they are known to be fanatic warriors (mostly of the Cavalier prestige class and of Lawful Neutral alignment).
Most of the dwarves who elected to settle n the Kingdom reside in this canton, for they feel less estranged from Korvar than from the others of the Heroes.
Korvar has set a guard of honour to ward the doors of the Hall of Slumber. These guards are there to prevent anyone from desecrating the Hall or attempting to unnecessarily disturb the gods. The guard includes two massive iron golems, created to obey only the ruler of Korvar's Canton, and a detachment of the Knights of the Mailed Fist.
Morg's Canton:
Also known as the Gem Canton, for Morg possesses a Gem of Power which can open the Gates of Slumber, Morg's canton is nestled between the rest and occupies the heartland of the Kingdom.
Morg's canton is the second-most populous, numbering approximately 55,000 citizens, and Morg rules from his capital city of Avorine, named after his wife Avoria. Morg's palace is huge, as befits the mountaineer's love of open spaces, and every year he hosts the Feast of Sacrifice, wherein the deeds and supreme sacrifice of Khenni are recounted and remembered.
Despite Morg's renown with blade and as a consummate warrior, Morg's canton does not embrace a martial tradition and has no formal order of knighthood. However, a band of rangers, numbering near fifty, has assembled itself and put itself at the service of Morg and calls itself the Outriders. This band often patrols the hills that cradle Morg's Canton, and they are often called Morg's Knights anyways.
The soil of Morg's Canton is quite fertile…probably the most fertile in the region, and has been freed of most of the taint of Demogorgon. As such, farming communities dot the landscape of the central valley of the canton.
Eracuss' Canton:
Occupying the entirety of the western coast of the peninsula, Eracuss rules his canton from the city of Rassir, set amid the river valley of the Hildfen River as it emerges from the canyons of the nearby hills in its journey to the ocean.
Eracuss' Canton counts a population of some 45,000 persons, and of the planetouched persons who fled to Slumber, the majority live within this canton, for Eracuss is most accepting of all of those whose heritage boasts the blood of outsiders.
The Brotherhood of the Rose, a guild of conjurers, has its headquarters in Rassir, in a large keep situated just outside of the city walls. Even amongst the citizenry who respect and trust Eracuss, the place of conjuration is regarded with fear and awe and most folk keep well away from the building.
Eracuss' elite force is called the Celestial Guard, and this is composed of human knights as well as a few celestial beings, including a deva who commands the order. In addition, the Brotherhood of the Rose maintains a small order called the Knights of the Rose which is composed of warrior mages who serve the guild.
The southern verges of the Canton border a large swath of land between the sea and the Blanthil Forest that is wild and dangerous, and Eracuss' forces are currently engaged in clearing the area for eventual settlement.
Lancre's Canton:
Lancre's Canton is dominated by two large lakes, Lake Mord and Lake Nir. The capital city of Mordanton is set on the river between the two lakes and houses the Great Cathedral of Mordant, a grand structure of towering spires, immense stone gargoyles, and brilliant stained glass windows, one of which exactly matches the stained glass windows in the Final Tower of Flupnir which spurred the Heroes to search for the Lost Isle. At noon of each day, the sun shines through the window, which is set into the ceiling, and makes an exact replica of the pattern in the Final Tower. Many citizens of the Kingdom consider it lucky to take a specially blessed piece of leather, set it into the pattern, and cut a puzzle map therefrom. In fact, several entrepreneurs have begun to market and sell leather puzzles blessed and fashioned under the lights of the Great Cathedral to the people of the Southlands.
Lancre's Canton boasts a population of 50,000 souls, and a good portion (some 20% of the population) are practicing Mordants.
Lancre's Canton supports an order of knighthood simply known as the Knights of the Canton, though they sometimes refer to themselves as the Knights of the Gods (and this tends to anger other religions and knightly orders). These knights are often invested to defend the southern border of the canton, which is frequently plagued by malicious invaders from Blanthil and the rugged highlands between the forest and the canton.
It is known that one of the progeny of Corpse Tearer, the two-headed dragon that the Heroes defeated, dwells somewhere in these highlands, but to date he has not been found.
Queequeg's Canton:
Queequeg's Canton is also known as the gateway to the Kingdom of Slumber, as the trade routes to and from the Kingdom pass through his canton. The canton is the most populated of the Five Cantons, with approximately 65,000 souls, many of them temporary residents who then migrate to the other cantons (only to be replaced by further new immigrants).
Queequeg rules his canton from the capital city of Freeport (and as such, the canton is called Freeport Canton), located in the very southeast of the canton, about three miles from where the mighty Angrul River meets the ocean. Freeport is a bustle of activity, both people and trade passing through it to other destinations.
Summer months see the size of the city double, triple or grow even larger as great caravans arrive bearing hundreds of immigrants drawn to the promise of a new life in lands blessed by the gods. Winter months see the city shrink, as the immigrants disperse around the Kingdom and the caravans head south, their wagons filled with the trade of the land.
Some say that the mercurial nature of Freeport is due to conditions of the place, but others claim that it reflects the personality of its sovereign, Duke Queequeg the Wise. A Hero of the Gem and a mighty Invoker, Queequeg's love of diversity borders on the eccentric, and certainly his capital is diverse. The children of the immigrants watch open-mouthed the parade of Morakki traders, elvish sorcerers, chanting prophets of the gods, Thaneeri warlords, dwarven miners and the colorful merchants of a double score of regions.
Although the capital city of the canton is named Freeport, the anchorage is frozen over four to five months out of the year. In addition, the Vorineer Ocean surrounding the peninsula is generally inaccessible to shipping year round. However, the seas are filled with cod and whales, and inspired by its ruler's heritage, these are hunted by great carracks and sent salted to the Southlands.
The primary geographical feature of the canton is the Angrul River. A wide, slow-moving river, the Angrul picks up speed as it drops elevation steeply near its mouth, giving its mouth a sheltered roadstead sufficient for numerous deep-draft vessels.
The remainder of the land shows the features of its ancient glacial past, with numerous kettle lakes, moraines and drumlins (ridges and hills created by glacial deposits.) The area between these features is fertile plainland, with plentiful stands of evergreen trees.
A local industry is the harvesting of guano. Huge swarms of birds migrate north each spring to breed and feed their young on the fish that arrive each summer. Nesting on remote, rocky islands, the guano of the birds has accumulated in deep furrows over the year. Enterprising captains often travel to these islands and harvest the guano, which they sell to the local farmers who use it to fertilize their fields.
Finally, there is the storage and transport of goods. All goods and immigrants that come into the Kingdom, and all its exports, pass through Freeport. A number of merchant houses have established themselves here, with more likely to come as the population increases.
The canton is also distinguished by the presence of a College of Invocation. Queequeg seized control of the College of Invocation in Ferrantio, and formed a school in Freeport to act as a sort of finishing school. There students both local and Ferrantine gain insights into the practical application of Invocation, which primarily involves the violent destruction of noxious beasts that wander in from the Forest of Blanthil.