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New Fantasy world in the making


Vanguard00

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I'm slowly but surely creating a fantasy world of my own. There are elements of medieval Europe, ancient Rome (and Greece), myths and legends, Tolkien, D&D, more books and movies than I can shake a stick at. Some of these references are glaring; others less so. I haven't set out to take any one aspect from any one source--this is an ever-changing project for me because I keep going back and rewriting source material.

 

In any case, I'm going to start posting some of that material in the hopes that outside perspective can aid in narrowing my scope and/or focus, and/or finding flaws or simply contributing ideas.

 

I'll start with a very brief historical overview, and I'll post more later as I clean it up a bit.

 

Thanks in advance for constructive criticism, folks.

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Re: Lands of Fal

 

The World is known as Fal (for now), and what follows is a brief overview of Then to Now.

Edited 8/18/05 to add detail, flesh out gaps and generally try to make it a bit more 'solid'.

 

* * * * *

 

Long ago the world was created by those known only as The Old Gods. Who they were and where they came from might not ever be known. What is known is that they left their mark upon the world in the form of sun and moon, earth and sky and ocean, and all the flora and fauna thereon. Too, a race known as the First Ones were created as caretakers of this new world, and they were granted great powers. Very little more is known of the First Ones than the Old Gods, but as they play a part in history it is necessary to make note of them. This, then, is the beginning of the history of the Lands of Fal.

 

The First Ones created the race of Aelfar (“People of Light”), perhaps in some way trying to recreate the greatness of The Old Gods. In truth the Aelfar near-worshipped the First Ones for a millennium or more. Much like their progenitors, however, at some point in time the First Ones withdrew from the world, leaving the Aelfar as the dominant race upon the planet.

 

As the Aelfar matured as a race, so, too, did their desires change to match the world around them. Wherein the Aelfar had once been a somber race, given to quiet contemplation and peaceful existence, without the First Ones to guide them their own desires and imaginations were left unchecked. Long of life and possessing powerful magicks of their own, the Aelfar discovered art and song, culture and religion. The Aelfar are a simple folk at heart, despite their outward trappings, and they revered but three beings: Onoryu, the God of Spirit; Aralya, Goddess of the Earth ; and Turior, the God of Life. These divine beings filled a place in the lives of Aelfar as aging grandparents might, providing guidance or admonishment as necessary, but rarely taking a direct hand in Aelfar affairs. It is said in Aelfar lore that these three—known simply as the Triad—are some of the oldest Aelfar, ascended to godhood in the wake of the leaving of the Old Gods and the First Ones. The Aelfar believe this, and perhaps belief makes it so.

 

From a race given to quiet contemplation and peaceful contentment, the Aelfar grew into a restless people, exploring the lands about them, studying the sky and the stars, the plants and the animals, and seeking out new and greater magicks. As years became centuries and centuries became millennia, the Aelfar’s power grew. So, too, did their arrogance, and soon they saw themselves as the First Ones, having surpassed those beings of distant memory.

 

As did the First Ones before them, the Aelfar bent their efforts to creating races of their own. The Aelfar felt it beneath them to crawl in the earth for the precious metals and sparkling gems they had grown to treasure, and thus they created the Dwaelfar (“People of the Earth”), a race of small stature and hardy constitution created to mine and to labor. The Dwaelfar, while certainly a stout and industrious people, were not the most aesthetically pleasing to the Aelfar people, who valued beauty greatly.

 

In an effort to create a more physically pleasing race in which to serve as slaves within their borders, the Aelfar created the Andal (“Lesser”), similar in shape and form to the Aelfar, but without many of their inherent gifts. The Andal were servants and slaves, providing menial labor and general service throughout the Aelfar lands.

 

There are those who say that the darker races were also created by the Aelfar during this time, that the goblins and trolls were failed attempts to create other servant races. The Aelfar deny this, of course.

 

In any case, the Andal and the Dwaelfar lived for millennium as the servants the Aelfar, leaving that race to while away the hours in study and in pursuit of luxury. During this time the Aelfar had given themselves a government of sorts, each of the eldest being granted a House name. In the beginning there were literally hundreds of elves who could trace their lineage back to the beginning of history. The House of Eythereaer, and the House of Baequarnith, and Oraelithar and Kenyranae and Cyaralil—these and many others were the Great Houses of the Elven Nation.

 

There came a time when the leadership of the Aelfar came into question. The ruling House of Tionadyn, led by the great sage Vonoryath, had touched upon magicks previously unknown, dark and sinister forces lying outside the realm of Fal. Many argued that these were forces not meant to be unleashed, that they were separate and apart of Fal for a reason which was not yet understood. Vonoryath scoffed at those who so decried any pursuit of knowledge, for if the reason was not yet known what greater purpose could their be than discovering the truth of it? Vonoryath’s position was a strong one, and the sage a gifted speaker and respected elder, and he had many followers. Still, the majority of the Aelfar felt that this was an area into which they were not yet ready to delve, and they forbade Vonoryath and his followers their pursuit of this knowledge.

 

A schism formed within the Great Houses, and soon erupted into a war of sorts. There were no pitched battles, but many an Aelfar died attacking the opposing camp or defending their own. After centuries of this the Aelfar cast out those who would reach beyond their means, sending them far away from their own lands. Vonoryath and those who had sided with him retreated from the Aelfar lands, crossing the Plains of Gele and the Fingar Mountains to find themselves a home and a new place in which to study their dark arts. The victorious Elves labeled them outcasts, decrying them “De’aelfar” (“People of Darkness”) and ruled that never again would a De’aelfar be allowed into the Lands of Light with the Elves called home.

 

Vonoryath was not content with this, however, and after centuries of study he brought his followers against those who had cast him out in the first War of the Aelfar—indeed, the first war the Land of Fal had seen. With strange and powerful magicks the De’aelfar tried countless times to drive their brethren out of the great cities. Too, they marshaled armies of orc and goblin, troll and giant, and it was from this event that the Aelfar lay responsibility for the creation of the dark races upon the De’aelfar. Time and time again Vonoryath and his followers sortied against the Aelfar in their forest homes and cities of light and magic. Time and time again the Aelfar pushed them back. Though victorious, the Aelfar losses grew telling, for theirs is a race given to long life, but in spite of that (or because of it), children come but rarely to the Aelfar, and never before had they seen war. Their losses were simply too great to replace.

 

There came a time when the De’aelfar did not send an attack, for indeed Vonoryath felt the losses of his people as much if not more than his hated brethren, and he needed time for his armies to replenish. The Aelfar, knowing they had many years before Vonoryath would come again, grew complacent, allowing their guard to wane in their arrogance.

 

This, then, was the Time of Betrayal as the Aelfar view it. As has been noted, the Aelfar are not a populous race, and the wars had taken their toll. To bolster their own might the Aelfar had trained and armed legions of Man and Dwarf to fight on their behalf. This they did, and well, but once it seemed there would be relative peace for a time, the Dwaelfar and Andal races rose up against their masters and proclaimed their independence. For though they had been subjugated for nearly the entirety of their existence, still Man and Dwarf alike had developed a racial identity of their own. To the Dwarves had been revealed the existence of the Dwaerim, a close-knit collection of deities who had grown from the silent prayers of the Dwarves, created by that race even as they created items for their masters: Midar, Lord of Creation; Donar, the Lord of Battles; Thurd, the Little Mother; Sissa the True; and even Kursk the Deceiver. The Dwaerim counceled their mortal brethren to marshal their strengths and proclaim their independence.

 

So, too, did the Andal come to find their gods. It is the nature of all held down by the might of another to wish for salvation, and so it is said that the collective desires of the Andal peoples caused their gods to come into being. The Celestine, as they are known, included Pelor, God of the Skies; Elya of the Hearth; Spyrus, the Dark Lord; Valar, the God of War; and Tesori, the Bright Lady. These deities revealed themselves to the Andal people in their greatest time of need, and that the weakest moment of their oppressors, and it was through their guidance that the Andals found the strength to rise up against their oppressors.

 

The Aelfar were caught off guard by the sudden uprising of both slave races, and nearly all of the Dwaves and Men under Elven rule fought for their freedom with a passion the Aelfar could neither match nor understand. With so many against them the Aelfar retreated, and the slave races gained their freedom at last.

 

The Aelfar rallied after a time and set about trying to recapture or reclaim their slaves, but it was not to be. Despite their great magicks they were simply no match for the inspired races of Dwarf and Man, hardened as those people were by years of constant warfare. The Aelfar retreated again, then, and let them go. Thus freed, the Dwarves and Man scattered, the better to find their own racial identity and purpose.

 

And so it was for another millennium. The Dwaelfar (Dwarves, as we call them) found homes within the mountains of the land, building great cities above and below, turning their prior slave professions into labors of love so that they became the finest craftsmen in all the lands. The Andal (the race of Man), roamed far and wide, for unlike the other races they possessed short life spans, but also the capacity for adapting to their surroundings. They settled in the subarctic north, the deserts of the south, the plains and the coasts, the mountains and the valleys. Anywhere game could be found, fish could be had or land could be farmed, Man settled. Only the Forests of Light did they avoid, for they had no wish to tempt fate by fighting the Aelfar again. Too, they left the mountains to the Dwarves, for in truth there were many mountains, and there was no need to fight for those places. Still, the Dwaelfar hid themselves from Man. They knew the temptation of gold and gems, of finely crafted jewelry and magnificent golden sculptures. Theirs was a race in need of peace, to better learn the arts which they had grown to love, and so they walled off their lands, hiding them in the very mountains so that Man nor Elf could find them.

 

This left Man as the dominant race in Fal, and after many centuries Man simply forgot about the Aelfar and the Dwaelfar except as legends and stories told to frighten children. Distance and lack of communication reinforced independence among the tribes of man, their differences becoming more pronounced as their cultures matured and grew. The Westron peoples ranged from fair to dark, though not so fair as the warrior-tribes of the Valyari or so dark as the fierce and primitive Sathuli. As their appearances varied, so too did their language, and it seemed that there were now many races of Man where once they were simply one race. Nations were formed and empires rose and fell, the Sarum Imperium holding sway over nearly a quarter of the land before its fall some centuries later, leaving the Westron Kingdoms in its wake. Man lived but short lives in comparison with the Elven and even Dwarven races, but they lived those lives to the fullest, and much was lost and gained in their time.

 

Then came the De’aelfar again, and Man’s dominance of the land was put to the test. Vonoryath had long since passed on, but his followers, twisted by the dark magicks they used, had learned to hate any who represented their being cast out of their home. Despite the surprise attack, the various nations of Man defended themselves ably and for a time they held the darkness at bay. Eventually the power of the Dark Elves and their followers began to take its toll, however, and Man was forced to retreat. Already besieged in their mountain homes by the hated goblins and other fell beasts, the Dwarves realized that if their own race was to be spared they must rouse themselves from isolation and join forces with the Andal nations. Reluctant for war but recognizing its necessity, the sturdy Dwaelfar marched from their caverns and castles and lent their strength to the forces of Man. For a time Man and Dwarf fought along side one another as they had in ages past.

 

And yet it was not enough.

 

The De’aelfar, never numerous to begin with and even less so now, wielded powers such as had not been seen on the land. They raised the dead that those fallen in cause might in turn kill those who had once fought beside them. Too, they controlled many dragons, lesser descendents of the Great Wyrms once known to plague the Aelfar, but still mighty creatures of fire and magic. Man and Dwarf alike fell to these dread powers, and it seemed that all would soon be lost.

 

At the last, as Man and Dwarf readied themselves for what would likely be their last campaign, the Aelfar roused themselves from their hidden cities and joined the battle. A diminished race, the Aelfar knew that this, then, might be their last foray into the world, for they had never fully recovered from the wars of old. What they lacked in numbers, however, they made up for in determination and power. Their long absence had given them time to reflect, and over the centuries they had turned away from avaricious pursuits in favor of returning life to the land around them. Too, they took responsibility for the unleashing of the De’aelfar upon the lands, seeing this as their greatest folly. Despite their disdain for the Dwaelfar and Andal peoples, the Aelfar felt they had no choice but to join their own power with them. In no other way could the De’aelfar and their allies be turned.

 

Their magicks countered that of the Dark Elves, and the Dwarves and Man rallied to drive back the hosts of creatures at the Dark Elves’ command. On the Plains of Gele the great hosts met, and there at the end did the races of Man, Dwarf and Elf reign victorious. Legend has it that in the heat of battle it was the great Andal king Caelim and the Dwarven thane Bael who matched swords with the DreadLord Kuri’ska whilst protected from the dark arts by the arcane might of the Elven high lord Deiryoien. It was this combination of might from these mightiest of heroes that saw the DreadLord’s demise and thus turned the battle for the armies of Fal.

 

The darkness was pushed back anew, and long were the years in which Man and Dwarf pursued the remnants of that dark host, ensuring that for many generations to come the Dark Elves and their hosts would not come again. The time of the Purging was one of joy and of sorrow, for the peace it would bring would come at yet an even greater cost as more lost their lives fighting the darkness. The Elves, weakened even more, retreated once again to their home in the Forests of Light, to contemplate their place in the world and their future—or perhaps lack thereof.

 

An uneasy peace reigned for centuries. Man rebuilt his lands, the Dwarves returned to their mountain homes to reacquaint themselves with peace. The Elves, having determined that their days were numbered on this world (though in truth ‘days’ might be measured in centuries, and they believed that another world awaited them upon Passing), began the arduous task of rejoining Man and Dwarf in society and culture. The distrust remains among all three races, but it was a beginning of sorts, and the dawning of a new age.

 

And thus we come to the now, when Man still rules much of the land. The kingdoms of Man range all across the land, and the Dwarves still remain in their mountain homes, though they are slowly and carefully forging new alliances, enjoying the trade and the freedom to once again walk the lands. The Elves see their end coming, for they have determined that they can no longer recover from their losses over the millennia. Not in this lifetime, perhaps, nor even the next, but someday in the future the last Elf will walk the land. Until that time, however, they as a people believe there is much to atone for, and they have begun the fashioning of ties to the other races in the hopes that they will leave behind them some positive legacy.

 

Too there are Haelfar (“People of the Land”), the Halfing folk, a nomadic race that wanders the land. Little is known of these diminutive folk; where they come from, why they wander—nothing is said. They simply move from place to place in large caravans of wagons, offering to tinker or trade, telling tales and news in return for the same, and offering nor taking offense from any.

 

There are still differing tribes of man, different nations, cultures and languages. There are still wars fought between kingdoms, for land or power, wealth or honor, or a combination thereof, or at times none of them. There are still grudges between races. And, of course, there are still goblins and ogres and worse things in the land, for they are canny races and were careful to hide during the Purgings following the last Great War.

 

There are tales of heroes, of lost magicks and of new gods, of dark forces and promised lands beyond The Veil. There are men, women and children of different races who live their entire lives in a single village or city, and are content for it. Life goes on for all the races in the Land of Fal, and it is the purview of the gods alone to know what lies in store for them.

 

This, then, is how things stand in the Lands of Fal.

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Re: Lands of Fal

 

That's a pretty good creation story. Two comments: first (and this is just my opinion), if you want to flesh it out more at a later date, what the story is missing is characters. There is no Aelfar named Llywllynn, of the House of Mwll'ryh, who strove after knowledge dangerous to the Aelfar and precipitated the Schism of the Houses. There is no Lord Balon of the Dwaelfar, who said "We Dwaelfar have given the Aelfar enough of our toil and blood. Stay if you will, but I shall lead those who will follow me far to the West, that we may build anew and greater than before, without the eternal battles of the Aelfar ringing in our ears." So, you know, names and pretentious dialogue are what it needs.

 

Second, I'd like to see a bit more as far as the humans 'discovering new gods.' Assuming these new gods will actually drive the magic for PC clerics, how do they fit into the rest of the cosmology? Do they come from outside or are they somehow created?

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Re: Lands of Fal

 

That's a pretty good creation story. Two comments: first (and this is just my opinion)' date=' if you want to flesh it out more at a later date, what the story is missing is characters. So, you know, names and pretentious dialogue are what it needs.[/quote']

Understood, and it's planned. I haven't settled on my naming conventions as yet, either, so I didn't want to put names in. The whole thing will be fleshed out at some point, adding pertinent details (such as names) and hopefully smoothing out the rough edges.

 

Second, I'd like to see a bit more as far as the humans 'discovering new gods.' Assuming these new gods will actually drive the magic for PC clerics, how do they fit into the rest of the cosmology? Do they come from outside or are they somehow created?

Again, something I'm trying to figger out in my head. The original version had the new gods 'discovered' during the time prior to Andal and Dwarf rebelling against their Aelfar masters, and in fact was a key component in deciding to break away. I started revising the theology, however, and have talked myself out of several different ideas.

 

Thanks for the input. You touched on two of the issues I'm currently working, so I guess I'm headed in the right direction.

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Re: New Fantasy world in the making

 

Edited the original post to (hopefully) clarify and further detail the history.

 

So does one find gods or do the gods find you?

 

In some case they are around, in some they reveal themselves.

Hopefully I've rectified that. Common lore has it that the gods came into being from the need and desire of Man for something greater, something to aid them. I'll be developing that further when I delve into the religion.

And what if the god in question doesn't want to be found? What then' date=' mortal?[/quote']

Pshaw! Did Man create the gods, or did the gods create Man? And does it matter?

 

Takin' a work-break, but I'll try and get more up tomorrow.

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Re: New Fantasy world in the making

 

A general overview of geography, mainly for my own reference. I suck at maps or I'd include one.

 

 

 

The World of Abodan

 

 

What is adventure but the experiencing of the unknown? Every new day is unknown, and so every new day is an adventure, whether one crosses from ocean to ocean or simply rises and sleeps in the same village. ~ Sage Martyn of Kyrindor

 

“Seek adventure before it seeks you.†~ Valyari saying

 

-- --

 

The World of Abodan is filled with adventure, for so much is unknown even now. Three great races have ruled the lands over the millennia, and multiple empires have risen and fallen. From the beginning Abodan was a world of change, for even the gods of old are not those who are worshipped today. Where once mighty titans roamed the land, now mortal races hold sway, living and dying in pursuit of dreams both lofty and base. Men dream of becoming kings at the head of great armies while others simply till the earth to put food on the table. Dwarves delve into the earth to discover the secrets placed within while Elves look to the stars to see what yet comes. Creatures both fell and friendly coexist. Priestly orders teach of peace and understanding while dark forces stir in long forgotten places. Powerful figures of legend are brought to life through countless tales by the hearthfire. Heroes of myth mingle with kings and commoner of history to weave a colorful tapestry of times past.

 

What the future holds is unknown to any but the gods, and perhaps even to them. The tales of yesterday will but pale in comparison to the legends of tomorrow, for a challenge as great as any yet faced in history rests just beyond the horizon.

 

This, then, is the World of Abodan. Adventure awaits, brave soul, but it shall not wait long…

 

*

 

Continental Geography

 

The continent of Fal is home to the majority of the world’s known kingdoms and creatures. It lies in the northern hemisphere of Abodan, with a climatic range of arctic in the far north to tropical in the far south. For the sake of convenience it can be divided into several regions, though such division is arbitrary and no doubt those of tomorrow will see the land as differently today as we do the lands of yesterday. The world in which we now travel is primarily that of the Lands of Fal.

 

Westerlands

 

including the Isles of Erenn. The region is dominated by the Pinal Range of mountains in the north, the twin spears of the Venci Mountains through the central and western regions (and the free city of Kyrindor nestled between them), the Casus Mountains to the west, and the Gerinav Mountains to the south. Lesser ranges flow over this land, and rivers abound. The Fiare River runs across half of the Westerlands, providing one of the major trade lanes of the land. The Banud River in the south empties just past the Casus Mountains into the Taradan Sea and provides a link to the Midlands. The Oire River follows a weaving path between the Venci Mountains to empty into the land-locked Lesca Sea in the central region of the Westerlands, which in turn drains through several tributaries back into the Cailic. Most of the people are of Westland stock, though influences from the Valyari in the north and the Vezana peoples in the south provide a variety of appearances.

 

Midlands

 

Beginning with the Casus Mountains and extending to the Dure River, the Midlands represents those nations that formed following the regression of the Sarum Empire in the South and the formation of the rival Basia Empire. Left to their own devices and surrounded on nearly every side by hostile (or at least unfriendly) neighbors, the Midlands consist of a handful of small nations in the wake of a fractured empire struggling to find autonomy. More so than any other region, however, the Midlands also demonstrate a cultural open-mindedness not shared by many other nations. Dwarven merchants from the Chutik Mountains in the north mingle freely with Elven ambassadors from the south, and even a few of the more ‘civilized’ goblin tribes live on the fringes of the Middle Kingdoms.

 

Southern Empire

 

In times past the Sarum Empire ranged over most of the known lands, having grown in the wake of the Race Wars of last millennia. As with every great nation or empire, however, the time came when the weight of rule grew too much for The Ascended, Imperial Ruler of Sarum, and the empire fractured. The Basia Empire formed to the north and west, effectively cutting Sarum from the Westlands, while the encroaching kingdoms of Jahira in the South, the bold Temuri nomads in the north and eastern lands and the menacing Shin Dynasty beyond the Plains of Gele prevented any further expansion. A shade of it’s former self, the Empire and her satraps are still a dominating force and represent a region unto itself. Noted features of the Empire include the largest city of the known realms, Saru, nestled between the Berit and Sosk Rivers where they empty into the Murn Sea. The Empire is still the single largest political body in the lands but does not wield the power or influence it once did.

 

Jad Peninsula

 

The Jad Peninsula extends below the Midlands, following the worn lines of the Pada Mountains and linking the Taradan and Murn Seas. A land of figs and citrus, the Jad Peninsula is a harsh land given over to desert and rock, with brief but beautiful oases dotted throughout. The City of Carballa rests on the northern tip, mere leagues from the southern shores of Vezana, and is a cultural mecca for all the Jahiran tribes. The Gal and Basedo nomads rule much of the lands south of the Bright Desert, but the current Pasha has been slowly but surely bringing them under his rule.

 

The Emerald Coast

 

The Emerald Coast is a line of lush forests and fertile valleys on the southern land mass of the Murn Sea, including the B. Unaligned tribes dot the landscape, and thus far the region has managed to rebuff all attempts at civilization. Below the Brinach Peninsula is a haven for pirates and privateers, Men who hold no man as monarch. Above the peninsula rests the Alfar Forest, the Aelfar homeland, bordering the Sarum region through the Fingar Mountains. This alone has aided in preventing any southern migration from Sarum or neighboring lands, and the harsh reefs and fiercely independent pirates of the southern reaches have managed the same, leaving much of this continent untouched by civilization.

 

Panthia Sea

 

On the opposite side of the southern continent lie the Sithuli lands. These vast savannahs and craggy mountains are home to the warrior race of the same name. These normally-independent tribes managed to fend off advances from the Sarum Empire for many decades before finally allowing itself to become a part of the Empire, though one never fully integrated. In recent times the reach of the Empire has lessened and the Sithuli once more consider themselves independent. The northern reach of the Panthia Sea touch the southern extension of the Shin Dynasty, while to the west lies the Chitza Peninsula and the warring tribes therein. A small chain of islands, The Waragolos, appear to have no intelligent races upon it yet yield not only wondrous flora and fauna not seen anywhere else, but possibly include the ruins of a city built by The First Ones.

 

The North

 

The cold and wintry reaches of The North stretch from above the Pinal Mountains and extend over the Midlands. A harsh land of snow and ice throughout much of the year, the western end of this region is populated by the Valyari, fair-haired and fair-skinned warriors who follow aspects of the Old Gods and newer totems dedicated to individual clans. These people often raid into the Westerlands, coming through the passes of the Pinals or across the Arii Bay in their dragonships.

 

The Frostlands

 

Above the region of the Valyari lie the Frostlands, an inhospitable land of ice and snow, treacherous mountains, deep crevices, and a few of the last remaining active volcanoes. Few call this land home, though it is said that this is where the drakes and even Great Wyrms retreated to when their time came. The Ice Crown Mountains mark the furthest known reaches of this region. No being alive is said to know what, if anything, lies beyond. Common myth holds that this, then, is the stepping off point to the sky.

 

The Khazari Steppes

 

North and east of the lands of the Sarum Empire lie what is commonly known as the Khazari Steppes. These grasslands and low tundra steppes are the home of the Temuri, hardy nomads who seem to spend nearly all their lives on horseback. The land is split by a huge escarpment stretching for many leagues in either direction known as the Urushai, literally “Crack of the World†in the Temuri language. The lands above and below the Urushai are known as Upper Hait and Lower Hait, respectively. Only one permanent city has been found in the Steppes, in the Lower Hait; Keln, the center of worship and trade for the Temuri tribes. All Temuri Headmen come there for confirmation from the Skuldi, wise-women said to possess strange powers as they guide the Temuri. The Darhan Mountains, a low and worn range, offers some protection to the upper corners of the Midlands and Sarum lands both, but the Temuri still find ways to raid south.

 

 

The Far East

 

Beyond the Sarum Empire to the east, and above the Panthia Sea, lie the mystic lands of the Far East. Dominating the region is the populous Shin Dynasty, a culture nearly as old as Sarum itself, though unknown to those of the ‘west’ for much of its life. Unlike its western counterpart, however, the Shin Dynasty is currently in an expansive stage. Countless warriors and powerful wizards menace the Sarum’s eastern satraps, and though trade remains open it is thought that war will come to the region soon. Little is known of this region as Shin peoples are notoriously suspicious of outsides. It is said they have great cities, art and industry beyond that of any other realm, and magic more powerful than the Aelfar. Doubtless these are just tales told by sailors who but glimpsed a shoreline. Beyond the Shin Dynasty, though how far is unknown, lies the land of Napor. Other than its existence nothing is known by the peoples of the west. Its one ambassador took his own life after slaying more than twenty Sarum guards, apparently due to a misunderstanding of language. Those Shin who speak with westerners will not speak of the Napor.

 

The Darklands

 

The last region in the Lands of Fal is perhaps the darkest. Here it seems the sun struggles to shine through, for active volcanoes keep a soft layer of ash and smoke in the air. Few call this region home, for it is said to be the stronghold of the near-mythical De’aelfar, the Dark Elves. The DreadLords of old are said to have brought about the darker races from their fortresses deep within the basalt crags and lava-filled valleys. The Darklands border The North and The Upper Hait, separated from these regions by the unforgiving Fice Spires, tall and dangerous mountains virtually devoid of life. Little is known of the Darklands, for few who penetrate very far are ever heard from again.

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