Mosshaven and the Independents

## **Mosshaven**

Mosshaven is an enormous melting pot of a country ruled by a benevolent Council of seven. It
was formed 30 years ago through the peaceful unification of a number of countries and states,
and it is the largest nation in the world. It has 6 distinct regions, largely defined by the main
races of each region. The Council is made up of one representative of each of the 6 regions,
and seventh member (currently an elemental) who is meant to act as a voice for those who
might fall through the cracks.

In 1044, an orc named Mogg led a valiant group of champions in a battle against the Sorrow,
the greatest threat of the age. They gave their lives to defeat it. The group that did so was a
rainbow coalition of people of all races and creeds, and Mosshaven came together in the
aftermath of that sacrifice. It is a nation concerned with the welfare of its people, and it was
founded on principles of cooperation, kindness and decency. While some old grievances and
regional tensions remain, the nation is by and large true to its principles.

## West Mosshaven

The first region of Mosshaven lies to the west. It is an area of warm rolling hills and verdant
grasslands, populated primarily by halfings, who make their homes in said hills.

Life in western Mosshaven is pleasant and laid back; not much happens, and that is absolutely fine. West
Mosshaven is also the region closest to the fractal mountains, and wounded slayers are often
posted there for RnR. It is not uncommon, in the west, to see a bandaged and grizzled
survivalist seated at a dainty table half their size, joining the smallfolk for tea.

The Halfings of the western region are content to fall within Mosshaven’s borders and were one
of the first nations to sign on. They are aware of the world around them, strategic when they
need to be, and maintain a capable albeit small militia. They have never had any grand political
dreams, content to run their grain farms and be the good neighbour.

## North Mosshaven

The frosty northern region is the least hospitable of Mosshaven’s six regions, and the least inhabited. It is dominated by the northern Emperor Range of mountains, and atop these high peaks, the snow elves make their homes. An aloof and solitary people, the snow elves have historically been one of Kalarain’s most isolationist communities. Masters of elemental and spatial magics, they dwell in buildings of ice and stone. The construction of large ice structures has become significantly easier with the recent discovery of force magic. Due to their remote location, they have never been conquered

Snow elf settlements are scattered throughout the mountains, and the inhabitants have a long history of engaging in complex, subtle power games and regional politics with eachother. Recent years, however, have seen a thaw both externally and internally, with the snow elves joining the Mosshaven collective. Most still prefer to remain home, however. The nomads who live around the bases of the range remain the main source of trade with the outside world.

## East Mosshaven

The third region is to the east, and is home to elves of the forests. The eastern elves are
traditionally reclusive and secretive people, The last 30 years has seen them step outside their
forests and welcome outsiders into their woodland homes. Eastern Mosshaven is primarily
wooded, the color and majesty of its ancient trees and verdant glades breathtaking. It is also the former center of long extinct nation of Escaro. Deep within the forests, some mighty stone ruins
still remain.

The elves of the east have historically had a frosty and tense relationship with the orcs of the
south, tensions that have escalated into violence many times over. Since the formation of
Mosshaven, things have been slowly getting better between the two. Some intrepid individuals,
typically the younger ones, have even been engaging in a cultural exchange of sorts; orcs living
with elven communities, and elves living as part of orc tribes. Despite backlash from some
hardliners in the communities, results have been promising.

## South-East Mosshaven

The south eastern region is an arid zone of desert sands and scorpions, dominated by orcs. Populated by the descendants of the orcish tribes who chased Methusia back to the Northern Continent over a blood vendetta, the desert remains largely quiet and unsettled save for one large city: Yen-Shehyr.

Long after the cataclysmic destruction of their ancestral Old City, the orcs held its memory close. The orcish region of Mosshaven represents an attempt to rebuild the Old Citywhile perhaps learning from the mistakes that may have made it a target. Yen-Shehyr is a sprawling settlement, a testament to the hardiness of the orcs that such a city could exist in spite of (or perhaps because of) the harsh conditions. The city is built around a massive arena, homage to the proving ground of the Old City. In the proving grounds, the remnants of old great families compete with new families to define the laws and direction that they will lead their people in in this bold new age..

## South-West Mosshaven

The south western region is primarily human populated, with an industry that substantially
revolves around the ocean. It has a major fishing presence, and is the trading hub for many of
the continent's goods. The region also maintains a sizable navy to protect its fishing fleet.
Mosshaven’s southern ports are a gathering ground for buccaneers, mercenaries and neer-do-
wells of all stripes.

## Central Mosshaven

The central region has no primary demographic. A realm of castles and cobbled cities, it is a
place where humans, halflings and elves live shoulder to shoulder,with a decent population of
the world's other races mixed in. Central Mosshaven houses the country's capital, the gleaming
white city of Brighthaven and is also home to the Knights of Mosshaven, a valiant order of
warriors dedicated to protecting the people of Mosshaven from external and internal threats.
The Council of seven rule over the nation from Brighthaven, which acts as the administrative
heart of the country, though many of the regional administrators presided over those regions
before Mosshaven’s formation.

In terms of style of dress, tunics, cloaks and heavily armored knights are more common across
the plains and forests that make up most of Mosshaven, and loose-fitting robes and turbans
tend to be more common in the deserts of the south east.

## A Land of Adventure

The Knights of Mosshaven do a fine job, but they cannot be everywhere at once. Mosshaven is
vast, and the sheer scale of the distances involved can mean that a city or town in peril can be
waiting days, weeks, or even months until official help arrives.

It is often said that you can find almost anything within the borders of Mosshaven if you search long enough, and that includes more than a fair share of monsters, bandits and perils of all stripes. Thus, many who walk Mosshaven’s roads, from the snowy north, the grand forests to the east and the southern deserts, pursue a storied calling, that of the adventurer. There is need of them. Mosshaven is a land of lurking dangers and great rewards, of Methusain ruins and ancient battlegrounds. Many historians believe it to be the original crucible of civilisation.

File:Indpendants.png

## **The Independents**

To the north of Mosshaven, above the Emperor Range, are the Independents. Former
Methusian territories, they exist today as a set of isolated hamlets and towns, cut off from the
world by rough geography and their own isolationist tendencies.

There is no unifying
government in this area. There are just stand-alone settlements. The villages in this area share
Methusian roots and precious little else. Some are proud of their heritage as part of a powerful
empire, others despise the Methusian as hated invaders, others still think everyone else is far
too concerned about ancient history. A traveller needn’t worry about identifying which is which,
because they will tell you, repeatedly. It is best to agree.

All this has resulted in a diverse, rugged, landscape with an austere beauty to it, in which no two settlements are quite alike. In fact, in some places, things have got weird. Death cult villages dedicated to Melita, settlements founded by refugees from centuries-old wars, quirky nomadic caravans and towns that would almost make you think the Methusians never left, it is a region of bizarre communities and some very strange monsters.