CR3R-NT

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Northern Terastier

Northern Terastier

On the northern end of the Terastier continent, there are three major humanoid regions, each with their own power base: Zalts, Liezen, and Dagnia. Each region has a minimum level of security, and the general public will definitely take advantage of that, but the various Barbarous are always on the outskirts of such areas, waiting to pick off any they can, seeing humanoids as weak and vulnerable. Conversely, this is a wonderful place for one to take up adventuring in the wilderness, hunting for treasures and driving back the Barbarous.

Climate

The weather in the northern regions is very clearly divided into the four seasons, though on the average the temperature is on the warmer side. Winters are often not very cold, and snow really only shows up in the southern mountains before quickly melting away. On the contrary, summers will be fairly hot, though the humidity isn't high enough to be oppressive. If one sits in the shade, it will often be enough to relax comfortably on a summer's day.

Terrain

The land is quite rugged, with large forests and quite a few rivers coming down out of the mountains, making the region a great place for humans to live. At the same time, because of the fertile land and abundance of natural resources, Barbarous are also after control over the land, and are willing to drive out anyone in their way.

The southern reaches of the region are covered by the Rudea Mountains, which are used as a launching point for the Barbarous to attack the surrounding areas. There are also large Barbarous bases in the Dagnia area, and conflict is quite common throughout.

Ruins

Ruins of the older days can be seen scattered throughout Terastier, hollow reminders as to what can happen should the Barbarous be unopposed. At the same time, these ruins can also hold remnants of the past, relics and treasures waiting to be found by courageous adventurers.

The Liezen Region

The Liezen Region

Located inland in the northern part of the Terastieran continent, the Liezen region is protected to its south by the Rudea Mountains, and to the west by the vast Tilla Forest. These natural barriers protect the inhabitants from the Barbarous, though the region itself isn't largely populated. There is some trade with Zalts to the north, and Dagnia to the east, but the current trade routes aren't the safest routes, so only well-protected caravans will travel throughout Liezen.

The southern side of the Rudea Mountains is also a large Barbarous gathering ground, and a number of Barbarous incursions begin as they pour out of the mountains into lower Liezen. The southern kingdoms of Duball and Regalia have prepared for such incursions, and not only have highly trained guards and soldiers at the ready, but also have a number of skilled adventurers on call as well.

Popular gods worshipped in this region include Kilhia and Zaiya, drawing followers from the soldiers and tacticians protecting the region from the Barbarous. Tidan, Grendal, and even Nilda also find followers among the general populace, as light, heat and clothing are staples for human society. Additionally, Asteria is another popular god to follow in the region, though whether that's less to do with her particular sphere of influence and more to do with protection against the fey in the Tilla Forest is up for debate.

"Fairy Land" Alphort Kingdom

A small kingdom located in the northwest of Liezen, it is on the edge of the Tilla Forest and is quite well known for its forestry and lumber industry. Currently governed by Queen Belanger Castagniers (37 years old), there are around 50,000 inhabitants of the kingdom's capital, Domeni, with a large number of them elves.

Alphort is known as a prime place to study Fairy magic, due to its close proximity to such a large forest, as well as much of the cityscape taking advantage of the natural surroundings. Many of the buildings are constructed around the trunks of ancient trees, and a number of streams and small rivers flow throughout alongside the roadways. Even without an interest in Fairy magic, it is worthwhile to take a trip out to see such a large city built to be in harmony with nature.

Animal husbandry and beast capturing is also a fairly lucrative industry as well, considering how close Alphort is to the Tilla Forest. These animals, once tamed, are often used in cultivating the land, pulling caravans, and even military service. There is some trade with the Free Cities of the Zalts region, and every so often whole caravans of tamed animals can be seen heading north from Alphort.

Around the time of the Great Catastrophe, the nearby land was in constant turmoil, conflict erupting at a moment's notice between the Barbarous and Alphort. However, in part due to the taming and usage of animals in the military, it has been fairly peaceful and prosperous as of late. There is still a number of soldiers who ride tamed beasts into battle, ready to protect the kingdom if necessary, though military spending has decreased in recent years.

Queen Castagniers is well known among the fairies and is more than happy to accommodate them in the court, however, politics do not necessarily seem to be her strong suit. Thankfully, both the Chancellor and Minister have been competent enough to keep the kingdom functioning, and there are no major complains with regards to national affairs. That being said, there are rumors that the Queen is buying jewels from the fairies using military money, and the citizens are worried as to what may happen were a large-scale Barbarous attack to break out.

"Dragon Citadel" Duball Kingdom

The largest kingdom in the region, Duball is in the southwest of Liezen. Ruled by King Bernard Falk (53 years old), the city of Duball holds around 70,000 inhabitants. Known for having a strong army, King Falk has taken the time to fortify many of the cities Duball protects due to the constant threat of Barbarous invasion, making the kingdom seem like a series of interconnected castles.

However, Duball gets its name from the Dragon Knights, a prestigious title granted only to those strong enough and worthy enough to take it. Only a Dragon Knight can be king, and there are but five in the entirety of the kingdom, including King Falk. Each Dragon Knight has control over both a Draconet and a Lesser Dragon, and even one Dragon Knight taking their mounts out to a battle is on par with most other kingdoms' entire armies. However, the king's dragon, Grundart, is over 500 years old, and is stronger than even a Lesser Dragon in combat power, though he rarely leaves his roost at the royal palace.

Roger Falk, the founding king who built the kingdom shortly after the Great Catastrophe and King Falk's ancestor, made an agreement with the Great Dragon of the Rudea Mountains, Ardeltaid, in order to gain aid in fighting against the Barbarous. This act was what had given rise to the Dragon Knight, and in honoring the agreement with Ardeltaid, Duball has become a fearsome military force against the constant Barbarous incursions.

To this day, aspiring knights are sent to Ardeltaid in an attempt to overcome numerous trials and become another Dragon Knight, gifted with Ardeltaid's own eggs to raise. Those who are found unworthy of the title may yet still serve the kingdom, though riding Wyverns instead of Dragons. However, these knights are not ridiculed or looked down upon, as the trials to become a Dragon Knight are quite arduous indeed, and even making the attempt is something to be proud of.

Even with such a strong army at his command, King Falk must still deal with no end of Barbarous invasions. While the kingdom's knights help drive back many of these attempts, it is only with the aid of adventurers that Duball is able to repel the Barbarous fully.

"Legacy of the Magical King" Miraboa Kingdom

The smallest kingdom in the Liezen region, the kingdom of Miraboa lies in the northeast, with approximately 20,000 inhabitants calling the kingdom home. The current king, Ixelles Jennebert (43 years old), claims to be the descendant of the legendary "Magic King" of the Durandal.

The kingdom itself is built around a large crack in the earth created during the Great Catastrophe, commonly called the "Well of Wisdom". This name came from the large amount of ancient magical ruins uncovered by the earth cracking, and a nation came to be established around the various camps and buildings that had sprung up for excavation and research. Because of this, magical research is incredibly popular in the kingdom, and a number of universities and magical research towers dot the kingdom.

This pursuit of knowledge has drawn the attention of many tabbits over the course of their life, and to this day Miraboa has a significant number of tabbits as citizens. Tabbits are known for wandering and learning as they travel, so for a significant number of their race to settle down and devote time to studying the ruins is unusual, to say the least.

The first king, Harold Jennebert, established a formal School of Magic after taking the throne, and encouraged the growth of new magicians in the area. King Jennebert was also quite active in excavating the ruins and uncovering a number of magical items and artifacts, and took the time to learn of the various adventurers and scholars who came to challenge the ruins alongside him.

King Ixelles has inherited his father's wishes, and is constantly promoting the establishment of magical schools and supporting research of the ruins in hopes of uncovering some valuable information that has been previously lost due the either the ravages of time, or the destruction of knowledge at the hands of the Barbarous.

Recently, though, King Jennebert has shut down sections of the ruins, and claims that "something dangerous has been found" or that the crown is "monopolizing valuable knowledge" have begun to fly left and right. Regardless of the truth of the matter, there are still new adventurers and scholars drawn to the kingdom because of the ruins, and veteran explorers just see the restricted area as yet another obstacle to be overcome.

"Iron Wall Fortress" Kingdom of Regalia

The Kingdom of Regalia is found in the southeastern part of the Liezen region, its five fortresses tucked in a valley between the Rudea and Drakia Mountains. Also known as the "Five-Layered Shield", this heavily fortified kingdom is currently ruled by King Xavier Boaguel (29 years old).

The capital of Regalia, the fortress city of Mantoise, is home to around 40,000 inhabitants, with each other city holding anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 civilians on top of a number of soldiers. There are a significant number of dwarves who call Regalia home, and are often seen training to repel any Barbarous invasions that may arise.

Due to the large number of Barbarous coming out of the south, the southernmost city, Bourde, was built to be the most fortified of the five cities, and it's 1,000 soldiers have never let a Barbarous invasion get past them to this day. However, the other cities do not let Bourde's successes allow them to grow complacent. The other cities of Ritel (with 200 active soldiers), Dordea (100 soldiers), Mantoise (700 soldiers) and Hyurte (100 soldiers) have also seen their fair share of military service to the kingdom.

Among the five cities, Dordea is best known for their soldiers being the elite out of all serving in Regalia. Being a fortress city with a high dwarven population, many of the Dordean soldiers end up being dwarves striving to live up to the reputation their predecessors earned. With the Rudea Mountains close by, mining operations are also big business in Dordea, drawing in not only a number of dwarves looking to mine the mountains out, but also a number of smiths, looking to hone their craft while forging arms and armor for the soldiers. Because of these factors, Dordea is currently home to about 2,000 dwarves, though that number is continuing to rise.

Overall, Regalia is a very brave and physical kingdom, albeit with little in the way of magical studies. However, the study of magitech uncovered by the mining operations, as well as martial strategies and techniques, more than makes up for any magical shortcomings.

"Dragonhome" Rudea Mountains

Also known as the "Dragon King Mountains", the Rudea mountain range is home to a large number of dragons. With a number of sheer cliffs, many peaks rise well over 3,000m above sea level, with more than a few having never had a humanoid set foot on them. Only the kingdom of Duball regularly has adventurers make their way into the mountains, and even those brave souls often stick to the well-tread paths.

However, there are many untouched ruins, some rumored to go as far back as the Durandal era, with a significant number supposed to have fallen underground due to the numerous upheavals. The great dragon, Ardeltaid, known for his dealing with the Duball Kingdom, was said to have been cursed by a powerful wizard from the Durandal era, and part of the pact that King Roger Falk made was to figure out what the curse was and to break it.

Even without dealing with Ardeltaid and their brood, a signifincant number of dragons call the Rudea Mountains home. As another part of the pack between Ardeltaid and Falk, dragons will leave humans alone unless they interfere with the hunt for food, or humans encroach into nesting areas and ruin their homes. Because of this, the true number of dragons in the region is much larger than reports will say, though dragon encounters remain a rarity.

However, Barbarous have begun to be more active in the mountains, often trying to invade the various kingdoms of the Liezen region and gain a foothold outside of the mountains. A number of foreign adventurers have also been active in the mountains, driven by the thought of raiding dragon nests for eggs to sell on the black market. These incidents have begun to erode the trust between humans and dragons, though what will come of this remains to be seen.

"Beast's Paradise" Tilla, the Sea of Trees

A vast forest that comprises most of the western border of the Liezen region, massive enough to be called the "Sea of Trees", the Tilla forest is an ancient home to equally massive flora and fauna. Each of these massive beasts have their own territory, and will attack mercilessly to defend it from intruders, whether another beast or an adventuring party. There is also an enormous plateau that can be seen sticking above the treetops, though it is said to be home to a large colony of roc birds. There are theories that the Al Menas created massive forests like the Tilla in order to store large animals there, both for preservation as well as defense of their own lands, but there is thus far no evidence to support these theories.

Despite all of the dangers, there are still ruins from the Al Menas civilization buried in the overgrowth, and so adventurers will often try to delve into the forest to find these secrets. There are some guides in the Kingdom of Alphort, though many of these will not go very far into the forest due to the dangers.

Well of Wisdom

The so-called "Well of Wisdom" is a massive fissure found in the Miraboa Kingdom. Buried within are massive ruins dating back at least to the times of the Durandal, and while there have been significant excavations and recoveries of magical items, it is rumored that what has been explored is not even 10% of the entirety of what is buried.

In addition to the numerous archaeological finds and magical items, these ruins also host a number of deadly traps, making it so even veteran explorers are wary of delving too deep. There are also stories of an increased number of encounters with various Devils, just waiting to take advantage of foolish adventurers exploring too far in order to be free from their imprisonment.

There have been some arguments as to whether or not this fissure is really just a massive Sword Labyrinth...

Forest of Unearthly Mist

A vast forest that stretched between the Liezen and Dagnia regions, it is always covered in a dense fog, making normal passage impossible. Only by following the two rivers that flow through the forest are the surest way to pass, and even then there's often deadly animals and plants waiting for unsuspecting travelers.

There is a legend of young Yggdrasil trees deep within the forest, occasionally able to be seen with a telescope from far outside the forest. However, the dense fog makes such observations questionable at best, and to date there have not been any adventurers who have been able to verify the presence of such trees and return safely.

"Murderous Waterside" Zoma Marsh

The Zoma Marsh is a large wetland that extends north of the Forest of Unearthly Mist, and is home to a large number of aquatic Barbarous, including Lizardmen. What towns were nearby have long been destroyed and overrun by the Barbarous, who now control the area entirely. The Lizardmen tend to stick to the old ruins of the towns, while more dangerous Barbarous and other monsters live just under the water's surface.

"Spine of Terastier" Drakea Mountains

A large mountain range opposite the Rudea Mountains, the Drakea Mountains are a massive range, extending far beyond the borders of the kingdom of Regalia. Because of the size of the mountain range, it is often referred to as the "Spine of Terastier". The southern part of the mountain range plateaus off, becoming home to larger Barbarous such as Ogres and Giants. However, even the smaller Barbarous in the area are quite strong, making traveling through the area a dangerous affair.

"The Calamitous Land" Karzoral Plateau

At the southern end of both the Rudea and Drakea Mountains lies the large Karzoral Plateau, taking up much of the center of the Terastieran continent. A desolate land, it hides the old capital of the Barbarous underneath the wastes. This massive underground city was used as a starting point for the Great Catastrophe, and many Barbarous still live within the labyrinthine city. In fact, there are so many Barbarous hiding under the Karzoral Plateau that the kingdom of Regalia is unable to make any sort of meaningful excursion to the city, and so the armies watch each other across the Rudea Mountains, waiting for any sign of weakness.

"Kingdom of Darkness" Underground City Tabaljid

A massive underground city located beneath the Karzoral Plateau. Over the course of hundreds of years, Barbarous flocking to the city have excavated it and expanded the space, creating a massive maze-like structure home to thousands of Barbarous. Rumors abound that there have been separate nations based upon the race of Barbarous created within the city itself, and that there have been wars between these nations. Even today, the Barbarous in the city live a very chaotic life. Naturally, no humanoid has ever been able to set foot inside Tabaljid and return to tell the tale.

The Dagnia Region

The Dagnia Region

The Dagnia region is a large area located on the eastern side of Northern Terastier. Home to the Danos Sea, much of the region was built near the waterfront in order to take advantage of water-based shipping and tourism. However, since the Great Catastrophe, much of the region lies in ruins, with most remaining civilized settlements located near the western border, close to the Zoma Marsh. As with the Liezen region, much of the history of the Dagnia region lies within its conflicts with the Barbarous. In particular, both the Kelkeira and Colf islands in the Danos Sea are home to a sizable population of Barbarous.

The Dagnia region is also home to many religious peoples, especially followers of both Lyphos and Tidan. The Holy Kingdom of Sephilia is home to an enormous temple dedicated to Lyphos, and many pilgrims travel from all across Terastier in order to see the sacred beauty. In order to protect these pilgrims as they travel, many in the priesthood have taken up arms, and have become powerful warriors in their own right. Though Lyphos and Tidan have sizable congregations in the land, other gods, such as Kilhia, also have a good following in the region.

At the same time, though, rules and regulations in the region are very strict behind the scenes, and more free-spirited adventurers see the area as "full of stuffed shirts". In particular, those with any sort of soulscars are looked down upon with disdain, and Nightmares are especially discriminated against.

"The Divine Storehouse" Holy Kingdom of Sephilia

Located in the far west of Dagnia, the country is a very religious nation ruled over by Pope Ismael Vizcaino (56 years old). The capital, Aale, is located at the mouth of the Sefur River, and alone has a population over 100,000 citizens. Many of these are pilgrims who have traveled to the city to pay homage to the state religion of Lyphos the Divine Ancestor, and settled in the capital rather than attempting to head back to their original home. Aale is one of the few cities to have survived the Great Catastrophe, though the fortified city was considered to be a sacred place long before those events.

However, during the rise of magitechnology, many of the elders in Sephilia believed that such works would turn people away from the light of the divine, and so research into magitech was frowned upon. While this has meant that much of the work around Sephilia has to be done by hand, instead of being aided with magitech machines, this does give the city an old-fashioned appearance.

Religious artwork and sculpture is quite common, as well. While much was destroyed during the Great Catastrophe, there are still displays of breathtaking paintings and splendid architecture to be found all throughout Aale. Even now, the city attracts many artisans, painters and sculptors who wish to restore much of what was lost during the Catastrophe.

Pope Vizcaino holds worship of Lyphos highest among the gods, and preches respect for order and decrying those who would scar their own soul. His teachings stir many in the city to uphold the laws, and the majority of the citizens are polite and morally driven. At the same time, though, adventurers appear to be "ruffians" and "ne'er-do-wells", and those with free spirits find the kingdom a hard place to live within.

Additionally, Pope Vizcaino shows an absolute intolerance for the Barbarous, and will often send troops to both Kelkeira and Colf in order to fight the Barbarous. However, despite frequent attacks on the islands, there is yet to be any sort of decisive action in this conflict, and there are concerns among the citizens that troops are being wasted unnecessarily. As a result, despite their supposed reputation, more and more adventurers are being hired by the Papacy in order to travel and fight the Barbarous.

There are some Lyphos warrior-priests who take vows in order to protect the weak and fight off evils wherever they may be. Such warrior-priests take on the name "Paladin", and only the best of their numbers may identify themselves as anything else. Paladins are seen by the populace as the object of admiration and respect, though their vows, including such restrictions as being forbidden to lie, put them at odds with adventurers.

While worship of Lyphos is seen as the state religion, and many of the public do follow the teachings of the Pope, there are almost as many who follow Tidan, god of the sun. There is even a temple of Tidan near the grand temple of Lyphos, and there is no ill blood between priests of the two temples. Despite this, there are unproven stories that Lyphosian priests might face some sort of censure if they were to help lesser priests, like those of Tidan.

Because of the views on soulscars, there are no priests in the entire kingdom who are willing to resurrect fallen adventurers, and so dying in combat is a very dangerous and very real possibility. Nightmares are also discriminated against, due to their inherent soulscars, and often find themselves shunned at best, though attacks on Nightmares are not unheard of. Oddly, Tabbits and Runefolk also find themselves as outcasts in Sephilia, due to their various issues with connecting to the divine, though they are not actively looked down upon like Nightmares are.

"Ruined City" Republic of Barnad

Located in the center of the Dagnia region, the republic inherited its name from the ruins of Barnad, a Durandal era city destroyed during the Great Catastrophe. A young city-state, it has only been around 100 years or so, though its population is currently around 15,000.

The current city of Barnad occupies only about one-fifth of the original city, the remainder being ruins yet to be explored to any significant extent. There have been some archaeologists from Sephilia who have made small expeditions into the ruins, sending caravans back to Sephilia, Regalia and beyond with their findings. There have been efforts to traverse the Istan River as well, in hopes of having a waterway to Regalia, though little headway has been made.

Inheriting the customs of the old city, Barnad is a republic, ruled by a parliament of elected officials to determine the fate of the country. However, it takes quite a few Gamels to even run for a position, and so the parliament is mostly made of successful adventurers and rich merchants. The driving motivation of the parliament, outside of protecting themselves and their citizens from the Barbarous, is "how to make money". To that end, studies of magitech and other archaeological items is welcome, as are wizards and sages who are able to identify the various magical and magitech devices left behind in the ruins.

A number of Runefolk have also begun to settle in the area, almost as if they're looking to find information about previous civilizations. However, rumors of unscrupulous operations using Runefolk as unskilled hard labor and servants have become common as of late, though the parliament has currently turned a blind eye to such unsubstantiated tales.

"Kingdom of the Sun" La Lumeia Kingdom

A nation in the south of the Dagnia region, the Kingdom of La Lumeia is home to a great numbers of Tidan, god of the sun. Even the current king, King Valerio Silvestri (24 years old), and his royal family are devout followers of the sun god. With more than 60,000 residents, La Lumeia is well known for having some of the most fertile land in the Dagnia region, and provides many crops across not only Dagnia, but Liezen and Zalts as well. However, the current feeling among the populace of La Lumeia is that of unease, due to numerous Barbarous attacks.

While not as strict as the Holy Kingdom of Sephilia, La Lumeia does not look kindly on those with soulscars, and also prohibits any sort of resurrection. At the same time, there are specially trained exorcists who go on excursions to eradicate the undead that plague the kingdom. Unlike the Paladins of Sephilia, these exorcists are willing to do whatever it may take and sacrifice whatever is necessary in order to eradicate the threat of the undead. This leads the exorcists to be both trusted and feared among the general populace, and even the Paladins of Sephilia are often at odds with the methods used, though they do not argue with the results.

Soldiers in La Lumeia are highly skilled, and often join in on excursions to the various islands in the Danos Sea with Sephilian troops in order to quash the Barbarous there. There is an alliance between the two kingdoms, and many followers of Lyphos have found their way to La Lumeia to start a new life. Despite the outside influence, La Lumeia doesn't look down on adventurers as harshly, and they are almost accepted as a normal way of life in the kingdom. Even with the more accepting public, though, adventurers' reputations will never surpass those of the Paladins.

"Glory of the Gods" Danos Sea

A bay-like sea in the middle of the Dagnia region. It is said there used to be a floating city in the middle of the bay, and its prosperity had people calling it the "Glory of the Gods". However, this floating city was destroyed during the Great Catastrophe, and the ruins lie at the bottom of the sea, its knowledge and relics lost to the deep. It is said, though, that the underwater city that sat underneath the floating city is still active, though it supposedly remains covered by a dome-like canopy.

At present, however, the Danos Sea is the territory of the Barbarous, and so any sort of underwater exploration or recovery efforts are extremely dangerous. From their bases on both the Kelkeira and Colf islands, powerful Barbarous leaders command various sea-faring Barbarous, and are a great threat to the human race.

However, the Paladins of Sephilia will never stop in their attempts to recover what was once known as the "Glory of the Gods".

Kelkeira and Colf

These islands in the Danos Sea, also known as the "Devil Islands" and "Barbarous Paradise", are the home base for Barbarous in the Dagnia region.

Kelkeira Island is a large, curved island, while Colf is long and narrow. A large fortress was build on the islands during the Durandal era, and now the Barbarous have taken control and turned it into a terrifying symbol. Led by a Nosferatu named Volkreia, the Barbarous on the islands have fallen under the sway of his immeasurable charisma and have turned the islands into their playground.

With this constant threat looming over them, the Holy Kingdom of Sephilia has sent troops over to the islands in order to deal with the Barbarous living there. However, between Volkreia's charm and power, as well as the number of both Barbarous and undead under his control, such attacks have been consistently repelled. Retaliatory strikes against the various kingdoms have also proven dangerous, as while Swords of Protection can protect against both Barbarous and undead, these swords will not prevent humans enthralled by Volkreia and his vampires from getting into these cities and taking them down from the inside.

However, Volkreia will only send retaliatory attacks after one of the subjugation assaults from Sephilia has failed, and does not take the initiative when attacking. This has led some in Sephilia to express caution about making another attack on the islands, and as of late there has not been an attempt to gather forces for another assault.

"Ancient Cursed Battlefield" Soltra Plains

The Soltra Plains are the area to the south and east of the Danos Sea, and long ago these shores were prosperous, with numerous cities all along the water. However, during the Great Catastrophe many of these cities were destroyed, and countless human and Barbarous lives were lost in the conflicts. Since then, the land has been a barren waste, the innumerable ruins only inhabited by undead cursed to walk the land, as even Barbarous are afraid to set foot in these lands. Now, only foolhardy adventurers and hardened Tidanite exorcists will dare step into the area, testing their resolve against the living dead.