Work is now approaching completion on the "Venârivè", the northwestern Lýthia module.

Venârivè is the part of Lýthia with which most people involved with Hârn are familiar, probably without even knowing it. It is the region around the Venârian Sea, and to the north and west, and its name is derived from that sea (and some say from the Sea of Iváe to the north). It includes the regions of Ivínia and Hârn, the Gulf of Shôrkýnè, and the lands of Tríerzòn, Ázeryàn, Kárejia, Dalkésh, Hácherdad, Mafán, Chogôro, northern Anzelôria, and finally Hèpekéria.

Needless to say, this is a large area, with many cultures and realms. But it does form a coherent area, the area where a particular set of cultures have evolved and interacted. Even if your game never leaves the shores of Hârn, an understanding of these cultures and their impact on each other is extremely useful - they are the context within which Hârn has developed and continues to exist.

The Venârivè module will include the following content:

• Overview of the region, including climatic zones, weather etc
• History and chronology
• Cultures and languages of the region
• Legal systems and law
• Military organisation of different cultures and regions, including naval organisation
• Economics and trade, including details of markets, money and incomes, and trade routes
• Guilds and their organisation, including an overview of the Mangai
• Daily Life, including calendars, weights and measures, food and drink, clothing, housing and architecture, education, art and music, entertainment and sport, and death and funerary pratices
• Folklore and legends of the region
• Major religions, including the different pantheons recognised in the region
• Details of the various regions and realms (covering the history and government, key settlements, society culture and language, religion and military of over 30 realms and regions)
• Folk of Venârivè, including historical and current leading figures in politics, religion, philosohpy, the arts and so forth
• Key statistical and reference information, such as the chantries of the region, titles, colleges of heraldry, religious organisation, trading posts and shipping convoys (larún), regnal lists, prices, incomes, trade goods by region, port and market data, tide and weather tables, and a locations index.

While you are waiting for this module to be completed, you might want to have a look at the new map. When it is finally released, it will be a layered-PDF document, with all the layers as vectors (so it will be a relatively small document as well). It will cover a range of issues, from geography to linguistics. The sample we are sharing with you focusses on geography and major settlements, but the PDF version will have much more detail.

I hope you enjoy this sample while we work on completing the final module: