Eleroth

The lands of Eleroth is one of the largest continents in the known world. Most of Eleroth is covered by a political entity known as The Five Kingdoms, while the far north, beyond Breland, is inhabited by the wild men, orcs, and the fierce uldra. Eleroth also includes the Moonshea Islands, and the independent city states found in the Besmarah Principalities.

History
The lands of Eleroth were once dominated by warring human factions, endlessly fighting one another over resources and serving as slaves under powerful tyrants. Western Eleroth was seen as a paradise and was ruled by the elves of Vah'lorien. With their magic and wisdom led Eleroth from a land of dark warlords and brutal warfare into an age of enlightenment. The people of Eleroth lived in relative peace and prosperity for nearly twenty generations.

The Lost Coast
The dragon Netheril, a massive red dragon older and larger than any dragon ever seen in the world of Tyrind, took up roost in the far east of what is now known as Touissaint. Netheril ruled the peninsula with an iron fist, slowly transforming the land into a volcanic wasteland.

Eventually, the elves and the men of Touissaint and Aldor felt that the dragon needed to go. According to legend, a band of elves, Aldorian wizards, and Touissaintian chevaliers led a sustained assault on Netheril for twenty days. Despite mass loss of life, the dragon was slain by the Paladin Fabian Kordilus (the future first king of the current dynasty). Two centuries after the dragon's demise, the peninsula has been reclaimed by nature and today is a lush, fertile region known as the Verdant Coast.

The Brecilian Wars
The elves, growing arrogant and selfish, began to strike out, taking the lands beyond their borders through magic and force of arms. The human kingdoms that bordered Vah'lorien were devastated, losing city after city to the ruthless elven attacks. Touissaint led the remaining human kingdoms in fighting back, forming an alliance. In the Savage North, the elves began to settle throughout the western reaches, driving many of the tribes and clans eastward. Due to this, the northmen grew angry and after their loss to the elves at the Battle of Daggerfall, the Northmen joined the Legion. Shortly after this, the majority of the Dwarven holds followed suit. While there was no "official" stance for the halflings and the Vanni, both ended up fighting on either side. However, many halflings found themselves fighting for the Legion and the Vanni fought along the elves and other members of the elves' army of fey and beastfolk.

The ensuing conflicts, which occured on and off over about 300 years of brutal warfare, were eventually named the Brecilian Wars. Much blood was shed and the fighting devastated the Eleroth countryside. While both sides achieved many triumphs and losses against the other, the wars were caught in a stalemate with no end in sight.

The Mourning
Queen Lliandra, the last queen of Vah'lorien, set the stage for the fall of the kingdom and the start of the end of the Brecilian Wars. Dark dreams of a terrible future plagued her, and paranoia slowly filled her thoughts as time went on. She feared that the humans would lead Eleroth to a terrible fate and so, reluctantly, she issued the construction of a powerful magical superweapon.

The human kingdoms did their best to track the weapon down and stop its completion, but they were unable to do so. Nobody now knows what the weapon was or even what it did, only that the elves claimed it would end the war in a matter of weeks. All that matters is that when they activated it, the weapon got out of their control. Vah'lorien was destroyed, including the vast majority of its population and its cities. The lands they once occupied was now warped and devastated, and is known now as the Fallen Lands. This even is known now as The Mourning.

Today
The Brecilian Wars ended more than five hundred years ago, but its effects are still felt even today. For all the open smiles and friendly handshakes, old grudges do not die easily. The Five Kingdoms have a centuries of dark memories of rivalries and atrocities to put behind them, and forgetting such things is never easy. For every body that has been moved, someone's home or family has been displaced. For every battle lost or won, someone's loved ones are gone.

Most of the major nations in Eleroth demonstrate an ability to live openly with representatives of all nations, races, and ideologies, but such progressive thinking doesn't extend across the countryside. Elves in particular face many hardships, rejected and ostracized as the people who destroyed their continent through war and destructive magic.

Population
A vast array of races populate Eleroth, from the ingenious humans, the the hardy dwarves, and the nomadic elves, among countless others.
 * Common Races of Eleroth
 * Uncommon Races of Eleroth

Geography
The continent of Eleroth is long and relatively narrow, extending from Savos in the south to the Savage Frontier and the Frostfell in the north. The northern lands are less densely populated than the south despite their roughly equivalent size.

The Besmarah Principalities
A loose confederacy of pirate lords, sea barons, and merchant princes controls the east in the areas east of southern Touissaint and Savos. This archipelago wraps around the coast and extends south into the Bitter Sea, making up the region known as the Besmarah Principalities. Life here revolves around the sea. Even those who spend most of their time in the villages that dot the islands provide support for the vessels of the sea princes and those who sail them. Harsh, stormy summers make life on the islands harrowing. They also make the people tough, weathered, and as volatile as the raging seas that regularly buffet their coasts. The Principalities consist of frontier towns, except for the lawless port city of Riddenport, which is ruled by the Council of Pirates.

The Bleak Coast
South of the Fallen Lands, life gradually seeps out of the earth. Lush forests fade to a broad tableland of dried soil and cracked rock. Further south, elevation rises into the bleak chain of mountains known as the Duskencrags, then drops dramatically. The land beyond, the Grey Plateau, is broken into badlands, a network of canyons and mesas that forms a natural labyrinth leading out to a plain of blackened sand and volcanic glass. This is the Bleak Coast--the last remnants of the rakshas civilization that ruled southern Eleroth tens of thousands of years before the founding Vah'lorien.

Amid ruins so old that they barely resemble the buildings they once were, fiendish creatures search for fresh blood while ancient forces watch from the shadows. In this realm of death and desolation, long-forgotten treasures and primeval secrets hide in the blasted wastes.

The Fallen Lands
Once, the crystal cities of Vah'lorien shone more brightly than any other realm in Eleroth. The Brecilian Wars took a toll on the nation, leading to their desperate use of the Arcane Weapon that ended their civilization. Today, Vah'lorien is gone. In the region once home to song and magic now goes by a different, darker name. Now it is simply the Fallen Lands.

A dead-gray mist hugs the borders of the Fallen Lands, creating a barrier that only occasionally offers a glimpse of the desolation and devastation inside. Beyond the mist, this battle-scarred wasteland remains a grim memory of the Brecilian Wars, cloaked in perpetual twilight. Like a wound that will not heal, the land is broken and blasted. In some places, the ground has fused to jagged glass. In others, it is cracked and burned an dgouged. Broken bodies of soldiers from either side litter the landscape--soldiers whose dead bodies refuse to decompose. The Fallen Lands is, quite literally, a vast open grave.

Vile magical effects linger and continue to warp and mutate the land and creatures who inhabit it into unrecognizable, magical abominations. Arcane effects continue to rain upon the lands in magical storms that will never dissipate. Misshapen monsters rage and hunt and struggle to survive. But nothing compares to the new rulers of the Fallen Lands--an enigmatic race known as Shardmind. These crystalline creatures seem to operate as a hivemind and are capable of assimilating creatures into becoming one of them. The Crystal Guard was specifically created to defend against them.

The Five Nations
Once the great elven kingdom of Vah'Lorien stretched across half the continent of Eleroth, providing the stability needed for peace and prosperity to reign over the land.

Aldor
Aldor is a realm of opposites; a land of grand cities surrounded by fertile farmlands. A land that relies on magic to survive, and a land that hates and fears magic.

The common folk plow the fields and raise crops, toiling to make the land's villages and communities thrive. The fields and vineyards are among the most bountiful in all of Eleroth, tended by the same families for generations. Its legendary founder was devoted to the acquisition of knowledge and the study of magic, and the floating towers of the Arcanarium are considered the finest institution of study for the mystical arts in the Five Kingdoms. In modern times, magic is forbidden and the Arcanarium is now a glorified prison; those with magic potential are sent to the floating towers. They will only see the outside again if they are selected as the king's War Wizards or Magewrights, who travel Aldor to restore and repair the nation's magical infrastructure.

Despite this fear and hatred of magic, they are still a people who value wisdom and intellect. They prefer finesse to brute force and appreciate cunning wordplay to fine fashions. The Knowing Lord is still worshiped in Aldor (though the magical connotations are much downplayed).

For as much as they hate magic, their entire infrastructure relies on the magical creations of centuries past; automated farming machines, magical water wells, aquaducts, indoor climate control, and many other magical constructs make the relatively comfortable life in modern Aldor possible.

Breland
The nation of Breland is the northernmost region in Eleroth. In sheer size, the north of Eleroth is larger than the rest of the five kingdoms combined. However, it is also the most sparsely populated, with few major cities. Breland proper makes up the eastern half of the north, starting at the Cliffkeep Mountains and stretching all the way to the eastern coast. It is a land of dense pine forests, rolling moors, deep and dark lakes, and snow-capped mountains speckled with tiny villages and sturdy holdfasts. Its climate is cold and harsh in winter and occasionally, it will even snow in summer. The north has two major land barriers; the Cliffkeep Mountains, to the west, and The Neck to the south; the narrow landbridge that connects the North to Aldor.

Most of Brelanders are descended from the Northmen; the original, wild inhabitants of the North. These men lived free for thousands of years, fighting against attempts to tame the north from the people of the south. The Northmen valued their freedom and refused to kneel to any southern king. When the elves began to invade the north a century into the Brecilian Wars, many of the petty kings and warlords who ruled the north agreed to ally with the men of the south against the elves. When the war ended, the northmen who joined the Alliance were recognized as a sovereign kingdom in the Treaty of the Five Kingdoms.

The Old Tongue spoken by the Northmen of antiquity is still spoken in many places, and when speaking common, their accents are called "frosted". They tend to be large in stature and have thick, long hair, and wear heavy cloaks of wool or fur. The constant cold and iron grip of winter set apart these northerners from the people south of the Neck. The north's terrain and climate do not easily yield the necessities of life. Northmen place less an emphasis on courtly ritual and culture, and instead prefer hunting and brawling. Their tourneys are often melees and rarely feature jousting. Guest Right is treasured in the north. Northmen have long memories, and a lord who does not seek his rightful vengeance threatens to have their own men turn against them.

Some northmen live in remote, distant areas where they act as little more than clans and tribes. These remote folk are still vassals of the High King, but are allowed to maintain their own ways and traditions as long as they remain loyal to Breland. The men of Breland hold the Crystal Guard in high regard, and many lords send annual gifts to support them.

As Breland is largely uncultivated, there are few roads there. Most of the inland trade passes by the Crownroad or the rivers. Trade items from Breland include wool, hides, and timber. The larger cities include skilled smiths and swords for hire.

Galifar
The Holy Kingdom of Galifar is a heavily pious nation, known throughout Eleroth for their passionate faith in the gods and military might. The gods are considered the true rulers of Galifar, which operates as a theorcracy. The High Divine, the nation's ruler, is seen as the head of each church in Galifar and claims to speak directly to the gods in the concerns of governing the realm. The people of Galifar were once hearty seafaring people with an interest in philosophy and secularism. When the Brecilian Wars began, their proximity to Vah'lorien made them early targets of elven aggression.

Galifar suffered many defeats and were driven to the brink of destruction when their king was killed on the field of battle. The crown prince refused to become king, however; he gave control of Galifar to the gods, dedicating the lives of its people to them should they see them through the times of trouble. Galifar seemed to regroup after this point and managed to survive the wars. As a result, ever since, Galifar has become a strong theocracy.

Each city of Galifar is modeled after a patron deity. The economy, traditions, culture, and art are heavily inspired by the central religion of the region. The city of Storming, for example, is a city dedicated to the Stormlord. It is a martial city, filled with many skilled smiths, warriors, and athletes.

Trial by combat is very popular and rule by strength is the law of the land. Conversely, the city of Knowing is dedicated to the Knowing Lord, and is a quiet city filled with pious philosophers, writers, and storytellers. The capital of Galifar is known as Pantheonia, and has a twenty-towered palace dedicated to the entire pantheon.

Vinta Plains The southernmost reaches of Galifar are known as the Vinta Plains, which is known as the birthplace of the halfling race. The Plains are like a different realm unto themselves, though they are firmly under the control of Galifar.

Settlements are few and far between down here, with the majority of its population living in nomadic groups, most of them living out of wagons and following the migration of gazelle and various dinosaurs. The halfling tribes of the Vinta Plains are notably more aggressive than their eastern cousins, riding dinosaurs and engaging in raids on human settlements across the frontier.

Savos
Savos is the southernmost region of Eleroth. It stretches from the Red Mountains and the Savos Marches, near Touissaint, to the southern Crystal Coast. It is the hottest region and features the only desert on the continent. Savosi have a reputation for hot-bloodedness as well. They differ both culturally and ethnically from other Elerothi. Savos' wine trade, buoyed by its fruitful vineyards and an aggressive approach to trading practices with other nations, is one of the country's main resources, allowing for a relatively prosperous life for its citizens. Five of their major cities are port cities, including its capital city.

Officially, the line of Savosi kings has been unbroken for two and a half thousands years. The monarchy is weak, however, and has virtually no army. In truth, Savos is a plutocracy; the true power that runs the nation lies in the hands of a dozen merchant princes. They are not princes in the literal sense, but the heads of banks, trading companies, and vineyards, each with a personal army, and each locked in a constant struggle against the others. They possess sufficient capital to resolve any external conflict with a well-aimed purse or threat of withdrawn trade. The origins of modern Savos lie in the alliance of pirates and ne'er do wells who favored a safer and more lucrative life on land as opposed to a dangerous life on the sea. They made a home on the Glittering Bay.

Eventually, these distinct groups merged into one people, evolving into the nation of Savos as it's known today. There are no defined gender roles in Savos; males and females are seen as equals in all walks of life. Dueling, usually to a non-fatal extent, is a past-time and way to solve disputes among the aristocracy.

Satinalia is a Savosi holiday. It is accompanied by wild celebration, the wearing of masks, and naming the town fool as ruler for a day. Santinalia lasts for a week or more, while a week of fasting follows. This holiday is celebrated at the beginning of the fourth month.

Savos is the only nation that accepts airships, and they tend to embrace

Touissaint
The wealthiest and most powerful of the five kingdoms. It is famed for its culture and extravagance. The kingdom as we know it was founded by a hero paladin of the Dawnfather named Fabian Kordilus in the wake of the War of the Lions in 394 BM (before Mourning). Fabian's legacy continues to heavily influence Touissaintian laws and customs, and the sun is a particularly popular motif. Art is particularly prized in Touissaint, and has been a focus of the current Queen's reign, who has inspired something of a cultural renaissance. The restrictions on artistic expression imposed by the church on theater have recently been lifted, leading to a resurgence in popularity.

Architecture is heavily influenced by secular gothic style. Just the same for clothing, no expense is spared for rich materials for prominent buildings, and architects do not shy away from color. Blue, gold, and white in particular are distinct colors for nobility. White marble with gold detail is a signature style for interiors. Impression is the biggest goal; it does not matter if a building is weak, so long as it does not look weak. Even the smallest objects are built with flair. Aesthetics top practicality every time. The capital city is Beauclair, which boasts the University of Touissaint; a major center of learning that attracts young nobles from all over Eleroth with the best education one can buy. The University is a relatively modern institution, whose liberal-minded professors have already clashed with religious conservatives over the content of their classes. This is likely to become a much larger issue in the future.

Highsummer is a particularly holy day in Touissaint. This holiday celebrates the beginning of summer and on this day, children who come of age wear white tunics and gowns and join a procession to the local temple of the Dawnfather. When they reach it, they are taught the responsibilities of being an adult.

In their personal lives, Touissaintians favor habits such as indulging in alcohol or smoking pipes. They tend to prefer small "toy dogs" as companions, as opposed to the hearty warhounds favored in Breland. The lot of elves in Touissaint is unique as well, even from the common classes. Servitude is the existence of many, though they are not as ostracized as they are elsewhere in Eleroth.

The Frostfell
The Frostfell, also sometimes called the Hordelands or the Endless Wastes, were once a part of a mighty empire of giants that ruled Eleroth in time before memory. Today, they are a barren, mountainous tundra occupied by tribes of humans and wild elves who control loosely defined geographical locations throughout the region. The humans of this region are sometimes called "Mammoth Lords". The Mighty Kuldor is the most notable of the barbarian lords of the Frostfell, of whom many stories and songs exist that recount his larger than life exploits.

The Moonshea Islands
A group of islands that form a roughly circular archipelago in the White Sea, about 400 miles off the eastern coast of Breland. The Moonshea Islands are home to a fierce, seafaring people known as the Ulfen, who are known for their seafaring culture and tendency to raid coastal settlements for riches and goods to survive.

The islands are not particularly fertile, though they are rich in iron and fishing. The inhabitants are forced to engage in raids in port towns throughout Breland and Aldor, sometimes even going as far as Touissant. The ulfen are powerful, fierce, and reckless warriors. Their berserkers are infamous across Eleroth. The Winter Elf city, Evereska (also called Evermeet), is found in the northernmost of the islands.

Unlike the rest of Eleroth, the men of the Moonshea Islands do not worship the main pantheon. Instead, they worship one of the Titans known as The Drowned One, whose teachings are what spurs them on to raid and pillage.

The Savage Frontier
The deep woods of the Savage Frontier remain mostly uncultivated and pure as they were when the world was young. Two distinct cultures occupy this region. The Towering Wood that fills most of the region is home to the various tribes of wandering elves and agricultural communities, and the large city-states bound in the Lord's Alliance. The farmers of the region live simple, rustic lives. They have worked this land for generations and possess a strong sense of pride and ownership. The typical Frontiersman has little interest in events beyond his village but a fierce loyalty to the people of his community. The region has never been heavily populated, and there is plenty of room for the farmers to expand. A Frontiersman focuses on caring for the land, producing a good harvest, and leaving their children with prosperous land.

In the foothills of the Cliffkeeps and along the southern coast, the region is controlled by the large free cities of the Lord's Alliance; a partnership of rulers and lords across the Western Heartlands who have pledged peace with one another and promised to share information and efforts against common threats, such as orc hordes and Northlander pirates. It is a loose confederation of those settlements and their agents, all of whom owe allegiance first to their homelands, and second to the Alliance. In the harsh lands of the north, where winters are cold and monsters and barbarians regularly stream out of the mountains to pillage outlying settlements, large nations are rare indeed and they rarely last long. Instead, great city-states have emerged, enriched by trade and protected by stout walls and loyal defenders. Such cities extend their influence into nearby regions, often creating or accepting vassal settlements.

The largest city in the Savage Frontier is a cosmopolitan metropolis known as Winterdeep. This city is the only one in Eleroth that accepts airships outside of Savos.

The Black Network
An organization of thieves, assassins, smugglers, well-trained mercenaries, and criminals of all walks who seek to expand their influence and power throughout Eleroth. To them, wealth is power. Its agents know that nothing else inspires confidence and dispels doubt as well as a full coinpurse. To this end, they are involved in a wide number of illicit activities to build their capital and influence.

The Emerald Enclave
A far-ranging group that opposes threats to the natural world and helps other survive in the wilderness. Branches of the organization are scattered across Eleroth and often operate in isolation from the others. This existence teaches members that self-reliance and mastery of certain fighting and survival skills. They are not opposed to civilization or progress, but they strive to keep it in balance with the wild. They restore and preserve the natural order, even as they root out and destroy all that is unnatural. They keep the elemental forces of the world in check and keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying one another.

The Harpers
This clandestine network of spellcasters and spies seek to tip the scales in favor of the weak, the innocent, and the poor within Eleroth. Harper agents pride themselves on being incorruptible defenders of good, and they never hesitate to aid the oppressed. Because they prefer to work behind the scenes, they are rarely noticed as they thwart tyrants, depose rulers, and head off any growing force that is rumored to have evil intent. The Harpers has its finger on the pulse of power in Eleroth, and works tirelessly to even the odds for the downtrodden.

The Lord's Alliance
An association of rulers from cities and towns across Eleroth (primarily in the Savage Frontier) who believe that solidarity is needed to keep evil at bay. The rulers of Winterdeep, Silvermoon, and other free cities dominate the coalition, and all lords work primarily for the fates of their own individual cities. Alliance agents are chosen for their loyalty and are experts in observation, stealth, innuendo, and combat. Backed by the wealthy and the privileged, they carry fine equipment. They ensure the safety and prosperity by uniting against the forces they threaten civilization. They proactively eliminate such threats by any means, fighting with pride for the glory and security of their people and the lords who rule over them.

The Order of the Gauntlet
A relatively new organization, founded in Galifar, dedicated to smiting evil wherever it lurks and without hesitation. The Order understands that evil wears many guises, playing games and tricking others in order to spread. That is why its members act of their own authority, identifying threats and smashing them before they can grow. Because the seeds of evil are nourished in the shadows, the Order of the Gauntlet rides out to the most dangerous dungeons, the darkest caverns, and the foulest pits to weed out wrongdoers. It focuses on deeds, setting an example to the world in hopes of inspiring and enlightening others.