Crucible
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The majority of orcish trade exports go to the kobolds, in exchange for weapons and minerals that the orcish lands are poor in. They grudgingly maintain trade with dwarves as well. Elves have little to offer the orcs, who hold an ancestral grudge against them. Orcs are perhaps the only race to dislike the gnomes, seeing them as little different from elves, and thus suspicious at best. As the only nation that does not border human lands, orcs are largely indifferent towards them; they see humans as hardy, resourceful, and dependable, and will often hire them as sailors. | The majority of orcish trade exports go to the kobolds, in exchange for weapons and minerals that the orcish lands are poor in. They grudgingly maintain trade with dwarves as well. Elves have little to offer the orcs, who hold an ancestral grudge against them. Orcs are perhaps the only race to dislike the gnomes, seeing them as little different from elves, and thus suspicious at best. As the only nation that does not border human lands, orcs are largely indifferent towards them; they see humans as hardy, resourceful, and dependable, and will often hire them as sailors. | ||
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| + | ====Adventuring in the Great Host==== | ||
| + | By the most part, the Host is too well policed and too far from the frontier to experience many problems that can be solved by violence. Due to the age of local settlements, it is one of the few places where one can actually expect to find abandoned ruins - fortifications destroyed or fallen into disuse after shifting borders, or testing facilities abandoned by the army and not covered up well enough. Nearer the Greyjaws, where mines bite deep into the earth and lumberjacks mow down forests, it is possible to find rampaging primordials awakened from their slumber. To the west, nearer the border with Brinkwood, escaped feral elves sometimes threaten the populace. | ||
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| + | The one place in Host lands where adventurers can distinguish themselves is further south along the shore of the Inner Sea, where the Host has expanded to cut dwarves off from the sea. The large distance from the orc heartland makes it difficult to provide consistent supplies and reinforcements to the area. Supply lines both by sea and along the narrow strip of land that separates the Deeplands and Windgrove from the shore are constantly being raided by pirates, bandits, and the occasional monster wandering in through Windgrove. Many of the locals are of the opinion that the Host has overextended its push into the frontier lands, as the lack of supplies often means that the authorities cannot even pay those adventurers that come to their rescue. | ||
===Spearpoint=== | ===Spearpoint=== | ||
Jutting out above the Inner Sea, the 200-year-old orc fortress of Spearpoint stands at the tip of the eponymous peninsula, and is considered the oldest settlement in the world. It is practically the symbol of the Great Host, as orcs all over know it for its history and significance to orc culture, and others are treated to a sight of its mighty walls as they sail into port. Orcish coins are stamped with the image of Spearpoint, so that even those who have never seen it in person at least know what it looks like. Since its original construction, repairs and additions have greatly expanded the fortress. The original site is now surrounded by three walls, each named after the marshal who commissioned it. | Jutting out above the Inner Sea, the 200-year-old orc fortress of Spearpoint stands at the tip of the eponymous peninsula, and is considered the oldest settlement in the world. It is practically the symbol of the Great Host, as orcs all over know it for its history and significance to orc culture, and others are treated to a sight of its mighty walls as they sail into port. Orcish coins are stamped with the image of Spearpoint, so that even those who have never seen it in person at least know what it looks like. Since its original construction, repairs and additions have greatly expanded the fortress. The original site is now surrounded by three walls, each named after the marshal who commissioned it. | ||
| - | The outer wall, separating adjoining farmland, peasant dwellings, and slums from the merchant quarter and docks, cannot be seen from the sea, because it does not go around all the way. This was a calculated effect, as the wall is made of wood due to its great length, which would have made other materials more expensive. While it is constantly patrolled by guards, fires from the slums occasionally set sections of the wall alight, and as a result, there is usually at least one section of this wall that is under repair at any given time. Officially named after the late Marshal Rasheg, this wall is colloquially known as the Warning Wall - both for the heavy guard presence here that warns would-be criminals of the rule of law, and the head spikes mounted above each gate for more serious offenders. The zone beyond is named the Golden Ring, for its mercantile activity. | + | The outer wall, separating adjoining farmland, peasant dwellings, and slums from the merchant quarter and docks, cannot be seen from the sea, because it does not go around all the way. This was a calculated effect, as the wall is made of wood due to its great length, which would have made other materials more expensive. While it is constantly patrolled by guards, fires from the slums occasionally set sections of the wall alight, and as a result, there is usually at least one section of this wall that is under repair at any given time. Officially named after the late Marshal Rasheg, this wall is colloquially known as the Warning Wall - both for the heavy guard presence here that warns would-be criminals of the rule of law, and the head spikes mounted above each gate for more serious offenders. The zone beyond is named the Golden Ring, for its mercantile activity. |
The middle wall is made of white stone, beyond which lie the barracks of soldiers, training grounds, armories, and other army installations. Outsiders are rarely permitted here without an escort, though during tournaments, melees, and other such events, all are welcome to attend or even try their luck and fight. Citizens (though not foreigners) are permitted into the stables, which double as a zoo and contain many exotic mounts, monsters bred for fighting, and dangerous beasts used for miscellaneous purposes. The white wall is named after Marshal Algarak, and the section it surrounds is known as the Steel Ring. | The middle wall is made of white stone, beyond which lie the barracks of soldiers, training grounds, armories, and other army installations. Outsiders are rarely permitted here without an escort, though during tournaments, melees, and other such events, all are welcome to attend or even try their luck and fight. Citizens (though not foreigners) are permitted into the stables, which double as a zoo and contain many exotic mounts, monsters bred for fighting, and dangerous beasts used for miscellaneous purposes. The white wall is named after Marshal Algarak, and the section it surrounds is known as the Steel Ring. | ||
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Currently, the orcs are constructing a fourth wall, meant to encompass the slums. Officially for protection, it is well known that the new wall is supposed to stop trafficking of contraband into the city. | Currently, the orcs are constructing a fourth wall, meant to encompass the slums. Officially for protection, it is well known that the new wall is supposed to stop trafficking of contraband into the city. | ||
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| + | ====Adventuring in Spearpoint==== | ||
| + | The sheer weight of military presence makes crime beyond Algarak's Wall a non-issue; while there are investigations into corruption and the occasional tribunal for dereliction of duty, the orcs don't let outsiders participate, or even gather evidence. The only exception is when an envoy of another nation is the victim of a crime, in which case that nation is usually permitted a small contingent to work with the local investigators. Since these affairs are mostly paperwork, nobody really tries to help except some particularly misguided gnomes. | ||
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| + | The Golden Ring and slums, though, are rife with smuggling activity, as merchants are unwilling to pay the steep tariffs levied on goods that pass through Rasheg's Wall. There are many rival trafficking gangs, each with their own secret tunnels, guardsmen on the take, and unhinged dwarven artificers trying to knock together a device for passing through walls or flying over them or some such. The thieves of Spearpoint may not all be the best at thieving, but the ones that are still alive are definitely the best at not being caught. These smuggling gangs also invest heavily in enforcers who tactfully remind merchants about their debts, and duke it out with other gangs over territory and clients. While the guards may be able to keep roads into the city secure, few dare to dwell into the deeper portions of the slums. | ||
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| + | Dock workers have their share of trouble, too - both with the smugglers and with various nasty beasties that roam the Inner Sea. Though sahuagin rarely make attacks on population centres, the large concentration of fish on the docks makes them a tempting target for aquatic beasts up to and including krakens. Young and reckless orcs often buy fish by the boatload and take it back out into the ocean in an attempt to lure out one of these leviathans and then defeat it. | ||
==Tusk Islands (Orcs)== | ==Tusk Islands (Orcs)== | ||
In addition to the contiguous territory controlled by the Host, it also claims the Tusk Islands, a chain of nine islands that defines the boundary of the Inner Sea to the east. Gradual expansion has added small areas on both continents to the Tusks, as the colonies are informally known. Each island is ruled by a knight-captain of the Host, who must pay an annual tithe of goods to the high marshal, as a demonstration of administrative competence, in order to retain the position. Unlike all other high ranks in the Host, other races have earned the rank of knight-captain in the past, mostly human sailors or mercenaries taking the initiative after their employers were killed or abandoned their posts. Most Tuskers (permanent residents of the Tusk Islands) consider themselves a separate nation and people from the far-off Great Host. | In addition to the contiguous territory controlled by the Host, it also claims the Tusk Islands, a chain of nine islands that defines the boundary of the Inner Sea to the east. Gradual expansion has added small areas on both continents to the Tusks, as the colonies are informally known. Each island is ruled by a knight-captain of the Host, who must pay an annual tithe of goods to the high marshal, as a demonstration of administrative competence, in order to retain the position. Unlike all other high ranks in the Host, other races have earned the rank of knight-captain in the past, mostly human sailors or mercenaries taking the initiative after their employers were killed or abandoned their posts. Most Tuskers (permanent residents of the Tusk Islands) consider themselves a separate nation and people from the far-off Great Host. | ||
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| + | ====Adventuring in the Tusks==== | ||
| + | Remote and surrounded by the sea, the Tusks are not a place for the weak to gather. To the north, giants are a constant problem - though they are often friendly with the orcs, these relations are often fragile. To the south, continental monsters are always a threat, and along the islands themselves, sahuagin raiders are never far away. The need for powerful warriors is so pronounced that many sea captains, when given the choice between hiring sailors or paying more for brutes that wouldn't recognize a main-mast unless you nailed a goblin heart to it, will always choose the latter. Law in the Tusks is more often than not the will of the man with the most swords. That man is usually the knight-captain in charge, but not always, especially when some of those brutes come into port. | ||
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==The Deeplands (Dwarves)== | ==The Deeplands (Dwarves)== | ||
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Though the populations of dwarven strongholds have a low opinion of kobolds and orcs, their historical enemies, trader dwarves have let bygones be bygones. Gnomes and elves, with their decentralized and “primitive” lifestyles, have very little to offer to the dwarven culture. Dwarves dislike humans the least of all the great races, though the mountain range separating their lands makes any military assistance unlikely.<br> | Though the populations of dwarven strongholds have a low opinion of kobolds and orcs, their historical enemies, trader dwarves have let bygones be bygones. Gnomes and elves, with their decentralized and “primitive” lifestyles, have very little to offer to the dwarven culture. Dwarves dislike humans the least of all the great races, though the mountain range separating their lands makes any military assistance unlikely.<br> | ||
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| + | ====Adventuring in the Deeplands==== | ||
| + | There is no shortage of artificers wanting to test out some golem or explosive in the Deeplands, which creates a reliable market for well-armed "research assistants". All the mining going on is also a surefire way to enrage some earth primordials, and the mountainous region combined with a high concentration of gold mines attracts dragons like few other things can. The Deeplands do not have a large frontier territory, but the insular dwarves very rarely bother to scout it, and will often delegate it to either adventurers or their machines (which sometimes go rogue and need to be put down). Their absent-mindedness and propensity for experimenting often results in magical caches and laboratories being abandoned to the elements without so much as putting up a warning sign...which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on who you ask. | ||
==Brinkwood (Elves)== | ==Brinkwood (Elves)== | ||
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As they do not need to eat, elves never went through the hunter-gatherer stages of society. All that they required for survival was not being killed by anything, including other elves, which encouraged a more individualistic lifestyle. Groups of elves are usually formed during their feral stages, with a pack leader ruling largely by force. As the elves mature and get stronger, their need for protection declines along with their respect for the alpha, and eventually the group will disperse completely. The long memories of elves help them remember this stage of their life for a long time, so it is not uncommon for an elf to recognize the passage of a former pack-mate that he has not seen for decades. They often communicate this way, by leaving messages woven with plants that other elves will recognize, and can organize themselves quickly without having to speak a single word. | As they do not need to eat, elves never went through the hunter-gatherer stages of society. All that they required for survival was not being killed by anything, including other elves, which encouraged a more individualistic lifestyle. Groups of elves are usually formed during their feral stages, with a pack leader ruling largely by force. As the elves mature and get stronger, their need for protection declines along with their respect for the alpha, and eventually the group will disperse completely. The long memories of elves help them remember this stage of their life for a long time, so it is not uncommon for an elf to recognize the passage of a former pack-mate that he has not seen for decades. They often communicate this way, by leaving messages woven with plants that other elves will recognize, and can organize themselves quickly without having to speak a single word. | ||
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| + | ====Adventuring in Brinkwood==== | ||
| + | Skirmishes between the humans and the elves still happen from time to time, and pirates raiding along the Inner Sea sometimes think that the ungoverned elven lands are ripe for the picking. The lack of large concentrations of people and abundance of wilderness makes this an ideal place for beginner adventurers just learning the difference between the two ends of a spear. There are also many opportunities to hunt exotic game here, as the elves themselves rarely bother, and sometimes even defend their wildlife against hunters if the fancy strikes them. The individuality of elves makes it difficult for any one of them to have a good idea of what's going on in every corner of the region, so there may well be many mystical and incredible places in Brinkwood that nobody cared about enough to map. | ||
==Shadowvale (Elves)== | ==Shadowvale (Elves)== | ||
Though elves had established a land of their own in Brinkwood, their wanderlust and need for excitement resulted in many elves travelling outward, through the lands of other races. As they did so, they discovered feral elves pretty much everywhere, though most were hunted as vermin by the locals. Determined to create a place for these elves, the wanderers banded together and, through a mix of negotiations and military action, won a place for the elves of the south-west to congregate. Shadowvale, so called because it lies in the shadows of the Greyjaws, is surrounded on the other three sides by human colonies. The only thing separating it from frontier regions is the concentration of elves – Shadowvale contains some of the deadliest monsters known to anyone. Many adventurers, mostly humans, dwarves, and kobolds from the Tail, come here to test their mettle, hoping that the large elvish presence makes the enterprise somewhat less risky than delving into uncharted territories. Two rivers bordering Shadowvale make it easy for traders to service the area, but human control of the sea shores to the west into which these rivers drain gives them a tight stranglehold on what actually gets to its destination. It is common to find goblins in this land, fleeing the mountains for any number of reasons, from rival clans to attacks by primordials.<br> | Though elves had established a land of their own in Brinkwood, their wanderlust and need for excitement resulted in many elves travelling outward, through the lands of other races. As they did so, they discovered feral elves pretty much everywhere, though most were hunted as vermin by the locals. Determined to create a place for these elves, the wanderers banded together and, through a mix of negotiations and military action, won a place for the elves of the south-west to congregate. Shadowvale, so called because it lies in the shadows of the Greyjaws, is surrounded on the other three sides by human colonies. The only thing separating it from frontier regions is the concentration of elves – Shadowvale contains some of the deadliest monsters known to anyone. Many adventurers, mostly humans, dwarves, and kobolds from the Tail, come here to test their mettle, hoping that the large elvish presence makes the enterprise somewhat less risky than delving into uncharted territories. Two rivers bordering Shadowvale make it easy for traders to service the area, but human control of the sea shores to the west into which these rivers drain gives them a tight stranglehold on what actually gets to its destination. It is common to find goblins in this land, fleeing the mountains for any number of reasons, from rival clans to attacks by primordials.<br> | ||
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| + | ====Adventuring in Shadowvale==== | ||
| + | Many adventurers are attracted to Shadowvale due to its solid dragon population, mostly because the thick forests provide good cover when the fight turns against you and you want to escape. The goblin presence is a boon for adventurers - sometimes they need killing, and sometimes they come asking for help, but there's usually a reward just around the corner as soon as you see a goblin shamble into your line of sight. Many criminals attempt to evade justice by heading into Shadowvale, but they rarely make trouble once they actually get there. The bounty hunters coming after them, on the other hand, are a constant problem. | ||
==Windgrove (Elves) == | ==Windgrove (Elves) == | ||
Just as travelling elves from Brinkwood that headed west, east-bound travellers discovered many feral elves throughout orcish and dwarven lands. Unable to extract any concessions from either race, these elves merely headed further south to establish their sanctuary. Like Shadowvale, it is bordered by rivers that make it easy for adventurers and supplies to come in, but as these rivers drain into the Inner Sea, the amount of traffic that Windgrove receives is far larger. Most of that traffic is because orcs control that shore, and trade with the Tusk Islands brings in many ships riding in on the constant winds that give the area its name.<br> | Just as travelling elves from Brinkwood that headed west, east-bound travellers discovered many feral elves throughout orcish and dwarven lands. Unable to extract any concessions from either race, these elves merely headed further south to establish their sanctuary. Like Shadowvale, it is bordered by rivers that make it easy for adventurers and supplies to come in, but as these rivers drain into the Inner Sea, the amount of traffic that Windgrove receives is far larger. Most of that traffic is because orcs control that shore, and trade with the Tusk Islands brings in many ships riding in on the constant winds that give the area its name.<br> | ||
| - | Bordered by orc colonies to the north and east, and dwarven lands to the west, Windgrove’s remaining border is with the frontier lands. | + | Bordered by orc colonies to the north and east, and dwarven lands to the west, Windgrove’s remaining border is with the frontier lands. Mottled Lake stops many of the continent’s nastier monsters from wandering into Windgrove by accident, and orcish colonies further south-east draw the attention of the rest. This makes Windgrove an ideal place for many beginner adventurers to acquaint themselves with the frontier without the risk of being overrun by a large number of foes. |
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| + | ====Adventuring in Windgrove==== | ||
| + | Bandits plaguing orcish supply lines that run along the shore of the Inner Sea usually make their camps in Windgrove, taking their plunder to the Deeplands for trade. Mottled Lake is also a common route for those who think they can get away with raiding the Great Host and then disappearing back into the forests. Many of these pirates have grown wealthy through their work, and it is not uncommon to have a bounty for the capture of a pirate be considerably smaller than the fee paid by that pirate for helping them traverse the riskier monster-ridden routes. | ||
==Terminus (Humans)== | ==Terminus (Humans)== | ||
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Terminus maintains terse relations with its former enemies. What trade comes from the islands to the north is usually sent to other settlements in Terminus rather than abroad. Due to the ambassadorial influence of its significant gnomish population, some lines of communication are maintained with kobolds (mostly for teaming up on dragon hunts), elves of Shadowvale (to combat frontier threats), and orcs (to coordinate fleets against pirates). Terminus trades often with the Deeplands, however, and human travellers wishing to head east often wisely choose to brave the mountain passes rather than take the sea route. | Terminus maintains terse relations with its former enemies. What trade comes from the islands to the north is usually sent to other settlements in Terminus rather than abroad. Due to the ambassadorial influence of its significant gnomish population, some lines of communication are maintained with kobolds (mostly for teaming up on dragon hunts), elves of Shadowvale (to combat frontier threats), and orcs (to coordinate fleets against pirates). Terminus trades often with the Deeplands, however, and human travellers wishing to head east often wisely choose to brave the mountain passes rather than take the sea route. | ||
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| + | ====Adventuring in Terminus==== | ||
| + | While there is no shortage of monster-hunting edicts issued by the ruling gods, outside of population centres there is not very much law in Terminus. Smuggling and piracy are more common than legitimate shipping, bands of rebels congregate in the wilds and plot attacks against anything from the nearest hamlet's ogre chief to the pantheon itself, and many a farmer with an infertile plot of land has turned to banditry as a way of making ends meet. Shadowvale is also a constant thorn in the side of Terminus, and many border rulers take every opportunity to push the extent of their holdings further east into elven lands. | ||
==The Great Cities== | ==The Great Cities== | ||
