Where in Midgard?

[bwatford]

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WHERE IN MIDGARD?

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The campaign itself takes place about two week's travel (250 miles west of Savoyne) west from any real destination, very close to the Mana Waste in the Green Duchy of Verrayne. The information listed below is to help you build a backstory for your character that fits in with their surroundings.

 

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THE HOOK

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Your group of adventurers is journeying just south of the Mana Waste's boundary, seeking out and probing the fringes of the harsh wasteland strewn with ruins eroded by the wind. Within one such ruin, you discover a dimmed mural depicting the Rultmoork spire in its prime, encircled by greenery, with two broad, nourishing rivers originating from its base. Deeper exploration convinces your party that they have pinpointed the location of this once-magnificent spire, and it is to this destination you now head, in hopes of unearthing valuable relics to salvage from the debris.

 

[bwatford]

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THE WASTED WEST

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The sorcerers and wizards of the West retain stranger servitors,
and still command great magical power in a land largely fallen into ruin.

Perhaps no region inspires more tales of terror across the face of Midgard than its ruined western reaches, a once-verdant land permanently ravaged by the Great Mage Wars. A puckered, ragged scar of desiccated land that tears along the edge of the Green Duchy of Verrayne and down the coast of the giant-haunted Carnessian Peninsula marks its southern border. The desolation extends north to the elven courts of the Arbonesse, where it gives way to lush forests. In the east, the proud, towering Ironcrags crumble into the foothills of the Goblin Wastes. As one moves west toward the Leukos River, the terrible devastation slowly lessens before finally halting at the vast expanse of the Western Ocean.

For centuries, tyrannical arcanists dueled over the ley lines of Midgard’s western lands. Tremendously powerful mages built and abandoned principalities as the fickle ley lines shifted, and the constant magical strife among the rival magocracies slowly drained the life from the land. Only the bones of these cities remain today, their tumbled stones and spires covering a landscape pockmarked by acrid lakes and stunted trees. This is not the whole of the magocracies’ legacy, however.

Worst of the surviving relics are the colossal, unimaginable alien creatures summoned during the war’s desperate final years. The Dread Walkers slowly sleepwalk across the horizon, held outside of time by powerful spells woven by the combined might of the surviving wizards. Violent rag-wrapped dust goblins, their minds obsessed with the artifacts of past days, haunt the ruins and salvage lost items of power. Weary pilgrims plod over the Bone Road to the Seat of Mavros while trying to avoid hostile druids, river goblins, and the horrors of the Wastes. Undead wizards work in crumbling towers to awaken slumbering monstrosities. Oasis-like forests beckon in the wasteland, only to prove more dangerous than the dunes. To the south, dead-eyed giants haunted by their ghostly ancestors wander the land, and sentient plants creep over a great wall to transform the desert into lush, fecund jungle.

But civilization does continue. Midgard’s most acclaimed magic users thrive in Allain. White Knights from Bourgund offer protection from the badlands. Far Barsella supports an entire economy devoted to explorations of the Western Seas. From across Midgard come those who would pluck fame, wealth, and fortune from the shriveled corpse of these dead lands, and those who would remake the world with magic best left undisturbed.

[bwatford]

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GREEN DUCHY OF VERRAYNE

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A surviving fragment of the once-awesome Magocracy of Caelmarath, the Green Duchy of Verrayne now stands as a vital guardian against the Goblin Wastes, keeping a close watch on its northern border at all times from its villages and strongholds. The gorges and hills of this region make perfect defensive ground, and Verrayne’s defenders resolutely hold them against the horrors of the Wastes. Most years, the mule trains and pilgrims pass north with few losses, but when the hordes do come, they bring terrors few can bear. The Green Duke and the Oaken Council stand ready as ever to answer that call, wand and shield and mistletoe in hand.

Government
The druids of the Oaken Ring appointed Salusso Valis to rule when the former duke, Gareth Albrioc, died in a hunting accident without any heirs. Duke Valis, a hardened warrior and general, formerly served as Castellan of the Nine Towers. Well aware of the dangers of the Wasted West, the duke has brought in Bemmean sorcerers and wizards to strengthen the arcane defenses of the Nine Towers, made agreements with some of the “civilized” goblin tribes as a buffer against their more savage cousins, and taken other steps not entirely to the liking of the local druids. The rise of Braagezz in the Goblin Wastes is causing him consternation, and Valis has doubled the intake of new recruits into the Order of Seekers to ensure the actions of the new dust goblin warlord are closely monitored.

The duke is increasingly paranoid about assassination and keeps at least four of his Black Band around him at all times. These eclectic warriors and sorcerers claim to be the mightiest heroes in the West, and they might be right. Sylvio is a towering, bald warrior-priest of Volund who enjoys crushing goblin skulls with great warhammer. Pernilla Pearlbow is a deadly swordswoman. A former noble among the shadow fey, she was forced to flee the court after humiliating Sir Rujan, Knight of the Barnacle Tree, in a bridge duel. The wizard Urlando studied at the Academies Arcana in Bemmea and is an expert in dealing with the horrors of the Wastes. Kemrath is a tiefling sorcerer who fought as one of the Feywardens on the Tintager-Arbonesse border for several years before traveling south to join the Black Band. Her intimidating appearance ensures most folk give her a wide berth.

Savoyne, City of Blood
The city of Savoyne’s layered fortifications begin with the watch castles and signal fires on the surrounding hills and continue to double rows of thick walls. The city is relatively small by southern standards, though well kept. Goblin travelers enter town only rarely and under close supervision. They bring news and rumors of the aberrations in the Wastes and which chieftains have risen and fallen. Some smuggle ancient treasures into Savoyne, though the Seekers (see below) arrest and execute humans and goblins who traffic in these lucrative goods.

The Duke’s Gardens, a point of pride for the entire realm, serve as the site for the Rites of Spring, High Summer festival, and Harvest festivals. They also house a magical connection to the Elflands. Supposedly, only the Green Duke and the druids of the Oaken Ring know all the secrets of the magical portal, and its opening ritual remains a state secret.

Raven’s Wall
The city’s northern wall hosts executions, since the Green Duchy takes no dust goblin prisoners. The blood of beheaded goblins gives the northern wall its characteristic color, and their heads, rotting on the battlement spikes, attract great flocks of ravens.

Temple of the Twins
The green gods Yarila and Porevit dominate rural worship and have a living temple of woven trees and flowers in the center of Savoyne. It is a peaceful place, where visitors bring offerings of grain, fruits, woods, and nuts. The priests bless goats, seed corn, and the bounty of the earth. The head of the temple is Green Priestess Losaneta, a young druid and member of the Oaken Ring. She reports on city doings to Blood Mother Margase.

The druids outside the city are rather harsher and more ruthless than those at the Temple of the Twins, and they manipulate young Losaneta shamelessly.
 

Nine Towers
Nine great and small castles and watchtowers form the Green Duchy’s defenses against the Goblin Wastes. Most of Verrayne’s army is garrisoned at these defenses, and they keep out the majority of threats. The fortifications see annual repair and improvement through the duke’s corvee, a mandatory period of service for all of Verrayne’s people other than its nobles and soldiers. The fortifications are well stocked for sieges and assaults, and their garrisons trained and experienced.

The commander of the Tower Watch is Olfen Abromo, a ranger and member of the Order of Seekers who is also (secretly) a werewolf. He controls his curse well enough to lead a hunt through the Western Wastes each month. He stalks and kills wizards for sport and without regret.
 

Order of Seekers
This elite order of rangers and fighters swear to hold the borders against the goblins and aberrant hordes. Seekers serve with distinction at the Nine Towers, and they also have a duty to stay vigilant against arcane magic that might punch further holes in the duchy’s defenses. The Seekers watch sorcerers, wizards, and others throughout the nation for suspicious activity. Those visiting from Bemmea and Friula receive an individual guide or minder during their stay, and the Seekers cooperate with the Oaken Ring to track the most powerful arcanists. This involves blood wards and druid marks to alert the Seekers when the subject uses summoning or diabolical magic.

Many dukes have personally led the Seekers over the years, and Salusso Valis is no exception. The Seekers serve as his eyes and ears throughout the duchy, and as officers and recruiters they are responsible for mustering the militia in times of greatest danger. All men of Verrayne over 16 are members of their local militias and train with spear, bow, or axe to serve when called; unmarried women are expected to serve as archers, scouts, or drovers when the army is in the field, though they rarely carry infantry weapons such as pikes or axes.
 

The Oaken Ring
The druids of Verrayne are far stronger than in most lands because of their key role in holding the line against the Goblin Wastes. They view arcane spellcasters as more dangerous than useful and actively persecute them within the duchy. The duke’s personal protection is all that keeps some wizards in the land. The Oaken Ring druids even suspect the scholars of Friula because they fraternize with mages, harbor arcane works and knowledge, and are surely capable of summoning horrors with such magic.

The druids favor harsh defensive measures, including creating a company of werewolf soldiers, using human sacrifices to purify the corrupted lands to the west, reading divinations in the entrails of pegasi or unicorns, and darker practices. For them, one can argue morality only while alive and untainted. Many of these druids claim ties to the fey and the elves of the Arbonesse, though few are elfmarked. They strive to restore the Wastes, a program that will take many generations.

Blood Mother Margase
The leader of the Oaken Ring is Blood Mother Margase. She answers to no one but the gods, and at times it is unclear how much authority she believes the duke holds. Certainly her age makes her cynical, for Margase is as ancient as many of the oaks of Verrayne. Some believe she is related to Baba Yaga. Margase and her followers seek to annihilate arcane spellcasters within her territories, sacrificing them to Hecate for her continued favor and giving thanks for their untainted natural magic. The meanspirited clurichaun and far darrig serve as Margase’s spies throughout the duchy—these spiteful fey hate wizards and are all too willing to tip off the red hags or kidnap a vulnerable arcanist.

Due to Margase’s leadership, Verrayne has held strong against horde uprisings. She has the force of the forest behind her, and no army has fared well while traveling in her domain. Many ignorant human invaders have bled their lives into the soil for the good of Verrayne.

To better lead the efforts of the Oaken Ring in restoring the Wastes, the Blood Mother seeks to ascend to godhood. Her plans took a giant leap forward when she recovered the ruling staff of the red hag Queen Arligathas from the waters around Ghostlight Reef. She still needs to obtain three other artifacts to complete the Ritual of Apotheosis that will allow her to become a god, and she has plans underway to track them down. This may take a year or two, but Blood Mother Margase is nothing if not patient. Ziggurat of the Blood Mother When she is not in Savoyne meeting with the duke and the Oaken Council, Blood Mother Margase resides in a ziggurat temple in the forest wilderness of Verrayne. Built on top of a wooden hill and guarded by a pack of werewolves, this temple is dedicated to the dark goddess Hecate and is the site of many blood sacrifices by Margase, her red hag followers, and the druids of the Oaken Ring. The victims are sorcerers and wizards captured by her agents, and up to a dozen hapless prisoners are held in cells inside the ziggurat until the next new moon.

Other Sites

Bael-Tor: The only castle of Verrayne not devoted to fending off the monstrosities of the Goblin Wastes, this is a simple and well-designed castle looking out over the plains toward Melana.

Barenna: A town of merchants who trade with the dwarves of the Ironcrags and salt sellers from the free city of Salzbach.

Court of the Far Darrig: A forested glade deep in the wilderness is home to the royal court of the fardarrig, a race of small fey who once served as hunters and herders for the elves of the Arbonesse. Their king, Thistlegloom, is allied to the Oaken Ring and has sent some of his weaselriders to serve the druids.

Goasta Cliffs: At the mouth of the Albrus River, Verrayne’s only port houses those who fish the Middle Sea and roosting populations of wyverns and other scaled creatures. This bothers visitors more than townsfolk.