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#Post#: 685--------------------------------------------------
Information on the Nation of Solamnia
By: Dungeon Master Date: December 5, 2023, 2:44 am
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From the Dragonlance Nexus Lexicon
[center]Information on the Nation of Solamnia
Article written by Kranar Drogin, Matt, Uziel[/center]
Solamnia is a human nation in northwestern Ansalon. Solamnia has
just about every geographical feature: fertile plains, three
mountain ranges (the Vingaard Mountains, Dargaard Mountains, and
the Garnet Mountains), the longest river, the Vingaard River,
and the Northern Wastes. Not a perfectly flat land, it has
ridges, gullies, dry creek beds, small stands of trees, and
mostly grassy steppe land. People from Solamnia are referred to
as being Solamnic or Solamnian, and they speak Solamnic, or some
of the Knights speak Old Solamnic. Slavery is outlawed in
Solamnia, and if you are caught having slaves, the punishment is
very severe. Solamnia's chief exports are grain and cattle.
The provinces that make up Solamnia are Coastlund in the west,
Palanthas east of that, Hinterlund on the border with Nightlund,
Plains of Solamnia also on the border with Nightlund, Elkholm
and Heartlund south of Plains of Solamnia, and Southlund
southwest of Heartlund. In Southlund, in the area are Caergoth,
the area is known for very violent thunderstorms. From Coastlund
in the west to Hinterlund in the east, live a variety of
people—mostly humans, but small bands of ogres and draconians
are far too common. Originally located in the center of the
Ansalonian continent, Solamnia is now very much a sea-going
state because the Cataclysm dumped three oceans around its
borders.
Age of Dreams
Solamnia was rescued and founded by Vinas Solamnus during the
Rose Rebellion in the years 1799 - 1791 PC. When the provinces
rebelled against the Empire of Ergoth for excessive taxation and
other crimes against them, the emperor dispatched Vinas to
squash any resistance and to hang everyone involved, even some
not involved. Vinas finally came to the end of his campaign when
he laid siege to Vingaard Keep. After a few days of the siege,
the commander of the rebels, Antonias Leprus, invited Vinas in
to listen to their crimes against Ergoth. After doing so,
Antonias had his servant slit his throat. Vinas asked his
generals who wanted to join with the rebellion, and most did.
After a few more years of the Rose Rebellion, Solamnia had its
freedom. The lands of Solamnia bordered Hylo, the Empire of
Ergoth, and Qualinesti in the west, Kharolis in the south, and
Silvanesti and Taman Busuk in the east.
In the year 1775 PC, Vinas Solamnus created the Knights of
Solamnia so that honorable warriors would come to guard not only
Solamnia, but all of Ansalon. With the Knight's help, Vinas
created the city of Palanthas in 1773 PC and had the High
Clerist's Tower built in 1772 PC in the only strategic pass
leading to Palanthas.
From the time the Knights of Solamnia had been established, they
quickly grew into an unrivaled power on Ansalon. The prosperity
of Solamnia has become only second on Ansalon to Istar in the
east. This would all come to a quick end, though.
In the year 1060 PC, the Third Dragon War came upon Solamnia.
Takhisis decided to attack the powerful human nation first. The
human lines of the Knights of Solamnia were quickly overrun
until they had reached the gates of Vingaard Keep, where a final
battle was to take place between the Knights of Solamnia and
Takhisis's evil forces. If not for a young Knight of the Crown
named Huma Dragonbane, all would have been lost for Solamnia and
quite likely the rest of Ansalon. He was able to acquire a
Dragonlance of myth and to stab Takhisis with it, making her
promise to leave forever from Krynn forever. She agrees, and
Solamnia is free from her evil forces, but at the cost of Huma's
life.
Age of Might
Thanks to the help of the dwarves of Thorbardin, Solamnia grants
them mining rights in the Garnet Mountains. There, the dwarves
create the kingdom of Kayolin and the capital of Garnet in 980
PC. Also, sometime during this timeframe, the kender of Hylo
allied themselves with Solamnia. The official date is unknown.
Due to the nature of ogres, they began to give Solamnia some
problems on their trade routes between Thoradin and Istar. The
first instance was in 910 - 825 PC, so-called the Ogre Wars, the
Knights of Solamnia assisted the dwarves of Thoradin in driving
the ogres from their land. Then had some more problems with the
ogres from 530 - 522 PC, The Knights of Solamnia, along with
their allies, drove the ogres back into isolation.
When Istarian trade began to reach its highest levels ever with
Solamnia in 490 PC, raids began to come from the Estwilde. Istar
convinced Solamnia to attack and destroy the raiders, which
Solamnia did, and then to resign the Swordsheath Scroll in 476
PC. Then, almost 100 years later, in 280 PC, Solamnia approves
of the new title of Kingpriest in Istar and the promotion of
good that he will bring to Ansalon.
Cataclysm
In the weeks before the Cataclysm strikes Krynn, a knight by the
name of Loren Soth is tried and convicted of killing his wife,
Korinne Gladria, to have an elf maiden, Isolde Denissa, as his
wife. He is freed by Knights loyal to him, and the Knights of
Solamnia persuade him to the lands of Knightlund and banish him
therein forever. Just before the Cataclysm strikes Solamnia,
huge dust storms whip through the plains lands in warning of
what is to come. When the Cataclysm finally struck Ansalon, the
lands of Solamnia suffered greatly.
The northern coast of Solamnia is where the seas rose and came
inland. New Sea sprang up in the middle of Ansalon, effectively
cutting Solamnia's southern fiefs from the north and drowning
the central regions under the new body of water. In present-day
Solamnia, it is bordered by the Turbidus Ocean to the north and
west, New Sea, Kayolin, and Lemish to the south, and Estwilde
and Throtl to the east.
Age of Despair
In the years following the Cataclysm, the commoners of Solamnia
blamed the Knights of Solamnia for the Cataclysm. Some Knights
go into hiding while others throw down their sword and armor to
leave the Knighthood forever. These are the dark ages for
Solamnia and the Knighthood. In the year 334 AC, peasants led by
Ragnell revolted against the nation, leading to the destruction
of some major castles and the death of a few prominent Solamnic
families. In the course of one of such Castle burnings led to
the birth of the Death Knight Lord Rage.
In the year 351 AC, Dragonarmies invaded eastern Solamnia,
quickly overrunning the Knights of Solamnia there and pushing
them all the way to the High Clerist's Tower by 352 AC. Solamnia
is also betrayed, and Dragonarmies are allowed to invade from
the south, but thanks to Solamnia's allies of the Kayolin
dwarves, the dwarves are able to hold the invaders until the
Knights can regroup and hold the Dragonarmies in the south in a
stalemate. During a Whitestone Council between Solamnia's
allies, the allies begin bickering over who would control a
just-found Dragon Orb. A kender by the name of Tasslehoff
Burrfoot saw this and destroyed the orb so they would stop
fighting over it. A smith named Theros Ironfeld brings forth the
newly forged Dragonlance that will allow the Knights of Solamnia
to ride forth and destroy the dragons of evil.
Following the victory over the Dragonarmies at the High
Clerist's Tower, Lauralanthalasa Kanan is named the leader of
all the forces of the Whitestone Council by Lord Gunthar Uth
Wistan, who has become the nominal Grandmaster over the Knights
of Solamnia. In the summer, Laurana embarks on a campaign to rid
Solamnia of the Dragonarmies; her lightning attacks and
fast-moving army can drive them out of mostly out of Solamnia
and reclaim all the lost lands. Another year passes, and
Solamnia is completely free of all Dragonarmies forces, but the
Knights continue to go after the Dragonarmies wherever they find
them.
There were no major battles in Solamnia until Kitiara Uth Matar
brought her forces into Solamnia and attacked Palanthas. Loren
Soth, the death knight, kills many people, and the flying
citadel causes great destruction, but in the end, the Knights
and defenders of Palanthas are able to throw back the invaders
once Lord Soth disappears with the body of Kitiara. In the wake
of what is being called The Blue Lady's War, it is found out
that Raistlin Majere was trying to draw out the Dark Queen so he
may defeat her and become a god. In the end, he holds her back
in the Abyss so that she will not enter the mortal plane, and
Solamnia is free again.
When the Chaos War broke out in 383 AC, this was the first time
the Knights of Solamnia faced the Knights of Takhisis. The
Knights of Takhisis in one summer were able to take over all of
Solamnia, including the High Clerist's Tower and Palanthas. This
is the first time in the history of Solamnia that evil has
beaten them. Before the dust from the battles had even begun to
settle, Chaos returned to Krynn with his legions. He sent
shadow-wights into northern Solamnia, killing many civilians and
soldiers in their wake. At the High Clerist's Tower, the Knights
of Takhisis are slaughtered, including their leader Ariakan. A
huge canyon is cut into the Solamnic Plains by Chaos as he runs
rampant across Ansalon. Finally, though, he is defeated by the
combined forces of the Knights of Solamnia and the Knights of
Takhisis in the Abyss.
Age of Mortals
In the first months of the new age, the Knights of Solamnia and
the Dark Knights put aside their differences and constructed the
Tomb of the Last Heroes in Solace. In this tomb, Solamnic
Knights and Dark Knights who died defeating Chaos lay side by
side in the peaceful sleep of death, honored by all. The dead,
however, were the only ones who got any real peace.
Within the first year after the Chaos War, great giant dragons
appeared on Ansalon and immediately began carving out large
swaths of territory for themselves. One of these Dragon
Overlords was Khellendros the Blue, formerly known as Skie, the
mount of the Blue Dragon Highlord Kitiara. He came to be called
The Storm Over Krynn, and then he conquered Palanthas and much
of the surrounding territory, driving out any Solamnic Knights
living there. Most of these Knights and their families fled to
Northern Ergoth, where they were welcomed by the emperor, if not
by his nobles.
Despite the presence of the Dragon Overlords, the Knights of
Solamnia were able to slowly rebuild from the losses suffered
during the Chaos War. Nine years after the Summer of Chaos,
Grand Master Gunthar Uth Wistan died, and Liam Ehrling was named
the next Grand Master. His first act was to unveil the new
revised Measure, claiming that Lord Gunthar finished it just
before his death. The new Measure stressed reliance on one
another with faith placed in one’s brethren and emphasized that
a true Knight lives with honor instead of simply talking about
it.
Grand Master Ehrling urged all Knightly circles to oppose the
Dragon Overlords, though not in ways that would directly
confront the great beasts. He knew that a direct confrontation
would mean suicide. At the behest of Lady Crysania, former head
of the Holy Order of Paladine, Lord Ehrling and High Clerist
Alexei Whyndam sent a group of Clerists to the newly established
Citadel of Light to learn the newfound “power of the heart”
Goldmoon was teaching.
For nearly the next thirty years, the Knighthood spent its time
solidifying the positions it held and quietly opposing the
Dragon Overlords, while keeping an eye on, and occasionally
skirmishing with, the Dark Knights and the newly formed Legion
of Steel. Linsha Majere became the first non-Solamnic woman to
be admitted to the Order of the Rose during this time. Partly
through her actions, the Knighthood allied with Hogan Bight, the
ruler of Sanction, and shortly after began to defend the city
from an attacking force of Dark Knights.
The War of Souls 421 AC (38 SC)
The Great Storm swept Ansalon. During the storm, most of the
dragons that were allied with the Knighthood disappeared without
a word. Shortly after the storm, a new commander among the Dark
Knights emerged—Mina. She raised an army made up of both the
living and the dead. The Army of the One God, as Mina named it,
began a march of conquest across Ansalon. The army defeated the
elves of Silvanesti before moving on to confront the Knights of
Solamnia in Solanthus. Mina ordered her army of the dead to
storm the walls of the city. The horror of trying to battle the
dead overcame the defenders of Solanthus, and they were driven
from the city. With this victory, all of the major cities of
Solamnia fell under Dark Knight control. Mina moved her army to
Sanction and, using the same tactics as she did in Solanthus,
easily took the city. It was not long after this, however, that
the One God was revealed as Takhisis, and the other gods
returned and stripped her of her divinity. She was immediately
killed by the Silvanesti king, Silvanoshei, ending the War of
Souls.
Rise of Solamnia begins in Summer 425 AC and ends in 430 AC
The time following the War of Souls was both good and bad for
the Knighthood. The gods had returned, and Kiri-Jolith and
Habbakuk took their places as patrons of the Knights of
Solamnia. However, there was a gap in the triumvirate because of
Paladine’s sacrifice. Kiri-Jolith took his father’s place as the
lead patron of the Knights and extended an offer to Shinare to
become the third patron deity, which she accepted.
Grand Master Liam Ehrling was an old man, unable to command the
respect that he once did. Some of the less honorable and more
ambitious Lord Knights of each of the Orders took command of
their individual Orders on mainland Solamnia and largely ignored
any orders from the Grand Circle on Sancrist. This began a
fracturing of the Knighthood, with each Order almost becoming
its own separate entity on the mainland. Despite this
fracturing, the Knights were able to retake all of the major
cities lost to the Dark Knights or Dragon Overlords. Palanthas
again became the shining jewel of Solamnia, and Solanthus,
Caergoth, and Thelgaard each came under the rule of one of the
Orders of the Knighthood.
Four years after the War of Souls, the Half-Giant Ankhar raised
a monstrous army in one of the less civilized areas of Solamnia.
He began leading his army across the land, pillaging and
plundering every town and city the army encountered. They
smashed the armies of the Crown and Sword at Thelgaard and
Solanthus and nearly razed the city of Garnet. As the monstrous
army advanced on the city of Caergoth, a former Knight of the
Sword turned bandit emerged to reveal corruption at the highest
levels of the Knighthood on the mainland. Jaymes Markham
reunited the three Orders of the Knights of Solamnia into a
cohesive army and spent the next two years leading the Solamnic
army against Ankhar’s monstrous troops, successfully driving
them away from most major cities. Jaymes Markham, though no
longer a Knight, named himself Lord Marshal of Solamnia, and the
Knighthood followed him.
Things on Ansalon have changed quickly with the end of the War
of Souls and the return of the gods. As they have been many
times in their 2,200-year history, the Knights of Solamnia are
at a crossroads. As a whole, the Knighthood survived its defeats
in the War of Souls rather well, and there has been a surge in
new recruits since the beginning of the war in Solamnia.
However, they are missing a leader, have a new divine patron,
and many of the Knights are currently following a soldier who
was kicked out of the Knighthood. The future of the Knights of
Solamnia, like so many other groups on Ansalon, is uncertain in
the still-new Age of Mortals.
Grand Master Liam Ehrling has recently passed away from old age.
However, with the war against Ankhar and his forces in Solamnia,
the Knighthood has not been able to convene a Grand Circle to
elect a new Grand Master. Lord Goddard Tasgall is currently
acting in this role, though he has decided to keep his
headquarters in Sanction for the time being, much to the
annoyance of the lord of that city, Hogan Bight.
Lord Marshal Jaymes Markham is retaking much of mainland
Solamnia. The Knights of Solamnia are currently supporting
Markham and make up a large part of his army, especially in the
command ranks. However, the Lord Marshal is a former knight who
had been branded a criminal for many years, which does not sit
well with many of the higher-ranking knights who are not
directly involved in the conflict on the mainland. The high
command of the Knighthood plans to keep supporting Markham—at
least until Ankhar’s army is finally defeated and Solamnia is
completely retaken—but they have yet to decide what course they
will take after that. Jaymes Markum has other plans.
Empire of Solamnia 429 AC
Rulers Emperor Jaymes Markum and Queen Selinda du Chagne-Markum
Selinda & Jaymes’s unnamed child is born the following spring of
428 AC
The Capital has been moved to Palanthas
Provinces of Solamnia
Palanthas, Capital of Solamnia
Coastlund Hargoth - Capital
Elkholm Egaard - Capital
Gaardlund Gaarlus - Capital
Heartlund Solanthus -Capital
Hinterlund Maelgoth - Capital
Knightlund Kalaman - Capital
Vingaard Relgoth - Capital (Also known as the Plains of
Solamnia)
Southlund Caergoth - Capital
Tanith Mirivale - Capital
Rivers and Waterways of Solamnia
Gold River
Fang River
Salarain River
Silver River
Solvin River
Vingaard River
Watching River
Geography
Banshee Dunes
Bay of Branchala
Destiny's Hand
Dybbuk Sands
Garnet Mountains
Gates of Paladine
King's Road
Knight's High Road
Knight's Road
Knight's Spur
Kobold Cut
Northern Wastes
Tresvka Woodlands
Verkhas Hills
Vingaard Mountains
Warden Swamp
Westgate Pass
Cities, Estates, Castles, Towns, and Villages
Ash
Auchuran
Aunik
Brasdel
Bright Hart
Cairngorn Keep
Castle Brightblade
Castle di Caela
Castle di Estra
Castle di Hojan
Castle Jochanan
Citadel of Karoc-Tor
Connersby
Daron
Dart
Deepdel
Delgaard
Draco's Citadel
Edgerton
Firstward
Gander
Godnest
Gulbluff
Gwyntarr
Hamilton
Harrying
Hartford
High Clerist's Tower
Ironrock
Jansburg
Korval
Kyre
Ligett
Lockhart
Lodestar
Lunistat
Lytburg
Manydell
Naergoth
Oak Hollow
Pathwarden Estate
Patina
Plains View
Port O' Call
Portsmith
Potter's Mill
Ravenscar
Reefcutter's Jetty
Rening
Restglen
Ryn (City)
Ryx
Sage Academy
Scorpi
Signal East
Signal West
Southford
Starmont
Starport
Stimpton
Tearford
Thelgaard
Three Eyes Academy
Trebeign
Tresvka
University of Palanthas
Vingaard
Vogler
Winterholm
Witdel
Yarus (City)
Ruins
Arngrim
City of Lost Names
Heth
Krysus
Shadoa
Vingaard Keep
Wyrm Heart
Mystical and Holy Sites of Solamnia
Cold Heart
Column of Change
Footprint of Chaos
Fount of Wisdom
Lake of Light
Lonely Refuge
Phoenix
River of Healing
Sunward
The Grove
Three Lakes Temple
Wings
#Post#: 691--------------------------------------------------
Garnet-Thax and the Realm of Kayolin
By: Dungeon Master Date: December 6, 2023, 12:06 am
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[center]Garnet-Thax the Realm of Kayolin[/center]
Kayolin, sometimes spelled Kaolyn, is a dwarven kingdom that is
set in the peaks of the Garnet Mountains and is bordered by
Solamnia on its northern, southern, and western sides, and
Lemish to the east. A small number of towns and fortifications
are readily visible in the mountain range, but the large cities
of Kayolin are all based underground beneath the mountains.
Kayolin is populated by the Hylar, Daewar, Neidar, and Aghar
dwarves, who trade and deal openly with humans and merchants of
other races. The realm of Kayolin is a peaceful one that does
not have the clan fighting that is contained in the other
kingdoms of the dwarves and is ruled by a single nominated
governor.
History of Garnet-Thax Realm of Kayolin
Age of Might
During the Third Dragon War, the dwarves of Thorbardin granted
aid to the Knights of Solamnia in the war against the forces of
Crynus and Galan Dracos, and following the war in 980 PC were
granted mining rights to the Garnet Mountains. Proclaiming the
mountain range as a colony of Thorbardin, a contingent of
dwarves soon set up operations in the mountains and within the
next several hundred years, had excavated and built the city of
Garnet-Thax. The nation quickly became known as having the
richest mines in all of Ansalon. Kayolin maintained strong ties
with Thorbardin, even following gaining their independence as a
free kingdom in 500 PC.
Age of Despair
The Cataclysm severed the close ties that Kayolin had with
Thorbardin, with the New Sea creating a gap between the two
dwarven kingdoms. The smaller kingdom learned to survive on its
own and boosted its production of metals and manufactured goods,
becoming the primary supplier of these components for northern
Ansalon. The dwarves of Kayolin then allied with the Knights of
Solamnia to keep the forces of Lemish at bay and forged a
strengthened relationship with their human neighbors in
Solamnia.
Garnet-Thax
Garnet-Thax, also spelled Garnet Thax, was a mountain Dwarf town
founded by the dwarven realm of Kayolin. It was located inside
the Garnet Mountains, near the Dualgates of Kayolin. It was
founded before the Cataclysm as the first city of the Kayolin.
The city was nearly unchanged by the Cataclysm as only a few
tunnels collapsed, but the tunnels were repaired within 10 years
of the event.
The city is enormous, sprawling 12 miles. It was easily larger
than any city built inside of Thorbardin. It contained 18
different levels and was built inside a massive atrium, called
the Governor's Atrium. All 18 levels of the city had balconies
that overlooked the atrium and as the atrium descended downward
it narrowed at the bottom to a distance of less than 100 feet
across.
The top level of the city was the Governor's Palace. Beneath the
palace laid the Noble Quarters on level 17, and below the Noble
Quarters were the mid-levels.
The midlevels were where much of the Kayolin populace lived and
dwelled in the city. The buildings on this level were built from
stone. Businesses and shops were built closer to the balconies
of these levels. The residential homes were found behind the
shops. Most buildings were built from various kinds of marble
that are mined in Kayolin.
Beneath the midlevels was Aghar Haven. The Kayolin set aside an
entire level for the use of the Aghar Dwarves. Underneath that
lay the Deep Levels which contained the city's smelters and
foundries. The city didn't have a volcanic heat source so all
heat was created from coal.
Light was brought into the city by several suntunnels built into
the top of the atrium. Also chimneys on the lower level piped
out the smoke while the warmth of the forges drifted upward to
heat the levels of the city. Directly northwest of the city the
Aqueous Warrens were located.
Buildings of Garnet-Thax
Governor's Palace
Noble Quarters
Forgehall
Aghar Haven
Geography of Garnet-Thax
Aqueous Warrens
Cities of Kayolin
Garnet-Thax - Capital
Blackgaard
Castle Dire
Crestrock
Crystal
Emera
Facet
Garnet Village
Geale
Graymace
Heckle
Knollwood
Ravenshadow's Keep
Rubicon
Spar
Sunsleep
Wildtree
Gates
Dual Gates
Southgate
Westgate
Mines
Allek Delving
Cerial Delving
Crystal Delving
Dhaxam
Dorax Delving
Haxx Delving
Hydraas Mines
Lower Dhaxalder Delving
Phanx Delving
Quarder Delving
Quarth Delving
Thrax Delving
Upper Dhaxalder Delving
Zhaban Delving
Ruins
Dungarden
Tin Cup
Geographical Features of Kayolin
Coldstream
Dragonheights
Emerald Crest
Flowstone River
Garnet Mountains
Garnet Ridge
Iron Ridge
Lair of the Wichtlin
Silvershield River
Sliprock River
Vallenglade of the Centaurs
#Post#: 1205--------------------------------------------------
The Lord City of Palanthas
By: Dungeon Master Date: July 25, 2025, 3:50 am
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[center]The Lord City of Palanthas
Capital of the Empire of Solamnia
Article written by Ravenmantle[/center]
Palanthas, also called Palanthas the Ancient and Palanthas the
Beautiful, is one of the largest cities in Ansalon. It lies
nestled safely in the Bay of Branchala in the northwest corner
of the Ansalon mainland, protected from the furious Turbidus
Ocean. It is home to more than 32,000 citizens, most of whom are
Humans, the rest a mix of other races such as Elves, Dwarves,
gnomes, and the occasional Minotaur and Kender. The Cityhome has
long been the pride of Solamnia, hailed as one of the major
beacons of light in the world, and with its white marble
buildings and magnificent villas, it is a beautiful sight
indeed. The city relies heavily on trade with merchants from all
over Ansalon. Even minotaur vessels are allowed through the
Gates of Paladine.
Palanthas is arranged much like a wheel, with roads forming a
circular spiral, and eight great avenues emerging from the
Central Plaza serve as the spokes of this wheel. The third road
is followed by an immense wall which divides the city into two –
Old City and New City. Old City is the heart of the city. This
is where the Lord Regent and the members of the City Senate
reside, and it is where most governmental buildings lie. On the
other side of the Old City Wall lies New City, covering the
foothills of the Vingaard Mountains. The vast majority of
Palanthas' citizens live in New City.
History of Palanthas
Millennia ago, a small group of settlers, tired of the constant
threat of war, set out to find a new, peaceful land for them to
settle. These settlers signed on to a ship named Bright Horizon,
a ship captained by a man named Agril Stargazer. Captain
Stargazer had heard wonderful things about a place called the
Dragon Isles, a place where they could live in peace. The Bright
Horizon never reached the Dragon Isles. Two days into the sea
voyage, she was hit by a massive storm. This storm lasted for
days and cost the lives of nearly half the ship's crew before it
dissipated. When all was calm, the crew and passengers finally
looked around. What they saw was a hospitable beach followed by
a grassy plain and surrounded by mountains. A mile or so from
the waterline stood a single tower surrounded by a grove of
trees.
The new colony would not have lasted long, however, because the
only lumber they had was what they could salvage from the Bright
Horizon. However, a strange encounter changed that. One year
after the settlers had found what is now known as the Bay of
Branchala, a pirate ship anchored just offshore. These pirates,
led by the infamous Firebrand, often used the bay as a hideout
when the Ergothian navy was too close on their tail. The
notorious half-elf pirate captain made a deal with the settlers
of the colony. She would bring lumber and provisions, and the
settlers would build a proper town. In the years that followed,
the small colony grew into a respectable town that even the
wizards living in the tower visited for provisions, and it soon
became known as a smuggler's haven. The town was called Bright
Horizon.
Bright Horizon's reputation as a haven for pirates, smugglers,
and other folk running from the law made it a feared place for
the good people of the world. However, one man saw potential in
the city – Vinas Solamnus. The founder of the nation of Solamnia
had received a vision that inspired him to found the Knights of
Solamnia. In addition, the vision showed him a place where
Paladine himself walked in the dawn of time – the spot where
Bright Horizon lay. He rallied the people of Solamnia and their
dwarven and elven allies, and together they transformed the town
into a mighty city worthy of Paladine's name.
Palanthas, as the city was renamed, had always been an
independent city, not really part of the nation being formed
around it. The citizens felt that they belonged more to the sea
than any nation, and this was reflected in the first Lord of
Palanthas, Kinnath Homestead, establishing the City Senate and
giving merchants and landless nobles seats in the Senate. To
appease the Knights of Solamnia, Lord Kinnath also installed a
Lord Knight in the city. However, this representative of the
Solamnic Knights had no real power. The Lord of Palanthas and
(to an extent) the Senate ruled the city.
Age of Despair
The Cataclysm shook the continent of Ansalon, destroying the
empire of Istar and killing thousands upon thousands. Cities
depending on overseas trade were landlocked. Yet Palanthas not
only survived the Cataclysm, but it also prospered because it
was the only deep water port still functioning.
The Jewel of Solamnia thrived throughout the Age of Despair
while the rest of the continent was hit with plague after
plague, and even the War of the Lance went by without uneventful
for Palanthas, even though battle raged at the High Clerist's
Tower.
Then came the Blue Lady's War. When the Dragon Highlord Kitiara
Uth Matar launched her assault on Palanthas, she did more damage
to the city in one day than anyone had ever accomplished, and
only the Heroes of the Lance saved the city from total
annihilation. However, instead of falling into despair, the
citizens of Palanthas simply went about rebuilding the city,
which now lay in ruins.
Summer of Chaos
The Summer of Chaos came, and the Knights of Takhisis swept
across Ansalon, intent on conquering the continent. The Knights
of Solamnia put together an active defense of Palanthas, but it
was not enough. The Dark Knights captured the Jewel of Solamnia,
but much to the surprise of her citizens, the city was not
razed. The Palanthians were allowed to live a life of relative
freedom, but absolute law ruled. The Senate was disbanded, and
the Dark Knights took over complete control of the city. That
control didn't last long, however. When the citizens saw how the
Battle of the Rift was thinning the ranks of the Dark Knights,
they revolted and threw out the oppressors. Less than a year
later, however, the Dark Knights returned to the city, this time
as allies of the Dragon Overlord Khellendros, the Storm over
Krynn.
Age of Mortals
The Dark Knights retained control of Palanthas throughout the
Fifth Age, having learned valuable lessons from their previous
occupation of the city. This time, they allowed the Palanthians
to keep the Senate functional, and a new Lord Mayor moved into
the Lord's Palace. However, this was all an illusion, as the
Dark Knights ruled the city from behind the scenes, and they
maintained a large garrison in the city. During the reign of the
Dark Knights, one event in the city stood out above all others.
This was the Night of Black Hammers on Darkember 27, 417 AC,
when the Thieves' Guild of Palanthas was almost wiped out.
War of Souls
The War of Souls demanded a huge amount of resources from the
Dark Knights, and as such, it was a weakened garrison that was
left in the aftermath of the war. In the year 422 AC, the
Knights of Solamnia launched a coup against the depleted Dark
Knights, funded by Bakkard du Chagne (who would later become the
new Lord Regent of Palanthas) and aided by Coryn the White.
After the War of the Half-Giant, during the Rise of Solamnia,
because of its strategic position and importance, the Lord City
of Palanthas was chosen to become the capital of the new empire
of Solamnia.
The Royal couple have captured the hearts and minds of the
people, and the birth of a son represents continuity for the
future of the new nation.
The City
City Guilds
Carters' Guild
Cartographer's Guild
Civil Engineering Guild
Crier's Guild
Fishers' Guild
Heralds' Guild
Lamplighters' Guild of Palanthas
Military and Medical Guild
Thieves' Guild (Underground)
Districts of Palanthas
Golden Estates
New City
Nobles' Hill
Old City
Purple Ridge
Central Plaza
Merchandising District
Palanthas Trade Exchange
Old Temple District
Waterfront
Buildings of Palanthas
A Taste of Silvanost
Ashton Manor
Blossoms
Blue Crab Pier
Boar's Head
Bone and Four Skulls
City Guard Barracks
Crow's Nest
Drookit Duck, The
Fist and Glove
Gardens of Grace
Gilbenstock Mines and Minerals Survey
Goose and Gander Tavern
Great Library of Palanthas
Here and There Knight's House
Lord's Palace
Mauris and Sons Caskets
Mrs. Trundle's Gnomish Inn
Myrtal's Roost
Old City Wall
One-Eyed Kate's Fish Market
Paladine's Temple
Pillars of Justice
Puff's Trading Post
Red Manor
Sacred Objects
Second Skin
Seventh Lance
Shoikan Grove
Shrine of Takhisis
Song of Life
South Gate
Temple of Paladine/Mishakal
Temple of Kiri-Jolith Melissa Du Julliate Priestess of
Kiri-Jolith
Temple of Shinare
The Dwarven Spring
The Philosopher's Stone
The Portal Bar
The Solace Inn
The Third Eye
The Whetstone
University of Palanthas
Roads and Streets of Palanthas
Admiralty Street
Aesthetics Row
Avenue of the Sun
Bayside Road
Bookbinder's Street
Boulevard of Gold
Fishmonger's Street
Fleece Street
Globe Street
Gravedigger Alley
Greenway
Horizon Road
Jawbone Alley
Knight's Candle Street
Knight's High Road
Market Street
Palisade Lane
Poulter's Lane
Scholar's Way
Shipwrights Lane
Silver Street
Smith's Alley
South Road
Street of Anvils
Temple Row
The Vingaard Road
Trade Street
Truth Street
Windsong Street
Washwell Alley
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