The Mistral Verge
Players Sheet
By Matt Finch
Copyright 2002, Matt Finch, all rights reserved. All content is Product Identity with the exception of game-specific content.
Produced under the OGL.
This sheet is a quick introduction to the Mistral Verge region of the Yrvaine.
Geography: The Mistral Verge is a wild and hilly saddle of land between the Fellfastings and the Moonfallows Mountain ranges. Politically, it is between the Yrvaine (a Celt-like feudal matriarchy to the east) and the Heidenlaander Empire (a sprawling patchwork of feudal principalities almost utterly independent of their nominal emperor, reminiscent of the lands described in the tales of the Brothers Grimm) located to the west.
Terrain: The Mistral Verge is an area of steep, rolling hills covered with mossy forests and lush, green grass. The forests are quite dangerous, possibly having minds of their own, and are full of fey creatures, both benevolent and malevolent. The deep wilderness is always very close in the Mistral Verge, sometimes only a few steps away from the road.
Travel: Maps are approximations at best, for the terrain of the world seems to shift slightly in accordance with its own rhythms and whims. The experience of a road taking twice as long to travel as the day before is a common one. The reason is a mystery, and it seems quite unremarkable to the folk who have lived with it all their lives. Even on the roads, travel is dangerous, though the safety of the roads is somewhat protected by great rituals of the Priests of Fharlanghn and the Priestesses of the White Goddess. The wilderness can be deadly to those who treat it lightly. The most dramatic experience of this geographic shifting is the huge number of rural hamlets that migrate back and forth between fey realms and the real world, often reappearing in different locations each time.
Coinage: The gold lunar is minted in Marbolg by the Duchess of the Mistral Verge, under charter of the Queen of the Yrvaine. The other gold piece in normal usage is the Imperial Heidenlaand Guilder.
The Groat (sp) and penny (cp) of Yrvaine, and the Schilling (sp) and pfenning (cp) of the Heidenlaand are all accepted coinage. Silver and copper coinage are quite plentiful compared to the historic middle ages; the daily wage for a laborer can be as much as 5sp.
Overall Feel: I recommend reading Jack Vance's Lyonesse. This is a fairy tale world where strength of character generally gets you farther than rationality. The gods and the faerie have a strong influence, and the land itself influences the events taking place upon it.
Goblins: Goblins are constantly in and out of the Mistral Verge, and they are tolerated so long as they behave themselves (which seldom lasts). Many large cities contain enough goblins (and occasionally other monsters) to have a goblin quarter. The goblins mainly come from the mountains, and there are even one or two permanent goblin towns fairly close. Of these, Kovrosh Alezki is the best known.
Religion: The main religion in the Mistral Verge (and throughout Yrvaine) is the Galtic pantheon.
How do Peasants Survive in this Wild Area? Villages survive mainly through divine protection. A number of druidic circles (many of them in the deep wilderness) are protective devices. The priestesses of the White Goddess also maintain a mysterious shield (permeable and sporadic as it may be) over the villages and roads. Priests of Fharlanghan similarly ward the roads with magics that are weak but widespread in their effect. None of this is sufficient to turn aside a determined attack, but it is enough to turn aside many beasts and lesser threats.
