Gaz F10 The Kingdom of Kaarjala - Vaults of Pandius

ARTIFACTS, TREASURES, and HIDDEN PLACESIlmarinen’s AutomatonThe Great Smith Ilmarinen crafted theAutomaton as a duplicate of the Maidenof Pojaara, the fey enchantress withwhom he had fallen in love. The objectis a golem formed of gold and silver andshaped such that there are no visibleseams – it literally resembles a beautifulyoung woman with golden skin, emeraldeyes, and silver hair. The Automatonwas physically perfect in every way, butit lacked a heart and soul and thus couldnever truly replace the Maiden.In rescuing the Isanmaan prince,Vainamoinen, the Automaton killed theMaiden, and Ilmarinen has never beenable to touch his creation again, hiding ituntil the Saamari needed it once more.The Automaton is currently located inone of Ilmarinen’s secret workshopssomewhere in Kaarjala, where it awaitsthe time when it will be needed oncemore to help protect Ilmarinen’s people.It is possible, however, to encounter it inthe wilderness.[Note: For the Automaton as an Artifact,see the Master’s Set – Ed.]IsanmaaKaarjalan lore is filled with the exploitsof Lemminkainen and Vainamoinen, aswell as a host of lesser heroes, whoperformed great deeds for Isanmaa. Thegreatest story, recounted in the player’ssection, is that of the rise and fall ofIsanmaa and its people. The loss of theold homeland, and the great trek in searchof a new home, is the subject of manysongs, and played a strong role in theformation of the Kaarjalans’ psyche.Even today, the sense of loss is there –more so because the nature of theSaamari’s journey through Pojaaraensured that no one knew where theyemerged. No one knows exactly whereIsanmaa was located; there is only asense that it lay somewhere west of theIcereach Range. Most of those whosearched for it headed due west, andfound nothing.Isanmaa existed north of the modernWestern Alliance (Gaz F5) in territorymarked as Shonak Tribelands. The routetaken by the Saamari led north into thewestern Icereach and through atemporary gate into Pojaara. After theirtime of rest had ended, they werereleased into the Borean Valley, fromwhich they made their way east along amarked trail, crossing the Icereach Rangeat the end near the Winter Peaks. Eventhe Vaarana were turned around, headingthrough a maze of valleys beforeemerging north of the Icereach Range.The current inhabitants are mixture ofsemi-nomadic western Shonak tribes andBorean humanoids who often worktogether against that region’s far-rangingLowland Roags. The ruins of Kuusamoand a handful of other towns have beenovertaken by wilderness, such that only athorough search could find any traces oflasting habitation. Nevertheless, muchwas left behind and remains to bediscovered.KainuuAlthough the earliest tales make noexplicit mention of Kainuu, Kaarjalanfolklore states that Mikko and his peoplecame to Isanmaa from “a great valley farto the west”. Locations along the BoreanTier were erased over the centuries, butthe odd relic appears now and again inthe nations of West Haven, Taralon, andSnowden. It is conceivable that some ofIlmarinen’s early works survived andmay lie undisturbed.PojaaraPojaara is a fairy-realm (cf. Dreamland,Gaz5, PC1) that was originally ruled bythe Maiden, a powerful northern sidhe. Itwas a refuge to many fairy-kin during theearly years after the Great Rain of Fire.Pojaara takes the form of a lush,forested valley always in late spring.Roughly oval-shaped, its precise size isdetermined by the number of peopleoccupying it at any given time – it isalways large enough to accommodate itsinhabitants comfortably, with enoughfood in the form of game, berries, androots to keep them satisfied. Only spellsof 3rd level or less may be cast here.Pojaara is accessed by portals thatresemble mountain passes, caves, or gapsin hills. These portals appear all overnortheastern Brun, usually wheneversanctuary is needed – the realm possessesa rudimentary awareness and appearswhere it can do the greatest good. Onceentered, the portal closes; although thereis always at least one open portal betweenPojaara and Mystara at any given time.Thus, a person could pass throughPojaara and unknowingly reappear onMystara thousands of miles awayThere is a single structure in Pojaara.The Maiden’s hall is a great longhouseconstructed of living pine trees. LikePojaara itself, the hall is not tied to astatic location. It is comfortablyappointed and always clean, and canaccommodate up to 100 people. Inaddition, the hall is blessed with a stasisfield that halts the progress of poisonsand illnesses as long as the afflictedperson remains within its walls. Anydamage done to the hall, or to the forests,is instantly regenerated.In addition to the attributes listedabove, the Maiden was capable of sealingPojaara off from the Prime Plane entirelyand controlling where the portals opened.The means to do so are secreted awaysomewhere in the realm, as are clues tothe Maiden’s lost Ice Scepter.Saivo (The Spirit Realm)Saivo is the Vaarana name for theUnderworld, which is ruled by Jabbmeaaakka(Hel). It is an exact replica ofthe living world; but the lakes and oceansare as still as a pond, and the sky is pitchblack. Illumination comes from a faintluminescence that permeates everything.The souls of the deceased dwell herefor a time before reincarnating or movingon to other realms. Some souls, however,choose to remain, and spirits with evilleanings have been known to prey onmortal visitors.Visitors’ perceptions are colored bytheir own life experiences andpersonality, which modify the terrain insubtle – and occasionally terrifying –ways. Resident spirits can alsomanipulate how people perceive theirsurroundings. Due to their affinitytowards spirits, noaide are capable ofviewing Saivo as it truly appears; thus,they are immune to any illusions createdby malevolent spirits. While there theymay also view past or future events (atthe referee’s discretion).28