About the Aukarian Republic
For full details, refer to the following pages:
Civilization - Nations - The Aukarian Republic
Khoras - Civilization - Nations - Aukarian Castes
Khoras - Civilization - Nations - Aukarian Houses
Civilization - Cities - Brulan
Khoras - Cultured Races - Greater Races - Humans - Aukarian
When the party leaves the Wandering, they will be dirty, tired and ready to get back to civilization. Exiting the canyons, they find a gorgeous ocean of grass and blue skies before them.
If you've set things up, they have two reasons to go to Brulan. First of all, they have a letter of introduction to a noble house where they can expect to be treated as guests. Second, they have been told about an Aukarian lord who is a hunter, adventurer and collector of curios who has actually BEEN in the Desolation and could guide them to their final destination. Sarroch had advised they seek him out.
Now this section depends entirely on whether they choose to go to Brulan to find Verran or not. If they go to Brulan, they will meet him and try to talk to him into guiding them. He will ask to sleep on it, but there will be an attack on the household in the night and Verran will be slain. Afterwards, they will hear about another person who has been in the Desolation and who might be able to guide them in.
If the players decide not to go to Brulan and head on into the Desolation without a guide, they will still hear about this other possible guide and they will get another chance as they head east. Either way, it is this second guide that the players will end up with. Verran will not go with them. It is this other guide that they will end up with no matter which direction they decide to go. The whole trip to Brulan is just a side adventure.
It’s a long overland journey to the capital city Brulan. You can have them encounter anything you want here. Obviously, this is an opportunity to introduce them to the people and culture of the Aukarian Republic. Whether it's a village, a small town or other travelers on the road, they are bound to run into some Aukarians. Keep in mind that the Aukarians look down on foreigners in general and will seem aloof and haughty. However, the Aukarians may also be intrigued by a group from distant Ithria. So you can play it several ways. The Aukarian Republic is divided up into noble “houses” that compete socially and politically against each other. Some noble houses may wish to ally themselves with this group of foreigners, others may oppose them.
What follows are some notes on things you could have happen if the group stops by the town of Aschandi on the way to Brulan.
At or near the cross roads sign, on the road, the party sees a wooden post with a cloth banner attached. The banner reads
“Welcome Outlanders, House Makra wishes to extend its warmest greetings to you and invite you to stay the week at our humble estate in the town of Aschandi.”
[Note: This is a third reason to go to Aschandi, it’s all about channeling the players, folks. Railroad them! Drive them like cattle to where you want them to go].
And a fourth reason why the party should go to Aschandi… it’s on the way to Brulan. They have to go through it anyway…
And I’d also like to mention again that the players should not be flying or teleporting or using any other stupid magic garbage to get to their destinations faster. Come up with some reason why those types of magic don’t work. It’s not right to have all this wonderful culture and scenery if the players are just going to fly over it or teleport past it. Life is in the JOURNEY. Not the destination. So don’t be afraid to force those fuckers to WALK through the adventure. I don’t care how you do it. But make ‘em walk. Also, if they teleport or fly or use any other wonderful magic spells, they will attract attention. Lots of attention. Make it the kind they don’t want.
One final note… the following DM notes are written for the Aukarian town of Aschandi. However, they don’t necessarily need to take place there. If the players decide to take a different route into the Republic, these events could take place at any town or village in the nation.
Ok, now back to the original notes…
How do they get to Aschani? With the wagon and horses, it’ll take almost 2 full days.
If they camp, they get a visit from an Aukarian Red Bear that smells something interesting in some one’s pack. But otherwise is not a threat. Just a small hungry bear. No other encounters.
They follow the road north… as they approach the town of Aschandi, the players see it’s a good sized and walled town. Either they see the lights at night or smoke from chimneys at day.
At the gates of Aschandi, the guards charge them a few coins each. Do the players have any Aukarian money? If not, magrakian coins are also accepted. If they have no other coins from these realms they might be able to barter their way in with gold and silver from foreign mints, but it’ll cost them more.
Also, the guards address them in Aukarian, or if that doesn’t work, Magrakian. Hopefully the players have some way to converse in one of these two tongues.
The players need to register their spellcasters with the Town Court. The guards at the city gates can tell them that much. At the Town Court, the players must go to the Office of Arcane Law and register with the officer there.
When the players get to the Town Court, they find more guards and a pair of huge wulfren dogs sit outside the Court - large steel grey dogs.
Inside a court official asks them about themselves. Realizing that they hail from distant Ithria, he charges them a flat fee and gives them some paperwork. Essentially this is temporary registration. He gives them a brief talk about limiting magical use in the nation and warns them not to use too spells too freely or they might be facing criminal charges from the courts. But the paperwork he’s given them should help smooth matters as they travel through the country.
He also asks them a few other questions such as
How long will they be in the Republic?
Where are they heading?
The party visits "The Golden Gelding". It's the largest inn/tavern in Aschandi and also the locals will tell them it's "foreigner friendly" and recommend it.
When the party walks into the Pilfered Blade, they see that it's a big place. The common room falls silent. The bard stops playing. Then a group of magrakians waves the party over.
"The Outlanders! Come, sit with us, tell us your tale!" The leader is a big fat magrakian. It could be that the magrakians have heard about the players from other magrakians. Plus, magrakians are just friendly in general, especially while in the Aukarian Republid, they like to hang out with non-Aukarians.
Spot check - Several of the Aukarians are talking in hush tones. Based on their glances, the players think several of them are discussing them.
While in the inn/tavern:
Food and Drinks
What do they order for food and drink? Even if they have some way of reading Aukarian, they still won’t recognize anything on the menu. Here are some descriptions of the strange food items that the server might bring out to them:
A plate of
what looks like purple carrots.
A large bowl of grass. Yes, it looks just like long, green blades of grass. It’s
sweet and minty.
A mug full of what looks like tar. – The locals called it Bretosh.
A glass of water with moss in it. – The moss is a flavoring agent.
The magrakians also have a barrel of Baklath. “The baklath here is no good. We brought our own!”
If any of the players consume Baklath, make them roll a constitution check!!! Can they stomach it without retching or fainting?
The Magrakians will be very friendly and tell the players everything that Sarroch didn't.
These Magrakians know both Aukaria and Chaddamar very well and can answer questions about both nations. They are a mercenary force that guards caravans going between the two nations.
The name of this force is Bloody Hammrers, led by a large, fat magrakians named Puda.
12 Magrakians - all heavy duty combat types.
Second in command is - Joakran
Mage/Priest is – Pladisar.
1. “The Desolation is a dangerous place. I would advise you not set one foot beyond the Wall unless you've got a Guide with you. Some one who knows the Desolation. Without a guide, you might wander for weeks… or worse, get yourself eaten by something.”
2. “Berrik, what was the name of that hunter, the one with all the trophies… the one we did the arms run for 2 years ago… Verran! Yes. That’s right. Verran. He would be a good guide.”
3. “Verran. He's the noble of House Ekaryn in the capital city of Brulan. We've done work with them. “
4. “Aye, business has been great lately. The Mage Lord has returned and with his coming, the Kalanos Marshes have become a dangerous place. The road to Chaddamar is being hit with bandits. Caravans need all the protection they can afford. Business for us is good!”
5. “If you're going to go to an Aukarian House, it's tradition to bring a gift the first time.”
6. “We're just returning from the Theocracy. On our way to Brulan. We'll be returning to Chaddamar in another 2 weeks, likely.”
Sometime during their visit to the town, a young man approaches the group. He is dressed in expensive looking finery.
"Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Great Aukarian Republic. I am Gretnok. Assistant Chamberlain to House Bulivar. My lord has bade me seek you out and tender an invitation to you and your company. My lord pledges you food, weapons, horses and shelter if you would publicly declare allegiance with the grand and noble House Bulivar, anciently seated here in fair Aschandi. If you agree, I shall accompany you to House Bulivar for more formal introductions.”
Soon, a young Aukarian warrior shows up. He’s nothing more than a braggart swordsman and he’s looking for a fight. It might be that he’s heard of the Outlanders and just wants to defeat one of them in sword combat. If, however, one of the players has managed to acquire a Hakaran blade (the traditional sword of the War Master caste in this nation) perhaps by defeating a warlord somewhere along the line, then this young warrior has the perfect excuse to fight them…. he seeks to recapture the stolen Hakaran Blade.
He might say something like this:
"You! Infidel Outlander!"
He spits.
"May House Vanadrad fall before we see an honored blade in the hands of a thief."
He addresses the whole tavern (it would be best if this encounter takes place in a tavern or other crowded place):
"I, Glamatis, demand satisfaction. This man slew a Warlord in a duel. He fought without honor. And from the blooded hands of a fallen warlord, he stole a Hakaran blade. You will draw this stolen blade, thief, and defend yourself."
Glamatis looks young. About 25. His armor is well cared for and polished. His blade is likewise well cared for. You could have this encounter go any way you want. You could make Glamatis a tough opponent and let the dice fall where they may. Or you could make him a pushover and easy to defeat. In the latter case, it’s important how the party treats him. If they gang up on him, they fight without honor and it’ll come back to bite them. Or, if one party member fights him fairly and defeats him, but lets him live, then that mercy will be rewarded. You see, Glamatis has an older brother, a true Warlord. And he’ll show up later and treat the party in different ways depending on how they treated Glamatis.
The players can stay at an inn or do the following optional encounter.
Optional Encounter – House Makra
House Makra offered the party an invitation, see above. If the party goes to House Makra, which you can place wherever, here’s how the encounter might go.
They are greeted by the Chamberlain who is an old Aukarian male dressed in regal finery and robes.
“Welcome to House Makra. You are, no doubt, weary from the road. Please allow us to extend to you every courtesy that House Bulivar has to offer”.
The players, as guests, are given robes and slippers. Their weapons are taken and wrapped in silk. Both of these acts are Aukarian tradition.
The Chamberlain gives them perfumed baths, food and women. Female charadters are offered male companions.”
Eventually, the party gets to meet Umbra Makra - the Noble of the House. He greets them with the following
“It is an honor to meet you [fill in the names of party leader, etc]. Tales of your exploits precede you across the lands of Aggradar. Unlike other houses of Aukaria, House Makra sees the benefit of an alliance with our newly come ambassadors from the distant lands of Ithria.We wish that you publicly declare that you are formerly allied with House Makra. And we propose that you deny any such alliance with any other noble house. In so doing, House Makra will be a safe haven for you in the stormy political intrigue of the nation. Any assistance we can offer you at any time will be rendered without hesitation”.
The players are free to accept this if they wish. If they do, House Makra will live up to their word and offer assistance to the party, within reason. In exchange, House Makra gets some political clout by allying with the Outlanders.
The road passes through woods, hilly areas and by several small farming communities.
 |
Every now and then, the road goes by a large palatial estate with vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see. Undoubtedly one of the “noble houses” of Aukaria. |
|
At one point, they pass a hunting party. They are being led by a noble who will be haughty and arrogant and ignore the party. If harassed, they could be provoked into fighting. They are well armed and trained. Make them as tough as you like. |
|
A small caravan of Aukarian traders. |
Do they stay at a village or camp? If a village, there is one small inn. They have a common room (which has 3 others) and one private room which sleeps two. If they camp, a small sathwon tree bear comes around sniffing for food. Not a threat, but it might make a mess of camp. It could also make off with a potion or something else that smells edible. This could be quite comical. Imagine if the bear was able to get at and eat a potion of invisibility. Now they’ve got an invisible bear to deal with. And it’s hungry. Have fun with it.
Some young warriors, hoping to prove themselves, will flock to the party hoping for fame and glory. After all, these “Outlanders” attract attention. Most of these followers will be more nuisance than help.
Here’s one example:
You see a man coming up the road behind you. On foot. Running. Out of breath.
His name is Turell. He has tattered clothing and a manacle with broken chain around one ankle. He is unarmed except for a crafted club and crude spear.
"If [fill in name of party leader] will let me travel with him, I swear on my life, I will die for him".
If the party asks about this stranger and who he is…
“I was, until five days ago, a slave of House Taumdel. I was traveling as a laborer with a Taumdel caravan in the east towards Chaddamar when it was attacked by vothen raiders from the Marshes. By a twist of fate, I managed to escape. I’ve traveled on foot for five days. I have no place in Aukarian society. I am a slave. Nothing more. But if I could but travel with you, I feel I could change my Fate.
During the trip on the road, the characters see a huge herd of woolly bison. They also see several horsed men herding the great beasts across the broad grasslands.
Approach to the Capital City
First impression - it's a HUGE city. It's on the coast and a vast sea stretches out from it. Smoke rises from dozens of chimneys. Several of the buildings are quite tall. Impressive architecture. You can see it even from this distance. And a great curtain wall wraps around the city.
Entering the Gates of Brulan
Dealing with the guards and such.
The main gates are impressive. Sixty feet tall and solid bronze. Very decorative.
The guards demand an entrance fee in Aukarian coin.
First impressions of the city. It's very clean. Organized. Very decorative. Every building is well maintained.
The party asks around and finds out that Verran lives in an estate just north of the city. They can spend as much time in Brulan as they want. They can purchase almost anything here. They can re-equip, replenish supplies, etc.
When they are ready, they can travel north to find Lord Verran and see if they can talk him into being their guide into the Desolation of Shidar.
If the party had an encounter with Glamatis, the braggart swordsmen, then this is the follow up part…
The party hears clip-clop of a heavy horse.
A huge man in heavy Warlord armor and a massive warhorse approaches from the south. He quickly catches up to the party.
This man’s attitude toward the party will depend entirely on how they treated Glamatis. He’s either going to thank them or challenge them. Either way, he introduces himself first.
Assuming the party spared Glamatis… the man says the following:
"I am Daesher of House of Vanadrad. Elder brother to Galatis. He challenged you to a duel and you nobly defeated him.
You do honor to yourself with this act.
A man of your skill but lacking your virtue might have slain him with a single blow.
You must forgive his arrogance. He is young, foolish, headstrong. Were his sword as sharp as his tongue, he might have bested you.
For sparing his life, I am in your debt.
If ever you have need, you may call upon my blade"
If asked to, Daesher will join the party and fight with them. He is a very skilled warrior and is very well armed. He has few skills other than fighting.
Verran’s estate is easy to find. It's a huge estate with multiple wings, all built around a huge central courtyard.
The mansion is about 20,000 square feet. The estate is about 25 acres, most of it orchard and vineyard.
The Chamberlain Greeting
They are greeted by the Chamberlain who is an old Aukarian male dressed in regal finery and robes. Upon realizing who they are (the Outlanders that everyone is talking about), he welcomes them.
“Welcome to House Bulivar. You are, no doubt, weary from the road. Please allow us to extend to you every courtesy that House Bulivar has to offer”.
PCs get robes and slippers. Weapons are wrapped.
The Chamberlain gives them perfumed baths, food and women. Beth is offered a male companion.”
The Herald of the House Greets Them
“It is an honor to meet you. Tales of your exploits precede you across the lands of Aggradar. Unlike other houses of Aukaria, House Bulivar sees the benefit of an alliance with our newly come ambassadors from the distant lands of Ithria."
"Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Great Aukarian Republic. I am Gretnok. Assistant Chamberlain to House Bulivar. My lord has bade me greet you and tender an invitation to you and your company. My lord pledges you food, weapons, horses and shelter if you would publicly declare allegiance with the grand and noble House Bulivar, anciently seated here in fair Brulan.”
Verran is seated in a throne like chamber. His trophy room is his throne room.
A pair of huge wulfren dogs (large steel grey dogs) are seated beside the throne.
There are greeted by Lord Verran. He's a tall man, well built, with a mane of white hair, goatee and beard. Brilliant blue eyes. Dressed a bit gaudily.
Verran is flanked by 2 guards, maybe an advisor.
Verran has a huge trophy room. Dozens of trophies. He wants to impress the characters. There are dozens of animal heads, etc.
He even has the protected remains of a Shidaran Zombie and a Horde Creature.
Verran wants to think about it
The players make their proposal and ask Verran to be their guide into the Desolation.
Verann says :
“It is always a magnificent hunt. But I barely made it out alive last time. And it's a long journey through Chaddamar. As you can imagine, I'm a wanted man there. Allow me the night to consider it.”
The characters are shown to their rooms.
They are given three large adjoining bed chambers in the guest wing.
That night, while unpacking and getting ready for bed, one of the characters discovers a folded parchment, handwritten, that has been slipped into a pocket or bag. The letter reads as follows:
You seek a knowledgeable guide to lead you into the Desolation. I have the perfect man for you. A man who has been into the Desolation six times. No one knows the lands beyond the Wall better. And he is not a wealthy man. No. He could be persuaded with a little gold.
Now I know that you seek Verran. Lord Verran is a great hunter and he's probably very experienced, but he'll attract attention in Chaddamar. Better to go in with someone with more experience and less known. All I ask for my information is the very humble sum of 50 gold siar.
Meet me at the Pilfered Tavern as soon as possible. I will find you."
In the middle of the night, there is an assassination attempt. A secret brotherhood of morphians exists who will try to prevent anyone from reaching the Jaidor Talisman. They will make several attempts to slow or stop the party. This is the first. The morphians (shapeshifters) will take the form of the party and attack several key members of the noble family.
Is anyone standing guard? What are the sleeping arrangements?
5:00a.m. - The early morning pre-dawn quiet is shattered by the sound of a woman's screams. Followed by the clash of steel and a tremendous crash. These sounds are distant, occurring in another. Lots of commotion.Lots of guards running around. Make the players afraid. Lots of shouts to "arrest the Outlanders".
The guards burst in. The advisor is there crying "Arrest them” and “By the order of House Bulivar, you're at to be taken into custody.”
The party can try to explain things away, but the guards are adamant. Lord Verran, his wife, children, the entire noble family, have been brutally slain. Eye witnesses insist it was the party. The shapeshifters will continue to kill and cause confusion. They are trying to get the party arrested. Play it however you want. The party won’t be able to talk their way out of it. They’re going to have to fight their way out or they will be arrested.
Assuming they fight, the house guards will be easy to cut down.
The house has a Warlord. He'll be a tough fight. It’ll be a running fight to the outside of the house. The morphians will continue to strike (shifting form, striking, and shifting again) whenever they see an opportunity.
The guards will pursue. It will take several hours for word to get back to the city. So, once the players escape Verran's estate and his guards, they have some time.
The highest ranking member of House Bulivar who is alive is the Warlord. He is now responsible for speaking for the House and for dealing with the players.
Technically, there is no longer any House Bulivar. With the deaths of the entire noble family, the house is no longer a valid entity and will be stricken from the Senate records. Essentially, House Bulivar has been wiped out.
As far as he knows, the party has killed his Lord, taken his honor and wiped out House Bulivar, all in one night. The Warlord will pledge his life to avenging his fallen lord. He can only restore his honor by slaying those who took his honor. He declares that he will take the remaining soldiers of House Bulivar and pursue the players forever. This could be a recurring and relentless enemy until they are dealt with once and for all.
If the party heads back into the city to find the person who gave them the letter, they will head for the Pilfered Blade tavern. If they don’t go to the tavern to find this mystery person, then the mystery person will have to catch up to them. Either way, that encounter needs to take place because it’s important that they talk to him and find out about this “other” guide that he is suggesting. Since Lord Verran is dead, this other guide should be their next choice.
The journey back to the city will take about a half hour on foot. The players should be able to reach the Pilfered Blade tavern as the sky is lighting up with morning. There they find the drunken crowd in the main room sleeping off the ale from the night before. They also will find a young human thief, clear headed and expecting them. The young man is in the common room having a meal.
"Greetings one and all! You MUST be the Outlanders. I've been waiting for you. I am Laris the Lucky. I hope that you have come back in regards to the note that I left in your bag.
Laris will repeat what he put in the letter.
"I have the perfect man for you. A man who has been into the Desolation six times. No one knows the lands beyond the Wall better. And he is not a wealthy man. No. He could be persuaded with a little gold.
Now I know that Verran is a great hunter and he's probably very experienced, but he'll attract some attention. Better to go in with someone with more experience. All I ask for my information is the very humble sum of 50 gold siar”
The party might be able to talk him down to a smaller fee. Or they can threaten him, but doing so in a crowded public place might deter them. If they pay him, he happily tells them the following:
“The man's name is Kaelig. He's a thief, but don't let that bother you. What in life can you trust more than a man whose loyalty can be bought with hard cash?
I know right where you can find Kaelig. He's in the town of Calannon. He's there for the Festival of the Burning Wood. That festival starts soon and runs for a full week so he'll be there for at least a few days. Kaelig has connections with the thieves guild in Calannon and the Underworld in Chaddamar. In Calannon, seek him at the Silken Sabre tavern where most thieves hang out.”
The party would be wise to leave Brulan quickly before word of the assassination of Lord Verran spreads. They will take to the road to the east leading to the town of Calannon which is in eastern Aukaria. The trip is uneventful, but feel free to put whatever obstacles in their path that you want.
The players have a long journey ahead of them. Three days at least. They are going to arrive in Calannon just as the Festival of the Burning Wood is starting…
This website was last updated March 31, 2026. Copyright 1990-2026 David M. Roomes.