Places

Man this is like, super outdated. Will be rewritten at some point

Elven Lands – Northern Karand

Though thought of as a homogeneous entity, the elves are just as diverse as every other race. This is clearer than ever in the fractured nature of the elven lands. While nominally the capital, Ammangoan is more simply described as the largest city in the Far Frozen North. While militarily speaking, the elves pledge their allegiance to the King of Ammangoan, this is only for external matters such as the defence of their lands from external threats. For civil matters, each city is a nation unto itself, as the King of Ammangoan exerts no civil control far beyond the borders of his city-state. Regionally, each city-state is ruled by a Prince, who collects taxes and provides services for his city and smaller towns and villages. The towns are in turn ruled by Barons, who care for the villages closest to them. For this reason, large infrastructure such as the ever present human highways are a foreign concept in Elven Lands, and visitors may be surprised to learn that they must spend weeks or even months carefully making their way through the snow covered forests of the North to reach the legendary gleaming capital, Ammangoan.

Human Lands – Southern Karand

Kingdom of Gilnas

Known as the gateway to the north, Gilnas lies at the very northern edge of what is known as “the human lands”, or the “human kingdoms”. It is the largest human kingdom in the world, covering almost the entirety of the human lands north of the Dragontail Mountains. It is also one of the few places in the world where one can encounter elves regularly, as the climate is agreeable in addition to being close to the forests of their homeland. The Queen’s Highway ends in Gilnas, meaning any traders heading for Ammangoan hoping to obtain Elven goods generally pass through Gilnas. Due to the extremely high volume of trade this causes, Gilnas has very low tariffs, in order to encourage even more trade.

Gilnas City

The capital of the Kingdom of Gilnas, the front gates are the end of what is known as the Queen’s Highway, a wide paved road extending from Gilnas City all the way through multiple human kingdoms and ending at Port Nautitis. The largest trading centre of the old northern kingdoms that form Gilnas, Gilnas City has been prosperous for hundreds of years, ever since the end of the Unification Wars that formed the Kingdom of Gilnas itself.

The Town of Chillwatch

Sitting on the very edge of the Elven lands, Chillwatch is both the first and last place most traders come to before proceeding deeper into the forests of the north. Situated on the shore of Lake Sargon, it is also home to a contingent of Royal Elven Rangers, who both monitor and inspect the traders entering their homeland, checking for ill intent, fugitives, and contraband. The elven fishing village of Ellren Serine sits across the lake, and trades regularly with Chillwatch to obtain raw resources for the Baron of Yaveserin.

The City-State of Dragonpost

Sitting at the northern end of Dragonbone Pass, Over the years this independent city has become both a first and last stop for those travelling both to and from the Kingdoms south the of the Dragontail Mountains. While attempts have been made over the years to get Dragonpost to join the Kingdom of Gilnas, the current rulers of Gilnas have no such appetite in inviting a war with the city that houses The University. As such, Dragonpost remains independent, despite the contingent of Gilnan troops stationed there. The current ruler of Dragonpost is Lord Mayor Otto Vorweck, a shrewd and pragmatic man who has held the position for nearly 40 years.

The University

Known only as The University, this place of learning is the best in the world to learn both the how and why of magic, both in practical applications and more academic ones. The main buildings of the University are situated on the outskirts of Dragonpost itself, with gardens extending toward the thick forests of the mountain range, and other various smaller buildings throughout the city itself. Some of the most famous mages who have ever lived have studied or taught at The University, including Sirene Ignitis, Silas Malliot, and Gavin Hollow, to name a few. Only an aptitude in magic is required to study at the university, there is no requirement to have a natural affinity.

Kingdom of Whitemire

Sitting at the southern end of the Queen’s Highway, the Kingdom of Whitemire sits along the southern edge of the continent, bordering the South Seas. Port Nautitis is the main anchorage for trade and travel heading to the Dwarven Kingdoms on the continent of Tel Hazan, and as such attracts both legitimate traders and smugglers.

The City of Stonekeep

The capital city of Whitemire, Stonekeep is rather unassuming, as befits the small Kingdom it rules over. Nestled at the end of a long valley, Stonekeep is set in an extremely defensible position, and due to this no successful invasion of the capital has ever occurred in the 300 year history of the Kingdom. However, the reigning King is growing old, and he has no living heirs, so the future of the Kingdom is in doubt. Will it be absorbed by the larger nations to the east and west, or will a wealthy noble seize power through political trickery? Only time will tell.

Port Nautitis

The largest (legal) port on the Southern Seas, Port Nautitis seems to never sleep. Constantly bustling with activity at all hours of the day and night, you would think it to be a safe place, but it is far from it. Even if you stick to the extremely wealthy areas of the city, you will no doubt find yourself robbed and killed in short order if you are not prepared to defend yourself. While the guards are a deterrence against open attacks, their patrols are well known by the criminal element, and are frequently bribed to look the other way. Keep your sword or magic close at hand, and do not linger in this city of thieves.

The Barony of Thoryn

Deep in the Mangrove swamps of Southern Karand is a place that is part country, part criminal enterprise, and that is the Barony of Thoryn. The surprisingly well armed pirates, war profiteers, and other professions of ill repute that make Thoryn their home have broken away from the country that used to own the land they sit on, stealing an entire city in the process. While it may surprise some to learn a legal system exists in Thoryn, the manner in which is operates may be unfamiliar. In Thoryn, might makes right, and the legal system is no exception.

Point Thoryn

If you know the way through the rivers of the southern swamps, you will eventually find the most infamous anchorage in Karand, Point Thoryn. It is said anything can be found on the streets of Thoryn, if the price is right. Ironically, many consider Point Thoryn to be a much safer city and port to operate out of than Port Nautitis, as thievery and robbery are not tolerated by the Baron’s guards.

The Principality of Tostein

Tostein is a small unassuming nation located on the coast of North-Western Karand, and it is the northernmost human country in the world. It remained independent during the unification wars of Central Karand, and Gilnas is content to let the Prince of Tostein be, as annexation gains would be the philosophical at best. The country is far from the Queen’s Highway, so those going to Tostein are usually trying to hide from prying eyes and nosy travellers.

Nightcrest

The capital of Tostein, the Prince of Tostein resides in Castle Nightcrest, on the cliffs above the town. To call it a city would be exceedingly generous, but it is nonetheless the capital of Tostein. Due to the proximity of Tostein to Elven lands, Royal Elven Rangers can frequently be found in the town, though they are nowhere near as friendly as the ones found in Chillwatch far to the East.

Palisade Bay

A remote fishing town that would be otherwise unremarkable if it were not Tostein’s only port. Ships regularly call at Palisade Bay on their way to and from elven ports in Northern Karand, mainly to resupply. It’s said the thick forests around Palisade Bay hold many secrets, and only a few of them have been found.

The Queen’s Highway

A massive stone highway, wide enough for 4 horses to walk abreast, the Queen’s Highway stretches from Gilnas City in the north to Port Nautitis in the south. Built nearly 650 years ago, it is the spine of commerce on the continent of Karand, and is maintained by the Kingdom of Gilnas with funding from every Kingdom, Principality, Barony, and Republic it passes through. Due to the wealth it provides to any place even near the Highway, this is done mostly without complaint. As with any place that attracts commerce, the Highway itself attracts the criminal element, looking to make a quick profit off hapless merchants who ply the road without protection. During the winter, the Dragonbone Pass may be the closed for days at a time, until the Royal Army Engineers can clear the avalanches. Dragons have been rumoured to rescue travellers caught in treacherous conditions in the mountains, but should not be relied upon, as while they are no enemy to the typical citizen, neither are they a friend.

Dwarven Lands – Tel Hazan

The continent of Tel Hazan has been frequently described as both beautiful and desolate, and first impressions rarely disappoint. The northern reaches of the continent are lined with towering cliffs, but for the rare lush harbour. For those heading to the capital, Port Sulala is the most common anchorage, a veritable oasis surrounded by harsh dwarven desert. For those who have not yet travelled to Tel Hazan before, the strict laws may come as a surprise, but the Imperial Dwarven Guards take great pride in their work, and are often said to be “incorruptible”, which may sound ridiculous to the human or elven scholar, but is the absolute truth. The great sandstone works of the master Dwarven artisans are a true wonder to behold, and any traveller who ventures to Tel Hazan simply must visit the Great Dam of Stonegrip, straddling the Valley of Farasha.

Port Sulala

The Northernmost port on the continent of Tel Hazan, Port Sulala is the site of most commerce heading to and from Karand to the North. The Port itself is many kilometres inland from the sea, and far from the mouth of the Volga River. This makes it extremely defensible from sea attacks, the river guarded by bombardment towers, with patrols in the marshy delta guarding against land attacks from the sea.

Gheddan Steppes – Orcish Lands

Legend passed down from Chief to son claims there is in fact a homeland of these noble nomads, though where exactly it is has been lost to history, and even the Dragons claim its true location has been lost to time. Where ever this mythical lost homeland was, the Orcs can be found all over the world. If there is good land for hunting game, fishing, and setting up temporary wooden structures, the Orcs can be found there. Their careful respect for the land, along with their knowledge of medicine makes them welcome in all the corners of the world, even the Far Frozen North. While most of the Orcish people prefer to live with their kin in the campgrounds of their Chieftains, it is not unheard of to find Orcish blacksmiths in many of the larger cities. The place with perhaps the most Orcs in the world are the Gheddan Steppes, a windswept place thick with Orcish history, and low on population, save the Orcs. While the Chieftains cannot agree on where the Orcish homeland was, they all agree it was not the Gheddan Steppes, something even the Dragons can say is true, calling the Gheddan Steppes a “sacred place” that is best left alone.

The Dragontail Mountains – Central Karand

The spine of the world, the Dragontail Mountains are the ancient homeland of the Dragons, who have nested there since before the dawn of recorded history. There are no known settlements in the entirety of the mountain range, except for the tavern known only as “The Hissing Lobster”, located on the shores of Lake Wyvern along the Queen’s Highway. While the ancient wyrms very much prefer to be left alone, you never know just who the guests of that tavern may be, so it’s always advised to be on your best behaviour there, as many a bandit have been found roasted to a crisp along the Highway.

The Hissing Lobster

The only known “settlement” in the Dragontail Mountains, this tavern is at least 600 years old, as accounts from the building of the Queen’s Highway describe it as already existing when the road was built, and the primary reason the Highway uses Dragonbone Pass in the mountains over any other. The owner of the tavern is a mysterious man, and when we asked him his name, he just smiled and shook his head, saying that he was simply “part of the scenery”. Talking to some of the travellers present in the tavern, the owner of the tavern is rumoured to be a dragon, due to the fact that he never seems to age, and an elf we spoke with claimed his grandfather frequented the tavern more than 500 years ago, and it was the same man even then. Whoever he may be, the food and drink is good, the beds soft, the prices reasonable, and the atmosphere hospitable.

Dragonbone Pass

The mountain pass that the Queen’s Highway takes to go through the Dragontail Mountains, the pass is, as the name suggests, littered with bones. However, it is not the bones of dragons, but rather, their meals. It is a grim reminder that no matter how majestic and regal the dragons may seem to be, they are still flesh and blood who eat food, just like the rest of us.