Irkalla: A Gazetteer
of the Continent of Erebas
The
Arvillias is the city of fae elves, the Isminari, who have served as the quiet
guardians of their world for countless generations. Their queen is Evathia (an
Orichani) and their lord is Regalios (a Mercurian).
The Arvillias elves belong to four tribes:
The Mercurians (fire elves), the Aqualians (water elves), the Penumbrans
(shadow elves) and the Orichani (light elves). They co-exist within the walls
of Arvillias, where all elven kind meets to keep the peace among the four great
tribes.
Outside of the Vale of Arvillias are the
vast and untamed lands of the Narrian Forest. The closest human neighbors to
Arvillias are in two regions: the mountains
of Rekosk contain the barbarian tribes of the Nulmir, a rough and uncultured folk who regularly war with the Vakoshkan trolls, and southward, along
the shores of the Glimmering Lakes,
is the colony of Sinar, a city
founded a century ago by the seafaring people called the Memarik. The Memarik
have maintained pleasant relations with the elves ever since.
The main threats in the region are the
trolls of the northern mountains, The Yengasi lizardmen of the distant eastern
steppes, and the local threat (as always) of the volgarak wolven. The volgarak
wolven are enemies of elf and human alike, and migrated here three decades ago
after they were driven out of the westlands by an even more ominous threat.
Traveling southward, to the northern tip of
the Glimmering lakes reveals the fishing port of Sinar. Sinar is a small but well-established fishing community and trade
port for merchants who venture northward for commerce with the elves and
barbarians. Sinar’s patron deity is Enki, although there is a local cult
dedicated to Nergal.
Some famous
characters from Sinar include:
Marshall Ardan: the gatekeeper and commander of the
local militia, which consists entirely of local men and women who volunteer for
city defense.
Elder Pharian: The elder orichani elf who represents
his kind in their private ward within the city.
Dredaris the Artificer: A maker of fantastic devices,
Dredaris is known for his most remarkable water clocks. He is also an arcanist,
and dabbles in elemental gadgets.
Rekath’s Mansion: Not a person so much as a famous
haunted mansion, with an ancient curse upon it, so some say. Known to have been
occupied by the great antiquarian and treasure hunter Rekath the gnome, and his
beloved Emma Pareel, who both passed away mysteriously within.
The Ruins of Nakark (also called Elrin’zenarde, or “Lost Ancients” in
elvish) predate the
elves by at least a hundred thousand years. They are thought to have been
founded by an ancient, long extinct race of multi-limbed giant quadrupeds, who
could see in spectrums of light beyond normal men. The elves have spend at
least two centuries excavating, exploring, and trying to render safe the
immense, mostly subterranean ruins of this miles-wide city complex. Many unique
and sometimes unfathomable devices have surfaced in these explorations.
The Draegul is
a large, almost giant-like warrior armored head to toe such that his true
species is unknown. He arrived in the region recently, with a company of a
thousand swell-armed mercenaries from all species and lands, and established an
encampment on the far southern edge of the Nakark ruins. There, is has begun
his own forays in to the ruins, and intrudes with force regularly upon the
elvish archaeological sites. The elves have attempted parley and now secure
their sites with armed warriors, but being peaceful folk, have resisted
conflict whenever possible. It is not known what this being is looking for.
Wintersbite is
an elder Wyrm of the north, one of the dragonkind, who traveled to the region
recently. The dragons of Irkalla are intelligent, but suffer from a
bloodthirst, which drives them mad with hunger at least once a month. They do
not recover from this madness easily, and much damage is usually done when they
succumb. As such, most dragons prefer to be recluses, to avoid instigating too
much conflict with the lesser species around them. The one called Winterbite,
however, has recently appeared near Arvillias and caused much damage to local
towns. It is not known why.
The
Kingdoms of Revarik and Vald
In
the deep wilderness of the Northeastern kingdoms of Revarik, where no True King
has ruled for almost eighty years, a lone stone fortress juts out from the high
peaks of the Theranic Mountains. It is the highest settled point in all the
wild kingdoms of the north, and from the watch peak, one can see across the
distant mountains in to the domains of Vald, as far south as Altanar Lake with
its misty expanses, and as far east in to the Wilderlands of Combrias as the
eye will allow. From this peak, all of Revarik in the west lies exposed, hidden
only by its perpetual canopy of dark forests and snow-capped mountains.
This high peak is Firemount, and the Citadel
of the same name is an ancient construct formed from immense stone blocks
carved right from the very mountain upon which it rests. It is here that the
dwarves of the mountains stand as vigilant guardians to the Theranic Mountains,
and watch over the land around with a fierce dedication.
Though the dwarves of Firemount Citadel are
most often found defending their subterranean kingdom from the incursions of
orcs, trolls, ogres and goblins, they also dedicate their time in the citadel
to managing an efficient cavalry, dwarves who ride war ponies and who serve the
community at large. In times of warfare, the dwarves have sent forth their
mounted cavalry to the aid of the True King, and should another such man arise
in the future, they will do so again. For now, they content themselves to
helping the local men of the mountains in times of need. Dwarves, after all, can
never resist an opportunity to scrap with the giant-kin and goblinoids of the
land, an these beasts threaten men as often as they do dwarves.
This land is set in a corner of the world of
Irkalla. The region and its various potential adventures will be described in
elaborate detail, to allow for an open-ended campaign to adventure in. Some
important facts about the world of Irkalla are worth mentioning, however:
Dwarven
Spiritualism: The
dwarves are animists. They do not believe in gods and goddesses, but in spirits
of the land. There is a spirit of each element, and it is said that the element
of earth (male) and water (female) bonded to create the dwarves, who think they
are minor elementals. There is a war spirit, hunt spirit, civic spirit, and so forth.
They think that malicious spirits are often responsible for the giants and
goblinkin they war with, and that the goblinoids were sprung from a forbidden
commingling between the spirits of air and fire, for example.
Revarik is the first free kingdom north of
the Altanar Lake region, which acts as the borderland with the Narzhamid
province of Visinare. Although the Narzhamites could easily siege Revarik in an
effort to bring unity to the land, it has been over a century since an Emperor
of Narzham has been motived to do so. These days, most of Narzham’s military
might is found south, across the ocean fighting the forces of Old Sumar. This
keeps Revarik’s environs relatively safe.
Revarik’s history is tumultuous. It was said that the land was occupied
by wild men and demihumans for centuries before any civilized rule of law came
to the land. The first such civilized men to enter the wilderness were of
Brythanic descent, regarded as barbarians by most standards even now. The
Brythanics were part of a great western movement, a nomadic people who were
moving from unknown conflicts in the north, heading southward until they
effectively ran in to the ancient fortifications of the Narzham-united
provinces. When they arrived, the Brythanics tried to take the lush
agricultural land of the Narzham Empire, and a war lasting generations carried
on. The people of Revarik are said to have descended from one Brythanic
warlord, named Revarik, who grew weary of the fighting an decided to take his
tribes and settle elsewhere, peacefully.
This founder, Revarik, was the first True
King to unite the land. The old lore of his coming to the lands of Revarik
speak of a legendary tale, about how the dwarves of Firemount were engaged in a
bloody war with the trolls and ogres of the Theranics, led by the Fire Giant
Gnosros. As the tales go, Revarik slew Gnosros in one-on-one combat and brought
his head as tribute to the dwarven king Gromsatter. Gromsatter was so impressed
that he swore allegiance to Revarik and his line henceforth.
Revarik’s
lineage was the basis for all future kings, and they ruled for seven centuries,
it is said, before the time of troubles, which started about 120 years ago as
historians reckon. A split between the northern regions, called Vald, and the
southern nobles who were loyal to the Revarik line, heralded the time of
troubles. The king at that time was Ail’goth, and though he was a sick man from
many years of hard living in the cold north, he nonetheless took up arms to
quell the Vald uprising. The Valds, led by the traitorous Lord Kale, had
secretly made a pact with the goblinoids and orcs of the Northern Theranics.
They managed to decimate the armies of Ail’goth and swept over the southern
cities one by one. Only when Lord Kale proclaimed himself Emperor of the North
in the capitol of Votenhold did the orc king Ragganamos and his vile queen
Thracia announce that they would accept his empire as tribute for their
assistance. Lord Kale and his men fought wildly against the orcish uprisisng,
but it was too late.
The orcs overran the land. In a curious turn
of fate, it was the wildermen of the Theranics and the dedicated dwarves of
Firemount who rallied the fractured Revarik soldiers in to an army that could
stand against the orcs. For twenty years the humans, wildermen, and dwarves
fought, along with elves out of Illvynir and even Halflings from Combrias who
were well aware of the troubles in the west, and didn’t want any more of it
spilling in to their quiet lands.
In the end, eighty years ago, the united
forces, led by the dwarven general Gadruman, and the sole heir to the Revarik
line, a young woman named Ilmyrith, at last slew Ragganamos and drove the horde
back in to the northern Theranic Mountains. Now, decades later, the only
presence of orcs in the Southern Theranics remains in the underground fortress
of Blackrock, where some claim Ragganamos fell, and his body lies entombed. The
orcs have shown such dedication to keeping hold on that mountain that the
dwarves have even conceded it to them.
Unfortunately, the queen-regent Ilmyrith was
a bastard daughter to the deceased king, and the men of the land, as grateful
as they were for her aid, could not support her rulership over all. The land
fragmented, and now, today, the reign of queens continues in Votenhold, where
the young Resara Ilmyrith III rules in her grand-mother’s wake, and the
many cities of Revarik are split among petty king-regents who can barely agree
on anything save common defense against the monstrous wilderness. She is the
only one the dwarves recognize as the True King of the land.
The Brythanics are a vast and warlike
collection of rough feudal chiefdoms in the northern reaches of Erebas. The
Brythanics have on three occasions united under a strong leader, to pose a real
threat to the borders of Narzham. The last great conqueror of the region was
one hundred years ago, named Nathirion, also called Dragon Killer. His armor
was a potent artifact, said to contain the spirits of all who wore it before,
offering compelling tactical advice, but the bearer of the armor was cursed, in
turn, to find his soul trapped at death, as well.
Major cities of the region today include Denandir, which is the largest and
strongest chiefdom in the land, ruled by King Hazad Altiros. Cadwl, in the west is the second
largest city, and a viable river port. It is dominated by high lord Ultanaris,
who defers to King Hazad, to avoid needless bloodshed, but most consider his
standing army stronger and more disciplined.
The people of Memarik are situated along the
coast of the Glimmering Sea. The Memarik are a predominantly seafaring culture,
still bronze age, who remain allies with the Narzhamites and are tenuously
considered a client province to the empire.
The Memarik are a loose collection of
city-states dominated by local chieftains, who in turn are elected from among
the local democratic electorate, consisting of the land owners and businessmen
of the land. This is the system that has been in place for centuries now. The oldest
known records of the Memarik refer to
their migration in to the region and fierce conflicts against Yengasi invaders
about six centuries ago.
The Memarik venerate a deity of the waters
not seen by the Narzham, called Scylla. Other than Scylla, they maintain
shrines and temples to Anu, Nergal, Innana, Sin and Ninurta.
Narzham is the largest single unified realm
in the world today. Its dominion stretches from the western tip of the
straights of the Cortadarian Sea, all the way to the Glimmering Lakes of
Memarik, its easternmost province. It is surrounded by wary neighbors, and
depending upon who is king or emperor in any given moment, warfare can easily
break out. Narzham maintains a large, mandatory standing army that can muster
one hundred thousand men in a matter of weeks, if necessary.
The capitol of the empire is the city of Narzham itself, from which the empire
is given its name. Narzham is widely regarded as the seat of civilization and
the center of all culture and learning by most people, even Narzham’s enemies
(save perhaps for Phaerik, which prefers to think of itself as such).
Across the waters from the capitol, on the
Isle of The Mother is the sacred city of Eridu,
said to be the oldest city of man in the world. Here lies the temple of the
gods, to which all gods are worshipped and their deeds recorded. The sacred
order of the Oracles of Law resides here, dictating the mysterious visions and
declarations that come from the spirit world, and the island itself is
scattered with the ancient tombs of countless kings and nobles who sought to be
buried before the monument to the gods.
Other prominent cities of Narzham include Netruar, where eastern commerce is
conducted, and Chalidash, where the
trade between the north and south along the western coasts is conducted.
Chalidash is also where the legendary general Varizhan sailed westward, and
became the first Narzhamite to set foot on the continent of Umbiras.
The Brythanic people are always at war with
the Ildaniir, or perhaps it is the other way around. Ildaniir is a region
without unification, of ancient cities from a very old civilization that some
scholars believe is the oldest continuous region of human occupation outside of
the venerable city of Eridu. The Ildaniir are so insular and xenophobic,
however, that as a people they remain pure bred, and their language is
untouched by other cultures. Only certain Ildaniiri, charged with learning the
ways of foreign cultures, are even allowed to learn the languages of lesser
men. These diplomats in turn are eventually forced to exile, for they are no
longer allowed to marry within their own society once they have been corrupted
by foreigners. Thus it is from these diplomats and some soldiers who became
enamored with the ways of foreigners and fled their native lands that most of
what is known about the Ildaniir has been passed on to others.
The two chief cities of Ildraniir are
Camyros and Eldrasan, but between these two city-fortresses rest dozens of
smaller keeps and forts, all built to keep the enigmatic nobility of the
Ildraniir safe. The society is held aloft by slaves, who are bred locally,
although it is said that when new slaves are needed, the Ildraniir dispatch
armies to slaughter neighboring cities and steal their children.
Ildraniir are a taul, gaunt and fair skinned
people. They are seen by some as almost inhuman, with deep red eyes and hair in
shades of light grays, blacks and whites. As a people, they are so universally
strong in their belief in Ildraniir superiority that a dedicated Ildraniir will
refuse to even acknowledge a foreigner speaking to him, save perhaps to run him
down or slay him.
The only reason the Ildraniir have not come
to direct blows with the Narzham is because of Brythania. The wildermen of the
lands between these two kingdoms have perfected warfare to an art form, but
have never had success in conquering either of the neighbors, preferring
instead to engage in persistent warfare for a quick grab of resources, while
defending their own from Narzhamite land-grabs and Ildraniir slave runs.
This southern land lies in burning deserts
across the Cortadarian Sea. It was once a great empire from long ago, but is
now dominated by wandering nomadic tribes. Further inland, beyond the nearly
inpenetrable desert there is said to be a land of jungles and dark kingdoms,
but few have penetrated that far. Narzhamites periodically mount expeditions to
these southern lands beyond Old Sumar, to bring back fabulous beasts and slaves
for the arenas.
Phaerik is a southern neighbor, along the
Ultradamic Sea. Phaerik is the only true rival to Narzham. It is ruled by the
self-proclaimed Emperor of the Sun,
Mazrathar, and dominates a wide swath of territory in the deceptively lush
Phamarian Deserts.
Phaerik is the most recent incarnation of a
legacy of older kingdoms, and ancient pyramids and ziggurats dot the land,
monuments to old and forgotten kingships. The people of Phaerik worship most of
the Irkallan gods, but there is a strong and unique cult to Nammu in the
region, the goddess of the formless abyss of creation, to which the lands of
the Phaerik are likened at times. This cult of Nammu is disliked by Phaerik’s
emperor, who seeks to stamp it out, for the cult of Nammu suggests that all
gods before the abyssal goddess are mere shadows of thought who must be cast
down.
This wild region is ruled by the Esgatanan
tribes, fierce and primitive warriors who are
barbaric even by Brythanic standards. The Esgatanans live in large
communities, but have not mastered better than simple bronze weaponry. Still,
they breed like rabbits, and the only successful foreign colony on Esgatanan
soil to date, Daladron, is sieged as often as it makes peaceful treaties with
the locals.
Narzham emperors have, at stressful times,
approached the Esgatanans for aid in warfare, hiring large numbers of them as
mercenaries and dispatching these soldiers once properly equipped as frontline
troops.
Esgatanans are said to revere only Gugalanna
and Ereshkigal, although some Narzhamid soldiers claim that a cult to nergal
has become popular, as well. In addition, the Esgatanans engage in strong
spirit and ancestor worship.
The Yengasi steppes are dominated by fierce
nomadic lizardmen, descended from a breed of such that was said to have once
conquered half of the continent, and was stopped only by great unified effort
of the men of that time. Today, they are not unified, but travelers in the
region must be wary, for the Yengasi can vary in attitude, with one tribe
friendly and helpful, and another prone to attacking all humans.
The lizardmen have a strong worship of
Tiamat and her children. Yengasi also have a belief that their old empress, the
warrior-woman Nadirata, daughter of Tiamat, will rise again one day and return
to lead the Yengasi people to conquer all of the world and subject the tall
apes to their rule.
