Central Lands
The Central Lands is comprised of the following provinces:
Faedale
Urshad
Deltheya
Plains of Ahra
Great Forest & Surrounding Area
Irrendak Hills
Nangolthia (The Dragon Lands)
The Great Swamp
Timeless Oasis
Sunken Tomb Swamp
Faedale: A realm ruled by the Runestar family. The Runestars are elves. There is a portion of the Great Forest still remaining in the lands. Though smaller, it’s no less intimidating. There are docelfar who dwell beneath Drakeshire. A treaty, of sorts, was established when Alyssiana Runestar Dredbourne was five years old. Said treaty was established via Xantos. There is a volcano in the northern area that is active; those who live there are followers of Shamazu and believe it is the goddess blessing them when it erupts, spilling lava down the sides. (Shamazu finds it all very amusing.) Xantos uses said volcano to create obsidian weaponry.**
Dragonsheart is both the castle and city where the castle is located. It is the capital of the realm. Garnae is the second largest city and perhaps most prosperous, mostly due to Xantos’ hand in running the city, after Alyssiana granted her grandfather permission to run it for her.
All races, including dwarves, can be found in Faedale. It’s a prosperous land, though not nearly as prosperous as it once was. That changes once Alyssiana takes the throne after the rest of her siblings die during an attempted coup.
Urshad: A constant warzone. While the whole kingdom is ruled by Warlord Scaul the Unforgiving, he and his small family (two sisters, two daughters, one son) keep all the tribal factions at each other’s throats. The only events that allow for multi-tribal cooperation are assaults and raids carried out in the other kingdoms or in defense of borders. These are only sanctioned by Scaul himself. The warlord has no brides, only concubines. Those that sire him children are given an elevated status, unless or until the offspring or concubine disappoint him. This often happens, hence the (currently) small family. There are thirteen tribes: Plux, Naun, Chuta, Rugae, Vylem, Oszahd, Lauto, Golths, Zadara, Bachu, Koifell, Eikoo, and the Xem.
Deltheya: As a realm Deltheya is divided into four great duchies: Valpoor to the north under the rule of Duke Tyron Anterrion, The Gloomsurge Dominion to the West under the rule of Dutchess Veyla Gloomsurge, Fellhaven to the East under the rule of Duke Maldreth Fellhaven, and in the rich Midlands and Southfall the Grand Duchy of Kerunand under the rule of Archduke Valexian Antropas. These four main provinces are further divided into a myriad of counties, baronies, and lordships which give reluctant allegiance to their superiors. Rule is maintained and enforced through tyranny, bribery, deceit, assassination, sorcery, blackmail, conspiracy, and any other means which is deemed prudent in order to maintain power. Indeed this is the centuries old method of rule honed to a sublime art form in Deltheya. Which, although bloody, chaotic, unpredictable, merciless and amoral, is at least always interesting (a definite must in Deltheyan existence).
Life for the average citizen is cruel and often brief under this destructive form of government. Imprisonment, slavery, torture (another sublime Deltheyan art form), maiming, or forced participation in gladiatorial entertainments are the common penalties for crossing over the ever shifting rules of the nobility. The existence of every member of society is devoted to gaining wealth and power by any means and then lording it over any and all who fall beneath one's rank.
For most that dream is seldom realized yet in such a chaotic and wicked game any player may, by wit, luck, or strength of arm carve out a niche and come to enjoy the most sinister and terrible delights which only Deltheya can offer. Even a slave can through their own venom and initiative enjoy the privileges of the nobility if the fates are kind.
Deltheya is a land of evil, of limitless seductions, perversions, and blackest vices. Its people are an amoral, greedy, and vicious breed who live only for themselves and none else. They cavort with demons and use magic for reprehensible and usually destructive purposes; and that as a race they are decadent, insane, depraved, and not to be trusted. Yet within this world of madness, theft and murder there is a dark and twisted beauty like the purest spark of light running across a razor's edge- its blade lethal and potent yet somehow hypnotic to the eye.
Despite its black nature Deltheya is an old and rich culture. Poetry, art, dance, architecture, sports, fashion, philosophy, and the like are imbibed to the fullest and most extreme manner imaginable. Deltheyans crave knowledge, sensual and spiritual pleasures, and excitement of all kinds with the panic of an addict who knows that tomorrow is a dream and the moment is paramount. The use of drugs, sorcery, sex, spirits, and other distractions fuels society's insatiable hunger for new and varied experiences.
Deltheyans will spare no expense in creating and maintaining a unique and personal style that will set them apart from their fellows if only for a fragile moment and they are quick to applaud anyone of any creed or rank that can achieve such a statement. In this respect they are truly vain but far less prejudiced against race or gender than foreign societies which call themselves superior. To a Deltheyan a variance in skin tone, hair or eye color, size, or any other physical trait serves to set one apart thus aiding the quest for the unique personal statement to which all aspire. Many nobles and merchants spend a lifetime crossbreeding slaves to produce a unique stock which can be flaunted in the faces of their rivals.
Deltheyans hate boredom, repetitiveness and mediocrity above all things and so strive to bring fresh energy and creativity to their daily lives by any means possible. Their skills with torture, execution, intrigue, lying, sex, alchemy, games of chance, poisons, and insults are unrivalled in the western lands. And if their art and literature and architecture is dark, depraved, and saturated with sin, suffering, and wickedness it can only be said that that is what makes them truly Deltheyan. They lack any sense of shame in their hedonism and that in and of itself is a form of purity. They are assuredly the most dangerous and destructive realm in the western lands often more to themselves than those with whom they neighbor or trade, but if they are indeed the sum of all things sinful and deranged they will go to their society's inevitable end laughing as they die.
Because of the insatiable hunger for all things new, potent, and appetizing Deltheyans are tremendous patrons of trade. The fact that their wealthiest city, Durzad in the western Gloomsurge Dominion lies both at the edge of the Staring Sea as well as the mouth where the Eastern Landsblood River empties into it after its long journey from the Northlands gives Deltheya unrivalled access to the trade fruits of not only the West lands but the mysterious Eastern Lands as well. From this unique vantage Deltheya is the focal point of all trade with the Orient, and Deltheya has greedily incorporated both Eastern and Western culture into itself in a way no realm of either continent can match. Foreign trade is the lifeblood of Deltheyan wealth, culture and decadence.
It is said that if you want something, no matter how rare or how priceless, you can bet that it can be found in Deltheya. The questions are: How bad do you want it and how far are you willing to go?
Plains of Ahra: Are plains which are now the only surviving traces of an ancient and fruitful land brought to barren desolation by the fury of the Godswar five thousand years hence. The land and scant occupants still radiate a fell dweomer which may never fade.
Great Forest & Surrounding Lands: The Great Forest is longer and wider than any could travel in a fortnight. If one could survive the journey, you would see trees that entwine one another as if in a lovers’ embrace. Other trees climb into the very clouds, wide enough to hide dozens of beings (including wagons) behind.
An overwhelming might and primordial majesty of the ancient wood greets any who dare enter the Great Forest. Life is everywhere- Insects, lizards, mammals and other less identifiable creatures move and breathe the ageless miracle of creation. The smell of moss, rock, tree and earth smother the senses. The trees, silver-gray with dark gray leaves comprise the forest. The weave of the strong yet twisted chain of limbs and branches form a place for movement on the ground, but create an impregnable canopy high above the forest floor. Thin shafts of light sear the shade at rare intervals. An impression remains with each being that they journey within a living organism, and every change, indifferent of how great or small, will be noticed.
There is a path that leads from the Unnamed Forest into the Great Forest that is used for trade with the elusive, treacherous, and deadly dark elves - the docelfar. It is the main path used by most of the docelfar Houses beneath the Great Forest when trading with those on the surface. This path is owned and controlled by the docelfar Empress. (Xantos has his own path into the Great Forest, one which only he owns and uses for trade.)
The Unnamed Forest surrounds the Great Forest. The denizens have a name for this forest, though it is not one pronounceable by outside races. Nor do the outside races care to give this area a name, satisfied with calling it “The Unnamed Forest”.
**More on the docelfar below**
Irrndak Hills: It’s not easy being the northern neighbor of the Great Forest, and that is obvious to both the keen and the dull of eye.
The whole of Irrndak appears to be where lush forests and tall mountains once thrived, only to have been burned, carved and scooped away in portions by its greed-ridden southern neighbor. Sporadic oasis pepper the territory, giving glimpses of what was but may never wholly be again. Scavenging is one of the primary trades of the Irrendak Hills. The few cities are housed at the oasis locations. Villages and camps spring up and blow away on a constant rotation. The weather is odd and frequently foul. Many have speculated that the remnants of all the dark magic used in the Great Forest lay their waste among the Irrndak Hills and there are few facts to argue against that.
The one great city is Juudak, which resides in the northern center of the Irrndak Hills.
Nangolthia (The Dragon Lands): As the name implies, this is where the highest concentration of dragons can be found. All species and subspecies come to the lands to propagate and raise offspring. Some come to “retire” away from the annoying, insignificant bipeds that plague the world. Others never leave.
A strange but wondrous place, where magic is still the primary force of Nature (perhaps one of the most powerful, only competed by the Great Forest, sections of the Eastern Lands, and the Forbidden Lands). Every climate exists in Nangolthia, allowing for every manner of dragon to call some part of it home.
The Great Swamp: Bordering the Staring Sea, the Great Swamp is home to most of the werebeasts. It’s beside the Shades of Death, which is also home to the majority of the undead that inhabit the province of Deltheya. You can find normal swamp life within the Great Swamp, as well as monsters that prefer swamps.
Timeless Oasis: An area of unsurpassed beauty and serenity. Fields of flowers, orchards, and springs are in abundance in this area. Benevolent creatures of all types call this place home. It’s a favored place for druids and paladins to retire at any age for any reason; they all take the peaceful sanctity of the Timeless Oasis seriously and will confront any malevolent entity in force.
Sunken Tomb Swamp: As the name suggests, this swamp is the home to a long-lost tomb belonging to an ancient water elemental. Originally the last resting place of Lerll Shyrak, it became the property of the ancient water elemental that claimed the swamp as its home. The elemental sunk the tomb into the deep, murky waters.
As with the Great Swamp, the Sunken Tomb Swamp draws in the more malevolent creatures, as well as the typical mundane flora and fauna. Many adventures have searched for the missing treasure-filled tomb, only to die in the process.