World of Terra

Arionos Pop. 12,225 in city, 5,437 country, General Align.: LG

Arionos is easily the most important city on Terra. The city constantly grows, and a quarter of the residents live in tents outside the city wall while waiting for new housing to be built. It is centrally located on the main continent of Terra, bordered on the north by Durklon and on the east by Fern Valley, both strong allies making Arionos very secure. The only problems they have is occasional forays by the Avery Vikings.

History: Arionos was, before the Godswar, just a fort called Fort Benedict. Nathaniel Arion, a paladin, led a group of heroes against the dark army, saving five villages in the process by helping the people escape to the fort. When Terra was flattened, the landscape changed, swallowing the dark army and killing 1500 of Benedict’s troops as the Great Ocean swallowed the countryside, stopping about a mile from Fort Benedict. Arion looked in astonishment. With Benedict gone, Arion found himself in charge. He dispatched his most trusted men across the countryside to make sure the people were safe. His lieutenant, a mercenary known only as Angel and his councilor, a wizard named Balthasar, were sent south, and Marcus Durklon, his captain, he sent north. Arion stayed in Benedict to organize the now overtaxed resources. Tents went up around the fort’s walls. As things settled down, the fortress walls were built as an extension to the fort, making it into a castle, a wall went up around the newly forming buildings. Soon people heard of the generosity of King Arion and his first law: Any being is welcome to live in Arionos in peace, so long as he brings no harm upon another.

To Arion’s surprise, a group of young dragons, cut off from their homes and hunted by dragonslayers, appeared to take him up on his offer. Arion struck a deal, no dragonslayer was permitted to hunt while in the country of Arionos, if the dragons would help protect them from enemies. The dragons agreed, creating a magical field south of the city to hide in. Arion’s next chore was to secure his borders. He was not greedy, or land hungry. Angel and Balthasar had met with some barbarians that had appeared in a desert to the south, and Arion himself went there personally to offer a truce. He told the barbarians that no one would enter their lands to ruin their culture, if they would protect his southern border. He would send his troops at the first sign of trouble. The Southern Waste barbarians, led by the chieftain, Namar Jhakhan, agreed, becoming part of the growing country of Arionos.

Arion went east, and found his land bordered by mountains. The mountains held the last of Terra’s elves, refugees from three other elven cities that were destroyed. Arion offered food, help rebuilding, and protection from the denizens of the Darkwood to the north, and promised his people would never take the elven lands, signing a magical treaty. This treaty was what sparked the split of the elves. By this time Arionos had grown beyond the walls, and new walls were built, as were a dock, shipwright, and roads leading to Angel Beach, Durklon, and Fern Valley. People were camping outside the walls even as they were being built.

Arion turned his sights to the ocean that had formed to the west. A group of tritons, homeless had taken over the capital of what once was human lands, turning the sunken city of Deshel into their new home. Arion promised to protect them from the Avery Vikings if the tritons would sign a peace treaty. The tritons, still disorganized and originally fearful that Arion would strike while they were vulnerable, were happy to align themselves.

Peace reigned for 20 years, and then the evil warlord Rolan appeared. He and Tao, somehow, managed to get the daggers from the Ten and render the Ten helpless. The 5 Good daggers vanished as soon as Rolan touched them, and ended up with Arion. Arion took his four best men and waged a war against the chaos and evil Rolan and Tao promised. In the end, Rolan won and the good daggers found new heroes, who would eventually destroy Rolan. But Arion and his four warriors never returned from the battle.

When Arion left on his crusade against Rolan, he assigned leadership to General Angel. She was reluctant to take the role, for she was a mercenary and had little patience with the laws Arion had established, but she was the only one who would make sure Arion’s wish would be carried out. Eventually, when it was learned that Arion wasn’t returning, she turned over the crown to Ariana.

Things to See: The Barbarian Brothers is a tavern located near the center of Arionos. Run by Helmor and Graymor, a couple of Wasteland barbarians, the inn is three stories high and filled day and night with adventurers. Heroes and villains across Terra know of the Brothers as the place to go for adventure.

The Dragons of Arionos are a truly remarkable sight. They fly in patterns with their paladin riders, in slow lazy circles. Gold, Silver, and Bronze are the most common, although there are a few rogue chromatics who also serve the King. The dragons are led by Ferricon, a great Gold Wyrm and Arion’s personal mount. In Arion’s absence, Ferricon has offered his services to the Queen. The dragon field is only accessible by invitation and is a pocket plane. It is a vast valley located inside a small, wooded glen south of the city.

Languages: The official language of Arionos is common, but with so many diverse creatures running around, it is not surprising that nearly everyone knows at least 2 languages.

Important People: Queen Ariana, General Logun, Captain Blaine Trueheart, Gener, Helmor, Graymor, Ferricon.

Other towns: Crossing (788), Aragon (665), Charity* (555), Unity (544), Coventry** (500), Faith (383), Sanctity (381), Lake Tranquility*** (377), Elfhome* (328), Chastity (273), Harmony (161), Bastion (217), Peace (150), & Justice Falls (105).

Churches/guilds/Schools: Arionos houses the head church of the Godling Good, and the goblin run head church of Diana. They also house a large hospital dedicated to Life. The thief guild known as the Golden Hand operates out of the docks district, hiring out rogues to act as scouts, lock picks, and trap detectors to adventuring parties. The wizard school of Divination resides in the farm district on the east side of town.

Military: Despite the fact that Arionos is surrounded by allies, the armies of Arionos are some of the best trained, for they are required to assist any and all calls for aid from the oppressed. The Dragonriders of Arionos are all 5-10 lvl paladins, the army is made of 1-10 level paladins, rangers and fighters. The navy is made up of 1-5 lvl paladins and 1-15 lvl fighters, usually accompanied by tritons and Bronze dragons as well.

Imports/Exports: Arionos supplies produce, fruits, nuts, and herd animals. They get some iron, gold and lead from the mines in the east, but must import its silver, copper, and the precious metals it uses to make the weapons for the paladins.

Allies/Enemies: Arionos’ success is due to the efforts of King Arion to strike peace agreements with those surrounding him. Durklon, the elves of Fern Valley, Wu Shen, Geran, the humans and dwarves of Stonekeep, the barbarians of the Waste (who actually consider themselves citizens of Arionos), the tritons of Deshaol, Oakdon, and Saxony all consider themselves allies of Arionos. The Avery Vikings would be considered enemies, but they are more of a nuisance, since they know better than to attack except in small raiding parties. The drow of Soth Tsaren, are enemies of Arionos because of their alliance with Fern Valley. So too are the elves of Neethami, who blame Arion for the separation of the elves, though they would never act on it. Mylon, with its openly flagrant slavery trade is also considered an enemy of Arionos, though the distances make a war between them improbable.

Secrets: Not all is well in the perfect kingdom Arion imagined. Old hatreds run high, and the drow who have come to the city to live in peace have met with considerable resistance from the elven community. So far it has been minor squabbles, but with every year the tension mounts.

Angel Beach Pop. 8,832, General Align.: NG

Three days south of Arionos, the city of Angel Beach lies nearly hidden under the ash from Whitecap, a huge volcano that has been spewing since the Godswar. The people have learned to adjust, wearing special masks outside. Their clothing is vary drab, for the ash eventually covers everything, making everything gray. The streets have large, metal bridges which span over three rivers of lava that flow from Whitecap down into the sea. Due to the protective magic placed on the town, the wind continually blows the ash out to sea, never inland and the magma turns to steam as soon as it reaches the ocean. Still, the air is always hot, humid and smoky. The water around the city is foul, and dead fish are continually cleaned up to keep from rotting. Any fish found on the shore is poisonous, but the fisherman have learned that 50 feet out the water is clear and the fishing good.

History: When King Arion took command of Fort Benedict, he sent his most trusted advisors north and south to help those who needed it. His general, a mercenary named Angel, and his councilor, a wizard named Balthasar, came upon the town of Chelton just as Whitecap blew.

Whitecap was a dormant volcano that erupted due to the changes wrought on Terra by the Godswar.

Angel organized everyone into rescue parties as Balthasar weaved powerful magic to protect the town from the worst of the sulfuric gas and magma. The people cheered their new heroes, both of whom could have cared less. The townsfolk changed the name to Angel Beach, in honor of their heroine. This failed to impress her, as once Balthasar’s spells were firmly in place, both continued south.

Things to See: Whitecap is marvelous sight, especially at night as the rivers of lava snake down the side. The whole town is aglow in red light from the liquid rock. Despite its hellish, though impressive, appearance, the folk of Angel Beach are survivalists with a strong helpful streak. They are generally jovial and tend to look on the bright side of things, though their distance from the capital of Arionos has given them a slipshod attitude towards Arion’s laws.

North of Whitecap, away from the billowing smoke and ash, lies a small road that leads to what most people first think of as a circus. Indeed, entertainment is easily found here, as this is a very recent addition to Terra, a bardic school, where bards from all over Terra gather and meet to exchange news and learn singing, acting, juggling, and all the things that make bards what they are. Magic is also taught here, but it is taught bard style.

Near the docks area lies another school, Terra’s only culinary school run by a wizard named Schultz. The school is always experimenting with new ideas and tastes and people come from as far as Madera to try to latest in cuisine. Lately the biggest thing is the introduction of the cocoa bean.

Languages: Mostly Common, though, like Arionos, there is a large mix of different types of creatures.

Important People: Scultz, Baron Marsden Metcalf (who took over leadership from Angel), Bo Wobble (who runs the bardic college).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a small church to Fire and the head churches of Seeker and Tak, and the School of Fire is located at the base of Whitecap, closer to the town than the bard school to the north. There are no thieving guilds operating out of Angel Beach.

Military: The town houses a few guards, run by the Baron. In the case of invasion, knights from Arionos are quick to respond.

Imports/Exports: Little grows around the city because of the ash and heat, but there is a plethora of minerals to be found in Whitecap, including gems, green steel, and platinum. Whatever is exported and imported though goes through Arionos.

Allies and Enemies: Angel Beach is nothing more than a suburb of Arionos and has no real enemies or allies that isn’t shared by Arionos.

Secrets: Deep inside Whitecap, accessible by no door or tunnel, lies the hidden lair of Terra’s most powerful wizard, Balthasar. He likes his privacy and entrance to his lair is done by invitation and through magical gates. Even the people who have been to his lab do not know where it is.

Southern Wasteland Pop. 752 (rough est.), General Align: CG

South of Angel Beach, the farmlands of Arionos become drier, the grass dries up and dies, turning to rocky soil. Eventually the land turns into red-brown sand, studded with cacti and sagebrush, and slashed with deep canyons. It is here that the nomadic, hearty barbarians, known as the Wastelanders, have made home. They raid caravans and travelers who enter their land looking for the rich veins of gold and silver they guard. The only exception to this is Arion’s troops, who have free passage through the desert. Despite their seemingly roguish ideas, they never kill their prey, although the poor traveler will probably leave the desert with little more than a loincloth and a half filled water skin.

Those who take the time to prove that they are neither rich, nor there to steal the precious metal, might be asked to a duel, which is a wrestling match. Those who impress the barbarians, even if they don’t win, will be invited to sup with them. The Wastelanders are large, strong, and jovial. They love good stories, good ale, and good friends. An ally of the proud, noble raiders of the wasteland is an ally for life.

The Wastelanders live in small clans, made of 10-30 people. Each tribe is named after an animal, who represents the totem spirit of the tribe and each person has a personal animal or creature who is viewed as their personal totem. Many of the Wastelanders bear tattoos of their totems, making them easily identifiable to other Wastelanders, but most of the barbarians do not wish to hide their nature anyway.

Each clan is led by a chief and an advisor, who is a shaman. Their lives are steeped in rituals, and the shamans are the last word on the spiritual matters of their lives. Despite their intense individuality and self-reliance, the Wastelanders consider themselves citizens of Arionos.

History: 300 years before the Godswar, the dark gods took from a small planet two similar cultures. The hearty Encar and the evil Olcar. Even before the dark gods, these cultures had been at war with each other, and they needed little encouragement from the dark gods to continue their bitter rivalry. When the Godswar hit, the Olcar’s homeland was pushed north, to a climate more like their cold, mountainous home world, though the surviving Olcar had little memory of it. The Encar settled into the labyrinth desert at what would become the tip of the Arion Peninsula.

Things to see: The desert of the Wasteland is covered by deep ravines and canyons. The red, yellow, and brown stripes of the canyon walls seem to brighten before the spectacular sunsets that are reflected off the clouds that floats lazily across the sky.

Languages: Common.

Important people: Tasha Namar, leader of the united tribes of the Wastelands.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The shaman of the Wastelands venerate the spirit world, getting spells directly from them. The barbarians give thanks to Terra for the rich veins of iron, gold and silver, which they usually give to Arionos, and Internol, who represents strength and power, though there are no formal churches set up for either. Their barter system has never promoted a thieving guild, and their distrust of wizardly magic has forbidden any school to open.

Military: Most matters are settled by the Wastelanders themselves. Despite the clannish feuds, they are quick to unite against a common threat. In dire cases of invasion, paladins of Arionos are quick to arrive.

Imports/Exports: Gold, mithril, flint, and platinum are taken from the mines in the canyons, though only Arionos gets any of it. In exchange, they receive wood and herd animals.

Allies and Enemies: The biggest enemies are the myriad pirates who sail the Great Ocean. Occasionally, one of them gets the idea to hide his treasure on a barren stretch of shore or an apparently deserted canyon. Imagine their surprise when the next time they arrive, not only is the treasure gone, but they are surrounded by several clans of barbarians who turn them over to Arionos’ troops with nothing left to their name except their skivvies. After all, those big ships make great firewood.

Durklon Pop. 9,969 in city, 5,245 country, General Align: NG

Durklon is a land of rolling, rocky hills. The ground is stubborn and hard. In the south the land is usable for farming, but 3/4 of the land is good for little except grazing. Sheep, cattle and oxen are seen dotting the many hills and valleys of Durklon. Hamlets made of small, round huts with thatch roofs dot the landscape. Along the northern shore at the Frozen Sea sits the city of Durklon. The people of Durklon are divided among the Highlanders, who consider themselves the nobility of Durklon, and the Lowlanders, who work the fields and herd the livestock.

History: Durklon was originally a valley called the Eternal spring. Legend has it, the Highlanders and Lowlanders were forced to fight druids, all of which was brought here by the dark gods. Eventually the Highlanders and Lowlanders won, the druids faded from history, though small relics and stone circles can still be found. The Landers settled down for peace, and the dark gods brought in new monsters to fight. It continued this way for centuries, the Landers triumphing over every army the dark gods brought them.

When the Godswar hit, half the country and the spring were wiped out. The land cracked, then reformed into a hilly, rocky region. The people who were left lost most of their food supplies, and then the invasions from Darkwood started. One of Arion’s warriors, Marcus Durklon, arrived with a small army of paladins. They turned back the monsters of Darkwood and helped the people rebuild. Marcus thought that Arion would claim Durklon as part of Arionos, but was surprised when Arion offered to give the land to him to rule. Marcus, being a fighter and not a paladin, felt he was unworthy, but Arion felt that he was prefect for the job.

Things to See: In the southern portion of Durklon, near the thick forest known as Knight’s Wood that separates Arionos and Durklon, lies a small vale deep in a thick forest grove. In this vale is a circle of standing stones. The stones are not indigenous to either Durklon or Eternal Spring. No one who lives in the area surrounding the grove remembers it being there before the Godswar, though symbols carved into the stones reveal them to belong to the druidic order which originally inhabited the land. Druids from all over Terra come here to meditate, hoping to learn what the stones are for, but so far they remain a mystery.

In the north-western area of Durklon is a rugged range of short mountains covered in trees. Deep in the mountains, known as the Dragon’s Maw, is a long, deep lake. It is a popular place for fishing and hiking, but many who have entered the lake alone have never returned. Those that have, have claimed to see a huge, dark shape in the water. None can accurately describe it and water breathing creatures and wizards have journeyed deep into the murky depths and have not found anything.

Languages: Common (Gaelic lilt)

Important People: King Markus Durklon, Angus ApKlendan (leader of the rabble rousing Pride of Durklon).

Other towns: Lachlan*** (1,078), Loch Mannan*** (567), Loch Scotia*** (505), Cli (375), Kelso (373), Llanberis (368), Firth (312), Caen** (248), Limerick (246), Bannockburn** (238), Cannae (183), Connacht (176), Altha Clianth (172), Rannoch (167), Lorkney (119), & Linnhe (118).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: In the city of Durklon is a large greenhouse dedicated to Florin. Although not big itself, it has become the main church of Florin. The druids who watch over the greenhouse claim that Florin frequents it. The School of Dimensionalists lies also within the city, as does the thief’s guild known as the Iron Hand, which is led by Angus ApKlendan, a Lowlander who constantly defied the King and the Highland council.

Military: Although Durklon tries to be like Arionos, they are not. The army is mostly composed of 5-10th lvl fighters and rangers who patrol the north-eastern border of Durklon against invasion by Darkwood. Arion’s paladins can be found frequently throughout Durklon, helping where they can. Most of Durklon’s defenses though lie in their large coast guard, which constantly patrols in search of invasions by their biggest threat, the Avery barbarians.

Allies and Enemies: Arionos is the biggest, and best ally they have. The reclusive nature of Geran makes relations with them impossible. Occasionally, the elves of Fern Valley send help when needed, usually when requested by Arionos. Pirates from Ryer sometimes raid Durklon shores, but the biggest threat comes from the Vikings of the Avery islands. The Avery barbarians seem to attack Durklon as often as they do Saxony.

Geran Pop. 827, General Align: CN

Geran is a frontier town, made up the remains of 6 towns that survived the Godswar. It is located about halfway around the road the leads from Durklon to Ryer, around the Frozen Sea. The walls surrounding the city are built of sharpened poles, 2 feet thick and bundled tightly in two layers. The entire town is built with defense in mind. There are 2 moats, one in between the inner and outer wall and another inside. A large section of the town is set aside for gardening and herd animals, especially cattle and goats, for Geran is well known for its fine cheeses. They are extremely xenophobic and demi-humans are watched closely while in the city. Humanoids, barbarians, and “wild” demi-humans, as well as anything that is viewed as evil or dangerous (witches, necromancers, drows, etc.) are forbidden. Rangers and paladins however are always welcome, regardless of race. Gerans are very superstitious, imaginative, and fearful.

The only people who regularly leave Geran are the miners, who mine the surrounding hills and mountains, which are rich in lead, iron and copper. The mining is slow though, for they return back to Geran by nightfall. Magical wards protect the mines from invaders, and Gerans are constantly trying to find ways to upgrade their defenses of their precious mines.

History: There were originally 15 towns scattered throughout what would become western Darkwood. The entire land was owned by a fanatical warlord named King Heinrich Schutzbahn. He ruled with an iron fist, driving his people into oppression to feed his huge army in their continual attempts to take over Terra. He sided with the dark gods during the Godswar, knowing that if the true gods won, he would lose his power. When the Godswar was over, the Frozen Sea had swallowed all but 9 towns. Three of them were lost to Darkwood, and rumor has it that the people are still out there somewhere, hiding and fighting and waiting for rescue. The other six towns united, turning to the middle hamlet of Geran and setting up defenses. The first couple of years were harsh as the bands of goblinoids coming from Darkwood continually assaulted them.

Things to See: Not much. The city is large, but most of the land is completely used in farming and cattle to feed the city. Population control is a big deal, and even guests are turned away if more then ten are currently within the walls. Punishment for crimes mean exile into Darkwood, weaponless.

While there is not much to see in Geran, there are things to taste. Various types of cheeses can be found here, and people have wars over their cheese. Visitors will usually find themselves stuffed with cheese from every angle.

Languages: Grammik (German)

Important People: Burgomeister Hans Boreich (General-Mayor), Salazar (Headmaster), Victor Korrin (Captain of the guard), Lanri Hammerfoot (Dwarven mine foreman).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There are small temples to Hate and Tak, but there is no large churches to the stoic, pragmatic city. The School of Abjuration is the foremost authority outside of Chabot, and the thief’s guild of Trapseekers is more of a school itself, for the thieves of Geran concentrate on learning, disarming, and improving on traps.

Military: Everyone is taught training and all citizens are technically part of the military. Everyone in Geran from the age of 10 is considered at least a 1^st lvl fighter. Those who choose the path of the thief, cleric, or wizard are encouraged, so long as they use their skills for the defense of Geran. Everyone, even visitors are expected to contribute to the defense of Gerans against enemies both imagined and real.

Allies and Enemies: Geran has a loose ally in Arionos, in so far as Arionos’ younger paladins frequent Geran to test their mettle. There are no other allies, for Gerans are not hospitable. Although they are paranoid about the threat of invasion by the humanoids of the Darkwood, in truth, the attacks are not all that frequent. Most of the enemies of Geran have been invented in the minds of its residents.

Ryer Pop. 900, General Align: CN (E)

Ryer is a frontier community set on the north shore of the Frozen Sea. The summers are mild, getting cold at night. The winters last for 9 months, during which the ground is almost always covered by snow. When there isn’t any snow, its all mud. The buildings are rough wood, thatch or stone structures made of one room and a fire pit in the center. The people seem friendly, but their smiles look wrong, forced. They are however a major port, though few ships travel through here, for Ryer sits on the western edge of the Rift Valley, the fastest land crossing between the west and the east. Trade with Wu Shen and Clamberdin, as well as wizards traveling to Chabot and strangers to and from the mysterious Port City come through Ryer on a regular basis, making it seem larger than it really is. During the summer, the population nearly doubles to about 5,000 with visitors. Gambling and pit fighting are huge sports, attracting pirates from as far as Ista and gladiators from as far as Mylon.

History: Ryer was formed after the Godswar, when a band of Avery Vikings decided to make a camp at the shore of the Frozen Sea. Their goal was to trek overland through the Rift Valley and see what magical treasure they could get out of Chabot. The youngest, Marlin Borskov, decided that the trip wasn’t worth it. He had seen mages in action and had no wish to go on with this foolish quest.

“We are Vikings! We sail! We do not go for outings!”

The others called him coward and left him there. They never returned. While waiting for their arrival, a strange man came into the camp and asked to share some food. Marlin and the stranger drank late into the night, and eventually Marlin passed out. The stranger was a werewolf, who turned him into one as well. They went on savage killing sprees of the area while waiting for the others to return. Finally a Viking ship landed to find out where they went. The Vikings set up a large camp, and Marlin and the stranger killed all of the Vikings, but the stranger was killed too.

Marlin reflected that with his new powers and abilities, he should be able to have anything he wanted, but he didn’t want to be hunted by every two-bit adventurer who came along. He sent out word back to Avery that both expeditions had been destroyed, but Marlin had killed the beast. When the new reinforcements arrived he claimed he had headed to Chabot with the others, but a white dragon had killed nearly everyone. The ones who started back had died one by one by the Horde and the cold and the second expedition had been slaughtered. Marlin was alone when he returned o the camp and found the werewolf as he killed the last one. It was severely wounded, and Marlin was able to dispatch with it.

The Vikings were saddened by their loss, but regaled Marlin as a hero. But instead of going home, he requested he be allowed to stay. Some of the Vikings wanted to stay too, and the camp turned into a small town. As more people ventured into the area looking for the passage to Wu Shen, the town grew.

Things to See: The center point of the town is a large gambling hall. It is here where most business is taken care of, and Marlin has his office. Called the Bloody Boar, the gambling hall offers several services, including food, lodging, and entertainment. The lodging has a reputation for being haunted, and every once in a while, some report of a lone visitor disappearing in the middle of the night will come out of Ryer.

Above Ryer, on certain nights, the sky lights up in a rainbow shimmering wall. It is a trick of the cold air, but to most it is a superstitious sign. Some view it as good luck, some as bad. To some its just lights.

Nanscomb’s Trading Post has the most unusual and varied supply of items to be found anywhere on Terra. Specializing in western and oriental mundane goods, anything from elven honey leather to katanas can be found here.

Languages: Avery (Norse)

Important People: Marlin Borskov.

Churches/Schools/Guilds: Ryer holds the main church of Ice, as well as the School of Ice magic. The priests of Ice are a tight lipped, secular lot. The drow claim to have turned away from Lolth’s evilness, but the reclusive and unfeeling nature of the priesthood makes people wonder. The Yakuza, an oriental thief’s guild, has a small, secret headquarters here, and dispatches of any competition.

Military: The Avery come to Ryer for holiday, and with Geran so far and locked up, and no other country to worry about, Ryer’s military isn’t very well trained. They consists of a large group of thugs and toughs who enjoy pushing people around. At the head of the bullies is Marlin, who does whatever he pleases.

Enemies and Allies: The lawlessness of Ryer has caused some minor problems with Arionos. They are loosely allied with the Avery Islands. The closest city to them is Geran, and since Gerans never leave their walled city, they have no dealings with Ryer.

Secrets: The people of Ryer do not know that Marlin is a werewolf, as are all his thugs. He chooses his recruits carefully.

Avery Islands Pop: 4,646 in city, 1,890 country, General Align: CN

The Avery Islands are a group of cold islands set off the main continent of Terra, about 20 miles north-west of Durklon. Most of the archipelago are small. The capital of Avery, which appears to most as little more than a large barbarian village, sits on the largest of the islands. The people of Avery have a very selfish outlook, what is mine is mine and what is yours will soon be mine. They believe that those who are strong enough to take what they want should.

History: The Avery barbarians come from a cold world that is mostly covered in ice flows and water. They call themselves Vikings. When they came to this world they were assigned, by the dark gods, to fight the corsairs of Ista. They agreed (as if the dark gods gave them a choice), but typical of Avery mentality, they immediately sailed away, founded their island and then agreed to fight the Istans, if they could make it as far as their island. They wars were minor, given the great distances, and the dark gods threw sea monsters and other beasts at the Avery barbarians.

Eventually the dark gods brought in the Saxons, who were close enough to wage war with the Vikings. When the Godswar hit, the Avery islands were sunken, but natural sailors and the fact that every village lies on the shore, most of the people managed to survive. They sailed north, leaving their nice climate and found the chilly tops of the mountain range that use to be the northern border of Lord Benedict’s land. Thus they claimed the new Avery Islands and have launched their continual raids against Saxony, Durklon, and Geran.

Things to See: Some of the larger islands house small volcanoes. Every once in a while the ground will tremble and smoke billows out from the tops, but as of yet there has been no eruptions. At night though, the tops of the active volcanoes glow with fiery hues.

In the capital of Avery lies the main hall, called little Valhalla. It is a huge, trophy room for the successful and profitable raiding missions that the Avery barbarians have been on. Countries who have lost valuable items can usually find them here, for a price.

Languages: Avery (Norse)

Important People: The current leader is Lars Gorham, though this changes frequently.

Other towns: Godthaab** (372), Danmar** (312), Hoorn Bay** (301), Sundsvall*** (273). Helmstedt* (254), Bornholm*** (173), Mount Gunter* (105), & Nordenskjold** (100).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Avery has no large churches, though temples to both Trob and Raeni can be found in the capital. They are not big on magic, and have no schools. And since they are raiders, there really is no need of thieves.

Military: The Vikings of Avery are taught at an early age to use weapons, and even children can be called upon to defend their homes. Generally the navy consists only of men, though a few worthy females have been known to climb their way up the Viking ladder.

Enemies and Allies: Except for Ryer, the Vikings of Avery have made no allies, in fact just the opposite. Their greedy nature and constant raids have earned the enmity of Arionos, Durklon, Saxony, and Mylon.

Saxony Island Pop. 8,410 city, 4114 country General Align: LN

The Saxony Islands are located 50 miles west of Avery, and 150 east of Mylon. As far as shipping lanes go, it is growing in importance as the midway point between Arionos and Mylon. The people of Saxony are involved in an age old civil war, and have little time for outside problems. This attitude and the distance from the rest of the “civilized” lands has cut off most of the Saxons. The exception to this is the capital city of Berringham, where the docks are usually full of ships to and from Mylon.

The northern part of Saxony is called the Gottsland, named for the barbaric Gotts. The Gotts are clannish and primitive. They are believed to be cannibalistic and the Saxons view them as nothing more than animals. Gottsland is a wild land of stony fields, thick forests, and misty marshes.

History: The dark gods brought the Saxons to Terra and situated them in an area north of where Madera is today. The Saxons had been at war with the northern Gotts for ages, and the dark gods found in them a war that they didn’t have to encourage. They brought both to Terra. When the Godswar struck, the Saxons turned to helping defeat the dark gods, and the Gotts turned inward and shut out the world. After the Godswar, they found they had been transplanted to a large island in the middle of nowhere. The Gotts returned to their ancient practices of cannibalism and witchcraft and the Saxons learned they had a new enemy, the Vikings of Avery.

Things to See: The Cathedral of the One is one of the oldest, and grandest churches on Terra. its gothic style and stained glass murals have inspired many artists. The infamous Tower of Berringham resides within the palace compound, where the prisoners of Saxony are brought to perish in deplorable conditions.

Languages: Common (Anglish-old English dialect), Gaelic (Gotts)

Important People: King Gunther Vainwright III, Bishop Mordan.

Other towns: Cross (623), Gwent (500), Lake Sachsen*** (454), Dorset (414), Leicester** (408), Aylesbury (371), Anglia (328), Lynbrook (283), Markham* (246), Asch Lake*** (203), Sancti Sebastin (165), & Warden’s Holding (119).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The only religion practiced in Saxony is the church of the One, who claim that there is one god above all other gods, a being with no name. They claim that it is against the One’s wishes to venerate any other god. Somehow the priest get spells, so it seems they have some validity to their claims. The Brothers of the Night, a thieving guild, is based in Berringham. These thieves are extremely subtle and rarely take in new members, as they prefer to be a small group. Another group of bandits live in a forest reputed to be haunted outside of Berringham, known as the Briarwood. Led by a man who was once a noble, Lionel Arkens, they now are allied, secretly, with the king. Fighting against the oppressive lords who hunger for the throne. There is also the Tower of Mages, the only place in Saxony where a young person can go to learn magic.

Military: Saxony is made up of mostly 1-10 lvl fighters, 1-7 lvl rangers and 1-5 lvl paladins. Every unit has at least 1 cleric of One and usually only 1 mage. The navy is more powerful, as they are constantly repelling the assaults from Avery, consisting of up to 15^th level fighters.

Enemies and Allies: Saxony has allied itself with Arionos, Durklon, and, to a minor extent, with Mylon.

Their relationship with Mylon is extremely volatile, and is one of the leading causes of the rift between the dukes of the surrounding hamlets and the King. It was King Gunther’s hope that, with an alliance with Mylon, it would prevent them from taking Saxons as slaves. The Dukes believe that it has instead opened a door for their hedonistic influences. Any sign of those influences has yet to show itself, despite the ramblings of the dukes.

Secrets: The Gotts, while definitely a dark age culture, are hardly cannibals. They are primitive in their use of tools, and they do in fact drink the blood of the enemy and eat their hearts and brains, but this is mostly for religious purposes. Druids and Shamans make up the leaders of their culture, usually the Druid is the chief. Many of them live in caves near the many rivers and lakes that dot the Gottsland. They are quite content to be left alone, and the only time they have killed the Saxons has been when the Saxons have invaded.

Fern Valley Pop. 6,027, General Align: CG

The region known as Fern Valley was named so by the humans, from the elven name Ferralli Lisiannith, which means “Valley of the Last Fern.” The valley lies in the middle of a stretch of mountains that separate Thren from Arionos called the Sylvan Spine. It is home to the sole surviving elven city.

History: Naturally, elves are one of the oldest and first races the dark gods brought to Terra. Their renown war with the drow are legendary in every world and culture. In the beginning there was 5 elven cities, two were located dangerously close to drow tunnels, one was made to battle the dwarves of Kraga, one was to fight a race of humans who are no longer living on Terra and the final city was pitted against their age old enemies, orcs.

By the time the Godswar struck, only one city had been destroyed by the Kragan dwarves. Then the Godswar hit, uniting the dwarves and elves against the dark armies. It was a shock to them to find the drow on their side. When the world was flattened only the gray elven city of Carillian was left standing. The gray elves opened their home to the surviving elves, inviting their brothers to join them. The peace didn’t last long, as high and gray tensions ran high. The sylvan elves fled to other lands, settling eventually in the Forbidden Land, and the Avariels, with no where else to go, settled in the tall trees over Carillian to grieve over the bickering cousins.

The elves did not have the resources for the sudden influx of newcomers, for the gray elves had underestimated the number of surviving high elves. Plus the humanoids of Darkwood continually came south to attack and the human nation of Thren was coming to an explosive boil on the eastern border. Then came King Arion.

King Arion offered to help their defenses against the Thren and the Darkwood, plus he would offer food and welcome any elves to travel peacefully through his lands. He didn’t even have any interest in setting up armies. The high elves swallowed their pride and turned to the humans for help. The gray elves were appalled, and a civil war broke out. It ended when the Avariels, who wanted the peace Arion promised, sided with the high elves. The gray elves, turned their backs on their brothers and left their home. They built a new elven city to the north of Fern Valley, and shut themselves within.

Things to See: Settled outside the tree city of Fern Valley is a bunch of colorful wagons. Why the elves allowed the gypsies to set up a camp on their doorstep is unknown. The gypsies come and go as they please, but there is always at least 5 families guarding the road to Fern Valley at all times.

The Aerie is the name of the upper reaches of the mighty Wyrmwood trees, which rise 3000 feet into the air, dwarfing the surrounding redwoods. It within the protective Wyrmwoods that the elves have built their city and above them, the Avariels have built the Aerie.

Languages: Alfen (Elven), Common

Important People: Sunspeaker Killian Viliasini, leader of the Council of the Sun, Harold Harker, the only human on the council.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The elven scouts of the Green Leaves, make up the largest thieves’ guild in Fern Valley. Led by Berinif Lasarian, they are reputed to be the best wilderness thieves in the world. Also housed in the large branches of the Wyrmwood is the School of Enchantment and Charm, where students of all races come from over the world to study. At the base of the Wyrmwoods, deep in the shadows lies a large hospital, the foremost place of the study of the healing arts, and the head church of Life. At the tops of the Wyrmwoods, high in the branches and nearly inaccessible, is the only land church of Aenja.

Military: Almost all of Fern Valley’s military is made up of elven rangers between the levels of 5-10. And despite their flamboyant appearance, the gypsies that surround the only road through the Sylvan Spine can prove to be quite a formidable opponent.

Allies and Enemies: Fern Valley, as mentioned, is strongly allied with Arionos, having learned to work side by side with the humans. Indeed it is not uncommon to find elven items such as elven wine and honey leather in Arionos’ marketplaces, and human goods such as steel and Geran cheese in elven stores. Also allied is Durklon, who assists with any invasion of Darkwood that gets past the gray elves of Neethami, and Oakdon. Their enemies include the orcs of Darkwood, the gray elves of Neethami, and the blood thirsty humans of the Thren kingdoms, as well as, to be expected, the drow of both Deepwind and Soth-Tsaren.

Neethami Pop. 412, General Align: LN

Neethami is young, in respects to most elven cities. It was formed when the gray elves of Fern Valley defected from the high elves and their notions that the nations of the world should work together. To the noble gray elves, elves are above the other races. Fern Valley was their city, but the high elves took it from them (even though the high elves asked them to stay and they left of their own free will) and because of this Neethami allows no visitors, even other elves.

Neethami is located north of Fern Valley at the edge of where the Sylvan Spine meets Darkwood. It is protected by enchantments that make it impossible to find unless invited by a gray elf of Neethami, and since they never leave Neethami there are no invitations.

History: See Fern Valley.

Things to See: Nothing. You weren’t invited to look. If you manage to get in you would be greeted to the sight of some beautiful crystal buildings in breath taking designs. But you can’t.

Languages: Alfen (Elven)

Important People: Starspeaker Lotorellis Kizivashi.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The gray elves have built a church to Life and Love, since both Godlings were elves. They also have the largest church dedicated to Silverwind outside of the Dragon Islands. It is rumored to have a school of wizardry of some sort, but if it specializes in a specific type of magic no one can know. As far as thief guilds, if there is one, they aren’t advertising.

Military: Neethami’s military is made up of 1-10th lvl wizards and elven archers. These patrol through the surrounding forest hidden from sight both magical and mundane. Intruders are usually subtly turned away or misdirected. Usually without even knowing they have been watched. Only those who are both aggressive and actively searching for Neethami are attacked.

Enemies and Allies: Neethami considers Fern Valley its greatest enemy, though the other does not. They also have great enmity for Arionos, Durklon and the drow cities of Deepwind and Soth-Tsaren.

Oakdon Pop. 1611 city, 2,928 country, General Align: NG

Oakdon is a small kingdom located one the east side of the Sylvan Spine mountains. They border the Southern Wastelands, but have suffered no attacks from the barbarians. The kingdom is made up of small farming towns and hamlets scattered throughout the country. The capital city, also called Oakdon, is really just a large town, made of two story, quaint homes. It houses over half the country’s population, 3,600 people. The only other major settlement is the port city of Lagard, where excess farming goods are taken to Seaport to be sold. The profits returned to Oakdon are spread throughout the country. Oakdonians are very helpful and community oriented.

History: During the dark wars, one of the most powerful countries in all of Terra was Thren. It was a vast kingdom made of evil warlords, the most vile of them was the King, Medius Bloodrage. King Medius was a despicable tyrant who taxed his subjects harshly and beat those around him. He was most well known for his violent temper.

King Medius had three sons, each from a different wife. The eldest son, Varragne, was never physically strong and it appeared he would never be much of a ruler. Medius quickly had another son, Cornelius. Varragne proved himself by mastering in wizardly arts, a subject his tough, strong brother felt was a waste of time. Years later came along the youngest of the brothers, Korticus. Kort was quiet, shy, and brooding. People felt he would be the most evil, for he would sit for hours and glare at everyone. In truth, Kort was lonely. He feared his brothers, and grew to hate them for their growing evilness and bitter arguing.

When the Godswar hit, King Medius found his land was torn asunder as the Pyramid Sea flooded over most of it. Left with a small strip of farmland, now called the Blood Plains. He died shortly after the Godswar, a knife found in his back. No one ever knew who did it.

The kingdom fell into Varragne’s hands, as he was the eldest, but to Cornelius this was unacceptable. His father loved Cornelius the best and often told him he would rule Thren someday. Varragne refused to give up his title, stating that it was his by right of being the eldest. The brothers went to war.

Kort had had enough. He did not desire rulership, but felt that neither of his brothers would be good leaders. He feared they would both become like their father. So, while Varragne and Cornelius fought over Thren, Kort seized the southern section from under their noses and called it Oakdon. The other brothers were furious and turned to unite long enough to take Oakdon from their upstart brother. But Kort had planned for that and when the Thren army arrived, they found a wall of Arion’s dragons and paladins, along with the rebellious peasants who saw in Kort a hope for a better future. Needless to say, that war was over before it started.

Things to see: Separate yet a part of Oakdon is the small city of Haven, nestled on the western border of Oakdon at the base of the Sylvan Spine mountains. Haven is a vast monastery dedicated to the study of priestly subjects. Any proficiency can be learned here, and a magical spell prevents any creatures inside Haven to act out aggressions. Haven is home to 324 permanent residents, but usually has three times that in visitors at any time.

Languages: Common

Important People: King Korticus Medius, who heads a council of seven elders.

Other towns: Bloomington (561), Rose Falls (405), Lawton Grove (353), Burgundy Lake*** (322), Gardena (299), Berry (261), Hominy (223), Cinnamon (198), Appleton*** (166), & Hickory (140).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The capital of Oakdon is home to the head church of Love, who promotes peace. Haven is home to the head church of Light and also houses the School of Incantation, a school for wizards to learn meta-magic. The Heralds, a thieving guild who focuses on adventuring and petty larceny from evil lords, is housed somewhere in Oakdon.

Military: Oakdons military is somewhat weak, consisting mostly of 1-5 th lvl fighters. However, the Channelmen of Haven help defend Oakdon’s borders, as well as dragonriders from Arionos, and occasionally, when the threat is great the Wasteland barbarians are happy to get involved.

Enemies and Allies: Oakdon’s greatest enemies are Upper and Lower Thren, as Kort’s brothers continually try to find ways to get Oakdon back under Thren rule while still trying to battle each other. Both know the powerful allies the Kort has in Arionos and Fern Valley and also the fact that Oakdon supplies both countries with food, as well as Seaport, who will also come to Oakdon’s aide to protect their major source of food.

Lower Thren Pop. 3,286 city, 6,292 country General Align.: LE

Lower Thren is a kingdom halfway through the Blood Plain. The people are unfriendly and unhelpful, and ignorance of the law is no excuse. Visitors are treated as harshly as the residents, who are used as little more than chattel.

History: See Oakdon. Cornelius’ army proved too powerful for Varragne’s and the eldest brother was driven out of the castle, but Varragne had many loyal followers among the nobility, and managed to hold the southern lands of Thren. He instituted new rules, making sure the nobility had access to all the magic and power.

Lower Thren is now a land where there are only two social classes, the rich, powerful mages and the poverty stricken, ignorant commoners. Commoners caught reading any material are taken to the cruel jails and “re-educated.”

Things to See: The library in the capital city of Farilus is second only to Haven in knowledge. Varragne views his country as the intellectual center of Terra, which it isn’t. But because of Varragne’s quest to be the most intelligent person on Terra, the library does contain every bit of knowledge, not just of Terra, but of other worlds as well. Nethis, the head librarian, pays top dollar for any written works from any culture or world.

Languages: Common.

Important People: Wizard-Lord Varragne Medius.

Other towns: Ithica (828), Aberdeen (764), Aiune (747), Iliamna (701), Araken (639), Hradec (568), Dynemont (vol.-509), Kalat*** (442), Rimini (377), Dordrecht (299), Hatio** (182), Laeseem (122), & Chibian (114).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Varragne isn’t big on religion, though the head church of Giddeon can be found there. There are many schools of magic located throughout the kingdom, each one striving to prove that they are better than the other. Of course, the schools are only open to the wealthy, and this restriction and their constant bickering has kept any of them from gaining notoriety. What has gained notoriety however is the Shadow Guild, a group of mage-thieves who have learned to use magic to greatly increase their thieving abilities.

Military: The military of Lower Thren is made up of 1-5^th lvl fighters, and up to 10^th level mage-fighters. All of the commanders and generals are above 10^th level fighter-mages, and since magic can only be learned by the wealthy, it places them directly in charge.

Enemies and Allies: Obviously the biggest enemy of Lower Thren is Upper Thren. The brothers war back and forth and the border of the two constantly shifts back and forth. Oakdon has a loose alliance with both countries, supplying food to both armies in exchange for keeping out of Oakdon territory. Luckily the war between the Threns has kept them too busy to try and take Seaport, Fern Valley, Neethami, or any other city near them.

Upper Thren Pop. 3,544 city, 6,443 country General Alignment: LE

Upper Thren lies between Seaport and Lower Thren on the west shore of the Pyramid Sea. It is a land of rolling hills and farmlands long abandoned. The people and resources of the country are continually fed into the great war machine for their battle with Lower Thren.

History: See Oakdon. When Cornelius chased Varragne out of the castle, he sat back to relax, thinking he won. He was shocked to find almost all of the dukes of Thren had sided with his brother and defected from his rule. He bullied and stole the land from the remaining dukes, forming Upper Thren.

Like his brother, King Cornelius has very little regard or concern for his subjects or his neighbors. He wants to end the war with Lower Thren so he can turn his armies north to Seaport. So far, no such luck.

Things to See: The city of Thren is one of the oldest remaining human cities on Terra, being fourth behind Ista, Mylon, and Wu Shen. The architecture of Upper Thren is an astounding display of the various cultures that King Medius had stolen from in his rampart across the planet.

Languages: Common

Important People: King Cornelius Medius.

Other towns: Izhevsk* (914), Dragosvan* (849), Heilbronn (781), Garistok* (719), Stanislav* (653), Adana (582), Markhoff (520), Irkutsk* (413), Kazakhstan (381), Dievka (323), Gretna (184), & Kursk (124).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The mighty Godling of war, Hate, has his main church in the capital of Thren. More of a training compound than a church, the priests of Hate return to Thren repeatedly to enjoy the war. The head church of Evil is also located in Thren, training their Dark Paladins. The Dark Order cares little for the pointless war of Thren, but has found that the war has provided them with an excellent training method. The School of Evocation is the only wizards allowed in Thren, and even they are under license. Any wizard caught practicing magic without a license is subject to trial and execution. Like Lower Thren, ignorance of the law is not an excuse. The thieving guild of Upper Thren is not as much a guild as a mercenary outpost for thugs. The thieves of the Steel Gauntlet guild are known for their blunt tactics and strong arm methods.

Military: The military consists of 1-15th level warriors, led by dark paladins of Evil. Each army consists of a few wizards, to counter affect the spells of the Lower Thren army, but the wizards are treated worse then the troops. Still, it is better than being one of the peasants. Most of the lower branches of the army are made up of the citizens and visitors to Thren who have been wrongly accused of crimes and Geased into fighting for Cornelius’ cause.

Enemies and Allies: Cornelius, like his father, has made little effort to make friends. As such he has no real allies. Stonekeep supplies them with metal for weapons and Oakdon with food, but both countries would not help Upper Thren if they needed it. Cornelius takes pride in his country’s ability to take care of itself, and could care less. As for enemies, Thren has made enemies with Arionos, Fern Valley, Seaport (though Seaport still does business with them), and of course, Lower Thren.

Seaport Pop. 6,189, General Align: CN

Seaport is the main trading center of Terra. Land goods come from Kraga, Stonekeep, Haven, Arionos, Geran, Durklon, Fern Valley and Oakdon, and are traded with sea goods from Kasstoria, Rylaris, Fathis, Ista, Mylon, Sanctuary, and Wu Shen. The city is small and crowded, with people flooding into the city as trade grows. The town is constantly under repair, as it is still a town being turned into a city.

Located at the upper middle part of the Pyramid Sea, Seaport sits almost in the middle of the main continent of Terra. To the north is the beginning of the Belt Plain, which stretches across Terra to the thick forests of Deadwood. Surrounding the city are a few miles of farmland that lead into the Blood Plains. The distance is enough that it would not be economical for Upper Thren to attack Seaport while still involved in the war with Lower Thren.

There is little law in Seaport, each of the major cities of Terra have claimed a small section to house their trading houses in. Between these small kingdoms are neighborhoods of people caught in a power struggle. Many of the old people of Seaport are still reeling with the sudden power their small city holds. The younger ones are relishing it. Slowly the generation gap increases as the younger ones become more and more greedy.

History: Seaport was, before the Godswar, a small fishing village. It was a big joke, because it actually sat on a lake in the middle of the Thren empire. The lake was called the Sea of Tears, which is how it got its name. The people were simple, fearful folk who cringed whenever the Thren Army would ride through on their way to another battle.

When the Godswar hit, the Pyramid Sea was formed, right up to Seaport. Madera, which had been the major port of Terra, was trapped in the desert to the east. As business started returning to normal, the ships which use to go to Madera, started going to Seaport. A man named Mortimer Hughes, a pirate, immediately saw potential and ran for harbormaster of Seaport. Those opposing him mysteriously vanished. Once in control, he set abominable fees for docking. He learned a lot of business and set the fees lower. The business he brought him made him a local hero, and the mayor and city council was slowly forgotten. Now they are gone, no one knows quite where they disappeared to.

Things to See: The labyrinth sewers of Seaport are a city unto themselves and home to most of the nefarious and seedy people on Terra. Even the guides who could take you there aren’t to be trusted. On second thought, don’t see this place.

The market place of Seaport is massive. Goods from all over the world can be found here, as vendors shout, fight, and bribe customers to get attention. minor wars break out all the time between vendors.

Languages: Common

Important People: Harbormaster Mortimer Hughes

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The head church of Lady Krathe lies in the market district and it is from here that the Merchant Standard was created and regulated. All incoming goods and materials available on Terra must go through this building first. There are minor churches to Trob, Felwaer, and Ferret. The second half of the school of Water is located near the docks and has a portal that leads to the main school of Water in Fathis. The sewers and back allies of Seaport are home to at least twenty different thief guilds that are known, as well as secret cults of Malovent, Tao, Mortiss, and Crae.

Military: The city of Seaport has no real military. The various merchant houses of the different cities each has a small army stationed within its area and in times of trouble, have been known to unite, making an incredible fighting force. But the alliances never last, and when the threat is turned away, they return to their bickering.

Enemies and Allies: Seaport counts nearly every city as an ally, since every city has some kind of stake in the continuing existence of it. The one exception is the city of Madera, who is bitter about their being reduced to a helpless desert town from the major trading city they once were. Of course, Seaport had nothing to do with it, but the jealousy has made Madera their major enemy.

Hope Pop: 5,680, General Alignment: LG

A long road connects Seaport to Madera and then on towards Ista. The road is a major trading staple and is frequently traveled by various caravans heading to and from the east and west. As it turns around the northern end of the Pyramid Sea, it forks north, heading towards Stonekeep and Kraga. At this fork rests the small, controversial city of Hope.

History: The town of Waypoint was formed after the Godswar. It started as a small fort, created by Stonekeep to watch over the junction of the two roads. Merchants found it a good place to rest, and soon a small town called Waypoint was built. Although small and not holding allegiance to any kingdom, the town of Waypoint was self sufficient enough to survive.

A mighty, orc leader named Gnash declared a war on the world, and had the patience and a plan. He united several humanoid races of the Darkwood and began a march on the cities of Terra. He would take them, one at a time, using a high degree of intelligence and cunning as well as strength. However, one of his orcs, who at one time was considered one of his greatest warriors, led an uprising. This orc, Thrall, felt that the orcs would live in peace if they weren’t so aggressive. Such thinking, especially from an orc, didn’t go over very well, but Thrall has many other orcs with him who felt the same way. They were nearly slaughtered, but Thrall managed to free the ones he could and escape. As Gnash’s army swept down on Stonekeep, Thrall raced ahead and warned Waypoint. Waypoint fell, but was critical when Thrall returned with his own army made of various races who wanted peace. Gnash was pushed back, Stonekeep was freed, and Thrall was given the town. He renamed it Hope, to show the world that peace was possible.

Languages: Common mostly, with many orcs and dwarves thrown in.

Important People: King Thrall (orc king), Harmony (half-elven advisor), Ironheart (dwarven treasurer), Terros (captain of the guard).

Things to see: The temple of Diana is a shining edifice of white stone that sits on a hill above the city. The Gypsy’s Rest is a well-known tavern for those who travel the roads from Ista and Madera to Seaport and Arionos. There is also a large building set on the western side where ambassadors teach diplomacy.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The head church of Diana is found here, and Diana herself usually spends her time in town. There are no known guilds yet and a small mage school.

Military: Mostly made up of 1-10^th lvl paladins of various races. Terros leads a band of Griffon riders, which patrol the roads and woods by air.

Allies and Enemies: Because of their similar views of peace and unity, Arionos has strongly allied itself with Hope, and because they saved them, Stonekeep has as well. Kraga and Madera have a loose alliance, but Hope is a vital point on the road to Seaport. Seaport views Hope as a wonderful addition and the Thren’s view it as another, potential conquest.

Stonekeep Pop. 1,608, General Align: TN

Stonekeep, also called Castle City, is a small town, another one of the many that sprung up during the Godswar. The city resembles a hexagon made entirely of stone. There are areas in the solid structures where people have made parks, but the light only touches the ground for an hour. The streets are really just wide hallways, and there is two levels to the city. The people are friendly, though guards are suspicious of outsiders.

Stonekeep is located north of Seaport, along the Dwarven highway, a road built to transport ore from Kraga to Madera.

History: Before the Godswar, Kraga was the capital of a vast dwarven kingdom. Made up of roughly 10 towns, 7 of which was underground. When the Godswar hit, all but Kraga and Stonekeep, one of the above ground towns of hill dwarves, were destroyed. The dwarves of Kraga became insular. The dwarves of Stonekeep found themselves deep in the heart of Darkwood, surrounded by hostile humanoids. They requested help from Kraga, but Kraga had been cut off. The dwarves of Stonekeep thought the Kragans dead, and turn to others for help.

One of the small parties of rangers sent out by Arion to find people who needed help had gotten lost in the Darkwood and was on the run from hostile enemies of their own. They came to Stonekeep and the dwarves agreed to shelter them, though they were already dangerously low on food. The rangers of Arionos helped the dwarves built defenses and fought hard against the continuing onslaught by the humanoids.

The dwarves and humans decided that the best defense was a better defense. They enclosed the city in walls and then covered the walls with a ceiling, boxing the city in. From there they just kept building, until Stonekeep resembled a huge building.

When the dwarves of Kraga returned to the surface world, they immediately claimed Stonekeep was still under their rule. The people of Stonekeep, having fought long and hard, refused to acknowledge the new Thane’s orders and vanquish the humans from the city. They also refused to surrender the huge mine Stonekeep sat on, which supplies Terra with 75% of its iron and 50% of its gold and platinum.

Things to See: The site of Stonekeep itself is an architectural wonder. It was made with human and dwarven construction with the sole purpose of defense. It is indeed impenetrable. While the people grumble about the lack of sunlight, they cannot deny the safety of Stonekeep.

The mine is a vast underground labyrinth. Magical wards and careful digging has kept the mine from entering onto Kragan territory, but it is only a matter of time before Kraga finds its way through. To Kraga, Stonekeep is their territory.

Languages: Common, Athar (Dwarven)

Important People: Grumbar Steelfist is the dwarven leader of the city council, made up of three people. The council is elected every ten years, but so far Grumbar has proven time and again that he is the best man for the job.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Stonekeep has minor churches to Terra, Hate, and Good. There are no major churches or wizard schools located inside the castle-city. The thieving guild, known as the Crawlers (or The Dungeon Crawlers) specializes in training adventurous thieves about traps, locks, and climbing.

Military: The Stonekeep military is made up of Earth Elementalists and 1-10^th level fighters. The military trains for defense only, and when acting as a unit gets a -2 to all AC modifiers.

Enemies and Allies: Arionos and Fern Valley, which has set the example of alliances, both support the human/dwarven settlement of Stonekeep, and are ready to supply help when needed. Thren and Arionos counts on Stonekeep for their supply of metal. The only real enemy is the dwarves of Kraga who continually try to find ways of reclaiming the mines of Stonekeep.

Kraga Pop. 3,375, General Align: LN

Kraga is an underground city located north of Seaport and east of Stonekeep. The city is inhabited entirely by mountain dwarves, though it is rumored to be led by a human who calls himself the Dwarven Lord. The dwarves do not enjoy company and anyone who wishes to do business is best to meet them outside of the entrance to their tunnels. Those who do enter, always by invitation and only if trading, are shown to a large trading area, where they are required to stay with their cargo until Gemna Goldust, the head of the Kragan trade union will come meet them. Any outsider, even other dwarves, who are caught outside of the waiting area is arrested and sentenced to death. Huge signs around the waiting area state this in common, dwarven and elven.

Though Kraga doesn’t have the huge, rich mine that Stonekeep does, it does has access to 15 smaller mines. While these supply a great deal of copper, mithril, electrum, lead, and silver, the wealth of the Kragan empire came from the gold and platinum of Stonekeep.

History: Kraga use to be the capital of the vast dwarven empire that use to stretch across the Darkwood. When the Godswar hit, the Thane (dwarven king) led his troops to battle the dark armies of the underdark. When the world was flattened, the tunnels collapsed and destroyed both armies. The ones left in Kraga found that the tunnel that led to the surface was destroyed. Believing the Thane dead, which he was, the survivors of Kraga fought bitterly among themselves for a new Thane. While they were fighting, they were attacked by a large party of drow who were trying to get back to Soth-Tsaren. The drow were brutal, and efficient, and would’ve won if a human, gray druid (a druid of the underdark) hadn’t arrived. He organized the dwarves into a fighting force and drove the drow back into the underdark. Then he organized the dwarves into groups to dig a way out of Kraga. Once the entrance was clear, the dwarves discovered that all of their cities except Stonekeep was destroyed.

The dwarves of Stonekeep refused to acknowledge Kraga as its ruler, stating that they had allowed humans to move in to help them defend the cities and they wanted their independence. The Kragans were angry, for it wasn’t the town of Stonekeep they wanted but the rich mine that lay under it.

Things to See: Nothing, you aren’t welcome.

Languages: Athar (Dwarven)

Important People: Thane (Dwarven Lord), an ex-druid who gave up his druid robes to become a warlord after having his home destroyed by the gods. Gemna Goldust, the leader of the Kragan merchant guild.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The main church of Fire is located near the waiting area, and is accessible to visitors, though only Kragan dwarves can become priests here and get to see more than the main hall. Likewise, the School of Earth is located near the entrance to the underdark, and is open to all races, though only Kragan dwarves can serve on the faculty and all others are not permitted to leave the school. The Stone Cutters, a thieving group of dwarven dungeon crawlers, is also housed in Kraga, though non-Kragans have never been to the guildhouse.

Military: The Kragan army is made up of 1-10^th lvl dwarven fighters, dwarven gray druids and dwarven Earth Elementalists. They are adept at underground fighting.

Enemies and Allies: Kraga’s reclusive nature has prevented them from making any allies, though Upper Thren buys their lead only from Kraga. The Kragans consider Stonekeep their enemy, though the paranoia of Stonekeep would not permit them to attack Kraga. Due to its underground location and the distance from other underground cities, no one attacks Kraga.

Madera Pop. 5,723, Gen. Align: NE

Madera is a large city located on the edge of the vast Black Sands desert and the wide Belt Plains. The size of the city and the number of abandoned, crumbling buildings reveals the fact that Madera was once more populated. At the edge of the city, where the grass thins out to reveal the shifting yellow sand that begins the Black Sands, lies a graveyard of half buried galleons. Strange noises and lights can be seen out at the ships at night, and locals never go near them. During the day, the ships are just sad reminders of a lost legacy.

The people of Madera are brown skinned, black haired people of hispanic decent. They are well known among the world of Terra for their use of Black Powder, having discovered some way to get the function of firearms to work. This is a secret they guard jealously, and have been known to die keeping the secret of the black powder away from outsiders. The laws are set up for the people of Madera, and visitors will find themselves arrested for things the locals are allowed to get away with.

History: Madera was, once, the main port city of Terra. Ships from every coastal country came here to trade, and pirates considered it home base. It was a massive, proud town. The wealth was great and the people lived in splendor, even the poor never needed to beg for food.

When the Godswar hit, the Maderans were at the front line of the war, fighting the dark gods’ armies back. Then the true gods arrived and flattened the world in their irresponsible attempt to destroy the dark gods. When it was over, Maderans found their beautiful city stranded in the desert, the ships buried in the sand. With no income and trade reduced to tourists, the economy fell. Seaport, once a small fishing village, was now the main port. Madera had been forgotten.

The smartest fled, leaving Madera to try and remake their fortunes in Seaport, most failed and returned with their tails between their legs. The remaining people of Madera became bitter, angry folks who viewed Seaport as the blame for their miseries, as well as the gods. even the Godlings, who they view as little more than puppets for the true gods.

Things to See: The Ship Graveyard is a spooky, chilling experience. Though located in the desert, the air around the graveyard is always about 40 degrees. In the day, shadows can be seen out of the corners of people eyes, flitting amid the broken hulks. During the night, eldritch light can be seen from as far as Madera. Anyone sent to investigate has returned reporting nothing or not returned at all.

Languages: Maderan (Spanish)

Important People: Don Miguel Hermanos III rules Madera with is brutal enforcers. He is a harsh, disciplinarian with little patience. Senor Jesus Guerrilano heads the small, exclusive business that supplies Madera with gunpowder. By tradition, one apprentice is chosen, a young, ambitious and thoroughly evil man named Rafeal del Fuega is currently the apprentice.

There is a person known only as Shadow Master, is rumored to live somewhere in Madera. This person fights behind the scenes and in dark allies working to thwart the evilness of the dons. Whether or not he really exists or is only a folk tale told by the locals to give them hope is still in debate.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There are minor churches to Steph and Lady Krathe, but the largest church in Madera is the head church of Dago, where the people are poisoned with ideas of revenge and destruction. There is a minor school of wizardry, mostly studying earth based spells that deal with sand and fire is also located in town. The thief guild known as the Asps are stationed in Madera, playing as little more than hired mercenaries, assassins and thugs.

Military: The military of Madera is made up of 1-5^th lvl pistoleers, who can fire ten shots each before running out of ammunition. The supply of gunpowder is tightly controlled, so it doesn’t fall into enemy hands, which is odd because the few times it has, know one has been able to unlock the secrets of the black powder. The rest of the Maderan army is made up of 3-10^th lvl cavalryman and fighters.

Enemies and Allies: Madera has few allies, Upper Thren has been kissing up to them to get the secret of the black powder. Maderans may be evil, but they aren’t stupid, and they have yet to give it over in fear that Upper Thren will someday use it to destroy Lower Thren and then turn their attentions to Seaport, which would please Madera, and Madera, which would not. As enemies. Madera has been cut off from the mainstream of trade and considers all those still in the trade business as enemies, especially Seaport.

Secrets: The success of the black powder is entirely dependant on a joint effort of magical control by Giddeon and Ice, in an attempt to keep a close eye on the production of smokepowder weapons.

Thieves’ City Pop. 742, Gen. Align: CE

Deep in the Darkwood, east of Kraga and north of the Belt Plains, a traveler can find a large, bowl shaped field of wildflowers. The temperature is always spring, despite the time of year. During the day, the field is extremely peaceful. As night draws on, and the light of the sun leaves the sky, small lights, like fireflies can be seen hovering above the valley, These lights don’t move and get brighter as the night progresses on. As the sunlight fades, shadowy walls appear in the air, and shadowy figures can be seen moving about. The darker it gets, the more solid the shadows become. And if you aren’t careful, when the last of the light leaves the sky, you will be caught in the Thieves’ City.

History: Ages ago, before the Godswar, before the rise of the nations of Ista and Mylon, when the country of Wu Shen was new, there existed a city on this site. This city, who’s name has been long forgotten even by the unfortunate souls who live there, was a vast metropolis, guarded by two walls. There are six entrances to the city, each placed around the walls. The roads leads from the doors to the center, like wedges of a pie.

The city was run by a sorcerer of great ability, at the time the most powerful on Terra. The leader of the largest thief’s guild murdered him in an attempt to take control of the city. From the wizard’s dying lips came one last spell, a curse.

The city only exists at night, and any inside do not age. But once they leave the city, all the years catch up with them. The residents of the Thieves’ City do not know this, thinking that if they leave they die. The only way to break the curse and step out of the city is to do a totally selfless act for another person.

Things to See: At the center of the city is the Master Thief’s tower, a 7 story stone monstrosity of sharp corners. The gargoyles, twisted eves and the fact that each floor is a different color has dubbed it by some to be the largest tribute to bad taste, ever.

Languages: Common

Important People: Everyone in the Thieves’ City is a back stabbing, low life scumbag. Keeping the people in line is the Master Thief himself, a short, wiry looking individual. He is always accompanied by a huge bodyguard, who silently remains in the background, watching and brooding. It is from the Master that everyone gets food and water, though no one knows where he gets it from.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The people of the Thieves’ City, know nothing of the Godlings, and certainly do not worship the dark gods. Since they also do not teach any form of magic, there are neither churches nor schools in the City. As for guilds, there are so many small guilds, gangs really, that they are too numerous to count. The Black Hand, the Green Griffon, and the Brothers of the Six are the most popular and well known.

Military: There are always two guards posted inside of every door to the city. Why the Master sends them there is unknown, for they neither keep people out, nor keep them in. To enter the city, you must be a thief, or pay whatever lofty sum the guards come up with. Given the fact that everything is taken, by force or by stealth, there is little need for money and all commerce, even bribes, are done with barter.

Enemies and Allies: There are neither, as most other cities and countries of Terra view the City as a myth. Since the residents are fearful to leave, and no one wants to own a city they can’t enter, there is no wars with the few people that do know of its existence.

Secrets: The Master Thief is actually the bodyguard, who, despite his large, bulky appearance is quite nimble. He uses the little man as a shield and target for those who would usurp his power.

Holt’s Shire Pop. 479, General Align: NG

Settled deep in the eastern edge of the Darkwood, a road runs from Ista to end seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It gradually tapers off, becoming overgrown with grass. One traveling this road will walk right through the middle of Holt’s Shire and never know they were there.

The houses are built underneath the thick, Ironwood trees that cover this part of the Darkwood. The doors and windows are camouflaged so that, when closed, they cannot be seen. Even the chimneys are cleverly concealed, to bring the smoke from the town three to five miles away. The halflings who live in Holt’s Shire like their privacy.

History: Holt’s Shire was one of six in the Shires of Muthgrain, a large, halfling kingdom. Like all of the races of Terra, the halflings were brought to Terra to war, and so they did. But, as you can imagine, they weren’t happy about it, and most of the warriors would attach themselves to human armies and fight alongside them. Kinga Muthgrain, the ruler of the halflings, did his best to fulfill his dark master’s desire while also trying his best to not involve the halflings in the frivolous war. Kinga Muthgrain will go down in the Terra history books as the Lord of Excuses.

When the Godswar came, the halflings immediately shrugged off their comfortable trappings and joined in the battle against the dark gods. When the war was over, the entire kingdom of the Shires was swallowed up by the land, leaving only Holt’s Shire, lost in a land of monsters. The halflings frantically tried to defend their homes from the humanoids of the Darkwood, but they were too few and too poorly trained.

When all seemed lost a shadow fell over the humanoid armies. For also new to the area, was the last remaining survivors of a Voadkyn, or forest giant, army. The Voadkyn, a peaceful race of rangers, were able to turn back the bugbears of Darkwood. The halflings agreed to live in peace, helping and protecting the Voadkyn. The Voadkyn did not need the help, but has remained to this day as the silent protectors of Holt’s Shire.

Things to see: The Great North Tree, which use to mark the path to Chabot before the Godswar, somehow ended up on Holt’s Shire’s doorstep. This massive oak, taller even than the redwoods of Fern Valley, is heavily protected by magic from long ago. Druids make pilgrimages to it every year, and since it is ten miles outside of Holt’ Shire, the halflings do not mind it.

Languages: Common

Important People: The leader, if that is the correct term for a halfling ruler of a small village where everyone gets along, is Grand Sheriff Makair Brighthearth. The only rule is that everyone must do their part for the defense and safety of Holt’s Shire, even visitors, which are greeted warmly.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a minor church to Heira, but no major churches. The church of Heira however is the largest on Terra, since most people have small shrines for her set up in houses, no one has ever built a big church. The church of Holt’s Shire is seen as her main church. There are no schools to wizardry, since the flashy spells usually are easily found. The guild known as the Tunnelrats, work continually at dungeon crawling in the goblin infested warrens located twenty miles north of Holt’s Shire.

Military: There are few halfling fighters, none above 5^th lvl, but Sheriff Brighthearth keeps them regularly trained. Despite this, the best offense of Holt’s Shire is the Voadkyn who seem to appear like magic from the trees.

Enemies and Allies: The peaceful halflings view everyone as potential allies, and since they are so hard to find and distanced from everywhere else, there is little allies or enemies. The gnomes of Jade Keep are always nearby, practically right under them and are more than happy to help, if needed.

Ista Pop. 15,582, General Align: LN

One of the few elder cities, Ista has been on Terra since before the rise of the Thren empire. Located in the same place it always has been, it is one of the few places unchanged by the havoc wreaked during the Godswar.

Located on the south-eastern edge of the Black Sands desert, and the western shore of the Sea of Daggers, Ista is a marvel of demi-human imagination. The tall, white palaces are capped by tear shaped golden caps. The people live in a society built on social order, where everyone has a station in life and how one is treated depends on the station. There is no difference seen between races, it all about station.

History: The Arabian style city was brought long ago to fight a desert race of genies. The Istans eventually conquered, and then were faced with pirates sent by the dark gods. These too they overcame, building their grand empire. Through 300 generations they rose above all, becoming one of the major trading towns second only to Madera due to their relative closeness to the Orient.

When the Godswar hit, the Istans fought back against the dark gods’ armies. And when the rest of the world wailed about their plight, the Istans found that they were still on top of the world.

Things to See: The Palace is a beautiful place of white towers and golden flags. Everything sparkles and even at night gazing at the Palace gives one a sense of majesty.

The Black Sands desert, home to desert raiders and the nomadic rakasta, is a vast sea of black and yellow sands, woven about each other in intricate patterns. No one knows why the sand doesn’t mix and millions of theories exists as to what the patterns mean.

Languages: Istan (Arabic)

Important People: Sultan Emir Aman Hulrahan III rules as did his father, and his father, and his father, etc, for 17 generations. His most trusted advisor is his Grand Vizier, Hakir Jalama, newly appointed to the position after the mysterious death of the previous vizier.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The second largest church of Lady Krathe can be found in Ista. It was once a grand church dedicated to the ancient gods that the Istans worshipped before the dark gods kidnapped them. During the reign of the dark gods, it fell to ruin, but has recently been repaired. There is also minor churches of Trob, Light, and Seeker. The mysterious assassins known only as the Masks are housed somewhere in the slums of Ista. Ista is also home to the College of Life, where wizards learn the four elemental magics, and the College of the Sha-Irs. The only wizards native are elementalists and sha-irs.

Military: The Istan army is made up of lvl 5-20 fighters, thieves, elementalists, and priests. The navy is as vast as its army, and Ista is one of the few true fighting forces on Terra. The men and women who serve are well trained, well equipped, and loyal.

Enemies and Allies: Madera has a long standing hatred of Ista, stemming from before the Godswar. Rylaris continually tried to take Ista, but since the Godswar have not tried to attack. Arionos, Oakdon, Seaport, Sanctuary, Kasstoria, and Wu Shen are all tightly allied with Ista.

Sanctuary Pop. 1,987, General Align: CN

Sanctuary is a very new city, located across from Ista in the Sea of Daggers. Most of the city is below ground, carved into a huge cavern that opens onto the Sea. Some of the town has been expanding above the ledge the cave is part of. The upper part of the town is used for growing food, while the lower part of town distributes it via ship to Seaport, Ista, and Kasstoria. Because of the independence it has in regards to imports and exports, and its general lawless attitude, it has become a favorite place for pirates.

History: Sanctuary was created after the Godswar. A group of adventurers wanted a safe place to hide out and store their extra loot, so they used magic to build a cave in the side of the wall known as “The Leviathan’s Teeth”. They used it as a base, but eventually pirates got wind of it and attempted to take control. With magic and arms on their side, the comrades were able to hold their own against the pirates. All, except for Snowmane.

Snowmane was born to a pirate and an unknown father. Her hair was pure white and she had a free, easy manner about her. She heard of the other pirates having trouble taking the cave and decided to show them all how it was done.

She approached the party and offered her services in protecting them from pirates, in exchange, her crew could use the cave as a hide out. The adventurers agreed. She had the cave expanded, and put in a small harbor. Piece by piece she kept expanding the caves, the adventurers, unable to stop her, stood aside as she set up elaborate traps to wreck ships. At the same time she contacted some dwarven friends, who arrived. She claimed they were part of her crew, and they set to work building homes out of the surrounding rocks. By now her “crew” had grown to over a hundred people, and every day more would arrive. The adventurers, honor bound to their contract, shook their heads, gathered their treasure and left, looking for another place to hole up.

Things to See: Sanctuary is built in 8 levels, the top level being a small group of farms that line the edge if the cliff. Inside the cliff, the top level is home to the administrative offices of Snowmane and her pirates. In the center is the largest, most extravagant casino on Terra, The Devil‘s Haven. Every game of chance can be found here, and it is said if you wish to find Snowmane, she will be in the back card table.

The huge docks are nothing short of astounding. Built entirely underground, sheltered from storms, the harbor consists of a ring of rocks with one passage through that keep out the waves. Of course, docking is easy, its dealing with the pirates that is difficult.

Languages: Common

Important People: Snowmane

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There are small churches to Trob, Felwaer, and Lady Krathe, as well as Steph, but the largest church to Raeni is set on the 6^th level of Sanctuary, with a passage that leads up to the casino above it. There are numerous guilds in Sanctuary, but none as powerful as the Jolly Rogers, a pirate group who only allow thieves. They are said to be the most blood thirsty crew of seamen to ever set foot on a ship. There is a small school of Water magic located near the dock.

Military: Seaport doesn’t have a real army. A few men can be mustered to defend the ledge town, but overland travel to Sanctuary is extremely difficult, and so far no one has ever attacked them from the land. From the sea, no one would stand a chance. The pirates of Sanctuary like having their own city and word travels fast. Anyone trying to take the city by sea would quickly be attacked by the pirates inside the docks, as well as any who might be nearby.

Enemies and Allies: Despite the pirates who run the place, and the conflicting laws that are set up for the amusement of the officials more than anything else, the people of Sanctuary are relatively peaceful. They have no wish to invade other cities, and since the pirates now have a town to call their own, they have stopped frequenting the docks of the other cities, who viewed them as trouble makers. Ista, Seaport, Kasstoria, Wu Shen, and even Arionos, whose queen is supposedly a close personal friend of Snowmane, are all allies of Sanctaury. The dwarves of Kraga, having lost a great many defectors to Sanctuary when they left to build the city, have little love for Sanctuary, but given the distance and the problems they are having with Stonekeep, there as been no enmity between the two cities....yet.

Gregor Pop. 709, General Align: TN

Gregor is a small town located deep in the Misty Wood, a tract of forest that marks the eastern border of Darkwood. Even the goblinoid races of Darkwood fear the Misty Wood. Gregor sits on a large lake called the Lake of the Moons. All three moons of Terra can be seen in the lake at night, and on some days. Strangely enough, in the reflection, the moons are always full, regardless of their current state in the sky.

The lake is the major source of life for Gregorans, who haul fish from its depths on a regular basis. A giant, undead monster of some sort is claimed to live in the lake, and though many of the locals claim to have seen it, many more have not, and no visitor has ever reported seeing it.

The town is built with small, one story houses. The houses were once painted brightly, but has since taken on a look of neglect. The town is almost always covered in fog, as is the northern end of the lake and the entire western part of Misty Wood, which is how it got its name. No one can quite explain why, but strange images can sometimes be seen swirling through the mists. It is said that if you stare too long at the images, they start to stare back.

The people are simple folk, hard workers, and very serious minded. They have little time for games and holidays, and while they welcome visitors, no one ever feels like they are quite welcome in Gregor.

History: Before the Godswar, there was no Gregor. There is a town, now abandoned on the southern shore of the lake, who had the lake to themselves. The people were known as hedonists and strange orgies and rituals to summon demons were said to have gone on there. When the Godswar hit, the residents of the town vanished, every single one of them. The town of Gregor appeared on the far, northern shore. The people of Gregor, for some odd reason, think that they have always been there and the other town appeared during the Godswar, though maps, history books, and living witnesses claim this is not so. What is strange is that the dead town has no name, no one can remember what is was called and all maps have a smudge over the name of it.

Languages: Grammick (German)

Important People: Baron Klaus von Klienvin acts as burgomaster of Gregor, fighting a never ending war against the lycanthropes who inhabit the western part of the Misty Wood. The shape shifters are the leading cause of distrust and paranoia that visitors must overcome.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a small, humble church of Good located in the center of town, and is the central point of Gregoran life. Gregorans are as religious as they are paranoid. There are no thieves guilds in Gergor, and no magic schools either. Would be mages have to travel to Horliche to learn magic.

Military: Gregor can muster a few 1-5^th lvl warriors and priests, but most of the defenders would be 0 lvl volunteers.

Enemies and Allies: None of either. So far, the other cities and countries of Terra have left Gregor alone. Gregorans produce enough to supply themselves with the basic needs and have little to offer other lands, and needs little from them.

Secrets: The city on the south end of the lake is literally a ghost town. All of the spirits who haunt the town are completely invisible and cannot be detected even through magic. The spirits leave visitors alone, unless they try to take something or destroy something. The spirits use telekinesis, domination, and any other means to prevent this from happening.

Horliche Pop. 9,214, General Align: NE

Horliche is located east of Gregor, sitting on the edge of where the Misty Wood ends at a range of tall, jagged cliffs called the Teeth of the Damned. Nestled at the foot of the Teeth is the large, city of Horliche. The city is large enough to hold 14,000 people, but since the Godswar has only held half that. It is the most advanced city in Terra, being of a renaissance era. The men and women dress immaculately in top hats, wide gowns, and stiff suits. They are very proper and social status dictates every day life.

History: Horliche was touched by something most foul long before the Godswar. The dark gods were

fascinated with a dimension of terror, but afraid of what would happen should they try to steal a culture from there. Finally one of them got the nerve to try. He managed to get a hold on the people pf Horliche and slip back through the gate. But, while the dark gods’ pet artifact protected them from godsight, the rulers of the dimension of terror were not deities. Those powers kept the gate from sealing fully, creating a thin barrier where that realms evil can seep in and influence Terra.

When the Godswar hit, Horliche was relatively untouched, the Teeth shoved up, and the people thought for sure that it was the end, but then the Teeth stopped. What was a shock was that almost half the population simply vanished without a trace.

Important People: The city was once ruled by Baron Victor von Horliche from his castle, that sat on a ledge above the city. Recently, the Baron vanished, his castle becoming a dark, crumbling ruin. No one knows where he went or why. It is known that journeying to the castle means death. The town is being run now by the Marquis Robert de Witte, a sadistic hedonistic and cruel man.

Things to See: The Cathedral of Death is one of the most architecturally beautiful buildings on Terra. Designed long ago for the dark gods, the Cathedral is a monument to gothic design. It is said the stone gargoyles shift places at night.

The castle of Horliche looms over the city like a malignant tooth. From the city, on clear days, one can see a small, needle-like tower behind the castle, though no one has been able to reach the tower and survived to report about it.

Languages: Leich (French)

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The Cathedral of Death is the largest church dedicated to Death outside of the xenophobic Gitan. Indeed, since visitors never go to Gitan, it is known as the largest temple of Death in the world. On the other side of town, as if trapping the town between darkness, is the School of Necromancy. The school is located in a section of town the locals have abandoned, and it is said that undead sentries protect the way to the School. Located somewhere in the middle is the Sisterhood of Blood, an extremely selective thieving guild. They are known assassins, quite skilled and very secretive. Only females of any race, with a comeliness of at least 16 and a charisma of at least 13, are taken into the guild. What is not known outside the guild is that they are all vampires.

Military: The militia of Horliche is made up of 1-10^th lvl fighters. They are all corrupt and evil, having little to do, except bully and terrorize the populace, since Horliche is too far from anywhere to attack.

Enemies and Allies: Horliche counts Madera and Gregor as allies, the former because of their evil nature, and the latter because of their closeness. They have no real enemies, for they are almost as reclusive as the Gitans and do not overly welcome outsiders.

Secrets: The Marquis, like the Baron before him, is a vampire, as are all of the city elders.

Vale D’Morte Pop. 1, 326, General Align: CE

The Vale D’Morte is a small city built inside a crater, located east of Horliche, deep in the mountains and dense Darkwood forest. It can be found within ten miles of the crater by the continual black clouds that hang above it. It is always dark, and stinks of death and sulfur. The black clouds rumble with thunder and flash with red lightning. Once in a while the town is pelted with hail and sheets of sleet, supplying the town with foul, but drinkable, water. At the north end of the city sits a huge, gothic cathedral made of black glass and iron. Hanging above the entrance to this cathedral is a crooked sign, painted in dried blood in a child’s scrawl that says “Oh no! That can’t be right!”. At the top of the main entrance, looking over the city is a huge, black eye made of fire and iron, the symbol of Malovent.

Flanking the cathedral, causing tremendous earthquakes and occasionally sending down hail of fiery stone, are two volcanoes, called Helmos and Velso, supposedly two of Malovent’s disciples who were transformed into volcanoes. Another volcano, called Kelvemwar, sits at the north end of the crater. These three add to the clouds to give the Vale a hellish look. The city itself is made of iron and steel. Wooden buildings would be destroyed and the temperature is always over a hundred degrees. Unless sanctioned by one of the rapidly increasing priests of Malovent, no magic of any kind functions in the Vale.

Why would anyone live here? Because there are no laws here. Everyone does what they want, when they want. Murder is common, there are no guards, and the only laws are the ever-changing whims of Malovent’s head man, Cyril van Stevig.

History: Cyril is the son of a female gypsy and a female paladin who had been transformed into a male. His mothers hoped he would learn honor and loyalty, but Cyril was evil from the beginning. After an attempt to destroy his cousin, in the name of love, he spent a great deal of time traveling Terra and creating as much chaos as possible. With no goals and no cares, he destroyed hundreds of lives with little reason other than boredom. Then, one day, he discovered an ancient temple from before the Godswar. How he managed to return Malovent to the living is unknown, but what is known is that the two went on a slaughtering spree, until eventually the Ten tried to hunt them down. Malovent created the Vale and set up a magic dead zone inside it, hiding it from godsight.

Languages: Common, various Humanoid

Important People: Luxcious Greatarm (head priest), Cyril von Stevig, Ingam Horrorplague (Cpt of the armies).

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Malovent, obviously, has the only church in the Vale. No other religions are allowed and priests and paladins who find themselves here are captured, tortured, and killed for the amusement of the unsavory citizens. There are no schools, and few wizards, all who operate at the whims of the church. The number of thieving guilds is rapidly changing. Every day new ones are formed, and die.

Military: The Vale is made up of hundreds of CE mercenaries, humanoids, despots, and monsters. The leader is a Fire Giant named Ingam, who swiftly executes any who do not follow his orders.

Enemies and Allies: Are you kidding? They don’t trust themselves, let alone anyone else. There are no allies with the Vale, even Tao’s priests hate Malovent, and Cyril views the entire world as a toy to be abused. Enemies would be everyone, but the magic dead area has created as formidable barrier in destroying the place. But it is a double edged sword, for while even god magic won’t work there, the armies are vulnerable once they leave.

Port City Pop: 5,492, General Align: LN

Port City is mostly unknown. Those who know of its existence do not speak of it, and never bring anyone there. Like Seaport and Fathis, Port City is an extremely important trading town. Unlike them, those who buy their goods do not know of it. Port City sits at the top of a tall pinnacle, a single, towering mountain growing in the middle of a huge field of wildflowers. The flowers have a sleeping agent that causes those walking through to fall asleep and when they awaken they are teleported randomly somewhere on Terra. Any attempt to fly or climb up the pinnacle results in being teleported to the base. The only way to get into Port city is to step through the only gate, located in Seaport somewhere.

Above the skies of the pinnacle, lights can be seen. Port City is the major docking city for the magically run, space going crafts that ferry goods from the other planets and worlds to Terra and vice versa. The people of Port City are industrious and extremely secretive to outsiders. Those who are “planet-born” are watched carefully and not allowed access to large portions of the city.

Suppliers and ships run from Port City to Arionos, Seaport, Wu Shen, Ista, Mylon, Fern Valley, Kasstoria, and Rylaris.

History: Port City was built by powerful mages and the Godlings soon after the Godswar. Looked over by Lady Krathe, it has become a booming, if not secretive, success.

Languages: Common mostly, but there are many different races in the city.

Important People: “Typhoon” Mary Albosh runs the Port City, emphasizing secrecy above all else. She is protected by her Scro bodyguard, Gammond.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Lady Krathe is the major religion in Port City, although all the Godlings have churches set up here. There is a school that teaches how mages how to run the space ships. The largest guild is a spacewide known guild called the Pirates of the Black Sea. These rogues can be called upon for exit from Terra with no questions asked, but they aren’t cheap.

Military: The military of Port City is as formidable as it is diverse. Made up of countless different races, and stretched out to monitor cities through Terraspace, the Night Rangers, as they call themselves, keep a close eye on trading lanes and a watchful eye for Beholders, Neogi, and Clockwork Horrors, the greatest threats to space.

Enemies and Allies: A small outposts of Beholders hides in the asteroid barrier known as the Shell, and continually try to usurp the actions of the Rangers and take control of Port City. However, with Arionos, Wu Shen, Mylon, and Ista as allies, there is no chance until the Great Mother breeds more of the beholders.

Clamberdin Pop. 2,745, Gen. Align.: LN

High in the Ridge itself, About 200 miles east of Ryer, lies a valley, 3,000 feet up the cliffs, hidden deep in the ice and rock. This valley is surrounded by hot springs, keeping the temperature around 30 degrees year round. Smoke and steam billow out of the valley from the machines that litter nearly every surface, forming the strange, eccentric city of Clamberdin.

History: Clammerdine was a small city/large village set in the now vanished nation of Gestal. It was a quaint, peaceful place, rarely touched by the ongoing Dark Wars. During the Godswar the town was transported to the newly formed Rift, appearing deep in the ice in a large cave. The human population, ill-equipped to handle the cold and the dark, would have perished, except for a large army of gnomes that was transported with them. The industrious gnomes set about building mechanical marvels that ran off of the steam caused by melting the ice itself. At the same time, the humans discovered a large underground stream nearby, a stream that bubbled with hot water. The hot springs warmed the cave, and the building of Clammerdine continued. One visiting missionary commented that, because of the noisy machines, it should be called Clamber-dine, and the name was changed.

Languages: Common (the gnomes speak extremely fast and, although they speak Common, it is nearly its own language).

Important People: Handhammer Jurthengaitbornofkliporthandgwenthuwho....(Tinker Gnome Mayor), Horace T’Ukfir (Human Master Mechanic).

Things to See: The Great Clamberdin Railcar is Terra’s first (and so far only) steam driven Train. The train is used to transport those around the vast, spread out of area of Clamberdin. A great deal of the city has expanded, both up the cave walls and out over the side of the Rift.

The Steamer is a large inn located near the center of town. Renown for its hot tubs, mud baths, and healing pools, it is a very popular place for the rich and elite to relax.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The largest church in Clamberdin is the church to Giddeon, who is seen more of a Engineer than a Magic God. There are also churches to Tak, Ice, and Terra. There are no known thieves’ guilds in Clamberdin, and the thieves there are concentrate mostly on building and perfecting mechanical traps. The school of Artificers is located near the back wall of the city.

Military: Due to their unusual and out of the way location, Clamberdin has no enemies. The avian races who do dwell in the Rift avoid the place. If needed they can muster about 200 warriors, made of 1^st level human warriors and wizards, and 1^st level gnome warriors, tinkers, and illusionists.

Enemies/Allies: Clamberdin might have an enemy in the Horde or the humanoid forces of Darkwood, if either one could figure out how to storm the place. But so far there has been peace. The closest it has to an ally is Mount Koroman, who sometimes docks on the specially made dock built for the flying city.

Kasstoria Pop. 3,679, Gen Align: LE

Kasstoria is located in the Endless Swamp, relatively close to where the fetid waters drain into the Great Ocean. The town is built entirely on stilts. Lizard men rule the city of Kasstoria, setting up its laws to benefit them. Under the stilts, floating on the dank, still water and cut off from the sunlight by the city above them, is the floating city of Kasstoria. It is built of lashed boards and planks that stretch on into the perpetual darkness is home to the foulest, evilest bunch of killers, rapists, and cultists. For in these dark areas, even the vile Lizard Men won’t go.

History: Before the Godswar, the Endless swamp was just that. It was a large “island” though that would be a false way of presenting it. It was an area, off shore, of an incredibly vast swamp. Most of the swamp was at sea level, and the water was not only fetid, but salty as well. It is from this murky, dismal place that the Lizard Men and the crocodilian Gator Men would wage wars back and forth.

When the Godswar hit, the Gator Men took the side of the dark gods. The lizard men, more in spite than anything else, took the side of the true gods. They were quite shocked when the Godswar ended and they had won. Not only that, but their island had been attached to the mainland. The Gator Men were still a problem and the Lizard Chieftain, Krogsh, realized two things immediately, the humans assumed the Lizard Men had been turned to the good side because of their role in the war, and that without help, them and the Gator Men would soon be wiped out by the land hungry humans.

Krogsh immediately gathered building materials and started Kasstoria. He went to Seaport personally and offered a truce and trade of the rare spices and spell components found in the swamp for help in exterminating the Gator Men. Seaport, still young and overcome with the sudden importance of their small town, readily agreed. The Gator Men still live in the swamp, but the Lizard Men truly rule.

Important People: Chief Krogsh Knash, ruler of the Lizard Folk. Despite his violent nature and blood thirsty ways, Krogsh is a born business man and enjoys haggling.

Things to See: While dingy and crudely built, the city of Kasstoria is an amazing display of what can be done when a group puts their heart into something. The Lizard Men are extremely proud of their city, which, though a little shabby looking in some places, is quite sturdy and well built, with a mind for defense.

Languages: Ssith (Lizard Man)

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The main, and only known, church of Sis’Thizz lies in Kasstoria. There are also minor churches to Trob and Lady Krathe. There are no schools of wizardry in Kasstoria, and the thieving guilds of the Forked Tongue operates a smuggling/slave service somewhere in the dark, lower city.

Military: The military of Kasstoria is made of 5^th level human and lizard men fighters. These troops are specially trained in swamp survival and underwater combat. Most of them spend little time in the city, preferring to roam the murky waters in the shallows where they can wrestle alligators and kill Gator Men.

Enemies and Allies: Kasstoria has allied themselves, for their own survival mostly, with Ista, Sanctuary, Seaport, and Wu Shen. A truce stands between them and Arionos, as each sides wait for the other to break it. The only enemies they have are the Gator Men who still infest their swamp.

Chabot Pop: Unknown, General Align: LN

Deep in the Rift Valley, protected by ancient spells and carefully planted rumors, is the wizard city of Chabot. Upon first glance it is just another ghost town, one of many that litter the frozen expanses of the Rift Valley tundra. The houses are thoroughly cleaned out, having been removed even of windows. At the center of the city is a wall that houses a dead, dried, frozen garden. The gate is rusted shut, but any attempts to climb it or the wall results in the climber never reaching the top. Barriers have been set up to prevent teleporting directly into it, and any spell cast against the gate or the wall results in the mage taking enough damage to reduce him to 1 hp. But, anyone with magic potential, who has come to learn something, be it magic or just information, can open the gate and walk in, disappearing from view from those outside.

Once through the gate, the garden is a lush, green, sunny area. Always spring, there are numerous paths which seem to just cross each other. Above the trees one can see the top of a building, but following the paths will not result in getting to it. Only if the person states they want to actually go to the building, will the path lead them there.

This is the magic city of Chabot.

History: Chabot is ancient. As old as the Thief’s City, older even than Ista. The tragedy that befell Chabot has been told a hundred times, and in a hundred different ways. Even the ancient dragons do not know what became of the city, but it is known that it was a ruined city located in the savanna of a tropic continent that was, at one time, located at the equator. When the Godswar hit, the entire city was moved to the shadow of the Great Rift.

Giddeon, the Godling of magic, chose it for his new wizard school. He assigned it to the Headmistress Athena d’Riffilin, a drow mage of great power. He opened the doors to wizards, set up the wards to keep others out, and has not been back there since.

Language: Common, Anglish (old English), Larin (Latin), and various ancient, archaic languages.

Important People: Athena, drow Headmistress and Mistress of Incantation, Fanarius the Really Smart, gnome Master of Illusions, Stagger Danpoole, human Master of Divination and Head Librarian, Lisa Balth, human Mistress of Necromancy, Spanek Guisalli, elven Mistress of Abjuration, Tevor Haprin, human Master of Enchantments, Cyrill of Gathwain, human Master of Evocation, Schultz, human Master of Elements, Sharraz, duergar Master of Shadows, Hap, halfling Master of Apportation, Chronos, half-dragon Master of Chronomancy, Brightscales, gold dragon Mistress of Alteration, Jati Khan, human Master of Conjuration.

Things to See: Each of the buildings that houses the different schools is a magical marvel, each one depicting the essentials of what that school is about. From the dark, gloomy, bone walls of the Necromancy school to the ever-changing halls and murals of the Illusion school, it is a truly beautiful place to see, if you are a wizard. No one else is allowed to walk the ground and non-spellcasters are kept in the administrative building when doing business.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is no one particular school that is better than the others. There is a church to Giddeon, but it isn’t nearly as large as the one in Lower Thren. There are no thief guilds in Chabot.

Military: When needed, the wizards of Chabot are powerful and creative, but no one has ever been able to breach the protective enchantments around the school.

Enemies and Allies: The biggest threat to Chabot lies in the Lower Threns, who yearn for the knowledge contained in the great library, and the Northern Horde. The Threns are too far and too busy to try anything at the moment, and the Horde have never found Chabot.

Wu Shen Pop: 14,811 city, 9,845 Me Wing, 12,206 country, Gen. Align: LN

Wu Shen makes up the eastern, and largest of the kingdoms of Terra. It is the only kingdom east of Seaport, and one of the oldest of Terra. The land is made up of thick, cold forest in the north, warm, fertile farmland through the central area, and hot, humid jungle along the south. There are two major cities, Wu Shen, the emperor's city, and Shen Lung, the port city.

History: Wu Shen’s history is too long to list. The country was one of the first introduced to Terra, about a hundred years after the Thief’s City, Chabot, and three others which are no longer around. It was taken from a larger oriental culture that was caught in a civil war. The two sides decided to work together to defend the country against the Doni Horsemen, a ruthless group of thugs. The oriental traditions and beliefs made the Wu Shens natural survivors. The Doni were wiped out, and the Wu Shen turned to expansion, using its forces to take over one nation after another.

Hundreds of generations, thousands of years, they have ruled. When the Godswar hit, the Wu Shen struck back against the dark gods. When the war was over, the world was changed, and the Wu Shen lost over eighty percent of its accumulated land.

Wu Shen is the only nation that openly uses flying ships, though few know them to be space travelers.

Languages: Shi (Chinese)

Important People: Emperor Fen Chao Yushu.

Other towns: Shen Lung** (9,845), Chiang Mai** (1,129), Hengyang (849), Mount Shujo* (868), Hopei* (749), Hotai (747), Iwo* (623), Takwei** (isl-619), Lopan** (616), Yintabo* (613), Chang (501), Hangchow** (500), Chowyan** (483), Hai Chi Nu (482), Cheng Wang** (475), Anwei*** (355), Hsin Chu (364), Tsu Wa (360), Low Shaw (356), Jencho*** (353), Wei Ching (347), Po** (333), Chu Shan (246), & An Nhon (238).

Things to See: The jungles around Shen Lung are the only place of jungle on the main continent. The thick trees that block sunlight and seem to grow as fast as they are cut are a source of many rumors and speculations.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The religion of the orient follows the Celestial Bureaucracy, a council of gods who watch over everything, and so too do the Wu Shens. Their religion follows the Ten as a whole, treating them as one entity. T