Kalitharsis, The Scourged sands (Setting) WIP [PEACH]

Jair Barik · 09-21-2009, 08:19 AM

Kalitharsis, The Scourged sands (Age of the false Gods)

Map

Showing all major cities

Balgziva and surrounding lands

Spoiler

The Scourging
Many years ago a great cataclysm destroyed the world of Kalitharsis, scourging it of most life and collapsing most of the land into a mighty pit that surrounded all that was left. This event is known as the scourging and it is responsible for wiping most life from the face of the planet. That which was left was mostly desert and the survivors of the scourging were split, their faith in the Gods divided and their old loyalties destroyed. New empires and Kingdoms began to rise from the ashes of the old world, petty blood feuds between the races were put aside and new enemies were found. Most of the records and architecture of the old world were destroyed with the bulk of knowledge being salvaged from word of mouth. The exact cause of the Scourging is unknown but it is said to have occurred at the midst of a mighty war at the end of the age of magic. The Scourging seems to have cut man off from their God’s and caused the Earth to be saturated with magic. Though the exact cause was unknown there was an obvious scapegoat. The users of magic were quickly persecuted and practitioners killed, their studies and work destroyed. The blood lines with powerful innate magic were also persecuted and hunted, dragons and their ilk becoming creatures spoken of with malice and hate. What little magic survive is found in those who can keep it hidden or who study techniques that are forbidden by moral society. In the aftermath of the Scourging though the excessive magic in the land had many effects on its inhabitants. Some of these such as the increased Psionic potential of the people have been seen as good, others such as the abundancy of the undead have not.

History is generally referred to with the terms KBS (Kalitharsis before scourging) and KAS (Kalitharsis after the scourging)

Belief Systems

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Groups/Factions

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The Races

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Geographic Areas

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The Dry Flats
The dry flats separate the Great Desert from the Northern sands. It is an area of barren cliffs, high rising plateaus and narrow chasms that wind from one end to the other. The two main routes from the south to the north are in the form of Havor’s Gultch, a curling passageway that moves between the cliffs. It is one of the few known routes but is within the breeding grounds of a number of deadly underground predators and often observed by the Border Watchers. The second route is up the Shade Water. Despite being a river (a valuable rarity) there is very little habitation on the banks of the Shade Water. It is largely rapids flowing southward and the cliffs that rise up either side of it are home to numerous deadly predators. Despite this it is commonly used as a passage North because the Border Watchers rarely come there. Those wishing to come this way generally follow the river banks to the point of origin at the Malice Falls and then scale the cliffs. From here they travel across the upper flats till they reach the Northern sands and then descend the cliff face back down.

The Forest of Otrian
The forest of Otrian is the last bastion of the woodlands against the desolate wastes of the desert. It is said that it survived the scourging only through the united efforts of the forest dwellers. The Elves, the Dragons and the fey are all said to have joined their magics in an effort to save the forest, sadly this has come at a cost. Most of the fey’s minds have been warped by the scourging as have many intelligent plants and animals, seeing the humanoids and goblinoids as the cause of the destruction. Some still retain their sanity though only to find themselves persecuted by outsiders as wielders of destruction. As the single greatest source of wood the forest is often subject to poaching of its resources by immoral people. Due to this it is policed by the remaining elves and their allies through a society known as the Otrian Oath Keepers. That is not to say the forest cannot look after itself though, those who fail to acquire a forged mark will be easy prey for any of the forests denizens. The forest itself is mainly dense foliage with a few small villages along the outskirts along with the city of Kanis through which the Oath Keepers rule. Kanis sits upon the River Dor Aol, its source being at the very centre of the forest where it flows down from Mt. Hothfra. At the base of the mountain is a large area of marshland where the waters spread out before forming a true stream. The marshland and swamp gradually gives way to the forest proper.

The Great Desert
The name for that which comprises most of the known world is the great desert. A plain of sand as far as they eye can see barren and devoid of life everywhere but those few areas where water can be found. The desert stretches far and wide only ending in a few places such as the edge and the dry flats as well as the great forest. The sand is saturated with the bodies of the dead and with raw magic, a potent and dangerous mix for any travellers. Major bodies of water are built around to the greatest extent and it is here that the bulk of the population is found in cities that stand upon rivers and larger oases. Smaller communities also exist, springing up around smaller lesser known oases, temporary bodies of waters and underground streams that bubble up to the surface in mountain sides along with the communities of raiders and nomads that wander the sands. It is said that the Scourging wiped all life off of the face of the desert along with civilisation, no buildings from the Pre Scourging era exist above the surface anymore but beneath it there is many a tomb and sunken city just waiting to be cracked open or discovered by a band of explorers.

The Shifting Sands
The shifting sands are a strange and disconcerting phenomena. An area of desert known not only for its large quantity of quicksand but also for its uncertain nature. Ruins of lost cities can be found here one day but are gone the next, rising and sinking out of the sand over night. There is no set route through it and no known community built within it and it is only crossed by adventurers and those with no other options available to them. Some say that the sands are simply more saturated with magic than elsewhere in the great Desert and the shifting ruins are either brought there from some other place, or created out of nothing. Few above ground ruins exist elsewhere in the desert and so the Shifting sands have attracted a number of would be historians and archaeologists over the years. Needless to say that like most over strange phenomenon that people go to investigate in the desert few who go there come back.

The Edge
A great chasm that runs its length around the world. The edge is an enigma, its cause almost certainly being the scourging but its contents a complete enigma. A thick mist hangs in the air as far as the eye can see extending straight out and directly downwards. Numerous adventurers have travelled into the mists of the edge either flying directly out or seeking the bottom of the chasm. Those that return bring stories of endless mist as far as they travelled and unspeakable horrors that lurked in the darkness. Any who have travelled further have never returned.

The Sunless Realms

The Northern Sands
To the North of the Dry Flats is a second desert, not dissimilar to the Great desert. Much smaller in size and bordering the edge The Northern Sands are home to the Dragon peoples. Shunned by the rest of society due to their links with the dragons the collective Lizard peoples formed their own society here. Few dragons actually come here and even the Cult of Gold has little power in the Northern Sands, but those who are considered to be pariahs due to their heritage or their ancestors come here. The Kobolds, Troglodytes and other Lizard peoples live here (though Lizard men themselves are more at home in the forest of Otrian) and many a half dragon makes their way here eventually (though many fail to survive the journey). A few Yuan-Ti cults exist here but despite the influence of Draconic blood upon the society there are as few sorcerers as elsewhere. That is not to say they don’t exist but the majority fail to manifest any powers beyond that of a common bard. Only a handful of Sorcerers have ever been recorded as existing after the scourging, many of these then disappeared into the mists of the edge seeking the truth of the cataclysm.

Planar Cosmology

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The Material Plane
The world of the Scourged Sands. Its real dimensions, its exact contents? Nobody knows anymore. At one time it is believed to have been a prosperous world full of magic and life but now all that seems to be left in the aftermath of the scourging is the desert and the empty promises of the edge and the nights sky. There are stars above, perhaps other planets too according to astrologers. Maybe up there something more exists but who can say for sure.

The Ethereal Plane
Parallel to the material plane is the Ethereal plane. The land of ghosts and things somehow separate from the rest of reality. People sometimes travel there for various purposes including their own protection but anyone who goes there should be well prepared as a number of monsters roam its phantom wastes.

The Blasted Wastes of Perpetual Conflict
The Great table and the four planes of the departed are seemingly inaccessible by any means available to man. The Chaos of the elemental plane is so inhospitable it is questionable why anyone would go there. The ethereal plane and shadow plane are merely different aspects of the material. This has raised the question why have people developed planar transport? The answer seems to lie in the Blasted wastes. The Blasted wastes are a plane that is a constant war between the Archons, the devils and the demons alongside their allies. Numerous extra planar armies wage war on each other here and it is from here these beings are summoned to the material plane. Beyond war though it is believed that this plane holds the answers to the disappearance of the God’s. Many people have questioned its inhabitants on this subject but they are simply told that all they know is the endless war that every day grows no nearer to its end. This does not deter people though and still they venture into the war to try and find the answers to their questions.

The Shadow Plane
The realm of shadow is a dangerous place only tapped into by those seeking to gain access to forbidden magics and secrets long lost to the races of men. Some say the plane can be manipulated for faster travel but this holds great risks to any would be travellers. The plane of shadow is a twisted mockery of the material plane, bathed in perpetual twilight visitors can easily lose track of time inadvertantly spending much longer than they intended or falling prey to unnatural monstrosities whilst they sleep

The Endless Plane of the great table
It is said that there is a plane somewhere that is the home of the Gods. A mighty table of titanic proportions that sits within a temple of pillars and stone at the centre of a plane. Bar this central feature the rest of the plane is featureless with no towns, villages, cities or mountains. No forests or water, only scrub grass that stretches out for as far as the ye can see and goes on for eternity. Some people say this plane is really the material plane and that the table itself is actually the world, others say such a plane does not exist.

The Chaos Plane of the Elements
There is a place of chaotic uncertainty from which elementals are born. It is split into a number of sections and those that seek to summon forth elementals into the world have to be careful they chose the right section. In total there are nine known areas of the plane, one area for each base element, four areas where a pair of the elements collide, and the ninth area where all four elements clash together. Bar at the centre of the plane fire and water never meet, nor do earth and air. Due to the constantly shifting chaos of the plane these borders grow and shrink every second, the plane never staying quite the same size at any one time. It is a simple case to summon an elemental composed purely of one base element but once people try summoning elementals composed of multiple energies there is an increasing risk of summoning something unstable and unwanted.

The Four Planes of the Departed Souls
Nobody is sure what happens when you die, not even those who have been returned from death, but those that have come back speak of a plane of existence after this one. Overall four separate planes have been recorded as existing after life with the returned agreeing that this is true but disagreeing on the actual features of the planes themselves. As such it is of most peoples opinion that dependant upon how you live determines where you go, but where you go is not necessarily a punishment or reward as the features are unclear.

Prestige Classes

Spoiler

Jair Barik · 09-24-2009, 10:17 AM

Player Options
Mark of the Otrian
A character born within the Otrian forest will likely have a mark of the Otrian. A special tattoo given to the forest dwellers at birth that offers them various protections. It cannot be removed by any form of magic and remains even if they are brought back to life via a true resurrection spell. The tattoo is generally placed upon the forehead though it may be placed elsewhere.
All Marks grant the following powers.
-Forest sense- The character can sense at will the presence of other bearers of the mark. They can detect the exact number of mark bearers and mark types within 120ft of themselves but not their location. They need not concentrate on this to do so but can turn it off at will if in a town or city where it may be a nuisance. This a Spell like ability.
-Guardian of the Forest the character radiates a calming aura that allows the denizens of the forest to know they are a friend. This grants a +2 circumstance bonus on all handle animal checks made within the forest. It also prevents most animals, plants and fey from attacking the bearer within the forest though particularly wild or angry specimens may chose to ignore the sign and attack anyway. Bearers of the mark only heal damage naturally if within the bounds of the forest or within 30ft of a tree. This is a Supernatural ability.

The different types of mark each have the following additional effects.

-Mark of the Tree A bearer of this mark gains a +2 bonus on climb checks and balance checks but suffers a -2 penalty on all swim checks.
-Mark of the Marshes A bearer of this mark gains a +2 bonus on Hide checks and Survival checks but suffers a -2 penalty on all climb checks.
-Mark of the River A bearer of this mark gains a +2 bonus on swim checks and move silently checks but suffers a -2 penalty on all tumble checks.
-Mark of the Sun A bearer of this mark gains a fire resistance of 5 but suffers a -2 penalty on all spot and search checks made in areas of poor illumination (e.g. dungeons or at night)
-Mark of the Moon A bearer of this mark gains dark vision to 30ft (or +30ft to their existing dark vision) but suffers from light sensitivity.

Magic Blooded Substitution levels

Magic Blooded

Level	Base Attack<br>Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Magic Blooded Ability
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Magic Blooded Ability
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Magic Blooded Ability
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Magic Blooded Ability
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Magic Blooded Ability

Sometimes a child is born with raw magic in their veins. It is not inherited, it is not tame and it is considered a bad omen. Many magic blooded are killed at birth, the trait showing in some small fashion such as an unusual birthmark, strange eyes, or unnatural hair colour, or skin colour for their race.

A character may opt to be "magic blooded" at level 1. Being magic blooded confers the following abilities.
Innate magical gift-Magic runs through your veins. You gain bard as a favoured class and the following skills are considered class skills Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device. You also gain a +2 competence bonus to these skills. You cannot gain psionic abilities, if you have any natural psionic abilities these count as spell like abilities.
Pariah-Magic blooded are outcastsmore so than even bards, as such they often develop poor social skills . They suffer a -4 penalty on all diplomacy, bluff and disguise checks but a +2 bonus on intimidate checks. They also suffer a -4 penalty to any perform, tumble, proffesion or other check made to earn money or influence a person who is prejudiced to Magic.

Magic blooded substitution levels may be taken so long as the character has at least as many class levels as they do magic blooded substitution levels (e.g. a Fighter 1/ Magic blooded 1 cannot take another substitution level till they gain a 2nd class level)

Magic Blooded Abilities
One of the following abilities may be taken at each level.
Spell blooded-Select a lvl 1 spell from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list or the Cleric spell list (non domain). You may cast this spell 3/day+1 per point of charisma modifier. Caster level=your Magic blooded level, Save DC is Charisma based. This is a spell like ability. (you may take this ability multiple times chosing different spells)
Greater Spell blooded-Select a lvl 2 spell from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list or the Cleric spell list (non domain). You may cast this spell 3/day+1 per point of charisma modifier. Caster level=your Magic blooded level+2, Save DC is Charisma based. This is a spell like ability. (this ability may only be taken bya spell blooded of lvl 3 or greater) (you may take this ability multiple times chosing different spells)
Deep Spell blooded-Select a lvl 3 spell from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list or the Cleric spell list (non domain). You may cast this spell 3/day+1 per point of charisma modifier. Caster level=your Magic blooded level+3, Save DC is Charisma based. This is a spell like ability. (this ability may only be taken bya spell blooded of lvl 5)
Dire Spell blooded-Select a lvl 4 spell from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list or the Cleric spell list (non domain). You may cast this spell 1/day. Caster level=your Magic blooded level+3, Save DC is Charisma based. This is a spell like ability. (this ability may only be taken bya spell blooded of lvl 5)
True Spell blooded-Select a lvl 1 spell from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list or the Cleric spell list (non domain). You may cast this spell at will. Caster level=your Magic blooded level+3, Save DC is Charisma based. This is a spell like ability. (this ability may only be taken bya spell blooded of lvl 5)
One with the world-You are better attuned with the natural world. You heal ability damage and health at twice the normal rate.
Armour of the Soul-You gain a +2 bonus on saves v spells/spell like abilities.
Innate Caster-Spell blooded levels stack with levels another class you have levels in for determining caster level, spells per day and spells known. You must be able to cast divine or arcane spells with another class to take this ability.
Blood of Power-Your caster level is considered two levels higher when casting arcane or divine spells or spell like abilities. (You must be at least lvl 4 to take this ability)
Blood of Flame-You gain fire resistance 5 (you cannot take this ability if you already have blood of Ice, this ability may be taken multiple times each time increasing the resistance by 5)
Blood of Ice-You gain cold resistance 5 (you cannot take this ability if you already have blood of Fire, this ability may be taken multiple times each time increasing the resistance by 5)
Blood of Acid-You gain acid resistance 5 (you cannot take this ability if you already have blood of thunder, this ability may be taken multiple times each time increasing the resistance by 5)
Blood of Thunder-You gain electricity resistance 5 (you cannot take this ability if you already have blood of Acid, this ability may be taken multiple times each time increasing the resistance by 5)

Jair Barik · 09-25-2009, 07:30 AM

Classes

Barbarians-Common to the Wilderness of the desert are barbarians. Wether they be savages, nomads or a tribal clan there are an abundance of Barbarians in the world who have chosen to make their own way in life instead of confininf themselves to the established cities. Some however do eventually find that either through the alure of adventure, gold or through tragic circumstances that force them to move, they end up working as hired thugs and bodyguards for the wealthier parts of society.

Bards-Those with the blood of dragons or some other arcane heritage become bards. Outcasts from society they hide their innate magical gifts in order to avoid persecution. There once was a time when the dragon blooded may well have been able to defeat any who opposed them but that was long ago. Now the bloodlines are so diluted that even those directly descended from the greatest dragons can still only master a few spells (for the purpose of qualifying for heritage feats bards count as sorcerers).

Clerics and Druids-The wildmen of the forest and the followers of the God's lost most of their powers after the Scourging, or possibly just before. It is not known why but the world was cut off from direct divine contact and nobody has heard directly from the Gods since the event. People still speak the druidic language and call upon the divine powers though but they can only muster enough energy for simple tasks of healing and protection, many who speak the secret language actually being Rangers and many in high ranked positions within the faiths being Paladins. The divine energy is out there... but men cannot contact it effectively (Rangers may select Druidic as a bonus language)

Fighters-If barbarians are the warriors of the wilds then Fighters are the warriors of civilization. More than the lowly warrior a fighter is a trained soldier who through a priviliged background or lucky chance has become more than just another hired sword and learned the ways of battle from a master. Some of course need no teacher and are simply naturally gifted but in the aftermath of the Scourging one thing a fighter can always rely on is that somebody will be willing to hire them.

Monks-Monks are a welcome sight to any village in the desert. Lone travellers who will fend off the current threat in exchange for a meal and a bed for the night, Monks are praised by the people for doing the work of whatever God they may believe in. Some particularly Religious Monks may even rise to a high ranked position of their clergy while others are content to wander the land helping those they meet and looking for a greater meaning in life.

Paladins-Of all the Paladins the most famous are thos of Rathgan. Zealous warriors who seek the destruction of evil, the righting of wrongs and the betterment of the people. Paladins are often viewed as the salvation of the sands in these cursed times. But a paladin's honour does not mean what it once did. Many take oaths that are more "liberal" than their peers would like, the most notable being the seekers of the dawning light. Others claim that a Paladin is nothing more than a sellsword who preaches justice while charging the poor for their services. (Paladins may be either Chaotic Good or Lawful Good, if they change their alignment they lose their powers)

Rangers-Wandering the forests of Otrian, walking the borders, leading trade parties and caravans across the desert. A rangers work is never done. The land is hostile, a fact that follows people wherever they go and so any who seek to move from one place to another will need a good guide. The same goes for defending a place or a patch of land from theives. A rangers tracking skills are invaluable as is their knowledge of plants and nature.

Rogues-The Order of Rathgan believes that only through the united effort of the world can these dark times be put behind us. The Cult of Gold on the other hand cliams that money is our salvation both in the present and the future. Rogues often consider themselves above the law. They may rob from the rich to give to the needy or just to keep for themselves. Rogues are an invaluable resource to any who would search for the lost treasures found in sealed tombs and ruins beneath the sands. Excellent infiltrators and spies they also find strong places in society and working for the governing bodies.

Wizards-It is Wizards who are blamed for the Scourging and all of them are now gone from the world as is most magic written down by the hand of man. Magic still fills the world but the means to control it is lost. the scourging destroyed most historical records and writing and with it took the knowledge of how to control magic. Perhaps somewhere there waits a tome that survived the disaster and waits for soembody to unravel its secrets, perhaps not.

Psions-Some view them as humanities saviours, others as no better than wizards. Regardless of what people think a Psions innate psychic powers allow many to rise to positions of power in their chosen field, their intelligence also being a great boon to this. Though they existed before the scourging the scourging itself awakened a great deal more Psionic potential amongst the survivors of the tragedy. Powerful Psions are often a rarity but small time Psions are far from being an uncommon resource, used by both civil law bodies, guards and also illigitimate businessmen.

Psychic Warriors-Some fighters find they have been gifted with psychic strength which they persue their development of in expense of their fighting skills. Psychic warriors find much the same employment as fighters either in mercenary, bodyguard or even pit fighting work. Their ability to manifest powers however grants them some appeal that regular fighters lack when it comes to finding employment and so their sword hands are rarely out of work.

Soulknives

Wilders-Unlike Psions Wilders are often feared in a similar manner to users of magic. While a Psion controls his power with intelligence and directed thought the Wilder's unpredictable nature leads many to associate them with the taboo of Sorcerery. A skilled Wilder though can easily pass themself off as a Psion but the social fears of some smaller communities still associate all manifestations with magic.

Ardents

Divine Minds

Lurks

Warlocks and Shadowcasters-Practitioners of the dark magic these two forms of spellcaster call upon forces that survived the scourging. The warlocks bargain with demonic forces to gain power beyond the reach of most mortals while the Shadowcasters take their powers from a plane many would dare not tread. Both forms of magic are Taboo and generally outlawed yet both are still caried out, taught from master to student, fought against but never eradicated.

Swashbucklers-The life of a swashbuckler still holds appeal despite the absence of any great body of water. The charasmatic nature of these warriors is often a refreshing contrast to the bleak nature of the Sands and so these dashing, occasionally foolhardy, warriors are popular amongst the people as vigilantes, hired heros or wandering travellers who arrive in the nick of time to save the day.

Hexbaldes-Just as bards possess some sorcerous blood so do Hexblades. But whereas Bards often trace their ancestry to dragons, Hexblades often trace theres to demonic and infernal sources. Feared and despised these warriors are avoided at all costs. Often turning to lives of crime or becoming warlords and bandits a few still make an honest living through mercenary work for customers with fewer moral or social qualms.

Scouts-Scouts are a valuable resource in the desert and the forest just as rangers are. Moving ahead and locating danger areas, undead or bandits, a good scout can save a trade caravan much unnecessary danger. Many cravans or military expeditions have been lost, disappearing never to be heard of again, due to their leaders underestimating the value of a good scout.

Jair Barik · 10-06-2009, 09:33 AM

Ruins

Spoiler

Ta Sol Ravoq
Situated to the East of the City of the Seven Ta Sol Ravoq is a forbidding place found in the valley of Life. Those headed Edgeward from the city must either take a detour around the valley or pass through it, inevitably having to cross the mighty ruins in doing so. The valley has a number of rivers running about it that meet at the centre of Ravoq and so the ground is fertile and can support plant life. Any attempts to settle the area though have ended in disaster with the settlers vanishing in the night leaving behind half finished houses or villages that haunt the valley. The ruin itslef is a metropolis of ancient stone buildings thought to have been wiped off the face of the land by the scourging only to emerge from the sands once more. They show no evidence of habitation but tunnels lead from this dead surface city into layers of catacombs beneath the surface. Some explorers find treasures of the past age here, others find death in forgotten traps left by the cities previous inhabitants, or, worse still, disappear into the night, snatched away by whatvere malicous force still inhabits the deepest depths of the ruins.

Gecis
The ancient dragon ruins of Gecis are largely ignored by the populace of the Northern Sands who care little for the relics of their violent and greedy ancestors. No major communities exist around the ruins and so it is a ripe target for adventurers from the south who seek out fortune as they attempt to evade the watchful eyes that man the border. Like most architecture KBS there is little left of Gecis but beneath the collapsed entrances and half buried halls there lies a maze of tunnels and caverns. Thought to once be home to the largest community of dragons in the world its cavernous halls and wide passages make it clear that Gecis belonged to the dragons. Similarly the rich Sculptures and Iconography has strong implications of draconic presence but time has worn away the details and is hard to tell which species ruled the once proud cave complex. Most of the obvious loot has long since been stolen away and taken to Krade'Fulfoth I (whose rulers insist it to be theirs by inheritance) but hidden passages and deeper levels remain untouched and awaiting those who dare to delve deeper into the past. Of course this is not without risk. The dragons left many traps for their hoards, the natural denizens of the desert have also made the caves their homes and (worst of all) the departed spirits of the ruins former inhabitnats haunt the hallways, refilling their hoards with the loot of dead adventurers.

Shadehearst
The ominous Shadehearst is an enigma. It rose one night from the desert sands and has remained there ever since. Just outside the area known as the shifting sands it has quickly become the site from which most expeditions to the rising ruins set forth from. Lacking any treasure of its own it would be easily overlooked where it not forth its unusual means of coming into the world and the glyphs and runes that adorn its stones. Shadehearst is comprised of a number of streets temples and small dwellings, many of which have walls inscribed in an ancient and long forgotten tongue that even the most scholarly of adventurers have been unable to decipher. Atop the tallest of its pyramid like temples is a large stone ring inscribed with glowing runes that give off strong magical and psionic emenations of an unkown nature. Due to the nature of the shifting sands and the mystery of the ruins themselves Shadehearst is not occupied though a trade camp has been set up just outside its limits.

The Half City
A site of special interest to the Edge project the half city is the only known ruin that sits right on the edge itself. Its name is derived from the fact that only half of it is believed to remain (explorers have found sewers, basements and cellars that all abruptly get cut off by the edge). Though it has no particularly interesting architecture or history (unlike say Gecis) it is still of interest due to its role as a part of the Scourging. Unfortunately it has frown increasingly hard to tell how much of the damage is a result of the scourging and how much has happenned since then but the fact that some of the buildings are almost entirely in tact raises many questions about the nature of the scourging and how it could ahnihalate one thing completely yet leave buildings so near by unscathed. There is no known settlement within the Half city as it is rife with undead.

Jair Barik · 10-30-2009, 03:49 PM

Cities

Spoiler

Towns

Spoiler

Ferz
A small town on the outskirts of the Northern sands Ferz is a trading post for those seeking refuge in the Northern realms or seeking to travel south. Often used as a meeting point for the Border Walkers it is often visited before they head off on long missions away from home. Built around a large oasis it has a steady supply of water and some crops though much food is gained from trade and hunting. Protected by clay walls it has its own personal town guard in addition to the protection of passing border walkers. Ruled over by a mayor it answers to the main powers of the north as opposed to being truly independant. Built to the east of the road coming out of Havor's Gultch it is generally feared to be the first target likely to be hit in the event of an invasion. As such between it and the main road is Fort Dust hollow. A motionless stone sentinel constantly equipped with a contingent of soldiers.

Weyman
The first town on the Shade water Weyman has a divers population from a range of cultures. It welcomes all kind and trades in skins and cloths which it produces locally. Though lacking much farmable land it has enough to breed sheep and cows which form much of the diet but are mainly reared for their wool and hides. More like two towns than one most of the dwellings are built into the cliff face and water is gained by lowering buckets into the calmer areas of the rapids. The good supply of water allows the tannery business to thrive here and it is well known that the best leathers come from Weyman. Ruled over by a mayoral commity Weyman answers to the powers of Highwatch but is relatively independant due to its nearness to the dry flats

Kapteb
A part of the Empire ruled over from Highwatch Kapteb is just north upriver from the main city. Its main purpose is the protection of the large dam that prevents the lowlands around the mountain from flooding due to the seasonal changes of the river. More a fortress than a town Kapteb has a strong military presence and high stone walls with multiple levels to offer maximum protection to the controls of the floodgates. Despite being predominantly a military instillation it does have a civilian population as well and is home to numerous forges and smiths. It is also home to a training facility that specialises in teaching those with Psionic gifts how to use them in combative functions.

Shonsha
Located on a bend in the Dor Aol Shonsha is about halfway between the two capitals built upon the river banks. It is a small town under the senates control that is defended by mercaneries and militia. Shonsha is famous for two things. Its boats and its beer. Rafts take people both up and down the river allowing it to trade with both the forest dwellers and those ruled by the senate. It is protected by heavy stone fortifications and is home to numerous bars and taverns. As a result of this many adventuring parties are formed here. This is the origin of the phrase 'wont last two days out of Shonsha' a saying used to describe the typical group of young fools who leave their home town to seek adventure and excitement yet are woefully unprepared. Most of those who set out on a quest from Shonsha don't return and the wise leave the town by boat (the sands around the town being rumoured to be littered with the bodies of dead adventurers waiting to rise).