World›Locations
Locations
34 known locations
Name Type Parent Description
Cabernath Country — Once a thriving kingdom, Cabernath has been broken by war. Now ruled by warring tribes and brutal warrior-kings, Cabernath was the most resistant of the seven lands to join the United Realm, and many Cabernathi feel no allegiance with northerners. It is a land of warriors and scientists, of engineers and raiders. Many sail the endless Violet Sands on great Sandships, mechanical sandfaring vehicles designed to traverse the desert. ▾
Elderan Country — The political and cultural center of The United Realm, Elduran is a vast and wealthy land where the Highking rules from the opulent city of Caer Eldur. With towering cathedrals, sprawling academies, and the grandest armies, it serves as the heart of unity for the Realm. ▾
Caer Eldur City Elderan The magic aether fog of the teleportation circle spell settles around you, and as your eyes adjust you see the inside the Mage Tower you have been transported to. The room you are in is quite a bit larger than the one you left, tall walls lined with decorative bookshelves and open windows that waft in the cool fresh air to mix with the sweet smells of the magic being worked in the room. A dozen teleportation circles are lined up on raised daises in neat rows, as hurried apprentices bustle about and shepherd people to wherever they need to be. One such apprentice waves for you to step off the platform and quickly escorts you to a balcony with stairs that descend to the bottom of the tower. Once you step onto the balcony, the sharp smells of the briny sea to the east mixes with the dry bite of sulfur drifting down from Mount Bardoon to the west, whose jagged peak watches over the city. You look out around and are struck awed by the sheer vastness of Caer Eldur, the First City. The buildings below you are mostly dark, made of grey basalt bricks with silver trims and filigrees around the windows and edges on the wealthier buildings, and red clay-tiled roofs stretching in every direction. District after district unfold before you in winding and widening rings, their boundary defined by towering walls made of the same black stone. Each section is of a varying height and design, as if the city has repeatedly outgrown its skin and woven new barriers around itself a hundred times, but never quite the same way twice. From this height, the yellowy limestone streets are like gossamer threads of gold weaving together hundreds of markets and plazas and temples, with the countless rooftops rising and falling everywhere in between. The city clings to the edge of the known world, perched atop a sheer, ocean-carved precipice that drops into the endless cerulean sea below. The occasional large wave smashes against the cliff face and throws up bursts of white spray, like a never ending celebration of white fireworks. Beyond the cliff, connected by a broad and ancient stone bridge, sits a lone sea stack, the old pillar of layered rock rising from the surf as if in defiance of the very sea itself. Upon it stands a massive citadel, Castle Esther, its dark walls polished by centuries of storm and salt. The foundation of the castle has been built deep into the stack itself, blending together the natural stone and the carved bricks into one seamless monolith. The keep is a maze of castles and towers and walls, the city banner draped from every window and turret. You know it well, the Bloody Banner; a silver dragon impaled on a spear against a crimson background. Above it all, the city and walls and citadels, Mount Bardoon sits proud and regal, crowned by ashen ice. You know this mountain, if not by sight then by story. This was the throne and roost of Thalmoniir the Undying, the dragon who once ruled the world. You understand immediately why a dragon would have been attracted to it, sitting almost like a castle itself, obstinate to the puny city below. You imagine the sun setting, the large singular mountain gobbling up the dusk and casting everything in early shadow. The city breathes and clamours beneath you, the powerful din of ten hundred thousand souls echoing through the streets. Welcome to Caer Eldur, the endless First City. ▾
Castle Esther District Caer Eldur The physically highest point of the city, functioning as the fortified residence and the seat of the High King. ▾
Cliffs Landmark Caer Eldur The steep, dangerous rock faces bordering the city, which overlook the coast or lower ground and contain hidden crevices. ▾
Enclave District District Caer Eldur A military and religious sector, hosting the central barracks and the largest temples. ▾
Gold District District Caer Eldur The city's primary commercial and banking center, housing the main markets and major guild headquarters. ▾
Mount Bardoon Landmark Caer Eldur The prominent, undeveloped mountain directly outside the city walls, containing rough terrain and limited trails. ▾
The Galleria District Caer Eldur Dedicated to skilled labor and artistry, with many workshops, foundries, craft shops, and public art galleries. ▾
The Rows District Caer Eldur The most densely populated area, characterized by narrow, crowded streets and low-income, multi-story buildings. ▾
Tower District District Caer Eldur Location of wealthy residential towers, noble homes, and the city's magical institutions. ▾
Telmuir City Elderan Our story begins in the city of Telmuir, humming with the energy of late autumn. The dusk is cool and wet, and would cause a shiver if not for the occasional ocean-warmed wind moving throughout the labyrinthian city. The aroma from the cobblestone streets, still damp from the midday rain, mixes playfully with the smell of the woodfire hearths beginning to light throughout the inns and homes of the city. The streets are full of the music of life; a dull murmur of merchants haggling over their final sales of the day, the rhythmic clang of a blacksmith’s hammer echoing from an alley forge, and the gentle tune of a distant bard drifts over the din of passing carriages. Telmuir is one of the great cities of the United Realm, old and tired and busy. The streets are a maze of weathered stone buildings, their facades streaked with moss and rain-darkened ivy. Timbered homes lean at odd angles, their painted shutters, some vibrant, some faded with time, creaking in the wind. The stained-glass windows of the pale limestone halls of the wealthier citizens catch the last light of the day, and bathe the streets below in a chromatic aura. Banners of a noble house’s sigil or a guild's colours hang from every other window, telling unspoken tales of a thousand petty squabbles among a thousand minor players. It would take nearly a day to walk from one end of Telmuir to the other. With such great size and citizenry, a new guild can thrive. There is always work to be done, jobs to complete, and a river of gold coins flowing, waiting for the wise or the bold to drink their fill. Artisan guilds are popular, even those with only a single member. Then there are the Warrior’s Guilds, selling their swords to the battlefield. But today you are planning on becoming an Adventurer’s Guild. Yours is the business of monsters, bounties, and other odd-jobs. And today will be your guild’s first day, but there are a few things that still need to be done before you can begin. ▾
Burghest Hall Building Telmuir The home base of the Argent Shield. ▾
Drowned Bastard Building Telmuir Tavern in Telmuir where the party met Revan and Maddy ▾
Kobold Caves Dungeon Telmuir —
St. Alabaster's Tomb Building Telmuir The resting place of St. Alabaster. ▾
Gol Country — A land of scholars, sorcerers, and forgotten ruins, Gol is where the arcane arts flourish. The city of Ankaris, home to the revered Grand Arcanium, draws mages from all lands. However, with magic comes danger; Gol’s wild mana fields and deep vaults hide ancient, forbidden knowledge that some say should remain buried. ▾
Ankaris City Gol The dawn of the third day at sea breaks as the first clear view of the city appears. Nestled in a narrow, mist-laden valley where the River Vire twists below like a silvery serpent, Ankaris covers the mountainous intersection of sea and stone. The smell of the salted sea begins to mix with the sickly sweet aroma of magic fumes and the unmistakable acrid stink of sulfur, creating a cacophony of smells that is hard to ignore. You look up from the harbour to see the city that surrounds you. To the Southside of the valley, the golden sunlight glints off of polished domes and ivory terraces. It is a realm of marble and gardens, and spire-topped towers. The locals seem well off, suits and ruffled dresses, and the unmistakable whirring of unnatural life following the wealthier citizens. Animids, they’re called, small magically infused servants, bustle about holding groceries and sweeping porches. High above it all, perched atop Mount Gaulder like a crown, stands the Grand Arcanium, the colossal library older than God and with almost as much knowledge within. It is home of magic and the birthplace of innovation. Across the yawning gorge that splits the valley like a wound, however, lies a completely different Ankaris. The Northside is a maze of lean-to homes and soot-streaked chimneys. The Mines of Mana dominate the horizon, those craggy tunnels and glowing slag-heaps where workers labour in unending shifts, prying raw magicite from the bones of the earth like vultures. The Stryke Trading Company’s logo covers the northside of the city like an infection, indicating this apartment or that workhouse is owned and operated by the STC. Bridging the valley, a series of gondolas sway on thick arcane cables, gliding between cliffside platforms like choreographed dancers. Some are small, gilded and private, while others are filled with average citizens journeying between worlds, and others yet are filled to the brim with heavy materials for transport, testing the weight and tensile strength of the cables. Welcome to Ankaris, the jewel of Gol. ▾
Mines of Mana Landmark Ankaris The Mines of Mana, where The Stryke Trading Company mines for magicite. The Behemoth is frozen here. ▾
The Grand Arcanium Building Ankaris Where the Wizards of Gol come to study magic. ▾
Kingdom of Valantis Country — A land of rolling plains, grand castles, and noble lineages, Valantis is ruled by an old monarchy steeped in honor and tradition. Once the dominant power in the realm, it now struggles with internal strife between reformists and staunch loyalists. Its knights are legendary, and its capital, Luthaven, is a beacon of culture and learning. ▾
Mendelian Isles Country — A scattered archipelago of mist-shrouded isles, the Mendelian Isles are a land of mariners, pirates, and adventurers. It is home to a confederation of independent island lords, smugglers, and naval powers that control the seas. It is also the birthplace of astronomy, and while the best ships are crafted in Svel, the best sailors are Mendelian. ▾
Svel Country — A land of rugged tundra, jagged fjords, and near endless winters, Svel is home to hardy survivalists, warriors, and seafarers. It is the birthplace of steel, and there are no better blacksmiths than can be found in its capital, Svelgaard. Though once seen as raiders, Svel has become a vital shield against horrors lurking in the Frost Sea. ▾
Svelgaard City Svel As your boat rows closer, the ominous feeling of Svelgaard envelopes you; that this city, only yet in autumn, is covered in a thick winter skin, white as bedsheets. Above, the lonesome sky hangs low and grey, as if the sun itself was lost or forgotten. You hear, first slowly then all at once, the sound of metal rain. The rhythm of the hammers fall and the anvil’s reply, the chorus of the smithy. All of it is dumbed and dampened by the echoing silence of snow, crisp and crunch beneath booted feet that scuttle about the streets. To the north, you see the fortress-like Rineguard building at the docks, with a massive ship at its dock. Beside that, you see the Three Sister Lighthouses in the distance out to see. To the east, the sprawling marketplaces, dug into trenches of snow, and to the south the industrial slums where weapons and artifacts are crafted. A lone church building, simple and stalwart, stands near the southern corners of the town. The Church of Thal’zir, the Drowned. This is a city that endures. Trapped between the deadly Snow Drifts and the deadlier yet Frost Sea, Svelgaard clings to existence like a corpse that has not yet realized it’s already dead. You climb onto the docks and before you can thank him, the sailor has already turned and rows back toward the Riverboat Carapace. You turn back and sigh. Something is not right in this city. ▾
Leviathan Heart Landmark Svelgaard The old temple of Leviathan deep in the Frost Sea ▾
Rineguard HQ Building Svelgaard Rineguard Headquaters ▾
Stryke Family Estate Building Svelgaard —
The Clockwork Plane — The air is still and cool in the Mage Tower of Telmuir as Fitzroy begins to speak the incantations. Energy begins to spill from his hands like golden oil and the Teleportation Circle on the ground ignites beneath you. It crackles to life with white flames, as concentric circles lift into the air around you. Fitzroy draws a rune in the air with chalk, as flecks of reality fall from it as if he were carving the runes into stone with a chisel. With a snap, the ritual ends and time stops. You look around and you’re still in the mage tower, with Fitzroy there waving a goodbye and him mouthing a “good luck” that you cannot hear. But one by one, things begin to crumble. The building, the ceiling, the people around you, begin to fall away like they were built from piles of stones and they’ve just been knocked over. Everything scatters before you, the world, the sky, the stars, even the darkness of the infinite falls away. And suddenly you fail to comprehend reality. It’s the ticking you hear first. Then the whirring and then the clicking. The sound of the choir of a thousand cogs and clocks; gizmos clicking in their spots. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tock. Everything with perfect timing, all the world a metronome. You feel like there’s a world around you, just out of reach of your mind and comprehension. There’s stone beneath your feet, you can feel it before you see it. Eventually your minds begin to catch up and reconfigure themselves to better understand the reality around you. Stone bricks beneath you making a floor. A wall to your left and right, and an archway in front. The stonework around you looks ancient, withered and weathered by eons. Many of the stones have fallen or cracked, and you see hidden underneath the whirring, methodical clockwork ticking away. Behind you there looks like maybe there once was a wall, but its shattered, stones and gears spread and floating out in the nothingness behind it, and a giant teleportation circle with the Telmuir Rune in its place. Beyond the circle is nothingness. At first you think it is dark, but no. Darkness would be a comfort. This is not darkness, not like the night sky, but a nothingness. It is where things that never existed are, and where things that no longer exist go. You decide you don’t care for it and look away. Above you there is open sky, and what you think is, at first, a sun much larger than you’re used to, but much dimmer. Then you realize the thing in the sky is moving, gently. The glowing circular, spectacular beast in the sky floats and stirs, mechanical wings stretching from it concentrically, as if it were never designed to fly. A thousand wheels of clockwork halos circle it, and in the center a single, giant eye stares down at you. You decide you don’t care for it and look away. ▾
The Commonwealth Country — A republic of city-states and trade hubs, The Commonwealth thrives on commerce, innovation, and democratic ideals. Though lacking a central monarchy, it wields vast economic influence. Its fleets control crucial trade routes, and its guilds hold more power than most noble houses. Many seek fortune here, but corruption and political rivalries run deep. ▾
Gran Pont City The Commonwealth The city is loud. You first hear the roar of the confluence: the pale, rushing currents of the Mattina merging with the shadowed depths of the Notte. You have arrived at the town built directly atop where the twin rivers meet, the floating city of Gran Pont. There are no roads here, only a dense labyrinth of canals and arched bridges that knit together a hundred man-made islands, each secured just above the tide on supports made of stone and wood. The air is thick with the thumping and splashing of lumbering flat-bottomed barges and the hiss of sleek gondolas weaving past them, both laden with spices and silks from every corner of the realm. The natural roar of the water is joined by a frantic human chorus. Dockhands and drivers shout directions and profanities as if everyone is in everyone else’s way. You hear the ringing of artisans’ hammers, the rhythmic thrum of boots crossing timber walkways, and the sharp calling of merchants buying and selling over the din of the crowd. The fashion, too, is loud. The local elite move with a calculated, urban poise, draped in high-collared silks and intricate embroidery. But the dresses are slightly too wide, the colors a shade too bright, and the patterns belong to a season that passed a year ago in the capital. Above it all, the smells are loud. Damp river silt, expensive perfumes, the charcoal smoke of the workshops, and the acrid, nose-tingling sting of foreign spices overwhelm your senses. This is the city on the docks, the merchant’s domain. Welcome to the moored city of Gran Pont. ▾
The Dreaded Ulfnaar Landmark — Beware, beware, the Dreaded Ulfnaar. Every child in the United Realm knows a rhyme or two about the Dreaded Ulfnaar. It is a sprawling, unyielding and deadly jungle, growing and twisting like a living creature. Monsters wander out from its twisting flora and terrorize the people of the United Realm, and many guilds have been set up rewarding any who bring the hides of fallen monsters. ▾
The Hammerlands Landmark — A sprawling mountain range that isolates the United Realm from the west. It is home to many a dwarven clan, and many a dragon and winged beast. Traveling over the mountain you will likely die of frost, while under the sprawling labyrinthian caves will drive you to despair before ever reaching the other side. ▾
The Kaelid Woods Landmark — A dense and verdant forest that covers most of the central Esterlands. There are some roads through the forests, and even a settlement here or there, but even the most foolish travelers know not to wander too deep, less you never return. Some say there are monsters, others say it's a rogue kingdom of elves killing those who get too close to their secret city, but the most common explanation is it is the work of the fae, tricking travelers to wander the woods forever lost. ▾
The Violet Sands Landmark — A vast, shimmering desert south of Cabernath. The sand is a brilliant purple, leading to amazing and beautiful glasswork coming from the south. The desert is deadly to those without the knowledge to traverse it, however, as day-long sandstorms and deadly heat waves are common. You may find a Sandship sailing between Cabernath and the mysterious lands to the south, if you have the coin to pay. ▾