Mageweave Barony

## *The* **First Barony** of the **Marquis’ Court**

Elevated and chartered as a barony in 1414, the Mageweave Barony has evolved as a polity along with House Stonehearth itself. Two of the five component families were Baldur's Gate patriars beforehand and this was a second official recognition of nobility. Together, the five were baronets until the families evolved to the point that one rose to assume full leadership and the other four formed the core of local House of Lords.

Administered by House Sid, the family hails from Halruaa and brings roots that stretch deep into history, with some connections traced back as far Netheril. The 1489 leadership starts with Baron Yengevin Sid, a competent wizard whose true magic is in the coordination of magical affairs, domestic politics and international diplomacy on behalf of the barony – *and the Stonehearth Marquisate itself*.

Since the founding of the barony, the families have proven their prowess and loyalty to Stonehearth time and again with a magical defense of the upper northeast corner of the peninsula. Notably, this barony wasn't granted adjacent to Stonehearth marquisate territory; rather it was carved *from* marquisate territory.

### **A Shining Beacon**

The magic and civility of Mageweave has been a shining light in the darkness and brutality of the world, attracting citizens and practitioners of magic from the far reaches of Faerûn. While all are welcome to visit, precious few are authorized to stay.

The same light seen by the hopeful is also seen by malevolent. The Mageweave barony is seen as representative of everything Stonehearth is, and some cases, perhaps more. By that token, Mageweave has become a target for the likes of Thay and Larloch himself.

### **Local Geography**

There are eight primary support settlements, with three villages on a narrow strip of highlands grassland, three villages on the lowlands riverbanks, and two hamlets nestled into small plateaus that break up the 800-foot rise of the cliffs above the water.

The primary town and county seat is **Volkerburg**, on the largest ledge of the wall, about 300 feet up from the riverbanks. Like the two support hamlets, the great majority of town stretches into the walls, with caverns carved from the same stout basalt as the cliff walls.

The edge of the Volkerburg Plateau can dock airships or receive griffon riders. It's rare that a Halruaan airship, either diplomatic or merchant, isn't docked there.

Most of the local food staples comes from the crops grown on the highlands and the riverine fishing, but the nature of the markets don't differentiate between marquisate and baronial customers. Like the rest of the greater Marquisate, the barony has high-value, high-volume exports (mostly magic), and imports fine foods and exotic items of all sorts.

### **The Mageweave University**

Stonehearth does not train outsiders in Primal Magic. That much is common knowledge (once a person has been in Baldur's Gate or anywhere in the marquisate for a few days). There are, however, dozens of competent places for non-House folk to learn and the most prestigious is the Mageweave University. They have a similar indoctrination process to Stonehearth, with near-military grade geasing as part of the process to ensure that the slaver likes of Thay or Imaskar does not take hold of Primal magic.

The MU charges a premium tuition, but the education is worth every bit of gold. This, for the wizarding world, is the barony's most famous export: *knowledge*.

## **Visiting the Barony**

The magic of Mageweave is so pervasive and powerful that it's a destination just to pass through and experience the magical wonders of the future – and the echoes of the past. Tourists and merchants won't see a torch or a maid in the barony: the lighting is all-magical and there are animated brooms, dusters and so on that keep the place sparkling clean.

> **WHAT THE PLAYERS SEE:**
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> From the riverbanks to the highlands above is an 800 foot climb. The steep path to the top goes to a plateau some 300 feet above the riverbank. The path diverges to two smaller plateaus and what appears to be cliffside hamlets, but the main path is a switchback past walls and towers that look graceful... *yet thick*.
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> Like North Point, the roads climbing up are brick-paved with central cobblestone paths for the horses but most of the traffic is horseless carriages. Visible from the highlands or the river, the plateau-town of Volkerburg has a floating airship docked and landing pads for griffon riders. Inward from the ledge is a tall tower with the hefty keep at its base.
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> The coat of arms of the Mageweave Barony is emblazoned on the side of the tower. Surrounding the tower are the flags of House Sid and four other baronets, the House Stonehearth crest, the Marquisate Sovereignty, the Commonwealth of Light, and the flags of both Halruaa and Lantan.
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Most of the staircases, especially on the public side, are maginical (magic-mechanical), with disc-steps that float up the hill or down long corridors as a combination of escalator and people-mover. The art, from the paintings to the statues, are animated and tend toward life-like rendering.

Passing through the cliff-side gate, the town is carved into the rock with wide open social and communal areas and spacious, generous living spaces. Most of the subterranean town centers around "The Grand Mall," a cavernous area with an animated and ever-moving ceiling.

Below the Grand Mall is The Exposition, a demonstration area for the magic available. While much of it is purely practical, there are several areas that have incorporated showmanship into the presentation, complete with heart-stopping rides somewhat reminiscent of a magical theme park. The most exciting is called the "Sergeants-at-Arms," a ride based on repulsing the Shadovar attack of 1461. It usually brings adults to tears, and leaves children convinced they need to grow up into heroes.

### **Mageweave Security**

The Wizard’s Tower, or more officially “The Tower of the Weave,” is situated on the primary plateau that also hosts the main town of Volkerburg. While most of the town in dug deep into the walls, the surface structures make quite a statement. Mindful of tactics, but an artful enough presentation that elves would be impressed, are sculpted walls, gates, and sub-towers on the path from the river up or the highlands down. It is effectively unassailable by any means short of a squadron of dragons.

For those few who aren’t already arcane cannons, the barony keeps order in the area and discourages monster harassment by cranking out an army of floating Intelligent Armors, with platoons captained by Helmed Helpers (which quickly become "Helmed Horrors" if they're chasing somebody down).

**Intelligent Armor**

* *Medium construct, unaligned*
* **Armor Class** 18 (Natural Armor), **Hit Points** 33 (6d8+6), **Speed fly** 25 ft.

**Helmed Helper**

* *Medium construct, Neutral*
* **Armor Class** 20 (plate, shield), **Hit Points** 60 (8d8 + 24), **Speed** 30 ft., fly 30 ft.

In more private areas, and growing through the Marquisate as a whole, are inexpensive, reliable sentries that could be found nearly anywhere. These are more traditional, walking animated armors. They're not the brightest, but the recognize who is authorized and who isn't, and they can't be bribed or mind-controlled.

**Animated Armor**

* *Medium construct, unaligned*
* **Armor Class** 18 (Natural Armor), **Hit Points** 33 (6d8+6), **Speed** 25 ft.

## **Behind the Scenes**

Beyond the Grand Mall and beneath the Exposition is a testing site for the trusted mages who are part of the Stonehearth Arms defense effort. Known as "Remote Site Sub-14," it is a shielded, insulated and reinforced site. There is armor on the walls, but most of that for containment: to keep the energy within, not repulse subterranean attack.

In this area was discovered some of the techniques now used against the phaerimm – and there are areas that are still lethally hazardous and toxic. There is ongoing research here, but it is never spoken about in public. One can only imagine that if there is a major Stonehearth foe, such as Larloch, some of the research against him has been and likely continues to be, conducted here.

As defense research facility, the Stonehearth Arms Guard is the primary protector, featuring their own secret special operations unit that focuses on Underdark operations.

### **The Private and Public Faces**

The primary home of House Sid is just off the Grand Mall. Likewise, there are Sid magical manufacturing facilities that have been carved out and reinforced in areas below, with both internal and near-river access and egress.

Baron Sid rarely makes it to the Marquisate Parliament, though the barony is always represented (usually by one of the four supporting baronets). Rather, Master Mage Baron Sid is more often at North Point Keep itself or traveling on behalf of the barony, the Marquisate and a few times, even the Commonwealth. More often than not, his departure and arrival is low-key, if not secret, but every month or so, there's a going-away sendoff or a welcome-home party, usually to the bigger, more visible diplomatic events.