Geography – Realm of the Empire

compiled by Kardan Verigio

I pen these words in hopes that future generations may read them, and know what existed within the realms of the Empire before the coming of the Curse that has driven us all to the Frontier. While many of my contemporaries are knowledgeable about such places, having lived near them before fleeing, all too soon these places will crumble to ruin, and memories will fade along with their owners.

Altorra

Ruled by House Altorra

Perched upon a plateau, the city was once known for the great silver mines that lay beneath the city. However, not long after the First Great Expansion, the mines ran dry, leading some to believe that old King Marestes had been cunning to marry his daughter to Emperor Asyrus, as he knew that Altorra’s wealth was soon to dry up.

Under the rule of the Empire, the city retained its prosperity and slowly became one of the largest settlements of Stoneborn outside of their mountain holds. Clan Coldenhammer began expanding the old silver mines beneath the city, creating their own halls and forges beneath the city. Nearly two thousand years ago, the forges of Coldenhammer were being used to heat the city from below, and also great steam engines were built below the city to assist the Stoneborn in their industrial pursuits. Those that dwelled above in the city proper of Altorra did so in luxury in comparison to the rest of the Empire, enjoying year-round hot water flowing through bronze pipes, and the nearby farms were kept well irrigated and bountiful. 

The city was also home to the University Universalis, a grand edifice to education that was often upheld as the pinnacle of education within the realm. The library within was said to be second only to the Library of Iradem, and was rumored to hold the Plates of Diasus, a series of inscribed metal plates that had been recovered from some submerged ruins on some uncharted island. The Plates were said to contain accounts of events that had befallen the world long before the Imperial armies marched across the realm.

Ar-Mysadia

Surrounded by steep cliffs and dense forests, this safe haven of the Ar-Nura may be one of the last in existence. Founded long before the rise of the Empire, it has thwarted several assaults by petty lords and savage creatures. Located deep in the Silvatryne Forest, few that are not of the Ar-Nura blood have ever glimpsed its wonders.

The buildings were crafted long ago by master Ar-Nura craftsmanship, using methods and materials that may have been lost to antiquity. The trees of the city have been selectively grown over thousands of years to integrate with the buildings in an exquisite display of architecture.
It is said that the records of the Ar-Nura that have been kept within stretch back further than any other written history, even those held by the Stoneborn in their mountain strongholds.

Belagor

Ruled by House Restonis
An older fortified town perpetually plagued by rain and mud, it held a small keep and large courtyard where the local militia trained. The buildings were predominantly wood and thatch, with a few being made of stone from a nearby quarry. The outer walls were in a constant state of repair, having been initially raised when the Empire was new, interestingly to repel Imperial invaders initially, but now serving to protect Imperial citizens.

The town was instrumental during the Charlatan War, when Arthur Trueborn and his forces occupied the town for what was originally to be only a short few days. However, when the army of the Warlock King arrived, it turned into a weeklong siege and only ended with the arrival of reinforcements from House Nereas and House Sterein.

Blackwood

A vast tangle of coniferous trees that grow twisted, and their bark is as black as midnight. The vast number of closely growing trees was so numerous that beneath the canopy was often as dark as night. Pathways through the wood are narrow and twisted, often causing caravans to become stuck until enough trees can be felled to allow them to pass through the tangle.

Within the wood were several tribes of Jhani’ada and Gragrimn, who not only warred among themselves but also waylaid travelers. Their predations would become so frequent that most caravans would rather spend the extra two days circling around the forest, rather than passing through it.

Caledona

Once boasted as one of the greatest and largest of the Cities of Saronae, the double-layered stone walls and soaring towers had never been breached. In the entire lifespan of the Empire it had never been besieged, the ballistae and cannons that stood upon the thick walls never fired at an enemy force. The city had maintained prosperity for over five thousand years before the works of the Warlock King slowly unraveled the city.

The birthplace of the Empire, it hosted a sizable palace for those of House Eldstone, and in turn the rulers of the Empire. The vast building was built nearly five thousand years ago, and over the centuries it was revised and added to multiple times, with each addition causing blueprints and designs to become more and more complex until some believed that the palace was an incomprehensible labyrinth hiding many secrets. It has even been mentioned in some history books that assassins were once sent in during the War of the Three through some long-forgotten entrance, but they were never heard from until a servant found their dusty old bones centuries later.

The city also boasted a great library, the entrance hall of which had a massive marble statue of Thazeros, with a dozen hands holding tomes and scrolls. The statues eyes were large sapphires that glowed without the need for ensorcelment, and rumor was that those who meditated within the hall might hear the whispers of the Learned One speaking long-forgotten secrets.

However, despite the greatness of Caledona, the coming of the Warlock King saw the city slowly decay. In the years following the ascension of the Warlock King, the workforce that had been sequestered to work on the Ebon Tower, causing great swaths of the city to become barren and desolate, and crime began to rise. Where businesses once flourished and buildings unkept, squatters and thieves now lingered in structures that were slowly giving into decay.

The Great Cathedral of the Divine, once a prominent structure where worshipers gathered daily, was mostly barren during recent years. Much of the clergy had even followed the migration of townsfolk to the construction site of the Ebon Tower, leaving little more than a handful of the Lantern Bearers to light up the exterior of the building each night, and less than a half-dozen Gravediggers, the last few of an ancient order who tended to the dead to honor Skathos. 

Caracathos

Ruled by House Mercene
A bustling port city, it served to be one of the main routes that the mountain city of Myrneas received goods, with the other passage being a dangerous and winding road through several mountain passes. The mountain passes would regularly be blocked with snow and ice over the winter months, making Caracathos the only feasible route for the season.

The massive piers of Caracathos were predominantly made of stone, a great labor fashioned by Stoneborn masons several thousand years ago. At the end of each was the stone statue of a Stoneborn soldier, forever looking out to sea. In time these statues had worn mostly smooth, losing most of their discernable features. Countless times it was proposed that the statues replace the statues with bronze, but such an undertaking never occurred.

The city also boasted an elaborate underground sewage system, which allowed the water from high tide to sweep in, and through a series of automatic locks and gates, it would sweep the sewers clear as the tide went out. All the waste of the city was intended to be carried out and away from the harbor, however, some bands of thieves and criminals would occasionally block off sections of the sewer to set up hideouts. Thus, the city watch would often have to patrol down below to clear the blocked-off sections that interfered with the rest of the sewer.

Dar’Gorad

Ruled by Clan Stergrimmer
Home of Clan Hordram and Clan Kagras
Beneath the stony spires of Mount Durmator are the vast halls and great chambers of Dar’Gorad, believed to be the first Stoneborn enclave. For thousands of years, the Stoneborn have dwelled within the halls and only ventured out to the realm above to trade with outsiders, and retreated when outside threats loomed.

The entrance to Dar’Gorad passes through a narrow winding chasm in the nearby foothills. All along the chasm, small windows look down upon those passing below, allowing defenders to rain down arrows, bullets, flaming coals, and boiling oil upon those seeking to besiege the mountain hold. The chasm finally opens into a small valley with a deep ravine filled with metal spikes and coal deposits, allowing it to be ignited in defense. The only way across is a heavy drawbridge supported by massive chains.

The roof of Dar’Gorad’s first hall soars so far overhead that it periodically rains within. The water is used to clean the inlaid marble mosaic and drains to much deeper tunnels. The first hall also serves as a grand marketplace, allowing visitors and inhabitants to trade goods and services.

Deeper in the mountain are great furnaces and engines of industry, allowing the Stoneborn to craft all number of needed tools and weapons. It is even said that they employed great excavating machines to dig into the heart of the world and extract valuable ores.

The mines below Dar’Gorad are said to be the largest source of gems within the Realm, especially rubies. A legend has it that a few thousand years ago, a rather large Kahrnuthaen had his horns carved and inlaid with rubies, calling himself the Red Lord, and leading a small attempted rebellion against the other Houses. The fighting amidst the tunnels was intense and ended with an entire House being dissolved and their names being erased from the history books of the Stoneborn. Even though those outside the halls of Dar’Gorad still had dealings with the renegade House, their name faded over time.

Dar’Kalori

Ruled by Clan Thranmor
Home of Clan Mordan

Far below the rocky slopes of Greystone Mountain lay the great halls of a great Stoneborn settlement. Countless thousands of Stoneborn have dwelled in these halls since they were initially carved ages ago, long before the Empire rose to power. Far above near the mountain peak brass pipes carry smoke from factories and furnaces deep within the bowels of the world.

While there may be multiple entrances to the great halls of Dar’Kalori, the main entrance is a great bastion of stone and worked metal. The carved statues of a great Stoneborn soldier stands on either side of the gate, with their axes crossed above the gate. The gate itself is made of an unknown dark metal that is held aloft by thick chains of the same material, and when lowered sets into a groove nearly a foot deep.  

Within these halls lay the great Cathedral of Battle, a temple to Vardur, Lord of War. The majority of the Cathedral is a large oval-shaped theater, where hundreds of Stoneborn gather every few days to watch a fight between the devoted who shed blood in the name of Vardur. The Battle Priests of Vardur also dwell within the halls of the Cathedral, giving aid and encouragement to those who follow the One-Eyed Mountain. 

Deep below, it is said that the Akhunrasi first met with others not of their ilk. Over time they became a regular sight among the halls among the other Stoneborn, with some even openly displaying their ties to spiders. 

The Ebon Tower

A great black spire, a twisted finger reaching up from the despoiled ground, stabbing through the clouds and pointing accusingly at the sky above. All about the Tower held an uneasy silence that hung heavy in the air. While within the presence of the Tower, people fell quiet in either reverence or in terror not to attract attention from unseen dangers.

Built by those in service of the Warlock King, this edifice served as his palace for several long years. The stones were made of basalt, and it is said that the mortar was mixed with blood. Arcane symbols of silver script flowed and shifted across the walls, describing curses and sorceries long hidden, while dark serpentine things flew overhead on great leathery wings.

Few were ever welcome within the shade-wrapped halls, and fewer ever emerged. The only messengers from the Tower were the Voices, pale and gaunt wretches wearing iron masks and bound in ribbons and chains, issuing the edicts of the Warlock King. 

Endyrian Forest

Massive oak trees reach to the sky, while a wide variety of bushes grow in the wan light that manages to pierce through the overhead canopy. While a number of logging camps slowly carve their way up from the southern edge of the woodlands, an old arrangement between House Enasra and the wilding tribes living within ensures that only a minute portion of the forest is felled each year. 

Within the depths of the forest lay the ruins of an ancient Ar-Nura city once called Sha-harain. The buildings within have long crumbled and been overcome by encroaching nature, leaving behind trees that were once grown according to strict plans to support the city. The Jhani’ada that dwell within the area treat the area with reverence and seldom venture within.

Errestan Keep

Ruled by House Murrel

Built on the edge of the Baridan River, and surrounded by a small town, the keep itself is a squat stone building that serves mostly to house a garrison of soldiers. While the upper floors were once used by the members of House Murrel, a century ago the virile Lord and Lady produced enough children that the rooms quickly became crowded. Their descendants have upheld the tradition of producing large families, until a quarter of the surrounding town bore the surname of Murrel. 

Golden Bay

So named because the initial explorers came across the island as the sun set, turning the entire bay the color of golden coin. While the settlement was originally little more than a waystation where ships could take on supplies before venturing out to open seas, over time it became a safe haven for criminals and those wishing to escape their past. Not twenty years before the Charlatan War, the noted explorer Archibald Kelsey would go on to describe the town as “A haven of thieves and cutthroats, all looking to skim the last coin from your pouches before sending you out to meet Ghesheya.”

Myrneas 

Ruled by House Krellion

Built up the side of a mountain, the walled city has only a single road that approaches it, and visitors must pass over a natural stone bridge arching over a river over a hundred feet below. Castle Krellion looks over the entire city and is topped by two towers with shingles regularly painted blue, one of House Krellion’s colors.

The city has a large population of Stoneborn who often inhabit the halls carved directly into the side of the mountain. Nearly half of the city lay within the heart of the mountain, and most of the industry lay underground, with a vast network of bronze pipes transporting fresh air into the depths and chimneys constantly spewing smoke and soot off the side of the mountain.

Several centuries after the First Expansion, a great project to create massive halls devoted to growing mushrooms was started by Lord Harlas Krellion, so that a famine would never again bring the city to its knees. While he did not see the completion of his project, a hundred years later and the city was producing so many mushrooms that it became the largest exporter in the Empire. Visitors even joke that the only thing on a Myrnean menu is mushrooms.

Raldensvale

In the middle of the mountains that separate the Empire from the cold northern lands that the Vyaldur called home lay a small valley that was mostly filled with a lake that was fed by steaming hot springs. Due to the springs, the rest of the valley was unusually warm year-round despite the chill mountains that surrounded it.

The inhabitants of the valley predominantly lived in a small town surrounded by an old stone wall and a deep moat that circulated water from the lake. Most of the inhabitants were human, with a sizable number of Stoneborn, and an odd enclave of Viskela who largely kept to themselves. The town provided a handy waypoint for those traveling along the mountain passes, selling crafted goods to the northerners, while bringing pelts and furs southward.

Raven’s Keep

Ruled by House Valgrave

Originally constructed by House Ravensend, the black walls surrounded a single tower and a small garrison of soldiers. However, in time the virility of House Ravensend dwindled, and leaving no heir, the Emperor awarded the Keep to Karsten Valgrave sometime in the second millennia.  

Raven’s Keep watched over Talder Wood and the Drudgemire, both traditionally known for being hiding places for bandits and fell creatures. The dark-clad Raven’s Guard would ride forth to lay low threats to the countryside, carrying the black and white banner of House Valgrave.

During the Charlatan War, the Warlock King sent word to Lord Valgrave to bring the Raven’s Guard into the Talder Wood, to use their knowledge of the forest roads to come up behind Arthur’s forces, in an attempt to capture supply wagons and officers. However, Lord Valgrave never issued the command, and the Raven’s Guard remained within the Keep.

Rosenkeep

Ruled by House Tycharus

The Tower of Five Roses, a keep that had been built before the Empire, but lay in ruin until the Second Great Expansion, lay at the center of a small walled town. The majority of the buildings were made of wood and thatch, and the streets became a sodden mess in the spring.

The town was not unlike many others that dotted the expansive realm of the Empire, save for the Tower. Some say it was tainted by ancient atrocities committed within its halls, others spoke of a great tragedy that once occurred long ago but had been all but forgotten. Those who claimed the Tower as their own were prone to misfortune, and during the Imperial age, no less than five Houses dwelled within and met their end therein. Mysterious illnesses, murder, and even disappearances plagued the Houses of the Rose. 

House Madrianis once occupied the Tower, until one night the eldest son took an axe and chopped up his parents and siblings. The next morning his retinue found him in the dining hall, voraciously gobbling up a hearty meat stew.

The matron of House Recyne became so paranoid that people were watching her that she took masonry tools and walled herself up in a small room in the basement, and only issued orders through a tiny crack. While some believe she starved to death within, others claim that by pressing your ear against the crack you can still hear her whispering.

Sacar

Ruled by House Derent

The thick walls of the fortress were designed to repel Ughol hordes as they swept down out of the mountains and forests. The fortress stood atop a short hill, and the nearby plains often flooded, causing them to turn into a sticky morass through which only a single path existed, which passed through the fortress. The heavy portcullis and a sturdy gate stood on either side of the keep, forcing invaders from either side to either gain entry through them or face the withering fire of cannons and ballistae mounted upon the walls.

The keep itself was a squat stone building, barely peeking above the height of the outer walls. Within were the chambers that housed members of House Derent as well as a garrison of a hundred men-at-arms. The courtyard served as a training ground for the soldiers and often served as the court for any visitors seeking an audience with the Lord or Lady Derent.  

The fortress was the site of the final battle of the War of the Three, when the forces of Darrion Naveus had taken refuge with his cousin, Lord Hektor Derent. During the battle, the Empire’s cannons breached the southern wall, and their forces poured in. The fighting within the keep was intense and ended when Naveus was slain and Lord Derent captured. Empress Immara pardoned Hektor for his role in the war, but only after taking his son Tyndal back to Caledona to serve as a Ward of the Throne.

Seven Towers

In the heart of the Empire, not far from the Great Cities, an ancient ring of black monoliths stand upon a barren hill. The tallest of them stood perhaps a hundred feet or more, and the others are nearly identical, save for cracks and deterioration over the countless march of years. 

I have read many notations speaking of the Towers, but their architects were always spoken of as being from some era lost into the mist of time. An interesting passage I once read in a translation from an earlier book written by an Ar-Nura historian speaks as such:

“Seven Towers of an antique people form a great ring, and within their confluence great mysteries revealed.”

I have always wondered who the Ar-Nura would consider “antique people”, perhaps their ancestors, or could it be that an unknown people walked the realm before even the Ar-Nura?

Silvatryne Forest

Not far from the heart of the Empire lay a grand forest that few willingly venture within, and only the foolish seek to plunder for the lumber. The silvery boughs and dark leaves of countless trees conceal what is hidden deep within the wood. Within the heart of the forest is the ancient Ar-Nura city of Ar-Mysadia, and it is the protections of the elder race that keep the forest free of trespassers.

Taras’makra

While the Ughol rarely have any permanent settlements solely populated by greenskins, the great expanse of tents and stone buildings serves as a waypoint for many tribes. Just over the mountain from the lands that are referred to as the Frontier, the town regularly sees newcomers arriving, while also seeing caravans and hordes departing. 

Many of the tents are temporary at best and create a meandering set of paths that regularly change. While most of them serve as homes, more than a few closer to the major thoroughfares are styled as businesses, offering wares for coin and barter. Everything from fresh cooked food to clothing and weapons can be found in the expanse of tents.

Near the center of town is a great circle of hard-packed dirt, a massive fighting pit for people to settle their differences and for people to bet on the outcome of arranged matches. Periodically, a beast tamer will bring a dangerous creature into town and one or more combatants will enter the ring to combat it while onlookers cheer on the bloodshed.

The stone buildings are not far from the fighting ring and contain a collection of stables, forges, a granary, and the fortress of the chieftain of Taras’makra. The chieftain holds their position through an unusual system of voting by all those within the town on the summer solstice, and the two candidates with the most votes fight in a grand melee. 

Tenfalls

A large lake fed from several waterfalls pouring down from the mountains, the lake was known for not only the vast number of fish that dwelled within its cool waters but also for the town that stretched out over the water. The town was mostly built upon stilts and floating pontoons and only had a single bridge that connected it to the shore. This bridge was severed twice, once when a rampaging horde of Ughol swarmed down from the mountains and a second time when Darrion Naveus attempted to lay claim to the town to feed his growing army, during the War of the Three.

The Three Maidens

Three dark stone mountains, standing in a row, their peaks soaring far above and mantled in snow and ice. On one side is the Blackwood, and behind them is Valach Marsh.

The Stoneborn speak of the Three Maidens with much sorrow, as they once held the halls of Dar’Misra within their bosoms. However, before the Empire rose to prominence, the Stoneborn abandoned the halls, and their stories speak of something lurking in the shadows below.

Torvaless

Ruled by House Cadwall

Surrounded by gently rolling plains and verdant farmland, the pale stone walls of Torvaless seem almost inviting. Several tributaries and creeks flow nearby, all eventually merging with the River Ardien, and feeding the nearby crops.

Within the city are squat wooden buildings of simple construction. Most people dwell within small single-family homes, or within apartments above small businesses. 

While not the largest building in the city, the Keep of Cadwall has served to protect the city and house a large garrison that protects the region. At any time the forces of Cadwall can muster several hundred infantry and numerous cavalry to defend the realm.

The Temple of First Light, a massive building of white stone and pale timbers, has served as the religious heart of the area for nearly a thousand years. Visitors from all over the surrounding region flock to the Temple to leave offerings and receive blessings by the Divines. Nearly a hundred members of the clergy were hard-pressed to tend to the needy.

Torvaless is also known for several varieties of ale, all brewed in the city and often shipped elsewhere. No less than three breweries were constantly producing barrels at any time in the lengthy history of the city.

Tytheros

Ruled by House Shavian

A smaller walled city, with two roads leading up a small rise to the city gates, the rest of the city was built with its back against a cliff, allowing the residents to look down upon a river valley far below. The lands around Tytheros are mostly rolling plains with small stoney hills, and dotted with farmsteads and small wooded areas.

The cobblestone streets of Tytheros wind through narrow buildings which are often multiple stories tall and lean out over the streets, perpetually casting them in shade. The middle of the streets all have a narrow trough through which water and refuse flow out and toward the city walls and poorer sections of the city.

Within a stone’s throw of House Shavian’s grand manor is the Cathedral of the Divines, which has a single bell tower. Within the Cathedral, regular services to the Divines were held, and historically those of House Shavian were devout followers, and almost always in attendance, seated at a balcony overlooking the congregation.

Valach Marsh

A wide expanse of swampy land with few brush-covered hillocks rising above the muck, the land was always cold, as the rain and fog would roll down off of the Three Maidens, and blanket the swamp in a near-perpetual drizzle. 

Something about the swamp was cursed, those that died within were interred in the mire, and later they would rise to plague the living. While no village has ever been noted as existing within the Valach Marsh, a brief notation in some old Ar-Nura script spoke of a pre-Imperial battle taking place “within the shadows of Three Maidens”.