Uringen
An enigma among the settlements of the River Kingdoms, Uringen lies in the eastern regions of the country near the Embeth Forest. The settlement seems to exist in two realms, part of it “static” in reality, the other “unstuck”—disappearing and reappearing with the mists its inhabitants speaking Skald, a language not spoken in the River Kingdoms for ages.
Most outside the town theorize that the town is under some sort of foul magic or evil spell, but the true source of its strange behavior is a malfunctioning time-altering magical clocktower at the town’s center that warped a third of the town to a pocket dimension between the Material Plane and the First World. The frequency of this phasing seems to be increasing, leading many in town to worry that it is moving closer to the First World.
History
Uringen exists as two parts of a whole—two similar cultures, one living in the central part of town that comes “unstuck” from Golarion and fades in and out of reality, and the other in the surrounding “static” portion that stays in this world. Experts in horological devices perform potentially world-changing experiments, while skilled woodsmen guide wayward travelers and clash with vengeful fey. The land is a vibrant tangle of nature, scattered with vagabonds and criminals interested in remaining hidden, and opportunistic alchemists running secret labs seeking profit from the rare plants found in the marshy lowlands of the Embeth Forest.
While no major parts of the Sellen River flow through the Embeth Forest, creeks and tributaries weave through the region. The entire forest rests in a low-lying area dotted with stagnant marshes and rising knolls. The land here does not lend itself well to travel or farming of any sort, but the dense wood allows for a hidden refuge. Filled with spiteful sprites and hungry beasts, the region is avoided by most travelers.
Nestled firmly in the River Kingdoms and surrounded on all sides by other principalities such as Mivon, Gralton, and Pitax, Uringen sees few raids from its neighbors. Likewise, bordering nations like Numeria and Galt never push far enough into the River Kingdoms with aims of conquest. Many see nothing worth taking in the wood—a situation well suited to the citizens of Uringen. Not concerned with grabbing for power, Uringen is content to remain hidden and protect their trade secrets. An ingrained sense of self-defense and the desire to keep out of sight and untouched has created some of the best guerrilla fighters in the region.
The Ulfen skald Birji Uringen settled in the River Kingdoms after a long career of adventuring. Infamous for never keeping his ego in check, Birji named the settlement after himself. Shortly after arriving, he and his wizard companion Rhona Ambros (the better mind of the two) began construction of a complex clock tower, bringing in a number of settlers from his home to the far northwest as well as settlers from Ambros’s birthplace in Ustalav. This mix in the original population led to a blending of languages, and many people in the kingdom speak a dialect of Skald cobbled together with Common. The clock tower is a massive device built following instructions in a stolen manuscript on time alteration magic. Due to improper assembly, curious tinkering, or arcane power surges from the ancient fey circle beneath its foundations, the device malfunctioned when first activated and brought the tower and its immediate surroundings into a pocket dimension partially outside of time, lodged between Golarion and the First World. This temporally unstuck area encompasses the central third of the town, including the large public square south of the clock tower. While most of the tower holds complex precision machinery, shelves line nearly every available wall, holding painstakingly recorded notes of every tick and whir of the device.
In addition to the town’s mysterious condition, Uringen makes itself difficult to find, so that it never seems to be exactly where it is supposed to be. The woodsmen of Embeth Forest (see The Embeth Camps), despite their refusal to enter the town, remain the most reliable source of directions to Uringen. The quiet nomads act as guides for people seeking the town, managing to eke out a basic living with the bartered proceeds from this service.
The citizens of Uringen lead quiet lives. Most keep to their tasks, working the alchemical labs or providing services for those who do. Inhabitants of the static portion of town lead a relatively normal existence, though they are always on the lookout for harassment by fey. The town is orderly and people leave each other to their business. Those dwelling in the static side of town rarely do business in the unstuck portion for fear of being whisked away. When they do venture in, they make their visits short. Residents of unstuck Uringen behave more casually, welcoming their haphazard life. While hard work constructing curatives and alchemical goods goes on in this side of town, the taverns are typically filled with gregarious patrons who carry on in a festive manner. Only the most adventurous travelers choose to spend the night in unstuck Uringen’s inns, and it is common knowledge that over the years many visitors have disappeared overnight while the central part of town was out of phase with the rest of Golarion. In recent years, the kingdom has gained a reputation for powerful potions. Whether obtained from the town itself or strange travellers in the wood, the region’s concoctions give rise to few complaints concerning their reliability or cost. In addition to the natural protection lent by geography, Uringen supplies Daggermark with local ingredients for poisons, a partnership contributing to their relative safety. While the two parts of Uringen produce very similar goods, a marked demand for unstuck Uringen potions and salves exists, as buyers feel those products perform better.
In particular demand is a plant called nightmoss, which grows in towering cypress trees throughout the Embeth Forest. A handful of Uringen residents know the secret formulas to brew the moss into powerful potions aimed at strengthening the body and healing physical conditions.
Nightmoss, if prepared and distilled properly, replicates the effects of a potion of cure light wounds, while other variants aimed at restoring sight and purging diseases reportedly exist.