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=The Sorcerous Planes= | =The Sorcerous Planes= | ||
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==Arcadia== | ==Arcadia== | ||
Revision as of 21:34, 18 August 2020
Regions
This chapter will give a good breakdown of each of the regions in the game, the cultures, key characters, organizations, and story hooks. Don’t take this as the definitive list of everything happening in the world. There are lots of areas that hold secrets all their own. Don’t be afraid to add hidden dungeons and citadels, your own shadowy organizations, and important NPCs. This should be viewed as a baseline to give you ideas to help expand the world.
Be extraordinarily cautious about adding any sentient races however, as each race in Lorithandar has many years of history that have influenced their story and how they interact with everyone else. Adding a new race would need to include the same level of understanding with how they were created or ended up on Lorithandar, what the other races think of them, how the Gods play into their culture, what regions they are located in etc… in many cases adding in a sentient race to give yourself a new monster to play with can be the tip of a VERY nasty iceberg.
Map
Large Version Alternatively: Map
Trevas
Trevas is the central continent of Lorithandar is the home to the largest nations of Men, Feran, Elves, and Svaald. It was the location of both the great war between men and elves, and the God War that saw Kao expelled from the world by the other 9 Blessed Gods 4300 years ago. Off of it's southwestern coast, lies the mysterious island kingdom of the Faerie.
Consider this continent to be like continental Europe in terms of age and importance in recent history. Mighty empires have been forged here, and race/culture wars are common. Many starting campaigns will benefit from the rich history, diverse environments, and mix of ancient ruins and bustling cities available on this continent. Consider this the “core” environment for most starting campaigns.
Dakor
Dakor is the largest human Empire on Lorithandar. Forged in the great war with the Elves by the first Emperor, Tyrian Dakor, the empire maintains its power in the region through its powerful High Mages and exceedingly competent military. Dakor shares borders with its rival human theocracy, Suriloth, the High Elf Kingdom of Arvendor, and the Feran Matriarchy of Shingrow.
Suriloth
Suriloth is a theocratic nation ruled by a masked council representing each of the 9 Blessed Gods. Formed in the aftermath of the God War, Suriloth has outlawed the worship of Kao, and refuses to acknowledge the upstart goddess Irrilandrilla
Shingrow
Shingrow is the arboreal realm that is home to the Feran Matriarchy. Surrounded to the north and east by the largest mountain range on Lorithandar, and bordered to the south by the sea, only its western border is accessible to the rest of the continent, though no force that has entered through that border has ever returned.
Arvendor
Arvendor is the southernmost nation in the central continent, and is populated by High Elves and Wood Elves. The High Elven nobility rules the region and keeps a strong military presence on their border with Dakor.
The Northern Wastes
The Northern Wastes are home to the once divided tribes of the Svaald. The Imnack of the Artak (or was it the Luchak?) is unifying the Svaald people under one ruler, and a new age of tyranny ha begun. The southern edge of the Wastes is home to a giant, unnatural canyon called The Wound, which was made by the god Kao in the final conflagration of The God War. The entire region is filled with the tormented spirits of the long-dead soldiers from that nearly apocalyptic conflict.
Crilee
Crilee was once a small independent nation near Suriloth, but was annexed by Dakor 42 years ago. There is still unrest in the region that is bordering on outright rebellion.
The Badlands
Karn
Karn is the western continent of Lorithandar and is one of the most dangerous places on the planet. This is the lost Dark Continent which was broken away from the shared landmass with Trevas during the Sundering. This land was home to the Troll Empire and some of the most intense battles of the modern age. Before that, it was a battleground during the Elari War and home to the largest Elari slave population, the elvish peoples trained in sorcery who eventually became the Wild Elves. Through the missteps of the Wild Elves much of the continent is an uninhabitable wasteland home to all manner of wild beasts and demons. Nestled in the relative safety of the north are the nations of Devin and Koolong, and the City-State of Sha'Dar. To the south are the inhospitable lands of the wild elves, and the demon infested lands near the haunted city Draxion, and the ruins of the former troll empire. The east coast of the continent has many islands and archipelagos, and is a known haven for pirates.
Koolong
Koolong is a strong trading nation recently united under the reign of Lady K, the Untouched. After her successful conquest and subjugation of most of the region, many warring noble families swore fealty to her cause and her House. Koolong is primarily a human nation, though it boasts a large population of Feran, Trolls, and Wild Elves. They have strong ties to Shingrow, even to the extent of shaping aspects of their culture around the Feran people.
Sha'Dar
Devin
A land fractured long ago into duchies prone to squabbling with one another, Devin maintains a precarious balance between the three most powerful. Once at war with Koolong, Devin has turned into an substantial economic power in part thanks to the influence of Sha'Dar. This economic power is one of the primary foundations of the peace between the three most powerful duchies, for they have much to lose if their revenue was disrupted due to further infighting.
The Wild Elf Lands
Kola Menaga
Kola Menaga is a remnant from before the Troll Wars, where the rulers of a Wild Elf empire attempted a forbidden ritual to increase their sorcerous powers. This society was far more advanced than others of their kind today, their knowledge and magical technology considered comparable to that of modern high elves. They were expert sorcerers, relying on brute force of will and stamina rather than careful exploration of magic like their cousins. This attempt to become a ruling power by reaching into the darkness backfired, opening a horrible rift into both Pandemonium and Stygia, resulting in the deaths of thousands and the downfall of their empire.
Demon Lands
Sanctuary
The Pirate Coast & Narrow Sea
Draxion
Shan Karn
Vicisi
Vicisi, the eastern continent, is home to survivors of the Elari Wars who, instead of breaking into their normal racial divides as most did on Trevas and Karn, instead formed an integrated society where slavery was officially outlawed forevermore. Five cities were founded and trade established between them under the guidance of the Faerie, each city named for a different Dragon God. The cities have never gone to war with each other, and in recent memory an invasion or war with outsiders is also unheard of.
The southlands of Visici are often referred to as the Divided Lands, and are a highly contested area populated by warring tribes of Wild Elves and cruel Warlords who wanted to claim territory for themselves in the wake of the Elari's flight from Visici.
The Free Cities
The Free Cities of Visici were founded in the wake of the Elari Wars with the guidance of the Faerie, with the goal of establishing a society in which all are viewed as equal members of society. While in practice that may not be exactly true, the Free Cities are certainly a place where prejudice and the divides between races are seen as largely inconsequential, and they have served as a racial melting pot for hundreds of years. The Guilds of the Free Cities play a very important role in managing the population and ensuring trade is regulated.
Tyrose
"The Red City" and "City of Artifice," the centralized city of Tyrose sits at the major crossroads of the Free Cities, with massive roads leading north to Isinroth, southeast to Syr, southwest to Kertos, and a smaller, less traveled road leading to Lociem'partha. The most populous of the Free Cities, Tyrose sits at the base of the central mountain range, and its massive mines in the surrounding hills and mountains produce the majority of metals in the Free Cities. The city's renowned weaponsmiths, armorers, and blacksmiths are legendary among not only the Free Cities but all kingdoms and cities with which they trade. The titanic, red-scaled, walled keep of the Sons of Tyrath and the towering Temple of Tyrath surrounded by red flagstones for 25 yards on all sides from the keep's internal walls serves as the central headquarters of the most powerful guild in the Free Cities. With its central location, large population, artifice and exports, powerful guild-temple, and monopoly on airship construction, Tyrose is the most influential and wealthiest of the Free Cities.
Avemroth
“The Blue City,” Avemroth sprawls throughout most of the eponymous island off the eastern coast of Vicisi. With almost a million documented residents, Avemroth is the second most populous of the Free Cities. Exercising hegemony over the entire island, Avemroth is by far the largest of the Free Cities by area, with a trip from the southernmost point to the northernmost tip requiring weeks by horseback and days by sea. The terrain of the island is rocky to mountainous throughout, with swampland and desert in the south posing difficulties to habitation. Sprawling docks throughout the island lead to constant trade with both Isinroth and Syr in legitimate ports and smuggling and piracy in illegitimate ports. The “City of Temples,” Avemroth has temples to all ten Blessed Gods and all five Dragon Gods, although the largest temple is that of Averae in the Isin Strait to the west, for which the city and island are named. Income inequality is rampant in Avemroth, with the city’s rich elite occupants of the lush central highlands being among the wealthiest in the Free Cities, while its poor everywhere else in the island are among the most destitute.
Syr
With towering black walls arcing around it and the imposing Black Spire of Sudreth soaring from its center, "The Black City" of Syr is the headquarters of The Black. Bordered by the Azure Ocean to the north and the river Fasalshudon to its south, Syr has docks on both the river and ocean sides. The southernmost of the Free Cities, it is the third most populous, with marshland, swamps, and the river delta preventing significant growth of the metropolitan area outside the city.
Kertos
The Green City of Kertos sits in the center of Vicisi, bounded by the Camie'el River to the north and the Nessie'el River to the south. The two rivers run into the Fasalshudon River in The Kevlorn, the largest forest in the Free Cities, which encloses this remotest city against the central mountain range. The lightly populated city—more populous only than Isinroth—sprawls within its valley, with twin large outposts half a days ride to the north and south along the river. A large, well traveled highway leads through the Kevlorn to Tyrose, while docks along the rivers facilitate trade with Syr. The temple of Kevalth sits at the center of the city, magically fashioned out of huge trees grown together.
Isinroth
The northernmost and least populous of the Free Cities, Isinroth hosts the largest Svaald population in Vicisi. With low, thick white walls surrounding it and the large, gleaming white temple to Isinar rising from its center, the city is also known as 'The White City.' Isinroth's large eastern docks operate in the Quicksilver Ocean just north of the Isin Strait, with forests to the north and west of the city and rolling prairies to the south. Quicksilver mines in the sea cliffs north of the city contribute heavily to the wealth of the city's trade to Tyrose in the interior and the city-island of Avemroth to the southeast.
The Divided Lands
A lawless frontier of ruins and rubble, where the influence of the Faerie and the strict control of the Free Cities is lessened. Treasure hunters, remnants of the Elari slaves, and warlords looking to stake a claim have settled the region, often coming into conflict with the Wild Elf Tribes living there. Some small towns and villages have been created and ruled by any of these factions, but they do not often last long. A number of high risk, high reward mercantile cartels have set up lucrative trade runs into the southlands with the assistance of Wild Elves as guides or mercenary guards.
Elarum
Elarum is the southernmost continent on Lorithandar. Unlike the other continents that are populated by many of various races, Elarum is home to the Elari people and those they keep as slaves. The Elari retained this land after their massive war against the dragons and the faerie. For tens of thousands of years following their retreat, they have spread out across this continent and formed tremendous Mega Cities centered on rifts through The Barrier to access raw planar power. Their endless slaves fill the land in between, and mighty citadels crowd the sky. It is a barren wasteland filled with lethal creatures, but none are so deadly as the Elari themselves.
Obsidia
Near the largest forest on Elarum, Obsidia houses the largest number of Wild Elf slaves of all the other Elari cities. Obsidia draws its power from the plane of Arcadia specifically drawing in the energy of the Unseelie.
Demonarium
Located within the frozen wastes of Elarum, the city of Demorium strikes an impressive view as it's buildings are built up of hellfire stone that has melted away the ice and snow of the surrounding areas. This city draws its power from the plane of Pandemonium and houses some of the most powerful evokers and summoners from among the Elari.
Lichgate
The largest of the Elari cities and perhaps the largest city in all of Lorithandar. This is the only Elari city that has a permanently open portal to its attuned plane of Stygia. The open portal allows the Elari to trade directly with Stygia. Highest number of Elari council can be found living within Lichgate; and as such has become the de facto capital of Elarum. Lichgate has the best defense of all the mega cities boasting a dozen dracoliches and scores of undead.
Bastion
This gleaming city is attuned to the plane of Aaru, as a testament of their own strength the Elari not only have the city attuned to Aaru, but have built it upon the back of chained angels.
D'Ris
Known as 'The City of Iron', this is the smallest of the Mega Cities and is attuned to the mysterious and forbidden plane of Mechanus. Despite being of such a small size of all the mega cities it has the most diverse population. Sorcerers fill Elarum, those that find their power elsewhere tend to flock to D'Ris. D'Ris has ways other than a portal to Mechanus to power the stonework of their city. The use of ancient valuable Mechanus artifacts has at times in the past been used in lieu of the portal.
Caruvial
The Faerie Kingdom
This small continent / large island is seemingly barren of civilization, with untouched nature, and quiet placid beaches, but it hosts one of the most powerful sentient races and cultures in Lorithandar. The Faerie race are known for their mastery of planar manipulations and creation of pocket dimensions. It’s theorized by elven scholars that the entire Kingdom is itself a pocket dimension somehow tethered to the Faerie Kingdom’s island home. They protect the sanctity of their island vigilantly yet no known non-Faerie have seen the Kingdom itself.
The Spirit Realm
The Spirit Realm is the realm of spirits. It is a semi-lit realm, appearing like shadows of Lorithandar. It is this realm that Shamanism interacts closely with, and it is this realm from which spirits are pulled to animate the dead.
The Domains of the Gods
Alkaizer
Su-Lan
Kronos
Septimus
Thysis
Thalu
Nimway
Kravnos
Khitar
Kao
Irrilandrilla
The Barrier
The Sorcerous Planes
Arcadia
Aaru
Mechanus
Pandemonium
Stygia
Stygia is a dark realm populated by sentient undead who feed on the necromantic energies of the plane. Spirits of fallen outsiders are drawn to Stygia as Wraiths.