The Milky Peninsula and Fractal Mountains

Aka. The Alabaster Peninsula, The Murder Peninsula

File:Alabaster Peninsula.jpeg

## **The Milky Peninsula**

The Milky Peninsula takes its name from the coloration of its inhabitants. Everything on the Peninsula, from animals to trees, is ghost white (aside from their eyes, the animals have red eyes and no sclera). It is cold and bizarre, a rugged wilderness in a far-flung corner of the world, cut off from civilization by mountains and sea.

And it is also one of the most lethal places in the world. The ghost-white creatures are known as the Beasts of Alabaster, and every single one of them will try and kill you on sight.

## Alabaster Soil

The entire Milky Peninsula is covered in a white-to-light-grey terrain know as Alabaster Soil. Anything born on Alabaster Soil becomes a Beast of Alabaster. And something unfortunate happens when a Beast of Alabaster senses a non-Beast of Alabaster (which they can often do over great distances). They go into a murderous frenzy. A murderous frenzy that makes them quite strong.

This makes the peninsula more or less both impassible and uninhabitable. The Beasts react to any creature with a spark of magic in them (this is every creature, except apparently the Beasts of Alabaster), and they usually fight to the death. When trees are literally uprooting themselves trying to strangle you, it is time to leave.

## The Former Kingdom of Grut

The milky peninsula wasn’t always a monochrome murder land. Many years ago, it was home to a feudal nation called The Kingdom of Grut. Grut was known at the time for being the de facto center of the Inquisition, an international attempt to stamp out writing and magic that escalated into the War of Words. Towards the beginning of the third century, the Inquisition was losing the war, and Grut got desperate. No one is quite sure how it played out, but it is believed that the country employed a legion of captured wizards, and possibly a spirit magic sigilsite, to try and cast a powerful anti-magic ritual. What they got instead was the Milky Peninsula.

With the nation's capital of Trwaunal at the center, a vast section of the sub continent instantly fell under the Alabaster Curse. The Curse killed all beings of higher sentience and turned everything else into Beasts of Alabaster. Then it started to spread. The Alabaster Curse entered the world in 270AS. By the end of the third century, the curse was affecting the entire peninsula.

## Spread

If left unchecked, the Alabaster Curse spreads. It does so through the Beasts of Alabaster. When a Beast spends enough time in a specific area, especially if it dies there, it begins affecting the soil. The ground turns light grey. From then, any creature or plant born upon that soil falls under the Alabaster Curse and the cycle begins anew. In the hundreds of years since the Milky Peninsula became what it is, the curse might have spread across the entire world, were it not for the valiant efforts of the Slayers of the Fractal Mountains.

File:Fractal.png

## **The Fractal Mountains**

Cold, sparse, and dangerous, the Fractal Mountains are home to monsters, monster hunters,
and precious little else (and goats). With the Milky Peninsula to the north, and Mosshaven to the
east, they form a buttress that holds back the Alabaster Curse. Everyone who lives in the
mountains knows how to fight. The Slayers form the dominant presence in the region. The
handful of indigenous mountain clans who operate independently to the Slayers train for combat
from near birth.

Between the avalanches and snow storms, native threats like yeti and wendigo and the ever present
menace of the Beasts of Alabaster, the Fractal Mountains are a hard place to live.
But it’s also a heck of a training ground.

## The Slayers

The Slayer organization was formed midway through the third century, in a response to the
spreading Alabaster Curse. Most of the initial members were inhabitants of the region, today the
Slayers boast members from all across the world. The Slayer mission statement is simple: Hunt
and slay Beasts of Alabaster who wander to the south, undo the creation of Alabaster Soil and
protect the world from the Alabaster Curse. To do so, they employ teams of monster hunters,
and mixed squadrons of (primarily) alchemists and wizards, who employ advanced magical and
alchemical techniques to eliminate patches of Alabaster Soil. The central headquarters, deep
within the mountains, is known as the Bastion. The current leader is Commander Aquilla.

The Slayers tend to attract a certain personality type - most Slayers are there because they
want to do something worthwhile and meaningful and protect the rest of the world. A few are
motivated by prestige or wealth. Slayers often set out into the world to battle monstrous threats
in other locations, either at their own behest or representing the organization, and their
experience places them in high demand and esteem. Overall, though, the Slayers are a noble
organization, and they have protected the world for centuries.

The Slayers have friendly relations with the Sunstone Sisterhood, their similar mission
statements frequently bringing them into alignment. Somewhat closer to home, many of the
monster hunters also have a strong fondness for the halflings of Mosshaven. Beyond the fractal
mountains, the closest Mosshaven territory is an area of warm rolling hills dotted with halfing
holes. These halfings are the friendliest people you will ever meet and often host wounded
Slayers, providing a place to recuperate. One famous Slayer leader, Commander Skullet, had a
habit of yelling ‘do it for the halfings, boys!’ whenever he went into battle, over and over again
and with increasing volume each time. He was the commander, so no one could make him stop.

## The Dead Zone

At the extreme south of the Milky Peninsula and the extreme north of the Fractal Mountains, is
an enormous stretch of dead earth. This area is known as the Dead Zone and it forms the
border between the two territories. The Dead Zone has been altered to make it as unpalatable
for the Beasts of Alabaster as possible. The area has been treated with poisons and the terrain
scarred with magic. Nevertheless, Beasts of Alabaster frequently wander south. Maintaining a
huge Slayer standing presence there is non viable. Large clusters of creatures of higher
sentience (and therefore stronger magic) dramatically increase the aggression and detection
range of the Beasts of Alabaster. Instead, the border is patrolled by small teams of Slayers, with
soil teams brought in as necessary.

Making things even more difficult for the slayers are the Magamoles. Magamoles are gigantic
burrowing creatures that already naturally possess anti-magic properties; notably the secretion
of anti-magic saliva. Alabaster Magamoles have been known to tunnel for great distances,
underneath patrols and fortifications, and pop up kilometers deep into the Fractal Mountains.
Other Beasts of Alabaster then use these tunnels. Magamoles are the bane of the Slayers’
existence.

The people of these ranges, Slayers and natives both, dress tough and practical, often
employing thick leather armor that allows for mobility.