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.
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, Tyrion 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 Matriarcy 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 absorbed by Dakor 150 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 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
The Wild Elf Lands
Demon Lands
Sanctuary
The Pirate Coast & Narrow Sea
The Pirate Coast The 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.
The Free Cities
Tyrose
Avemroth
Syr
Kertos
Isinroth
The Divided Lands
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
Demonarium
Lichgate
Bastion
D'Ris
Caruvial
The Faerie Kingdom
The Faerie Kingdom's 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.