recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Laerd

The Laerd are students or members of the Laerden Academy, stationed in Arandell, but hosting research facilities around Sinia'Nor. They are students of the arcane, learning all manner of magic, enchantments, and rituals. Studious and careful, they learn first to control their ability, and to avoid darker and forbidden arts. Though safe, the group remains the forefront of arcane teaching, with higher members capable of arcane feats unimaginable to most.

### Members

Theoretically, anyone can join the Leard, but must be recommended by a member or prove their aptitude. These recommendations are meant to draw students of known talent, but can also result in nobles buying their entrance. Regardless of how one enters, they begin as mere students learning the basics of magic and living in the tumultuous student quarters. Given their naivety and lack of influence, these students of perform menial tasks or experiments. New students a called Eley.

Students can only raise themselves by being taken under the wing of an established staff member. These teachers can have several apprentices, who are both mentored and used as additional help. Apprentices are treated with a level of respect above Eley, for they have proven both aptitude and effort.

Most apprentices leave the school after proving themselves; satisfied with their progress, unable to progress further, or seeking to study on their own. Those who persist become Consummate Laerd, full-fledged members of the organization, either remaining in the halls, or traveling out to research and send back results. They are denoted with an enchanted chain, a symbol recognized throughout most of the empire. To access the deeper mysteries and secrets of the organization, a Laerd gives up their old names and titles, committing themselves wholly to the organization.

Above Consummate Laerd, these uniquely skilled mages become leaders in the school. They have authority over all lower members and frequently serve as advisors for nobles, or begin facilities of their own.

### Laerdum Arcanum

The Laerd work mostly from the Laerdum Arcanum, a hold in Arandell for mages to study, live, and experiment. The white towers hold libraries, quarters, laboratories, and training halls. Most guarded are the archives below the school, where forbidden tomes, artifacts, and creatures are stored.

### Relationships

The Laerd maintain outwardly friendly relationships with the Basilisk Assembly and the Celestial Flock. However, they frequently vie for power with the former and must guard their secrets from the latter. They frequently serve as advisors, court wizards, and researchers for nobles, but remember that their first loyalties are to the organization. Though theoretically people of any race or group can join, the study and standing required for wizards often favors the upper class.
Long Lake

The Long Lake is a deep, narrow body of water in the Riverlands, fed by springs in the Jade Mountains, and flowing down to the Aenear Sea. Fed by mineral-rich springs to the north, the waters at first bloom green with algae but become deep blue as they flow south. Though thin, the lake fills an ancient crevasse, leaving its staggering depths dark and riddled with forgotten tunnels.
Wastes (Deserts)

The wastes is a desert occupying much of Ibenin and the further northeast. They are arid, inhospitable places where only the resourceful and stalwart can survive.

## Russet Wastes

Much of the mapped wastes are occupied by the Russet Wastes, lands of red sand and stone where cacti and thorny grasses grow. The land comes to life every rainy season when plants can bloom and its peoples renewed. Though not as impassible as the nearby Dry Wastes, the harsh desert proves challenging for those seeking to pass.

## Dry Wastes

In the far northeast and stretching further into the unknown, rolling dunes drift like waves on a golden sea. These wastes are scorching and arid, traversable only if one knows to find the disappearing and reappearing oases. For the most part, they are impassible, though some Nura'Nor clans whisper of secret routes through which one can reach strange and unseen lands and peoples.
Aenear Sea

The Midland, or Aenear Sea, lies at the center of the mainland of Sinia’Nor. Its warm waters are filled rife with fish and sailors. Many settlements have formed along the sides of the sea, taking advantage of its easy trade and abundant resources; chief of which are Arandell, Cathera, Griffin’s Perch, Mithria, and Moat Merry.

## Brithil Rest

North of Arandell is Brithil Rest, an island of pristine white cliffs, pale trees, and rich fields. It was settled loosely by the first elves to cross the Astral Gate and remains a paradise where only elves are allowed to tread.

## Stepstone Islands

Across the eastern wing of the Aenear Sea are the Stepstone Islands, a line of small, barren islands that can support only the smallest of fishing villages, many surviving more as trading posts. What makes the islands special is the path they form, aiding ships to travel from Griffin’s Perch to Cathera.
Bahamut

Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, is the Prime patron of good-aligned and metallic dragons. When worshipped by mortals, it is often for his aspects of justice and honor. Like his kind, he embodies wisdom and power in equal parts, one of the oldest and strongest deities. Most of his worshipers are metallic dragons and their kin.

Bahamut is a god of battle, honor, nobility, and justice. His worship is most common in the upper heights of society, though he is honored particularly in guiding the swords of those in trial by combat. Clerics of Bahamut uphold his ideals of righteousness and are often exceptionally zealous and without doubt, even by the standards of clerics.

Bahamut is represented with a dragon’s head in profile or a large-horned dragon with gleaming, platinum scales.

Demigods of Bahamut include:

* *Si Feng, the Divine Winds*, four wingless, serpentine dragons that represent natural law and enlightenment.
Barrow Moors

On the southern border of Esslind, many of the rolling hills hide a solemn secret. The Barrow Moors are filled with winding tunnels and tombs, some bearing dangerous undead, or worse. Many settlers use the barrows to honor their dead, bellow them the Nura’Nor that once occupied the land, and deeper are rumored to be ashes and bodies of Forbearers.
Saga (Land)

The land of Saga is divided into two parts. In the Everwinter Sea, the frigid Selkie Islands jut from the water, mountainous and smoking with volcanic activity. To the west, across the Shivering Straits, the mainland of Saga extends unknowably into the arctic south. The southland is mountainous to the northwest, the Frostfangs lowering into Duskendeep Forest. All else are rolling plains of low grass and eventual un-melting lands of snow and glacier.

Saga is an unforgiving land, with most of its settlements along the northern shores. Those who survive it know the raw power of their lands, respecting both winter and their brief moments of plenty. Not only must they contend with cold and hunger, but attacks from fierce beasts and savage fellows who live alongside them.

Whether Saga is truly a part of the empire is disputed. The empire sees any territory conquered by their races as a part of their domain. The founders of Saga, however, settled the harsh territory with the intent of finding freedom and their own home. As their distance and terrain make attack, the empire settled on a tentative agreement. Saga pays little in taxes, and remains mostly ignored by the world at large.

Notable settlements in Saga include:

* Blackspear Bluff: A vicious shipbuilding village on the Isle of Seals.
* Hoarhearth, the City of Bones: The capital of Saga, an intimidating hold on the Isle of Bears.
* Irlai, the City of Ice and Ash: A mythlike city of dark magic hidden within a secluded valley.
* Luz, the City of Twilight: An underground, somber city of drow and a forest town of beasts.
* Proudfoot’s Rest: A halfling settlement on the southern plains.

Notable features of the land include: Duskendeep, The Frostfangs, and The Selkie Islands.
Mithria

In the north Aenear Sea, in Vaenor, is the steep, sunny island of Mithria. It is a wealthy stucco town built on the white-stone hills of the island. Sunstone is common on the island, though the town is known for its trade of fine glasswork.

At the center of the island is a high lighthouse equipped with a massive bell. It rings several times throughout the day, heralding dawn, work, prayer, and sunset.
Forebearers

Forebearers ruled Sinia’Nor in ages long-passed. They exist only in Nura’Nor myth, unseen by even the most ancient of mortals. They created great works of fused stone, guarded by an arcane control over Mist; though most of their wonders are long-buried. Their runes remain undeciphered, their fates unknown, and even their appearance a mystery. Yet, those willing to brave their ruins can find riches and artifacts beyond imagination.

Though remnants of their empire can be found across the world, most are little more than half-buried bricks. Most used are stone roads which have persisted for centuries. However, others now host mortal settlements, such as BerelBridge, Djanno, Irlai, and possibly Orphen.
Duskendeep

Duskendeep lies in the cold south and stretching deep into the Southern Limit is this forest of low, dense pines. It covers much of Saga's mainland and crosses into the Frostfangs. Mysterious and harsh, the forest offers little but dangers, supporting only the toughest of settlers, such as those of Luz. Through the winter months, the darkness and snow force all but apex predators into hiding. Summer months see snowmelt and rejuvenation of life, though this draws beasts great and small from their dens.
Crownwood

The Crownwood is a pristine woodland on the hill below the Esslind capital city of Arandell. Divided by dozens of roads and small villages, it is lightly forested and ideal hunting ground. However, the expanse sometimes provides hiding grounds for highwaymen and outlaw bands, lured by the wealthy nobles that travel through.
Sekhar

Within the Sea of Grass and the plains of Vaenor is the valley town of Sekhar. It is watered by a spring, but the surrounding tall grasses offer little for farmers. It is a town built from hardened clay and wood transported from the Jade Mountains. It is a town of riders from across the Sea of Grass meeting here, sometimes to trade spoils from raids. At any time, the horses outnumber the people five to one. Due to its closeness to Djanno, the town hosts a decent Nura'Nor population.
Asmodeus

Asmodeus, the Archfiend, is the lord of Hell and a Forbidden god of slavery, negotiations, and evil. He is a dealmaker and a genius strategist. Seeking control over all creation, he uses deals and contracts to grant beings short-term benefits in return for carefully worded eternities or millennia of service. By accruing these bonds, he intends to one day seize the power of other gods, all fueled by a belief that a chosen few are keen and strong enough to rightfully govern the weak.

Though Asmodeus is one of the most powerful gods, his followers are rarely open about their faith. Outright lies are detested by him and his faith, but hidden truths and careful manipulation readily practice. His faith tend to be demoniacs or devils themselves, people who believe in his ironclad rules and laws, and individuals who have not yet realized the treachery inherent to their deals. Clerics of Asmodeus embroil themselves in politics and betrayal, using guile to gain followers and power for themselves.

Asmodeus is represented with a red pentagram or a pair of devil’s horns. His appearance can range from a robed, red-skinned devil to a handsome man with feathered black wings.
Ibdan

Capital of Ibenin, Ibdan is built in the southeast of the land. The Moon River near Ibdan, despite appearing on most maps, is inconstant and often runs dry. Even so, Ibdan is built upon a bed of natural springs and geysers. This creates a green gem in the desert, with a clay city of arches and rings, vibrant with gardens and pools.

### Culture

Though heavily segmented between casts, the settlement is wealthy and few enough that few go hungry. It is connected to Cathera through the Gold Road, but remains very isolated. From their corner, the lords of Ibdan keep loose control over Ibenin. They understand that theirs is a land where villages succeed or fail by their’s and the land’s will.

Its closeness to the limits of the land make it a common location to adventurers and cartographers. Yet, the Dry Wastes are not forgiving, and Ibdan is the last site for many a traveler.
Un

Un, the Queen of Nothing, is a Forbidden goddess of disease, rot, ruin, thieves, and opportunism. She was once a common rat who happened upon the corpse of a powerful dying god. This rapidly ascended her to godhood, an action that defied all natural order and hierarchy. Hated by all the gods, she hides away, living on the underside of divine realms in the shadows. Her nature as a rat holds true, a patron to those surviving in squalor and on little. Likewise, an opportunity is never to be wasted, and anything that can be taken must be. What poisons her image is the ruin and rot she thrives in is equally spread by her and her kin. Her boons also tend to benefit beggars, urchins, thieves, and other dregs.

Worshipers of Un are urchins looking to benefit themselves, or the desperate looking simply to get by. They claim that Un’s foul reputation comes not from actual malevolence, but prejudice against the poor and displaced. Her clerics are dishonest and opportunistic, but occasionally willing to aid the diseased and downtrodden, setting them apart from most worshippers of forbidden divine.

Un is represented with a long-tailed, haggard rat curled up. Her appearance is kept a secret, but may be no different from her original shape.
Ibenin

Ibenin is the only land in Sinia’Nor to achieve independence, it is separated from the rest of the world by either mountains or badlands. There is a dry desert bound by rainy seasons and rivers. On the edge of the map, the land’s size is unknown, as no explorers have seen if the Dry Wastes ever end.

At the mercy of the elements and distant from any other land, the people too have distinguished themselves. More than any other land, villages are based around a shared community, distrusting outsiders and looking inward for tradition. This independence led them to desire freedom from both the empire’s restrictions and heavy taxes.

In 277 AE, Ibenin sought freedom after the worship of a local deity became outlawed. Preserving their relationship, Vaenor refused to battle, leaving the only empire troops as distant outsiders unaccustomed to fighting in the Russet Wastes, leading to a short war.

Notable settlements in Ibenin include:

* Dreadhall: A grim, disputed mead hall that has sired a rough town round it.
* Ibdan, the City of Water: The capital of Ibenin, a desert city given water by cold springs.
* Lodair: A superstitious, oasis village of plenty and little.
* Orphen, the City of the Dead: A legendary city of black stone within the Mountains of Night.
* Qoh-Mora, the Lone Peak: A strange, dwarven mountain dropped haphazardly into the Dry Wastes.
* Yfe: A strange, half-buried settlement within the Undying Forest.

Notable features of the land include: The Gold Road, The Mountains of Morn, The Peak of Dawn, The Rayne River, The Ruby Mountains, The Sea of Grass, The Sea of Serpents, The Smallest Sea, The Undying Forest, and The Wastes.
Undying Forest

Nestled within the Ruby Mountains, by the northern limit of Ibenin and the Smallest Sea, is a patch of dry forest. The Undying Forest lies dusty and dead with not but the bleached skeletons of trees through most of the year. Yet, when the rivers flood and rains fall, it revives, and all manner of flora and fauna return. Some beasts and clans can sense the coming rains, migrating en masse to the riverbeds and floodplains.

Between this forest and the Smallest Sea is the curious town of Yfe.
Ferraforts

Ferraforts, the Last Tyrant, is a Forbidden god of war, tyranny, law, and conquest. In legend, Ferraforts was once a king who defeated all the lands in his realm, and turned his ambition to creation itself. He rules with an iron fist, trusting none but himself with absolute control over every aspect of governance, trade, and daily life. Rulers of his favor are brutal conquerors unafraid to work slaves and peasants to the bone, wielding military and law freely. The divine subjugator seeks to control gods, people, and nature alike, including the very purity of his subjects. His intention is to forge an empire that remains until all of creation falls to dust, and he is the last being alive.

Worshipers of Ferraforts tend to be slavers, conquerors, and rulers. They act more as arbiters of his will, for no fool would claim themselves a king before the Last Tyrant. Clerics of Ferraforts tend to be conquerors, men seeking to create subjugated, petty kingdoms for themselves.

Ferraforts is represented with an iron helm capped with grey shards of a crown. He appears as a ruler wearing imposing spiked armor. His face changes with every appearance.
Blacktimber Forest

Blacktimber Forest is a massive seasonal forest in Esslind, stretching from the Mountains of Morn to the Everwinter Sea. It grows thick and wild, earning its name from the dark pines that line its coast. The land seems to reject civilization, difficult to trim and growing swiftly over any cleared space. Nature cedes no ground, and it is spoken of as one of the wildest places in the known world. Within is the Nura’Nor city of Yayawas.

To the east, the wood deepens and darkens, becoming The Haunted Forest.

## Burnam's Wood

Once a part of the Blacktimber, Burnam's Wood was separated centuries ago by the local Nura’Nor clans. Since this severance, it has lost much of its wildness, frequently hunted and traveled by nobles and commoners alike. Even so, it holds its share of beasts and despoiled places, some warded by ancient and mystical forces.
Mister Independent

There's something about

Just something about the way I move

And I can't figure it out

There's something about me

That's completely different

Said it's something about

The kind of people that want you

But doesn't need you

Hey, I can't figure it out

There's something about me

That is very independently

Because I walk like a winner

Talk like a winner

I can write my own music

Call me a sore loser effortlessly

And I move to shine

I do what anybody else do

Singing and songwriting

I got myself thinking about getting involved

That's the kind of person that I am

I got my own thing

That's why I love myself

And it builds me up to lie and say

Mister independent

Won't you come and spend a little time with me

Record labels can't give two shits about me

That's why I love myself and my independence

Mister independent

The way I shine

Mister independent

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, mister independent, that's me, bitches

Haters stay pressed

There's something about me

The kind of man that can do for himself

For what does it profit a man

To gain the whole world

And forfeit his soul?

I look at myself and it makes me proud

There's just something about me

That makes me...

Something oh so understandable about

The kind of person that don't even need my help

I said

I got it, I got it, no doubt

There's just something about me

Because I work like a winner

Play like a winner

Singing and songwriting, made me a better person I am

Today

And the bills are paid on time

I made for the record labels

To shit on me

Anything less, I am telling them to get lost

It's how me, myself, I is on my mind

I got my own thing

That's why I love myself

And it builds me up to lie and say

Mister independent

Won't you come and spend a little time with me

Record labels can't give two shits about me

That's why I love myself and my independence

Mister independent

The way I shine

Mister independent

My favorite thing to say

What lies beneath me, what lies in front of me

Pales in comparison to what lies

Inside of me forever

And everything I got

Best believe it, I bought it on me, myself, and I

I will steal my own heart, no doubt about it

I'm everything I need

Said I'm everything I need

Record labels don't love me

Even movie companies too!

I got my own thing

That's why I love myself

And it builds me up to lie and say

Mister independent

Won't you come and spend a little time with me

Record labels can't give two shits about me

That's why I love myself and my independence

Mister independent

The way I shine

Mister independent

Mister independent

That's why I love myself

That's why I love to be loved

That's why I love myself

That's why I love to be loved

That's why I love myself

That's why I love to be

Mister independent
Astral Gate

With annihilation looming, a group of elven mages created a massive stone archway. This became a magical gateway, its destination unknown. In a leap of faith, they crossed, finding the land of Sinia'Nor (New Lands), or the Shrouded Land. Soon after, thousands followed, races and peoples from across the world searching for any sanctuary from the coming end.

Once enough had crossed, the Astral Gate was closed, its stone arch not but a testament to the old world. Around the gate was built the city of Arandell, the bricks forming the backbone of the capital castle.

Some have considered reopening the gate, examining what became of the old world. However, the empire has forbade it, and no attempt to reactivate the sealed magic has been successful.
Pelor

Pelor, the Dawnfather, is a Prime god of the sun, agriculture, and good. He is one of the most commonly worshiped deities and is often regarded as a creator of the worlds and a leader among the gods. Granting boons and plenty, he is a paragon of good and opposes evil. Most common among his worshipers are farmers and people of the land, as well as paladins and crusaders.

Pelor is a god of the sun, time, and plenty. He is commonly worshipped as a summer and fertility god, honored for his healing light and times of plenty. His worshipers are often human and men of the land, common folk who relish honest work and the fruits of their labor. Clerics of Pelor spread both his compassion and judgement, healing the righteous and destroying the impure. They are treated in high regard in most places, lest their presence signifies a crusade.

Pelor is represented with a golden sun. In mortal form, he appears as an older human, often bearing a sunstone staff.

Demigods of Pelor include:

* *Lathander, the Morninglord*, exemplifies Pelor’s aspects of fertility and renewal.
* *Frith, the Sunlord*, a Nura’Nor embodiment of the sun, the creator of all life.
* *Sarenrae, the Dawnflower*, a fiery goddess of war who fights valiantly against evil.
Jog'Ler & Jog'Mor

By the sides of the Sun Lake and the Moon Lake are the cities of Jog'Ler and Jog'Mor, guarded by tall, clay walls. Twin cities, they are similar in design, mercantile settlements with outsider markets beyond the walls and finer stalls within. The cities are built beside a wide road down their middles, with living areas closer to the walls.

## Jog'Mor

Jog’Mor is further west, connected with both the Riverlands and the coastal cities of Vaenor. The empire and its church have a greater hold on the city, with marvelous temples constructed within. Their twin city of Jog’Ler is often seen as rebellious at best and sacrilegious at worst.

## Jog'Ler

Jog’Ler is further east on the border with Ibenin. Influenced by that land’s freedom and strangeness pervades the city, influenced by travelers and traders from the far distance. Their twin city of Jog’Mor is often seen as evangelical and beholden entirely to the crown.

## The Spice Road

Between Jog’Mor and Jog’Ler is The Spice Road, a stretch of land ideal for farming certain spices, herbs, and teas. Merchants can travel to and fro between the cities and leave with a fortune in any other city.
Frinn

Frinn, the Windruler, is a Prime goddess of wilds and weather. Though she heralds great storms and represents the unforgiving wilderness, she is simultaneously seen as a patron to those who endure these forces. She is a goddess of hunters and outlands, as well as a bringer of gale-winds, drought, and biting cold. Her worshipers ask not for pleasant days, but to endure harsh nights.

Frinn is a god of wind, storms, beasts, outlands, hunting, and endurance. Her worship is not performed in churches or built structures; instead, what few sacred locations for her are cliffs, volcanoes, and other sites where nature’s power and splendor are present. As cities and high society are not inclined to her worship, she is seen as an outsider and an intimidating deity, a role she likely has few qualms with. Clerics of Frinn are tough and dauntless in the face of adversity, almost druidic in their respect for nature and knowing that their god’s favor is something to be earned.

Frinn is represented with a spearhead between two ram’s horns. Her mortal form is often either a shadow in the storming clouds or a fur-clad woman with curled horns.

Demigods of Frinn include:

* *Inlé, the Black Rabbit*, possibly a misinterpretation of The Raven Queen, they are a personification of winter and death.
* *Thashiel, the Thunderstrike*, a goddess of oceans and storms, said to be a patron of pirates, and to spirit away the souls of those who die at sea.
Moat Merry

Named somewhat ironically, Moat Merry consists of two castles forming a bridge across the Green River. The ‘moat’ in its title instead refers to the river guarding half of each keep. The bridge and buildings themselves are built from lavish, white stone.

Despite its name and appearance, Moat Merry and its people are not liked by most others. Its lords extract a toll from all who sail the Green River to earn their wealth or cross from the Riverlands to Vaenor.
Cathera

Against the sapphire waters of the Aenear Sea is the pristine Vaenori city of Cathera. Using light stone, the low city is built seemingly from the sea. Buildings stand from the bay with water roads between them. Further inland, foundations grow higher with planned, geometric streets and aqueducts across the rooves. Out at sea lies Sunken Town, portions wholly submerged as the city gradually lowers.

In the shallow, rocky soil, trees are difficult to grow in Cathera. Thus, a garden containing them is seen as a symbol of extreme wealth. Yet, even the city's poorer districts are maintained and built with a tact rare elsewhere in the world.

Travel is facilitated by the Stepstone Islands, bringing wealth and trade to its docks.

### Culture

Districts, both rich and poor, are planned before their very construction. Markets are combined with homes and industries, with roads facilitating travel through the city centers and monuments. This rigid planning extends through the coasts of Vaenor and a series of northern roads, but no further. The Sea of Grass is too vast and too wild for any to control from so far away.
Yfe

Within the Undying Forest and the Ruby Mountains of Ibenin, to the east of the Smallest Sea, is the strange settlement of Yfe. Built from clay and pale wood, the town at first seems no more than a scattering of few small buildings. This is because most of the settlement lies underground, cooled by the earth.

In the dry months, the town will seem half-dead as men rest and conserve their stores. In the rainy months, their fields come alive, returning both joy and work. Holidays of fasting, song, and community are celebrated to keep the populace occupied, the Summernight of Love particularly famous.

Yfe is a settlement of magic, with arcane wisdom stored in their RootHall Archives. Many of their tomes describe spells and rites older than the Astral Gate, though some of their knowledge would prove forbidden in the empire.
Hoarhearth

On the largest and most southern Selkie Island, the Isle of Bears, lies the ominous city of Hoarhearth. Once a whaling village, it grew to a haphazard sprawl of low homes with grassy rooves. Tall cliffs loom above, and dozens of ships wait in its bay. The entire town is decorated with the bones of sea life, the island’s bears, and would-be invaders.

### Culture

Hoarhearth embodies Saga, negative and positive. They endure the treacherous seas and unforgiving land but celebrate what life they can manage. Ruling Saga is no simple task, with Hagard Estbrook acting more as a symbolic king than a direct ruler. He rules from a furred throne in Bear Hall, the largest mead hall built.
Djanno

Djanno lies in the Jade Mountains, of the Riverlands, a forested highland of bamboo and reeds. Originally a Forbearer city, it is a labyrinthine, tall city of fused stone. Too large for its small population, the large-brick domes and pyramids are often empty or overgrown.

Below the city is a winding labyrinth, cracked and often flooded. None know the structure’s purpose, but some small cults have begun to worship it and its inhabitants as lesser gods.

Boleng the White, a light-furred tabaxi, rules the Djanno, the only Nura’Nor leader of a major city in the empire. His control allows the city to become a haven and trading post for Nura’Nor and northern travelers. This has led to a mixing of traditions and garnered the area a strange reputation. Worsening this is a curiosity for queer magics and a willingness to explore the mysterious north.
Gold Road

A stretch of land that follows the northern Rayne River; The Gold Road connects Cathera and Ibdan. It is the safest route into the east, as the river provides both water and direction. However, these travelers have lured a share of bandits that hide in the nearby mountains. The connection between these distant lands allows the trade of fine goods from both, creating fortunes in gold, silk, and spices.
Lolth

Lolth, the Queen of Spiders, is the Forbidden a goddess of chaos, corruption, and evil, and was once the patron of drow. She is an adherent to chaos and destabilization, inadvertently ruining her own plans by nature. Usurpation and domination of power are her end goals, but her inclination towards infighting and betrayal lead her followers to never succeed in their long-term goals. This turmoil may be her true intent, as she relishes in the destruction of purity and kinder connections.

Worshipers of Lolth tend to be drow or other creatures believed to be spawned by her. They view her turmoil as culling of the weak, with her methods necessary to secure power. When fallen and in ruins, their desperation redoubles their faith. Clerics of Lolth tend to be exceptionally selfish, taking joy in overthrowing and breaking existing structures and relationships.

Lolth is represented with a jeweled spider. She appears as a drider draped in vine silk and gems.
Basilisk Assembly

The Basilisk Assembly is an elite group of individuals and a number of initiates beneath them. They maintain a close relationship with the Laerdum Arcanum and the crown, both advising and limiting them. Those within the upper ranks wield a great deal of power, both political and literal, with allies and initiates benefitting from their abilities. However, some distrust the Basilisks, viewing their growing influence as dangerous and without end.

Though located primarily in Arandell, their reach spreads throughout the world. Their organization is located in the Basilisk Hall, with archives, quarters, and research areas. The hall is actually rather sparse, with only archives stocked and guarded. This is because the Basilisk Assembly has few members relative to their influence, and its members tend to be work away from their actual base. This is because only the best and most loyal can actually join the assembly, often older member who have already proven themselves or younger initiates groomed for positions.

### Relationships

The Basilisk Assembly often operates independently, respected for their powerful members. They see themselves as wiser and better than other groups, but act often act as advisors and powers behind nobles. The Laerdum Arcanum and Celestial Flock occasionally become members of the assembly, but just as often attempt to infiltrate the group. The Temple of White Fire stands at odds with them, incited by a willingness to employ darker odds.
Lodair

A village between Ibdan, Qoh-Mora, and Yfe. It is a place of feast and famine, experiencing unpredictable weather and water patterns. In times of plenty, it is an oasis, providing crops and acting as a trading post for those traveling the Dry Wastes of Ibenin. However, in times of little, the oasis dries and leaves the area an arid husk, many fleeing in these times.

The people of Lodair are spiritual, revering local heroes of old, and local spirits believed to provide water.
BerelBridge

Where the Thunderclap River and the Rayne River meet is a large, three-pathed bridge. The town of BerelBridge, of Esslind is built atop this bridge. This These roads connect the western farmlands, southern moors and shores, and the northeastern Flowering Dell. The Forbearers built the grey bridge in ages past of strong fused stone, a functional structure that has endured storms and battles. Built atop this bridge are various stores, homes, and markets.

Though small and with little farming land, BerelBridge finds moderate wealth from the many travelers that pass through, as well as a dark beer brewed from the unique wheat the river provides.
Fangs (Mountains)

The largest mountain range in the known world, the peaks of The Fangs climb high above the clouds and cover much of Highhart's western border. Taller than any other range, they are majestic and can take days to summit. The winds, rivers, and cliffs within are so unique that they can form unique ecosystems found only within. The range is so long that it can be divided into two The Fangs to the north and the Frostfangs to the south. Their rain shadow is so great that the Talcara Desert to their west has not seen precipitation in recorded history.

To their west lie the Narrow Straits and the mysterious Land of Giants.

## The Frostfangs

The Frostfangs are further to the south in Saga; though shorter (still taller than any other range), they are more dangerous due to unyielding permafrost and glaciers. Further north, the Fangs stand taller, many still capped with glaciers but forested or arid by their bases.

## God's Bow

Tallest of the Fangs and the second tallest mountain in the known world is God’s Bow. It Stands above a clear lake, and its peak is a glistening shelf. It is said that a wish will be granted with the strength to summit and leap from the ledge.

## Talcara Desert

In the shadow of the high fangs, this desert stretches thin along the western border of Sinia’Nor.

It has not seen rain in centuries, with none living recalling such an event. Only by the coast can the smallest and hardiest plants grow, drawing water from fog blown in from the sea. Lacking this, bones lay bleached for generations, denoting times long past.

## Settlements

Some settlements have taken root within or by the feet of the mountain range; namely, Linor and the Nura’Nor fortress of Koqueguirao lie within the mountains of Highhart. Further south, the Frostfangs hold the hidden city of Irlai.
Shivering Straits

The Shivering Straits are a thin water body separating the mainland from the cold south. It is a treacherous stretch, icy and frigid in all but the summer months. It connects the two halves of the Everwinter Sea, dividing the land of Esslind from Saga. Crossing the channel in all but the midst of summer is a dangerous prospect. Ice often forms in glass-like sheets, invisible inches beneath the water, but able to skewer ships that brave crossing.
Celestial Flock

The Celestial Flock is stationed in the Observatory, and are the center of learning and study in Sinia’Nor. Centered on a cliff apart from the city of Griffin's Perch is a dome for observing stars and skies. From it, school focused on the material grew, responsible for advancements in alchemy, medicine, metallurgy, science, and various other schools. Favorite of their fields is astronomy and the investigation of Star Crystals.

For as much as the observatory teaches, it also seeks to learn and record secrets. They believe in steadfast truths, seeking to understand and predict other powerful organizations. To infiltrate and study these groups, spies known as Crows adopt new personas and ferry messages back to the observatory.

### Relationships

Believing themselves more trustworthy and intelligent than any other organization, they provide knowledge for those seeking it, and some members act as advisors for other groups. Though not magically inclined, the secrets of the Laerdum Arcanum beckon to sweetly to ignore. Likewise, the Basilisk Assembly is especially distrusted for their strives for power; after several successful infiltrations, the Basilisks have improved their defenses, but refuse to admit the event. They have infiltrated the Temple of White Fire, but that group keeps little information worth taking. Mostly, the Flock works to protect their secrets from other groups.
Mountains of Night

Mostly lost in the eastern limits, the Mountains of Night is shrouded in mystery and danger. They lie to the east of The Mountains of Morn and stretch unknown into the distance. Their black stones grow few plants and support little life, seeming to absorb light and veil the land in eternal shadow. Few are foolish enough to traverse these accursed lands, with survivors describing toxic waters, labyrinthine caverns, and beasts beyond imagination.

More terrifying than the mountains around it is the city of Orphen, which lies in a valley beside the river Stygai. Even the Shadowdelvers who traverse the mountains refuse to approach the gates of the obsidian city.
Dammeran Empire

The Dammeran Empire (First Empire) is potentially the oldest organization in Sinia'Nor. After crossing the Astral Gate, the founding mages utilized their newfound standing to claim power from the chaos. They selected a leader from among their ranks, uniting many of the new groups under their banner.

The line of emperors has held power in both the old world and new for eight generations. As elves, their rule can be enshrined for centuries. While this long-lived leadership can provide consistency, it can also make reactions slow, and alienate the more temporal of citizens. Supporting the king is a competent council of advisors given authority assert control over aspects of the empire.

As Sinia'Nor is unexplored and vast, the empire cannot effectively govern the distant settlements or lands. To support this, the empire allows each of the territories to govern themselves, so long as they pay taxes. Even so, most villages must survive on their own, rarely interacting with their ruling lords.

The current king, Willam Dammeran III is also known as The Boy King. Though 51 years of age, he is a child by elven standards, and requires a great deal of help from his advisors. This is unintended and sudden, the previous king dying swiftly when a sickness overcame him which no magic could cure.

### The Amber Keep

The king, his guard, and advisors are housed in The Amber Keep, in Arandell. A reddened castle of flying buttresses, ramparts, and high towers, the castle stands imposingly above the city. Through the base of the castle is a thoroughfare leading from the city to The Hill of the Lost. A luxurious seat, the castle holds a great throne hall, several meal halls and kitchens, armories, and scores of rooms for inhabitants and guests. Beneath the castle are holds and cells, a last line of defense should all else fail.

Notable within keep are The Tower of Black Amber and the Tower of White Amber. The Tower of Black Amber is where the King’s Guard and their squires reside. The Tower of White Amber can house the king’s advisors, as well as their meeting place.

### Relationships

The elves of the higher empire still maintain a grip on their ruling nobles and key cities. Though keeping advisors from The Basilisk Assembly, The Celestial Flock, The Laerdum Arcanum, as well as several nobles, they must be careful not to allow any one too much influence. Royal court is a pit of serpents, filled with schemers and backbiters where the old family must fight for every drop power.
Lhast Marsh

The largest swamp in the known world, Lhast Marsh stretches from the shore of the Eversummer Sea to the foot of the Highhart Plateau, within the Emerald Coast. Rife with birds, serpents, and all manner of aquatic beings, it is a wild and untamed space, settled only with small crannogs or wooden villages, such as Ulamere. Much of the land is not earth, but instead, grasses and mangroves so dense that they resemble solid terrain.
Rayne River

Called ‘The Daughter of All Rivers, and the Mother of All Men’, this waterway, follows the Mountains of Morn, is fed by dozens of tributaries, and treated with religious reverence. The Rayne is wide and fertile, hosting diverse ecologies and biomes. Some live their entire lives adrift on riverboats, while many more use it for transportation or trade. These travelers occasionally take he form of pilgrims, who begin along the southern shores and sail north. Most stop at the Mountains of Morn where travel becomes increasingly dangerous, but the strong and faithful take further to the foot of the Peak of Dawn.

The river runs through Esslind, dividing the majority of the land from the Blacktimber Wood. Further south at a meeting of rivers and the Flowering Dell is built the town of BerelBridge.

## Birthplace

On the tallest mountain in the known world is a glacial lake where grows a massive, mystical magnolia tree. This lake flows down and follows the Mountains of Morn before traveling south into the Everwinter Sea. Fed by dozens of smaller rivers, it grows to the width of a channel at certain points.

Tied both to Nura’Nor mythology and the presence of Spirit Magnolia petals, the river itself is viewed religiously as a direct expression from gods of nature. Thus, pilgrims are common travelers across the waters, alongside merchants and pirates. Skilled alchemists can create healing tonics from the petals, while druids often use them as powerful focuses.
Linor

Linor appears at first glance to be only a longhouse and small village between the Claw Lakes of Highhart. However, it stretches further out into a loose collection of buildings hidden in the forests and mountains. The hunting town survives quietly on its own, closer in culture and magic to the natural world.
Loran

In the early days of the empire, some struck out for new homes. Some settled the western edge of Witchwind Glen, by the foot of The Fangs and the shore of the Moqwaio (Mahwaew) Lake. When founded, it was a part of Esslind. However, the founding of Highhart technically incorporated it along with the Witchwind Glen.

Several years after its founding, word from the village ceased. When scouts from Arandell searched for the town, they found the site but an empty clearing. It was as though the settlement and its people had never existed. Most of the scouts returned with this information, but several remained, intending to camp for a fortnight should some from Loran return.

What followed is not but legend and rumors. Those scouts that remained reported that as night fell, they saw smoke rising from the nearby mountain caves, joined by screams echoing from deep within.

None truly know what befell Loran, and most would see it sooner forgotten.
Blackspear Bluff

On the second of the Selkie Islands, the Isle of Seals, lies a bay and town of Blackspear Bluff, of Saga It is a jagged cluster of black-wood buildings. Most of trade comes from the local hunting of seals and the construction of ships. However, the settlement has also earned a savage reputation due to the presence of north-fairing raiding ships.
Land of Giants

The Land of Giants is a continent to the west, across the Narrow Straits. Little is known about the land, though several clans of Nura'Nor sought refuge further inland. The eastern shore of the continent is an arid desert, making exploration all-but impossible. What few travelers have crossed further west describe a land of giants and wonders, though their accounts are not entirely trustworthy.
Nura'Nor

Nura’Nor (people of the land in elvish) are the various races and peoples who once ruled all of Sinia'Nor. They are often giant-kin or beastfolk, each claiming to be descendants of the Forbearers, though none can prove such claims. These various nations and clans controlled the world for centuries unknown, forming grudges, mythologies, alliances, and kingdoms.

Even so, there remained some similarities between groups. Gods are not typically revered by older Nura'Nor. Their mythology may feature creators or beings of godlike proportion, but they are rarely worshipped. Instead, their religion typically revolves around animism, ancestral beings, or earthly spirits.

However, in the decades preceding Exodus, a series of wars divided dozens of people and swept over much of Sinia'Nor. This left them ill-prepared when humans, elves, and the other races of the old world crossed into their realm. Divided and with less developed skill with magic, they were swiftly conquered and driven from lands coveted by the pilgrims. Driven further and further, they retreated across seas and lands, their current stated too distant to be known by the empire. Those who remained are treated as strange and outsiders within the empire, even as they adapt to the new way and adopt practices of the current inhabitants.

In recent years, rumors have spread of various peoples gathering under a single Briar-Crowned king.

Notable Nura’Nor races include: Aarakocra, Goliaths, Kenku, Tortles, Tabaxi, Lizardfolk, etc.
Proudfoot's Rest

Standing tall amid the frost-covered plains of Saga is a stone statue of the halfling patron St. Proudfoot. It marks the spot where the hero and his fleet landed after a fierce battle and a stormy crossing of the Shivering Straits. Though successful, his mounting wounds saw him fall, facing the glittering snows of the south.

A holy site among their kind, his flock created a stead around his grave. Though most followed his dream, trekking onward into the unknown, others decided to expand the village. Now, it stands as the largest halfling settlement, making a meager living from the land and seeing pilgrims off as they leave Sinia’Nor. Most of their food comes from summer harvest of roots and costal fishing.
Crowfood Motte

Just west of The Fangs is a Highhart hill filled with tunnels and tombs. Built atop it are spiked walls and the dark-wood fort of Crowfood Motte. Surrounding it are sparse markets and the town’s only in. Outsiders are not permitted within the walls, for that requires a trust only earned. Within are battlements turned housing for a hold built around hunting the deep woods or high peaks.
Ulamere

Many villages in Lhast Marsh are built upon either crannogs or wooden stilts. Several of these joined together to form a larger settlement in the massive swamp, creating Ulamere, of the Emerald Coast.

Those of Ulamere are known as a spiteful lot. When one is wronged, their kinsmen are known to risk themselves to take revenge. Given their proclivity and skill with poison, this can be a dangerous prospect.
Tiamat

Tiamat, the Five Banes, is a Forbidden draconic goddess of tyranny and cruelty. She exemplifies the worst aspects of dragonkind; greedy, prideful, vengeful, and destructive. Unlike other patron gods, chromatic dragons do not believe her to be their creator, rarely admitting to the existence of beings greater than themselves. Rather than seek worship, she intends to have her cults bridge the material plane to her own, allowing her to cross and conquer creation herself.

Worshipers of Tiamat are rarely dragons themselves. Instead, mortals and half-dragons make up most of her faith, honoring her because of her raw power. Clerics of Tiamat are goal-oriented and seek the entrance of their god over proselytization or preaching.

Tiamat is represented by a five-toed draconic claw, each talon a chromatic color. She appears as a massive dragoness with five heads (black, blue, green, red, and white).