The isle of Thronehold is central to Galifar’s history. It is the island that
King Galifar I established as the seat of the empire. It is also the site of
both the beginning and end of the Last War, which began with the betrayal of
Mishann in her attempt to ascend to the throne and officially ended with the
treaty signing on 11 Aryth, 996 YK.
This supplement consists of three parts. The first details the city of
Throneport which surrounds the ancestral Thronehold castle. The second
explores the agreements of 996 and the post-war international order. The third
and final section dives into the international waters of the Scions Sound and
its northern outlet, the Bitter Sea—important and still-disputed territory in
the post-war order.
The City of Throneport
On its surface, Throneport is a mundane city of international bureaucracy—a
nexus of tariff negotiations. Lying beneath this thin veneer is an endless
well of intrigue and deception, as schemes brew within schemes brew within
schemes.
Thronehold is the name of both the castle and the island, while the supporting
port city is named Throneport. The city consists of five sections— the
ancestral castle maintained by the Throne Wardens of House Deneith, plus a
city quarter tied to each of the four surviving provinces of Galifar.
Beyond the city’s borders, the northern half of Thronehold is a mix of
mountains and limited farms. The mountains have been thoroughly explored and
exploited—stone quarries were carved out to build the city and its defenses.
Long-standing rumors suggest a hidden Dhakaani city lies beneath the
mountains, but nobody has ever proved these rumors. Similarly, passages to
Khyber are currently unknown in the mountains, and Galifar’s security forces
long ago eliminated any populations of creatures that could endanger the city.
Today, the rest of the island is, ironically, a haven for those who wish to
escape the direct scrutiny of Thronehold nations; no one actively patrols the
mountains or coasts for scoundrels.
The waters immediately around Thronehold are generous and easy to navigate.
The land quickly drops away from the island, allowing for even large ocean
faring ships to easily navigate Scions Sound.
Getting Around
Each of Throneport’s quarters is administered by its respective nation, and
travel between the quarters is thoroughly scrutinized, but the city’s
inhabitants have learned to bypass the restrictions in a variety of ways both
magical and mundane. The simplest option is fake papers. Trade and business is
permitted between the quarters, and the Thronehold Accords established the
city as an experimental economic zone by prohibiting the extraction of tariffs
for goods traded within the city limits. Spies often pretend to be part of the
humming economic activity, concealing their precious documents amongst other
cargo.
A combination of budget restrictions and the practical need to get work done
means that there are often ways to hide illicit activity from prying eyes.
However, the powers of Throneport have plenty of resources they can use to
escalate their vigilance if need be—from Vadalis hounds to Medani agents to
Phiarlan diviners.
The Throne Wardens
The Throne Wardens of House Deneith have guarded the castle and island since
King Galifar I established a court here. Today, the Throne Wardens are the
only thing resembling a neutral force on the island. However, as befitting
their station, the Throne Wardens only intervene when an incident threatens
either the castle proper or the fundamental stability of the international
order.
Historically, House Ghallanda maintained the castle and the accommodations for
the Throne Wardens. During the Last War, with no one sitting in the throne of
Galifar, there was no funding for such upkeep. As a result, the prestige
of the assignment amongst House Deneith depreciated along with the castle, and
it no longer attracted Deneith’s best. However, the Thronehold Accords renewed
the funds for the castle’s upkeep, restoring the prestige of the once-again
cushy assignment.
Greater Khorvaire
The nations of greater Khorvaire —that is, the treaty nations besides Aundair,
Breland, Karrnath, and Thrane —do not have control over any of Throneport’s
quarters. They all have at least one embassy in the city, although the
influence and location vary.
The Aundairian Quarter
Recently renovated, the Aundairian quarter is by far Throneport’s most
luxurious. Newly paved streets, a public cleansing stone, and the ever-present
wafting smell of fresh bread define this part of the city. The Aundairian
government has invested not just in public works but in business incentives,
providing cheap loans to luxury goods merchants willing to set up shop.
They’ve even seen the need to expand and have raised land on the island’s
southern shore for this purpose. Of all the rulers, Aurala is the most
concerned with her nation’s public image and receives daily reports about the
status of Throneport.
While the bulk of the Aundairian quarter is not adjacent to the docks, the
thin stretch of Wrogar Street provides it with a narrow connection to the
docks. Mounted police patrol this street at all hours for criminals and spies.
The Royal Eyes serve the Aundairian Crown and are the most magically adept
intelligence agency of the former Galifaran provinces, having made major
strides in divination and illusion magic over the last century of service. The
Throneport spymaster is Gwen ir’Ostren (she/her), a fresh-faced khoravar
leader eager to prove she deserves her position.
Huys ir’Lantar (he/him) is a respectable young human who is officially part of
the Aundairian diplomatic corps in Throneport. However, like his older
brothers Alais and Helais stationed in Sharn, there is far more to Huys than
meets the eye—in addition to being an agent of the Royal Eyes, he secretly
serves the Lords of Dust. The ir’Lantar family is a part of Sul Khatesh’s
Court of Shadows, and each member dutifully serves their dark mistress.
Beleth Yanger (she/her) is an independent elven fixer who calls the Aundairian
district home. She’s lived in Throneport for several decades, maintaining her
Aundairian citizenship but not serving the state itself. In truth, she’s an
agent of the Chamber and an adult blue dragon named Thrae’miirik who came to
Thronehold decades ago to establish a cover identity. Unfortunately for the
residents of the city, Beleth has her eyes on several prophetic lines that
require the destruction of the castle and a possible re-ignition of the Last
War; she believes these events may be critical to maintaining the seals on one
or more overlords.
Key Locations
The Royal Eyes, in addition to operating out of the Aundairian consulate,
secretly use Sir Valence’s Cures and Remedies, a local apothecary, as a front.
This potion seller operates without a Cannith license, causing most residents
to avoid its concoctions in favor of more reputable vendors.
The Aereni Embassy is a front for the Cairdal Blades, Aerenal’s intelligence
agency. The Cairdal Blades include elves with the Mark of Shadow amongst their
ranks, a possible source of confusion to those who expect Phiarlan or Thuranni
agents and instead encounter an elf who only shares distant ancestors with the
shadow-marked elves of Khorvaire.
Oak and Adder, a dockside tavern, is a popular neutral meeting ground— the
front room is for slimy meals and the back room is for slimy deals.
Unfortunately, the kitchen periodically suffers from shortages when red tides
suffocate the local fishery. Political figures in the city blame the red tides
upon the Mourning, but the chefs know that the red tides began before the
arcane cataclysm and blame pollution from arcane industry upstream.
Adventure Hooks
The Royal Eyes have learned a turncoat agent is about to arrive in Throneport
on business. However, the agent is familiar with the local members of the
Royal Eyes, so the spy agency is looking to hire an independent group as fresh
faces for this mission.
The Royal Eyes suspect that the Riedrans in the city have a hidden agenda
behind their apparent generosity and are connected to the terrorist
organization known as the Dreaming Dark. Unwilling to risk diplomatic ties,
the Eyes look to an independent group of adventurers as a cut out to
investigate the Riedran ambassador’s home.
Although Aundair was initially Cyre’s only ally at the outbreak of the Last
War, the bond between the countries gradually weakened over the course of the
war. A dwarven Fifth Crown agent, bitterly remembering Queen Aurala’s
betrayal, wages a solo reign of terror against the Aundairian quarter of
Throneport.
The Brelish Quarter
Although all four quarters nominally occupy similar square acreages of land,
Breland’s is the largest simply by virtue of their willingness to build up.
While Throneport lacks a manifest zone to replicate the wonders of Sharn,
there’s a different kind of willingness to transform the city’s skyline
amongst the Brelish authorities. As such, the Brelish quarter is home to most
of the city’s working class, who live inside densely constructed apartments.
The King’s Dark Lanterns are the pre-eminent intelligence agency in Khorvaire,
tracing their legacy back to serving a united Galifar. The spymaster of
Throneport is “Scabbs” (he/him), a gnome who’s proved his capability and
loyalty several times over by rooting out traitors and double agents,
including a black dragon agent of the Chamber that had sought to overthrow the
Brelish monarchy.
Kalphan Riak (he/him) is a human platinum concordian of the Aurum that made a
killing on the arms trade during the Last War. He spends most of his time in
Sharn, enjoying his mansion atop Andith Tower, but his employees are always
busy cutting deals—both legal and illegal—in Throneport. Kalphan has moderate
magical talent and is not above settling matters himself if his employees find
themselves incapable of disposing of meddling adventurers.
Vanessa Nedali (she/her) is ostensibly a khoravar postal carrier, but her
loyalties are far more complicated than that. Hailing originally from Cyre,
she “defected” from the Fifth Crown (Cyre’s intelligence agency) to the Dark
Lanterns but was working as a double agent. One mission tailing a Riedran
ambassador went terribly wrong and resulted in her coming under the influence
of a mind seed, so her true loyalties now lie with the Dreaming Dark. She is
still in touch with other surviving members of the Fifth Crown and often
advocates for them to use their capabilities to support New Cyre, in
accordance with the machinations of her Quori masters.
Key Locations
The Dark Lanterns, in addition to operating out of the Brelish consulate,
secretly operate out of a bakery named Eye in the Pie. The bakery’s goods are
legitimately well beloved in the area, but its delivery service is also a
convenient cover for agents conducting missions, especially those that require
travel to other quarters of the city.
The only House Tharashk enclave in Throneport is run by Ashwin d’Velderan
(they/them), a dragonmarked half-orc who is very careful about what business
the Finder’s Guild accepts inside the contested city. While the guild bounty
hunters are the finest in the continent, they try to avoid directly embroiling
themselves in international conflicts. As such, Ashwin only accepts bounties
on disavowed spies or anyone else without the protection of a national agency.
While some question the neutrality of House Medani due to the close friendship
between Baron Trelib and King Boranel, the Throneport branch of the Warning
Guild works hard to appear impartial. The local head is Elazti d’Medani,
Trelib’s niece. The house’s operations supplement both government and private
security efforts, and often include the use of the rod of
discern shapechangers.
Adventure Hooks
The Dark Lanterns have received concerning intelligence that the Aundairians
are in possession of a dangerous magic item brought in from Xen’drik.
Unfortunately, the item has been planted by an agent of Rak Tulkhesh, who
hopes that its appearance will engender suspicion and conflict that will
reignite hostilities.
While House Phiarlan doesn’t have an enclave in Throneport, its performers are
popular within the taverns throughout the city. One such artist takes a fancy
to the party, offering to sell them the location of a treasure cache in the
mountains north of the city — but isn’t being entirely honest about who it
originally belonged to. Is this a scam or are there real riches at stake?
Zilargo does not have secret agents. There is no group allegedly known as the
Trust. There are no ghost agents who use rings of invisibility and
sustenance to maintain permanent cover in Throneport. Those agents
would never manipulate a group of adventurers through illusions, especially
not to unknowingly transport top secret documents.
The Karrnathi Quarter
Closest to the castle of the four districts, the Karrnathi quarter is notable
for its number of historical sites. The architecture has been dutifully
preserved by abjuration magic, with many of the buildings dating back to the
city’s construction under Galifar. While the streets of this quarter are
orderly enough, Karrn has not made the same level of economic investment in
development as the other nations.
The Karrnathi quarter is connected to the docks via Kaius Street, a narrow
pathway that is well patrolled at all hours for those who might try and pass
through.
Karrnath does not have a full intelligence agency; the Dark Cabinet is an
intelligence-sharing collective orchestrated by King Kaius’s aunt and former
regent Moranna ir’Wynarn, coordinating the resources and efforts of Karrnath’s
warlords. Kaius does have a few agents in Throneport, such as Theoban Hintram
(they/them), a dedicated and loyal khoravar knight who’s learned to carry out
Kaius’s wishes quietly and efficiently, even if the reasons are not always
clear at first.
Brent Norwalk (he/him) is a middle-aged human member of the Crimson Codex, a
group he claims has agents throughout the Five Nations and beyond. According
to him, the ranks and affiliations within the Codex are closely guarded
secrets, and their work is all but invisible to the untrained observer. He is
obsessed with the Draconic Prophecy and claims to have bested both dragons and
fiends in his long and illustrious career.
Renilda Thuranni (she/her) is a sculptor who resides in the Karrnathi quarter.
A long-time resident of Throneport, she started her work decorating the castle
during the reign of Jarot’s grandfather. While she joined the rest of her
family in the Shadow Schism that split Thuranni from Phiarlan, she has avoided
getting involved with the darker side of the family business. Still, as a
centuries-old elf she has many connections and contacts in Throneport and
beyond.
Key Locations
The Dark Cabinet does not operate out of the Karrnathi consulate. Instead,
they operate out of a house owned by Asta Vanalan (she/her), a halfling
warlord who commands Fort Deepdark and its nearby lands. Asta seeks to both
curry favor with Moranna and generally keep tabs on Karrnath’s foreign
operations through this arrangement. The building is well-fortified, with
abjuration magic providing protection from both spies and assault. The
furniture is adjustable for residents of any size, using a mix of magical and
mechanical methods.
Throneport’s Aurum hall is a distinguished building located in the Karrnathi
district that served as a social club in Throneport well before Aurum founder
Anton Soldorak bought it early in the war. During the time of the Kingdom of
Galifar, the building served as a gathering place away from the legalized
hierarchy of the royal court—a place for schemes and plots to balance the
formal power of the King or Queen. Today—as a well-guarded location for the
wealthy from all over to collect, bargain, and scheme—its importance has only
grown.
One of Throneport’s best-kept secrets is a tunnel to Khyber in the heart of
the city. Sitting underneath a Gold Dragon Inn, this hellmouth has lain
dormant for over a millennium. Hidden away in a corner of the inn’s basement,
the entrance is magically disguised and exists unbeknownst to the building’s
current owners. If anything were to come up from this tunnel, where it leads—a
Daelkyr prison plane, the heart plane of a fiendish overlord, or something
stranger—would become something of vital importance.
Adventure Hooks
The Dark Cabinet is investigating a Daelkyr cult that has gone international
and has contacts in Throneport. Specifically, devotees of Avassh seek to study
and weaponize the Mabaran manifest zones that have plagued Karrnath. Two rival
agents within the group each seek to use the PCs to get a leg up on rooting
out this malign influence and prove themselves the other’s better.
A vigilant sentinel—an elven assassin directly loyal to the Sibling Kings of
Aerenal—has come to Throneport in search of a powerful undercover necromancer
who is a member of the Order of the Emerald Claw. Unfortunately, while this
vigilant sentinel is an expert at avoiding capture, they have little regard
for the lives of those that get in the way of their mission. While it would be
in the public interest to capture the necromancer, the PCs inadvertently find
themselves in between the elf and their quarry.
A smuggler from the Black Highway turns to the party for help in getting out
from a mountain of debt they owe the international crime ring. Their stash of
illegal garlic— which has dodged import duties on every single one of its
stops up until now— has been impounded by the Karrnathi authorities.
The Thranish quarter
While all nations share control (and profits) of the docks and harbor, the
Thranish district of Throneport is by far the most accessible to those coming
ashore. While some newer buildings— including a rebuilt church— incorporate
the iconic Kree-Flamic style, most of the buildings here date back to before
the Last War. The district is at its most distinctive during the various
Silver Flame holidays, as the otherwise drab buildings are decorated in a wide
variety of extremely colorful decorations.
The Argentum is an ancient order dating to the earliest years of the church
that has found a new mission with the rise of the theocracy in Thrane. Before
the war, the Argentum served as elite relic hunters, neutralizing or
destroying dangerous artifacts. Today, their objectives have expanded to
include a wide range of intelligence activities, with Urdan Sarhain (he/him),
the human Throneport-based spymaster, managing a variety of personnel engaged
in mundane cloak and dagger operations. While many in the organization feel
that the Argentum have strayed from their true purpose of protecting the world
from supernatural evil, Urdan enjoys the intrigue and seeks to leverage his
position into higher ranking political appointments.
Ounnae Estanniar (she/her) is an elderly elven priest of the Silver Flame and
secretly a several-thousand-year-old rogue red dragon named Oundalyastryon.
Completely disconnected from Argonessen society, she was living in Thrane
during the Year of Blood and Fire and was one of Tira’s earliest disciples.
Careful to avoid drawing too much public attention, she shifted identities
several times over the centuries while serving in the church hierarchy and
avoided advancement beyond strictly local leadership. She moved to Throneport
just a few years ago, when the renewed attention to the city opened a position
within the local ministry. Despite being a priest, Ounnae’s magic is bardic in
nature; as she has never found the ability to directly channel the flame. She
is slow to trust but could prove a powerful ally to PCs in desperate need.
Heft (he/him) is a warforged who works at the Thranish consulate, assisting
travelers and generally performing menial labor. Secretly, he’s a supporter of
the Lord of Blades and uses his position to acquire intelligence by pretending
to be far dumber than he really is. He relays this intelligence through a dead
drop at the docks on a weekly basis.
Key Locations
The Argentum does not have a base of operations in Thronehold other than the
consulate. Even after seventy years of efforts the Argentum still lacks the
depth of sources available to other nations; most Argentum agents are happiest
when they get to act on intelligence rather than having to do the work to
collect it in the first place.
The Black Highway secretly owns and runs the Crooked Cauldron, a dockside bar
in the Thranish quarter. In addition to being a spot for shady types, it’s got
the best gambling in town; all sorts of magical and mundane games are
available for wagers.
The Boar’s Crown is the most popular jeweler in Throneport, trading not just
in expensive-but-mundane accessories but a wide variety of stylish magic
items. The shop owners have a deep and abiding loyalty to Thrane’s royal
family, and the back rooms are used by her agents and allies for covert
meetings.
Adventure Hooks
The Argentum has tracked an agent of Bel Shalor to Throneport. However, the
deceptive devil has planted evidence on the PCs to suggest that they’re the
ones the church is after. The party must clear their name and find the true
culprit.
The Stormwalkers, House Lyrandar’s clandestine cabal of smugglers and spies,
are hunting down a rogue member who has taken shelter within the Thranish
quarter. Not only are they interested in settling a personal score, but the
rogue member stole the Orb of Dol Azur, an ancient and powerful
artifact. The party may be drawn in on any side of the conflict, for wealth or
for power.
A high-ranking member of the Argentum suspects that House Sivis is secretly a
front for the Trust. Through bribery or blackmail, they try to persuade the
PCs to break into the Sending station that’s in the Thranish quarter to find
proof. The station is guarded by complex, puzzle-based security, but these
precautions aren’t proof alone; the party must find documents validating the
Argentum’s suspicion.