Varsit

Varsit is a nation in Maligon Gnomes and halflings living with hill dwarves, proud and protective of its enormous glades of flowers. Monarchy.

Riddel, Rosecliff and Petalskol

Varsit has a proud history of kings, knights and nobility. At the end of the Irongate war, Halfling hero Oshace Freestride of the red dragon faction set out to create a farmland kingdom and escape from the endless castle of Gesurb. Freestride’s army fought off gnolls and hobgoblins, and conquered an area of pastures buffeted by bare stone mountains to its south and north east. The early years of the Freestride halfling monarchy was marred by clashing with Grek’s march to create Ringiff and later the Arapad-Clovis line. To defend the valley Shields of Summer were founded, a prestigious order of knights, much like the dragon knighthood of Gesurb. The shields have a fortress in the centre of all three of the towns of Varsit, honoured drinking halls covered in the heraldry of knights and training young squires. In modern ages the shields of Varsit are mostly Halfings, Gnomes and dwarves, who have made their home in the valley. Thanks to this stable monarchy and strong defences, Varsit has been able to cultivate flowers in its meadows and glades, something that has made the country unexpectedly wealthy.

Riddel was the first of the small villages established by the Freestride family, Named for some draconic ancestor of the halfling clan. As mentioned previously, it has a Fortress of the shields of summer on it’s eastern side. This impressive sandstone building is four stories, with an aviary for falcons and small gryphon chicks. The knight captain is the rank that commands those stationed within the fortress, and the current captain is Argus ‘Jawbone’ Donally the first dwarf to bear the honour. The piazza and fountains outside the Riddel fortress are the central forum for the town, often with market spaces and announcements on noticeboards. The fountains depict the goddesses Kushinda and Takamul with heroes of the knightly orders and a central pinnacle with King Oshace Freestride. Depicted in a mannerist style it is grandiose to the point of bad taste, floral wreathes and elongated figures of carved marble covering every surface. The town outside of this is a mix of unremarkable businesses and homes. A gnomish bakery called Hackendorf’s, a dwarven ironmonger called Lumhilde and daughters, a human carpenter called woodgrains of truth. The village pub is the ‘Crown of Oshace’ a traditional halfling borrowed inn under a hill of wildflowers.

Rosecliff stands on the banks of the Mcfae river and beneath the large volcanic cliff from which its name is drawn. Rosecliff was the first of the towns to really discover the value in the glades of the valley and the enormous money that could be made from the wild flowers and by cultivating the rarer flowers that can be gathered and replanted by the guild of Varsit botanists. Rosecliff is a curious sight. Amost all of its buildings are somewhat dug into the soil of the cog, many with fields of plants grown on the rooftops. The Exceptions are made entirely of glass and metal frames, so that rare plants can gain light without being fully exposed to the elements of the south east. The largest and most impressive are owned by the Botanist’s guild, but every rosecliffer with gold or platinum in their pocket wishes to have one of these conservatories on their property. The Rosecliff Shields of summer are located on the Mcfae waterfront, training Knights to be able to function as marines of a riverboat navy. The Shield captain of rosecliff is Niddona Tetratogg, a very excitable knightess who has been spending most of her time trying to tame a Hippocampus that ended up in her possession. Rosecliff prides itself on the extreme quality of both their flowers of display and of their edible flowers and flowering fruits. Alliums, Nasturtiums, Chamomile, mints, bee balm and others all bare the Rosecliff seal of approval.

Petalskol is the current capital of Varsit, the small town constructed around the complex round Skol fortress. Riddel was the former town of the king’s throne but moved after a persistent war with the neighbours in Ringiff. Petaskol eschews traditional halfling construction, instead two and three story buildings are built connected by duckboard along the southern bank of the Mcfae river. King Davfire and Queen Paegwen of the family Havenhands are entering their third decade of rule. King Davfire is a possibly a distant descendant of the first kings of the Freestride family, and makes this obvious in his heraldry and court titles. The royal captain of the Shields of summer in Petalskol is the kings younger sister, Duchess Unawyse Havenhands. The knight hall of Petalskol is considered by many vto be one of the major artistic achievements of Maligon. Built within the butresses of the Skol Fortress, every surface is illuminated with illustrations of valour, heraldry of heroic knights, pedigrees and stories, patterns of flowers and prayers to Leholimo and Kushinda. It houses over fifty swords and shields of knights who have fallen or retired in honour, many of which contain enchanments that have baffled even the Archmagospremiers of Zuge. While she tends to her knightly duties admirably, some in the court have commented on a disquiet in Duchess Havenhands. There is a sense on dissatisfaction with her brother and sister-in-laws rule, and an unmistakeable fire of ambition within her.

While the majority of flowers are grown in Rosecliff, The guild of varsit botanists has enormous presence in Petalskol. Most obviously is the large Guilder’s hall that contains an enormous pyramid glasshouse on its roof and multiple lecture and study halls. One nameless street of the handsome town is covered in the Bulb symbol of the powerful guild. While most of the businesses there are florists and costermongers, some of the most wealthy and influential are apothecaries, Pharmacists and chemists. Some of these botanists are far more sinister and secretive than they would initially appear. The Guild of Varsit issues certificates and licences when a guilder has completed their extensive training, most proudly displayed where they can show their craft or work. These are named after flowers, the orchid for research and creation of hybrids, the carnation for presentation, the pansy for culinary arts, the rose for outstanding achievement in any field. There is however, a level of degree that is never shown publicly, the nightshade. Those with the nightshade certificate are encouraged and allowed by the crown to develop poisons, toxins, hallucinogens and narcotics, primarily to influence and assassinate leaders of other countries. The varsit guild of botanists’ Guildmaster is halfling noble named Lady Roslienne Littlesong. Its treasurer, a common born halfling woman called Kithwyn Stillmend is known by those who are aware of guild activities as ‘the nightshade mistress’ and she controls more of the guild than Littlesong would be comfortable admitting.

The knights of the shields of summer are explicitly trained to guard not the villages of their nation, but the meadows and dales between them. The land is ludicrously rich, the waters of the Mcfae containing nutrients that seep into the soil that many consider blessed by the goddesses. An adventurer could come across a seemingly empty field and discover an entire platoon of Varsit Knights in full plate bearing banners, two or more officials from the kings court recording on wax tablets and twelve or so professors, botanists and apprentices from the guild. If even allowed to advance by the Shields of Summer, they would discover that the Botanists are simply measuring the growth of a common weed and comparing it to the results for the previous years flowers as Varsiters record these conditions and make documents to the crown. Glades protected by the throne of Varsit would also incur heavy penalties and punishment for their damage or destruction. One thorn in the side of the knights however are the lone trolls that have moved into the region from the hills of Suntij and the Lumthonom mountains in the last twenty years or so. While unable to keep a community together, these solitary trolls are still incredibly dangerous and supernaturally resilient, some sprouting multiple limbs or even heads after receiving what would be fatal damage to other creatures. It is not uncommon for the Knights have rivalries with their troll quarries, some having hunted them for years at a time. The animals that live in the meadows have often been encouraged for the good of Varsit’s flowering plants. The nation has the highest amount of bees, butterflies and pollinating insects and arachnids of all kinds. Common is also the Varsit vole, or Varsivole. While not prised by the inhabitants, Small bugcatching birds like the Monsfa bunting, Honour lapwings and the common skylark are found in great numbers in the Varsit meadows.