One Year Till Doomsday - Settings/Locations

[Ixidor92]

Islen:


Alignment: Chaotic Good


Description:Islen is one of the three large human nations that lie upon the continent Theresa. However, while it is true that the majority of the population is human, Islen is better known as a nation of many races. Where the other two human nations are most assuredly human in nature, Islen is a melting pot of cultures and peoples. It is also best known as a hub for adventurers. The primary forces of the economy in Islen are what adventurers bring in and the many guilds that support them. Many nations have mixed opinions on Islen's structure, built on the many random exploits of adventurers, but very few have an outright hostile nation with the state. As many a nation has needed the aid of adventurers at some point, and Islen is known as the unofficial home of all adventurers, few are willing to cut themselves off from the unreliable yet powerful source of power that is adventurers.


Government: Islen is governed at it's core by a ruling monarchy. The king is not chosen by blood however, but rather from a council composed of nine noble families. Often, a king will step down before his death, and put forth a candidate of his own. Usually this candidate takes the throne (though there have been exceptions in the past). The laws of Islen are usually seen as less strict than other nations, but for regular residents of Islen this is not seen as a bad thing. With a large majority of the population being adventurers, keeping too tight a hold on them would only serve to cause tension. The laws essentially are meant to loosely hold back the many powers of adventurers without removing their freedom to go about their business. Barring common sense laws such as respecting basic human rights and respecting business transactions, Islen has the following notable rules.


-Fights are prohibited in public areas. If two or more persons must decide a debate through strength of arms, they can settle it in one of the arenas. For the sake of expediency, an official may preside over a one-on-one duel in the streets, to ensure that no innocent bystanders are brought into the scuffle. Apart from the fact they may not fight to the death, all rules are decided by the two combatants. This rule is to prevent adventurers with a short temper from going at it in the streets, but still allowing them to get the fight out of their systems. It is worth noting that several pubs are the scenes of bar fights in Islen. While technically against the law, enforcement usually leaves these alone as long as the staff don't complain and the fight stays inside the establishment.


-Guilds of any description will serve their patrons in the order they have arrived and received orders. It does not matter whether one adventurer needs a new longbow and one has brought a chunk of adamantine to forge into a blade. If the rookie adventurer came first, he will be served first. This law is a necessity to prevent less experienced and weaker adventurers from being completely thrown by the wayside. In the wake of so many adventurers, many levels of experience become apparent. If guilds worked for the difficult and time-consuming processes asked for by the most experienced adventurers as they came, then no one else would ever have their requests fulfilled.


-No one may refuse to offer their services to another on the basis of race, faith, profession, or similar. An elven mage cannot refuse a half-orc's request for a spell on the basis that he is a half-orc for example. They either offer their services to everybody, or nobody


Current ruler: Kuvat Ynadon. A half elf of 80 years, Ynadon has ruled the land of Islen since he was chosen by the last king 15 years ago. His rule has been relatively short by the standards of many races, but he has been fair, and many have hope in him to lead them through the current crisis.


Population: Islen has a variable population, but on average, more than half the nation is populated by adventurers. Many adventurers consider Islen their home nation, as a place to find refuge when not delving into tombs or fighting dragons. The other residents of Islen are usually either part of the nobility or workers in the many guilds throughout the area. Those left are the rare farmers or those who don't mind the boisterous attitude of many adventurers.


Capital: The capital of Islen is the sprawling city of Aoen. This city has a raised tier in the center, where the royal families live and do business, but otherwise the city sprawls around with a radius of about 1.5 miles. There are three separate arenas in the city, at least one representative hall for every guild in the nation, and dozens of taverns. Along the streets lie many vendors both professional and not, eager to sell their wares to the many adventurers traveling through the city. There is also one temple dedicated to every non-evil deity in the city. Most temples function like guild halls, offering healing and blessings to those who ask, especially if they share faith.


Services: Every kind of service is readily available in Islen, you merely need to know where to look.


Resources: Islen's greatest resource is it's great wealth of diverse services. With such a large host of guilds and adventurers constantly pushing the economy, the fluctuations even out. More to the point, if someone needs to find something, there is no better place on the continent. If you can't find it in Islen, then you can find an adventurer willing to retrieve it for coin or glory, or a guild hall that can supply it.


Forces: Islen has one of the smallest official forces of all the great nations. They are little more than a peace-keeping core. These are generally men and women who grew up in Islen, but had no desire to join one of the guilds or go off and take to adventure. They also include adventurers who for some reason or another retired from the adventuring life. This core never numbers more than several hundred. However, few underestimate Islen, as it has an unofficial force of immeasurable power. With the backing of guilds, Islen is able to mobilize a fairly sizable force of adventurers at any point, which while unpredictable, are EXTREMELY effective. The recent demon invasion was the first attack Islen had to endure in the last three and a half centuries because of this fact.

 

[Ixidor92]

Aldurlein:


Alignment: Chaotic good


Description: Aldurlein is the grand homeland of the elves, or so they call it themselves. Most other people see it as a giant forested region, difficult to get through at the best of times, and downright impossible at the worst. The elves do not actively discourage visitors, but the forest functions as something of a test. Those who fight against the forest will find that it fights them right back, making progress nearly impossible, while those who instead try to move with the forest might find that it helps them along. Important relations from other nations might be lucky enough to have an elven guide along with them, but otherwise traveling to the elven cities is a fairly arduous task. Despite how large the nation is, there are only two or three true elven "cities" within Aldurlein. There are dozens of elven settlements within the forest, but none house more than a dozen or so elves at a time. These few cities are truly grand however, and any who have visited them in person often say that any description they could offer would do the elves a disservice. While elves are the primary race of Aldurlein, they are not its sole inhabitants. For any one person, Aldurlein tends to be a nation that either completely accepts or completely rejects them. They either can live with the forest, and find acceptance with the elven people, or they cannot, and find themselves inevitably driven to wander elsewhere.


Government: For most people, how the elves govern themselves is a mystery. From a traditional standpoint, there doesn't even seem to be any sort of traditional government. There are no monarchs, no royalty to speak of, no elected council, no division of provinces or even basic structure. This is only from the outside looking in however. To the elves and anyone who lives their life in Aldurlein, all the systems outside seem to have too much going on, without having any ability to bend or change with the times. It is true that Aldurlein has no set ruler or rulers, by blood or by election. Instead, there is a meeting once every year, and also during situations that would usually call for the regular ruler. These are announced with one week to prepare, and any elf who has lived to the age of 400 may come to share opinions and participate. This may mean that the policies and general approach the nation takes can vary wildly depending on the age, but the elves see it as a natural progression. Indeed, because they live so long, it can be many generations in other nations before a shift occurs. Generally, the longer an elf has lived, the more weight their voice carries, but all opinions are heard and given serious thought. Because of this governing system however, Aldurlein has only two written laws, enough to be written on a single sheet of paper. For the most part however, any who know the elves' culture and respect those around them will find little issue with the laws.


Code of Aldurlein


-One must always show respect and dignity to those around them, regardless of age. Through mutual respect, conflict is avoided, and prosperity comes forth


-One must always respect the forest as he respects his fellow man. The trees are as alive as any creature you will meet, and to disrespect them is as surely a violation of the first clause as if to disrespect another creature


Population: While Aldurlein is a mystery to most people who have not visited in person, there is one thing everything knows, and that is that it is the homeland of the elves. The majority of the population is elves, with any settlement outside of one of the few major cities likely to contain nothing but elves. Even should one enter one of the main cities by chance, determination, or a guide, they will find the majority of people there to be elves. However, there are some exceptions. Noteably, there are several small folk present in the elven capital. Generations ago, two different wandering tribes, one of gnomes and the other halflings, found their way into the elven forests. Rather than wander elsewhere however, they found the land of Aldurlein to be inviting, and that the capital offered a home they could scarcely find elsewhere. Some of the tribes left, but the majority stayed. As such, there is are now fairly permanent communities of both halflings and gnomes in the capital of Aldurlein. The elves find this not only tolerable, but enjoyable, as the small folk add many stories and parties to the lives of the elves. Besides the small-folk, several fey wander the woods of Aldurlein, though they rarely take any part in the affairs of passing mortals. There are a sprinkling of the other races in Aldurlein, either wanderers who found a home, or those wanderer's children who haven't mustered the stamina or will to leave yet. There are some humans within Aldurlein, causing a somewhat sizable number of half-elves to live there, though none of the others come even close to the number of elves. Indeed, many half-elves leave Aldurlein, usually for good.


Capital: The Capital of Aldurlein is a fair city simply known as "The old grove." Elves never refer to it by its true name in the presence of non-elves, and those that have heard it say that it is so beautiful and yet so complicated they could never hope to remember it. The old grove is actually more apt of a name than many believe. The "city" is a wide, sprawling area in the forest, without clear boundaries, yet one can tell instinctively when they are within its borders. The entire city is alive, with homes being built around and from the natural world. Where most cities have buildings, the grove has hollowed trees and houses built upon their branches. Where another large city would have carriages, the elves are blessed with the service of intelligent mounts such as pegasi and even occasionally unicorns, who are willing to ferry travelers long distances. Of course, should the distance be short enough, they will refuse to do so and have the traveler merely walk instead. And where most cities have roads, the grove has soft dirt paths, lined with flowers and sprawling grass at nearly every turn. In particular, several "hobbit holes" can be seen built into some of these flower patches, which the pedals blooming on the roofs of the small-folks homes.


Services: To ask for service in Aldurlein is often seen less as a business transaction and more of a request on behalf of one who needs the service. The one performing the service will often ask for some form of compensation besides money, whether it is gathering the necessary materials, or performing an errand of some sort on the provider's behalf. The elves do not see money as an adequate compensation for time, and therefore ask that you give yours in exchange for theirs. As for what services they can offer, the elves have always been one of the greatest practitioners of magic, and nearly any kind of spell casting service can be found, especially in one of the cities. There are also a few elven smiths who offer great quality work, often with magic weaved into the very smithing process. To acquire one of these often has the requester going off to find the necessary materials, which can take weeks, but any adventurer who has had a custom-forged elven blade or breastplate would tell you that it was worth every minute spent to earn it. Besides the magic both raw and material the elves can provide, many elves practice a profession or craft of some kind. Most are willing to spend time to teach any who wish to learn, and do not even consider it a service, but rather a learning experience for both parties involved.


Resources: Aldurlein's greatest resource is magic. The forest is rich with it, most elves practice it to at least a small degree, and nearly all elven craft has some degree of magic within its construction. Beyond that, there are the obvious natural resources that the forest itself provides. In ages long past, there were some nations who desired those resources and engaged in war to take them. Their names have been lost to history, forever forgotten for any actions but their greatest folly. The elves do not use up resources like many people, instead seemingly able to use them just at the right pace that the growth of the forest makes up for anything lost.


Forces: Aldurlein has no official forces to speak of, much as they have no true official ruler. However, many elves practice magic, swordplay, and archery to its extremes. When Aldurlein is threatened, the nation calls for all willing and able to fight. Within no longer than two weeks, there will be a rank-and-file army consisting of men and women soldiers, archers, and mages, all ready to defend their home. Even of those who are not elves, several will join the ranks, as sling-throwing halfling supports and gnome illusionists march with the elves to defend their common home. Of the few who have tried to conquer Aldurlein in the past, none remain today. They are exterminated from history for the follow of trying to destroy the homeland of the fair folk.


 
Solkresh:


Alignment: Lawful Neutral/Chaotic Neutral


Description: Solkresh is a land far to the north, at the very edge of the continent. It borders the northern ocean, but that is not what the region is famous for. The ground is largely dust and a a few barren plants naturally. However, the area is rich with glowing crystals of various size and shape. These crystals are formed by the excess soul energy that seems to pass through the area like a river, with one particularly large formation taking up residence in the dead center. This formation is 30 feet tall and roughly 40 feet across, making it the size of a fairly large building. The dust and dreariness of the land is oftentimes offset by the happenings of random acts of magic. The soul energy in the area will cause the land to take form into a general impression, whether it be a grassy meadow, or a black swamp. The lack of life in the regular soil is from all the morphing it has been forced to endure. Several creatures born of incarnum wander this area, and simply walking in can be suicide to those unprepared, in fact, very few people have seen reason to visit due to the local residents . . . While seen as one region, there are technically two nations present within the lands of Solkresh. One of Rilkan, known as Qualoos. And one of Skarn, known as J'ktar. They war over the lands of Solkresh continuously, neither willing to leave a land so rich in incarnum to the other. This means that while the back ends of each nation are kept stable by a mountain range and a large river (for J'ktar and Qualoos respectively) the exact borders within the plains become a jumbled mess that changes on a monthly basis depending on how the battles go.


Government(Qualoos): Qualoos is governed rather in a manner one would expect from Rilkan. Loving freedom and the pursuit of their own ideals, their laws harshly punish any who would squelch the freedoms of another. The Rilkan are ruled by a council of 13, with at least 8 needing to agree to pass any major decision. Oftentimes the Rilkan council will take weeks to debate amongst themselves, but all honestly take in the opinions of their fellows. The Rilkan make sure to allow for the freedom of all within their walls, with the exception of those that would hamper the freedom of others. The only thing the council has down with any Rilkan might consider going against this ideal is the requirement of all able-bodied to join the army or help the army in some way. Though honestly, most Rilkan need little convincing with the idea of a Skarn regime ruling over them.


Government(J'ktar): J'ktar, in keeping with the lawful nature of the Skarn is ruled by a rigid class system. The skarn king Valum T'kul rules over the capital. Below him stand several noble families, who can expect to have a successor chosen from amongst them. Below them are the warriors, highly disciplined and undergoing training every day. Below them are the maker class, those who practice crafting, count merchants among their number, and often support the other classes, especially during the current war. Below those are the servant class, those in direct service to those from another class. Nobles support many servants, while warriors usually have one, and can have more depending on their title, while makers may have one servant if their status is enough to warrant it. Despite how each class has its definite superiors, no Skarn is looked down upon. Every Skarn has dignity, and performs their duty to whatever capacity they are able. To be of a servant class does not bring shame to one's name, and any Skarn who does so would be in danger of being reduced in class himself. The laws of King T'kul are very strict on what is and is not allowed, with most serious offenses resulting in a lowering of class. As such, the nation of J'ktar functions like a well-oiled machine of law, much as one would expect.


Population(Qualoon): Pretty much every single soul in Qualoon is a Rilkan. Those few souls that are not Rilkan are unfortunate victims of circumstance. Ambushed by creatures of Incarnum, they were rescued by Qualoon forces, but now have no simple means to readily leave. The Rilkan are hospitable of course, but their efforts on the war take up all the time of the council and forces, so official transport to the edge of the nation is tricky. One must purchase or persuade a group of Rilkan to take them to the border where they can secure transport, but otherwise they have to do what they can to live amongst the freedom-loving people.


Population(J'ktar): J'ktar is entirely populated by Skarn, without exception. Occasionally the skarn forces will find those who have wandered into the region by accident or by purpose (not very likely). They are brought back to the nearest city, where the ruling authority will hear their story before taking appropriate action. If the group has some purpose, and it does not interfere with the Skarn's actions, then the authority will treat the discussion as a business proposal and continue from there. If they have wandered in by accident, a suitable number of skarn warriors are immediately readied to escort the group back to the border.


Capital(Qualoon): Qualoon hosts the capital of Yris, called by some scholars "the most random city to exist". This title is not given without reason. Appearance-wise the city looks like several children got together the build a city, divided up the pieces they would build, and then when they came together, they realized that they were completely different. Yet these same children, rather than argue, decided to just mash everything together and see if it works. The ruling house is a capital building made of marble, while the commons are a flowing garden almost elven in quality. A river flows through one entire quarter of the city, with water replacing some of the streets. Yet, despite all the chaos, the city functions just as well as any other. Everything has a place, even if that place seems to be completely chosen at random. When Qualoon had visitors that weren't Rilkan on a regular basis, one could ask a local resident and they would generally be pleased to point you in the direction of where you needed to go.


Capital(J'ktar): J'ktar's capital of N'dak is a grand city, the whole area built into three grand tiers much like a castle. The buildings are all beautifully carved from Sandstone, granite, and marble, with maker class citizens regularly keeping them in pristine shape. In the center of all the grand architecture, stands a cathedral that would make even the dwarves and elves stand in awe at its majesty. It is from here that T'kur rules all of the Skarn, and keeps an eye over his charges.


Services(Qualoon): Qualoon is interesting in its resources, that being it is almost impossible to come by any sort of regular guild or other such area to work. Instead, since each Rilkan is given leave to follow his own pursuits, they will likely advertise any services they have to offer outside their front door. All one need do is knock and ask about the sign that says "Offering spell casting services" or "Potions at a low price!". This means that while it is generally possible to locate almost any kind of service one could imagine, actually finding someone who offers that exact service is pretty much up to luck.


Services(J'ktar): When securing a service from the Skarn people, one generally speaks to a member of the Maker class. There are very specific guilds set up in each city of J'ktar, with the grandest of each being present in the capital of N'dak. Each Maker class finds what profession best suits their talents, and then takes apprenticeship at the appropriate guild. Any outsider present in one of these guilds can expect formal and fair business with the Maker class. If service is required from another class however, things become more difficult. Proper compensation must be offered for service rendered, and each Skarn is at leave to decide what their services are worth, though none overprice themselves (by Skarn standards) Warrior class Skarn usually ask for decent coin, enough to cover what they feel their time is worth, as well as the cost of any damage they and their possessions might sustain. Noble class usually don't take requests, but if there is great reward it is not impossible. A good example would be an adventuring party asking for information about a particularly incarnum-rich area. The noble might have a map or good information, and will ask for a percentage or a particular item that the party may find. The most common services offered by Maker class are equipment related, or anything related to incarnum. Other services can be found, but are not nearly as prominent.


Resources(general): The greatest resource either nation has access to is the shaping of incarnum. In addition to this, the crystals upon the plains of Solkresh offer a unique source for crafting materials and research. Either nation has access to these, the only difference is in how they use them.


Forces(Qualoon): Qualoon's primary forces are incarnum users, mostly chaotic incarnates and totemists. While these make up the bulk of their forces, the rest are discernibly varied. Rilkan commanders are those who have experienced many battles, and when given troops, they use any abilities each has to the best of their abilities. The one notable thing about the Rilkan army that differs them from the skarn however, is their espionage unit. Many Rilkan have taken up training for stealth and other such things that the Skarn view as distasteful, giving the rilkans a very talents scouting and spying force.


Forces(J'ktar): J'ktar, in what is possibly the only similarity they have to Qualoon, also has incarnum users as their primary force. Though they primarily consist of lawful incarnates and soul born. Besides these forces, they have a dedicated contingency of regular soldiers, often headed by spine meld warriors. Each core trains daily, with one day of the week being offered as a day of rest for each core. The day of rest is different for each core, and they often spend time resting their bodies in meditation, or pursuing other studies. The few dedicated spell casters form a single core, which spends most of its time studying new spells, particularly in tandem with incarnum. These spell casters are sent to support the major cores, rather than forming units of their own.


Forces(General): The two nations of Solkresh have been at war for the past 2 centuries, but neither has been in a dominant position at any point during those two-hundred years. Each side recognizes that a full-on assault of the opposition's home would be a suicide attempt, so they have to plan carefully. Most fights are skirmishes between border patrols, which will kill one or two people at most, but often result in both sides retreating while injured. Every several years, there will be a major battle that breaks out, but neither side has the obvious upper hand. Neither side is willing to retreat, as both of them desire the same thing, the giant crystal in the middle of Solkresh, so titled "The azure tower" for the pale blue of incarnum that constantly swirls about it. Neither side can build any sort of permanent fortification there, as the other side will have an easy chance to sabotage whatever resources are used. So this stalemate has continued. Those on the outside have noted that combined, the Solkresh has the greatest gathering of incarnum users on the entire continent, and has several experienced warriors that have seen multiple battles. If they stopped fighting each other for even a short period of time, then they could likely spread their influence over a third of the continent with ease.


 
Xerltusk:


Alignment: Currently Lawful Neutral


Description: Xerltusk lies to the south of Islen, but has Aldurlein neighboring on its east side just like Islen. Xerltusk is one of the three great human nations, and of them it is the decidedly most human. Human culture, human crafts, human ruling. Most of the better-known humanoids are given at least mostly fair treatment, especially if they appear human (such as half-elves or Aasimar) but otherwise most races are stuck to the poor gettos. The conditions of these places have varied wildly with the rulers in Xerltusk's past. Xerltusk is ruled by a king, but that king is chose from one of dozens of noble families living in the city. Many kings have ruled Xerltusk, and the policies of the nation vary wildly with its ruler. This is especially true in the eyes of long lived races such as the dwarves and elves, who watch the city turn from a tyranny, to a orderly paragon of virtue, right back to a tyranny, all in the span of just over a century. The different noble families have their own agendas, and will go about their own ways of claiming the throne. The rest of the nation has learned to live with this, or moved on to a different area. Many races find the nation interesting, as while the human residents think that the current regime could last forever, other, longer-lived people, know differently.


Government: As stated before, Xerltusk is ruled by a king, who has nearly absolute authority over everything. However, this authority is marked by the dozens of noble families. Piss too many off, and one could easily become the victim of assassination or simply overthrown. However, nor can one match the whims of every family all the time. In fact, being the king of Xerltusk is a precious balancing act, as one tries to carry out one's goals while keeping the nobility pleased. However, each king does have their own goals, and the ideals and goals of the government have changed wildly depending on that. The current king of Xerltusk, Girard Haelstrom, is simply looking to stabilize the kingdom. The last three kings before him only had a rule of roughly three years each before they were killed via 'mysterious means', which resulted in a very turbulent decade for the nation, and some territory lost, particularly to Islen as the northern state moved in to restore some order to the far-flung communities. He himself has ruled for the last five years, a record in recent history. Rather than trying to make the state search for justice or rule with an iron fist to keep order, he has set about trying to alter the judicial system and ensure that order is kept via means besides just the royal court. Progress has been remarkably slow, as several of the nobles oppose this idea, but the state is stable for now. However, prejudice remains within all walks of life for the nation, and anyone who is obviously not human may find that the law does not favor them where it should Within cities outside of the capital, some noble families reign above the other, as sort of 'mini-kings', which causes some towns to differ vastly.


Population: Xerltusk is almost exclusively human. Besides a few human-looking species that have found a place in the nation, most non-humans are simply passing through. Those that are living there are rarely doing so by choice. They often lack the means to leave, and so are stuck in the ghettos of the cities, where conditions range from unpleasant to downright filthy.


Capital: Nendare is the capital of Xerltusk. A grand castle sits in the middle of this city, though it has clearly fallen into some disrepair. King Haelstrom has made effort to try and refurbish it, but it has yet to be back to 100%. This castle completely towers over the rest of the city, leaving everything in it shadow. The other noble houses all have some manner of grand dwelling in the city, even if they don't actively live there most of the time. Proper living arrangements are a must when meeting in the court for a long period of time after all. Most anyone else living in the capital is either a member of the royal guard, a merchant, or in the slums.


Services: Oddly enough, the most prevalent service in Xerltusk has absolutely nothing to do with the authority--or rather, it is because the authority can't be trusted to remain stable that it has become this way. When the government becomes unstable and changing, people look for stability in religion. Despite repeated attempts from some past rulers to snuff out these happenings, temples and clerics have always had a strong presence in Xerltusk. If one looks, there is a temple for most any deity, from Heironous to Nerull. Besides that, there is a thriving underground culture of rogues and assassins, as the Nobles consistently need those to do their dirty work. Most are willing to fence items that have been gained from . . . less than legal means, as well as willing to steal from someone . . . for the right price


Resources: Xerltusk has a lot of wealth between all of its noble houses, though actually getting access to that wealth can be difficult. In many ways, the recent turmoil has make Xerltusk rather scarce for resources, and King Haelstrom is attempting to solve this issue


Forces: Every noble family in Xerltusk has a royal guard, though they are more of a personal force than any kind of army. There is a standing army, but how strong it is varies wildly depending on the lord. Between the turmoil of the last decade and the nature of the current ruler, the nation's standing army is less than impressive. In the past however, those lords who have been . . . less picky about their forces have found the thieves guilds and assassins present in the region a potent force. The local clergy is also willing to stand up if something threatens them personally, whether it be an outside force or one of the local lords.


 
The Indigo mountains:


Alignment: Lawful neutral


Description: The Indigo mountains are known as two distinct parts, yet nonetheless occupy the same area. The first is the mountain vistas that lie to the northeast of the continent. These mountains stretch far into the sky, and are so-called because of the mythril veins that run through the stone. The mountains are full of mythril, and as such are an incredible natural resource. However, this is offset by the second well-known occupant of the indigo mountains--chromatic dragons. Several species of chromatic dragons have made their home in the indigo mountains, and are a twofold nuisance. For one, mining above the surface is quite frankly impossible, as the company would be a sitting duck for dragon attack. The second is that no scouting expedition that attempted to cross the mountains has ever succeeded. They either return heavily damaged, or never return at all. The order of Bahamut has their head of operations stationed near the foothills of the Indigo mountains, to combat this threat as best they can, but no full-on extermination mission has been successfully attempted to date. This effectively means that the map of the continent ends at the northeast with the Indigo mountains.


Now, while the top of the Indigo mountains is essential a rainbow-scaled death trap for any who try to travel atop their peaks, there is another facet to the mountain range. Far beneath the surface lies the capital of Üldrathok, with the nation being known by the same name. This home was forged out of the stone by dwarves, and is now their primary home. The dwarves have a few other major cities, but Üldrathok is the primary hub. They also have several tunnels going underneath the mountains, this serves the twofold purpose of allowing convenient travel and mining. Indeed, the mythril veins that so enticingly taunt those who wish to mine them on the surface of the mountains extend far below the surface. A fact that the dwarves have taken full advantage of. Nearly all mythril on the continent is originally mined from the indigo mountains, and then traded through Ledrassil, one of the three human nations and their nearest surface neighbor. The dwarves have cleverly built tunnel entrances to the city at the foothills of the mountains, where dragon attacks are quite rare and can be defended from. However, only dwarves are known to have the necessary means of entrance, so the tunnels cannot be entered without permission.


Government: The government of Üldrathok is a very strict hierarchy based on clans. Every dwarf is born into their clan, and each clan has different duties and different power. Ruling over all other clans is the Devhuln clan, from which the dwarven king is crowned. The Devhuln clan has authority over every other clan and their duties, though in the interest of efficiency they rarely intervene directly unless called for. The clan primarily serves the duty of watching over all laws and seeing to the cases of those who break them. The king himself rarely steps in, often looking over the work of the other clans and looking over the many documents that pass through with a royal seal. Other important clans are as follows: Nukralok, the primary clan of warriors. They are tasked with defending all other dwarves from the dangers of the under dark, which include but are not limited to, Drow, delvers, dark mantles, kobolds, thermites, sometimes crazy hermit wizards, and the occasional dragon. Valadorn, another clan of warrior that is much smaller, but specializes in the killing of dragons. This clan even has a few dwarves turned dragon born, something which is not seen as shameful given their line of work. On the rare occasions where dragons threaten the dwarven tunnels, this clan is called upon to protect their home. Most often they are called into service when the access of tunnel entrances closer to the mountains are needed, and therefore risk of dragon attack is much more probable. Gernlür, the head of the smith clans. While no slouches in battle themselves, this clan is responsible for the crafting of most tools in Üldrathok. They have the most experienced smiths with regards to mythril on the entire continent. Finally, there is the Tarak clan, which are the practitioners of the dwarven faith. They keep watch over the many temples of Moradin, as well as the temples dedicated to Heironous and St. Cuthbert that lie within the capital. What makes them so well-known however, is that they are usually the clan that outsiders deal with the most, at least directly. Being of the faith means that several of these dwarves have a connection to the outside world that most of their kin lack, and so when contacting Üldrathok, they usually are the ones to receive and respond to such messages. There are several other clans of course, but these four are the ones well-known outside of Üldrathok.


Population: Dwarves, dwarves, and yet more dwarves. The region of Üldrathok is almost entirely populated by nothing but dwarves, however there are a few exceptions. As mentioned previously, some dragon born do live in Üldrathok, though all of them were dwarves before undergoing the rite of rebirth. As such, many dwarves consider them to still be dwarves at heart, despite their draconic appearance. Generally, the higher the dragonborn's status was before undergoing the rite, the more willing people are to accept their decision. Besides this, there are a few other species that make their homes amongst the dwarven kingdom, whether they have no choice, or they believe this is their place, they find varying levels of acceptance amongst the dwarves. The most notable of these is a small tribe of goliaths that have been living in the city for nearly 8 centuries. They barely number 100, but even in such small numbers the tribe stands out like a sore thumb with being double the height of the normal populace. Still, many dwarves recognize the goliaths as fellow creatures of the stone, and are willing to accept their services as talented warriors and particularly as scouts. With their long limbs and natural ability to traverse, a goliath scout can cover significantly more ground than a group of dwarves.


Capital: Üldrathok is a city so large many could consider it to be its own nation. With all other dwarven cities not even being half the size, the nation is simply referred to by the city name (please see base description)


Services: Do you want armor or weapons? Better yet, do you want them made out of mythril? Then there will be no shortage of options for you here in Üldrathok. The city has the best smiths around, all competing with each other to forge better and better equipment. One would be hard-pressed to find better equipment so readily available anywhere else. Besides this, many clerics to moradin lie within the city, and are willing to offer their services to the law-abiding. Those of a more chaotic bent might find they are . . . more reluctant to help.


Resources: Mythril. Above anything else, Üldrathok has the greatest source of mythril on the continent, and has remained so for the last millennia. Nearly all mythril is originally mined here, and a great deal of it is forged here as well. Besides the mythril, Üldrathok also has a ready supply of crystal, nearly every kind of gem, and more mundane metals. In short, nearly any kind of material that is not adamantine can be readily produced here.


Forces: The crown keeps a well-disciplined force of dwarven soldiers at all times, and the warrior clans essentially make a whole army unto themselves. Beyond this, all clerics are trained to fight to at least some degree, as they may be brought along expeditions through the tunnels where their powers are useful. This makes an extremely tough, durable, and dangerous army. The dwarves have not mobilized their entire force at any point in the memory of any living dwarf today, but if they did it would be extremely difficult to displace


 
Ledrassil:


Alignment: Neutral


Description: The nation of Ledrassil is not widely known for it's government or forces, but rather for its connections. The nation is located up to the northeast, and is the nation bordering on the Indigo mountains. As such, they are the primary hub through which Üldrathok trades mythril and mythril goods. This has inadvertently made Ledrassil the biggest hub for trade on the entire continent, despite being on the far edge. Nations will offer not only coin, but other products and resources for mythril, which in turn other countries want as well, and Ledrassil serves as a neutral party in all of this. Nearly every nation has an embassy representing their ruling authority in the capital, while the ruling body of Ledrassil itself is surprisingly small.


Government: The government of Ledrassil is composed of a 15-man council. However, this council is less a gathering of rulers and more a gathering of businessmen. Each one has earned their position through finance and smart business decisions, and acting foolishly will thus mean they lose their position to someone else. They meet regularly to go over the trade agreements and treaties that exist with the other nations. They often need to look at new agreements that have been written up by other nations, or listen to the given proposal of a representative. The council chooses its course of action with only a majority of at least twelve. As a result, getting a new agreement through is extremely difficult unless it is fair, and usually one agreement is passed in tandem with another agreement that somehow balances things out. The council is in charge of keeping a very fine balance. Offer too much or too little to one nation in relation to the others, and suddenly a war over precious resources could break out. As far as laws are concerned, the government covers basic peace-keeping, but primarily protects the transactions of businessmen and their companies. Any sort of business transaction is gone over with a fine comb, and one broken or found in disagreement with the law will result in severe punishment.


Population: Ledrassil is primarily a human city, but they do offer harbor to several other races. For one thing, several dwarves make their home in Ledrassil, either as travelers from Üldrathok, or as smiths that have chosen to live above-ground, where their wares are more easily accessible. Several other business-minded races have found their place here in Ledrassil, as it is a city where power is earned more through business sense than the practice of law. Several dwarves have risen to prominence, some even making it as far as being a council member (in fact two of the current council members are dwarves). Surprisingly, there is a small contingency of elans that have made their home here. Most of them are over 4 centuries old (not even including their past lives) and all are very accomplished business owners. One has even made their way into the council. Several other races are present in the city, but none in any great number besides the two noted.


Capital: Baeldis, often seen as a shining gem of a city, is the capital of Ledrassil. Here is where the council meets, and every major nation has an embassy with permanent residents that argue legislature on behalf of their home. This is a city where everything has a price, and power can be earned by anyone with business savvy as long as they have at least one gold on them. There are professional smiths, relic traders, vendors, gamblers, anyone who is good with money can make a decent living here. On the other hand, anyone who has a bad business sense, or just can't seem to hold onto their money, will often find themselves stripped of funds very quickly and thus trapped in the city. Such poor sods have to stay in the slums, with others who have lost their coin.


Services: Everything has a price in Ledrassil, and nearly every service can be found if one knows where to look, it will simply have a price attached to it. More to the point, the sheer amount of coin that passes through Ledrassil lends itself to being possibly the richest nation on the continent, even if most of it is in goods.


Resources: Natively, Ledrassil has very few resources to speak of. However, by virtue of being the trade hub that it is, Ledrassil has non-native access to pretty much every single rare resource on the continent. As long a you have enough coin and know where to look, even items as rare as adamantine and ancient relics can be both found and bought.


Forces: Ledrassil has a fairly large native peace-keeping force, but not much beyond that. In the capital, every council member has a fairly large personal guard, which they fund themselves. The majority of forces in Ledrassil are privately owned, such as mercenary companies in the like, but foreign nations are limited on how many forces they are allowed to bring for "protection" those who try to bring in more may find other nations united against them and several of their resources drying up as Ledrassil repeals their trade agreements.


While getting a true united force officially is difficult in Ledrassil, the nation does have a strong underground presence. Wherever their is lots of business, there are always underhanded deals, secret trades, and a black market. This has lead to an underground economy that thrives quite well beneath the shiny polish of the city. This group of rogues, cons, and thieves all have very useful skills, and could prove very handy if united.


 
The Sharima Desert:


Alignment: Neutral


Description: On the western side of the continent, a massive desert stretches before the civilized nations. Crossing it is not impossible, but many have paid for trying to venture in unprepared. This desert is leagues across, and renders most regular forms of travel impossible or impractical. Not only is the constant heat and regular dangers of the desert present, but several species of dangerous creatures live there as well. Large magical beasts, even occasional blue dragons are seen here. Despite the desert seeming to have been designed by some cruel deity, there are those who call the sharima desert their home. Specifically, three smaller "nations" lie within the desert's borders. Two of them only have one city to their name, being little more than city states. The other has no set city, and is a collection of wanderers widely recognized for their knowledge of the desert. The Kreshketar riders, the province of Geldrassan, and the spires of Öldanarth.


Government (Kreshketar): The riders of the desert are grouped into small tribes, with each tribe having an elder. The elder is simply the member of the tribe who has lived the longest, which is no small feat wandering through the desert as these riders do. If one wishes to gather the riders at large, they need to gather the elders of each clan. Besides the elder, the strength of one's voice is determined by one's literal strength. Past deeds and tests of honor are taken into account when determining this.


Government (Geldrassan): Geldrassan is a large, sprawling city, funded by the mining of crystal and specifically deep crystal. The government is a council of five psionic individuals, making sure that the city runs smoothly. Mining operations are top priority, while allowing for psionic study is the secondary. The government is mostly fair to psionic individuals, but others can sometimes feel like second-class citizens, as they are looked down upon by the government.


Government (Öldanarth): Öldanarth is a strict city, ruled by a royal family that has been in place for generations. The members of this family are worshipped like demigods, and they make sure to keep the hierarchy as it is. They rule with what could be called an iron fist, and any transgressions agains the royal family are swiftly and harshly dealt with.


Population (Kreshkatar): The population of the beast riders is fairly spread-out and difficult to determine. It is known that several thri-keen and half-giants are within prominent positions. Besides that, the races seem quite varied, valuing the ability to survive and ride over any kind of racial bias.


Population (Geldrassan): Being a psionically-inclined nation city-state, Geldrassan is largely home to races with a natural tendency towards psionics. Dromites, Maenads, and others. Besides those of a natural psionic inclination, humans largely make up the population.


Population (Öldanarth): The city is almost entirely human, with the royal family claiming to be more than such, but this usually has not been seen. It is known that once in several generations the family will give birth to an Aasimar, but only two of them have ever taken up the throne as a proper emperor. It is worth noting that roughly 1/5 of the population of Öldanarth are slaves. These slaves include humans and several other races, but is notably devoid of long-lasting races such as dwarves and elves. These races are executed instead of being put in slavery, for they can run plans that span centuries. Halflings are a favorite commodity among the ruling class.


Services (Kreshketar): Kreshketar, not being a proper city-state or nation, does not have any services to truly offer. One who earns their respect may receive their help in crossing the desert, but that is all.


Services (Geldrassan): Geldrassan is a veritable hub of Psionic power within the expanse of the desert. If you seek anything related to Psionics, whether knowledge, craft, or anything else, it can be found here. Other services are minimal.


Services (Öldanarth): Öldanarth has a veritable hub of magic, but it is not available to the general public. Among the free people, several mundane and masterwork crafts can be found. Should one wish it, they can also purchase slaves here.


Resources(Kreshketar): Kreshketar tribes travel from oasis to oasis within the desert, and live off of what little the sands provide. The only resource unique to them is a large troupe of animals trained for traveling and fighting in the desert, which they are loathe to part with.


Resources (Geldrassan): Crystal and deep crystal. Geldrassan houses a giant crystal mine, the deepest source of psionically-attuned crystal known on the continent. Besides this, there are also a wealth of tailors within Geldrassan, who spin garments both mundane and psionic.


Resources (Öldanarth): Öldanarth is built upon the largest oasis in the Sharima desert, but nearly all the resources are hoarded by the royal family, which they then ration out to the people as they see fit. In fact, the only resource one could reasonably gather from Öldanarth without the royal family throwing a hissyfit is slaves, should one desire such a thing.


Forces (Kreshketar): Kreshketar has no standing forces. They are the standing forces. Every single rider is born and raised into a warrior to survive the desert, and while gathering them could be difficult, no one would deny the power such a force of experienced warriors would provide.


Forces (Geldrassan): The Geldrassan government is protected by a small contingency of soul knives and psionic warriors. By virtue of the profession, all the government heads are powerful psions or similar in and of themselves. Besides this, a large portion of the population in Geldrassan is actively practicing psionics, and if they volunteered in service could provide a strength of mind not seen anywhere else on the continent.


Forces (Öldanarth): The royal family has an exceptional guard, consisting of wizards, dusk blades, and other magically-powered classes. Within the city, royal guards keep a close eye on the populace and especially slaves. The force is well-trained, but it would take an extreme convincing for the royal family to divert any of their personal forces away


 
Yvris:


Alignment: Lawful Neutral


Ac city of spires and knowledge, Yvris sits on the edge of the Sharima desert. This extremely large city is large enough to be its own small nation in influence, and does so. The elusive grey elves have made their homes here, as well as many others who find the urban settings more appealing. There are several humans, some Elans, even a few Skarn have made their home here. Many adventurers pass through Yvris, but rarely choose it as a destination in and of itself. However, the city does have possibly the greatest store of knowledge on the entire continent.


Government: The government of Yvris is technically a monarchy, with a noble family ruling over several other nobles. However, this is only true in theory. The true government policy is fueled by those who control the knowledge of the city state, which are the noble houses . . . and the Arcanis initiative. In particular, several people of influence are both of noble birth and members of the Arcanis initiative, giving them significant weight. As such, the laws of Yvris are primarily concerned with the proper use of magic and protection of the nobles.


Population: Yvris's noble house is human, but several races make their home among the spires of the grand city. In particular, a large population of grey elves have made their home here, many of them members of the Arcanis initiative. There are also a few Elans, some dwarves that left the mountains, and even a few pockets of Skarn that were born outside the lands of Solkresh.


Services: Yvris's primary service is knowledge. Anyone with proper edict can enter one of the many libraries and search for information here. Beyond that, those with significant coin can seek the services of the Arcanis Inititative.


Resources: Yvris has no outstanding resources, given the small nature of the city-state.


Forces: Yvris does have a sizable army, primarily employed by the nobles. But most of them have seen little battle. Beyond that, the Arcanis initiative is housed here, and has several spell casters of great power.


 
The Badlands:


Alignment: Neutral/unaligned


Along the entirety of the southwest edge of the continent, stretching along the south of the sharima desert, there lie the lands simply called 'the badlands'. Long ago, they were the lands of a great and powerful empire, who has since been lost to history. Even the elves say it was generations ago that the empire was still present. So, why has no one reclaimed the land for their own yet? No one is certain exactly why, but the ruins of the old nation have attracted several of the worst kinds of monsters. It takes a team of highly skilled individuals just to survive one encounter, and trekking into the badlands means dozens of these encounters. Ultimately, trying to send a team into the badlands is like sending a commoner wrapped in fresh meat into a dragon's lair. Only the most skilled adventurers, and those who trust each other explicitly, can make it into the deepest parts of the badlands. Many adventurers will enter the badlands for a short time to find treasure and perhaps gain experience. Sometimes they will come there on jobs that they have accepted. Most of these jobs are hunting requests, looking for a grand trophy or a particularly rare tooth/claw as a reagent. No known civilization has arisen since the fall of the old here


 
The Ruins of Zabar:


Alignment: Neutral evil/unaligned


Until recently in history, there existed a nation that was titled "Zabar". This nation was to the east of Islen, north of the Aldurlein forest. This nation was smaller than its neighbors, and did not have the raw resources that any of them did. However, they did give birth to one of the strangest creations on the continent. It is here that the war forged were conceived. Roughly 150 years ago, the first war forged appeared on the borders of Zabar. From that point on, the nation became increasingly aggressive with those at its borders, toeing the line of openly fighting. As the years wore on, more and more Warforged were created, and the size of Zabar's armies grew. The final straw was when a representative from Zabar demanded more resources within Ledrassil. By this point, the size of the armies of war forged were so great that all neighboring nations were starting to become worried. So, roughly 100 years ago, 50 years after the inception of the war forged, three neighboring nations released a strike force into the capital of the nation, and prepared their armies for war. The strike force was to find and destroy whatever means were being used to create the war forged, then assassinate military leaders, and then the allied armies would move in. It would be a costly victory, but better than being lorded over by an army of golems. No one knows what the strike team found that night, but everyone knows the result. The capital of Zabar turned into a supernova late that night, killing everyone in the capital, and taking whatever secrets its leaders had to their graves. With most of the military leadership gone, and the entire ruling class killed, the nation fell into pandemonium. The allied nations prepared to enact the second phase of their plan, but found something unusual. Without orders to act as an army, the war forged units merely sat around doing nothing. In time, they took up activities, and acted . . . like bored humanoid soldiers. That was when the other nations realized. Warforged were not merely some kind of golem. They had souls, and the ability to think for themselves. Over the last century, the war forged have split across the continent. However, the remains of the capital are still in ruins. Spectres of undeath haunt the area, and no one has bothered to try and claim that area.