Avrasia

Located in northern Altea, Avrasia is a starkly beautiful land of mighty mountains and roaring rivers. Vast, dark forests hide many fearsome creatures, and the native Ilix have long learned the value of a strong sword and a thick-walled castle.
=== Geography ===
Avrasia is cold land, dominated by mountains and dense forest. The northern coasts, being low lying, are in fact warmer and more pleasant than southern Avrasia, which is harsh, rugged and snow-bound in winter, which lasts well into Seagift. Central Avrasia, Karn Mor, is rough and hilly, and not ideal for agriculture. Its terraced pastures play host to oats, leeks and cattle, which are often the subject of highland raids. In the south-west, Avrasia is separated from the Heiden Veldt by the great Cloudthrone Mountains, the grim and splendid home of Bawn Uxar, dominion of the Stoneshield dwarves. Eastern Avrasia rises into the Worldspines, particularly Gelim, land of the snow orcs. The way to Gelim is overgrown by the great Aquilon Forest, and only a narrow path along the Walled Sea provides a route for the rare caravans that trade with the frostlings and distant Polaris.
=== History ===
Before the Night Wars, Avrasia was firmly ruled by the Hundred Clans of Tir Urdun. The fall of Talamon precipitated the collapse of the great dwarven empire, of which Avrasia, under the name Bawn Uxar, was a part of. Bawn Uxar was soon beset by goblins, who emerged from Erebus to claim Avrasia from the hated dwarves. Long conflict drove most dwarves into the Cloudthrones, where they came under the rule of Over-Clan Stoneshield. The Stoneshields rallied the other clans and clashed with the goblins, seeking to drive them back into Erebus. But both sides would soon need to contend with arrivals from Alba. The Great Passage brought many new peoples to Avrasia, including the Ilix who would come dominate the cold, northern land. Both goblin and dwarf sought to drive off the newcomers, and many of the Albans moved on from Avrasia, continuing south into Heide, or west into the Worldspines. The Ilix, though, were determined to stay. To aid the embattled Ilix, the goddess Seraya appeared to Afdyn, greatest of the Ilix chieftains, and produced a son with him. This child, Gwaru the Fierce, led his people against goblin and dwarf, carving out a home along the shores of the Grey Sea. This land was named Aravegh, the Arverion of modern times. From Aravegh the Ilix pushed further south, forcing goblins back into Erebus. The dwarves ultimately negotiated a truce with Gwaru, the mountains being given to Clan Stoneshield, while the lowlands were ceded to the Ilix. The event is remembered as the Bronze Accord, because the terms of the agreement were etched into bronze sheets that were distributed among all the dwarven clans and Ilix tribes. When Gwaru departed the mortal realm, the Ilix chieftains fought among themselves for supremacy. Little changed in the early First Age until Dunarth, chieftain of the Sil Connla, seized the ancient dwarven harbor of Merebourg, which had been abandoned for centuries following the Great Passage. From Merebourg, Dunarth and his heirs set out to conquer neighboring tribes, and in 299 IR, Eber Sil Connla declared himself ‘high king of all Aravegh,’ marking the foundation of the Connlan Dynasty. The Connlan kings were slow to penetrate into Karn Mor, the ‘Great Stones,’ so named for the mighty, and often empty, dwarven holds that jutted from the rugged moors. Often called the Stonelands, Karn Mor was inhabited by many obstreperous highland Ilix, famed for their galloglass, mercenary warriors regaled in bardic tales for both their skill and savagery.
In 485, Bryn Sil Connla captured Gyrbin Red Hide, among the mightiest of the highland chiefs. With a path cleared through middle Avrasia, the Arverion Ilix began to war with the border lords of the south. Scattered in their castles and hillforts, the southern lords were disunited and loathe to ally with each other. This made them vulnerable to the armies of the Connlans. By about 600 IR, there was little remaining resistance to Merebourg, which had become the capital of a sprawling kingdom, stretching from the shores of the Grey Sea to the foothills of the Cloudthrone Mountains, and the edges of the Heidan Veldt. With the realm largely secure, King Odris began to trade in earnest with the Stoneshields, presenting the Ilix as mediators between the dwarves and the wider world. Soon, the Ilix were eager students of the dwero, who taught many secrets of architecture, metallurgy and magic. In turn, the Ilix traded with Heide and Aldan, earning the Ilix a reputation for quality goods. For several centuries a comfortable arrangement prevailed, the dwarves trading with their Ilix proteges, who traded with neighboring lands, before selling exotic imports back to the largely isolationist dwarves. In the 800s, Gallia began to settle in Polaris, which also attracted increased Veldyn piracy. Looking to strengthen their position in the north, Gallia made overtures to the court at Merebourg, seeking to draw the Connlans into an alliance. King Caemar invited both Varangars and Gallians bound for Imperial Heide to stop at Merebourg, which was presented as a neutral entrepôt. Heidan and Gallian influence increased in Avrasia, especially among the ruling elite, which began to take on Gallian and Heidan names as a show of cosmopolitan sophistication. Indeed, Merebourg was soon one of the wealthiest cities in the north, selling dwarven produce for great profit and providing a berth for those sailors who had braved the infamous Kraken Deeps. The Ilix quickly came to realize that a sailor and his money were soon parted, provided there was plenty to spend it on. Naturally, Merebourg soon became a den of many debauched and illicit pleasures, which the hedonistic Ilix happily participated in.
Near the end of the First Age, this halcyon period ended in 1189 IR, when Geoff, son of King Parcival, usurped his father with the aid of Gallian agents. Prince Alric, youngest son of Parcival, fought to unseat his brother, who was slain at Maiden’s Dance, a ring of standing stones erected by the earliest Ilix. Though Alric was victorious, he himself was killed battling the terrors unleashed by Typhon. Alric later became a figure of tragedy and romance among the Ilix bards. The forces of Chaos and the Beast ravaged Avrasia, and the Connlan Dynasty collapsed, the capital being seized by a succession of pretenders and robber barons. There was little order to be found. In 1228, for example, four brothers claimed the capital in tandem, only to have turned on each other before the year was out. Come 1279, the ambitious Varangar Osten sailed forth to claim Merebourg, putting much of northern Avrasia under Veldyn control. The Varangars were more interested in extracting tribute than actually ruling, and in 1484, Hargrin, last of the ‘Sea Wolves,’ was defeated by Scatha, a ‘warrior queen’ from the highlands. The Scathan Dynasty was not as worldly or genteel as the late Connlans, indeed, it was a time of galloglass, daring raids and florid feuds. In 1660, envoys from the court of Emperor Marius (r. 1654-1697) visited King Ferrian and convinced him to adopt Eos-Adrana as the supreme deity of Avrasia. No doubt Ferrian, struggling against his fractious nobility, sough to the support of a resurgent Gallian Empire. However, many Avrasians, who revered the Lady Sol, considered Eos-Adrana a blasphemy. In the south, the powerful Duke Gurvand a’Pentev used popular sentiment against the foreign cult to launch a rebellion. As the south had never been fully brought under Scathan rule, many border lords were eager to throw off the yoke of the ‘rude highlanders’ who dared to think themselves kings. By 1664, Gurvand was marching on Merebourg, and Ferrian fled by ship, apparently to call on his Gallian allies. But Ferrian never arrived in Sacris, and many believe he and his vessel were incinerated by a wrathful Sol. Gurvand was proclaimed king, inaugurating the Pentevian Dynasty. As for the cult of the Twin Lights, its adherents scattered, secreting themselves among sympathetic Avrasian nobility and awaiting their moment of vengeance.
Like other nations, Avrasia was rocked by the powers unleashed during Ragda’s failed apotheosis. In 2051, an army of goblins, ‘under cover of night,’ raided the city of Tregent and ‘carried away much of its citizenry beneath the earth.’ Prince Odo was ‘snatched by a swarm of headless ravens’ when he led an army against a Chaos-worshipping baron, and for three nights, the waters around Merebourg ‘resembled the Stygian Sea in the World Below,’ the sea turning blood red. On the third day, ‘A beast with one hundred faces’ emerged from the tainted water and smashed most of the harbor. Only powerful and dangerous magics drove the creature away, but much of Merebourg was depopulated for years afterwards. Though the Pentevians survived the turning of the Age, they emerged weakened, their realm fragmented and assailed by many threats, mortal and otherwise. Only under Queen Constance (r. 2293-2342) did Avrasia once again resemble a unified kingdom.
In 2544, a Scattering of frostlings descended from the Worldspines and ravaged much of the south. King Hoel met the orcs at the mighty Caer Isarn, a fortress that had long guarded the approach to the Worldspines. Despite the counsel of his men, Hoel insisted on leading the charge against the snow orcs, only to meet his end when an ettin mounted upon a mammoth hurled an ‘iron shod log’ at the king, dashing his head to pieces. The young king had no issue, and his lords battled among themselves for the crown. Ultimately, Cadell the Allard proved victorious. But Avrasia’s chaos attracted opportunists. In 2653, Gallia, masters of much of Heide, sought to claim Avrasia as well, particularly the rich mines of the Cloudthrones. A great army marched into Trobay, on the borders of Heide and Avrasia. There, King Rhodrez ar’Allard met the invaders alongside a great host of Stoneshield dwarves. The battle was vicious but the Gallians were ultimately forced to retreat, securing Avrasia’s independence. However, in 2741, Emperor Coro (r. 2707-2758) ordered a second invasion of Avrasia. This time, the Gallians seized almost all the south, and advanced into the Stonelands, skirmishing with the highland clans. King Karl attacked the invaders at Arrow Flats, but was slain. Karl’s widow Alis quickly negotiated a truce with the Gallians, ensuring Avrasia’s freedom in return for yearly tribute as well as virtually ceding a third of the country to Gallian rule. The Allard sovereigns were reduced to figureheads, their power slowly shrinking until they commanded little more than Merebourg and its surroundings. The Ilix greatly resented the presence of the Gallians, who were regarded as course and crude, thieves who were robbing the wealth of Avrasia. The weak reign of Emperor Remeris ‘the Mad’ (r. 2957-2976) afforded the Ilix an opportunity to rebel. A highlander named Owain raised a revolt in sparsely policed Karn Mor, and by 2966 had reclaimed the south. Owain married Justina ar’Allard, securing the galloglass’ legitimacy. Emboldened by his supporters, Owain harried the Gallians across the border into Heide, and began raiding and pillaging. The raids continued for years, the Gallians unable to penetrate into Avrasia, and in 2978, Chancellor Zweillius offered the border county of Veinorn to Avrasia in return for a truce. Owain, tired of fighting, agreed, but the concession greatly angered the Kingdom of Heide, which had not agreed to the transfer. Any retaliation was forestalled by the Sho invasion in 3050, which distracted Heide’s rulers. Later, the forces unleashed by Zahak in response to Emperor Curates counter-invasion of Tsaiyun in 3079 rocked both Avrasia and Heide. Both nations turned inwards, seeking to secure their territory against a host of Abyssal threats.
The Allards did not long survive into the Fourth Age. In 3145, King Neven, his son and Neven’s lover, Count Gruffyd, were slain by assassins while the king was at his Aquilon hunting lodge. The murders had been arranged by Queen Bernice, who intended to replace the unfaithful king with her own lover, Callum, galloglass chief of the palace guards. Merebourg was soon besieged by Count Gruffyd’s outraged brother, Rhys, and Berenice threw herself from the Sea Wall rather than face capture. Though Rhys took the capital, he was unable to extract vows of fealty from many of Avrasia’s nobles, who considered Rhys an usurper. Thus, Avrasia entered a protracted period of civil war, known as the Shrew’s War, in unflattering remembrance of Bernice. By 3176, Aghrond an Drog, ‘the Wrathful,’ had emerged victorious. Many claimed Aghrond was part demon, or had pacted with some dark power. He was allegedly over seven feet tall with ‘flesh that turned aside blades.’ Many called him a Son of Gwaru, who was also a gigantic, feral Ilix. Aghrond. shocked the dwarves by raiding their holds, seeking to steal their great treasures and use them against his enemies. In response, the dwarves released a ‘hideous fomorian’ that resembled ‘a brazen boar that breathed plague.’ To destroy the boar, Aghrond set out for frozen Alba, where he intended to locate the fabled City of Jewels, which Seraya herself had made for her Ilix children. He never discovered whatever he sought there, for Aghrond vanished during the expedition. But the virile Aghrond had left behind many children, and they all strove to succeed their father. Several years of conflict saw Ersinoe claim the kingdom, founding the Aghrondian Dynasty in 3192. The fomorian was recalled in exchange for a year of service from Ersinoe to the King of the Stoneshields. Many bardic lays speculate on what exactly this service entailed. 
The Aghrondian kings asserted their authority over Avrasia, and reached the apex of their power around 3443, when King Gaheris seized Ivos in Polaris, forcing the Gallians to pay heavy tax to retain use of the port. But as Gallia revived, it increasingly struck back, not only raiding Avrasian shipping lanes, but funneling resources to Halgstov, which encouraged its marcher lords to skirmish across the southern Avrasian border. Embattled Avrasia weakened as its enemies gained in strength, and in 3886, the ambitious Prince Sergius Rohun, who had lost his claim on the Heidan throne, sought out a new realm. He conspired with Heidan border lords to attack weakened Avrasia, seizing the south and then marching for Merebourg. King Pellam, who had been campaigning against orcs in the Worldspines, was recalled via cipher. But before he could decamp, he was found ‘frozen to the marrow’ within his tent, the victim of ‘orc witch magic,’ it was believed. While his generals squabbled, Sergius took Merebourg, defeating a counterforce led by Aria, Pellam’s daughter. Aria retreated to Caer Isarn in the south, but was slain by one of her lords, who had demanded Aria’s hand, and kingdom, in return for military aid. With Aria ended the Aghrondian line, and the southern lords each put forth claims on the vacant throne. Meanwhile, the north was being subjugated by Sergius and his Heidans. Within several decades, Avrasia had been split into three parts: Arverion, Karn Mor and Hyn Tayd.
Arverion contained the low-lying coasts and most of the great cities. Karn Mor, the wild highlands, was a patchwork of feuding chieftains who recognized no king, and Hyn Tayd, the ‘Old North,’ was a loose coalition of Ilix lords who considered themselves ‘true’ Avrasians and the only one’s worthy of ruling the divided country. But Hyn Tayd could not decide on a new king, and as they bickered the Sergian Dynasty entrenched its position. Still, the Heidan position was tenuous, and help was sought abroad. But Gallia was ambivalent, not wishing to create a powerful rival for control of the north. Thus, King Juventus (r. 3985-4022) looked for allies elsewhere. He was approached by members of the Waking Church, a heretical sect that revered Eos-Adrana, and had entered Avrasia during King Ferrian’s reign, since working in secret to undermine the orthodox Church of Sol. Juventus was impressed with the mystic powers that the ‘Cleansed,’ devotees of the Waking Church, commanded. Despite opposition, he gave the Cleansed many concessions, and by Juventus’ death, the ‘New Church of Sol’ had become the de-facto power in Arverion, to the great concern of the realm’s other cults. Juventus’ successor, Celestine, was largely a puppet of the church. With royal backing, the Cleansed disposed of their enemies, driving many into exile. These persecutions increased under Holmar, Celestine’s heir, who declared a grand crusade to convert all Avrasia to the True Light. Those who refused to convert were transformed into burning abominations to be sent against the church’s enemies. Refugees streamed into Hyn Tayd, and the southern lords were soon looking to the hated Heidans for help. The Waking Church sent its burning armies into the Worldspines, as well as to Chalk Coast. King Otto of Heide quickly recognized the threat presented by the Cleansed. He secured an alliance with the Hyn Tayd Ilix as well as Gallia. In 4073, the Three Armies marched into Arverion, and put Merebourg under siege a year later. The cornered Waking Church called on terrible powers, tearing a rift into the Sea of Chaos and pulling forth the fire of the Beast itself. The Three Armies were driven back by a tide of chaotic magic and twisted, hideous mutants. The Ash Maw that had opened in Merebourg regurgitated a constant stream of ravan and other monstrosities, and it seemed that all Avrasia would soon drown in Chaos. Too late did King Holmar realize what the Waking Church was capable of. The king was consumed in a conflagration that destroyed his entire palace, and with it his family. The Waking Church were now Arverion’s sole power. The hierophants of the church led their fanatical followers south, burning a swathe through Avrasia, spreading over Heide, and then cutting across northern Praesia. Wherever they went, the Cleansed left ash and death.
Avrasia remained under the church’s shadow until Lea Darcy, a demoniac of obscure origin titled ‘the Weeping Maiden,’ emerged out of the chaos. Lea rallied enough support among the Hyn Tayd lords to challenge the Cleansed and drive them from Arverion forever. In 4144, Lea and her allies besieged Merebourg and sealed the Ash Maw, ending the flow of Chaos and flame. Though Lea proclaimed herself queen, she failed to win over the southern lords, many of whom despised the demoniacs as corrupt parasites, ‘vampires.’ Lea also struggled to subdue her demoniac followers, whose predatory instincts drove them to turn on each other. Lea vanished in 4169 after descending into the Abyss, apparently to confer with Thule, her infernal patron. Since then, Arverion has been divided among hungry demoniac lords and their cattle. Indeed, Avrasia itself has barely recovered from the disasters of the previous age. The Waking Church, though driven from Merebourg, retains strongholds from which to continue its dark crusade. Karn Mor is wild and savage, its galloglass warriors eagerly raiding north and south, seeking out slaves and loot. Meanwhile, Hyn Tayd remains a patchwork of rival fiefs. The Carraix dukes are perhaps the premier power in the south, but even they cannot unite all the proud and arrogant lords into a single realm that might yet remake the kingdom. Deep scars linger, and many dark and evil things prowl the haunted wilderness, which is more dangerous, and contested, than ever.
=== People ===
Avrasia is strongly associated with the Ilix, who arrived during the Great Passage. The Ilix are a gregarious people, easily distracted by pleasure and games, though thoroughly vicious when roused. Though Avrasia has suffered long periods of disunity and savagery, Ilix remain proud of their land and history. As children of Seraya the Fair, Ilix place great stock in beauty, elegance and cleanliness. Many Ilix consider all folk but the dwarves to be crude and filthy. Obviously, this arrogance is more common among the gentry. The highland clans of Karn Mor are closer to Veldyn in their boisterous energy, but even these Ilix are great aficionados of music, poetry and finery. Indeed, Ilix of all varieties are said to crave objects of beauty with which to decorate themselves and their surroundings, and the ‘greedy Ilix’ is a stock character in many Heidan tales. Today, there are three major groups of Ilix. The Hyn Tayd Ilix are generally purists who believe that Avrasia belongs to the Ilix alone, and that ‘outlanders’ should either be driven from the north or made to serve their betters: i.e. the Ilix. Central Avrasia, the Stonelands, is the domain of feuding clans of highland Ilix who, while not as refined or as arrogant, are still proudly Ilix. The highlanders are eager to engage in feuds over some ancient slight, being infamously emotive, swinging from weeping hysteria, to joyous laughter, to frothing rage in the course of a conversation. It is from Karn Mor that the famed galloglass originally hail, and these wandering warriors, vaunted in bardic song, are both loved and feared across Avrasia.
In Arverion, perhaps only a third of the populace are still Ilix. A great and varied host followed Lea north, with demoniacs from across Altea joining her cause. Thus, Ilix must share Arverion with many other races, and so the great divide is not so much between Ilix and non-Ilix, but between demoniac and their prey. When Lea vanished, many ‘vampire lords’ sought to claim Merebourg and become Arverion’s new master, but demoniacs are loathe to accept greater authority than their own hunger. Thus, Arverion is a volatile mixture of vampires, each seeking favors from some infernal patron or another, and all believing themselves the fated successor of Lea.
The other major population group are dwarves. Unlike in Heide, where the Silversmiths have long involved themselves in mercantile matters, the Stoneshields have held themselves apart from wider Avrasia. The Stoneshield realm of Bawn Uxar, largely confined to the towering Cloudthrone Mountains, is highly conservative, the dwarves spurning anything that appears disruptive to their hidebound society. While the Silvermiths are infamous for their many intrigues and conspiracies, the Stoneshields are far more direct in their feuds, and whole cities have been given over to brief warfare as rival clans settle some arcane grudge. Just as the Silversmiths contend that they are the greatest artisans in Altea, the Stoneshields insist they are the continent’s mightiest warriors. All the clans of Bawn Uxar are bellicose and quick to defend themselves against even the most minor slight. The Uxaran dwarves have grudging respect for the Ilix, who keep the wider world at bay, but even the Ilix are held at a distance, considered mediators but not equals. The dwarves naturally insist that any sophistication that the Ilix exhibit is the result of centuries of thankless dwarven grooming. Of course, the Ilix do not quite approach dwarven levels of magnificence, but at least they are bearable compared to the chaotic, filthy masses that swarm beyond Avrasia’s borders.  
As in most lands, humans have a place in Avrasia, though they are a diverse lot. Some humans have adopted native ways and names, seeking to emulate the haughty Ilix, who rarely consider humans close to equals. Indeed, just as the dwarves see the Ilix as their proteges, many Ilix have a patronizing attitude towards the ‘outlanders’ who have settled in Avrasia over the ages. Not all humans have sought to integrate with their Ilix neighbors, and so there are also humans with Heidan names and customs, as well as names drawn from Gallia, particularly Gallicia and Brax, from which many settlers and traders came in earlier times. These human communities keep themselves separate from wider Avrasia, seeking to preserve the customs of their ancestors.
Veldyn have a notable presence in Avrasia, as waves of Varangars have settled along the coasts and founded holds from which to raid and whale, selling their produce to the many ships that round the Kraken Deeps. In fact, kraken meat is quite common in the coastal markets. The Veldyn are largely similar to their Heidan kin, and have a long history of clashing with the equally aggressive highland Ilix.
Orcs are of the wind and snow lineages. Snow umia, who raid down from Gelim every cold season, have largely settled along the coasts of the Walled Sea, or Gorzh Arayn to use its native name. The frostlings raid caravans that travel the long, dangerous route from Avrasia to Polaris. As for wind orcs, they wander where they wish, their bison-drawn wagons appearing at the edge of towns only to vanish the next day, the orcish band reappearing many miles away. Most Avrasians pay the wind orcs wary respect, for they are believed to place deadly curses on those who offend them.
Vakki, small, foxlike canae, dwell in the deep forests as well as within Erebus. These strange beings, who revere Druna, consider themselves caretakers of the wild places. They ambush and slay those who wander uninvited into their savage domains. Vakki herd reindeer and gather at the outskirts of towns on market days, selling many exotic wares, including narcotic dreamspore and sweetleaf. The foxkin dwell in burrows, but also grow huge mushrooms which they hollow out. Vakki have a particular taste for dreamspore, which they believe reveals their Wyrd, their destiny as ordained by the Green Dragon, who the Vakki work tirelessly to placate. Those who do anything to disturb the dreams of Druna will find vicious and unrelenting foes in the Vakki, who have an uncanny ability to move unseen through forests. Some believe Vakki can even merge with trees, emerging to drag interlopers into the undergrowth. Many Avrasians are convinced that Vakki crave the flesh of Ilix and humans.   
Kobolds, the fearsome beastfolk of the high mountains, have migrated into Avrasia as well. They dwell in lonely, wild places, striking out to loot and pillage, before vanishing back into the mountains of Erebus. Kobolds have become a particular problem ever since the loss of central authority, as Avrasia’s beleaguered nobles have limited means to secure the borders of their domains.
=== Major Settlements ===
The largest city in Avrasia is Merebourg, an ancient harbor first constructed by the dwarves. The city is famed for its giant Sea Wall, which rises many hundreds of feet to enclose the bay. The wall is hollow, and hosts many taverns, bordellos, inns and stores of every variety. The stern, dwarven statues that top the Wall are often the first sight that greets ships as they approach Merebourg, and at the end of the wall, contained within a great, orichalc cage, burns a fire that is fueled by magic. The city itself rises in tiers along the cliffs overlooking the Grey Sea. Grand palaces of white stone fade into a jumble of tenements that line the winding streets. Since the loss of Lea, Merebourg has been a chaotic place, bursting with rogues, mercenaries, pirates, exiles and of course, demoniacs. Whoever controls the city controls the north, and there seems to be a new lord of Merebourg every few years. The citizenry largely endures this chaos, as at least the capital’s defenses protect it from the rampaging demoniac armies that constantly clash over Arverion.
In the south, Caer Isarn, a mighty and ancient fortress, guards the way into the Worldspines. This grand castle turned back a ravan horde, and has since ensured the independence of Hyn Tayd. A great tourney is held on the fields outside Caer Isarn every year, and this event attracts fortune seekers from across Altea.  
Trobay is the southern-most county of Avrasia, and here the town of White Crossing provides shelter for the many travelers and traders who come to Hyn Tayd. Overlooking White Crossing is grim Caer Dola, forever guarding against the beasts and raiders of the Heidan Veldt.
North of Trobay, the barony of Fulgarde encloses the highroad that leads into the fractious Stonelands. Nolwenn’s Well is the last major town before a traveler enters the Whisperwood, a perilous and haunted place. There, Vakki tend their ancient groves, and dead and forgotten things stumble about amid rotted, overgrown tombs.
Karn Mor, the Stonelands, is a chaotic jumble of feuding clans. The hillfort of Mag Li is perhaps the safest place for a traveler to find repose, but even then, the brawling galloglass might turn the street into a melee at any moment. Mag Li is often where adventurers prepare before setting off to explore one of the many abandoned dwarf holds that jut from the Stonelands like vast and foreboding mausoleums.    
As for Bawn Uxar, its capital is proud and venerable Findias, seat of the Stoneshield kings, lords of the Cloudthrones. Few outsiders see the wonders of Findias, its every surface shaped by skilled and patient hands over millennia. Findias rises high into the heavens, encircling a mountain peak that is one, giant carving, but the city also delves deep into the earth, and it is there that the Stoneshields have their most marvelous halls.
For those travelling into the Cloudthrones, the city of Dun-Skolta offers travelers grudging respite, but even then, the Stoneshields are not eager hosts, and most only stop briefly in the city before journeying into Erebus in search of forgotten treasures.
Category:Nations