Marsh Tides
Beware the tides of marsh!
This region in Wastaru is filled with mashlands and barrier waters. Looming overhead is a ring of volcanoes which constantly simmer, causing the water to heat up and the local bestiary to panic and stampede. The droopy trees in the marshlands extend out into the ocean about 1/2 mile off of the shore, wherein the water has a black hue and a tar-like consistency. There is death in those waters.
The marsh tides are the home of the kakataur, a prehistoric alligator/lizard/dinosaur beast. These creatures are very deadly, as they blend in to the wilderness and attack with monstrous fangs behind 1/2 ton frames.
The marsh tides are also the home of the slithe, a great serpent of the marsh. These creatures sneak up and then wrap their 20′ long, slender bodies around their prey, leaving them no hope of survival.
The tides rise and fall, leaving the area well ventilated and constantly altered. The paths through the marsh change with each tide, so humans rarely venture into this region, and almost never make it out alive.
(map to follow)
Posted in Region and tagged Location, marsh, Wastaru by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
The Phyloctæte
This empire was once ruled by a council of four powerful mages, who, in their lust for control, ended up waging war with one-another in a three month period which has been come to be known as the Four Mage War. Nestled in between three other human-controlled lands, their war bled over into neighboring lands, with mages flying through the air, wyrms and other creatures battling across the lands. This made the Phyloctæte a feared land in bard’s tales, and to this day, people fear the regime of the victor, Feryn Dyndle, who shares her human lineage with that of the elves. Some people have spread rumors that full-blooded elves from faraway lands had something to do with her success in wresting control of the Phyloctæte from the other, full-human mages.
At the end of the war, one of the mages was killed, another sought refuge in the Astral Plane, and the other surrendered to Feryn Dyndle.
To the northwest of the Phyloctæte, across the Windplains, lies the Kingdom of Altæa. King Harald Altæa has no patience for the war that has affected villages in his domain.
To the west, over the Mountains of Insor, lies the relatively peaceful, multi-racial democratic republic of Nelshun. The Phyloctæte has had few dealings with Nelshun, so it remains to be seen how the new ruler will be received.
To the south, the militaristic Republic of Esrun controls the vast plains of Yæns. Esrun has for years planned to move on the Phyloctæte, and now may be their chance, with the council at it’s weakest. Rumors have it that they have stepped up production of swords and spears, and have recently domesticated some Yæns horses, which make powerful mounts.
To the southeast, through the Border Forest, the Ten Princedoms have formed out of the old Kingdom of Vandor, following the death of King Vandor.
The people of the Phyloctæte have grown weary of the Four Mage War, and have welcomed the recent cease-fire. They are busy rebuilding the towns and villages that make up their nation. Many of them could care less who rules the land, as long as they are left to their arts, crafts, and other skilled trades. Many would like to reap the benefits of trading with the neighboring nations.
Meanwhile, Feryn Dyndle is installing her elven brethren as the ministers and administrators of the nation.
Posted in Region and tagged Location, nation or organization by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Nagy Tömeg Mountains
The Nagy Tömeg are a Mountain range in the center of the Farghol, the northwest border of the Lands of Northbay, the southeast border of the Central Valley.
Deep in the mountains live Deep Gnomes, though they are not often bothered by the Gnomes who live closer to the surface, so there has been little contact between the groups over the ages.
Surface Gnomes live in caves above ground on the north side of the mountains facing the valley, and have built an elaborate series of mechanized lifts to move goods out of the mountains. These lifts also operate in subterranean mines that dot the range. The raw materials and the goods crafted from these materials are the main source of the local economy.
Much of the interior of the range has not been explored by those friendly with humans. It is rumored that fierce Giants live in the center of the mountains. In addition, the bellows of an ancient wyrm have also been heard, coinciding with thunder and lightning storms that rip through the valley in the spring. These have been isolated to emanating from the side of the range that faces Elsemere Wood, where no humans dare go.
Rivers run down the north side of the Nagy Tömeg into the Central Valley. On the floor of the Central Valley live halflings and quarterlings, also more appropriately called three-quarterlings. There are also a few human settlements in the valley, numbering close to 300 inhabitants.
Posted in Region and tagged Central Valley, Northbay by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
The Jæruel
The Jæruel is a collection of fishing villages, mining towns, and tradespeople united under a merchant flag with three intersecting rings in the center over a brown backdrop with a sinister silver bend from the upper right to the lower left. The towns are officially independent, but they follow the lead provided by Tannen. The Jæruel merchant house which provides the name for the region is much more hierarchical, keeping strong hold over the markets in each of the towns, especially those higher up in the power structure. The only standing army is privately run by the merchants of the Jæruel.
The towns and villages of Jæruel:
– Tannen – capital of Jæruel – bustling port town – what Onuago was built after – full of hides and wines other goods from all over the Jæruel (5,000)
– Piran Point – fishing and trading village (920)
– Flego – fishing village (400)
– Uppwint – named for the strong winds that bring fog and quick shifts in the weather to this quaint fishing village (200)
– Trover – fishing town (400)
– Alabaster – inland named for the stone mined from its cliffs (500)
– Junction – a “middle man’s” town at the intersection of trade routes (3,000)
– Himas – a stop on the path of produce to market in Junction (200)
– Franti – wine production, source of Franti grapes (600)
– Furton – wine production, source of Furton grapes, also furs all sent to Tannen (800)
– Ches (pronounced Shez) – fresh water fishing along a broad bend in the river (400)
– Westfort – a fort-like outpost in the mountains to the west of Tannen and Ches that provides hides and timber (200)
Small settlements are developing in the lands to the west of Franti and Furton, but they have not taken significant shape. Some of them have met with ruin due to various invaders — bandits, goblins, and even nefarious pixies getting in on the raiding action.
Posted in Region and tagged Jæruel, Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Ettin Lands
At the southern end of the Cyrűk mountains, a strain of ettin have made their home for multiple generations. These two-faced creatures often end up meeting their fate when one of their brethren challenges them to a duel to the death over some misunderstanding.
The Ettin Lands are a series of three tall hills surrounded by the neighboring peaks. Within these borders, ettin law reign supreme, that of might makes right. This way of life has been passed down through ettin culture, a mismatch of orc, giant, and various other mythologies and beliefs. It seems they are continually confused, perhaps due to their multiple heads, which often do not agree. Ettin (especially from this isolated region) have been known to argue with their own heads, sometimes leading to the two halves of the body pummeling the other to the ground. What is strange is watching them go at it — the right head controls the left side of the body, and vice versa, so the opposing blows must cross one-another in order to contact the intended targets.
Occasionally an ettin will travel outside of these borders into lands inhabited by humans or others of their ilk, but they have largely stuck to this region because of the plentiful supply of large game to hunt. In the neighboring Ettal valley, the meat is much leaner and quicker, making for too challenging a hunt, a major deterrent to this lazy species.
Still, they have been known to hunt men for sport. That is, when they can get along long enough to keep organized.
Recently, the ettin have been haunted by their own zombies, who roam the mountainsides at night in search of brains… ettin technically have two per body, making them even tastier prey to these zombies.
Posted in Region and tagged Location, Northbay by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
The Lands of Northbay
The Lands of Northbay area covers the stretch of land beginning from the Olde Bay and leading north to the Nagy Tömeg mountains, over which lies the Central Valley. On the northeast edge of the Lands of Northbay, over the Cyrűk Mountains we find the rough fishing towns of the Jæruel a merchant coalition, which to the north begin the Fjordlands, the first part of the Northlands. On the west end of the lands of Northbay past the Great Marsh lies Elsemere Wood, a forest which is mostly pristine, but in recent years has grown partially corrupt on its southeast side.
The Northlands do not have a central government; Onuago and Elsemere are too much on the decline, and the local robber baron Baron von Stieglitz has even disappeared from the public eye. The towns of the Jæruel are the best hope for this region.
Notable locations:
Towns:
* The Port of Onuago – colonial port town which has seen hard times
* Elsemere – Old logging town also on the decline
* Talook – Hamlet on the road through the Cyrűk Mountains and Castle von Stieglitz
* The towns of Jæruel:
– Tannen – capital of Jæruel – bustling port town – what Onuago was built after
– Flego – fishing village
– Uppwint – named for the strong winds that bring fog and quick shifts in the weather to this quaint fishing village
– Trover – fishing town
– Alabaster – inland named for the stone mined from its cliffs
– Arwyonne – abandoned fishing town ten miles east of Onuago
Rivers:
* Lazy River – the source has never been found somewhere within the Elsemere Mountains, passing through Elsemere Wood where it makes its way lazily through the Great Marsh to Onuago where it is channeled around the town and out to the Olde Bay. This river has been known to change course many times over the years, leaving traces of past flows as it does.
* Swift River – passes swiftly, hence the name, out of the Cyrűk Mountains, past Talook, depositing into the Olde Bay a few miles east of Onuago.
Other Geographic Features:
* The Great Marsh – a large, mostly unexplored marsh that occupies most of the land from Elsemere to Onuago.
* Goduanil – bleak moors where the sky is always overcast, which end in cliffs that overlook the Olde Bay in the center of its north shore.
* The Great Elsemere Wood – large forest, mostly unexplored by humans. The upper two-thirds is pristine forest, but the lower third has been corrupted by a tainted cult working out of the Shada Monastery in a clearing in the forest.
* Cyrűk Mountains – these begin as rocky hills and quickly become treacherous crags. The safest route through the mountains follows the road. In winter, this pass is completely impassable.
Posted in Region and tagged Horror of the Old Ones, Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.