Regions
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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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 that 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 archipelagoes, and is a known haven for pirates.
Koolong
Koolong is a strong trading nation recently united under the reign of Lady K the Untouched. Warring noble families have sworn fealty to her relatively new house after her undefeated wars of conquest and subjugation in the region. 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 dutchies and internal squabbles, Devin is in an uneasy internal balance between the three most powerful. Once at war with Koolong, Devin has turned into an substantial economic power in part thanks to Sha'Dar itself. This economic power is one of the primary foundations of the peace between the three most powerful dutchies, for they have much to lose if the economic revenue was disrupted.
Kola Menaga
The Wild Elf Lands
Demon Lands
Sanctuary
The Pirate Coast & Narrow Sea
Draxion
Shan Karn
Vicisi
Vicisi, the eastern continent, is home to survivors of the Elari War who, instead of breaking into their normal racial divides as most did on Trevas and Karn, instead formed an integrated society with trade established between the Free Cities, each one named for a different Dragon God. Elari are especially feared and loathed in the Free Cities as is sorcery.
founded by the remnant armies of slaves after the Elari/Fae/Dragon war, the remnants of the slaves after defeating their former masters traveled east and settled. The area they settled in broke off during the cracking of the planet and is still on the north east coast of the unknown continent. For the most part being far from the center of the world Darkor/Suriloth and relatively/comparably uninterested in the blessed gods they took no part in the God war, however they were aware of it and it has affected the reception of trolls within their borders since.
The cities have never gone to war with each other, and in recent memory an invasion or war with outsiders is also unheard of.
Guilds-
Almost everything in the free cities are run by and controlled by Guilds, no merchant will stay in business within the cities without the membership or sanctioning of one of the merchant guilds, the mage guild, The Sons of Tyrath, and sorcerers guild The Black. The numbers or The Black are a finite amount, the average person does not know this or know the count. All members of the black are registered along with what powers they possess with several guilds, namely The Scribes, though a copy is also held by the Sons of Tyrath. All members of The Black must wear their robes at all times, and sorcery is feared and loathed in the cities, so the members are distrusted and generally not well received by the common person.
Faerie and Dragons are both revered in the culture.
Dragons while not common (or at least as common as they were one rumored to be) do live within the borders of the cities territories, they are never hunted and often small towns and villages will leave offerings to dragons if they are spotted. Dragon Scale armor is VERY rare in the cities, and unless the wearer is a member of the Guild of Scale (the keepers of dragon lore, and if rumors can be believed still treat with the drakes and are sometimes gifted scales by Dragons), can lead to arrest, or even death, as it is considered blasphemy
Faerie for the most part hold high positions of influence, many having their own towers within the cities.
Slavery is completely illegal.
Sorcery is illegal except for those sanctioned, The Black.
Draeken are very prevalent in the cities and surrounding areas, and are not as reclusive as other parts of the world, while not revered as Drakes are they are highly respected.
Predominantly Svaald, Human and High Elf populations in all the cities, there has been much inter mixing and interbreeding, though the largest Svaaldi populations are in the two most northern cities, Isenroth and Avemroth. Due to all being descendants of slaves, there is very little xenophobia (between the three races anyway, Feran/Eari/Trolls are a different story) and the races live and work well together.
Elari are killed on site (though not many have been seen)
Feran - live in the area but predominantly on the plains, the prairie and some in the forests. They are very different than the feran from the Feran kingdom, they range and travel in large packs, groups family units (prides), sometimes different Prides will trade, intermarry or even skirmish. The leader of each pride is determined by who is the most fit so while it is not the matriarchy of the Feran kingdom, as female Feran are the larger gender often the pride leader is female. Once a year there is a ritual among each pride that the leader can be challenged, the combat is fought with claws, no weapons or noticeable magics (feran are still very often shaman and while manifestation of the spirit is not allowed imbuement and abilities are). The winner taking leadership of the pride. Rarely is a challenge issued however, as older leaders will step aside often before they would be challenged. The Feran prides are nomadic, and will seldom enter a city, or trade, they are very self sustaining, but it is known to have happened, the majority of the population of the free cities have never seen a Feran. They are more common in Kertos than any other city, and somewhat in Isenroth, though usually still just passing through.
Trolls - There are trolls in the vicinity of the free cities, however they are rare many do not speak the common tongue and live wild in the mountains and hills, those that remain are extremely territorial. The troll population was never high in the free cities and those that were had been driven out and many hunted down after the cracking of the planet. Within the free cities despite being rare, almost without fail all the trolls are adepts so are powerful foes, they are much feared. The race the interacts the most with the trolls is the Feran, and often that is terrible bloody conflicts when a Pride enters a trolls territory.
The Free Cities
Main Article: Free Cities
Tyrose
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Main Article: 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
Elarum
Main Article: Elarum
Elarum is the southernmost continent on Lorithandar. Unlike the other continents that are populated by many of various races, Elarum is home to solely the Elari people. 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
Main Article: Obsidia
Demonarium
Main Article: Demonarium
Lichgate
Main Article: Lichgate
Bastion
Main Article: Bastion
D'Ris
Main Article: D'Ris
Caruvial
Main Article: Caruvial
The Faerie Kingdom
Main Article: 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.
Main article: Spirit Realm
The Domains of the Gods
Alkaizer
Su-Lan
Kronos
Septimus
Thysis
Thalu
Nimway
Kravnos
Khitar
Kao
Irrilandrilla
The Barrier
The Sorcerous Planes
Stygia
Main Article: 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.