Roviere is the setting for Verdant Heart, Book Two in Tearing the Darkveil! Coming Soon!
Government: Monarchy, subject to the King of East Rendin
Ruler: Duke Ethrium Roviere
National Religion: The Cult of the Weave
The Duchy of Roviere, founded in 378 A.R.M.(After the Rise of Murapii) is nestled in the Verdant Bay, after the land was awarded to Ermenricht Wolfanger by King Louis "Grengarbane" du la Rent, for his heroism during the Grengar Wars. The Duchy's lands stretch up to the Eau River in the north, along the Nord River to the west and the Verdant Bay to the east, ending at the southern cape of Viropoint.
Roviere is the largest and wealthiest city in Azrea. The surrounding area is flat plain in the heart of a broad valley with many small rivers and agreeable summers. It boasts the most fertile land, not only in Azrea, but in Apour as well. From the Verdant Harbour, shipments of grain, meats, vegetables, fruits, wool, and leather supply most of the region with food.
Many traders and merchants head quarter in the great duchy of Roviere. Many of whom were bought out by the Itavian owned, EATC (East Azrean Trading Company). The ruthless, and highly bureaucratic organisation, has taken full control of trade on the Azmurean Sea, and all traders navigating its water are required to pay them a tax. In Roviere, the EATC's subsidiary Bjorn & Sons, a highly effective and dangerous mercenary group, enforce the company's rules.
The people of Roviere are see themselves as separate from East Rendin, despite officially being part of the greater kingdom. Roviere's nobility look down on the rest of Azrea, considering Mura and Kurhan their only peers. This has given Rovians a reputation as snobbish turncoats.
For sometime, Moriant and Roviere have been working on a trade deal, Iron and Steel for Grain and Meat, but East and West Rendin politics have caused endless delays in the process. Roviere desires access to Moriant's steel to resource a collaborative project with Quintrom to upgrade the city's infrastructure and dramatically increase they food processing capacity.
Both Jor and Lot are significant deities in Roviere. Lot, for her seasonal blessings and control. Jor, both for the Fertile land of the Roviere valley and the Verdant Heart, which is an artefact crafted out of her essence. The Piece of Divinity is used in the final ceremony of the Mid-Winter Festival.
Rovians are also known for their festivals and the sports that accompany them. The Mid-Winter Festival of Lot: the goddess of Winter and Summer, Life and Death. Each year, the Verdantfield Stadium hosts fifty-one days of games through the middle of winter, which often involves big prizes for participants and attendees. People come from all over Azrea to engage in them as participants and spectators. However, the primary feature of the competition is the battle between the Red and Green factions. The Reds represent the nobles and merchants, while the Greens represent the farmers and workers. Victory on the Verdantfield generates political support that is used to sway policy and even change laws.
The East Azrean Trading Company are the most significant member of the Reds, and for the Greens, it is Mollenhearth, led by the First Farmer and the Arch-Druid of the Abundant Grove. The Duke, seen as the White Faction and is largely neutral, mediates disputes between the other factions, but avoids direct intervention where possible.
Festivals
Mid-Summer Festival
The Mid-Summer Festival celebrates their abundance of crops and it takes place during the peak of the growing season. As with the Mid-Winter Festival, Mid-Summer is dedicated to Jor and Lot, in appreciation for their blessings.
The festival begins with a large gathering on King Louis Avenue by the the South Fields, and turns into a grand parade that travels through the streets of Verdantborough. The procession of colorful floats, music, and dancers dressed in elaborate costumes ends at the Verdantfield Stadium, where the Duke, and Arch-druid address the crowd before kicking off the sports with the sheep races. Participants must carry a fully grown ewe around, circling the stadium, and the last one standing wins. Other games and contests, include tug of war, races, archery competitions, and, most illustrious of all, Grenguard (See the rules below).
Many vendors make a living at the Verdant Market out side the stadium, selling all manner of food, drink, fresh fruits, vegetables, woolen goods and crafts.
The festival ends with a grand feast sponsored by the Duke with fireworks display sponsored by the quintri Technomancers Guild in Little Techima.
Mid-Winter Festival
The Mid-Winter Festival is much the same as the Mid-Summer Festival, except that it begins in the North Fields, and the parade travels along East Gully Road, Palace Way, and King Louis Avenue to reach the Verdant Field Stadium. It lasts for 51 days, ending on the Eve of Lot.
Rovians love their games and the Stadium hosts many for the duration of the festival. While the Verdant Market continues to supply attendees with anything they may want to buy.
During the festival Rovians only work in the morning and attend the games during the afternoon. Neighbors and friends congregate at the food stalls, to discuss their favourite teams and make bets, while drinking hot-spiced-wine and other warm delicacies.
On the Eve of Lot, after the Grenguard finals, the winning teams are presented with their prizes by the Arch-Druid, and they stand by her as she conducts the closing ceremony. The Arch-Druid casts the Verdant Heart's power over a large set of quintri fireworks. When they are set of, they lace the clouds with the Verdant Heart's spell. The resulting snow fall from these clouds, enriches the soil to quadruple its yield without requiring any crop cycling.
Grenguard Games Rules
Historical Context:
Grenguard is a celebration of the day King Louis Grengarbane reclaimed the Holy City of Kindra from the Grengar. With deities requiring places of power like the Holy Mountain in southern Azrea to channel their energy into the physical world, Louis' conquest effectively restored the Ladies to Azrea and allowed their followers to, once again, connect with their goddesses.
Game Objective:
Two teams compete in a match that consists of multiple rounds. Each round the teams must either defend or assault a shrine.
One team is designated the Attackers and the other is the Defenders.
Each team is confined to their starting location, until the round begins, and must return to their starting location at the end of each round.
Between rounds, team members can receive medical assistance to restore them to health.
Substitutions are allowed between rounds, when a team member cannot continue. A team that cannot field at least three team members, they forfeit the match.
The Attackers must convert one of the two shrines by physically touching it for a cumulative 30 seconds.
Defenders can drain or stall the conversion by touching the shrine, restoring it completely in withing the same amount of time as an Attacker held it.
Each round, if the shrine hasn't been converted after five minutes the Defenders win the round.
After five rounds, the teams exchange roles and starting locations. The Attackers become the Defenders and the Defenders the Attackers.
First team leading by more than 1 round with 6 or more round wins, wins the match.
After the initial swap, every 5 rounds, if there is no clear winning, the teams swap again.
Team Composition:
Each team consists of five players.
Team captains flip a coin, and the winner can choose to defend and attack first.
Token Economy and Start of Round Purchases:
The team have a Token pool that they can spend to equip team members at the start of each round.
Each time the teams swap roles, the team's Tokens reset to the base starting Tokens of 12.
Winning a Round: A team that wins a round earns 24 Tokens.
Losing a Round: A team that loses a round earns 15 Tokens.
Consecutive Losses: For each consecutive round loss, the losing team earns an additional 3 Tokens, up to a maximum of 24 Tokens per round (15 initial + 3 x 3).
Individual Actions earn Tokens:
Incapacitating an opponent with a melee weapon: 1 Token
Incapacitating an opponent with a dagger:Â 3 Token
Weapons and Spells:
At the beginning of each round, the captain of each team can spend tokens to purchase the following for any of its members.
Dagger: Cost 2 Tokens. Quick but short-ranged.
Short Sword: Cost 7 Tokens. Balanced in terms of speed and range.
Long Sword: Cost 10 Tokens. Longer reach but slower.
Mace: Cost 8 Tokens. Mitigates damage reduction from armour but slow.
Quarterstaff: Cost 6 Tokens. Long reach and fast but half damage against armour.
Heavy Crossbow: Cost 12 Tokens. Long-range and powerful but slow reload.
Repeating Crossbow: Cost 10 Tokens. Long-range with faster reload but less power.
Shield: Cost 9 Tokens. Mitigates damage if it catches the blow.
Half Armour:Â Cost 5 Tokens. Reduces damage taken by Quarter.
Full Armour:Â Cost 9 Tokens. Reduces damage taken by Half.
Healing Spell: Cost 10 Tokens. Restores a quarter of target's overall health.
Stun Spell: Cost 7 Tokens. Incapacitates an opponent for 5 seconds.
Smoke Spell: Cost 5 Tokens. Creates a smokescreen, 15 yards in diameter that lasts 20 seconds.
Speed Spell: Cost 7 Tokens. Doubles target's speed for 10 seconds.
FOOT-NOTE: These rules can be adapted for Dungeons and Dragons by using the default stats for weapons and armour. It's recommended to use NPCs balanced to the creature rating appropriate for the competing party.
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