The Masked Duchy

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The Duchys : Arc * Dry * Eye and Shore * High Island * Masked * Moon * Oak * Snake * South * Stones

The Masked Duchy is now ruled by Duke Yarrow. He was elected by the remaining Lords and Ladies when Duke Lawrence was assassinated. Notably, Duke Lawrence himself had only ruled for a day as he had recently executed Duchess Catrina and resumed his command of the Duchy (Catrina overthrew him many years previously).

The main settlements are as follows :

• Carnival is the capital and was the Town of Festivals of the old Kingdom.
• Varitor Stones is the Eastern-most port of the Duchy.
• Myr Portal is the only inland city and stands on the edge of the river Tali Chirane.
• Yorachan Gateway is a port in the East of the Duchy, it stands on the river mouth of the Jirdare.
• There is rumoured to be an underground settlement near Orbassa Spires on the Dry Duchy border.

Please see Map of Athory.

Detailed Settlement Descriptions

Carnival

Carnival is the former Festivals capital of the Kingdom and consequently looks less like a military settlement than some. The Court of the Duchess is close the the river mouth, whilst the rest of the estates are scattered throughout Carnival.

The main features of the city are :

• The six marketplaces; these are simply numbered from One to Six, like dice. Marketplace Six comes into its own in the weeks before High Summer, when masks are sold from half of its stalls. There is also rumoured to be a secret seventh marketplace where dealers can purchase anything they choose - including the services of an assassin.
• Dance Lanes are really a selection of the wide streets that are closest to the Court. It is here that many of the Festivals are celebrated, including the High Summer Dance of Masks.
• The port itself. Not as busy as Lower Port or Harbour, Carnival still manages a fair amount of trade.
• The Lonely Office - the priests have a single stronghold in Carnival - on the Northern edge of the city.
• The barracks.

The Court of the Duke

The court is rather like a castle gone mad with strange passageways and odd-shaped rooms. The building is believed to be the work of a number of mages over the centuries and it is said that, even today, the whole has not been mapped out.

Due to the possible presence of secret passages and other weaknesses, the occupied rooms are all in the same, well-known part of the Court. It is here that Duke Yarrow has his rooms. The symbol of the Duke is, unsurprisingly, a simple silver mask on a red background.

The Nobility of Carnival

• Lord Ash and Lady Lily - Carnival's celebrity couple, both are young and attractive. They throw the most fashionable parties in Carnival and it is an honour to be invited. (Note : Lady Lily is a daughter of Lady Derity of Ghalkeep).
• Lady Corel - Believed to formerly be the lover of Duke Lawrence, Corel suffered a magical attack when he was removed from power. Now in her early thirties, Corel is still an attractive woman, but she uses a walking stick to move anywhere.
• Lord Haverel - A renowned fighter and attractive young man; Lord Haverel is one of the most sought-after bachelors in Athory. In the past, he has been linked with Lady Torthessa of Lower Port and, more recently, Lady Vanessa of Dusk Port.

There are currently three unoccupied estates in Carnival. However, rumour suggests that Duke Yarrow is considering allocating two of these; one to the Mage Linos (currently the overseer of the Duchy's Empathy mages) and the other to General Antara for her brave role during the fight for Orbassa Spires (although the Duchy's army lost the battle).