Regions and Realms on Duria
Geographic Regions
Duria is the smallest of the three known continents, forming a triangle between the frigid White Ocean, the Betshaban Ocean to the southwest, and the Endless Ocean in the east. Prevalent winds generally coming from the west in the north and from the east in the extreme south. Wind patterns are heavily affected by the two large mountain ranges on the continent, with the Divian Mountains keeping the frigid northern winds from cooling the fertile lands south of it and the Cambrecian Mountains keeping the winds mild in the south. Lun Dorak, however, is generally unprotected and periodically experiences violent tornados, particularly during the spring stormy season.
The vast Divian Mountains are the highest mountains on the continent, with frozen peaks throughout much of the range. The Cambrecian Mountains in the south tend to be warmer and lower, as if age has eroded its once-sharp peaks. The only other mountains of any particular size are the Sapphire Mount in Lun Dorak and the Tamerynd Plateau on the island of Tamerynd. Duria is peppered with numerous woods, most of which were inhabited by elves at some point. The Webwood in the far north, has one of the largest concentrations of elves outside the elven homeland of Elarean, though their numbers were greatly reduced when the orcish horde burned most of the southern woods after the Mage War at the conclusion of the Third Age of Man.
Divia is bordered by several seas: the Valtaani Sea, the Pirate Sea and the Maroshan Sea along its southwestern shores. The Sea of Blades, the largest freshwater lake in the known world, dominates the northeast, emptying into the Endless Ocean through a strait called the Maraudine. There are several islands of various sizes considered part of Duria, from the frozen Trollstova Islands in the north to the Black Isle, Stormward Isle, Braregia, Tamerynd, Harshwind and Marosh in the Pirate Sea.
Forests
Bartik Wood
The frozen Bartik Wood lies in the extreme north of the Divian Peninsula on the continent of Duria, bordered by Norlund to the east and the ruined wastes of what was once northwestern Koramia to the west. Bartik Wood is a boreal forest, with elk and caribou being the largest game in the region. Small game are plentiful, particularly foxes and rabbits, though there are some wild boar and goats in the hilly southern reaches of the forest. Seal and walrus are abundant on the rocky northern coasts of the White Ocean.
Much of the eastern edge of the forest is heavily harvested by the humans of Norlund, mainly for building materials as the rest of Norlund tends to be somewhat bare of wood strong enough to be used in construction. Though there are some hobgoblin tribes lurking in the western and northern reaches of the forest, they rarely wander far enough east to come into conflict with their human neighbors. There are rumors of giants living deep within Bartik Wood, though there have been no reliable reports of giants in the region for generations.
Farnham Wood
Nestled in the northeastern Calmerian Marches on the continent of Duria, Farnham Wood has long stood as a bulwark between the Gaelish clans of the Marches and the depredations of the Magocracy of Lun Dorak to the east. Farnham Wood is a magical place, viewed with reverence and awe by the Gaelish clans and decried as a place of wild, dangerous magic and Otherworlders by the Dorakians. Though all forests have at least some Fey activity, Farnham Wood is considered to have the strongest connection to the Fey. Legends suggest that there are no small number of Fey hill forts and portals to Otherworld scattered throughout the wood and more than a few unwary traveler has entered the wood never to return (or to return a century later, believing himself to have been gone for only a day).
Mistwood
Situated south of the Sea of Blades and east of Enesia on the continent of Duria, Mistwood is believed to be an ancient haven of elves, though there are no reports of contact with the elves of the Mistwood for centuries, even among other elven nations. Though the forest is primarily an old, mixed temperate forest, there is relatively little harvesting along its western edge, despite the proximity of several villages to the forest. Most of the humans of Enesia have an almost religious reverence for the forest and many stories would indicate that it is haunted, though no one seems to know what event may have lead to such a preponderance of spiritual activity.
The forest is often shrouded in a dense fog that seems to descent from the Cambrecian Mountains to the south, which sometimes encroaches on the grasslands east and west of the forest. There are legends of "something" living in these thick mists that will take away the unwary traveler and even a rumor that some time in the ancient past, an entire town disappeared to the fog.
Orqneal Wood
Volasci forest
Volasci Forest lies in northern Cambrecia in central Duria. It is primarily a mixed temperate forest, with broadleaf trees predominant in the western lowlands and conifers more present in the eastern highlands. The forest was relatively tamed by humans by the end of the Third Age of Man, with several logging communities throughout, though the chaos of the Dark Times has left many of those communities empty or cut off from civilization and the forest has reclaimed much of the land that was once cleared. Reports of hobgoblins and giants migrating down from the mountains also suggests that Volasci Forest has become much more forbidding and dangerous.
There are more recent rumors that suggest a mysterious group of people identified as druids have formed a community somewhere deep within the Volasci forest and have allied with some giants in the area. Traders skirting the northern reaches of the forest have reported seeing giants lugging huge stones quarried from the Cambrecian Mountains that some scholars suggest are for a new Great Henge deep within the forest. It is unknown if these druids are allied with the Great Henge of the Calmerian Marches or if they are a break-away sect seeking to establish their own Archdruid.
Webwood
The mysterious Webwood lies north of the Sea of Blades, east of Illyria and Dakra and west of Vor Midal. The forest is primarily boreal in the north, though the forest quickly shifts into a temperate broadleaf forest in the south, where the cold northern winds have less sway over the climate. Elk and caribou are fairly common in the north, particularly along the edges of the forest, near the grasslands of Illyria. Walruses are common along the rocky northern coast and whales are often seen near the coast in the summer months. The southern forest is dominated by great grizzly bears, usually found along the floodplains of the Danural River, and hives of giant spiders along the forest edge that give the forest its name. These giant spiders are the apex predators of the Webwood... wolves are extremely rare and there are rumors that those wolves who did live in the Webwood were
The Webwood is one of the remaining hereditary territories of the elves, though the forest itself was almost wiped out in recent memory. After the defeat of Lun Dorak at the conclusion of the Mage War, the orcs of Vor Midal turned on their allies and began a conquest of the Divian Peninsula. Unfortunately, the elves of the Webwood were directly in the path of the orcish horde. Much of the forests south of the Danural River were burned as the horde moved through and most of elven civilization in the Webwood was destroyed. Many of those elves who survived began a diaspora into neighboring human nations that were at least semi-friendly with the elves. Though some stalwarts remained in the Webwood and have worked to regrow their ravaged woods, it is generally believed that about three fifths of the surviving elven population chose to leave their ancestral lands and have yet to return.
Highlands
The Cambrecian Mountains
The Cambrecian Mountains rise sharply in central Duria and run southward towards the the Endless Ocean. They are substantially higher and rockier than the more northerly Divian Mountain range, averaging about 12,000 feet about sea level. The Throne of Balthor, the tallest mountain on Duria, rises over 15,500 feet into the sky. Much of the surface of the Cambrecian Mountains are wild, with giants, goblins and strange creatures lurking in its deep valleys. In contract, the dwarves of the Kingdom of Derlos have built expansive caverns and cities beneath the mountains, with a large fortification dominating the one known pass through the mountain chain. There are rumors of other dwarven settlements on the surface, though few human scholars or merchants are willing to brave the wilds of the mountains to confirm these rumors.
The Divian Mountains
The rolling mountains that bisect the Divian Peninsula on the continent of Duria.
Rivers
Angulls River
Archvyla River
Autrica River
Brymn River
Cairiogh River
Danural River
Dunshield River
Galforth River
Gweafon River
Hother River
Ivalaa River
Kemyoki River
Krios River
The Krios river is a major waterway in southern Duria and serves as a border for Auteria, Daredonia, Kamaros, Malvetia and the Neptaran Territories. Its source lies deep within the Cambrecian Mountains and it empties into the Maroshan Sea just east of the Freecity of Neptaris.
Prior to the dawn of the Third Age of Man and the Foundation of Neptaris, the river was called Balinars.
Pol River
See Cairiogh River
Prespa River
Red River
Septimia River
Shir River
Spareth River
Surk River
Tredlbach River
Tweph River
Ulath River
Velusian River
Vola River
Vuorne River
Waite River
Swamps
Dragonmire
The Dragonmire is a large swamp that lies between the elves of the Webwood forest and the orcish grasslands of Vor Midal. Legend claims that a dragon was slain by orcs somewhere deep within the mire and that its undead form still haunts the crooked trees and stagnant water. There are also rumors that the Dragonmire was once a shallow lake that was somehow drained into the depths of the world.
Frostmire Swamp
Located north of Ciritasnia on the northwest coast of the Divian Peninsula on the continent of Duria, the Frostmire Swamp is the frigid delta of the Galforth River where it spills into the Valtaani Sea. Despite being frozen for almost half the year, the Frostmire quickly floods in the summer as glacial melt in the Divian Mountains swells the banks of the Galforth, often changing its course in the delta.
The swamp is dominated by birch and alder (which look much like skeletal hands grasping at the grey northern sky in the winter), with some spruce along the northernmost shore. Most of the local game are small, such as rabbits and foxes, though caribou are not uncommon in the northern months. Since the defeat of the orcs of Vor Scheral, small herds of wild Midalan horses sometimes wander into the areas of the Frostmire that border the surrounding grasslands. When the orcs of Vor Scheral first defeated the Koramians of the region, there were no real predators in the Frostmire, but worgs have been lurking in the depths of the swamp since they were abandoned by the orcs' hobgoblin cavalry.
There are rumors that there was once a city deep within the Frostmire, before the orcs came after the end of the Mage War. It was protected from the chaotic changes of the Galforth by great levees and is rumored to protect the treasures and secrets of the Third Age of Man. None are known to have ventured into the Frostmire since the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, though most presume the city was consumed in the cold, frozen grip of the Frostmire.
Zaralan Marsh
A large saltwater marsh on the southeastern shores of the Sea of Blades, Zaralan Marsh was long a hiding place for rebels and escaped criminals from Lun Dorak. After the conclusion of the Mage War, in which the refugees of Zaralan provided some assistance in defeating the Mage King Lucasa, the rebels formed the nation of Stenoa on the plains to the west of Zaralan Marsh, using the tangled swamplands as something of a physical buffer against the Dorakian armies. The swamps today are even more dangerous than in ages past, with some independent raiders still trying to eke out an existence on the salty wetlands, fighting against the terrible creatures (some of which created by Dorakian mages) that lurk in the deeper recesses of the swamp.
Waterways
The Betshaban Ocean
The Betshaban Ocean lies between the continents of Aurea, Duria and Gallorea and includes the Pirates' Sea and the Maroshan Sea near Duria and the Yglarsed Sea on the Gallorean coast. The ocean is dominated by the clockwise Betshaban Stream, which is fed by warm waters in the west from the Aebasan Ocean and warm waters from the Endless Ocean in the east. The Betshaban Stream tends to cool somewhat along the Durian coast, feeding into the Endless Ocean south of Danas. Prevailing winds in the southern Betshaban Ocean tend to move from the east, with the current, making westerly travel particularly easy for most ships and easterly travel extremely difficult. In the northern reaches, winds tend to move from the west, also with the current, making travel from Aurea to Duria particularly easy, though the converse more difficult. The currents and prevailing winds create a large calm area southwest of The Island of Tamarynd known affectionately as "Betshaba's Bosom". Ships who drift into Betshaba's Bosom are rarely heard from again. The northern reaches of the Betshaban Ocean are known for its legendary storms, particularly in autumn and winter. Hurricanes are a constant threat during the storm season, particularly along the Aurean coast and the northern Pirate Isles.
Though all oceans are claimed by Betshaba, the Betshaban Ocean is, obviously, considered particularly blessed (and cursed) by the Wave Queen. Though the Pirate Sea is considered by many to be appropriated by her greatest enemy, Taltos, the Deep Dweller. Most aquatic creatures, monstrous and sentinent, can be found in the Betshaban, though the most legendary creature known to travel Betshaba's ocean is the Leviathan, an impossibly huge whale said to be her personal eyes and ears in the mortal realm.
The Valtaani Sea
The Endless Ocean
The Endless Ocean lies to the east of the known world and is considered the eastern edge of the world by most. Known currents move predominantly northward, with a major warm current entering the Betshaban Ocean north of Haleland on the northeastern shores of Gallorea, forming the Betshaban Stream. The Betshaban stream cools substantially before re-entering the Endless Ocean just south of Danas, on the southern shore of Duria. The main current turns eastward once it reaches the easterly currents of the White Ocean.
The Endless Ocean is a place of legend and a source of fear for sailors who ply her waters, almost always hugging close to the shores. Fantastic creatures, all of which seeming to consider air-breathers a delicacy, ply her deep waters. The island of Kesh hangs off the eastern shores of Gallorea, the only known island in the Endless Ocean. Rumors are heard from Kesh traders of another continent to the east across the trackless waves, but most scholars consider these rumors little more than foundless myths.
The Maraudine
The Maraudine is the small stretch of water wherein the Sea of Blades empties into the Endless Ocean. It is patrolled both by the warships of Lun Dorak and Vor Midal, who are constantly at war with one another. Merchants and other neutral parties who attempt to use the Maraudine tend to either end up confiscated and conscripted by the Dorakian mages or raided and murdered by orcish pirates.
The Maroshan Sea
The Maroshan Sea is a part of the Betshaban Ocean between the Pirate Isles and the mainland of Duria, west of the Black Isle and north of the island of Marosh. The Sea itself is relatively calm, with major storms usually restricted to early autumn. The Maroshan Sea is a major trade route along the Inner Shore of Duria and is patrolled by many of the nations of the Inner Shore searching for the elusive Tamerynd pirates who lurk about looking for easy prey.
The Sea of Blades
The Sea of Blades lies in northeastern Duria. The Sea is mostly freshwater in the west, where it is fed by the Upper and Lower Blades on either side of the nation of Pelusia at the eastern terminus of the Divian Mountains. In the east, the water is substantially saltier, particularly where the Sea empties into the Endless Ocean through the strait known as the Maraudine.
The western shores of the Sea of Blades is criss-crossed by merchant vessels from Dakra, Pelusia, Nagos, Enesia and even a few merchant ships from Stenoa and Lun Dorak. The eastern shores tend to be extremely dangerous, with orcish pirates from Vor Midal competing with military ships from Lun Dorak for dominance of the Sea.
There are rumors of deep tunnels that pass deep beneath the Sea of Blades and dwarven legends even tell of a lost dwarven city somewhere deep underground in the region, though there is little direct evidence of either.
Nations and Realms
Auteria
The Grand Duchy of Auteria separated from the Kingdom of Malvetia during the Mage War, when it was established as a separate province by the conquering mages of Lun Dorak. After the fall of the Mage King, the Grand Duchy remained independent from Malvetia, in part because of its alliance with the dwarves of the Kingdom of Derlos, who took part in helping Auteria gain its independence from Lun Dorak. Despite the sovereignty of the hereditary Grand Duke, Auteria today has become a mixture of dwarven and human societies, with several dwarven settlers earning both elected positions and even some hereditary titles.
The Black Isle
The Black Isle, formerly Steelgate Isle, was the headquarters for the Koramian navy in the closing centuries of the Third Age of Man and represented Koramia's indomitable power in the Pirate Sea and the Maroshan Sea. During the Mage War, the island's forces were constantly a thorn in the side of Imperial naval supply lines, becoming privateers when the island's fortifications at Leeward were taken by Imperial forces. At the conclusion of the war and victory over the Mage-King, Admiral Theodore Coldberg returned in victory to Leeward, only to see the entire island fall to the Crimson Plague.
Now called the Black Isle, those few who dare to sail within sight of the island report strange mists on the oceans, eerie lights along shore and great tattered warships still patrolling her waters helmed by unseen crew.
The Calmerian Marches
The Calmerian Marches are so called because they were once considered the edge of the civilized world by the Great Empire when it reached its farthest extent in the Third Age of Man. Mainly composed of warring clans constantly manipulated by and enslaved by the mages of Lun Dorak, the Calmerian Marches are nevertheless one of the remaining strongholds of the ancient Druids and worship of the Tuatha de Dannan.
Cambrecia
Long the center of the worship of Zelos, God of the State, in the Imperial Pantheon, The Holy See of Cambrecia was long the last nation loyal to the Great Empire in Duria, despite being an essentially independent state. Cambrecia suffered greatly during the Dark Times, with chaos and rebellion ravaging the land after the fall of the Mage-King Lucasa and the Crimson Plague decimating the population thereafter. At the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, the Potentates of Zelos have re-established their authority, despite losing a great deal of territory during the Dark Times. Despite the more liberal policies of recent Potentates, there are still some rebels covertly working to replace the theocracy with a monarchy.
Ciritasnia
Once part of Koramia, when the forces of the Great Empire were left stranded on the Divian Peninsula at the conclusion of the Mage War, they chose to create their own state rather than integrate into the victorious Koramian society. Ciritasnia was also in the path of the orcish horde from Vor Midal that ravaged the region and eventually settled in Vor Scheral (the remaining portion of which is now known as the Orcish Wastes). Despite their hatred for the "Koramian Rebels" to the east, they allied with their Koramian enemies to drive out the orcs from Vor Scheral in the early years of the Fourth Age of Man. Ciritasnia is still a military state, under the command of the Legate, though more than a few of the descendants of the original soldiers have since settled as farmers and craftsmen. If a new Emperor should rise and unify the remnants of the Great Empire, it is likely Ciritasnia would again become a serious threat to Koramian indepedence.
Dakra
Formerly part of Illyria and subsequently Norlund, Dakra was the first of Norlund's eastern territories to rebel during the dark times of the Dark Times. Long known for their skill at sea, Dakra became a haven for pirates and other criminal organizations at the dawn of the Fourth Age. They currently dominate the Sea of Blades, preying on any who dare to trade there, even the heavily-ensorceled vessels of Lun Dorak.
Danas
A sleepy, agricultural nation ruled by a hereditary human Earl, Danas has an extremely high population of hobbits and is one of the regions considered most likely to be the hobbit homeland. Because of its relative isolationism, Danas was not deeply affected by the chaos of the Dark Times, though the Earl did break off ties with the religious heirarchy of the Old Gods and converted to worship of the Tuatha de Dannan early in the Fourth Age of Man. As a result, the population and recruitment of druids in the region has been on the rise.
Daredonia
One of the former Cambrecian states, Daredeonia gained its independence from Cambrecia during the Dark Times. Though Daredonia's first king, Drogo I Garibald, was known as a draconian dictator as well as a brilliant general, his descendants have proven substantially weaker and unable to curb the growing power of the nation's nobility. Daredonia today is essentially a nation of nearly autonomous counties and baronies who bicker amongst themselves, with the King powerless to effect any real change or conduct national affairs outside the capital of Tryscon.
Enesia
Once a sleepy agricultural nation composed of peaceful farmers who had fled the autocratic rule of the Potentate of Zelos in Cambrecia, Enesia was conquered and its populace enslaved by the armies of the Mage-King of Lun Dorak during the Mage War. When the Mage-King was defeated, Enesia found itself without a King or the means to determine a new one. Despite being the location of the Holy Fields of Podalirius, worship of the Tuatha de Dannan spread in Enesia during the Dark Times and at the dawn of the Fourth Age, the people of Enesia are still divided between worship of the Old Gods and the Tuatha.
Harshwind
Southernmost of the Pirate Isles, Harshwind is sparsely populated by subsistence fisherman and a few retired pirates. Tremendous storms, particularly in late summer and early fall, constantly buffet the island. Contact with Harshwind during the Dark Times trickled to almost nothing and little is known in the outside world what tragedies, if any, the island experienced during these chaotic dark times.
Illyria
Once part of the Imperial colony of Ciritasnia, Illyria staunchly maintained its independence during the Conquest, the only nation able to not only halt the advance of the Koramian crusaders, but killed their legendary King William I. They remained in a stalemate with Koramia for decades, until finally they made some advances due to a secret alliance with the mages of Lun Dorak in the early years of the Mage War. Despite these initial successes, the Illyrian King Gunthar Caldwell was finally convinced that his alliance was a dark one and Illyria allied with Koramia as well as the elves of the Webwood Forest and the orcs of Lun Dorak in the final defeat of the Mage-King.
When the orcish horde ran out of enemies, it turned on its former allies and Illyria was squarely in their path. After the horde passed, Illyria was in no position to defend itself when the rebel Kingdom of Norlund overtook them in the closing years of the Third Age of Man. The people of Illyria spent the Dark Times under the domination of the Norlunders, only recently rising up in rebellion and re-establishing themselves as a sovereign nation.
Kamaros
One of the former Cambrecian states, Kamaros was part of the Royalist movement that seceded from the See of Cambrecia to become the Kingdom of Daredonia under King Drogo I Garibald during the Dark Times. When the draconian King Drogo I died and was succeeded by his infant grandson, a cousin of King Drogo I named Lothar I Nitha rebelled against the Regency and established the Kingdom of Kamaros. The Kamaran people tend to be a severe people who were never fully Imperialized by the Holy See. Throughout Imperial domination, they retained much of their language, strong familial ties and love of war (or sport when war is not convenient). The King is constantly on the lookout for rebels and traitors among his people, particularly in the frontier in the foothills of the Cambrecian Mountains.
Koramia
Formerly the gleaming gem of Duria, Koramia was likely the nation most deeply affected by events that brought the Third Age of Man to a close and ushered in the chaos of the Dark Times. Despite coming to dominate the entirety of the Divian Peninsula under the legendary King William I Greysword, Koramia fractured when it became the main battleground for the Mage War. Despite successfully allying with the elves of the Webwood, the orcs of Vor Midal and even their old enemies in Illyria to defeat the Mage-King, Koramia was left in shambles and was unprepared when the orcish horde turned on them after the war. In the wake of the orcish horde, Koramia found itself without a clear heir to the throne, unable to maintain control over rebellious Norlund and with a large number of Imperial troops still stranded in their borders, forming the nation of Ciritasnia.
Despite this chaos, many scholars have come to believe that 'something' happened in the capital of Paeldain around 1361 I.C. that ushered in the return of the Old Gods and the Tuatha de Dannan to Creation, heralding the start of the Fourth Age of Man. Though there is little factual evidence to back this up, the Koramian Civil War came to a close with a Greysword on the throne, the errant nation of Dunkirk reaffirmed its allegiance to the Crown and Koramia allied with the soldiers of Ciritasnia to remove the orcs of the Orcish Wastes from the Divian Peninsula.
Lun Dorak
Once a decadent and isolationist society in a remote corner of the world, Lun Dorak sprang into global politics when its last Mage-King, Lucasa, became Emperor of the Great Empire and brought the full might of the mages of Lun Dorak and the Imperial military to bear in a quest for global domination, sparking the Mage War. Himself of Koramian birth, Lucasa's forces bogged down in Koramia and were eventually defeated by an unusual alliance between humans, elves, orcs and, it is rumored, a group of Dragonriders. Though most believe he was slain in the final battle, rumors persist in Lun Dorak that he was spirited away after the final battle by the Dragonriders for unknown reasons.
After the fall of the Mage-King, Lun Dorak's mages fell to infighting as her mundane slaves rose in rebellion. Despite the fact that the mages have since settled their differences and re-asserted control over the region, pockets of rebellion still stymie their efforts for domination in the region, particularly in the tangled swamps along the Sea of Blades. Rumors persist that these rebels are being assisted by the Dragonriders, though there are no credible reports of dragons in the skies over Lun Dorak since the end of the Great War.
Malvetia
A quiet nation on the eastern shores of the Malvetian Peninsula, Malvetia was decimated first by the slave armies of Lun Dorak in the opening stages of the Mage War, then by the depredations of the Crimson Plague, then finally the chaos of the the Dark Times. Though peace again reigns in the area and the population is rebuilding, only the rise of the druids and worship of the Tuatha de Dannan in the area gives the people any real unity.
Marosh
Long a haven for pirates and smugglers in the Maroshan Sea, Marosh has also served intermittently as a safe haven for the naval forces of Neptaris in times of war or revolution. During the Dark Times, several groups from Neptaris settled more or less permanently in Marosh and now, at the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, there are stirrings of an actual governing body on the island for the first time in known history, despite attempts by worshippers of Taltos to maintain it as a haven for pirates.
Nagos
Once a syndicracy controlled by its powerful Merchant Fleets and Guilds, Nagos was unprepared for the slave armies of Lun Dorak and fell under the might of the Mage-King in the Mage War in the closing decades of the Third Age of Man. After the defeat of the Mage-King, the people of Nagos rose up against not only their wizardly masters, but all who displayed a talent for Hermetic Magic. Though some of the Hermetic Guilds have since made some inroads in appeasing the newly-established monarch of Nagos and trade has recently opened up with the dwarves of the Divian Mountains, Nagos remains fearful of outsiders and Hermetic casters in particular. In some regions, practicing Hermetic Magic is still considered a capital offense, with any practitioners caught in the act summarily burned at the stake by angry mobs.
Neptaris
The Freecity of Neptaris has a long and proud tradition of being the oldest true city on the continent of Duria, even preceding the foundation of Zeth by over a century. Despite its sometimes war-torn history, Neptaris is one of the few states that has actually succeeded in maintaining a democratic government for much of the Third Age of Man. They were able to avoid domination by the slave armies of Lun Dorak during the Mage War, but the population was decimated when the Crimson Plague struck in the final years of the Third Age and trade ground to a standstill. When the Old Gods receded, the city finally fell to chaos as the civil government fell apart. Many of its prominent citizens who survived these dark times fled for Marosh, leaving the city a nearly empty ruin controlled by various gangs squabbling for survival. Only the efforts of a handful of scholars and druids trickling in from Malvetia provided any sense of order and kept the city from being abandoned altogether.
When the Old Gods returned and the few remaining priests in Neptaris again began to receive answers to their prayers, the Supreme Assembly was re-established and trade routes were reopened. Though Neptaris still struggles with the power of its various guilds and gangs still roam certain parts of the city, the people of Neptaris are slowly rebuilding to their former glory.
Numentora
Formerly a part of the Holy See of Cambrecia, Numentora was founded by Zelosian schismatics who opposed Cambrecia's alliance with the Mage King during the height of the Mage War. After formally declaring their independence from Cambrecia at the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, the Archbishop of Trias formally granted political power to the citizens of Numentora, establishing a Republic that relied on an ancient familial system to elect a non-hereditary Duke to oversee an Assembly, composed of representatives of over two-hundred ancient clans and families. Though Numentora has seen numerous violent rebellions and riots in Trias since the foundation of the Republic, the Numentoran people are fiercely independent and ally quickly against any outside threat.
The Orcish Wastes
Formerly known as Vor Scheral, the Orcish Wastes lie on the frozen northwestern shores of Duria. The orcish horde that founded Vor Scheral was beaten back to the Wastes early in the Fourth Age of Man, but the human armies have not been able to fully dislodge the orcish clans from the Divian Peninsula. The armies of Ciritasnia seem content to leave the Waste to the orcs and have recently begun constructing a large defensive wall from the Frostmire Swamp to the Divian Mountains to keep the orcs at bay.
Norlund
Once dominated by Koramia during the Conquest, Norlund again became independent in the chaos after the Mage War and the subsequent Civil War. When the orcish horde from Vor Midal ravaged the region, Norlund send messengers to the warriors of Valtaan. The Valtang King answered not with mercenaries, but with a conquering army. Norlund was quickly overwhelmed by the Valtang barbarians, who quickly established a new King. To settle various disputes and petty rebellions, the most recent King replaced all of the native nobility with his own loyal generals and adventurers from the Valtang.
Pelusia
Once a powerful mining nation governed by a heritary Prince, the nation of Pelusia was enslaved by the slave armies of Lun Dorak during the Mage War. The Mages of Lun Dorak did not honor the treaties with the dwarves that the Pelusians had established with the dwarves of the Divian Mountains. After a few minor skirmishes, the dwarves responded by declaring the Mages of Lun Dorak in violation of the Treaty of Gundagor and rose to attack. The local church of Baelthor, long the predominant religion among the people of Pelusia, joined forces with the dwarves and the people rose in revolt. Many scholars believe that the revolution in Pelusia is one of the factors that allowed Koramia and her allies to finally defeat the Mage-King.
During the Dark Times, Pelusia suffered the same depredations as other cultures, but the dwarven troops of the region remained in the area to support the Prince and local governments through the chaos. The stability the dwarves brought endeared them to the people of Pelusia and they quickly integrated into Pelusian society. At the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, Pelusia stands as a unified nation of dwarves and humans with more material resources than anywhere else in Duria.
Stenoa
Located on the eastern shores of the Sea of Blades, Stenoa was founded by brigands, escaped slaves and rebels who once hid from their Dorakian masters deep within Zaralan Marsh. During the Mage War, the refugees from the Marsh helped the allied forces defeat the Mage King Lucasa and occupied the relatively wild grasslands west of the Marsh, founding their own state there. Throughout the first century of the Fourth Age of Man, Stenoa and Lun Dorak have been at war with one another.
The Zaran people of Stenoa are a hardy and proud people, steadfast in their opposition to the mages of Lun Dorak (and, in many areas, against any sort of wizard or sorceror). Druids traveling from the Calmerian Marches have recently gained some level of acceptance by the people of Stenoa and rumors suggest they may be forging an alliance between the Calmerian tribesmen and the Zaran refugees in Stenoa. It is generally presumed that Lun Dorak is actively opposing such an alliance.
Stormward Isle
The northernmost of the Pirate Isles, Stormward Isle is known for its tremendous storms in all seasons as well as being a pirate haven in years past. Contact with the island was lost during the chaos of the Dark Times and no one knows precisely who, if anyone, survived on the island.
Tamerynd
The largest of the Pirate Isles, the Island of Tamerynd was once a seething haven of pirates, outlaws and the worst of Creation's scum. Tamerynd was hit particularly hard by the Crimson Plague and the remaining populace fought for control of the waters near the island. Though there has been little communication with the island since the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, but there are rumors that orcs have taken hold of the remaining shipyards and have begun to construct their own varieties of pirate ships to terrorize the waves with.
Valtaan
A nation of savage raiders and fishermen who were once content to raid shipping in the Valtaani Sea and sometimes making landfall in northern Aurea and Duria, the Valtang began to invade and settle settle northeastern Aurea in the waning years of the Third Age of Man. Those who did not participate in the rapid conquests continue the traditions of their fore-bearers, eking out an existing in the frozen north and continuing to raid, sometimes even against their cousins on conquered shorelines. The Valtang are known to worship strange gods (or, perhaps, strange versions of the Old Gods), but rumors persist of some ancient evil deep beneath the frozen peaks that dominate the peninsula that secretly control and direct the Valtang on the land above.
Vor Midal
Vor Midal has long been the main center of orcish power in Duria. The orcs of Vor Midal were instrumental in defeating the slave-armies of Lun Dorak, though they then turned against their allies and marched their assembled horde across the continent of Duria, leaving chaos in their wake. Though much of the population of Vor Midal departed and eventually settled in Vor Scheral (which was subsequently defeated by the humans of Ciritasnia and Koramia), they were not decimated by the Crimson Plague and did not experience much hardship from the departure of the Old Gods. At the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, Vor Midal is again full to bursting with orcish warriors eager to conquer new lands. It is only a matter of time before a knew Great Khan rises to unify his people and again march across Duria.
| This article is part of the Player's Guide to Duria | |
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Introduction · Economics and Trade · Legends and History · Religion · Regions and Realms | |
| Regions and Realms on Duria | |
