I.  Aereth

A.  The Northlands              Each nation’s borders extend only as far as it’s lord’s ability to enforce his rule, leaving vast swaths of borderlands , given over to roaming bands of escaped slaves and serfs, violent outlaws, monstrous humanoids, and far worse.  Passage between nations without armed escort is attempted only by the bold or desperate.

The majority of Northlanders live in simple villages and hamlets, earning their livelihood by farming, herding, and hunting.  The average farmer passes his entire life without traveling more than twenty miles from his homestead.  Cities and towns are essential hubs of trade, defense and religion.  Any time a city is sacked by marauding hordes, the surrounding lands suffer.

Similarly, the cities rely on outlying farms to provide the enormous amounts of grain, vegetables, fruits and meats necessary to support their swollen populations. 

In the hostile realms of the North, civilization is best thought of as a curious anomaly in a long history of savagery and barbarism.

1.  The Free Province of Thire, ruled by Lady Aedwyn Cyrean, Warden of the Folk, from her capital at Hath Hall.

Population: 308,920 (humans 44%, elves 18%, dwarves 12%, Halflings 10%, half-elves 8%, gnomes 5%, other 3%)

Resources: Furs, timber

Climate: Mild summers, brief winters, and long springs and autumns.  Dense stands of deciduous hardwoods offer sturdy beams for shipbuilding, while fertile soils provide abundant crops and grasslands for cattle and sheep.

Since its bid for freedom one hundred years ago, Thire has walked a fine line between supporting Crieste in the constant struggle against the forces of evil, and maintaining its separation from the old empire.  Fortunately for Thire, its people are a hardy, stubborn folk, with little use for any ruler whose reach extends further than a town council and the arc of a longbow.

The ruler of Thire is a charismatic half-elf named Aedwyn Cyrean, a warden respected for her woodsense and quiet wisdom.  Young by half-elven standards, the maid rules from Hath Hall, a manor overlooking the fertile lowlands that stretch all the way to the Lirean Sea.  Gossipmongers hint at a scandalous romance between Cyrean and Captain Sentri, of the Criestine Army; if the rumors are true, it could lead to a clash that would threaten the thrones of both nations.

                                                a.  Longdale          Large town, 3,000gp limit; 481,050gp total wealth; LG; conventional power center

Population 3,207 adults, 641 children

Sheriff is a 7^th-level warrior. Highest level Bard = 5^th; Highest level Cleric = 9^th; highest level Druid = 5^th; Highest level Paladin = 5^th; Highest level Ranger = 7^th; Highest level wizard = 7th

A walled town surrounded by a vale of lush farmland, Longdale is situated at the foot of the Trolltooth Peaks and weathers regular attacks from monsters, humanoids and worse.  There are several mining communities within a day’s ride of the town, and a regular stream of silver, gold and gems pours into Longdale before being carried by caravans south to Hath Hall and Rockport.  Longdale enjoys an unusually high population of gnomes, dwarves and halflings and most inns and merchants make certain to accommodate the wee folk.

b.  Renfall Village               A hamlet on the edge of the Thornswild Wood.  Ruled by Gomjol the Elder.

The starting home for the PC’s.  Once terrorized by a minotaur until the PC’s killed it.

                                                c.  The Thornswild Wood   Found in the northernmost reaches of Thire, Thornswild Wood was once a place of great druidic power.  In recent decades, though, the Thornswild has fallen on ill times.  The wicked vines that give the woods their name crawl about at will, hooking unfortunate creatures and feeding on their blood.  It is rumored that a site of great power remains somewhere within the woods, but few are willing to dare the narrow, thorn-lined trails.  In the very center of the wood rises a great stone spire, atop which lies the abandoned ruins of an ancient keep.  A thick, temperate forest that hides the lair of the minotaur terrorizing the village of Renfall.

                                                                1.  Citadel of the Beastmen                Found in the Thornswild Wood.  A towering spire of black basalt; former lair of the minotaur that terrorized Renfall Village.

                                                                2.  Lake of Mists                  Found in the Thornswild Wood.  The forest parts to reveal short cliffs descending to a lake shore.  The lake is perfectly still and preternaturally blue.  A thick gray mist hangs over the surface of the lake, obscuring sight beyond a few dozen yards.  If you watch the mists you seem them swirl and twist, forming gray figures in the mist – knights astride chargers, fierce dragons and magnificent castles.  Each shape holds for a moment before vanishing back into the swirling gray.  Out over the lake can be spotted the tops of fir trees, indicating an island in the mist.  At the base of the cliff rests an ancient stone dock.

                                                                                a.  Path of the Fae                The stone dock at the Lake of Mist is made from marbled stone that has been polished, cut, and expertly fit.  An empty stone brazier stands on either side of the dock.  Between the braziers, a staircase descends into the still waters.  The instant anyone steps onto the dock, the braziers flare to life, but give off no heat.  An inscription carved into the marble reads, “Warriors Sworn, Prophets True Seekers of Lore & Canting Crew: Never Stray From The Path” If you descend the staircase you may walk, suspended above the water, to the Isle in the Mist

b.  Isle in the Mist                This isle is small, scarcely a stone’s throw across at its widest, but the foliage is strangely lush and full.  The

tall fir trees make a sheltering canopy, and verdant moss and ferns carpet the rest of the isle.  Three mighty black obelisks stand in a crude circle in the center of the time-forgotten island. 

A beached longship is hidden in the rushes.  The hull of the ship has long since rotted out leaving only traces of the boat and a massive dragon-headed prow.  A human skeleton swabbed in embroidered cloth, rests where the hull once lay.  The skeleton clutches a massive masterwork greatsword with a silvered blade.  Those on the isle at dusk or dawn hear (and may be awakened by) laughter like the sound of silver bells.  Those investigating discover a sparkling silver bridge arching into the mist, leading to the Shrine of the Healer.  The Gloaming Bridge exists for only the 15 minutes prior to and following sunrise and sunset.  (Those spending more than 10 minutes on the island must make a DC 23 Fortitude save or fall into a powerful sleep lasting 1d6 hours.  Those who pass this slumber uninterrupted on the island awaken magically healed of 1d12 points of damage.  Those who sleep an entire 8 hours on the island are recipients of a bless spell (duration 6 hours.))

c.  Shrine of the Healer      Can only be reached via the Gloaming Bridge from the Isle in the Mist.  Two mossy statues stand in the

forest glade.  The first depicts a robed woman with braided hair and a garland of flowers; the second portrays a mighty unicorn.  The woman has a raised hand, holding a golden scythe.  The bloodthorn vine that pervades the rest of the forest is absent here, and the forest is healthy and verdant.

d.  The Trolltooth Peaks    Rising where the Ul Dominors approach the Lirean Sea, the Trolltooth Peaks are smaller than their northern cousins, but no less

inhospitable.  Sharp and craggy like their namesakes, the Trolltooths are home to savage orcs, goblins and many tribes of stone giants.

2.  Holdfast of the Steel Overlord, ruled by Longbeard of the Clans, Saraas Helsborne, The Steel Overlord from his capital at Ul Balhar.

Population: 3,001,480 (dwarves 79%, gnomes 8%, humans 7%, elves 2%, other 4%)

Resources: Gold, silver, platinum, gems, iron, steel, weapons and armor

With the ruins of forgotten clanholds and mines scattered about the mountains of the known world, scholars assume that the Bearded Folk of the Mountains are in decline, but the forges of the dwarf clans burn brighter than ever.

While independent clanholds still survive it is The Holdfast of the Steel Overlord that embodies the might of the dwarves.  Unified beneath the will of a single Overlord and the Council of the Clans, the dwarves have successfully avoided the endless skirmishes that plague the elves. 

The present Overlord is a hardy long-beard named Saraas Helsborne who first sat upon the throne one hundred years ago and fully expects to rule for another three hundred.

The choleric dwarves have embraced war as a philosophy and lifestyle; their guiding principle is to answer every injury or slight tenfold.  The saying goes that if a human cheats you in trade, crush his family; if an elf snubs you in court, burn her forest to the ground; and if any mortal is so foolish to attack a dwarf at home or abroad, level entire nations to punish the guilty.

The law is seldom enforced to the letter, but its spirit pervades Holdfast society.  Whereas a human duelist might count himself a master after a decade of training, dwarven warriors study for hundreds of years.  Their weapons, armor and tactics are all the result of thousands of years  of innovation and endless refinement.  Heroes of all races make regular pilgrimages to the Holdfast clans, hoping to apprentice with a renowned weapons master, for while the dwarven physique might limit the practice of certain combat styles, it in no way limits their study of warcraft.

The halls of Holdfast are open to all, but few races can tolerate the dark galleries, clammy mines and dour company for long. 

Dwarven cities are nearly entirely underground, hidden beneath mountaintops or in the walls of craggy canyons.  Exposed elements like towers and gates are always well defended and can only be entered via tunnels and the like.

*Here you may purchase Holdfast plate: breastplates, half-plate and full-plate masterwork armor that reduces the normal armor check penalty by -2 but costs 3 times as much as standard masterwork versions of the respective armor

                                                a.  Stalgard           Small city

Population 7,016 adults

Lording over the Saedre River, the city of Stalgard is the Holdfast’s chief trading post to the west.  Goods are hauled upstream on barges and then hoisted several hundred feet up sheer cliffs to wide stone balconies set in the face of Mount Ajai.  There, in the stuffy bazaars and low-roofed caverns, dwarven traders exchange fine blades, armor and shining ingots for fortunes of smoked meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables.  The dwarven traders are notorious for their copper-pinching avarice, and greedy northlanders are often accused of having “cousins in Stalgard.”

While well defended, the city is less martial than most.  Nevertheless dwarven axemen patrol the balconies and bazaars while well-trained artillerists scan the skies.  The accuracy of the dwarven ballistae teams is famous throughout the Northlands, as is the deadliness of their razor-sharp bolts.

                                                b.  Ul Dominor Mountains                  Home to the mighty Holdfast of the Steel Overlord, the Ul Dominor Mountains divide the Northlands in two.  The highest peaks in all the north, the Ul Dominors are covered with snow year-round.  Crossing the high peaks requires either dealing with the dour folk, or risking encounters with fell beasts that make their home in the mountaintop glaciers.

3.  Kingdom of Kalia, ruled by His Royal Majesty, King Taranax, Regent of the Far Horizon, Lord Admiral of the Open Sea, Et Cetera from his capital at Avenors.

Population: 610,780 (humans 73%, halflings 8%, half-elves 5%, elves 4%, dwarves 4%, half-orcs 3%, gnomes 2%, other 1%)

Resources: Trade goods

While small in landmass, the kingdom of Kalia is the undisputed master of the high seas.  Her sea captains have set foot on every known continent, bringing back tributes of gold and spices, as well as tales of danger and close escapes. 

The people of Kalia are wanderers, never satisfied with any one horizon.  The open sea is their constant companion, singing young children to sleep at night, and calling old men back into her dark embrace.  This mistress does not some without a price; every year dozens of ships are lost, smashed against hidden reefs, devoured by terrible sea monsters, or simply consumed by raging storms.  Every citizen of Kalia has a family member or friend who has died at sea, and every hamlet and town has a shrine dedicated to sailors lost to the depths.  The people of Kali a know that the sea cannot be conquered, but they also know that it shouldn’t be feared.

The nation is ruled by Olann Taranax, a dashing young king who always seems to have a dozen noble sycophants in tow.  The Taranax line is famous for their fetes and masked balls, and it is said that  Kalian who is not dancing, sailing or making love must be either drunk or – more likely – dead.

4.  Free City of Ternyziem, ruled by Turoch Mas, Overlord of Ternyziem, Master of the Endless Wastes from his capital at Ternyziem.

                Metropolis            100,000gp limit; 2,191,250,000gp total wealth; LN; magical power center

Captain of the Reavers  is an 18^th-level warrior. Highest level Bard = 18^th; Highest level Cleric = 18^th; highest level Druid = 18^th; Highest level Paladin = 15^th; Highest level Ranger = 14^th; Highest level wizard = 16th

Population: 438,250 adults, 87,650 children (humans 57%, half-elves 10%, half-orcs 8%, elves 7%, dwarves 7%, halflings 5%, gnomes 4%, other 2%)

Resources: Timber, copper, furs

Known as The City at the End of the World, The Free City of Ternyziem stands sentry over the Frost Barrens amid snowbound forests and white-capped fjords.  Sharp-eyed archers stand atop the city’s high towers, alongside mighty siege weapons.  The skulls of remorhazes, white dragons, frost worms, and worse ring the battered towers.

                The men and women of Ternyziem revel in the dangers associated with the City at the End of the World and few – if any – of the Free City’s populace travel without at least a spear or fighting dagger at their side.

                Many of Ternyziem’s citizens actually hale from the north.  The Free City has a fluid population of savage barbarians. 

                There is mention of a society of Wizards and Sorcerers called The Sightless.  The group has no formal name but is known by the cult’s practice of blinding its members.  Local tales hold that by giving up physical sight in elaborate rituals, the Sightless gain “inner sight,” but the order is so secretive – and the rituals so bizarre, that the truth of these claims has not been independently established.

                Ternyziem is defended by the Reavers, a ragtag company of motley soldiers and rogues.  Despite their lack of formal organization and any sort of uniform whatsoever, the Reavers take great pride n the defense of Ternyziem and the nearby realms.  They have devoted themselves to the service of the common citizens.  It is not uncommon to see a burly, hide-armored barbarian, great sword slung over his shoulder, stopping to check in on a shepherd’s flock, or helping to repair a wall.

                Ternyziem’s present ruler is Turoch Mas, an enormous bear of a man.  His belly is a little larger than when he was younger but he still carries a mighty bastard sword over his shoulder and they say he is the first to the wall when terrors threaten the Free City.

                                                a.  Frost Barrens The sweep of icy tundra and stunted pines known as the Frost Barrens is a place without mercy or pity.  Thos eventuring into the Frost Barrens forgo the assumptions of civilization, giving themselves over to the savage rule of the wild.  Remorhazes, white dragons, and frost worms are masters of the tundra, and all others simply struggle to survive in their shadow.  The frozen remnants of failed expeditions dot the icy tundra, a testament to the brutal, unforgiving nature of the Barrens and its denizens.

                Traders report of encountering fire witches who make their hovels in forlorn ice caves and muddy huts.  Tales speak of the fires maintained by the witches, who claim that heir wards have burned since the beginning of time.

                                                b.  Kyarovsk          Village    200gp limit; 4,800gp total wealth; LG; conventional  power center

Population 480 adults, 192 children

Sherriff  is a 1st-level warrior. Highest level Bard = none; Highest level Cleric = 3rd; highest level Druid = 1st; Highest level Paladin = 2nd; Highest level Ranger = none; Highest level wizard = 2nd

Kyarovsk is typical of the half-dozen or so outlying towns that pay allegiance to the Free City.  It is a hard life, living in the frozen North, and the village’s trappers and traders are a rowdy crew.  Law and courtesy carries little weight here and every man (and the rare woman) is expected to be bale to take care of himself.

5.  Kingdom of Uthur, ruled by His Most Royal Majesty, King Rolward, First Knight of Uthur from his capital at Talisade.

Population: 338,910 (humans 67%, dwarves 10%, half-elves 9%, half-orcs 5%, elves 4%, other 5%)

Resources: Timber, silver, gems

The Kingdom of Uthur is blessed with abundant natural resources, but this wealth comes at a price.  The threat of goblinoids has forced good king Rolward to rely heavily on dwarven mercenaries to augment his own armies. 

                                                a.  Stagdale           Small town

Population 1,933 adults

Standing within bowshot of the Amn’Crith Forest, Stagdale has always been regarded as a simple trading post and waystation for timber merchants on their way to Crieste.  That changed when a group of woodcutters returned with a slim metal disk roughly the size of shield and covered in glowing runes.  Curiously the disk bore no signs of age, as if it had been forged and enchanted the day before.

Four of the disks have been found in the woods now and the elders of Stagdale have begun acting strangely and often spend their nights in secret council.  Members of the Ordo Arcana have been seen about the town, but the mystery of Stagdale remains unsolved.

                                                b.  Talisade            Large town

Population 4,154 adults

Capital city of the Kingdom of Uthur.  Talisade sits on the hillside beneath the watchful eye of Castle Oakthorn, home to King Rolward and his family.  The people of Talisade are simple, hard working peasants and craftspeople; loyal to their king and country, and the town prospers as a result of their labors.

Talisade is also home to the League of the Rook, a loose association of heroes working towards the betterment of Uthur and the Northlands.  Members of the League can be recognized by the onyx raven pins they carry pinned to the inside of their cloaks or to the pommels of their weapons, but bards tell of Rooks forsaking the pins to operate in secret.

Every winter the town of Talisade hosts Frostfall, a weeklong tournament devoted to tests of strength and martial skill, culminating in a joust attended by the finest knights of the Northlands.  The winner of the tournament is awarded a silver lance and shield, and often an invitation to serve in the king’s elite guard.  The tournament is regarded as a proving ground for young warriors, and warriors who comport themselves well can expect to be courted by royal emissaries offering prestigious appointments in the armies of Crieste, the Theocracy of the Lance, or even distant Koranth.

6.  Baronies of the Warlands, ruled by various barons, from capitals that vary by ruler.

Population: 310,780 (humans 67%, half-elves 9%, half-orcs 7%, dwarves 5%, elves 3%, gnomes 2%, halflings 2%, other 5%)

Resources: Sporadic at best

One hundred years ago, the rolling plains and rich steppes of the warlands were a part of the Barony of Valsund, mightiest of the northern kingdoms.  But with the unexpected death of King Jarregut the Great, the kingdom passed on to his five children.

Unable to decide upon a single ruler, the siblings fell into bickering that quickly escalated to outright war.  Divided by suspicion and greed, no one sibling was strong enough to best al four others, and Vaslund descended into ferocious infighting known as the War of Barons.  Today, the glory of Vaslund is a faded memory, replaced by the five fragmented baronies and their endless conflict.

Every spring brings a new season of struggle.  The barons have learned to fight for small, strategic gains, and most battles are waged for control of cities and key bridges and fortresses.  The same knights face off year after year, developing bitter rivalries that spill into subsequent generations.  A warrior code has evolved over the decades of conflict, dictating the rules of war, surrender and ransom.  To foreign dignitaries the Code seems to make little or no sense, but any child of the Warlands knows its rules by heart.  Of course, these customs apply only to those of noble birth; for the common spearman, the wars are as deadly and costly as any other.

                                                a.  Araduin            Metropolis led by Cedric Erewulf the Wyrmbane

Population 49,067 adults

Araduin is a sprawling city-state that has more than doubled in size since the beginning of the war.  The city is surrounded by a tent city of several thousand refugees.  While the original citizens of Araduin cling to their old ways, those outside the walls of the city scratch out their days in forced squalor.  The stark differences have fed a growing unease on both sides of the walls, which, in turn, has fed the rise of fixers, smugglers and neighborhood bosses.

Araduin’s heavy cavalry are knights of legend, one thousand strong.  When the knights assemble on the high plains, plate armor and lances shining in the dawn light, even the most jaded warrior is given pause.  Each knight is attended by at least one squire.

The master of Araduin and her armies is the great chevalier-paladin Cedric Erwulf the Wyrmbane.  A holy warrior in the prime of his life, none can fault the lord-baron of rhis personal honor or courage.

                                                b.  Celinost            Metropolis with no ruler

Population 10,720 adults

Celinost is a barony without a baron. The last ruler, Baronness Haelynn, the Silver Lady, vanished two years ago and is presumed dead.  In her absence, the metropolis has dwindled to a third of its original size.  With no ruler to take the Lady’s place, the barony has been left defenseless against its enemies.  Many of the nation’s generals have already left to join the army of Araduin or Morcaut and the warriors that remain loyal are few.

Most of the people of Celinost have fled for other lands, reducing the communities surrounding the City of Celinost to mere ghost towns.

                                                c.  Kolheim River                 The Kolhiem River wends its way through the Warlands, feeding Raxem Lake before joining its sisters, the Saedre and Chaelti Rivers.  The river’s banks run high late into spring, often delaying invasions from competing baronies.  “With Kolheim’s blessing” is a black prayer commonly uttered by rogues scheming violent plots.

.                                               d.  Morcaut            Metropolis ruled by Baron Mrir, the Demon Son of Morcaut

Population 31,813 adults

Second largest of the baronies, Morcaut is a barony of sullen, broken-spirited serfs and cunning nobles.  Morcaut is infamous for her peoples’ cruelty and ruthless spite.

Morcaut is ruled by Baron Mrir, also known as the Demon Son of Morcaut, a rogue unfettered by morals or qualms of conscience.  While rumors surface annually of demon blood running in the Mrir line, most sages agree that the current baron is nothing more than a heartless young noble with a gift for brutality.  Unfortunately for the people of Morcaut, their ruler also possesses a brilliant intellect nearly unmatched in the Northalnds.

He is a young man of no more than twenty winters, with unmarred, pale skin and raven black hair.  Mrir has a slender build, and while he is seldom seen on the field of battle, the young lord trains incessantly with the longsword and fencing dagger, and is a mater of the art of two-weapon fighting. Rumor holds that the baron keeps captured criminals (and heroes) in the dungeons beneath Morcaut, and uses the unfortunate souls as dueling partners.  If true, and his unmarked skin is any evidence, the Baron of Morcaut has never lost a duel.

                                                e.  The Raxem       The Raxem marks the southernmost reaches of the Warlands, where the baronies brush up against the realm of the Mountain King.  The lake is reputed to conceal ancient vaults beneath its dark waters, but a profusion of giant water serpents and tentacled horrors protect the Raxem’s secrets.

                                                f.  Saedre River    The Saedre River cuts across the western Northlands, meeting the mighty Chaelti and  Kolheim before plunging down the Black Gorge and into the Straits of Ymtal.  The river marks the southern boundaries of the Wilds; those venturing across the north shore are courageous, mad, or foolhardy in the extreme.

7.  Free City of Wildsgate, ruled by Kaldal Aborn, Baron of Wildsgate.

Population: 2,100 (humans 67%, half-elves 9%, dwarves 8%, half-orcs 5%, elves 5%, gnomes 3%, halflings 3%)

Resources: Grain, lumber, furs, trade

Wildsgate is held to be a bastion of civilization in a savage frontier.  It boasts stone walls, docks, and a towering citadel that offers a view of the land for miles in every direction, but all are unfinished and raw.  The fortress is not a safe town or a pleasant city, but a citadel surrounded by a savage wilderness.  The people of Wildsgate live every day to its fullest, knowing full well that it might be their last.

The present baron of Wildsgate, Kaldal Aborn, is the last of the original line, a young man struck down by the “curse of Wulfrun.”  Sickly and pale, Kaldal hovers on death’s door.  All decisions are handed down by the Baron’s seneschal, the cruel half-elf Sodersund.