The Lands

The Lands is my fantasy world. It was originally devised for a short story but soon became the setting for some old-school gaming. These pages are a reference for friends role-playing with me. Concepts are rated M for mature readers. All content unique to The Lands copyright © 2006-2024 D Berk.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Australia

I'm from Australasia but have had some short holidays in Europe. I also inhabit my imagination and enjoy sharing interests with friends. For me blogging is a kind of conversation.

19.12.09

Map I


This map depicts the more northerly portion of The Lands including the Wandering Lands and the northern parts of Westara and the Eastern Expanse. Also there is the Northern Wastes. And note the Great Ocean and the Sundering Steppes at its western and eastern limits respectively. For the more southerly portion see Map II. And to take a closer look just click on the map itself.

The Lands (Map I)

Map II


The Lands (Map II)

This map depicts the more southerly portion of The Lands including the Golden Plains and the southern parts of Westara and the Eastern Expanse. Also there is the Southern Desert. And note the Great Ocean and the Sundering Steppes at its western and eastern limits respectively. For the more northerly portion see Map I. To take a closer look just click on the map itself. And finally note that information on this site relating to the lower half of this map has been deliberately left under-developed as it can be useful to reserve parts of a setting for further development at another time.

28.10.09

Contents


i. Map I – Including the Wandering Lands and parts of
Westara and the Eastern Expanse.

ii. Map II – Including the Golden Plains and parts of
Westara and the Eastern Expanse.

iii. Contents – This page which has links to all others.
See also sidebar for quick chapter access.

1. The Universe - Descriptions of both the Firmament and
Supernatural Realms.

2. The Passing of Days - The months and days of the Orb Calendar.

3. Geography of The Lands - A tour in text of many parts of The Lands.

4. History of The Lands - A chronology of The Lands from the Lost Ages
to the present day.

5. Ethos - A short discussion of 'alignment' as it may be understood for adventuring in The Lands.

6. Kind - The forms of Halflings, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Humans.
Includes notes on culture and reproduction.

7. Names & Titles - Naming conventions in The Lands.

8. Deities - Descriptions of the eleven immortal powers worshipped in
The Lands and an excerpt from the controversial Scrolls of Eternity.

9. Gender & Sexuality - A somewhat scholarly discussion of what gender relations and sexuality may be like in a fantasy setting such as The Lands.

10. Calling - The roles of Clergy, Warriors, Rogues, Mages.
Includes standing within society and talents useful in adventuring.

11. Personages of Fame & Infamy - The lives of a score or more of characters who have helped make The Lands what they are.

12. Nations & City-States - The political economy of a dozen or more republics and monarchical states.

13. The Bestiary - The nature of all manner of fantastic and fabled monsters. Here be Dragons... and Giants... and Manticore... and the Undead... Beware these perils.

14. The Vault of Artifacts - A tantalizing selection of magical items such as the Skeleton Key and the Silken Portal. Get your potions and scrolls here.

A. Appendix: Sage Scrivenings - The Legend of the Brethic Royal Dagger is a tale of power and corruption set to the background of an ancient civil war.

B. Appendix: Scenarios - Having taken a look at The Lands you may now wish to venture into them yourself.

C. Appendix: Game Mechanics - A personalized bastardization of
past game rules.

D. Appendix: Comments - For a discussion of the genesis of this setting of story-telling gaming or to contribute to such discussion go here.

8.5.06

The Universe


The Universe as perceived from The Lands extends both into the space of the stars and planets and the concurrent space of the supernatural realms.

The Firmament

The Lands are the known part of a world which is named Orb. Most inhabitants of The Lands however prefer the name The World or even The Lands. These inhabitants are also aware of other objects in the Firmament as follows...

There is one Sun which is orbited in concentric orbits by five planets (three of which are orbited by moons). In order by distance from the Sun the five planets are Eskandar, Volund, Orb, Udolfo and Tara. Most of these worlds are named for significant historical figures.

* Eskandar is the smallest planet and has a rusty tone to its dusty surface. It is the only planet (except possibly for Orb) to keep its original Lehenic name (the others having been given Erimanic names in most of The Lands). Sages speculate it is a hot and desolate world.

* Volund is the second smallest planet and has a misty white look. Its permanent coverage of cloud allows sages to speculate endlessly on its surface conditions and inhabitants.

* Orb is the world of which The Lands are a part. From space it is a beautiful pattern of swirling whites, blues and greens. Orb is circled by one companion known only as the Moon. The Moon however is encircled by even smaller objects - the Followers (known commonly as Moon Dust) which are usually both seen and depicted as a string rather than a ring.

* Udolfo is the second largest planet and covered in a pattern of ever-moving flame-and-golden bands. It is orbited by two moons - Tilda and Brennan. These are at best seen as white dots in the keenest of spy glasses.

* Tara is the largest and furthest planet from the Sun. Like Udolfo it has a pattern of bands but in shades of pink and purple. It is encircled at its equator by a ring. It is orbited by the distant and solitary moon of Hakon (which is usually too dark to be seen at all and is only sometimes seen as a grey dot).


It is noted that there are ten named objects in the Firmament - Sun, Eskandar, Volund, Orb, Moon, Udolfo, Tilda, Brennan, Tara and Hakon - and that this may be why inhabitants of The Lands count in tens.

Beyond the planets are the stars fixed in the night sky. They have been arranged by observers into Constellations. Many think that the stars are holes in the walls of night while others speculate that they are incredibly distant suns! There are hundreds of stars observed at night but old songs and tales refer passingly to many thousands of stars. Some scholars see significance in this discrepancy while others respond that oral traditions are merely poetic and fanciful.

All information on objects beyond Orb is garnered solely from observation using composite spy glasses (telescopes) and by consulting ancient texts. Legends tell that in the Age of Glory however the empires operated ships of the sky that took them as far as the Moon but sages have never found any sure evidence for these sky ships.

Supernatural Realms

The Firmament (also known as The Prime Plane) is just one of many realms existing in parallel with one another. Much more is known of these other realms than of the stars and planets. In answer to why this is the case the sage Alda Lessard stated:

"Even the Moon is hundreds of thousands of miles distant.
In contrast the Halls of Eternity are but a fatal injury away."


The realms intimately associated with The Lands are as follows...

The Elemental Planes are four in number and are eternal realms of pure substance. They are:

- The Realm of Fire
- The Realm of Air
- The Realm of Water
- The Realm of Earth

It is these four elements that compose all matter in the Firmament in infinite combination. Consider smoke (fire with air), fog (air with water), mud (water with earth), ash (earth with fire), fume (fire with water) and dust (air with earth).

The Ether is the eternal realm of Animus - that force that grants movement and vitality. In the Ether all Animus is inert and it is only once it is combined with Elements that it becomes active. In the Ether all is misty greyness. They say that the Firmament was once just Ether till it was mixed with the Elements. Tiny pockets of Ether can be produced by removing most Elemental content and powerful beings use these as personalized realms in which they can manipulate local reality.

The Spirit Planes are six in number and are the eternal habitation of Immortal powers. These planes are:

- Paradise
- Netherworld
- Harmony
- Discord
- Shadowlands
- Eternal Halls

All these realms are of infinite size but sometimes only along particular dimensions rather than in all directions. It is suggested by some however that the Eternal Halls are more correctly understood to be a pocket of Ether and of finite size.


Information on these planes is gathered by a process of magically assisted communication and transportation. Most adventurers will never experience anything of these other realms or if they do it will be in the very rare instance of meeting a native of such realms visiting the mortal world.

The Greater Present

Some scholars talk of both space and time as dimensions in which one can move. According to this incredibly esoteric talk a person moves in space freely and in time in just one forward or 'future-ward' direction. However spells can be employed to manipulate what sages call 'The Greater Present' which they say is more than just an instant of now. Finally legends tell of powerful magic that allows travellers to fool the universe into letting them 'fall' into history. Most dismiss such talk as utter nonsense.

The Lands - History Falling

The Passing of Days


In the Calendar of Orb there are 364 days in every year. There are 12 months. Most months comprise 30 days each but four of them are 31 days long (see Equinoxes and Solstices below).

Months

The names of the months among Humans are (from Spring to Winter) Meadowbloom, Freeborn, Frolictime, Flamesky, Midsummer, Goldgrass, Leafall, Harvestime, Bonedust, Frostfall, Midwinter, Frostmelt.

The birth month of a person dictates which Birth Sigil is allocated to them. These are derived from particular stellar Constellations. See the following:

Constellations

Meadowbloom - The Dandelion Seed - Air Element - Plant Aspect

Freeborn - The Kite - Air Element - Object Aspect

Frolictime - The Swallow - Air Element - Animal Aspect

Flamesky - The Firebrand - Fire Element - Plant Aspect

Midsummer - The Campfire - Fire Element - Object Aspect

Goldgrass - The Grass Snake - Fire Element - Animal Aspect

Leafall - The Fallen Leaf - Earth Element - Plant Aspect

Harvestime - The Plough - Earth Element - Object Aspect

Bonedust - The Ferret - Earth Element - Animal Aspect

Frostfall - The Lilypad - Water Element - Plant Aspect

Midwinter - The Fishing Line - Water Element - Object Aspect

Frostmelt - The Salmon - Water Element - Animal Aspect


Astrologers make use of a combination of elements and aspects to make interpretations of personality. This they can then use to recommend particular spouses or careers. Astrologers never pretend to have the ability to predict the future because of the existence of bonefide Divination. Rather they present Birth Sigils as a way of helping one develop a sense of self. These images are also utilized in developing heraldic designs.

In most cultures there are holidays held on the Solstices and Equinoxes. These are whole days and the sixteenth days of the longer months of Freeborn, Midsummer, Harvestime and Midwinter. These events are nominally for all gods and goddesses (with a focus on the more nature-oriented ones) and indeed are also important secular events. Activity on such days includes playing sports, holding banquets and dancing the boggy. Some say those born on these four dates are destined for greatness.

Days

The months are divided into three units known as 'thirdings' or simply weeks. The ten days of this week are named for the gods and goddesses as follows:

Olarday - Day of The Sun

This day is important to all worshippers of the god Olarin and anyone whose life focuses on daytime activity. During this day the churches of Olarin hold a Noontide Celebration. In this ceremony thanks is given for the warmth-giving light of day and personal offenses taken are forgiven.

Bernaday - Day of Laws

This day is most holy for all those associated with the making or enforcing of laws. Clerics of the goddess Bernali say a prayer for all the coming court cases calling for honesty and justice to be the order of the day. Long sermons on the importance of the law and order in everyday life are made for those who are prepared to listen.

Garloday - Day of Earth

This is one of two days in which the Druidic creed has its time of rest and contemplation of the vastness of nature. For the Druids this day is a day for all of Nature but is named for the god Garlomen specifically. For everyone it is a day dedicated to those who work the land or mine or craft items from the products drawn of the ground.

Nitarday - Day of Growing

On this day the church of the goddess Nitara holds a ceremony giving thanks for all the living and growing things in the world whether they are for the benefit of the worshippers (crops and livestock) or for the sake of natural beauty. Gifts of food are exchanged among followers as needs and wants dictate.

Lineday - Day of Festivity

On this day all those who cherish culture – whether elite or common – engage in recreational events in honour of the goddess Linesa. Any ceremony held on this day by the church of Linesa is short and sweet so that she can be more fully worshipped by attending or engaging in plays, shows, dances, parties, pranks and so on.

Elcheday - Day of Crafts

On this day all craftspersons and artisans pray to the god Elchemar that they will improve in the work they do and make offerings of their handiwork to the god at his churches. It is also on this day that craft bazaars are held.

Kanday - Day of Storms

On this day the church of the god Kandoth holds a ceremony involving the making of the biggest racket one can imagine. The neighbours always go away for this day if they can help it as the din can be akin to that of an electrical storm and that is fully the intent of its makers.

Maruday - Day of The Sea

This is one of two days in which the Druidic creed has its time of rest and contemplation of the vastness of nature. For the Druids this day is a day for all of Nature but is named for the goddess Marumi specifically. For everyone it is a day dedicated to those who work on rivers or coastlines fishing or netmaking or whatever.

Teloday - Day of Battle

This day is most holy for anyone engaged in combative professions. Clerics of the god Teloch perform mock melees on this day in homage to their god and to all those who have fallen in battle. Worshippers pray for a full life followed by a quick death in combat.

Ularday - Day of Stars

This day is important to all worshippers of Urala and anyone whose life focuses on nightly activity. Worshippers of Urala rest during the day while silently brooding over the wrongs they have suffered. They also hold a star-gazing ceremony on both the midnight before and the midnight after this day. In this way the worshippers of Urala consider themselves twice as holy as the church of Olarin. In these nightly gatherings worshippers can find some solace from the woes of life.


In the four longer months the Solstices or Equinoxes sit between Lineday and Elcheday. These extra days results in what many call an 'elevensday' or 'a long thirding'.

Lunchtimes tend to be to long to allow for the assorted religious events of a polytheistic week. Most rulers by custom allow for each working person to have two days off in every ten (the most popular falling on Garloday and Maruday so that rest is well distributed). Combined with the four holidays this results in seventy six non-working days in the calendar. Note that the changing of the year is just another night for most - only those involved in roles like record-keeping mark the occassion with a contemplative drink by the fireplace.

It may be noted that one divinity – the Deliverer – has no day. The clerics of the Deliverer say that is because every day belongs to death and indeed the church of the Deliverer can be involved in any funeral ceremony regardless of who the deceased may have worshipped in life.

The Lands: Geography


The Lands as known are just a portion of the world on which they rest. The western and eastern extent of the maps is something like a thousand miles from the shores of the Great Ocean to the Sundering Steppes. They also extend from sultry oases in the south to gelid tundra in the north and this represents a distance of over two thousand miles from the Southern Desert to the Northern Wastes. Its many latitudes influence everything from climate to complexion.

The Maps (I and II) only depict major sites and otherwise generalize natural characteristics. A blank part of the map may include small scattered hills or a smattering of sparse woodland. Those hills specifically indicated are plateaus or sometimes the foothills of mountain ranges. Forests shown are major areas of dense and permanent woodland. Rivers and lakes are shown but never the many hundreds of streams and ponds.

Only the most populous settlements are shown rather than all the tiny villages of The Lands. Settlements in more civilized areas tend to be separated at a distance of between a day of walking or riding. Hilltop keeps are intended to afford views of a similar distance. Some handfuls of villages cluster closer together in the vicinity of a fortress and share a common community spirit. Likewise a city will tend to be orbited by villages under its authority. Structures are modest by fantasy standards and rarely if ever exceed a dozen levels (whether above or below ground). For more information see Nations & City-States. Finally some locales will have been abandoned but these ruins may still serve as campsites for travellers.

Those few who venture beyond the confines of 'the map' tell of a barrenness that grows with every passing mile and a listlessness that can only be cured by turning back to what is known.

The key regions within The Lands are the Northern Wastes, the Wandering Lands, the Great Ocean, Westara, the Eastern Expanse, the Sundering Steppes, the Golden Plains, and the Southern Desert. These and their major features will now be described...

The Northern Wastes

The Northern Wastes are a land of permanent snow and frost in which few animals and even fewer humans survive in a life dependent on hunting and fishing. This land has the Erimer Sea as its southern border. Its only locales of interest are the Twisted Forest and the Wilderfar Mountains.

Twisted Forest

The name for this dense woodland is somewhat fanciful simply because it is a forest almost exclusively of very non-twisted if rime-frosted pine. They say however that its wind-whistling miles will twist the sanity of anyone venturing into it. Also tales are told of both wicked spell-casting hermits and gigantic spiders - the Shadow Spinners - which hide in this forbidding land. Starvation is the most ever-present danger in the Twisted Forest according to sober travelers.

Wilderfar Mountains

These extensive ranges are always covered in ice and snow and they say nothing can survive the frigid conditions and the constant blizzards of this benighted land. However legends also tell that one or more Dragons maintain lairs there.

The Wandering Lands

This land gets its name because it is the ancestral home of the Erimanic and even today Eriman barbarians wander across this cold to temperate region hunting elk. Sometimes they clash in small inter-cultural wars. Far more often however they meet in traditional gathering places to exchange goods and news. The most important of these is the Stone Of Many Things. There the barbarians carouse and compete in bare-chested tests of prowess and valour. The Wandering Lands are crisscrossed with formations known as eskers that serve as natural roads for travellers. This land was the site of much of the Age Of Tumult civil war that involved both bloody clashes of arms and the over-casting of obscene magics. As a result some say it is dotted with slowly fading yet still dire 'wild magic patches' in which peculiar things happen and spells go awry. The Wanderings Lands northern extent is the Erimer Sea while its more vague southern border extends to the Grey Hills and the Hills of Fog. It has a number of important locales as follows.

Erimer Sea

This is an inland sea that is connected in the west by the Long Loch to the Bay of Farnorth. It is fed by the River Seething and other cold waterways of the region. It surface is fresh water while its depths are salt water. In Winter its surface freezes as much as fifty miles from its northern shores. A scant number of fishing vessels plow its waters to feed the few settlements along its southern shore. One danger to fishers of the Erimer Sea is its native population of Trolls (both fresh and saltwater breeds) which relish both fishy and human flesh. Another is the surprisingly choppy conditions that sometimes form on its surface. The free city of Kinshope is situated in a cove of its southern shore.

Ruins Of Ringin

Ringin (a contraction of Ringularin) was once the capital city of the Erimanic Empire. It has been abandoned for well over a millennium and preceding that was also the site of civil war for a further five hundred years. Some say nothing can live there now because of the way in which the land was blasted by magical forces. Others however say that the city is inhabited by all manner of monsters that were once bred for the wars of the Age Of Tumult. It is likely that the ancestral mansions of long-forgotten nobility now house Wights and Wraiths. And some say that the backstreets and lanes are ruled by Dopplegangers whose greatest hope is to kill and assume the identity of visiting adventurers so that they can escape the monotony of Ringin for a new life in the wider world. The ruins are located on the shores of Circlet Lake in the Grey Hills which presumably is home to freshwater Trolls. Adventurers visit this site despite its dangers because it is also known as the greatest repository of both mundane and magical riches in all The Lands.

Mount Fate

Mount Fate is a lone mountain removed by some fifty miles from the Pillar Mountains. Its visage dominates the barren hills surrounding it. For several hundred years now it is rumoured to be the location of an underground maze and menagerie devised and ruled by a Lich known as The Castellan. Nobody knows for sure who The Castellan once was but many suspect that he was Hakon - apprentice of the fabled Arch-Mage Mons Tara whose actions helped end the Age of Glory. Some say the purpose of the Castellan is to challenge adventurers to face the dire tests of the maze so as to turn its survivors into a personal retinue of elite guards. Others however think that the maze is full of startling monsters and lethal puzzles simply because they are what amuses this ancient and eccentric undead mage.

The Lands - Mount Fate

The Great Ocean

The Great Ocean is the only ocean known to The Lands even if others may exist. It coast is in the west of The Lands and extends from icy to tropical climes. Clouds form along its coastline and tend to blow inland in an east to north-easterly direction. Its most noteworthy features are described herein...

Bay of Farnorth

A bay of the Great Ocean that connects to the Erimer Sea via the Long Loch. This is a wild stormy bay rarely visited by any ships. Eriman fishing villagers there report of seeing Selkie - seals that can assume human form - sitting on the rocks at low-tide.

Haven Island

Haven Island is the coastal island on which is located the present-day capital of the Elvish Haven. The Elvish Navy of sleek twin-hulled sailing vessels (inspired by twin-trunked trees) is docked in Velsena port on its landward side. It is an island of beautiful hills and woodland but it is often shrouded in mists. Furthermore much of its perimeter is protected by crumbling cliffs.

Bay of Nar

The Bay of Nar is a calm and temparate bay on which is located the three Sea Cities of Nartellfar, Delmisar and Orvilia. This entire land was once known to its original Elvish inhabitants as Nartellfar (long since the name only of its oldest human settlement). Another characteristic of the area is the Island of Nar located at the entry to the bay. It now belongs to the Sea Cities and a villa in its lowlands is the site of meetings of the League of Lasting Peace and Prosperity. However its hilly centre is off-limits to all humans by decree and legend says it is the site of the Elvish cemetery and garden of Endolin hidden from mundane access by powerful magics.

Pirate Isles

The Pirate Isles are a group of islands nestled in a wide gulf. The coastline of the gulf and the islands is rugged and characterised by cliffs and coves. There are many tide-line caves. Safe harbours are rare but the few that exist are all the territory of Narman and Lehenic pirates and smugglers. Recently these pirates have been unifying and the harbour town of Whistling Cove has become something of a capital (it even has a 'council chamber' for pirates that is constructed from a former sailing cog or caravel stood on end).

The Remnant

This island is known as The Remnant because of the popular understanding that it is the only part of the legendary Mariner Isles to remain above water. It lacks any human habitation except for the encampments of shark hunters. The reefs surrounding this island are the home of a community of Merkind (which legends report are the descendants of the humans who inhabited that sunken island nation).

Farport Peninsula

This peninsula is the location of the city of Farport. It supports its own farmland and villages. Its northern coast is rugged and lined by cliffs while its southern coast sports some of the smoothest and most inviting of all beaches in The Lands.

Gaping Gulf

The Gaping Gulf is a massive bay on which the harbour of Nerina City and other Lehenic settlements are located. Vessels that try to sail along the coast south of these waters find themselves facing many perils which include sudden storms, hidden reefs, and the huge serpentine Hydra that hunt these waters for large prey (including sharks, dolphins and humans).

Ragged Isles

The Ragged Isles are a few islands named for the forbidding cliffs that characterise most of their coastline. These islands are home to a hermitage of ascetic sages and scribes which has been there for generations and exists to preserve ancient lore. Recently all contact with the Hermitage ceased. The last message from it described a shower of shooting stars that fell into the waters at night. An expedition funded by the Tower of Lore to determine what has happened has been lost without trace.

Westara

Westara is deemed to be all the lands between the Great Ocean and the Border Mountains. Its northern and southern limits are more vague. This is a temperate land and considered the most populated one overall. Despite this it still has its own wilderness including the plateau of the Brethic Hills. Westara includes in its area Haven, the Rushing River cities, the Sea Cities, Hinhome, Rolania and the Grazian Confederacy. Other important locales are as follows...

Hills of Fog

These gently rolling yet mist-shroud downs are nominally considered the territory of Meadow Elves despite the very small numbers of any habitations there. A traditional part of life for Elvish nobility involves wandering alone into these hills to track and tame a Unicorn. Beyond present Elvish control stands the abandoned Tower of Mist which, during the Age of Tumult was the site of a clash between Elvish defenders and Human attackers who all perished and now allegedly haunt the site in a never-ending spectral battle. However it is now rumoured that the site has been secured by the sorcerous Arcane Coterie.

Greenwood

This beautiful forest is part of the territory of Haven. It is home to Elvish gardeners and gatherers. It is also a habitation of the twin-trunked Tilialind Tree and the reclusive Pixie - tiny and magical creatures with whom only the Elves have an accord.

Rushing River

This river flows from the Starshine Lake in the Brethic Hills to its swampy mouth into the Great Ocean. Its shores support many farms and villages as well as two cities connected by trading barges. In Urbana they say the river is named because of its wild and rapid waters flowing from the hills. In Traviata however they think it is named for the rushes and reeds that grow along the banks of this river. The area of its mouth is a preserve for Selkie that is still patrolled by Elves for this purpose - any large permanent settlements for land-dwellers are forbidden.

River Rolling

This river flows from the Brethic Hills from many different streams, through Rolania, through the Greatwood Forest, and finally merges with the Everflow. Beaver drawn barges ply its course in Rolania but commerce is forbidden on it in the Woodland Realm. There is an annual boating contest held on it among the many aristocratic families of Rolania.

Brethic Hills

This land of hills and dales is full of tales and legends - a land of Freshwater Trolls and Will-O-Wisps. Its native humans are the Brethic. They live in scattered rural villages (with names like Fenmore and Tor Hill) ruled over by a dozen 'robber' barons and baronesses who live in small hilltop keeps (some of which are also tin mines). Villages pay taxes to these lords and ladies in the hope they will then be left alone. Culturally the villages owe loyalty much more to the Druids (one in every village) and the wandering Bards. There are structures other than villages and keeps. These include the barrows of the ancient nobility and the famed chalk carvings (the most famous of which are the Fox & Hare of Muddy Gully in the westernmost part of the Brethic Hills and the only area which survives on hospitality rather than farming). For more info on the history of the Brethic see the Legend of the Royal Brethic Dagger in Sage Scrivenings.

Deben Wood

Some say this is the oldest of all remnant forest. Definitely it has some of the oldest trees including ancient oaks and elms. This forest nestles in that portion of the Brethic Hills that become foothills of the Border Mountains. They are the traditional home of the Druidic religion and the Grand Druid keeps a rambling home and farm in a secluded meadow here. Some say she also controls a secret array of 'ley portals' allowing her Ovates to traverse The Lands at speed. From the Deben Wood mundane passes traverse the Border Mountains and access minority Brethic settlements in foothills on the other side. However travellers must beware of Orc-Goblin cross-fire in that disputed mountain territory.

Archer Hills

These gently rolling hills overlook the Bay of Nar to the west and form the rural hinterland of the Sea Cities. Some say they are named for the Elvish scouts that once wandered here. They are now the site of villages that owe allegiance to the Sea Cities and villas of rich merchants from the Sea Cities who love the slow pace of life and the marvelous views at sunset. There is also some copper mining in these hills. Finally the Univeristy Of Nartellfar is located here on Rotting Hill.

Many Hills

The Many Hills are so named simply because the Narman visitors to the area were accustomed to the coast and had never seen so many hills stretching away into the distance. They are gently rolling hills which become rugged in the centre. There are scattered farms and villages in its western parts and some iron mining in its centre. In its east are wild pastures in which Centaur hunt and play. Only recently have settlers from Grazia encroached on these fields. On its northern borders is located the independent Tower of Lore and its university town.

The Eastern Expanse

The Eastern Expanse is deemed all the lands between the Border Mountains and the Sundering Steppes. Its northern and southern limits are more vague. This is a temperate region dominated by grassland. Many who stand in its vastness think of it as endless. It includes in its area Bordenia, Rovnara, Kelda, Fugitives Forge, Mount Hammer, Ivana and the Woodland Realm. Other important locales are as follows...

Border Mountains

The Border Mountains form the divide between Westara and the Eastern Expanse. They are referred to sometimes as simply 'The Mountains'. They are among the longest mountain ranges in The Lands. They are however relatively low and broken by many passes and crevasses. The northern part of the Border Mountains is inhabited by Goblins and Hobgoblins. The southern part is inhabited by Orcs. The northern and southern inhabitants are constantly at war with one another. Humans are dismissive of this war except for those who live in Allmeet at its sourthern tip or those who wish the cross its central mountain passes. These circumstances call for some caution.

Grey Hills

The Grey Hills are a hilly plateau covering a huge area. The name comes from the fact that the hills fade to grey in the distance and standing within them can give the impression that the whole world is grey. In these wild desolate hills few humans live. It is inhabited however and wolves hunt elk and deer while bears fish in its many cool streams. There are also lone Hill Giants and the Eriman barbarians who come to challenge them. Trappers and woodcutters of Brethic tradition live in scattered habitatations. Its southern limits are the northern marches of Bordenia and includes the isolated province of Greater Tittering.

Pillar Mountains

The Pillar Mountains are the tallest in the Lands. Nobody has ever crossed these ranges - nobody that is except for the fabled Stone Giants who legend tells live in its secluded stony vales. They know the safe passages over the Pillar Mountains but one has to find and befriend them and they are most reclusive. In its foothills copper and tin are mined. To its south-east is located the Fugitives Forge - a Dwarvish citadel overlooking a waterfall that has never fallen even to a siege by Eriman warriors during the Age of Tumult.

River Lake

The swamp-fringed River Lake only exists for the few months of Spring every year. The rest of the time it is a marshland stretching between the two rivers that meet to the south to form the Everflow River. It is only once both rivers burst banks with the melting snows of the Pillar Mountains that a lake forms. Then all manner of geese and pelicans and such gather from all over the Eastern Expanse and so do hunters of those water birds. These hunters tell tales of the seductive Zamodiva while sharing drinks in the Blackbog Inn just south of the swampland. An older iteration of that same settlement now festers abandoned within the swamps but the locals are close-lipped as to its fate.

Greatwood Forest

Greatwood Forest extends into both the Eastern Expanse and Westara. It is deemed to be more part of the Eastern Expanse however because the Woodland Realm within it is very much in its eastern half. It is from the Wood Elves that most descriptions of the Greatwood Forest come. It is the largest forest in The Lands and is home to the tallest of all natural trees - the Greatwood Tree. The Everflow River here is lined by weeping willows. The forest is like a sea of leaves of all shapes and hues. It is home to the fabulous Griffon and (in its western half) the wild Centaur. It is also the site of a hill under which are magnificent caverns of water-carved mineral formations (stalagmites and stalactites and stone pools) that have been preserved even as the caverns have been converted into the fortress of the Elves.

Shadow Water

The Shadow Water is a deep lake named for the shadows cast onto it at Dawn by the Iron Mountains. It is a beautiful lake filled with all manner of fish. It is also the location of the free city of Ivana. Due to its location Ivana is a trading town for both the Elves of the Greatwood Forest and the Dwarves of the Iron Mountains.

Iron Mountains

This mountain range sports many mines of iron. Its foothills are pastureland for sheep and goats. One mountain stands separate from the others - Mount Hammer. It gets its name from a natural formation on its western slopes that resembles an anvil (the sharp end jutting away from the mountain) with a square block of stone above it (which the Dwarves imagine is the front of a hammer about to pound the anvil). Between the anvil and hammer is a gap which provides entry into a wonderful cavern and what was once the greatest iron mine of all time. Its ore has all been removed but now the mine has been converted into the palace of the Mountain Dwarf monarch and the foothills on the western slopes are now the site of the many-terraced city of Mount Hammer.

The Sundering Steppes

Many think that the Eastern Expanse is endless till they come to the Sundering Steppes. Young travellers ask how far they go. Old travelers answer that they extend all the way to Sunrise. The Dwarves have another thing to say however - they ask "what is the difference between nothing worth finding and nothing at all?" They then answer "nothing!" The Sundering Steppes are an arid plateau of moors and hills. Clumps of bushes and piles of stones are all that seems to challenge the monotony. The Katharians (a old Planavic word for 'children' suggesting that the Planavic of the Eastern Expanse think themselves to now be mature) live here in scattered clans in the old ways of the Planavic. Once every few generations however they unite into an army that sweeps west seeking battle and booty. The rest of the time they graze kine and horses across vast areas.

Seven Hills

The Seven Hills (named for the seven tallest of scores of hills) are technically part of the Sundering Steppes but are culturally deemed part of the Eastern Expanse. For most of history these hills rich in gold and silver were the site of the capital of the Dwarves. They now however are the home for a brutal band of Hill Giants that gathered from the Sundering Steppes to destroy the Dwarvish homeland. Once beautiful citadels and towns of stone (set both on the hills and inside them) are now the vandalized hovels of monsters (hovels the Hill Dwarves have sworn to one day re-take).

The Golden Plains

The Golden Plains are a wide and wild expanse of rich grassland. Much of this temperate to warm land is inhabited by wild oxen, deer, gazebo, wolves, lions and eagles. Zinda wander this land in small bands. Hunters come from as far as Grazia and Ivana to capture or kill some of its prized wildlife. Most of this land seems to be an endless haze of gently waving long grasses. However to the south are several distinctive locales...

Everflow River

The Everflow is the longest river of The Lands. It is attended by gently wooded flood plains and at its widest it traverses the pastures of Nerina. At times it is so deep as to allow seafaring galleys to voyage hundreds of miles inland. Sometimes Hydra will also travel inland along this waterway from the Gaping Gulf.

Delta Swamps

Many rivers and many more tiny streams and pools traverse this land of swamps and reeds. It is known as the Delta Swamps and sometimes locally as Queensmire. Some venture into these swamps to hunt its rich store of fish and birdlife. However they are always careful to stay to the bigger rivers due to the legend of the Formanti - a colony of insect creatures who hunt humans for sport and food just as humans do the smaller inhabitants of this land.

Hills of Plenty

The Hills of Plenty are so named for the many orchards and vineyards covering these hills in a colourful patchwork. In the vales are many small villages. They traditionally owe allegiance to the Empire of Nerina but nowadays this is only nominal and villagers are far more likely to identify with the merchants of Farport (many of whom now own holiday villas in this welcoming province). The area is also note-worthy for an array of steep-sided and stony hillocks known collectively as The Backbones which start at the fishing village of Swordfish Bend and extend well inland.

The Lands - Swordfish Bend

Lost Hills

The Lost Hills were once the site to which exiles from the Empire of Nerina would flee - hence those who inhabited it were those who had lost all honour and property. Then gold and silver were discovered in those rugged hills and they became a land of mining settlements served by merchants who made many a fortune. Those mines have been exhausted for a millennium and many townships sit abandoned. Others however persist on a mixture of grazing and pottery. Local legends say that some of the abandoned villas are home to lost private fortunes but that such caches are guarded by undead Mumia.

Elderwood

There is debate over the origin of the name Elderwood. Some say it is because of its age. Others however say it is due to the industry of Elderberry wine production along its northern border. It is a lovely mix of ferns and shrubbery as well as larger trees including palms towards its southern border. Rarely does this forest become thick and many travelers have walked from one end to the other. Legends persist nonetheless that hidden deep in Elderwood are meadows in which the last flock of the Pegasus live to this day.

Salty Sea

The landlocked Salty Sea is so salty that they say nothing can live in it. However generations from Nerina have reported on the vigor that comes of bathing in its waters. Also locals know that algae grows in it and can tint its waters different colours from green to blue to purple. In recent times a shooting star fell into the Salty Sea at night and the following morning its shores were shroud in an unusual mist that flowed into the city of Mirage on its shores.

Mirage

Mirage is a bay of the Salty Sea at which a city of the same name is located. It was so named because its beauty exceeded the expectations of all visitors to it. Its setting between the hills of Demona and the Salty Sea made it particularly picturesque. Recently Prognosticators have become confused by Mirage as spells tell them that - despite all evidence to the contrary - its city is now deserted.

Demona

Demona is a land of hills that are themselves the foothills of the Wyrmway Mountains. It is sparsely vegetated and is dotted with hot springs and warm muddy bogs. In ancient times the fumes were blamed on demons. It is a land of stark rock formations in which both zinc and copper are mined. Demona is a risky land to wander in because of the bogs and the occasional Manticore.

Wyrmway Mountains

The Wyrmway Mountains are known to be the oldest. The are also low by the standards of other ranges. The most distinctive characteristic of these mountains is that Wyverns roost among its craggy tops. For many miles around they can be seen circling in the sky and many assume they are Dragons.

The Southern Desert

The Southern Desert is a barren land many consider bereft of any life. This is a mistake however and there is some scattered life in this hot and arid clime. The northern borders of this land are more like grassland. Further south they cede to dunes, salt flats and stony vales. The Zinda tell tales of many rare and legendary monsters hiding in the Southern Desert. Among those named are Gorgons, Manticores and Jackalrie.

Travellers of the Southern Desert use a network of scattered oases known as the Isles of Spice & Silk. Spices abound in Lehenic lands with some of the rarer ones originating here. Silk in contrast originates at these watering holes specifically and is produced by reclusive web-crickets.

From these isolated habitations come tales of the legendary Skyland - a temperate plateau hidden by an ever-diverting haze. Some say it exists further south while others say it is simply the past of the Isles of Spice & Silk which are all that is left of a once more fertile land that was engulfed by rising sands.

The Lands: A History


For a speculative and religion-derived description of the origin of The Lands as written by one of its own see the excerpt from the Scrolls of Eternity under Gods & Goddesses. For a more sober history (albeit one still open to dispute or revision) see herein. The history of The Lands is divided into a number of Ages. The significant characteristics and events of these Ages follows...

The Lost Ages

In this time, lasting several thousands of years, hunter-gatherers slowly developed the trappings of civilized life. Elves invented art originally by drawing temporary images in the sands of shore. Dwarves invented the oldest tools by chipping stones. Humans invented the taming of animals and the growing of crops. Such talents developed slowly over generations and were transmitted by trading to all kindred across The Lands.

Most lived a wild and nomadic life but sometimes one of the Dragons - purported agents of the divine - would become impatient with the slow and staggering progress of civilization and would rule over a city-state of its own forging. The Dragon would rule as a sacred monarch but then tire of its work after (say) a century and abandon its charges to rule themselves. Such a state would disintegrate once its Dragon had departed but the knack of living in larger and more complex groups became more common.

This was a time of mass migrations. Related groups would come together to form a tribal confederacy and each of those developed a national identity. Tribes that specialized in combat acted as pathfinding bands for national groups and thus first settled particular areas. These foundational groups tended to become hereditary nobility as generations passed. Once all lands were inhabitated conflict then became a key way in which nations expanded. Historians say that the Lost Ages ended with the written declaration of formation of the Empire of Nerina.

The Age of Glory

This was the age of Empires to South, East, West and North and lasted 1000 years. The Lands looked very different from the way they do now as attested by the oldest maps dating from this era. Consider the following differences from the present Maps (I and II):

* Some 200 miles west of (what are now) the Pirate Isles there was an archipelago (covering an area as large as the present-day Salty Sea) known in times since as The Mariner Isles.

* Most forests were larger. Much of the coastal lands between the Hills of Fog and the Many Hills was covered in the ancient Western Forest (now only the Greenwood is left). In contrast the present-day Greatwood Forest was smaller and was confined to the west-bank of the Everflow River.

* Much of the plain along both banks of the Everflow River was a shallow fresh-water inland sea extending from the present-day locations of River Lake to the Shadow Water. The Salty Sea at that time extended all the way to the Lost Hills and Elderwood was semi-salty swampland.

* Mount Fate seems to have only come into existence sometime since the Age of Glory maps were drawn. How a mountain can simply spring from the hills is a matter of debate among scholars.

* The Lands were warmer as well as wetter. The Erimer Sea was cold but its waters never froze over (only the rivers to its north did this). What is now the Southern Desert was grassland much like the Golden Plains are to this day.


Of more interest for historians is the markedly different political landscape of the Age of Glory. As soon as humans in Nerina were ruled by an emperor or empress it was decided by both the Elves and the Dwarves that they too needed such rulers. The Lands now had three empires. Many deeds of harsh glory were done in the shaping of these empires.

The lowlands of Westara were the territory of the Elvish Empire - known also as the Empire of the West. Many Elves still lived a semi-nomadic life by preference and it was usual for an aristocratic family to maintain more than one home (say a coastal villa and an inland encampment). The royal family had both a Summer Palace (still located on present-day Haven Island) and a Winter Garden (which was once located in present-day Grazia). The Elvish Empire was defended by the fact that at any one time several armed retinue effectively patrolled it as they travelled from home to home. However a few towers monitored its inland borders as distinct and longeval monuments to Elvish craft.

That part of the Eastern Expanse between the Sundering Steppes and the Everflow River was the territory of the Dwarvish Empire - known also as the Empire of the East. Its capital was in the Seven Hills and it had mining settlements in the south-east foothills of the Pillar Mountains and the foothills of the Iron Mountains. At this time minerals and metals were plentiful in the rugged hills and it was only much later that miners had to resort to mining in mountains. Mining made the Dwarvish Empire rich. Most of its population were in its hills but it maintained excellent roads in its lowlands.

There was a short but bloody war staged both north and south of the Border Mountains between the Elvish Empire and Dwarvish Empire over salt. The Elves had lots of salt but gave it scant value. In contrast Dwarves love salt but had barely any. The Elves had been selling it to the Dwarves for more and more exorbitant prices. Once the Elvish price hit a pound of gold for a pound of salt the Dwarves took it by force and war began. It is from this time that the expression "rubbing salt in the wound" comes. The Salt War ended once the Empire of the South offered to sell salt at a better price. However it resulted in a long resentment between Elves and Dwarves. Now even a statement like "pass the salt" can cause arguments between members of those two kindred. But back to ancient times.

Nerina was the Empire of the South and extended over much of the Golden Plains from Farport to Mirage. One of its emperors - known to history as Eskandar - decided in 500AG to become both Emperor of the South and Emperor of Humankind. To make this title a truth Eskandar went on a campaign northward to bring civilization to all humans northward living a life of barbarism. In five years he extended the Empire to include all lands inhabited by the speakers of Lehenic (then as far as present-day Allmeet). In the next five they then marched all the way to the northern limit of the Grey Hills routing and scattering the disparate Brethic and Eriman they met along the way. Eskandar expected to be ruler of all humans between the Erimer Sea and the Gaping Gulf but never expected what arose from the Wandering Lands.

The barbarians of the Wandering Lands had gathered and chosen a ruler from among them - Volund - a warrior of legendary renown who overnight forged an army as powerful and disciplined as that of Eskandar (Volund had in his youth worked as a mercenary in Nerina). With devastating speed his forces turned the tide. Eskandar discovered that his conquests in Westara and the Eastern Expanse were shaky as conquered subjects formed alliances with Volund. The new force pushed Eskandar back to the Golden Plains - only there did his forces have sufficient support and supply from the local population to halt the barbaric advance. All Eriman leaders swore loyalty to Volund (the Brethic chose the alternative path of paying tribute to preserve independence). Now The Lands had four empires and Volund become Emperor of the North (whose descendants became Emperors or Empresses of Grand Erimania which lasted 500 years).

The Age of Glory ended many generations later with the deaths of the Eriman Emperor Udolfo and his one-time advisor Tara the Usurper.

The Age of Tumult

In this time Grand Erimania was rent asunder by a 500 year long civil war which at times also became a war that drew on the other empires and which involved the changing-of-hands of many a province and estate.

Both the Elves to the west and the Dwarves to the east had the practice of exiling violent criminals and these became mercenary troops in the war among Humans. These forces were known as the Drowiri and the Derogar respectively. Legend tells that they were even exiled in spirit and persist as rare demi-human undead.

The Orcs enter history as they came from the Border Mountains to pillage lands wracked by war. Also a new form was bred from captured Orcs and became the Goblins - nocturnal assassins that added an additional level of cruelty to the forces of both sides in the civil war.

The Lands became cooler and drier and many present-day geographic characteristics came to be.

Wild and brutal ways were cultivated in the various civil war factions. This extended even to clothing that made overt use of the body parts of hostile animals - horns and wings adored helms while claws decorated shoulders. Over time all factions in the civil war were drawn into just two - the Blood and the Bile factions. A handful of neutral settlements within Eriman territory persisted and were even valued by the rival factions as sites of both respite and intrigue.

The other empires tended to be isolationist much of this era. The only polity that truly prospered was the island nation that formed from a federation of the five ports of the Mariner Isles. The rulers of the five ports took turns to rule that archipelago by each occupying a decade-long term twice a century and were advised by assorted philosophers and spell-casters. The Mariners of this land profited from trading and were far removed from war. They had a culture known for both its vibrant arts and for young women and men who would perform acrobatics over charging Irates (a long-extinct breed of horned quadruped).

The Age of Tumult ended with the wholesale disappearance of two legions that were all set to do battle in a forgotten Eriman field. For further information on the Age of Tumult see the Legend of the Brethic Royal Dagger under Sage Scrivenings.

The Lands - Stone Of All Things

The Common Age

This is the present age which lacks any better name because it is still happening and seems to lack any agreed defining characteristics. Significant dates till close to the present day follow...

1CA - Following the end of the civil war (due to lack of combatants) the mercenary Goblins withdraw to the Border Mountains from which their ancestors had come. However they cannot abide the native Orcs still living there and start a war with them.

50CA – The nations of Rolania and Bordenia are formed. Kinshope asserts its independence from these nations and declares that it will only unite with these under the authority of the original and now lost royal line of Grand Erimania.

109CA - On Farport Peninsula two gigantic corpses wash ashore and cause a sensation among the cosmopolitan crowd there. The squid is as long as a galley. The whale is even larger and as it rots is found to have a small house-boat in its largest buoyancy cavity. Both seem to have perished fighting each other. Only the bones and shells of these monsters - named Kraken and Cetus - survive to be shipped to the Imperial Court of Nerina. They are put on display in the public hall and have been ever since.

110CA - A huge tidal wave hits the shores of Westara. Within days ships of humans wash ashore and the refugees report the total destruction by natural disaster of the Mariner Isles. The Elvish monarch (the title Emperor or Empress now deemed tasteless following the Age of Tumult) must decide how to respond to the hundreds of survivors (as well as those of its own subjects suffering from the tidal wave). Some advise putting all the humans to the sword. Others advise vanquishing them inland to other human nations. Yet others advise offering them a home in Elvish lands. It is the latter course-of-action that is taken. Many humans are taken into Elvish households as servants. Many human orphans are adopted by Elvish parents. The vast difference in life span between the two forms takes its toll on the happiness of such mixed households. Nonetheless the first Half-Elves of any number are born in this time.

111CA - Reports start to circulate in the courts of Bordenia and Rolania that a new mountain has risen from the foothills north-east of the Pillar Mountains. The most common name for this rumour is Mount Fate.

152CA - Nomadic horse-herders start migrating in small but frequent waves from the Sundering Steppes into the Eastern Expanse. They call themselves the Planavic. For now they live in scattered clan settlements. Some clans are hostile to the Dwarves ruling much of this territory but they are quickly defeated by the well-armed and disciplined Dwarves. Other clans however seek peace with the Dwarves and are granted permission to live in the lowlands as vassals to the Dwarvish monarch (the title Emperor or Empress now deemed tasteless following the Age of Tumult) or to live beyond its borders.

230CA - The Dwarf mines of both the Iron Mountains and the south-eastern foothills of the Pillar Mountains have been depleted of all ore that can be got by methods of the time. The working population dwindles.

266CA - A second wave of Planavic nomads invade the Eastern Expanse. They are united under one general - The Katharian (whose name is lent to all his forces) - and wage war on both settled Planavic clans and on the Dwarves. The Dwarves recall all garrisons back to the Seven Hills for defense of the homeland. Among Planavic clans that are conquered by the invaders some warriors become resistance fighters and form the original movement of Rangers.

281CA - Pretenders to the throne of Grand Erimania become something of a fad in Bordenia and Rolania. Most such pretenders are obscure. However one commoner in Rolania claiming royal blood sparks a bloody revolt across several estates. A few months later in Bordenia one baroness presents documents showing her royal ancestry and once they are declared fake she wages war on her peers. Both military adventures end with the deaths of the instigators (as well as of many innocents). In both nations a new knightly order - the Palsgrave or Paladins - is formed with the function of both assessing the veracity of royal claims and of providing military response to any resulting belligerence.

306CA - Humans living as subjects of the Elves have grown in population to rival that of the Elves. Those humans who lack the sponsorship of an Elvish household (of which there are a growing number) must live by decree in a number of gated human settlements. The largest is Nartellfar in the Bay of Nar from which these human guests draw the kinship name of Narman. Tensions grow between the host and guest kindreds.

325CA - Twelve still free Planavic clans unite under the leadership of the Dunothev Clan to repel invading Katharians back to the Sundering Steppes. The current Katharian (granddaughter of the original) is killed by the Patron & Matron of the Dunothev. These two are a warior and mage respectively and become role-models in Rovnaran tradition. Once the invaders are repelled the nation of Rovnara is formed with the Dunothev Clan as the royal family. Most Katharians return to the Sundering Steppes but some stay in the Eastern Expanse as bandits.

390CA - The wandering Zinda travel across the Southern Desert to seek work and make homes in the Empire of Nerina. They are accepted by the government but suffer prejudice at the hands of the locals. Some try to settle but many others continue wandering from village to village as tinkers and fortune-tellers and household servants for hire.

421CA - An ascetic hermitage of Lehenic sages and scribes that has existed since the Age of Tumult on the Ragged Isles suffers a lethal plague that kills all its members. The records they have been keeping are left to the ravages of time.

464CA - The War of the Orcs & Goblins is lost by the Orcs whose population has been reduced to a fraction of its original size. Still intact bands flee south of the Border Mountains. Some scatter and become mingled with gangs of human bandits and thus the first Half-Orcs in numbers are born. Most however travel further and storm the Iron Mountains. They succeed in routing the Dwarves there whose population and forces have dwindled over time.

490CA - The capital of Nerina is temporarily transferred to the city of Mirage for a period of 30 years till a new Empress returns it to Nerina City.

501CA - Notices magically appear in town squares all over The Lands challenging adventurers to take the Test of Mount Fate. It seems that someone calling themselves The Castellan has constructed a maze under the mountain and wants to see if anyone can survive it. A surprising number of adventurers make way to the mountain to never return.

566CA – The Elvish Monarch falls into a ten day trance and, on recovering, withdraws the authority of his nation over most of its territory to the northern side of the Rushing River. The Summer Palace on Haven Island becomes permanent capital of the Elves. The faraway Winter Garden is ransacked by a human mob. Ownership of the Tower of Lore is granted to a body of human scholars. Nartellfar becomes capital of the new maritime Monarchy of the Narmans which is recognized by the Elvish Monarch. In return for such recognition the Narman monarch agrees that all Elves still residing in former Elvish territory are given the same rights as Narman subjects. Most Elves withdraw to the reduced territory of Haven but most Half-Elves stay.

567CA - An expedition of Elvish migrants form a new isolationist homeland in the eastern arm of the Greatwood Forest - The Woodland Realm. From this time onward the distinction between Meadow Elves (Eldenari) and Wood Elves (Evenari) is drawn.

606CA – Ivana is founded by 'fifteen founding families' (themselves drawn from three Plana clans) on the shores of the Shadow Water. The distant monarch of Rovnara grants the ruler of the city the title of Duke or Duchess.

646CA - The Narman monarch grants city charters to the human settlements of Port Grazia, Delmisar, Orvilia, Traviata and Urbana. Some of these are brand-new townships while others are on the sites of former Elvish settlements.

667CA - In the Sea Cities new kinds of mage arise with the development of specialist schools of magic. The first of these is the School of Illusion in Nartellfar.

703CA – An army of Dwarves re-takes the Iron Mountains from the Orcs with help from Ivana (known as the Battle of the Orcs & Dwarves). They convert the old iron mines of Mount Hammer into a new citadel for this revived colony. New deeper mines are dug. The Dwarves start trading with and even investing in the enterprises of the humans of Ivana.

704CA - Orcs who survived the Battle of the Dwarves & Orcs flee towards the original homeland of the Border Mountains. Some bands get lost in the Greatwood Forest and are exterminated in the Battle of the Orcs & Elves. Most however return to the Border Mountains and start the second War of the Orcs & Goblins. These battle-hardened bands quickly take much territory. However at this time Hobgoblins are suddenly born among the Goblins and become powerful new warriors in this bloodthirsty war.

712CA - In response to both growing travel between Rolania and Bordenia, and continuing bandit and Orcish activity between those nations, both nations station a combined garrison in the valley of Allmeet to defend the overland route between Westara and the Eastern Expanse.

793CA - Trading along the coast from Nartellfar to Nerina City has grown markedly and with it has come piracy. Narman pirates are particularly concentrated in what are now named the Pirate Isles.

824CA - Another wave of Katharians invade the Eastern Expanse. It is much weaker however that that of five centuries before, and the Dwarves easily defend the Seven Hills. Nonetheless they cause much havoc. Rovnara is assisted in its battles by Bordenia and the Compact of Defense arises from this alliance. Ivana boosts its forces by hiring mercenary troops. Scattered settlements across the Eastern Expanse are well-served by the clandestine force of the Rangers. Once more the Katharians are vanquished once their leader is killed.

858CA - A meteor strikes a hill in the vacinity of Allmeet. The hill is excavated for meteoric iron and a number of peculiar corpses are discovered there. Those corpses of alien origin are named the Occu and the Ilkithiri (for there seem to be two kinds) and are studied in the vaults of Allmeet.

942CA - In Rolania a province is set aside in which the Halflings of the nation can gather and live together. This is done in part because of Halfling wishes and partly because many humans consider the Halfings to be nothing but beggars and better living far away.

999CA – Farport declares independence from the Empire of Nerina.

The Lands - Farport

1000CA - The Governor of the Tower of Lore sends an expedition to the Ragged Isles to revive the hermitage there and rescue its store of books and scrolls from turning to dust.

1013CA - The bandit Gwilherm the Grim declares himself Baron Of The Marches in parts of the Grey Hills deemed Bordenian territory. His short but bloody misrule is ended by a combined force of neighbouring Bordenian estates.

1036CA - The guilds of Nartellfar foment revolt and expel the Narman monarchy which withdraws to Delmisar. The republic of Nartellfar is declared.

1049CA – Following a popular revolt the republic of Delmisar is declared. What is left of the royal family withdraw to Orvilia.

1050CA - The subjects of Orvilia ratify the Narman Monarchy in a new constitutional form. From this time on every barony from Port Grazia to Urbana continues to owe its loyalty to the Narman Monarch but acts with ever-bolder autonomy. Some promote themselves to status of duchy from time-to-time (depending on the tastes of the current title-holder).

1057CA - The newly formed Aristocratic Alliance of angry gentry seek to overthrow and replace the Monarch in Orvilia but are thwarted by a combined force of all three Sea Cities. The League of Lasting Peace & Prosperity is formed between Nartellfar, Delmisar and Orvilia. Aristocratic Alliance members are granted safety by the Viceroy of Traviata far inland on the Rushing River, while others flee along the coast to Port Grazia.

1086CA – Kelda is founded by Planavic farmers and pastoralists. The first game of Gruntball is played on its common.

1111CA – The Seven Hills fall to invasion by Hill Giants. The Monarchy-in-Exile removes to Fugitives Forge (a fortress that defended old copper mines in the south-eastern hills of the Pillar Mountains) while the majority of civilian survivors move to the Iron Mountains. From this time onwards a distinction is drawn between Hill Dwarves (Holemgar) and Mountain Dwarves (Karumgar).

1191CA - The Aristocratic Alliance have been secretly fomenting outrage among the nobility of Rolania over the growth of republican government in the Sea Cities. A small but decisive majority of Rolanian barons and baronesses push for war. The only firm opposition comes from the Paladins (who can only advise) so the Protector declares war on the Sea Cities which are taken by surprise and each city has to survive its own siege.

1202CA - Kinshope suffers an unusually long bout of Sleeping Sickness. Celebrants gather from across the Wandering Lands to help stave off thirst and hunger while the afflication takes its course in the suddenly still township.

1215CA - The intermittent Narman-Eriman War comes to an end. The more diverse and inventive forces of the Sea Cities have pushed far inland and captured the province of Hinhome. Rolania is now suffering due to a shortage of both labour and food resulting from the long war (and Bordenia can only offer so much help). The Sea Cities offer incentives to Rolanian deserters with some effect. Rolania agrees to end its aggression and the Sea Cities withdraw.

1216CA - The Sea Cities form the secret service known as the Tapestry to ensure that they will be aware in advance of any developments in The Lands that may threaten the peace or prosperity of the Sea Cities.

1217CA – Hinhome is granted its independence by Rolania on condition of the Halfling homeland continuing in the capacity of a military vassal state. The Sea Cities however change the terms to insist that it only come to the aid of Rolania in the case of a war of defense rather than aggression.

1236CA - Seeing that the Seven Hills are still lost after more than a century, the current ruler of Mount Hammer declares himself the new Monarch of Mount Hammer (while still recognizing the Monarch-In-Exile as the rightful ruler of the Seven Hills rather than of all Dwarves). Hill Dwarves riot in all the places they live in numbers (including human cities).

1260CA - The Duke of Ivana calls on the services of the Battering Ram mercenary company to quell conflict in the streets between young hotbloods of its Fifteen Founding Families. Once the job is done the mostly Lehenic mercenary force stays despite the resentment of the nobility and becomes an autonomous city guard.

1276CA - Keldan merchants have formed two separate guilds - one for native Planavic members and another for Eriman members. The latter attempts to take control of the ruling council from the former. Blows are struck inside the town hall and soon a brawl spills into the streets and the city is reduced to a civil war with fighting extending into the surrounding farmland over many months. Tensions arise across the Eastern Expanse till the Rangers intervene and end the conflict in Kelda by expelling instigators on both sides.

1287CA - The Southern Desert is growing. The Empire Of Nerina imposes export duties on luxury items such as colourful dyes so as to preserve its own domestic supply. This starts a trend to the north for duller clothes which are then rationalized as more honest and hardy. However there are always those prepared to buck a trend.

1290CA - Port Grazia becomes capital of the military regime of the Grazia Confederacy. Its secret service The Adamantine Network is formed. Port Grazia provides military support to settling farmers in the Many Hills who have come into conflict with the Centaurs in that area. By association it is deemed that hostility is now brewing between the Grazia Confederacy and the Woodland Realm.

1296CA – The recently formed Arcane Coterie occupy the abandoned and supposedly haunted Tower of Mist.

1300CA - The nobility and even merchant councillors of the city of Traviata are overthrown by a popular revolt. The Viceroy takes refuge in Urbana further inland. The citizenry of Traviata are yet to finalize a new form of government. Many suspect war will happen between the citizenry of Traviata and the Barony of Urbana.

1303CA - The once independently-minded pirates of the Pirate Isles unite under the banner of the Crossed Blades.

1305CA - The Inaugural Census of Nartellfar is conducted. Many remark on just how many citizens have Elvish blood (one-in-ten).

1308CA - Farport is afflicted with the largest recorded case of Dancing Fever in history. This is somewhat tempered by the fact it happens during the Festival of Sails and so seems fitting.

1311CA - Following a shooting star and an unusually misty morning the city of Mirage becomes the home of a new and suddenly popular cult - The Ilk - who promise renewed life and power and whose emblem is a distinctive looped cross. Within months the Ilk have cells across the Empire of Nerina.

1312CA - All contact is lost with the hermitage on the Ragged Isles. A survey ship sent by the Tower of Lore to investigate never returns. Also a new cult offering salvation from some coming doom emerges in Nerina City and beyond - The Occult - whose emblem is a dot in a circle in a five-pointed star - known as the Seeing Star.

Ethos


The Lands - Craggen

Some of the characters (including gods and goddesses) described on this site will have Alignments attributed to them. Some role-players are wary of these concepts. In part they feel that it needlessly restricts natural human behaviour. To some extent they think this because of the stupid caricatures that attach in popular culture to words like good and evil. Here I will try to rehabilitate good and evil and also redefine the five components of Alignment which combine to provide the many paths characters can choose to walk.

Good: In The Lands a person is good if (i) the emotions they feel most consistently and powerfully are deemed positive or constructive and (ii) the actions motivated by these emotions serve to help others. This they can do in any way they want and to any extent circumstances allow. The divine personages Olarin and Nitara are considered good.

Evil: In The Lands a person is evil if (i) the emotions they feel most consistently and powerfully are deemed negative or destructive and (ii) the actions motivated by these emotions serve to harm others. This they can do in any way they want and to any extent circumstances allow. The divine personages Urala and Kandoth are considered evil.

Lawful: The lawful person has an even-tempered disposition. In personal conduct they are methodical and calculating. They prefer living a life that is structured and will do what they can to make it that way. They tend to work best with others but can be frustratingly rigorous. The divine personages Bernali and Elchemar are considered lawful.

Chaotic: The chaotic person has a temperamental disposition. In personal conduct they are impulsive and spontaneous. They prefer living a life that is improvised and will do what they can to make it that way. They tend to work best alone but can enjoy rousing company. The divine personages Teloch and Linesa are considered chaotic.

Neutral: A neutral person represents a mix of all the characteristics listed in the other alignments. The mix is such that they rarely if ever behave in ways that would identify them with one of those other alignments. They tend to pragmatically do whatever necessity dictates however some of this alignment will actively strive to preserve a balance of such characteristics in the wider world. The divine personages The Deliverer, Garlomen and Marumi are considered neutral. Note that non-sentient life-forms are more correctly regarded as non-aligned than true netural.


One can imagine a two-axis chart and some classify the vertical 'good versus evil' as moral (focused on aims) and the horizontal 'law versus chaos' as ethical (focused on methods). However all this grows from personal dispositions and behaviours. It is understood that a distinct ethos begets more of itself - exposure to one sort of conduct to the exclusion of others results in the replication of that ethos in those so exposed.

These dispositions affect how a character responds to insult or injury in the long-term. If good they tend to offer and seek forgiveness. If evil they tend to desire vengeance. If neutral they tend to be satisfied by compensation. Alignment likewise affects how characters resolve conflicts. If lawful they prefer following formal codes and involving officers of state. If chaotic they prefer to negotiate informally with rivals one-to-one. If neutral they prefer drawing on a willing arbiter known to both sides.

With all this in mind one can now imagine Player Characters (PCs) of differing alignments co-existing and even forming friendships across opposing alignments. Issues will arise in these cases but such relations can still occur. Differences may only become marked in times of crisis. Finally whether 'good and evil' are the same as 'right and wrong' may depend on how adventures are interpreted.