Kingdoms, Regions, and Free Cities

Avenrho is the capitol city of the Elvish kingdom of the west, also called Avenrho. The kingdom is officially allied with the Empire of Urd, but the alliance is a matter of treaty only; the Elves are not likely to come to the aid of the Emperor.

Beth is the "capitol" of the Church of Tah (see next section).

Corvis is the site of what remains of the Empire of Urd (see below). When the first Urdish colonists arrived on Corvis, they encountered the natives, who called themselves Covari. The Covari worked in bronze, and worshiped the gods of nature; they were strongly distrustful of magic-users, to the point of burning or drowning anyone convicted of working arcane magic. At one time they had been a proper kingdom, but the last Overking of the Covari died without heir more than a decade before the first Urdish colonists arrived. The Urds, for their part, worked in iron and steel, and accepted magic-users at least as willingly as they did lawyers (which is to say, they did not consider performing arcane magic any sort of offense on its own). The Urds were, at least initially, outnumbered by the Covari, and so they entered into treaties with them and attempted to live peacefully among the natives. This did not last, and in the inevitable fighting the better organized and more advanced Urds easily subjugated the Covari. Now, in modern times, most Urdish citizens on Corvis are, at least in part, descended from the Covari; very few are pure blood natives. However, some still remember the old ways and the old gods, and dream of rising up and overthrowing the Empire.

This steep mountain range is always snowcapped, and numerous glaciers wend their way down the rocky slopes. No one lives here save for wild men and cold-resistant monsters.

This city is a former Urdish colony, which became a "free city" when the Empire fell. Unlike Slateholm (below), Ravenstone continues to be influenced by Urd, and is the largest provider of slaves to the new Empire. The city is dark, dirty and corrupt. Ravenstone is ruled by Countess Olga, daughter of Count Olaf, whom she is said to have done away with in his old age.

Slateholm was founded as an Urdish colony on the site of an ancient, possibly nonhuman settlement. The city is set on a group of islands in a coastal swamp, with a single causeway extending from the city inland. Slateholm has an excellent seaport, however, and the vast majority of visitors to the city arrive by sea. When the Empire of Urd fell, Slateholm's governor, Saman Valdis, declared his city to be autonomous and began to call himself Duke. His descendants have continued a relatively stable and prosperous rule in the city since then. The current ruler is Duke Helsung II. Slateholm is the site of the largest cathedral of the Church of Tah, Reformed, a large construction completely built from the fire-resistant wood found in the surrounding fens. Ownership of slaves is strictly forbidden in the city, making Slateholm a popular destination for recently-escaped slaves. Slateholm is also a popular city with those whose businesses are less than legal elsewhere, excepting slavers of course. The city is said to have the only organized Thieves Guild in existence, but this is merely a rumor.

The Islands of Sunset are the ancestral lands of the Elves of the west. The Elf Queen rules the kingdom from her castle in Avenrho. Few non-Elves are ever allowed within the capitol, as the Elves are somewhat xenophobic.

Novatia is the capitol of the Empire of Urd (see below). It is the largest city in the Western Lands. The city has an outer wall as well as an inner walled section where only the Emperor, other nobility and their servants live. The city has grown beyond the outer wall, with squatters erecting the rudest of buildings and engaging in all manner of unlicensed (if not outright illegal) businesses.

The Empire of Urd, far across the Eastern Ocean, established a substantial colony on the island of Corvis as well as several smaller colonies nearby shortly before the Empire itself fell. The governor of the primary colony on Corvis, Thalus Dane, promptly declared himself the new Urdish Emperor. Thalus Dane's descendants still rule an empire of one island, where the people live as they always have... under the strict domination of the Emperor. The prosperity of Urd is due to their superior farming techniques, in combination with their rich emerald mines. Emeralds are sold for high profit, as the mine-owners create a false shortage by hoarding most of the production of their mines. It is said that the "emerald barons" are even richer than the Emperor himself... though such is not said in the Emperor's hearing. Urd is the primary consumer of slaves in the Western Lands, as well as all sorts of luxury goods. Some pirates are recognized as "traders" by the Urdish port authorities (in return for substantial bribes).