In the minds of most people you'll talk to, there is only one world, "the world." It's big. Big enough for everything that needs to go on ... right? Well, maybe not. But most people don't have any experience with anything outside it, whether in space, in alternate realities, or on other planes of existence entirely.
It's big; it's old; it's the Kingdom of Mirrhenia. Currently ruled by King Aethelred VII, the various parts of Mirrhenia stretch from the northern ocean to the mid-continent mountains, and from the Disputed Territories and the as-yet-unnamed high-elven nation in the west to the wild lands of the east. The King has several sons, so it's likely there will be an Aethelred VIII one day.
Ranging from about directly west of Mirrhenia south to the mountains is a region that has for the last few centuries been fought over by various warlords. Mirrhenia would prefer to stabilize this region, since the fighting sometimes spills over the border, and the kingdom has tried sending in troops in the past, but at the moment the policy seems to be sort of an "I give up; you maniacs can all kill each other for all I care" thing. Mirrhenia's troops guard their border but don't interfere. There are about eight warlords at the moment, each with his/her territory and followers, but the only one with any detail is Lorvis the Ruthless. No one is sure whether it was true love or political convenience, but about 25 years ago Lorvis married Liana, an elven druidic priestess, and as a result he has a treaty with the sylvan elves of the forests. Lorvis protects the forests, and the elves support him, though some say the elves shouldn't trust Lorvis to protect them any more than is convenient for him, and some say the same about the elves. At any rate, Lorvis' territory is probably the most stable of any of the warlords' domains and has been for about 25 years. Lorvis and Liana have one half-elven daughter.
Nestled against the mountains to the south of the Disputed Territories and extending northwestward, the not-well-named forests have been inhabited by the sylvan elves for thousands of years, and they're not about to let any two-bit human warlords expand into their domain, especially when the elves can typically shoot a human dead before he even knows they're around. They are probably slightly more trusting of the warlord Lorvis and his people, since he has been married to Liana the elven priestess for the past 25 years and has done a pretty good job of keeping the other warlords out of the elven forests.
The sylvan elves are big on nature worship and druidic ritual. They revere all the elven deities, but worship Aerdrie Faenya and Solonor Thelandira primarily. Some pay their respects to Ehlonna and Obad-Hai as well.
All sylvan elves belong to a clan and a society -- the clan is familial, but elves will change society over the course of their lives, first at coming-of-age and again at death, and though they may change their society in between, this is rare, and it is considered tantamount to dying and being reborn. Clans have territory, while societies have duties such as supporting the druidic circles, the sentinels or the bowyers and fletchers, and thus an individual elf may be the best archer in the forest but have to sweep the floor of the druids' library because of society duties. The elders of clans and the leaders of societies will come together when necessary and make decisions for the people as a whole.
OK, as we get into lands even farther from where the campaign has ever gone, the detail gets even more sketchy. Umm, high elves live here. It's north to northwest of the Disputed Territories and borders Mirrhenia on the east. The warlords of the Disputed Territories have occasionally tried to take land away from the high elves, but they have always regretted it for the rest of their lives, which usually isn't very long. The elves are resigned to the fact that they must teach these uncivilized humans an object lesson every century or so. They are more favorably inclined toward Mirrhenia, which seems to behave in a civilized manner for the most part.
The high elves respect all the elven deities, but especially worship Corellon Larethian and Labelas Enoreth, whose blessings they enjoy.
East of Mirrhenia there is territory that is difficult or impossible for the kingdom to hold -- there is jungle, desert, rocky badlands, or monster-infested territory -- nobody lives there, so there isn't much to protect. Beyond these lie the Free Cities, small city-states that haven't been conquered by anybody and are generally too weak or too far apart to conquer each other. The populations of the Free Cities tend to be mostly human but with significant populations of other races.
Known for its textiles, jewelry and perfume, Qadim sits in the middle of a relatively small fertile region in the corner formed by the meeting of two mountain ranges. To the south is a pass over the mountains that allows trade with the Avernus Forest and Albar. The dwarven nation of Darakh-Habol lies somewhere in the southern mountains, and the people of Qadim trade with the dwarves for gems and precious metals with which to make their jewelry.
Before the Great Cataclysm, about 5000 years ago, the great city of Thalassia stood astride the waves. Located on a peninsula that protruded northward from the eastern part of the Southern Continent, Thalassia was a massive center of seagoing trade. The city's buildings and streets were laid out in the form of a wheel with twelve spokes, often called the Wheel of Thalassia, and at the hub of the wheel lay the white Dome of Wisdom, from which the mage-kings ruled.
When the Cataclysm came the oceans rose in anger against the shores and their cities, but for a time the greatest wizards of Thalassia kept the seas at bay, combining their powers to preserve their city. But then the earth began to shake as well, and some of the wizards began to fear and fled. The remaining mages were unable to preserve the city from both threats, especially in diminished numbers, and the city fell, sinking beneath the waves.
Those who fled founded a new city on what became the new shoreline: New Thalassia, though the name has become corrupted to Natassa over the millennia. Built on a bluff overlooking the ocean, New Thalassia was an attempt to preserve the glory of Thalassia. The attempt was only partially successful. Natassa is sometimes called "The Broken Wheel" because the layout of its streets only incompletely resembles the perfect twelve-spoked wheel of Thalassia. It is still known for its magocracy; the Thalassian Order is one of the finest wizards' guilds in the world. Natassa has become almost as prosperous a port city as its predecessor was in ages past.
Until recently Cynidecia was a lost city of legend in the middle of a desert. The desert between Mirrhenia and Qadim wasn't always a desert, some stories say -- it was the fertile land of Cynidecia, until they turned from worshipping their ancient protector deities, and the land was cursed. Apparently the Cynidecians lived underground for over a thousand years, because now they are back and are working to restore the fertility of their land. Some small trade has begun between Cynidecia and its neighbors (Mirrhenia and Qadim), but it may only be a matter of time before Mirrhenia makes a move to absorb Cynidecia as a subordinate state. Qadim is certainly not in favor of this, since if Cynidecia became a province of Mirrhenia, it is likely that Qadim would be next. It is Cynidecian fashion to wear masks, usually related to which of the three Cynidecian deities one follows, though they usually respect all three.
Beneath the extreme eastern end of the central barrier mountain range is the dwarven kingdom of Darakh-Habol, the largest dwarven nation in the world. Its extent is not commonly known. The dwarves constantly fight off the orcs, goblins and worse that attempt to encroach on their territory, and as more veins are mined out the dwarves must expand, outward and downward, and whenever they expand they have to fight. Fortunately, dwarves are generally excellent fighters.
The dwarves of Darakh-Habol trade for food and interesting beverages with the various peoples of Qadim, who make their famous jewelry from the dwarven gold, silver and gemstones.
South of Qadim and its mountain pass lies the large Avernus Forest. Most people follow the road that skirts the northern part of the forest and heads west toward Albar. Some go around the forest to the west so they can reach the southern part of the forest. The reason?
The northern part of the forest is inhabited by sprites and pixies. The sylvan folk are very fond of playing tricks to make travelers lose their way, and some of them are not very concerned about whether the travelers ever find their way out of the forest. It's a dangerous place to be unless you can come to some sort of understanding with them. Just hope it's not an understanding that involves you being their slave for seven years.
The southern part, however, is inhabited by centaurs and satyrs. The centaurs cultivate crops in some regions of the forest, and of course they and the satyrs both hunt and fish. The centaurs make an ale that is known the world over -- though ale production was in decline over the past decade or so, it seems to be coming back again. The centaurs trade their ale and animal hides for whatever they can't make themselves out of the raw materials found in the forest -- metal tools and weapons, books, sometimes news. The satyrs don't do an awful lot other than hunt, fish and, er, frolic.
Call me what you will, just don't call me late for tea. Albar is a mostly-human kingdom south of the mountains and west of the Avernus Forest. Its capital is Exeter, and I can't remember the name of the king right now; I should look it up in my notes.
A mountain spur juts out from the northern mountains, and atop it, some legends say, is the ancient city of the Dragon Giants, a nasty bunch that heroes of old fought. Two centuries or so ago Prince Worthington took an army and his magic sword Desiderius up there and was killed by a bolt of lightning. Now they're saying that Desiderius has been found and there's some kind of ancient city up there, but nobody lives there except the sages who have come to study it. Whatever it may be, the legendary city of Oquesmi-Tungiz has intrigued generations.
Albar's fortunes went into a bit of a decline for a decade or so there, though some say those days are over, what with the discovery of the impostor who was acting as Chancellor and whispering in the old king's ear. The finding of Desiderius could be a good sign as well.
West of Albar is a land occupied by numerous clans of lizardfolk. They constantly engage in ritual combat to see who will be clan-chief and which clan will rule. They're not much of a threat to anyone, since they're very busy fighting each other. It is said that in times of old they worshipped the Dragon Giants as gods.
Nobody goes in and nobody comes out. The mysterious land of Aub is probably populated by humans; all anybody sees are the strange robed figures at the borders (that's probably chainmail under those robes, too). They seem to be religious fanatics who worship some being they call "The One," and that's about all anybody seems to know. They're south of the Avernus Forest and east of Euloë.
Ages ago, when the elves were journeying across the Southern Continent, a number of them formed villages in this region, south of what is now Albar. As time went by more elves gathered here, and they became known as the grey elves. They are almost treated as outsiders by the other subraces of elves because of their long separation, and this is not helped by the fact that the grey elves are more open to contact with the humans and other races. The elves of Euloë are ruled by a queen and live in villages and towns.
North of the Cynidecian desert, the land turns into rocky monster-inhabited badlands, and then finally into jungle. This land has its name for a number of reasons. There is a strange group of gnomes that live here and call themselves the Bloodfire Gnomes; gnobody gnows why. There are also wild elves living in the jungles; they worship a goddess named Aerdiya, whose name may be a corruption of Aerdrie Faenya, and have forgotten the rest of the elven gods. They sacrifice to Aerdiya by shedding their blood on leaves, showing their devotion, and burning the leaves, sending their sacrifice to the goddess of the air.
And how could I forget the volcano? In the center of this jungle region is an active volcano that many call "the Grey Beldam" because of the continuous plume of steam that flies from its summit. It is said that fire giants live in caves under the mountain.
The jungles are full of monsters, too, strange hybrid creatures that exist nowhere else in the world. The fire giants enjoy going out into the jungle and hunting them, or so the story goes.
Named after the dynasty that has been in power here for centuries, the nation of Sung is the largest (and possibly the only) human kingdom on the Northeast Continent. We have had only one character ever come from this land; it seems less common for people to travel to the Southern Continent from Sung than from Su Dzien-Sho. The feel of the place is meant to be like an ancient, mythological China.
I am basically hoping the name of this country doesn't mean anything bad in any Asian language. Consisting of two large and numerous smaller islands off the coast of the Northeast Continent, Su Dzien-Sho is meant to resemble feudal Japan. There is regular trade between this land and the Southern Continent -- not extremely frequent, but regular.
Not much is known about the Northwest Continent. It is said there are giants there.
Humans live more or less everywhere, although there are lands where they are less welcome. The Great Kingdom of Mirrhenia is ruled by humans, as are the kingdom of Albar, the various Warlord Territories, and the Free Cities of Natassa and Qadim.
It isn't frequently stated, but the nearer to the Equator the people live, the darker their skin is likely to be. Not that it matters. The mage-kings of Thalassia, for example, were probably very dark-skinned, and their descendents in Natassa still look quite similar.
In terms of physical appearance, we would say they look like Asians. It is obvious to humans of the Southern Continent when they see a human from the Northeastern Continent, and vice versa.
They are a wandering people, traveling entertainers, herbalists, handymen, beggars, and sometimes pickpockets and thieves. They will usually not stoop to robbery. The Vagari are a close-knit people and will usually not lie to or steal from another Vagari. Those who were not raised Vagari are rarely admitted into their society. Vagari make good rogues and bards, although wizards and sorcerers are not unknown among them. Their religious beliefs have not really been explored, so they may have clerics. It seems they are found only (or at least mostly) on the Southern Continent.
The original homeland of the elven people is now sunk beneath the ocean. Over 5000 years, they have changed. Some elves have wandered the land and settled in forest or jungle; others have formed new nations; others may have journeyed deep underground.
The elves are divided into subraces, each quite different from the others, and so they have a tendency to see other races through the same lens. If one group of humans behaves differently from another group, the elves will tend to stereotype. And knowing how long elves live, those stereotypes and prejudices can last a long time.
Considering themselves to be the standard-bearers for elven wisdom and civilization, the high elves live as near as they can to their ancient homeland without going swimming. They are the longest-lived of the elven peoples and have the best wizards. They also have the most superior attitude.
These elves went back to nature and live in trees in the forests west of Mirrhenia. Their archery and guerrilla combat are truly fearsome. They have the best druids of any elven subrace.
These are the elves who settled down and formed nations. They are the friendliest with humans, as they have the most in common with them. Grey elves have the second most powerful wizards and the most powerful fighters in elvenkind.
Talk about going back to nature! These elves have reverted to a primitive state and know little about their wise, highly-civilized past. This is not to say, however, that they are not wise in their own way. The Land of Blood and Fire has its contingent of wild elves living in its jungles. They have powerful shamans.
Some elves just couldn't leave the old neighborhood. A little magic and a little evolution and they developed the ability to live underwater. They dwell in the ocean in the vicinity of the ancient elven homeland, but are too reverent about the spirits of the dead to actually live there. They probably have the best clerics.
Some stories say that there were elves who journeyed deep into the earth, and that their curiosity awakened ancient evils that changed them. Nobody has ever seen a Drow Elf -- nobody who is still alive, at least. We haven't dealt with them in any adventures so far, but they may be out there (or down there).
The dwarves enjoy mining and working stone and metal. It's good that they enjoy it, because they are very good at it. Other than the large dwarven nation of Darakh-Habol, dwarves can be found mining metals or forging weapons and armor (or, of course, less warlike but no less necessary metal implements) in many parts of the world. The Darakh-Habol dwarves have quite a varied civilization; a character could be a dwarven ranger, adept at cave combat against underground creatures, or a dwarven skald (bard), knowing all the sagas and epics of the heroes of legend and making new ones about the heroes of today, or a cleric of Moradin or Clanggedin, praying prayers of battle against subterranean enemies.
I could go on and on. Dwarves can be quite varied, but they're not divided into subraces as the elves are. There are degenerate offshoots such as the derro, and magical dwarflike outsiders such as the azers, but for the most part dwarves are dwarves.
Halflings live just about everywhere, in numbers as small as family groups or as large as small towns. They build houses or dig holes into hills and make themselves comfortable. They tend to have an agrarian way of life. There really aren't any halfling kingdoms per se, although there may be a halfling homeland on the Northeastern Continent.
There are gno gnown gnomish (somebody stop me) kingdoms so far in this campaign. However, there are significant gnome populations in many cities, especially the Free Cities. Sometimes gnomes are found near where dwarves are mining, because they like to make things out of the metals the dwarves find. Speaking personally, I have a hard time getting a handle on gnomes; their archetype isn't all that clear to me. Perhaps that's because D&D is so strongly patterned after The Lord of the Rings, and there aren't any gnomes in Tolkien. If a player wanted to play a gnome, I would love to sit down for a while and talk about how that player saw gnomes in general, so I could work out a stronger role for them in the campaign world.
They live in the Land of Blood and Fire, and they are one of the reasons why it's called that. Of course, they're not talking about why they're called Bloodfire Gnomes, but then gnomes have their secrets, don't they? The Bloodfire Gnomes, it is said, study the secrets of life itself, and as a result they have many plants and animals that they have adapted to their needs. As another result, they tend to create weird hybrid monsters that they then set loose in the jungle, usually to be slain by the wild elves as an abomination, or to be hunted down by the fire giants. All that study of magic and biology has got to lead to some special things they know how to do, but of course they're not going to tell you what. (If you want to play one, let me know and I'll tell you.)
All pages copyright © 1997-2004 Thomas J. Lee.