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Blackhaven was a city on the Border River of Gallantaria, Brice and Mauristatia, being frequented by citizens of all three.[1]
Description[]
Blackhaven lay in the Badlands area of Gallantaria, a region described as "lawless and unruly."[1][2]
Although Blackhaven was nominally part of Gallantaria, (the Gallantarian government used Sanger's Beacon as a warming beacon in times of danger)[3] the authorities in Royal Lendle seemed to have little power there.
Geography[]
Blackhaven occupied the point at which the tributaries of the Border River began to meet as they emerged from the northern foothills of the Cloudcap Mountains of Mauristatia. The Border River itself was the dividing line between Gallantaria and Brice, and as such Blackhaven had citizens of all three countries amongst its inhabitants.[1]
The river ran from south to north through the very centre of the city, and formed its main route for trade. There were, however, four roads that led to and from the town. In the north-east was the road to Ingolstadt, in the south-east was the road to Hanford, in the south-west was the road to Aiken and in the north-west was the road to Penkhull.
The city may have covered a distance of over two kilometers (1.24 miles), since Moonrunner states that "two kilometers" is the distance between Dexter Street (in the city's northeastern edge) and Divils Lane (at the city's southwestern edge).[4]
Notable Places of Interest[]
- Craven Asylum - the most notorious sanatorium in the area, which was run by the son of the infamous Doktor Kauderwelsch and employed troll guards!
- Old Gaol
- Guard Post
- Meinster Cemetary
- Docklands
- Sanger's Beacon - a stone obelisk atop the city's highest hill. " In times of great danger, a bonfire is lit atop the obelisk to send out a warning to all Gallantaria." [3]
- Weathern Mill
- Kiennar's Curiosity Shop
Notable Streets and Squares[]
- Divil's Lane
- Gallows Square
- Cross Keys
- Priestsgate
- Dexter Street
- Berman Street
- Malt Lane
Inns and Taverns[]
- The Last Octopus
- The Three Broken Fingers
History[]
Recent History and Karam Gruul[]
Recently, Blackhaven was used by Karam Gruul as a place to recruit new followers in preparation for his return to power, given that the remnants of his old ones, the Cabal of the Werewolf, were already operating there under the illusion of being just another secret society - the Eternal Fraternity of the Rosy Chalice.
Amongst Gruul's recruits from Blackhaven were Conrad Zaar, a treacherous guardsman; the Corpse Master of Rohmer Theatre; and the Xen-Viper assassin Lishek. However, it also fell prey to the Shocker, one of Gruul's less successful "Notura" creations which had escaped him;[2] and an Obisian Predator that was sent to kill anyone who stood a chance at retrieving the Mask of Belthegor.
Notable Inhabitants[]
Blackhaven was also home to a number of other individuals who were well known or infamous among the guardsmen and criminal classes, including:
- Mawn Pretagorus the necromancer
- Silas Entador the informer
- Kiennar the curiosity-shopkeeper (into whose possession come a great many unusual items)
- Hogg and Kilmarney the body-snatchers
- Professor Van Heldenghast, scholar of the occult and enemy of Gruul[5]
Some of these were able to provide assistance in tracking down Karam Gruul to a bounty hunter who had been a victim of his dark sorcery, mostly through the locating of the "Wards of Notura", six of which were hidden in the town.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Moonrunner - "Welcome to the Badlands (Introduction)".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Fighting Fantasy 10th Anniversary Yearbook - pp.173-174
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Moonrunner - 380
- ↑ Moonrunner - para 53
- ↑ Moonrunner - para 200