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. The Temple of the Ten, located in the city of Wu Shen is a large building that depicts the oriental flare of the country. Obsessed with ancestry, the School of Chronomancy is located in Shen Lung, along with the headquarters for the mysterious Yakuza guild.

Located in the cold mountains are various monk temples dedicated to inner peace and enlightenment. The monks lead peaceful, secluded lives, though a few are known to travel.

Military: The Wu Shen military is a large force, made up of samurai, bushi, shukenja, and wu jen. The emperor is known to have ninja’s as scouts and is not above using assassins. Since the end of the dark wars, the Wu Shen have ceased expansion and the military is mostly used for defensive purposes against the land hungry Hatchito, and the evil Northern Horde.

The most impressive thing about the Wu Shen military is its air force. It regularly uses flying ships that are shaped like dragons as both transportation and assault vehicles.

Enemies and Allies: Hatchito is considered an enemy, since it is well known that they want to take all of the orient, but while they are involved in their civil war, Wu Shen has little to worry. Their biggest threat comes from the Northern Horde, which continually raids Wu Shen from the forests in the north. Emperor Yushu set up an alliance with King Arion, and though the two nations are on the far ends of the main continent, either one will be there to defend the other. Wu Shen is also allied with Rylaris, Seaport, Sanctuary, and Ista.

Hatchito Pop. 12, 900, Gen. Align: LN

The large island of Hatchito makes up the other “oriental” nation on Terra. Located east of Wu Shen, the Islands are made up of one central island that is 70 miles long and 40 miles wide and several smaller islands. The main island is divided into 7 regions, each ruled by a warlord. Each island has its own warlord. The warlords continually fight back and forth, trying to accumulate more land. It is said “He who conquers all the lands, shall be named Shogun, and shall receive powers of the gods.” Many people wonder if the Hatchito will interpret this to include all the nations of Terra.

History: Hatchito is a land of battle. Back and forth the wars rage, moving lines. Their legends say that long before, before the dark gods even took them, there was a Shogun. He had godlike powers and ruled with an iron fist. The people were taken from the Shogun and brought to this land. Hatchito was once bigger than this island, with their own continent.

Each of the lords wanted to be named the new Shogun. The civil war started, and continues to this day. The dark gods were amused. They didn’t even have to present an enemy for them to fight.

Languages: Tosubi (Japanese)

Important People: 15 warlords

15 kingdoms: Kotaki*,** (1,449), Akita (990), Hirosaki** (1,018), Hammatsu* (965), Tsachiman* (961), Hakudate** (847), Ikari** (852), Wujima** (isl-848), Nanihama* (728), Awaji** (977), Ahken** (isl-714), Itsukushima*** (615), Kyoto*** (615), Arashi** (661), Ichikawa** (isl-660)

Things to See: The largest volcano on Terra, Mount Kinto, sits on the northern edge of Hatchito. The light from the top can be seen at all times. The magma lies deep in the mountain. Though Kinto doesn’t erupt, earthquakes are felt often in the area. The magma inside never cools down.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There are numerous churches to Hate and Dago, along with monk temples and small churches to Heira, Silverwind, Seeker, and Light. The Yakuza are the largest of the thief guilds, though each region has its own. Most wizards are taught from private masters, and there are no formal schools.

Military: The warlords will unite against common threats to Hatchito, but the truces last only as long as the threat. United, the forces of Hatchito represent a vast army.

Enemies and Allies: All nations are enemies to Hatchito. They have struck up alliances with Wu Shen and the Horde, to receive both supplies and prisoners to use in their wars, but the Hatchito view every land as someplace just waiting to be conquered.

Deepwind Pop. 4,808, Gen. Align: NE

Although not the nicest of places to go, Deepwind is by far not the worst underdark city on Terra. Located northwest of Seaport, and too close for the elves of Fern Valley or Neethami to be comfortable, the drow city of Deepwind is the trading center between the upper and lower realms. It is here that truces between the drow and the humans first started, and now it is one of the four major trading towns of Terra. Like the others, it has portals that lead to Seaport, Port City, and Fathis.

The people are highly cooperative, which is odd given the myriad of races. Although primarily drow, a great number of gnomes, humans, dwarves and other races live here. But everyone knows, the drow are in charge.

History: When the world was flattened, the great drow empire was crushed. Only two of its cities remained, and only Deepwind was able to dig a path to the surface. Their food and water had been destroyed, the few remaining and proud drow stumbled into the light. Only those who know the drow would understand how difficult it would have been for those first few to swallow their pride and seek help.

Of course the elves of Fern Valley would never help, and the drow would never ask. So they went to the humans.

The pirate lord of Seaport, Mortimer Hughes, agreed to help the drow, after all, they would make great allies. The drow scouts returned to find that while they were gone, the ones left behind had managed to free a few others, goblins, gnomes, duergar, and others who had lost all in the destruction, but somehow managed to survive. The drow quickly established a few rules, seeing the use in having so many races living in harmony when the humans arrived to help. Of course, it would be drow harmony.

Today, the races work together. Drow law rules over all, and everyone knows that, although the laws are set up by them, the drow make sure that everyone in the city is protected. Even Arionos finds the drow of Deepwind a useful ally.

Languages: Delfen (Drow Elven), Common.

Important People: Viatha Siriliiran, Matron Mother of Deepwind.

Things to See: Not all the races of Deepwind have infravision, and to make up for this the drow have built the Twilight Spire, a huge column of stone the sits in the middle of Deepwind. The soft, dark light that comes off of it does not hinder infravision, but allows humans to see, somewhat. The light is always dim and those wishing to read must find some other source of light. Still, it is better than stumbling around in the dark or getting on the drow’s bad side for blinding them with a torch.

The Lake of Unity was created by a dwarf/human/drow project to get some fresh water into Deepwind. It took some gnome ingenuity to find the water, so they get credit too.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The headquarters for Dark lie in a special area of Deepwind, shrouded by shadows. There are also minor churches to Lady Krathe, Seeker, Terra, and Ice. Also located in this area is the Shadow School, though the mages here won’t tell where it is, and no one can seem to find it. The assassin guild known as the Night Hunters have a headquarters somewhere, but they won’t even admit to belonging to the guild, so finding it is also impossible.

Military: Most of the military is made up of 5-10^th lvl drows, always led by a priestess of Ice or Dark. There are also humans and duergar who make up the army as well. The gully dwarves consider themselves part of the army, though no one else does.

Enemies and Allies: The drow of Soth-Tsaren view the drow of Deepwind as traitors, much the same way, and for the same reasons the elves of Neethami have shunned the elves of Fern Valley. But where the Neethami have turned their backs on the elves, the drow of Soth-Tsaren actively seek to destroy Deepwind. Seaport, Port City, Fathis, Oakdon, Arionos, and Stonekeep are all ready to send aid should it ever happen.

Soth-Tsaren Pop. 829, Gen. Align: CE

The drow of Soth-Tsaren are a bitter, angry group. They hide in their city, cut off from the rest of the world, brooding and planning for the destruction of Terra.

No one knows exactly where it is located, since the usual way to get to Soth-Tsaren is through the magic portals the drow open. Recently the drow have managed to dig a road to the connecting tunnels of the other underdark cities, much to their dismay.

History: When the world was flattened, the great drow empire was destroyed. Deepwind and Soth-Tsaren were the only two cities left, both buried and cut off from the outside. Deepwind managed to dig their way out, but it took the drow of Soth-Tsaren longer to find the spells to create a portal to the surface. Depleted in numbers, they managed to create a portal to a farm area outside of Arionos.

Followers of Eilistraee, the only good drow goddess, saw their opportunity and managed to fight their way out of Soth-Tsaren and warn King Arion of the impending invasion. The drow were turned back, their portal closed, and the good drow were given sanctuary in Arionos.

Today, the drow seethe and brood. The only other residents of Soth-Tsaren are the 26 illithids left, all that remains of the illithid colonies. Together, the two most vile races in the underdark plot the destruction of the elves and all of Terra.

Languages: Delfen (Drow Elven)

Important People: Delliandi Ophedisin, Matron Mother, Huurrlak, Psionicist Illithid advisor.

Things to See: Nothing, its too dark and you aren’t invited.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a small mage school, the only ways the men of Soth-Tsaren can ever achieve power, and even then they will never be as powerful as the priestesses of Arachnis, whose huge, spider shaped, undead protected church lies at the heart of Soth-Tsaren. There is a guild known as only as the Web, but only those of Soth-Tsaren know of its existence.

Military: Though small, the drow military is quite formidable. However, only the drow ever leave the city for raids. The few illithids left defend the city and never leave it.

Enemies and Allies: There are no allies to Soth-Tsaren. Enemies though, it has plenty. Arionos, Fern Valley, Neethami, Deepwind, Seaport, and Oakdon.

Vor Korrett Pop. 373, Gen. Align: NE

The small, subterranean city of Vor Korrett is the last remaining refuge for the evil cousins of the dwarves, the Duergar. Here in their isolated realm they study black magic and summoning spells. It is said a portal to the Abyss can be found here. Visitors are not allowed in Vor Korrett, so verification of this is impossible.

History: The city of Vor Korrett was one of 6 Dueragr cities that had been scattered around Kraga to wage war against the dwarves. When the world was flattened, only Vor Korrett remained. The duergar quickly supplied water and food and rebuilt their small city.

Unlike the other, evil subterranean races, the duergar have no intention, or desire to take over Terra or kill anything. Even their long hatred of the dwarves of Kraga has taken a backseat to their greatest passion, summoning and conjuring of extraplanar creatures.

Languages: Awar (Duergar)

Important People: Blackstone Hammerhand, Thane of the dark dwarves, Dustin Diamondscale, headmaster.

Things to See: Nothing. go away.

Churches/Guilds/School: Vor Korrett has no large churches, but does have minor churches to Terra, Dark, and Giddeon. There are no known guilds, and although it does have the largest school of Conjuration and Summoning. It is only here that outsiders may come to learn, but they never leave the school, never are allowed to associate with those not in the school, and must obey duergar rules.

Military: Vor Korrett has no military, nor does it need it. When needed, the conjurers unite to turn back whatever is invading, but usually its little more than the creatures of the underdark.

Enemies and Allies: Kraga considers itself an enemy, but the Duergar are more concerned with the gnomes of Jade Keep. So far, neither side has found any reason to invade the other’s turf.

Jade Keep Pop. 748, Gen. Align: NG

East of Vor Korrett, close to Holt’s Shire, is the peaceful, secluded city of Jade Keep, home to the last rock gnomes of Terra. The halflings of Holt’s Shire and the rock gnomes of Jade Keep help out each other when they can.

History: When the planet was flattened, almost all underground cities were destroyed. Some were lucky enough to be spared. Jade Keep was not.

The Keep was a Wu-Shen outpost, the most western spot in the vast oriental kingdom. When the Godswar hit, the Keep fell, sunk into the earth. All the men were killed. A group of rock gnomes lived nearby and were trying to escape the destruction that had happened to their own city. Hundreds of them fled, hoping to find a way to the surface, using their powerful earth magic to protect them. They came upon the ruins of Jade Keep. They buried the humans and started redesigning.

Things to See: Jade Keep is a marvel of Oriental design and rock gnome industry. Is appears almost exactly like it did on the surface, except half of it is buried under rock.

Languages: Kopp (Gnomish)

Important People: Methro Diamondeyes, Lord Mayor, Onyt Tenthrows, Head priest of Terra.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The largest church of Terra is housed in the back, next to the School of Earth, where both can use the rockslide that buried the back of the city. There are no known thief guilds.

Military: The rock gnomes have few hostile visitors, and their magic can easily deter any wandering monsters.

Enemies and Allies: The halflings of Holt’s Shire are the closest allies the rock gnomes have. The Duergar seem to be the closest thing to an enemy, though both cities have a “leave well enough alone” attitude.

Chasm Pop. 368, Gen Align: N

Chasm is a newer town located deep under the surface of Terra and south of Jade Keep. Unlike the other cities in the underdark, it is not an old city that survived or was “borrowed” after the Godswar. The town is built on the bottoms of impossibly long stalactites and the tops of stalagmites reaching into the largest underground canyon on Terra.

Centuries ago the dark gods brought the Svirfneblin to Terra and within a few, short decades, the Svirfneblin fell. But unlike other races that were lost, the drow, duergar, and other evil denizens of the underdark took the svirfneblin and made them into their slaves. The svrifneblin served for centuries, being regarded as nothing more than whipping boys for the other, more powerful races. They haven’t had a city of their own since they lost to the drow. After the Godswar, when the drow of Deepwind started to trade with other races, the svrifneblin who remained decided they would stop waiting for freedom. They left, one by one while the drow were too busy to notice. They wandered the new underdark, and managed to rescue the svirfneblin in Vor Korrett, eventually digging their way to Jade Keep. The rock gnome cousins took them in, but differences between the two races made things uncomfortable. In typical gnomish fashion, they two gnomish races worked together to find a new home, and they found it in the Chasm.

Things to see: The Chasm is huge crack that runs under much of the main continent of Terra. Stretching from about 150 miles east of Geran and running southeast for hundreds of miles to end somewhere under the Darkwood, east of Horliche. At the widest point it is 15 miles wide, with one bridge near Deepwind to cross it. It averages at about 7000 feet in height, although there are certain holes at the bottom which lead to unknown places, usually guarded by horrible beast. Below Chasm and about 5 miles east lies such a portal to the plane of Earth, guarded by friendly Pechs.

Other things of note in the Chasm are 4, huge waterfalls fed by underground rivers that crash down to the floor of the canyon. To the northwest is the bright falls, which collects phosphorous plants somewhere which causes the water to glow with an eerie, ghost white light. An underground river, known as the Parxthas runs from the Thieves’ city, where it collects garbage and offal and dumps into the chasm. Called the Eternal Falls, the wall is foul and can be smelled up to a mile away. It empties into a portal to the plane of Ooze. The great Black Falls, is a 12 mile long waterfall of salt water that pours into a huge, salty lake called Blackbottom Sea, which runs through tunnels back into the sea from where the water comes from. The Black Falls can be seen from a section or the long road to Jade Keep that runs along a ledge on the opposite side of the Chasm. Finally there is the Falls of Morelan, a fresh water river that supplies both Jade Keep and Chasm.

Languages: Koppik (Svirfneblin)

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The svirfneblin have little use for the outside world, fearing being thrown into captivity again. They do have a small school for magecraft to teach those who are interested, and a church to Terra which, while not overly large, is the largest building in the town. There are no thieves guilds in Chasm, yet.

Important People: Gaero Hibblethright, Lord Mayor of Chasm, Howju Pockbottom, high priestess of Terra, Jarlo Junkenripple, Minemaster.

Military: The svirfneblin don’t have an impressive army right now, but they have a lot of help from the rock gnomes from Jade Keep and the Pechs of who live in the bottom of the Chasm.

Enemies and allies: The gnomes of Jade Keep are the only ones who know of Chasm’s existence. Among enemies, the drow of Deepwind are still angry about losing their slaves and would love to destroy Chasm and take the svirfneblin back. The drow of Soth Tsaren do not know that they are currently the largest enemy Chasm has, as the svirfneblin are currently trying to figure out how to rescue their brethren still held captive there.

Fathis Pop. 5,469, Gen. Align: NG

Fathis is the major trading town between the surface and the underwater kingdoms. It is located near

Seaport, about ten miles south-east in the Pyramid Sea. It is home to various sea races who have joined together.

Fathis itself was once a human city, and the architecture shows it.

History: Fathis was home to one of King Medius’ most trusted advisors. Lord Fathis was a despicable tyrant who loved to torture and mutilate prisoners. He was one of the generals in charge of bringing back Maximillian. When he failed, Medius had him racked. He died before the Godswar struck. The world was flattened and the sea rose up to claim his land, reducing the kingdom of Thren to a small sliver of what it once was. The mermen, who’s entire culture was nearly wiped out, lost all their cities. With no where to go, and scattered throughout the oceans, they started looking for the sunken human cities still intact enough to settle. Fathis seemed like a jewel and the various clans that had scattered among the sea gathered in their new home.

With the growing importance of Seaport, the mermen of Fathis noticed the increase of ships, right over the top of their homes. While the city of Fathis, at 342 feet below sea level, was out of the way of danger from the ships, but it still seemed an intrusion. Talk went up about retaliating against the humans of Seaport. But the elders pointed out that that was the way of the dark gods. Instead, the mermen should try to profit off it, have Seaport share in its wealth. After all, the undersea has a lot to offer that surface folks would want.

The people of Seaport quickly agreed, sealing the union with Deepwind at nearly the same time, and the Trading Triad was created. With the booming success, other sea people moved into Fathis and added to a diversity rivaled only by Arionos.

Languages: Common, Ithil (Merman)

Important People: Octavius Hermini, merman chieftain, Panthuis Korumtar, head priest of Felwaer.

Things to See: The Kraken’s Rest is a large, undersea canyon located south of Fathis is a beautiful area of strange, colored water that ripples and glows like the aurora borealis. It was once bottomless, before the Godswar, but since the destruction, most of it has filled in. No one knows what causes the colors.

On the other side of the Kraken’s Rest is the city of Yurkturg, the sole remaining sahuagin city left. It is said that the only temple dedicated to Xillis is there, but no one has been to the city to verify its location or its contents.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The largest church of Felwaer and the School of Water are both located in Fathis, with air chambers for visiting guests or air breathing students. The Mantas, a group of fun loving rogues who view themselves as heroes makes their base somewhere in Fathis.

Military: The Fathis military consists of 1-10th lvl mermen, triton, and shark-kin fighters, with a few sea giants thrown in in case of dire need.

Enemies and Allies: Only Yurkturg is an enemy of the industrious city of Fathis. With allies such as Seaport, Arionos, Sanctuary, Ista, Deepwind, Senshaol, and Oakdon, there is little that would attack them.

Yurkturg Pop.: 314, Gen Align: CE

Yurkturg is a mysterious city located south and west of Fathis. Deep in a trench, shrouded from light the sahuagin plot. They keep their business secret, and attacks from them are very rare, which only causes those who know of them to think that they are planning something big.

In truth, the sahuagin are experimenting with fish of the lightless regions, and seeing if they can create new sahuagins with various abilities.

History: Not much is known of Yurkturg. The mermen say that before the Godswar it was one of the sahuagin settlements, but it was never attached to a kingdom and the sahuagin who lived there were too far away to be of much threat. Whether or not the rest were wiped out, and if it is truly Yurkturg moved during the flattening, or another of the sahuagin towns is unknown.

Languages: Sahuagin

Important People: Grimlor, Chief of Yurkturg.

Things to See: Nothing.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Except for the church of Xillis, there is nothing else known of Yurkturg. It is believed they have a mage school, but what exactly they teach is unknown. You can guess how much any guild from Yurkturg would allow anyone to know of them.

Military: The military, like the rest of Yurkturg is made up entirely of sahuagin.

Enemies and Allies: Everyone is an enemy, there are no allies.

Senshaol Pop.: 1,320, Gen. Align: NG

Senshaol is a town of sea elves, located far south of Fathis. It guards the entrance to the Sea of Pyramids. The city is 1,000 feet down, making it totally unsuitable to air breathing races. The sea elves frequently make occasional trips to Fathis to trade, but pretty much stick to themselves.

History: Senshaol was a city located on the equator before the Godswar. The sea elves lived a peaceful life, but there was no other cities near them, no other races to trade with. When the Godswar hit, they were quite surprised, for the dark gods had forgotten about them, and hence they didn’t have any enemies to fight. They knew that, in order to get involved they would have to use magic portals to get there in time to make a difference.

They arrived to help the mermen and triton, creating a bond between the three races. Together, all three, under Felwaer’s leadership, drove the sahuagin, weresharks, and shark-kin and the evil general, Xillis, back from the human lands. Then the world was flattened. The mermen nation fell, the tritons were nearly wiped out. The elves, fearing for their own home turned and fled back to their portals, which had been destroyed. All attempts at rebuilding them was met with failure. They started the long swim back home, only to discover the world had been flattened, and there was no longer an equator. Devastated, the sea elves began searching, like the mermen, for an elven city that had sunken for them to use. What they found amazed them. During the flattening, some places were moved. Their city, intact and still full of the shaken, frightened but alive family members, had been relocated to the main continent.

The only thing they have a problem with is getting use to having neighbors.

Languages: Delfin (Sea Elven)

Important People: Marthus Filliwin, Seaspeaker of Senshaol.

Things to See: The Rainbow Bridge, is an underwater relic left over from the great palace of Hermani Randolph IV, one of the most richest, kindest kings of Terra. Although people have come to look for any other relics, the only object found so far is the Bridge, which use to connect from his huge palace and his garden. It is said he kept his treasury somewhere in in his massive garden.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a small church of Life and another of Felwaer. There is no thief guilds in Senshaol and a small school that specializes in Enchantments and Water spells.

Military: The small army of sea elves would not keep out most intruders.

Enemies and Allies: The major enemy of Senshaol is the sahuagin of Yurkturg who try to raid the caravans of goods traveling to Fathis. Lately, portals have been set up, but they are untrustworthy and frequently send the traveler to the Sea of Daggers or the Frozen Sea. The allies send help when needed from Fern Valley, Fathis and Seaport. The minotaurs of Rylaris, the closest of all nations to Senshaol, do not bother the elves, nor will they go out of the way to help them.

Deshaol Pop: 8,144, Gen Align: LG

The war like city of Deshaol is located 25 miles south-west of Arionos. The last remaining tritons have taken over the once human city of Gorburg, the capital of the human nation that Fort Benedict was part of.

The tritons have struck a deal with Arionos, enjoying the peace of not worrying about being taken over by surface folk, and at the same time protecting Arionos from the threat of invasion by the evil denizens of the deep, and warning them of the pirates that sometimes come looking for a bit of King Arion’s gold.

History: When the Great Ocean rose up, swallowing the countryside, the triton nation was buried under a rockslide, killing millions. The remaining tritons gathered as a force to combat the vicious weresharks that had appeared, but they were slaughtered.

The only tritons who lived was one small army, led by Felwaer, that had journeyed to the merman territory to suggest a truce against the enemies. While fighting the sahuagins under the command of Xillis, Felwaer and his tritons and mermen also made a pact with the elves of Senshaol. The three armies grouped and drove their enemies back.

But when the Godswar ended, the tritons returned home to find their home destroyed. They went to try and dig their families out, but strange creatures had taken over the ruins of the triton nation. Retreating before the unstoppable horde, the tritons made it to Arionos, and found the sunken capital city. Arion agreed to let the tritons have it and the treasure in it, in exchange for a mutual trace and protection of borders. The tritons changed the name to Deshaol, meaning “new home” in undersea common.

The tritons have maintained their militaristic attitude and drill and train in combat as hard as the Upper Threns. Like the barbarians of the Southern Wastes, they consider themselves part of the kingdom of Arionos.

Languages: Common, Krill (Triton)

Important People: Kreshel Thurigus, female general of the tritons was left in charge when Felwaer left to become a Godling. She runs a very tight, organized city. All citizens are trained in combat.

Things to See: West of Deshaol is a large pool of glowing, blue water. Nothing can bee seen in the bottom, it seems to be bottomless and anyone who has entered it has never returned. Every once in a while a powerful evil monster emerges and runs rampant through the sea. The tritons hunt and kill these creatures as soon as they appear.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a small school of Water, and small churches to Hate and Felwaer. The rest of the city is used for preparing for war. There is no thief guild in Deshaol.

Military: Although small, the Deshaol army is quite formidable due to the fact that everyone older than five is taught how to fight.

Enemies and Allies: The sahuagin of Yurkturg have not forgotten the defeat by the three undersea nations, and count the tritons as one of their enemies, even if they are so far away. Arionos has proven to be the most powerful ally, though Senshaol and Fathis are also on the list.

Bethani Pop. 429, Gen. Align: NG

The elves of Bethani are secretive, elusive and shy. They seem to not have a mean bone in their body. They stay to themselves and are highly magical, using their powers to turn people away. It is said they have the ability to change into an animal shape, but this is strictly speculation.

History: Long ago the dark gods brought a number of creatures from a strange world. They were dwarves, halflings, humans, and elves, but each one was different from others of their races from other worlds. The sea elves of Bethani are one of the few remaining survivors. They were active in helping people before the Godswar, but once the dark gods had been banished, the Bethani elves turned inward, and closed off the world.

Languages: Krynnish Sea Elven.

Important People: Unknown. It is said that they have a Speaker of the Sea, but no one knows who that is.

Things to See: Unknown

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Unknown. It is believed they follow either Brashi or Felwaer. They have a high degree of magic, so they must have a school of some kind. Whether or not they have any thief guilds is not known.

Military: With their spells it is hard to attack them. Seeing how the animals in the area also unite to protect their location, it is safe to assume the animals would come to their aid.

Enemies and Allies: Neither. With no hostile intentions and difficult to find, they have no relations with the outside world.

Keethus Pop. 3,738, Gen. Align: NE

Keethus is a city located near Mylon. The mermen come from the same culture as Mylon, and follow the same practices and laws. Keethus guards the shores of Mylon, and in return, they receive slaves the Mylonian ships bring in.

History: Keethus is the last of the non-human kingdoms of Mylon. Once there was a kingdom of minotaurs, another of medusa, and another of harpies, etc. When the Godswar hit, the world was destroyed, most of Mylon slipped into the sea. Only Mylon itself and Keethus survived.

Languages: Ithil (Merman, with Latin dialect), Larin (Latin)

Important People: Nerius Ophelian, Merman emperor.

Things to See: The deep mine of Keethus is a beautiful spiral of many colored metals that stretch down into the ocean depths. Of course, all the slaves forced to strip it is less than attractive.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There are small temples to Felwaer and Hate, and a very small school of Water and Earth Magic, but there are no Guilds.

Military: The mermen of Keethus are extremely militaristic and greedy. The Mylons hold many cards and the Keethus need them, but otherwise they would have attacked their land cousins.

Enemies and Allies: The only ally they have is Mylon. Their enemies consists of Deshaol, Senshaol, Fathis, Arionos, Saxony, Durklon, and Seaport.

Rylaris Pop. 8,832, Gen Align: CN

Rylaris is a large island with a large city of the same name. It is home to a race of seagoing minotaurs, who have made quite a profit and a name for themselves. The spices and adamantite they trade with is unlike any other on the planet. The minotaurs are loud, burly, and quick to anger, but once they make friends they are fun, loyal and rowdy.

History: Rylaris was a small port city for a mighty minotaur nation that once made up a section of the Mylon nation. Taken from their homes by the dark gods to fight pirates and corsairs, they soon grew tired of the war. The dark gods refused to leave them alone to sail, instead throwing more and more against the tough minotaurs. When the Godswar hit, they happily took up arms against their hated masters.

When the world was flattened, the land was relocated to the main continent, far from the greedy, corrupt Mylonians and became an island, swallowing over 90% of the country. On top of that, another race of evil minotaurs had been moved underneath them. Now the minotaurs battle their evil cousins, who sometimes surface to drag them down into the myriad labyrinths below the city.

Languages: Gorth (Minotaur)

Important People: Stom Lorgdoln leads as king of Rylaris. He is a wise, fair ruler, who has established the minotaurs as one of the leading traders in Terra.

Things to See: The canyons of the Labyrinth Desert are as twisted as one might expect from minotaurs and create a unique texture to the desert.

The city itself is made of white stone and gleams brilliantly. It is said that the minotaurs have no need of lighthouses, though this is false.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is no schools of magic on Rylaris, or thief guilds. However, the largest temple to Trob is located in the city of Rylaris.

Military: The navy of Rylaris is huge. Made up of hundreds of boats and thousands of minotaurs. The army is not so big, since most the minotaurs want to become sailors, not myrmidons. Still the need to defend the island from the hated “Grish-Juntu”, the evil minotaur race that dwells below them does exist.

Enemies and Allies: Rylaris has no real enemies, except the sahuagin of Yurkturg, who try to sink the boats in the sea lane to their closest allies, Seaport. They also trade heavily with Ista, and have good relations with Sanctuary and Oakdon.

The Forbidden Land Pop. Unknown, General Align: TN

The Forbidden Land was formed after the Godswar by Brashi, as a place of refuge for the wilder cultures to go where they would not be influenced by the more modern civilizations. It is either a large island or a small continent, depending on your point of view, located east of Hatchito. It is far enough removed to where no one would make the journey without a real cause. There are no large cities on the Forbidden Land, no ports.

The people of the Forbidden Land are made up of various races that have formed tribes, mostly nomadic, who follow the migration of the animals they hunt. It is a land of give and take, where it is against the law to take more from the land than the land can give. The people lead simple, peaceful lives. Small skirmishes sometimes break out, and rivalries between tribes are long lasting, but all unite against invaders. It is believed by all that their world would collapse and that the source of their destruction would come from the “barbaric” lands to the west, so all people of the Forbidden Land will unite to drive off, or kill, those who come to their land.

Languages: various tribal dialects of Neathar (American Indian).

Important People: Each tribe has a chieftain and a shaman. The chieftain leads the people, the shaman acts as advisor to the chief, counselor, ambassador, and spiritual leader.

Things to See: There are many natural wonders in the Forbidden Land, waterfalls, mesas, etc. There is a small swamp to the far south east, a desert, plains and forest. Each place holds a secret beauty to those drawn to nature. But because the people wish it to remain natural, they forbid anyone from coming to look.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There are no churches in the Forbidden Land, the shamans give homage to the spirits of their ancestors, gaining their spells from them. A few druids also live here, but they are outside the druidic order. Without a doubt, even though he has no churches here, Brashi is the biggest influence. There is no need for a thief’s guild or a school of magic.

Military: The people of the Forbidden Land are hunters, and are taught at a young age to hunt and kill. With no real army to speak of, the people can pose as a formidable opponent to invaders.

Enemies and Allies: The people do not view anyone as enemies. They see it as their duty to attack those who come to their land.

Mylonia Pop. 16, 308 city, 10,126 country General Align: LE

Mylonia is one of the old kingdoms of Terra. The people claim to have come from the Gods of Mount Olympus itself. They wear loose fitting togas and seem to be happy stuck in the bronze age. The city of Mylon sits on the north-east side of the large continent that houses Mylonia, Gitania, and Amazonia. None of the three nations of the continent known as the Slave Lands, invade or bother the others.

Mylonia is a large nation of vineyards and olive trees. The tropic climate makes for lush plants and the wines from Mylon are known as the best on Terra. Unfortunately the wine is paid for by the slaves of Mylon. Slavery is more than a practice to the Mylonians, it is a way of life. They have kidnapped and used slaves from other lands for all their menial work for so long, most the people think it is a normal way of life. The government promotes this, saying that other countries do it as well.

History: Mylonia was one of the largest empires on Terra. Their ruthlessness and penchant for taking prisoners as slaves was widely known. Infamous emperors, who’s names are still spoken with spite in other lands and with reverence in Mylon, pampered themselves and fellow Mylonians with the blood and sweat of those they claimed as property.

When the Godswar hit, the Mylons fought fiercely, using their slaves as fodder to battle the dark gods. When the world was flattened, they found the land, which had been in a more temperate climate, had been uprooted and sent to a hot, humid climate. They were forced to share their land with two other nations, the Amazonians and the Gitanians. The Mylonian empire was faced with a decision: fight or make peace.

The Amazonians wanted the jungles to the west, and the Mylons agreed to leave them in peace for the rich, productive farmlands. Gitania, ever the reclusive, stayed on their side of the continent and shut themselves in.

Languages: Larin (Latin)

Important People: Emperor Claudius Gladius rules from his opulent palace in Mylon. His advisors make up a Senate which makes sure the rich get richer, the poor stay poor, and the slaves stay slaves.

Other towns: Thracia (963), Edom (856), Thesius** (489), Dauphine (637), Carnassus** (532), Icaria (527), Olynthus* (527), Gallipoli**(527), Clades (424), Hebrides* (420), Nicaea (419), Karpathos** (415), Exutor*** (413), Eleusis (free-421), Alpheus (315), Divina (313), Athos (310), Achaea (308), Euxine*** (303), Dodona (202), Archelos** (200), Parnassus (230), Gracea*** (201), & Arenius (200).

Things to See: The Mylon Coliseum is a huge, open, stone structure where the hardiest and best gladiators from all over the world go to, to test their skills. The sand that covers the floor of the Coliseum is said to be permanently stained with the blood of those that have died here.

As vile as it is, the Slave Market of Mylon is a truly magnificent thing to see. A vast complex where potential slaves are trained and new slaves are paraded for the populace.

At the far northern part of the city is the temple district where temples to both the Godlings and the ancient gods spire around a vast hill that represents Mount Olympus.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The largest temple to Steph is located in Mylon. While the temple to Zeus is bigger, the temple to Steph is the most widely known, and visited church, in Mylon. Steph revels in the Mylonian’s hedonistic nature. No one knows exactly who is in charge, as half the people claim to be and the other claim they don’t know. The School of Alteration is found in Mylon, as well as the Purple Feathers, a group of female thieves who delight in assassinations using charm and sex.

Military: Mylonia’s army is made up of proud, fierce warriors and slave conscripts. The Slave Market keeps a tab on the army slaves, who are usually untrained and mistreated. When faced with a force from another land, the first thing they do is send in slave troops from that land as a deterrent.

Enemies and Allies: Mylon has no allies, even the Amazonians leave them to their own devices. The Mylonians like it that way. Enemies are vast, listed from every country they ever kidnapped people from to train as slaves. The closest to an ally they have are the Avery Vikings, sell those they kidnap to the Mylonians.

Amazonia Pop. 12,590 city, 3,094 country, General Align: LN

The Amazonians are a matriarchal group of jungle savages. Now that the dark gods are gone, they have returned to their humanoid sacrificial rituals. It is a land deeply feared by outsiders. Luckily, the Amazonians have no desire to leave their jungle.

Amazonia makes up the middle section of the Slave Lands. Unlike Mylon, which kidnaps slaves from other lands, the Amazonia make their own. Women are given all the power. Men born to the jungle empire are treated as chattel. It is against the law for any man to learn to read or even touch a weapon. They are not allowed to look at the females in the eyes, and every girl from the age of five and up carries around whips or scourges to enforce the brutal laws.

Visitors are treated harshly, watched continuously, and escorted everywhere. The Amazonians will only speak to the women of a group, the men are usually housed in one building until their departure.

History: Amazonia was a proud, warrior race, where men and women were treated equally. They practiced a forbidden religion of human sacrifices and mutilations, said to appease the gods they followed. In one nation, some of the men of several villages got together and plotted. The Sorcerer-King’s daughter was overlooked by her father for the sacrifice, choosing the son of one of his advisors instead. The bitter advisor led them in a revolt.

Many people died, including the king, but at that moment the dark gods snatched the small section of the Amazonians and brought them to Terra. The people, confused and angry, blamed it on the men, and most specifically on the advisor. The dark gods had known they would and had purposely kidnapped more women than men. The women quickly took control, making sure every man in the nation would not be able to hold any office and jeopardize them again.

When the Godswar hit and the world was flattened, the Amazonians found themselves in a land surrounded by two other kingdoms. The Mylonians, who wanted to only keep to the fertile grasslands, and the Gitanians, who sealed themselves inside their city across the Blasted Desert. The Amazonians were quick to make alliances. But the truce is not one of allies, it is one of seclusion. While none of the three nations will attack each other, neither will they defend the others.

Languages: Oltep (Incan)

Important People: High Priestess, Matron Mother, Sorcerer-Queen Alliyana Quetzipoctli.

Other towns: Gaziantep*** (447), Izatacchihuatli (train-386), Tenochtitlan* (318), Mezclihotl** (272), Ayacucho*** (253), Zohxo (238), Kalima* (219), Acongua** (207), Tomocatlan*** (205), Jujay (155), Inagua*** (152), Anhual (123), & Copiapo** (119).

Things to See: The largest waterfall on Terra is located deep in the dark jungles of Amazonia. It feeds from the side of a cliff and dumps into a massive pool, which flows into a river which the Amazonians claim is the giver of all life. They call the river Amazon, and it is the largest, deepest river on Terra. It flows out of the jungle and into the Blasted Desert, eventually changing its name to the River of Osiris.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The people of Amazonia mostly revere Death, Dago, and Felwaer, though there are no churches. The priests are made up of shaman, all women, who wander from village to village. There is no school of magic in Amazonia. All wizards are taught from female wizards to female apprentices, and every wizard is allowed to have only 1 apprentice and only after they have reached level 10. There are no known guilds of Amazonia.

Military: The military of Amazonia are made up of female warriors. The male slaves are never allowed in a battle, being penned up in cages should a battle occur. Though few people would invade the blood thirsty Amazonians, who use prisoners in their gruesome sacrifices, the warriors keep training and practicing.

Enemies and Allies: The closest to an ally for Amazonia would be the Mylons. But neither do they have enemies. They do not kidnap slaves from other lands.

Gitania Pop. 12,777, 1,123 country, General Align: LN

The proud and noble people of the Gitanian empire are, perhaps, the oldest civilization on Terra. The Wu Shen were on Terra before the Gitanians, but the Gitanians written history exceeds the Orient by 300 years. They are xenophobic, and hateful of other nations. Something in their past has made them not only distrust, but outright hate other people.

Gitan, the capital, is located in a jungle like, massive oasis area at the southern most tip of the Slave Lands. Surrounding the sandstone city are the houses of the wealthy. Surrounding the oasis is the Cemetary of the Kings, where the ancient pharaohs of the Gitanian empire are buried in pyramids and animal and monster shaped tombs. The Gitans are obsessed with death.

Like the other nations of the Slave Lands, Gitans use slave labor in all their mundane chores. However, unlike the Mylonians, who kidnap slaves from other realms, and the Amazonians, who use the male population of their own, the Gitanians breed their slaves like a rancher would cattle. There are two distinct races of humans in the Gitanian empire, the Dukgesh and the Bulwar.

The Dukgesh, or People of the Gods, make up about 30% of the total population. They are the wealthy land owners, merchants and officials. They are required to go to schools, learn a trade, and be ready to work that trade by the time they are 13, when they are considered adults. Serving the Dukgesh is the Bulwar, who are used as slaves. The Bulwar have been treated this way since the beginning of their history, which, since they are not taught to read and write, is told from generation to generation. The Dugkesh view themselves as saints, and treat the Bulwar with what they feel is generosity. The Bulwar of a house are fed well, whipped only when needed, and given their own quarters. But a slave is a slave. The Bulwar are a peaceful people, with little imagination and a deep reverence for the dead. It is said, in hushed tones, that a man from another world will one day free them from the Dukgesh and lead them to Unjura, the land of plenty where they will live as free men.

History: Before the dark gods, the ancient kingdom of Gitania was a fierce, warrior nation, ruled by warlords who wandered a desert world, raiding and killing those who defied them. They eventually formed a nation of their own, invading occasionally to expand their realms. It is said that at this time they entered a war with a nation of people, much like the Mylonians. The battle was fierce and the Gitanians were nearly defeated. The Pharaoh, Thahn the Second, pled to their gods to help them win. The gods agreed, and the land of Gitania disappeared. What the Gitanians didn’t know was that the gods who answered them was the dark gods. They appeared in a desert land filled with peaceful shepherds. The Gitanians quickly took over the Bulwar and set them to work building their pyramids.

When the Godswar ended, the Gitanians found themselves trapped in a land with two other nations, the hedonistic Mylonians and the matriarchal Amazonians. Highly religious, they viewed the million of deaths and the reshaping of the world as an omen. It was then decided that, to save themselves from any further upheavals, they would close their city. Any visiting people would be killed instantly. No one would be allowed in, or out of Gitan. They would preserve their culture.

Languages: Hotek (Egyptian)

Important People: Pharaoh Amun Hephtes the First

Other towns: Al-Kut (425), Kahmet (284), Deseret (169), Am-Harak (136), Bahret (67), & Horeb (42).

Things to See: The river that runs through the desert and then through the center of Gitan, is known in Amazonia as the Amazon. But in Gitania it is known as the River of Osiris. Bulwar and those not born of nobility (i.e. not related to the pharaoh) are sent down the river on funeral boats called Potens to what they believe is the entrance to the Outer Planes where the gods bring the souls of those chosen.

The trail of the stars is the name given to the long line of pyramids that have been built leading from the city of Gitan into the desert. Bulwar and a few prisoners from other lands not yet killed, have been sent here to make the massive stone blocks from sand, clay, and straw, and then haul the blocks across miles of scorching Blasted Desert and to the tops of the pyramids. No one knows what the pyramids are for, only that the pharaohs have been building them since coming to Terra. Manufacture was slowed when the flattening destroyed some, and the Gitanans had to rebuild those before returning where they left off.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The largest church of Death sits at the base of the massive, pyramid like palace of the pharaoh. Outsiders are not permitted to enter the city, let alone the temple, so most of Terra does not know of its existence. They practice Necromancy and have a large necromantic school, though not as large as the school in Horliche. The Servants of Set, a band of fanatical assassins, is one of the few things that maintain access to the outside world, if only for jobs.

Langheim Pop. Unknown, Align: Various

Langheim is the name of the large continent that sits opposite the main one on Terra. Far removed from all the other lands, Langheim is the refuge of the giants. It is here the giants came to build their homes and salvage what was left of their kingdom. There are many cities on Langheim, each one specific to a different race of giants. The giants war back and forth, but will unite against dragons, their age old enemy.

History: Langheim use to be much larger, and the realm of giants was a feared place by all. The dark gods pit the dragons and the giants against each other in wars of land and treasure. When the Godswar hit, half the country was lost underwater. All but four of the mighty cities were destroyed, and the cloud giant city of Skieheim was trapped, anchored to a mountain and buffeted by the hurricane winds of the Rift.

As they were settling and rebuilding, a race of dragon-men started appearing. They too were enemies of the dragons, so the giants let them stay in the vast, humid flatlands known as the Marshes of Serrack.

Languages: Each city speaks in the tongue of the giant race living there.

Important People: Each city has a king who leads his people and a Runecaster, a unique giant shaman who uses magical stones to cast spells.

Things to See: The vast land has a majority of things to see, jungles, forests, deserts, plains, and swamps. There are even two giant cities underwater, one run by the Reef Giants and the other by the Storm Giants, the lords of all giants.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: Every town has at least one church to Internol, the largest being the church in Sveldheim, the land city of the storm giants. There are no known magic schools or thief guilds in Langheim.

Military: The giants seldom work together, each city having its own army and unique way of dealing with things. They fight among each other, but all will unite if an attack by the dragons seems imminent.

Enemies and Allies: The biggest enemies of the giants of Langheim are themselves. They fight and war back and forth, especially the Fire and Frost giants, who have been forced to share the same section of the Rift. Aside from that, the hatred between the dragons of Dragon Islands and the giants of Langheim has not diminished much since the departure of the dark gods. The only allies are the dragon men of the Serrack Marsh.

Dragon Islands Pop: 15,251 (humanoids), 380 (dragons), General Align: Various

The Dragon Islands are located near the center of Terra. On a clear day from the southern most island, the outer edge of the Great Storm can be seen in the distance. A magical climate has created a safe zone for each of the dragons, giving the white and crystal dragons the islands in the north, where the snow falls and the land is caught in winter, and the black dragons in the swamps and jungles to the far south. Small villages, each dedicated to a draconic family, are scattered throughout the islands. There are no racial hatreds or tensions among the elves, dwarves, halflings, humans, etc. that serve the dragon lords.

History: The Dragons once ruled their own, vast continent. They warred among themselves, gold against red, black against silver, and all against the giants of Langheim. They have been here since the beginning, and the giants and dragons were the first races brought to Terra and made to war. When the Godswar hit, the Dragon Lands were swallowed into the great sea. The chromatic, metallic, gem dragons united to rescue as many of their loyal, humanoid followers as they could, but millions died along with hundreds of dragons.

With no where to go, the dragons settled on a large island chain, close to the dangerous storm at the center of Terra. Using their greatest magic, they altered the climate and shape of the islands and made it into their home.

Languages: Regardless of race, all creatures speak High Draconic, or Dragon Common.

Important People: Forseth, Great Wyrm Gold Dragon and ruler of the Dragon Council. He has decreed, for the safety of their kind against treasure hunters and dragonslayers (and to hopefully not lose anymore dragons to Arionos), that any ship or outsider seen near the island is to be destroyed at once.

Towns: Gold: Imperial City, Aurumlorea, Honorclaw**, Knight’s Wing**, Goldlord*, & Bravewing. Silver: Argenest, Skykind, Knight‘s Sword, Cloudshield*, & Windspur*. Bronze: Broznat**, Glittersea**, Knight‘s Shield**, Foamscale**, & Waveskimmer**. Copper: Cuprinole* & Jokani. Brass: Kiprinithis & Knight‘s Fist*. Electrum: Geolibar*. Red: Roginam, Pyrewyrm*, Blaemaster, & Sharptooth. Green: Vertigol, Treedeath, Forestlord, & Woodtalon. Blue: Azurnom**, Heatflight, Sandskill, & Blisterking. Black: Noirloth**. White: Bancomin**. Yellow: Jaunicus. Amethyst: Viocet, Psion*, Mindlord, & Geodikin. Sapphire: Turquon & Bluefire**. Emerald: Smaragdos. Topaz: Ambracas. Crystal: Prism*. Sea: Aquaitus & Brineterror, Brine: Coral.

Things to See: Each island is its own unique beauty.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a huge, main church to Silverwind located on the central island, known as the Council’s Bluff. There is no known school, dragon mages teach privately to those who deem worthy, dragon or not.

Military: Get real! They are dragons! Each of the villages can call upon their residents to bear arms in the case of an attack, but who would be dumb enough to attack an island full of dragons?

Enemies and Allies: The enemies of the dragons are the giants of Langheim, and the greedy adventurers and treasure hunters who travel to the islands to find the massive wealth of the dragons. Although they do not realize it, because no one has ever dared to attack them yet, they do have an ally in Arionos, who’s dragons keep tabs on the islands, just in case.

Batanok Islands Pop. 4,358 (279 ’Hwari) , General Alignment: LN & CN

The Batanok Islands is an archipelago island nation 300 miles south and 175 miles east of Saxony. It is made up of newly formed land that was created during the flattening, though it does have some old ruins from before the Godswar and a race that claims to have been there for a long time. It is a hot, humid group of tropical islands 2000 miles north of the Cyclone.

History: The island chain of the Batanoks have been around for a very long time. The dark gods used it to stage a small war between primitive, island going barbarians and cannibals. The cannibals still live, in small isolated tribes throughout a few of the larger islands. The Tucaro are the last remaining residents of the primitive islanders.

20 years before the Godswar struck, a Corsair flying under Saxony’s flag landed on the island. He claimed it for Saxony and sent message back to tell the king of his discovery. More ships arrived, and with them came the pirates. As the white settlements started to build and spread, the Tucaro were forced with a choice. Join or be slaughtered. Easily outnumbered, and lacking the sophisticated weapons of the settlers, the Tucaro started blending into the society. The settlers and the Tucaro learned from each other, building a solid foundation of friendship and unity. The king demanded the inhabitants of the islands, the Tucaro, to be brought to Saxony. The Tucaro refused, and the settlers backed them. Given the distance, Saxony could not send a great fleet to force its views for several years. When they did, the Godswar struck before they arrived, crippling the fleet. The king recalled the ships to defend Saxony, and the Batanoks were given their freedom.

Now, the people of the Batanoks live in relative peace. Although men and women and whites and the dark skinned Tucaros are all treated equally, the Admiral has made sure that only white men of his choosing sit in important seats in town, though all major decisions are put to citizen vote. The pirates have no real social structure and follow Cpt. Faithwind, mostly through fear and laziness. But, as far as the pirates are concerned, all are equal among them. The only other group on the islands are the secretive and primitive ‘Hwari cannibals of the Rainbow Islands, who are formed into loose clans, each with a separate chief and shaman.

Languages: Anglish (ancient common), Tewpi (Tucaro dialect of East Indian, also used by the ‘Hwari).

Important People: Admiral James Pellimont, Chancellor, Captain Del Faithwind, Pirate Leader.

Things to See: The Graveyard is an area of razor sharp coral and rocky knolls located north of the Batanoks. It provides a substantial barrier for the Islands to protect them from attacks from the north. It is so named because of the numerous ships wrecked and left rotting on the shoals. There is rumor of ghosts, zombies, and other undead, as well as a ghost ship that pilots the waters on dark, misty nights.

Graystone is a huge fortress, long since crumbling, located on the cold island known as Mist Island. It is believed to be the legendary Castle of Graystone, that resided in the northern area of Thren, but, if it is, it appears much older than it should be. No one resides within Graystone, no one living anyway.

Vanishing Island is a small island set to the north, on the western end of the Graveyard. It is a lush island, rumored by many to be the pirate’s paradise. Indeed, those who land on the island are protected from visual and magical detection and the island holds many caves, lagoons and other valued hiding places for pirates and their treasure. Unfortunately, this comes with a price. The island ha a habit of simply ceasing to exist. The periods between its appearances and lengths of its stays vary each time. Where it goes, is anyone’s guess, as those who are on the island when it vanishes are never seen again.

Saragoss Island is a strange island made of thick, floating kelp. It moves about the other islands, never staying in one spot. The kelp, while spongy and wet, is 25 feet deep, providing excellent places to hide treasure, but the island constantly shifts and regrows. The water around the island is murky with rotting vegetatioon, which attract many colorful and unusual fish....and predators.

Ilsamet Island is the largest of the islands, housing 4 of its towns, as well as the capital, Papagon. Also on Ilsabet is the towns of Diamond and Crystal Bay, the small, religious town of Cli Harbor, & the mermen city of Thwar‘s Lagoon.

Dune Island is a kidney shaped island covered entirely in sand. It is here the shark-kin (and weresharks who prey on them) live in the town of Razor Bay.

The Twins are Bleak and Mist Islands, two islands of roughly the same shape and size. Sirens and other denizens of the water protect the islands and southern access to the Batanoks, even from the natives, though it is rare that they venture north to their neighbors.

Lost Island is probably the most well known secret on Terra. Commanded by the infamous pirate Captain Faithwind, is houses two cities, Ivory Bay and the Bay of Dragons, so named because it is said a Sea Dragon lives in the harbor. Only pirates are allowed on the island, and death awaits those who trespass, as well as the ones who informed them of its location.

Pelican Island is a small island covered in thick jungle. Home to many types of animals not found elsewhere on Terra, no human settlement exists on it. It is said the animals won’t let any.

Fire Island is a volcanic island to the far east of the archipelago. It is home to the Hags, three active volcanoes, Mt. Helipos, Mt. Tenuru, and Mt. Papini. The mining town of Hoorn Bay rests against the eastern side.

In the far west sets a chain of islands set in an almost perfect ring...each one is barely 200 yards across, each one is dominated by rocks and sand of one color. Each island of the 6 is named after its color, Red, Black, White, Blue, Green, & Yellow. No one knows what the islands are for, but it is said that an underwater temple rests at the middle of the islands. Those who have gone to investigate have never returned. The islands themselves are inhabited by the ‘Hwari, the last of the race of evil cannibals who once warred with the Tucaro, and who are all but forgotten.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: No major churches exists on any of the Batanok Islands. There is a minor church to Felwaer in the underwater city of Thwar’s Lagoon, a large church to Trob in Ivory Bay, a temple to the One in Papagon, and the only known church of Xillis, outside of Yurkturg, in Razor Bay.

The thieves guild know as the Blackmen virtually run the Bay of Dragons and a small, mage school exists only in Papagon.

Military: Admiral Pellimont controls a huge armada of 18 War Galleons and 850 men. Captain Faithwind can easily gather 300 pirates and 12 ships. Though the two men never work together normally, threats to the islands are always treated above personal hatred, and they have united in the past.

Enemies and Allies: Since the separation from Saxony, Pellimont has opened the islands to smugglers and slavers, in an attempt to appease the lords of Gitan and Mylon, located only 500 miles east. Whether or not is has worked is hard to say, due the disappearances by monster or pirate. But because of this, the Batanoks have made enemies with Arionos, Ista, Deshaol, and Saxony. But, they also mark a major stopping point for ocean going vessels trading from Seaport, Sanctuary, and Rylaris. And finally, Trinity has been known to add itself to the collection of islands from time to time.

Mount Koroman Pop. 7,590, General Align: CG

Mount Koroman use to be a mountain located in eastern Thren. It was, at one time, the largest mountain on Terra. Now it exists as a flying, rock fortress. Half the mountain has been removed from the land, turned upside down and now it flies high over Terra. When it needs to land, for repairs or trade, it has a specially made dock system set up near Clamberdin.

History: The dark gods made a horrible mistake in kidnapping a group of industrious, curious, and hard working inventor gnomes. These gnomes were made to fight, like other races, but they spent hours, days and weeks, writing, rewriting and throwing out military plans. Their fanatic penchant for construction and design resulted in some of the most spectacular, if not funniest, battles in Terran history. Someone, it is not known who, got the bright idea of turning an entire mountain into a siege engine. They picked Mount Koroman, the largest mountain on Terra and designed a plan to cut it into pieces and redesign it. A few mages got involved and over a period of fifty seven years, the Koroman project was completed. Unfortunately, the whole mountain turned upside down, killing many who fell to their death. Undaunted, the flattened top of the bottom of the upside down mountain turned into a tremendous boon. The gnomes started building a base, then houses, then a city.

When the Godswar struck, the gnomes watched in horror as the world was destroyed under them. Winds buffeted the skies, knocking smaller, floating cities of a nation of wizards to the ground. In the end, there were only 3 floating cities left in the skies of Terra, and Mount Koroman was one of them.

Languages: Kopp (Gnomish), Common (though the high speed speech pattern of the Tinker Gnomes makes it sound like a different language).

Important People: Most High Captain of all things aerodynamical Jules Mercade.

Things to See: its a flying mountain with an airstrip on the top. What is truly impressive is the odd biplanes the gnomes and other avian races who have decided to make Koroman their home have built. Although these flying death machines cause a great number of fatalities among the brave pilots who actually fly them, they are still a fighting force to be reckoned with.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There are churches to Aenja, Fire, and Giddeon located here, as well as schools to both magery, earth and air. The gnomes have also built an elaborate building to house as the School of Illusion. There are no known thief guilds.

Military: With not much of a ground force, Mount Koroman has got an impressive range of various air assault, from their biplanes, to the militaristic units of Pegatuar who have made the mountain their home.

Enemies and Allies: They are strongly allied with Cloudscape and avoid the Spire of Port City and the Storm. They have no real enemies, except Wu Shen who has expressed an intense displeasure with Mount Koroman should they decide to fly over.

Cloudscape Pop. 4,651, General Align: LN

Cloudscape is a city made entirely by magic. It is made of crystal and clouds that have been solidified with magic. There are no streets and the buildings are connected by rope bridges that are withdrawn during storms. It is home to the winged humanoids known as the Sillonians, a matriarchal race or war-like avians. Visitors are welcome to the city, but usually find it difficult to get around. Some of the buildings are made of glass and crystal, some of solid cloud. Some of the buildings are connected by bridges, some are not and are only accessible by flight. Birds of every color and species flit from perches and rooftops as the sillonians train and prepare for the next war.

Like the Amazonians, the men of Cloudscape are not allowed to learn fighting, and are used as little more than servants. Unlike the Amazonians, the men are not treated as slaves. They are treated as house husbands. To the sillonian way of thinking, women fight the battles and men take care of the house. Men can be taught to read, but are not allowed to be wizards. They can meet and discuss things of importance, but cannot hold office or vote.

History: The sillonian come from a world devoid of land. They were all taken, every last one, to Terra early in the dark gods’ mad plot to kidnap as many races as possible. Over the generations the matriarchal sillonians gave up trying to go home, and focused on the unending wars with the eshu (winged minotaurs), avariels (winged elves), and the intelligent, giant eagles. With the death of the dark gods and the destructions of every other sky city except for the “monstrosity” of Mount Koroman and the “brutish” cloud giants of Skieheim, the sillonians have not relaxed. They have maintained open relations with several countries, but they alone hold the secrets to the making of a cloud city, and they fear that one day somebody will come in force to take it.

Language: Swir (Sillonian)

Important People: Queen Pheni Drestun

Things to See: The crystal and glass spires of Cloudscape are magnificent examples of magical architecture. At sunset the towers come alive in red and orange.

The Hall of Smoke is huge pavilion for land born and avian visitors alike. It is part marketplace and part museum. Artifacts from the dark wars and before can be found here. In the middle of the Hall is a huge fountain of ice that never melts. From this fountain springs forth the River of Dreams, a small, freshwater creek that runs through the city, sometimes even flowing up until it drains into a garden of cloud formed statues. It is from this river that the residents of Cloudscape get their water.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The main church of Aenja is located in Cloudscape, near the School of Air.

There is a small guild called the Cell, which works to free oppressed people. Only men may join the Cell.

Military: The military is made up of 5th-10th lvl sillonian warriors, all women. They are well trained, and always take advantage of flight in their attacks.

Enemies and Allies: They are strongly allied with Mount Koroman, though they view them as fools, they will still come to their defense. Cloudscape is also strongly tied to Arionos, Fern Valley, and Port City, though they never go to the latter. They have signed an agreement with Wu Shen who does not wish them to fly over their land. Their biggest enemies are dragons, eshu, and any hostile, airborne creature.

Trinity Pop. 604, General Align: CG

Trinity is a floating monument to unity. At first glance it appears to be a floating island. Then one takes in the sails sticking up above the trees, the sheer, wooden cliffs around the edge, and the ropes that wind about the island and you see what Trinity really is.

History: During the Godswar, many sea races were stolen for the battles. Not just under the waves but upon them. Pirates and corsairs from all over the multiverse were brought to fight. And none were more fierce than the Black Grave pirates and the Istan navy. The battles between these two vast armadas are still told in legends both in Terra and other worlds.

During one battle, both sides had been in a hunt for a powerful ship, one that was reputed to be huge, enchanted, and could fly. It was all a hoax by the dark gods to get them to fight. They never heard about the coming of the dark gods. The Istans were under the orders to bring in the Black Grave pirates for trial and execution.

When the Godswar hit, both armadas, easily 50 boats between the two of them, were caught in a battle against the sea. As the world was flattened and reformed, the pirates and the Istans found themselves in a losing war. Three boats of Istans smashed into each other. Cut off from the others, they were doomed, but the Graves quickly gathered them up, saving over 50 sailors. The same happened on the other side, as Istans were pulling pirates from the seas, saving about a hundred of them. When it was over, only 7 boats remained, 2 Graves and 5 Istans....over three thousand died that day.

The Graves surrendered but the Istan ships were badly damaged. By the time they found Ista and made it back, 2 of the Istan ships had sunk and the remaining 3 were only saved because the pirates and sailors worked together. It never occurred to the sailors to put the pirates in irons.

Captain Aban Eman Jasrahir sailed into Ista with five ships, 150 hungry, tired, and emotionally worn out pirates and sailors. The pirates were taken to the jail. The Captain went to the Sultan and told him of the bravery of the pirates. They would never have returned without them. The Sultan did not care and sentenced them to death. The Captain argued it, pleading with the Sultan. The Sultan declared that he was very close to being charged with mutiny and ordered the Captain locked up.

The crew of the Istan sailors heard what had happened and were outraged. They started a secret plan to release both their captain and the pirates. When morning came, half the ships in the Istan port had been captured and stolen. The crew managed to get far enough that the Istans didn’t follow. They lashed the ships together, and set sail looking for a port to call home. They were approached by three Rylaris ships. The minotaurs had exhausted their food supply trying to find Rylaris. They were welcome to join the others, and lashed their ships. A few more joined before they reached the beach of the Southern Wastelands, most from Madera who never could find the city.

Over the years the ships have been repaired, rebuilt and reformed. They have long since given up trying to find a port to call home. Some of the ships are used as living quarters, some to grow food and house sheep and a few cattle. Gardens grow on top soil that has been piled onto the decks. Tunnels of wood connect the lower decks of most ships with each other, making easier walkways, so most of the surface decks have been used to grow plants.

Languages: Common, with Istan words thrown in.

Important People: Admiral Aban Eman Jasahir, mayor of Trinity, Clyde “Redbeard” Korrigan, first mate.

Things to See: The Waterwheel, is a large pond that sits somewhere in the middle of Trinity. A magical well with a wheel that turns, creating enough power to power the strange, electrical lights that cover the floating city. It also creates fresh water that the citizens of Trinity have used for both drinking and irrigation.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: There is a school of water and a small, general mage school on Trinity, as well as churches to Trob, Felwaer, and Aenja. The Black Graves still operate out of Trinity, but have turned from looting and pillaging to spying and foraging. Threats to Trinity, overheard in shore side taverns, soon reach the island. The largest School of Apportation is also located on Trinity.

Military: The military is made up of the people of Trinity, all of whom have grown up on the sea and been in countless sea battles and bar room knife fights. Needless to say, they don’t fight fair.

Enemies and Allies: Arionos, impressed with the symbol of unity that Trinity represents, have allied themselves and offered assistance on numerous times. Seaport is always happy when on the their recon ships pulls in, and Rylaris allows the entire island to get as close as they can. Even Wu Shen has set up trading agreements with Trinity. The Mylonians want the floating island for themselves and the Istans want their ships back. But with roughly 70 ships, most of which have been reconfigured, it would hard to find the originals.

The Beholder City Pop. 437, 115 non-beholder slaves, LE

Deep under the surface of Terra lies many fallen nations. The Beholder City is one of them. The beholders have never named it, or at least have never shared the name with anyone else. No written history exists of it being present on Terra before the Godswar, not even the drow knew of it, but it is there and seems to have been there for a long time.

The city is made of various caverns and caves along a wide, deep canyon far below even the drow city of Soth Tsaren, thought to be the lowest city on Terra. The beholders have little need of roads and besieging the city requires a great deal of flying, however there are 1 man wide paths made of rope that connect the various caves, as well as underground tunnels, made for the svirf, ogre, and goblin slaves the beholder keep. These slaves have been there since birth and the beholders rarely gather new slaves, preferring to breed the ones they have. It is utterly dark and inhospitable to outsiders.

Languages: Beholder. Even the slaves speak beholder, as no other language has been permitted or learned.

Important People: Elder Eye, Mistress of Tyrants, Kop Croll, speaker of the slaves.

Things to see: Yeah right.

Churches/Guilds/Schools: The beholders worship an ancient god called the Great Mother, but they have never received spells from him because of the dark gods so have no priests. They never worshipped the dark gods and have no interest in the Godlings. The slaves know only of the Great Mother and would consider the notion of Godlings as absurd. There are no thief guilds and while there are very few beholder mages, there is no schools of magic.

Military: The beholders have developed new breeds and versions. The most prominent being the Blade Balls, beholders whose eyestalks have been replaced by bony, razor sharp blades. They make up the bulk of the military.

Enemies and Allies: There are no allies, indeed few people know of the city’s existence. Those that do are enemies as the beholders care only for complete domination of all races. There is a vast space between Soth Tsaren and the Beholder City, but the only way to the surface and other subterranean cities are through it, so the beholders have begun a war on the drow.

*=mining town

**=coastal town

***=lake town

At the center of the solar system in the crystal sphere known as Terrasphere, is the sun. It is 45,000 miles wide. Anyone within 10,000 miles of it takes 1d6 pts/rd, ST every round for ½, unless protected from heat. Every 1,000 miles closer to the sun adds another d6 to the damage. At 1,000 miles from the sun, magical protection will not prevent the damage and from here the heat intensifies, adding another d6 every 100 miles. The surface is made of solid flame, which is spongy and easily dug, though a chunk of flame will melt back into the hole in a matter of hours. There are mountains of solid flame and seas of liquid fire which do 20d6/rd of exposure. The spongy ground erupts in 500-1000 foot long pillars of flame that shoot into space and flicker out. These solar flares do 3d10x10 points of damage. Only creatures from the elemental plane of fire are immune to the damage from the sun, and Efreeti and Fire Elementals wage wars back and forth across the sun’s surface.

10,000,000 miles from the sun is the small planet of Aurora. It is made entirely of jagged mountains and seas of magma. There is no water at all, even on the poles. It is home to Efreet, Earth and Fire Elementals, Azer (fire dwarves), Dao, and Salamanders, who battle each other for resources. The planet is rich in gems and precious metals, which is zealously guarded by the inhabitants.

40,000,000 miles from the sun is the desert planet of Maissok. The poles are mildly cool, while the rest of the planet is usually 100 degrees. The equator can get to 250 degrees in the summer and the bones of those foolish enough to try and cross it litter the sand. It is on this world that one of the dark gods stole a large culture from a godless planet. There are 5 cities in the northern hemisphere, all within 500 miles of each other. Three are run by half-human, half-dragon sorcerer-kings (one is actually a sorcerer-queen), another is run by an avangion, an half-human, half-angel type creature who is as good as the dragon kings are evil. The last city is in ruins, having been the host of a great catastrophe. It is forbidden to go there and rumors are that the streets are lined with flesh eating undead. There is a vast sea of dust that runs along the edge of this area, known as the Valley of Bones, and water is scarce. In the southern hemisphere lies two vast cultures, each growing apart and frequently at war. Surrounding the Lake of the Moons, a salty sea, is the Arabian style culture headed by an powerful Sultan and his genie friends. The other culture lies in a small area near a fresh water river know as Vionga, the River of Life. This culture is peaceful, highly religious, and run by a kind, wise pharaoh.

Maissok has four moons: Tinjus, a small red fire moon, Lezwi, a white fire moon, Yanda, a small rocky moon devoid of life because it is stuck between the two fire ones, and finally Nadel. Nadel is home of a race of giant turtles called Grosh. Grosh never get tired, continually walking and staying on the dark side of the moon. The people of Nadel have built their cities on the backs of these turtles.

90,000,000 miles from the sun flips the world of Terra. During the godswar, the planet was flattened, and now it flips like a coin in its orbit, creating the night and day.

Terra has three moons, all of them are lifeless. Ovelar is pale green-white and affects lycanthropic cycles and magical preparations. Branna is pinkish-white and affects undead and the spirit-world. Jonus, the largest moon is pure white, even glowing on the dark side. It is on the moon of Jonus that the Ten have built their Citadel.

200,000,000 miles from the sun is the small, lush planet of Dwollan. Dwollan is covered almost entirely in thick, green vegetation. Steaming jungles, verdant forests, misty swamps and vast fields of grass grow amid a few fresh water seas and thousands of rivers and lakes. There are races of wild elves, dwarves, humans, halflings, etc. which have learned not to take more than they give to the land, for fear of the woman who protects it, a figure they call Moganda. Those not born to this world have never seen her, but those who try to cut down trees without planting more soon learn of her handiwork. There are no cities on Dwollan, just nomadic tribes.

Dwollan has two moons, Lysha and Sacanda. Lysha is a planet dedicated to farming. The chief inhabitants are halflings. Sacanda is made entirely of air. Small bits of floating matter, some big enough to fit a small town on, give cause to believe it was once a solid moon. Most of the residents of Sacanda are avian, Air Elemental, or Djinn.

300,000,000 miles from the sun is the planet Miklas, a large, water planet. Where a few mountain tops manage to poke through the endless ocean, people have built towns. The only places big enough for cities are floating, man-made ones. Humans generally rule the upper reaches, valuing clean soil over gold. Below the waves lies the domain of fish, mermen, tritons, aquatic elves, and a race of aquatic dwarves called the Aquar. Further down, there are rumors of ruins and lost cities, but if they really are there, the Water Elementals and Marids keep people away. There is rumors of darker places filled with strange creatures even the Marids won’t go to.

Miklas has one moon, called Kato. It is rocky and lifeless, devoid of both air and water.

500,000,000 miles from the sun is the asteroid belt known as the Shell. The Shell is a new thing to Terra, since it was once a planet known as Lyho1, known for its harsh summers and winters and as the largest of all the planets. During the godswar, it was the last stand of the dark gods and the resulting battle between the dark gods and the true gods destroyed it, killing nearly 500,000,000,000 people. It has spread out through its orbit, making a ring of large rocks. The only life in the Shell now is bands of space faring dwarves hunting through the debris for lost relics and minerals. It is also rumored to be a staging area for Beholders. If Lyho1 had any moons, they were destroyed and consumed in the Shell.

750,000,000 miles from the sun is cold world of Vadine. Vadine was the only planet that had life before the dark gods. There are primitive races of humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings fighting for survival in a harsh, never ending ice age. They are in a state of arrested growth and, as the only true natives of Terra, the Ten have decreed that no one is to interfere with them.

Vadine has two moons, Mandari and Roalc. Mandari is a small, white fire moon, which keeps the planet from freezing totally. Roalc is a cold, dark moon inhabited by puddings, oozes and molds.

1,100,000,000 miles from the sun lies the last planet in the system of Terrasphere, but few know of it. Those that have seen it and have landed on it to explore have never returned. Most believe it is a myth, but Kellis is real. It is black. The trees, the ground, the water, all shades of black. The trees are black-brown with black-green leaves. The water is murky, filled with black silt. Though it is cold, water only seems to freeze on the edges, making getting to water a trial. It never snows and rain comes down in sheets of black, oily water. Dark gray hailstones sometimes pound the ground, some up to a foot thick. Inorganic matter, wood, metal, cloth, etc. disintegrates in 1 day/5lbs. The entire planet is magic dead, and spells never work, so the magical helms of the space boats never work once they arrive. Living creatures become mindless undead and sentient creatures become insane, undead parodies of themselves in 1 day/3 points of Intelligence.

Forests:

Darkwood

Darkwood is a vast stretch of forest that takes up most of the main continent. It stretches from Geran and the Frozen Sea to the Sea of Dragons and Wu Shen in the east. It is bordered on the north by the Rift Valley and on the south by the Sylvan Wood, the Belt Plains, and the Endless Swamp. Geran, Ryer, Stonekeep, Holt’s Shire, Gregor, Horliche, and Vale D’Morte all are located deep in its pine walls. Despite its name it is not a dark, foreboding place. It has its share of dangers as does any untamed forest. The evil, humanoid races rule mostly, but are scattered and unorganized. The biggest threat in the Darkwood is in the northern reaches where the snow don’t melt, the area that borders the Rift Valley. It is in this strip of cold, mountainous forest that the Northern Horde barbarians have created a vast, if somewhat chaotic and savage kingdom.

Sylvan Wood

Located between the plains of Arionos and the Thren empires, this vast forest of ancient trees are protected by the elves. Although the gray elves of Neethami and the high elves of Fern Valley do not work together, they both work actively to protect the forest free and natural. Many of the sylvan and faerie races live in the Sylvan Wood.

Deserts:

Wastelands

The Southern Wastelands are located south of Arionos, Oakdon, and the Sylvan Wood. It is a desert of cacti and many, labyrinth like canyons. Small creeks and streams can be found in some of the canyons, usually protected by the unlawful, but generally cheerful Southern Waste Barbarians.

Black Sands

The Black Sands desert is located south of the Belt Plains. It is a large desert of yellow and black sand that shift patterns. Although the tend to blur where they meet, the sands never mix together. Those that have studied it have found that if mixed up, it usually takes about an hour for the sand to separate. In water. the sand mixes easily, forming a dark yellow paste. But once it dries it separates again. The shifting dunes of stripes causes people traveling through the Black Sands to Save vs. Spells every hour or be under the affect of a Confusion. Natives to the Black Sands, including the race of lizard men known as the chameleon men, the human, nomadic horse raiders, and the cat-like rakasta are all immune to this affect.

Blasted Desert

The Blasted Desert stretches from the Steppe Plains to Gitan. It is the largest desert on Terra. It is almost blinding white, and those trying to cross it without following the River of Osiris that runs through it, have a double chance of getting lost. The Gitans are building a string of pyramids across the desert, but know one except the emperor knows why.

Plains:

Rift Valley

The Rift Valley is a stretch of frozen tundra that stretched from the west to the east side of both the large continents that touch the Rift. The Valley changes in width from one mile to up to fifty across in some places. Neanderthals and Wholly Mammoths travel the valley, exploring the frozen, hollow remains of cities, long since destroyed in the godswar. It is said that more ruins await those foolish enough to brave the snow, ice and Sha’Az insect men who live there as well. Somewhere in the Rift Valley is the mage school of Chabot, but most claim that it moves around.

Belt Plains

The Belt Plains is a strip of grasslands located south of Darkwood and north of the Black Sands. Madera sits in the middle of the Black Sands and the Belt Plains, which clearly belongs to the Thri-Kreen race of insect men. The Thri-Kreen allow the passing through of their land, tending to care little about the world except what would affect them. They keep anyone from setting up a permanent town in the plains.

Steppe Plains

The steppe plains is a vast savanna of dry, flat land. Cheetahs, lions, and hyenas roam this land feeding off of the gazelles, elephants, and zebra. There are small, brown skinned humans who live in a stone age culture that live in the Steppe too. All attempts at communication is met with disinterest.

Swamps:

Endless Swamp

The Endless Swamp is a thick miasma of mud, slime, and brackish water. It forms from a humid lowland south of Darkwood where the River of Ghosts runs from the Lake of the Moons near Gregor. The only town in the Endless swamp is the lizard man city of Kasstoria. There is a band of warlike Gator Men who live in the swamp, as well as Yuan-Ti, Bullywugs, and catobelpas.

Mountains:

The Rift

Without a doubt, the largest mountain range, or any other natural feature, is the great Rift. It forms a ring around all of Terra. Ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 feet in height in some place, the Rift is a formidable land for any travel. There is not much that lives here, dragons and a few races, such as dwarves and gnomes and others who have managed to dig underground live below the wind, while Aarakocra have made nests on the sides of the Rifts facing the Rift valley, as well as the steam city of Clamberdin. Those on the surface, which has no flat areas, will find a vast range of frozen, lifeless mountains where the winds can and usually do reach 150 mph. Those wishing to press through the icy, howling wind and deep snow must make Dex checks every round or be carried off with the wind. Those who make it through the below zero temperatures, harsh winds and razor sharp rocks make it to the inhospitable “other side” of Terra (see Terrasphere).

Others:

The Cyclone

At the center of Terra is a huge storm that covered 20 miles. It has been blowing since the flattening and seems to have no end in sight. At the base of the storm is a whirlpool that destroys any ships that venture into it. between 10 and 20 miles, the hurricane force wind pushes flying creatures out. It takes 1 round to fight the wind and make it 1 mile. Even creatures, such as air elementals, who are immune to wind attacks are not immune to this. Every round spend fighting the wind requires 2 ST vs Spells. The first one is for damage (2d4 pts, a made ST=1/2) and the second is for not being hurled out of the storm, at a rate of 36 for 1d100 yards. The whirlpool has the same affect against water creatures. Any flying creature or ship that makes it past the 10 miles mark results in the first Save being death, (3d8 pts/rd if made) and the second being hurled 1d100 miles. The ST past the ten mile mark have a cumulative -1.

Should someone actually be lucky, and strong, enough to make it to the center, they will find.... nothing. There is nothing at the center of the storm worth seeing. Shipwrecks are dragged down into the whirlpool and those that have managed to get to the bottom of the whirlpool (which has the same affects as the hurricane above), have reported seeing a dark temple. As soon as they got in visual range of the temple, giant, four armed, sea creatures have attacked them.