Connects to: 05.05, 07.06, 18.10, ‘23.16, 26.20, 29.14.47, 50.29, 51.29.01, and 50.04.
The waters that flow from the Draugmere Peaks drop down into the Glass Rapids (05.05) and through many caverns (07.06). Those waters that do not sink down into the Sunless Sea seep into the low-lying Brindlebrook Swamp (18.10) where they mingle with waters that wash down from the north before flowing southwards into the River of Crystal Waters that flows through the Duchy of Thring. It is a land known for its brave knights, soaring castles and the Seven Laws of Thring.
Hex Summary
Features
- Grant Birl is a pretender to the throne of the Duchy of Thring; he is suing the Collector in Thring v Jack Donne.
Connections:
- The Skull of the Defiler (51.29.01) was once used to defeat an entire army of the knights of Thring.
- The Witch Queen *(23.16) *is a sworn enemy of Thring.
- Messeren Talbote (50.29), an officious exile of the Duchy, serves the Great Mother of the gnolls as a gatekeeper.
- The Duchy is recovering from the march of Yaegha Six-Kidneys (50.04).
- The August City of Blind Midshotgatepool (26.20) is a colony, ally and trade outlet for the Duchy of Thring.
- Elharen the Silent (29.14.47) has come here to seek aid in her personal war against the gnolls of the Burning Lands.
- The goblin Fughol the Ageless has sent a party of goblins to kidnap some of the maidens of Thring (11.11).
Mounts of Thring
Connects to: 07.21, 13.17, 16.16.04, 16.16, 17.11, 17.18, 17.21, 20.13, 20.16, 20.18 and the Devil’s Fingers.
Since the horses went out of the world, the question of the best mount for riding upon has been an eternally unresolved question. Today in Thring, the most valiant knights (cynics would say the richest) ride upon the resurrected horses of old (16.16.04), but most are forced to find other means of transport. Each castle generally chooses a different form of mount, and the lords often bicker about which is the best choice.
It is said that some individual knights have their own forms of transport. The Spellknight (Knights of the Cudgel) uses his magic to summon a ghostly charger. Lord Spiriwon the Cruel is known to ride on a horse-shaped palanquin carried by six stocky slaves (20.16).
Connections:
- A handful of the most elite knights of Thring win lions as their mounts while those that fail must join the lion prides (17.21).
Hooks
- What other weird mounts are used by the knights of Thring and others?
- Tell me more about the Spellknight or Lord Spiriwen.
History
The Lords Sanguine launched a coup against Turien, the last High King of Gore. Turien, still in motley, begged the vassal kings of Thring for help winning back his throne. They were busy fighting the Lords Sanguine and one another, and neither they nor The Verlimes heeded him.
Ulthar proclaimed the Duchy of Thring after he took advantage of the fall of the High King to conquer the banks of The River of Crystal Waters. He forced the petty kings of Thring (each with an earth whisperer companion) to replace their crowns with lead diadems. This also seems to signal the end of the old religion of Thring, which involved worship of The Pacharia.
Turien, now known as the King of Fools, lived out his days in Castle Tarengael (16.16) as has the rest of his line.
Organisations
Witch Clans
Two of the Witch Clans, The Birls and The Penderghasts, live in The Duchy of Thring.
The Sack Man
The Sack Man and his bugbears snatch children.
The Laws of Thring
There are seven fundamental laws of Thring.
Nobility of Thring
- Castle Dinivar (Lady Naideen, black ostriches)
- Castle Steadfast (Charles the Cuckold, Lord Cameron Steadfast [the Cuckolded Count]; mules)
- Castle Tarengael (The Duke; boar, cowhorses)
- Forked Castle (enormous lizards)
- Piss-and-Shit Castle (abandoned)
- Fourth Castle (Lord Kadash)
- Castle Spiriwin (Lord Spiriwin the Cruel)
