The eastern continent, Gloias, is covered in verdant plains and forests, and is largely divided between quarreling elves and dwarves. Its fauna and flora are those typical of the Jurassic period.
The dwarves of Gloias are divided into numerous Houses and Guilds that all swear fealty to a king or queen. Houses can be composed a single or multiple families that have made generation-spanning alliances. Guilds, on the other hand, tend to swear fealty to a single House [noble?] for a predetermined amount of time. Indeed, there are many dwarves in Guild employ who feel no real loyalty to the House [noble?] they serve.
The elves live largely in the plains, grasslands, and forests of Gloias. Their soldiers are lightly armored archers who fight from horseback and are particularly skilled riders. Most of the elven system is based upon raising or herding animals. The elven nation is a democratic republic, with a ruling council that is composed of an elected representative from each of the twenty-four geographic regions that the elves possess. To vote, you must pay a tax to the republic, meaning that poorer elves have no say in electing their representative.
The northern reaches of Gloias are dominated by six small kingdoms of half elves who revere wolf and bear therianthropes and bear an ancient hatred of dragons. They seldom get along with their southern neighbors, the main elven nation
The western continent, Savos, is ruined and desolate. Much of it is covered by a rocky, cursed wasteland which is prowled by demons [where did they come from?] and ruled by sectoid queens. Anyone who is slain in the waste rises in undeath, animated by the necrotic energies that abound in the place.
Centuries ago, Savos was a lush land, home to an empire ruled by a powerful archmage, Athanaric. The archmage was in fact an ancient blue dragon who assumed mortal form. This secret was kept well-guarded from the populace. When his subjects rebelled against him [why?], Athanaric fled –but as he went he called down a powerful curse the land, causing massive earthquakes and tectonic upheaval that turned the continent into a barren wasteland.
The humans of the great empire perished when the wizard king let loose this curse [how? Was there some sort of plague involved?], leaving many ruins behind them. The landscape is dotted by ruins of the great human cities. The remaining communities are based around oases or have mages strong enough to restore water and vitality to the soil. TThere may be another human-like race (eg illumian) in existence.
The dominant force in Savos is a cult that worships Athanaric. They view him as wrathful, messianic figure who will some day return and restore life to the land. The priests of this cult are dragon-men with a variety of magical powers. The entire cult is descended from the few humans who were loyal to Athanaric and were gifted with a tiny part of his blood and essence. They have some respect for kobolds, who mostly stayed loyal to the Athanaric, but still consider then inferior - they tend to keep them as servants and helpers.
Many of the cultists of Athanaric, the wizard king, have a very human appearance, just a few bluish scales or more frequently dragon-like eyes. Others look more dragon-like. The more draconic features that a cultist has, the more respect he is generally given. Those followers with wings are the most treasured.
The ruler of the cult, and resultingly one of the most powerful individuals in Savos, is Azoratha, the daughter of Athanaric and often called the Dragon Queen – an elder dragon and a powerful sorceress in her own right. She rules from a great fortress on a plateau in northern Savos. The plateau, being under her magical influence, was spared much of her father's curse and is still lush and verdant.
Azoratha gives her most powerful and loyal priests or sorcerers small amounts of her blood to drink, which gives them greater power, prolongs their lifespans, and over time makes them more and more dragon-like.
Although Azoratha claims control over the entire continent of Savos, in practice large area of the continent only give her lip service and a few places are in open revolt.
Among the shattered cities of Savos is Keljos, which, as the percieved source of the rebellion, had a special curse laid upon it. Keljos is now inhabited by the Abliving, huge forms resembling impossibly elongated humanoids that float through the empty spires without visible means of support or locomotion.
In the pleasure houses of the largest city, there is a hedonistic cult who worship a powerful succubus who eats the souls of those she drains, taking with it all of the victim's memories. The cultists are convinced that because their souls are becoming one with her, they will live forever in a being of pure pleasure for all eternity.
Tribes of kobolds scavenge in the barrens, looting old ruins and living off what they can find.
Savos is inhabited by nomadic orcs who worship owlbears.The owlbears worshipped by the orcs are powerful servants of Rohesia, the goddess of nature. Now the formerly peaceful owlbears have grown violent and hateful, their personalities reflecting the rage of their goddess Rohesia.
Orcs venerate the moon of Rohesia, which turned has red due to her rage at the vast destruction of natural lands by Athanaric. The orcs and the Azorites, the followers of Athanaric's daughter, are bitter enemies.
Buried beneath the desert sands are giant crab-like mobile fortresses, war golems from a bygone era. They lie under the sand damaged and inactive, usually. Occasionally, one of them activates and wanders aimlessly across the desert, crushing all in its path before grinding again to a halt to be covered in desert sands. Some brave souls seek them out and try to get aboard to scavenge, loot or control the ancient war machines. Few of them are ever seen again.
Off the coast of Savos is the jungle-covered island of Samartis. The current inhabitants, several city-dwelling tribes of gnomes, claim that Athanaric fled to their island and taught them the secrets of the arcane. Whether or not this is true, he isn't there now.
There is a small city on the eastern coast of Savos called Aliados. It was built by elves, largely as a base for exploitation of the deserted cities of the continent. Though nominally part of a larger elvish nation, it has a broad degree of independence, and its culture is steadily drifting farther from that of Gloias
Along the northern crescent of Savos there is a road called the Serpents road. It is a winding, twisting road made of a round, greenish rock.
Along the northern ocean, north of Savos, jagged black spires that look like spider-legs jut from the ocean floor. Sharks, Giant Squid and worse make their home amongst these spires. Interestingly though, some exiled elves have built a series of villages that dangle off these deadly spires.
Along certain beaches of Savos are fields of orcs, humans, elves, dwarves, kobolds and stranger things, all turned to solid stone.
Gnoll Slavers are frequent in Savos
The perpetually benighted southern polar continent of Thaithal, a land where the sun never quite crosses the horizon and is lit by ever present moonlight. Vicious clans of hereditary sorcerer-nobles wield shadow magic in their incessant internecine warfare against each other leading armies of samurai, war monks and peasant bushi backed by great six-legged beetle-like war golems called kabutomushi. The most powerful man in the land is Yorinita Katoh, the Black Shogun, who nominally rules the land on behalf of the Onyx Empress.
On the edges of the continent lie glaciers, fjords and tundra where the land slowly turns to ocean and ice. Great herds of seals and walruses abound and strange tribes of simple halfling (Iceling) fishermen and nomads make their homes. Icelings are extremely proficient with the harpoon and produce excellent spear-fishermen. Wild white lizardfolk tribes reside alongside the icelings, and fight them for resources in the harsh wilderness. The Icelings and White Lizardfolk are mostly confined to the outer reaches of Thaithal, kept there by the Black Shogun's decree. Hunting the Icelings and Lizardfolk has in fact become something of a sport among the darker elements of the Thaithalian society.
Also along the outer perimeter lie the great port cities, that are often blocked with ice for much of the year preventing the use of larger junks but the smaller Thaithalian long ships are usable year round. Deeper in the interior, the land is heated by powerful geothermal sources and there are dense verdant forests, grasslands populated by grazing animals and rich, fertile farmlands.
There are very few lycanthropes in Thaithal and are largely of two types, the kitsune, or werefoxes and the kumo, the werespiders. By ancestral law, it is impossible for a lycanthrope to hold or inherit a noble title and so those sorcerer-nobles who are lycanthropes must keep it a secret upon pain of death. This is usually achieved through the regular imbibing of a special potion to retard forced lycanthropic changes. Those common born lycanthropes must keep their status a secret as well for fear of being the latest prey of a dedicated cadre of monster hunters. Common born lycanthropes, particularly kumo, often find their way into a ninja clan.
Ronin who have become masterless due to their clan or noble house being extinguished typically become monster hunters so as to continue usefully practicing their warrior skills and serve the community. Ronin also often become wako, pirates who prey on the trading ships that travel between Thaithal and the southern cities of the western and eastern continent.
The Thaithalians conduct raids of some of the more outlying towns and villages of the southern portions of the western and eastern continents using elegant junk-like long ships. When the warriors of Thaithal raid the coastal villages of other races, they come in the dead of night and their shadowmancers cloak their fleets in darkness and silence to make them impossible to detect.
While outsiders often believe the Thaithalians to be of goblinoid descent, this is entirely a myth perpetuated by the fierce goblinesque war masks that Thaithalian warriors wear in the field to intimidate their enemies. Thaithalians are actually a pale-skinned race of ancient half-elven stock, most often with long, luxurious white hair pulled into a ponytail or top knot. The ancient ancestors of the Thaithalians were a group of half-elves looking to found their own kingdom where their kind could be accepted.
Ancient legends of the Thaithalians indicate that their earliest ancestors emigrated to Thaithal from Shax-Li. There are said to be obsidian pyramids there that venerate the first Onyx Empress. It is said that many religious artifacts still remain in the pyramids, if one could figure out how to enter when there is no gap in the solid stone.
The Thaithalians worship no gods, but instead revere their dead ancestors, especially great champions of the past. The land is dotted with shrines, temples and monasteries and each and every village has some ancestral hero or protective nature spirit. Festivals and annual historic celebrations abound. While she is not actively worshipped, the Thaithalians have a great reverence for a spirit they call the Lady of the Moon and many myths and stories are told of her as well as songs and operas.
Thaithalian raids are usually conducted by second sons (and daughters) looking to establish a name for themselves back home through warlike action. Gold, silver and jewels are most sought during these savage, swift nocturnal raids and while the occasional attractive and buxom young maiden is absconded, tales of the raids being primarily for slaves are just that, tales, most often told by local lords to keep the peasantry in line and afraid.
Rising like a stone titan from the center of the continent over the magnetic south pole, is Mount Aruhika. High atop a mighty outcropping of rock lies Castle Iennayo, the citadel of the Black Shogun, carved out of the very rock itself. Despite many eruptions from the still active volcano at the center of the mountain, the castle remains untouched. Many legends surround this, the most prevalent of which is that the Black Shogun has entered into a pact with a vestige, a dead god of earth and molten stone who was once worshipped by the humans and that so long as the Black Shogun keeps the pact, no harm will ever befall the castle. This legend is reinforced by the fact that traitors to the Black Shogunate are executed by being tossed from the castle walls into the waiting maw of molten lava below.
The Black Shogun's greatest rival is Lady Shizumi Kyouko, also known, behind her back, as the Queen of Nine Tails. It is widely rumored that Lady Kyouko is kitsune, but due to the wealth and power of her clan, and that a full-scale war between her forces and those of the Black Shogun would likely destroy the empire, this matter is not discussed in polite company. It is likewise not discussed in open conversation the rumors of her perverse appetites. In soft whispers it is said that the Lady is served by over two hundred of the most skilled and supple of concubines of both genders, clad in black leather and chains or in garments of the finest silks, or often, in nothing at all.
Within the strange, cold reaches of Thaithal, there exists a colony of were-snakes that call themselves the Naga. They prefer to act as lords over the other weres in the area, and it is said that within the castle of the Queen of Nine Tails, there is a system of tunnels within the walls for them to slither in, and that their lord dwells deep inside a miles-long chamber underground. They attempt to alert Lady Kyouko of varying plots and supplement her spy network, in exchange for twenty-four plump live criminals to be chained inside a special cavern not far away from the palace. The week after that, the next shipment is placed in the same cave, with no remnants of the former inhabitants.
Besides their long ships, the Thaithalians also possess larger sailing junks which are used to maintain the silk trade with the western and eastern continents. The occasional raid by second sons and daughters of various Thaithalian clans is a constant irritant threatening to end the silk trade but it is so lucrative that foreigners accept the occasional raid as the price of doing business. When raiding occurs too frequently, petitions are made to the Black Shogun who provides pressure on the clans to cease the raids, at least, for a time.
Travelers and traders coming to Thaithal are most often allowed only to remain in specified coastal trading ports. For foreigners to travel anywhere inland requires a special pass which only a member of the sorcerer-nobility can provide. The Thaithalians are extremely wary of foreigners and rarely trust them including their own longstanding trading partners. The savage fury and utter ruthlessness the Thaithalians show on the battlefield belies the serene civility and deep, abiding love of the arts they demonstrate in all trading negotiations and courtly matters. Literacy, while not universal, tends to be higher in Thaithalian commoners than elsewhere and calligraphy itself is considered a high art.
When abroad, Thaithalians travel in full military regalia and almost always keep to their ships except to trade or acquire supplies. Foreign influences are shunned with the notable exception that they are curious about all aspects of warfare and military equipment, weapons, armor and beasts of burden.
The finest weapons and armor in Thaithal are crafted from obsidian. This is because once the true name of the Onyx Empress, entrusted only to the Black Shogun, is notched into them, they become nearly unbreakable, and have come to be known as adamant. Lord Katoh has not been seen without such armor for many years, and few of the commoners even know what he actually looks like any more.
The Onyx Empress is, in theory, the most powerful sorcerer-noble of the land. However, nowadays she is wholly a figurehead and all real political power rests with the Black Shogun. While she holds no real political control, her ability to influence events due to her status is still great as is her personal magical power as her native shadowmancy abilities are some of the most powerful in the empire. The Empress is considered something of a semi-divine figure, not actually a goddess herself but of divine lineage, her family being believed to be the descendants of powerful spirits sired by the gods.
The Empress controls precious few land holdings outside of the Imperial Palace but those holdings she does have, most parks and hunting preserves, are considered absolutely inviolate and under no circumstance would rival Thaithalian clans fight there. Her personal wealth is also considerable but most of her possessions are historic artifacts that are considered less to be her personal property and more of items held by her in trust for the entire nation. Her personal guard is under her direct command, charged upon pain of death with the safety of the Empress but her real protection lies in the soldiers, shadowmancers and spies of the Black Shogun. The current Onyx Empress understands this as did her predecessor and she says and does little to interfere with Thaithalian politics.
Yeretis is located on a plateau dotted with sinkholes on the south-west edges of Savos. In it, massive cities are built in the center of these sinkholes, starting from the bottom and working their way up. The largest cities actually spill over the top of the sinkholes and into the surrounding land. Yeretis is also one of the few areas in Savos where agriculture is viable, thanks to three large rivers and yearly run-offs from the mountains to the north.
Yeretis is known for its brave paladins and cruel assasins.
and unknowingly, the Yeretian capital Dyrqandis is built above a large Colony of revolotionary exile Mind flayers, who wish to defy their father's ways and hang around in the overworld.
The Eenbanis islands are home to dinosaurs,winged kobolds ,komodo dragon based lizardfolk, and dinosaur based lizardfolk and an amazing ecosystem.
the scaleyfolk live in small villages, where they grow food to send it to the citys and towns.
the biggest city on the island is called Dsowretees, A semi megalopolis port city that boats from all around the 'biggest sea' come to resupply, sell their goods, and drop passengers who come for a vacation.
There are no ruins of original ancient civilazations. they were built later, so tourist will stay more and therfore, pay more.
The island is in the middle of the 'biggest sea' and is the largest tourist attraction in the world.
in the large cities there are amazing hotels, and amazing beach resorts in the villages.
There isnt much of a struggle in the islands, tribesman no longer fight between themselves, and many warriors are recruited to the Cmerison empire's army, who are the current rulers of the place.
The whole land of the far eastern continent radiates necromantic energy. Ones soul will try to leave when one gets near its black shores, and ones body begines to rot from the inside the longer one is there. The place is inhabited with ghouls and others, with the vampires long gone and Liches a new phenomina. Healing magic itself fouls when in its presance, and it is said that the treasures of a lost age can be found unlooted in untouched human cities. Be warned, however! The ambient power heals undead faster than any spell, and objects can absorb this energy! The reason is belived to be that it is cosmicly close to the lands of the dead, and as such it feasable for a mortal to leave the land. It is known, however, that reviving a person dropes them into this land, with a temparary immunity to the lands energy.
Great ships of obsidion leave the shores of the far easten lands every few months. These are manned by creatures called Ghasts in the western lands and Ghuls in the east. Neverless, they are all human, but capture others to bring back to there dark lands. Strangly, that place has a issue: creatures not of human stock cannot transform into higher forms of undeath, and even then they cannot advance further up. As such, the creatures running the ships are the same ones from twenty years ago, and so on. They simply ship the new undead to coastal citys in there lands.
On some strange high plain said to be near this land, a great Cockatraice "oversees" a vast army of slaves. These slaves mine the worlds only supply of mythril, which is turn strapped to undead Craw'nas-mounted platformes by the strange goblinish elves said to be somewhat related to the Thaithals. The Cockatraice is strange beast, at least as old as the Wizered King. Its hide is as hard as the metel that it oversees and can turn almost anything to stone with a gaze, and it is said to be somewhat intelegent. The strange folk that own the mine owe no ships, and the metel is flown all over to the great citys in the world, and is sold by the ounce at extremely high prices. The elf-goblins buy only strong half-orcs and plump halflings, and sell only there slivery metel. The great plain is said to be located somewhere to the east, be it somewhere in the eastern continent or even somewhere where the necrotic energy cannot reach. Even guests are blindfolded before they are allowed a rare trip there, and they are usualy taken to work in the mines, or else feed the monster that inforces there will.
In Shax-Li there are numerous pyramids made of obsidian, or something closely resembling it. No one knows there purpose, but there are several within sight of the "border" of Shax-Li.
Shax-Li is located along a thick crescent at the far-east edge of Gloias
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