Notable NPC's of the First Generation

NPCs have a prestige rating 1-5 (PR 1-5), 1 being an average person in any town or city, and 5 being a legend akin to one of the Icons. This is to give a general sense of NPC gravitas in the collective subconscious of most Othyrians.

Norsland

Emperor Endymion Norson (Nord psion, age 65; PR5): Considered the most powerful man in Yg-Raya, his capacity for psionics makes him the only opposition to the god-like Elven Highking across the sea and the Mother of Witches on his eastern borders. Feared by the last two generations for good reasons, this new age is comforted by his presence, especially since almost all the oppressive institutions which defined the old empire have been abolished or re-purposed. Endymion, for all his past sins and faults, has kept largely to his promises and stands a symbol of redemption, integrity, and most of all stability. Norsland is a strong monarchy with largely contented, prosperous people. That said, hatred does not die easily, and a good portion of the old Sons of Nor, coupled with disgruntled inquisitors and the more xenophobic populace at large, maintain a semi-secretive order called the Brotherhood of Man which champions human supremacy and keeps most non-human races from settling outside Nord cities. In the quest to stave a dangerous escalation of hostilities, Endymion has ceased his many immoral experiments and disposed of all remnants of alien technology he could find. The Emperor feels the Nord must now make it on their own, the gift of psionics advantage enough.

Prince Deimos Norson (Nord psyknight, age 19; PR3): Sometime after the war, as several threatening nations consolidated on his borders and a rash of hate groups rose in what was now Norsland, Endymion feared. The surrender of the empire's conquered lands was meant to promote peace. Instead, it seemed as if an alarming number of new enemies rose to power. Irreparable harm had already been done to his people in the mad crusade against the Devourer, and the one he hoped would lead them into a new age of prosperity was lost, thus he endeavored to sire an heir, someone to carry on a message of peace, wisdom, and strength in the face of the uncertain future. That heir is Prince Deimos Norson, still in his formative years, learned, eloquent, handsome and more-than-capable in psionic and martial arts. Loved by the people for his skill in jousting and his penchant for sponsoring festivals and public works, he is one of the few left in Othyr with a dragon mount. The commoners especially love to chatter about his possible courtships and who could end up Norsland's first queen.

The Narrine Princesses (mannequins, ages 24 - 42; PR2): Survivors of Endymion's experiments in his younger days, these artificial daughters each have the face of his late child Narra as per the cloning process. None visibly age, though they only possess human lifespans. Each is her own woman, to a point, though all share a love of life which brings the Emperor some measure of peace while in their company. The Narrine Princesses are all skilled psions, though only shadows of the original Narra's magnitude. They make their home in the palace gardens at Nord. Some refer to the girls as The Blue Canaries, given their fragile and caged personas.

Archdruid Tyvis Waylan (Nord druid, age 42; PR5): Lord of the Circle of Ten and its druidic peacekeepers, apex wielder of the Primal power in alignment with The Spirit of Harmony, bridge between the mortal and spirit worlds, custodian of the lands and their peoples, and one who strives for understanding, Tyvis Waylan is the reason Norsland  and Avencia exist as they do today. He remains the balancing force behind the Emperor's treaties and the element which keeps the fear and hatred of the past from overwhelming the present and destroying a very hopeful future. Under his tutelage, the Circle of Ten has expanded across the mortal worlds, doing its part to harmonize the disparate factions of a chaotic Yg-Raya. Though his focus is largely Othyr given its tumultuous nature, he is known to make diplomatic visits across planes, keeping a close watch on potential dangers that might threaten the innocent. His tireless devotion to the cause does come at personal costs, though few know the specifics.

General Gauthier Garvyn (Nord officer, age 74; PR3): The Emperor's venerable friend and ally, Gauthier was the head of the original Sons of Nor. His hatred was not so blinding that he couldn't recognize peace was far more beneficial to the country he loved than further bloodshed. Possessing a keen military mind despite his age, Gauthier holds the position of first general of Norsland's considerable troops, numbering army, navy, and the special forces unit known as SPEAR. His philosophy is one of prevention, though even Gauthier would admit sometimes being too proactive. Then again, he counters, better safe than sorry.

Tycoons of the Consortium (nord businessmen; PR4): Even in the days of Endymion's father's father, the heartland was rich with natural resources and ripe for industry. That industry started quite small and disassociated, however as the years passed, as roads were built and demand increased, as men of vision developed more organized and effective ways of harvesting the essential elements of any thriving empire, the Consortium gradually came into being. Though named Lumber, Iron, Gold, and Wheat, the four branches of the Consortium encompass almost all related industry and trade regarding building, smithing, mining, and farming. Their conglomerate provides for the entirety of Norsland, Tolerna, and Liscar, and seeks to gain footholds in Avencia, Azerbad, and anywhere else it possibly can. The freemen of Avencia spurn the advancements, having only thrown off the yolk of the Consortium, with its poor working conditions, bribery, and strongarming, a generation prior. The Consortium are stark opponents of guilds and free enterprise which threaten their monopolies, the kind of industry Avencia promotes. No matter, though, despite the resilience of Avencia's leaders up until this point, there will come a time with the bribes and the economic positioning overcomes them. Nothing can stop the Consortium, only delay it, for it is progress and gain, unrelenting profit, and the needs of the rich, entrenched, and determined elite.

Izolda

Queen-Mother Iggwilv Yaga (human witch, age unknown; PR5): Iggwilv's history is as much myth as fact at this point, a witch as old as recorded history, perhaps older, having gone under names such as Natasha, Hedra, Lilian, Morgan, and most recently Iggwilv. The original temptress, her feminine wiles and wicked cunning allowed her to acquire startling power from the likes of archmages, demon lords, and demigods across several universes. She penned  famed grimoires including the Demonomicon, and perfected the arts of ritual summoning and demonology. She is mother to many extremely powerful witches and warlocks throughout history, some of whom aid in the ruling of modern Izolda. She also possesses blood ties with the vampiric Il'spana and Zarovich lines. Iggwilv had been gone from the world some eight-thousand years, but the end of the Emperor's War seems to have inspired her return. Despite being supreme ruler of an entire nation, the Mother of Witches spends more time in darker, lower planes and unknown dimensions continuing her age-old pursuit of power. It would be a mistake to consider her dominion vulnerable. As a show of presence, Iggwilv has agreed to meet with continental leaders at Etheria to discuss peace terms between Izolda and Etheria. Iggwilv's Othyrian palace lies in Oldthrone, though she condoned the official shift of the capital to Lothet for lack of ports. Her servants are legion, though in Izolda the Iron Guard represent her interests as an army of thousands. She lends these and the magical Riders to her baronesses, but their true loyalty will ever be to the Queen-Mother.

Baroness Drelzna Zarov (vampire demonknight, age 10,000+; PR4): The dark and alluring Black Witch rules from Sanctum Maleficum, a stronghold teeming with demons and dark magic. Besides being a capable warrior and a master demonologist, she is the strongest Zoldani proponent for peace. Surprising, perhaps, but Drelzna has ever been a contradictory and antisocial creature who'd rather be left alone than drawn into any sort of wartime obligation. Some wonder just why she was sleeping in the depths of the dungeon-city for ten-thousand years. Was she trapped? Or was she simply hiding? If she is Iggwilv's irresponsible or reluctant daughter, the Mother of Witches' doesn't let on. Iggwilv's given Drelzna the largest barony, stretching the entirety of the Dawnspear Mountains and its subterranean realm of Tsojcanth. Based out of the dungeon-city, she commands the loyalty of tieflings, trolls, drow, and deep gnomes. The monstrous caste is served by the slave races of grimlocks, quaggoths, and humans, part of a healthy slave trade with the nations of Clannash, Thrakkis, Azerbad, and Liscar. Drelzna hasn't the patience to micromanage her barony like her contemporaries, thus in Tsojcanth power and cunning are law. You can do as you will inside her borders, supposing you don't anger or offend someone bigger, stronger, and more connected. Of all Izolda, Tsojcanth has the least number of witches. Drelzna simply doesn't trust them, and the positions in the hierarchy they crave is already occupied by a number of dark elves and demons. The Iron Guard loyal to Drelzna are largely made up of farad, half-trolls bred with slave stock. They're stupider than your typical guardsmen, but a great deal more brutal (and effective) in their methods.

The Black Rider (fey knight; PR3): Iggwilv gave each of her baronesses a champion and herald to see their work done. Drelzna's champion is the Black Rider, a feared and fearsome fey knight that only rides when the sun has set. His scythe can reap the years right off of men's lives.

Baroness Litka Javine (Zoldani witch, age 49; PR4): The Green Witch was not the original baroness chosen by Iggwilv to lead Arcouth, rather the offspring of a daughter found... lacking. Amused by the complicated series of power-plays which led to the downfall of Litka's mother Beltane, Iggwilv sanctified her granddaughter's ascension. Litka has been an inspiration for power-hungry striga across Izolda for the last decade because of it, though her relationship with her aunts is strained at best. Litka is a powerful sorceress who specializes in animal transformation and curses. She might be any beast in or above the Arcouth. Crows are her agents and spies. She keeps several destinations for her polymorphed enemies, depending on the severity of their crimes. Those too dangerous to let live are transformed into pigs and led to the slaughterhouse. Those Litka intends to terrorize over long years she sends to the farms as harmless lambs, chickens, and cows to live in daily dread of becoming breakfast meats. Litka's old lovers are transformed into foxes, rabbits, or deer and set loose in the woods only to be hunted by the witch and her hounds during a lively day of sport. It is often said the people of Arcouth will never starve... Litka's Iron Guard keep the borders of her realm in a constant lock-down given the temptation to flee to Norsland, though very few guardsman dare to enter the woods unless pressed. Things dark and twisted and not under Litka's control still make it home. The barony itself is comprised mostly of humans, though lycanthropes, ogres, and forest gnomes live in appreciable numbers.

The Red Rider (fey knight; PR3): Iggwilv reassigned the Arcouth's champion and herald to her granddaughter in order to see her will done. Litka's champion is the Red Rider, a savage and fiery fey knight that leaves embers and misery in his wake.

Baroness Imprela Carnast (half-giant witch, age unknown; PR4): Pale, powerful, standing a hair under seven feet, the White Witch is easily the cruelest and most demanding of the sisters (which is saying something). There is an air of undeniable authority about her and a look of royalty, the cold and ceremonious kind. She rules a Voxian population about equal parts goblinoids (goblins and bugbears mostly) and human. Her favored agents, winter wolves, enjoy an elevated position above the rest of the barony, though none are immune to her terrible wrath when things don't go her way. The Iron Guard loyal to the baroness are known for their ruthlessness and vigilance keeping anyone from leaving the barony without their papers in triplicates (and even then, not always). Those who illegally depart the Vox are hunted down by a  specialized coven of Imprela's granddaughters known as the Cold Sisters and dragged back for sentencing. Despite the horrors these runaways are subjected to, people make the run nightly in hopes of finding new lives in the other, 'gentler' baronies. Imprela's pride is the growing city of Keretten, still in its infancy as the premiere northern port, but gaining influence and new trade contracts each day. Keretten is also the heart of a burgeoning whaling industry.

The White Rider (fey knight; PR3): Iggwilv gave each of her daughters a champion and herald to see their work done. Imprela's champion is the White Rider, an ivory woman wrapped in garlands carrying an icy bow that never misses.

Captain Vanagandr Wolf (winter wolf ranger, age 19; PR2): Captain of Imprela's Iron Guard, the winter wolf earned his position through cunning, intimidation, and more than a few murders. Of middling age for a winter wolf (they don't usually live past 30, though it could be the savage nature of winter wolves preying on the elderly and less the limits of longevity), Vanagandr suffers no rival and commands enough allegiance throughout the Vox to ensure his continued position.

The Hellfrost Club (human, tiefling, and lycanthrope boyars; PR3): The sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons of the striga make up the boyar caste, just below the witch caste in power and prestige. Of the boyar organizations, none are quite as elite or influential as The Hellfrost Club. Based in Lothet, they are as close to barons as men can get in matriarchal Izolda. They essentially control the flow of money in and around the capital, their leaders being some of the wealthiest landowners, businessmen, druglords, and crime bosses in the country. They stand the perfect counterbalance to the power-hungry striga aligned with the church of The Dark Queen, Lothetian witches too prideful to be content in any meager town or village, yet too weak to challenge any of the baronesses for position. There are rumors of Mammon and Mephistopheles sympathizers hiding within the club, but nothing has been substantiated. How could it? The Hellfrost Club includes the leaders of the local Iron Guard, coincidentally made up almost exclusively of regimented and unquestioning hobgoblins. They also hold all the contracts with Clannash, the dark dwarves currently operating 90% of the Zoldani mines and working every major construction site.

Baba Yaga (???): If Iggwilv is the mother of witches, Baba Yaga is the grandmother of witches, a creature of impossible age and power supposedly rivaling that of the Queen-Mother herself. Baba Yaga has never been officially seen or heard in Izolda throughout its history, from the time of Iggwilv's first reign into the present day, however that does not halt the spread of the fairy tales and ghost stories that accompany her reputation. The only credence Baba Yaga even exists lies with the rare wild huts (animated cottages with bird legs) roving across the Zoldani countryside said to be the offspring of Baba's own Dancing Hut, and the idea that Iggwilv has never openly refuted claims Baba Yaga is actually her mother.

Lands of the Bastard Kings

King Frid (barbarian warrior, age 50; PR3): One of the oldest and most powerful of the Bastard Kings with a permanent territory in the Vel Ruins. Known for his generosity to his thanes and the ruthlessness of his raids. Rumored to have a magic weapon which prevents him from dying in battle.

King Sigheret (barbarian warrior, age 39; PR3): Another of the most powerful Bastard Kings, a roving kingdom that follows the reindeer herds to feed, clothe, and arm a considerable force. Sometimes called the Elk King, and his people the Elk Clan.

The Frostwyrm (???): A legend around the Roam, a white linnorm of that dragon race long thought extinct, tales naming it no less than half a league (1.5 mi) in length and with jaws that could swallow a frost giant in one gulp. It's been whispered the death of King Pull's entire army not three winters back (though certainly not confirmed) while the clan was positioning to raid a lesser lord, King Braka.

Allfather Matthias (barbarian warrior, age 66): The mythic Savior of the North, the man who tamed the frost giants and slew the blue elderwyrm, was ousted from jotun lands near the conclusion of the Emperor's War. Years of fighting and drinking were already catching up to him then, it's a wonder if death hasn't claimed him by now. Point of fact, many, even among his bastards, believe sightings of the Allfather little more than drunken tales and snow mirages. He's said to roam the tundra, glaive in hand, seeking one last battle worthy of his name.

Etheria

High Priest Giers Oranar (Ethrey cleric-paladin, age 44; PR4): The unofficial leader of Etheria supported by a council of intelligent and respected clergy of The Radiant Mother, The Mysterious Traveler, The Spirit of Harmony, and The Dragon Prince, his ear also leans toward foreign ambassadors and local representatives in efforts to achieve clarity and wisdom. Giers Oranar has final say on all matters of church and state (one and the same in this theocracy), but can be labeled nothing other than patient, fair, and compassionate. His recent decision to recede from the aggression of the Zoldani and surrender Etherian territory without bloodshed has been received with mixed feelings, however Giers is convinced it prevented continental war and drew the support required for peace talks. Many agree, which is why the current summit in the highest chambers of the temple-city are so important and have drawn the most powerful leaders in the region. While it hasn't been confirmed, many believe the high priest capable of the miracle of resurrection, making him one of only two people in the entire world capable of returning the dead to life (alongside Prophet Kaylan Gloriandel).

Innkeeper Serma Rozeburn (Etherian innkeep, age 26; PR1): After the death of her father, a retired knight of the now-defunct Order of the Morning Thaw, Serma felt it her duty to continue 'The First Light Inn & Tavern' which had been her childhood home and her dad's hard-earned legacy. One of dozens of inns and taverns in the temple-city, The First Light's uniqueness is that part of its funds goes toward the reestablishment of the old, knightly order. Serma herself dreams of one day shedding her apron and taking up her father's sword, also named Firstlight, mounted above the hearth. Several of her father's old comrades, each of whom she names 'uncle', are eager to aid her in this quest, but the expenses of day-to-day innkeeping and the challenges of locating many worthy or interested squires has thus far prevented any real gains in the resurrection of the order.

Innkeeper Carina 'Onyx' Selgaunt (vampire innkeep, age 153; PR1): Hired by The Starry Maiden herself in the days of The Emperor's War, the comely and respectable vampire is now the mistress of Haven's cleanest and most popular establishment. Always referring to Lady Savrano as if she might return at any moment and reclaim her ownership, Carina fashions herself a well-paid caretaker and maintains a staff of twenty in the running of the three-storied bed & breakfast once called The Sunnyside Up, renamed Starhome (and sometimes even referred to as Diana's House).

Speaker Tabetha Melane-Kirk (Nord mage, age 36; PR2): A talented wizard and devotee of The Radiant Mother, after time on the run and a brief career adventuring, she was inspired northward to the Holy Mountain. Tabetha quickly established herself as an intelligent and capable leader and currently serves as the speaker (mayor) of Haven, largest town in Etheria overlooking the Rayan Falls. Responsible for the well-being of uncounted refugees from former Etherian territory throughout the mountains, as well as a growing number of wayward and even alien settlers collected by the gods and their agents, it's enough to make her want to scream. She has some help, her husband, a few trusted associates, though is always on the lookout for others worth trusting.

The Sun Hag (???): A local superstition around the Holy Mountain, a harpy that gobbles up children and starts fires.

13 Icons of the First Generation

The Spirit of Harmony (greater deity)

Spirit of Life, Balance, and the Elements

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose."

Served by primal and ancestral spirits, guardinals and their lords, archdruids, wielders of the Primal power, devas, elementals and their good princes, good giants, treefolk and other sentient plantlife, the fey courts of spring and summer, beasts and their paragon lords, many humans and dwarves, as well as those who make their living from the earth and sea (farmers, fishermen, etc.) and wish freedom and harmony (town councils, honest leaders and representatives, righteous freedom fighters, etc.)...

Known by many names, including Karana, Fianna, Carae, Sabriane (North/Norsland/Etheria); Mavenna,Camellisa (Izolda/Saspien); Eryth/Ereth (Citadel/Clannash/Thrakkis); Aventine (Avencia/Tolerna); La'al, Ossira (Liscar/Azerbad)

The Spirit of Harmony is the force which inspires mortals to do right, seek balance, and find their special places within the grand scheme of existence. She is called The Giver of Life, The World Spirit, and the Oversoul. She is the font of pure elemental and spiritual energy which sustains all living things across Yg-Raya through an effortless state of Nirvana, one that leaves even the other Icons awed (or envious). She transcends nature and civilization, yet counts both spheres as her own. Perhaps they are the easiest ways to manifest and commune with her followers. Primal and ancestral spirits are her messengers.

The Spirit of Harmony's previous incarnations were worshiped throughout the worlds by a host of peoples, humans, dwarves, and druids in particular. The Spirit of Harmony is praised by almost every civilization in some form or another, be it a well-established church in dwarven Citadel, a peace-keeping organization such as the Circle of Ten, or in small, secret places, beneath the notice of oppressive regimes and demanding gods, as in Izolda and Thrakkis. 

Her calling is to bring the whole of Yg-Raya closer to Nirvana, creating universal peace, joy and harmony through interconnectedness. This often seems impossible, yet so long as the sun is shining there is life and hope.

• Ally of The Radiant Mother, The Mysterious Traveler, The Dragon Prince, and The Emperor
• Opposed by The King of Eternity, The Prince of Murder, The Mother of Witches, The Consortium, and The Brotherhood of Man

The Radiant Mother (greater deity)

Goddess of the Sun, Moons, and Stars

"Let it be."

Served by creatures of light and fire, the Seldarine (elven demigods), the fey court of stars, phoenixes, cloud giants, the elves of Corellon, good lycanthropes and shapeshifters (swan may, selkie, etc), those who navigate the seas, Astral Seas, and depths of the Void, numerous charitable, knightly, arcane, and holy orders across the mortal worlds, and a growing number alien saints, demigods, and other orphaned powers, alongside their respective holy orders and mystery cults...

Known by many names, including Kalia, Kalinda, Kiriel, and Kelda (North/Etheria/Norsland/Avencia/Thrakkis); Magda (Citadel/Izolda/Clannash); Celebreth (Corellon); Istinnia (Saspien/Tolerna/Liscar); Arasha (Azerbad)

The Radiant Mother is the source of light and warmth on Yg-Raya and a beacon of hope in a largely dark and barren universe. She is rightly referred to as The Light of All by most, but her titles also extend into innumerable variations of Queen of Stars, Empress of the Sun, and Maiden of the Moon. She is a nurturing, protective, and creative figure. She is light in the darkness, fire in the cold, hope amidst despair, and love despite cruelty. 

Since the dawn age of the worlds, The Radiant Mother has been worshiped far and wide, particularly by the elves. The goddess's strongest presence lies on Corellon, (the elven continent) where she is honored exclusively. On Othyr, she is part of the Etherian Pantheon and matron of The Holy Mountain. While sharing ideals with The Spirit of Harmony, theologians consider The Radiant Mother a more celestial figure and The Spirit of Harmony a more terrestrial one. Truly, they could almost be two aspects of the same "Supreme Mother".

Her most ardent wish is to wrest Heaven away from The King of Eternity and again raise love above order in that sacred place. She would also seek the means of empowering The Spirit of Harmony enough to create a new world for her cosmic refugees, though The Secret Fire possessed by her previous incarnations was extinguished by agents of the Devourer. 

• Ally of The Spirit of Harmony, The Mysterious Traveler, and The Dragon Prince
• Enemy of The King of Eternity, The Prince of Murder, and The Brotherhood of Man

The King of Eternity (greater deity)

God of Heaven and Hell

"The kingdoms, the power, and the glory are mine, forever and ever."

Served by The Lords of the Nine (archdevils), The Empyrean (archangels), devils, angels, cambions, tieflings, maruts, aesimar, rakshasas, fire giants, damned and exalted souls, diplomats, businessmen, artificers, alchemists, and those who cherish order, aristocracy, and the divine right of rule...

Known by many names, including Asmodeus (North, Etheria, Norsland, Saspien); Ashmedai (Izolda), Asmodon, Azoram (Citadel/Clannash), Astaroth, Ahriman (Liscar),  Ezariel (Avencia, Tolerna), Abraxas (Thrakkis); Amon-Zar, Zul-Kethid, Zoth-Amon (Azerbad); The Adversary (Corellon)

The King of Eternity is the epitome of intelligence, strategy, wealth, and law in Yg-Raya. His mastermind orchestrates Heaven, Hell, and the souls of the mortal worlds with stunning efficiency, yet his order is not the wholesome Nirvana, but a merciless, deliberate, and unrelenting machine of plots within plots, torture, punishment, and ironclad edicts. He's turned the most sacred reaches of Heaven into the pinnacle of law and re-calibrated Hell into an empire many times greater than its original design to extract pure agony from souls who fail to live up to the holy tenants of The Empyrean. Few souls escape The King of Eternity, each one a cog in what he calls "The Grand Design" (his divine superstructure of good and evil).

Despite The King of Eternity's predilections for tyranny and extremes, The Grand Design is not entirely evil. Good, hope, and reward have their place and the forces in Heaven remain full of light. Not all angels enjoy their lord's harsh authority, however none can deny the results of his leadership. The forces of light and life have never been stronger, planar ramparts fully manned, worldly congregations increased, and not a single aberrant has been seen in two decades. Some, like The Judge of Souls, have come to appreciate the skill with which The King of Eternity runs the underpinnings of existence, but more refuse to trust him despite enjoying the fruits of his endless machinations. He certainly isn't humble about it, yet he remains the Master of Words, who some also call The Patient One, and does not force himself upon any sphere where he is unwanted. There simply is no need. If The King of Eternity has any further ambitions, The Radiant Mother suspects they lie with stealing her powers and crowning himself the supreme god. 

The King of Eternity is worshiped across Othyr, his strongest presences in Liscar and Tolerna, where his church overshadows all others. Avencia honors many of his empyreal lords alongside the goddess Aventine. Heavenly and infernal cults speckle the entire continent, finding recent popularity in Azerbad, though his worship is outlawed in Saspien and Corellon.  

• Ally of The Judge of Souls and The Consortium
• Enemy of The Spirit of Harmony, The Radiant Mother, The Mysterious Traveler, and The Dark Queen

The Mysterious Traveler (intermediate deity)

Goddess of Journeys, Cats, Horses, and Destiny

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."

Served by the Bast (feline avatars), djinni, sphinxes, centaurs, unicorns, pegasi, tabari, natural and supernatural felines and equines, The Explorer's Society (TES), wandering monks, knights errant, and those who make their living traveling or accommodating travelers (innkeepers and barkeeps, especially).

Known by many, many, many names, too many to list, but some of the most popular including Eilessa, Cerriwen, Theya (North/Etheria), Gwenth, Lyonesse, Selen (Norsland/Avencia), Sansora, Catia, Merraset (Tolerna/Liscar), Ziv, Flins, Oldares (Izolda, who worship a male persona), Rheath, Sudz (Clannash/Citadel), Jozlyel, Taloris (Thrakkis), Tanyl, Tannis, Telemris, Tal'mra (Azerbad), Bastet, Bis, Basra (Tir'buk)...

The Mysterious Traveler is the allure of the unknown, the promise beyond the horizon, the wisdom and celerity to overcome the trials of a journey, and the luck which often saves travelers if their courage holds. She is Quest-Giver, Rumor-Starter, The Lady of Legends and Lore, and chiefest matron of adventurers, explorers, seekers, wanderers, couriers, scouts, bards and storytellers. She keeps safe the roads and trade routes, and brings tidings good and ill. She values quickness of body and wit, raising cats and horses sacred.

She considers inns, taverns, and festhalls her churches. Thus she is also the goddess of beer and wine, music and song, celebration and victory (particularly to the dwarves, who've developed a long list of affectionate titles for her including Ole' Lay Barrelbelly, Her Unsoberness, and Lady of the White Froth Beard). Conversely, in the lands of Izolda she is a much grimmer persona (and in fact a male persona, at that), The Gray Man of a Thousand Names whose appearance is often thought the forebear of great turmoil. In the tropical jungles of Tir'buk, the tabari consider her the supreme mother over all other goddesses, as do most centaur tribes.

With a very active hand in the mortal worlds, she initiates change in the most unlikely places. Tugging at the unpleasant knots of fate's skein is the surest way of undoing them, her brand of destiny... though it's never quite sure how the tapestry of creation will look afterward. She spends much of her time journeying across the known (and unknown) worlds. It is said everyone will meet The Mysterious Traveler at least once in their life, under one guise or another. Be careful how you treat a stranger. 

• Ally of The Spirit of Harmony, The Radiant Mother, The Dark Queen, and The Dragon Prince
• Enemy of The King of Eternity, The Prince of Murder, The Consortium, and The Brotherhood of Man

The Dark Queen (intermediate deity)

Goddess of Rituals, Sex, and the Night

"I put a spell on you. And now you're mine."

Served by The Court of the Dark Queen (goblinoid and drow demigods, chiefest Maglubiyet, Nomog-Geaya, Hruggek, Triglav, and Mask), The Maidenmother Crone, female monsters (gorgons, lamia, sirens, furies, etc), fey of the nightmare, autumn, and winter courts, vampires, duergar, stone giants, witches and sorceresses, creatures of the night (owls, bats, etc), goblins, bugbears, hobgoblins, select drow, and those who earn their livings after sunset...

Known by many names, including Hecate, Hekkate, Nephys (North/Saspien/Tolerna/Liscar/Etheria); Nix, Cthoni (Citadel/Clannash); Vashka, Zorya (Izolda); Morgiss, Nemethance, Lith, Sawain (Norsland, Avencia, Thrakkis); Ishkal, Shalim (Azerbad)

The Dark Queen is everything men fear and lust after in the feminine ideal, amplified by all the powers of the night and an astronomical knowledge of the Arcane through use of rituals and rites. A powerful array of demigods, fey, and immortal heroes are devoted to her beauty, sensuality, intelligence, and ferocity. They bend their knees whether love-struck, lust-struck, or magically enchanted. To men, she is the unknowable Queen of the Night, the irresistible Midnight Tantra, and the terrifying Black Bitch. Those lucky enough to earn her approval enjoy untold rewards, most prized of all her dominatrix's bed. 

To women, The Dark Queen is mother, sister, daughter, and sensual lover. She ensures their protection, respect, and prosperity throughout her realms and offers wisdom and power to those seeking it. Witches, oracles, sorceresses, amazons, she-wizards, as well as a colorful array of priestesses ranging 'holy whores' to 'warrior nuns' honor her as Sorceress Supreme. Her presence is most heavily felt in Saspien, Clannash, Izolda, and independent covens throughout Othyr and beyond. 

Despite her veiled nature, The Dark Queen's most ardent desire is widely known among the pantheon. She wishes to reclaim Hell in the name of her previous incarnations, in the process humiliating and destroying The King of Eternity. Unfortunately, a very powerful, very binding contract struck between the two deities in the last age keeps those aspirations chained, for now. She is not overly pleased with sharing the dais with The Mother of Witches in any capacity, either...

• Ally of The Mysterious Traveler, The Prince of Murder (sometimes lover), The Judge of Souls, and The Mother of Witches
• Enemy of The King of Eternity and The Brotherhood of Man

The Prince of Murder (intermediate deity)

God of Revenge, Rage, and Blood

"Fuck you! I won't do what you tell me! Motherfucker."

Served by The Hebdomad (Baphomet, Pazuzu, Yeenoghu, Dagon, and Azi Dahaka), The Spirit of Hate, demons, evil lycanthropes, vampires, gnolls, minotaurs, kenku, sahuagin, orcs, beastmen, select barbarians and raiders, assassins, torturers, terrorists, killers, the restless dead, and those who use fear and violence to achieve their ends...

Very few know The Prince of Murder's true name. To speak it is to draw his attention and, very likely, your untimely end. He prefers titles and epithets such as Endbringer, Excrutiator, Ruin, Sorrow, and Scourge.

The Prince of Murder despises the established order and constantly seeks to undermine it, if not destroy it utterly, even at his own detriment. He hates gods. His being one is only the means to an end, the murder of the pantheon. No one should be so powerful that with a whim the lives of countless mortals are crushed, man or monster, good or evil. Worse, the sheep worship them, devote themselves to the undoing of their free will. They revel in their slavery. They admire the games and meaningless conflicts of the over-beings. It's sick. It's perverse. It must be ended.

His motives are made plainer by his recruitment of some of the most violent, hateful, and destructive beings in the universe. Yet his methods are erratic, and he sometimes halts what could be a massacre, preserves something innocent or beautiful, and even aligns with other Icons against great threats for reasons that are entirely his own. This gives hope he could be redeemed one day, if The Dark Queen is to be trusted, but no one else agrees.

The Prince of Murder would end the pain by bringing it all down, a self-destructive impulse all living things harbor somewhere in their darkest depths. There is pleasure in the burning, and he is that gross satisfaction. Though not as mighty as the greater gods, his earthly forces dwarf all others. If he wished, he could gather such a horde it would likely bring about the End Days across all worlds. And yet, he waits... and broods... and feeds the fears and hatreds of the northern hordes, the creatures below, and the cults of the Brotherhood of Man.  

• Ally of The Dark Queen and The Brotherhood of Man
• Enemy of The Spirit of Harmony, The Radiant Mother, The Mysterious Traveler, The Dragon Prince, and The Mother of Witches

The Judge of Souls (intermediate deity)

Goddess of Death and Judgement

"How do you plead?"

Served by angels of death, The Soulless Legions (necrotic automatons from the dark of space), sanctified tomb-guardians and mummies, death giants, exorcists, ghost hunters, individuals who make their living in fair judgement of others (barristers, legates, judges, elders, heads of the family, etc) and those who make respectable livings from the dead (gravediggers, pallbearers, morticians, etc)...

Known by many names, including Mercy, or simply Death.

The Judge of Souls

• Ally of The Spirit of Harmony, The King of Eternity, and The Dark Queen
• Conflicted with the rest...
• Enemy of *The Prince of Undeath (Not Listed)

The Dragon Prince (demigod)

Lord of Good-Aligned Dragonkind

"We're not all evil."

Served by good-aligned elderwyrms, dragons and like-minded dregoi, couatls, dragonnes, various mage and knightly orders, redeemed and converted monsters, and those judged by anything other than their own merits...

Known by many names, including Arvorane (Corellon); Chroma (Tolerna/Liscar/Etheria/Thrakkis); Chimeron (North/Izolda/Clannash), Galidon, Patharnen (Citadel/Norsland/Avencia), and Tal'amar (Azerbad)

The Dragon Prince 

• Ally of The Spirit of Harmony, The Radiant Mother, The Mysterious Traveler, and The Emperor
• Enemy of The King of Eternity, The Prince of Murder, The Mother of Witches, The Consortium, and The Brotherhood of Man

The Emperor (legend)

The Patriarch of Norsland and The Greatest Psion Ever to Have Lived

"Liberis Mentibus."

Served by the Grand Dukes of the Black Forest, Saindoron Plains, Dormud Mountains, and Soveros Forest, as well as Prince Deimos Norson, the Margraves of Nord, Brev and Dorjia, the Earls of the larger Nord towns and the Knights of the villages, and various psionic, political, and martial orders...

The Emperor Endymion Norson has many titles, including the Overmind, the Patriarch, and the Anax.

Endymion Norson is a symbol of redemption, integrity, and stability in Othyr. While two generations feared him for his heinous experiments and merciless rule, this new generation finds his presence comforting in the age of ancient witches, elven god-kings, and dragon monarchs. The crusade against the Devourer is over and with it his obsessiveness, coldness, and ruthlessness. Much of the evil of the old empire has been abolished, re-purposed, or sadly migrated to The Brotherhood of Man. Without the weight of existence upon his shoulders, The Emperor has changed. His reliance on dangerous, theoretical, alien technologies has been replaced with a new-found faith in his people. He would strengthen that.

Over the last twenty years, imperials went from oppressed and uninformed serfs to far more prosperous citizens of a more transparent monarchy. The Emperor uses a rejuvenated feudal system of trusted dukes, margraves, earls, and knights to govern the people. Religious freedom is also in effect (but no Prince of Murder or demon worship). Instead of the propaganda of the old Churches of Nor, Endymion's new quest is to educate- particularly those with the gifts of psionics. Many orders for mentalists have been founded and funded by the Patriarch of late, as well as sweeping projects for new castles, roads, aqueducts, and settlements across the lush plains, teeming forests, and ore-rich mountains of a more manageable country. 

At sixty-five, having lost a daughter and gained a son, and with no cosmic threat bearing down on him, Endymion's thoughts turn to his legacy for his people. Having surrendered the ill-gotten gains of the empire back into the hands of its native peoples, he now does everything he justly can to maintain the peace of a more diverse (if fragmented) continent. As one of his subjects put it to him, "Try to leave it better than you found it".

• Ally of The Spirit of Harmony, The Dragon Prince, and The Consortium
• Enemy of The Brotherhood of Man

The Mother of Witches (legend)

Queen-Mother of Izolda and Ancient Demonbinder

"I will use any weapon and all weapons to get what I want."

Served by a wide breadth of demons (and several bound demon lords), abyssal tieflings, witches and sorceresses (including her vast, extended family), trolls, ogres, goblinoids, werewolves, winter wolves, various martial and arcane orders (particularly the Iron Guard), humans (Zoldani, Varangians, and many assimilated Etherians), numerous forms of undead, and select evil fey...

The Mother of Witches goes by the name Iggwilv Yaga in this age, though she has used many names over her long life in this world and others, including Natasha, Hedra, Lilian, Morgan, and Circe. 

The Mother of Witches is the oldest and most powerful witch in Yg-Raya. Her secret knowledge was won through the guile, seduction, and torture of archmages, demon lords, and demigods. She keeps a collection of them trapped in various sanctum maleficums spread throughout the planes, two in Izolda alone. She is the quintessential temptress, a symbol of feminine power, and possesses an incredible amount of secrets and forbidden magic. She practically invented the arcane art of summoning. 

Iggwilv is the unquestioned tsarina of Izolda, from the taigas of the Vox to the green banks of The Great River. Her rule extends into one or more layers of the Abyss, as well, horrid planes whose demon lords now serve her ends from their cages. There's even talk of her queenship in countries such as Perrenland and Urborg, though one could only guess in which universes they might rest. She spends enough time plane-hopping it's a wonder she's so startlingly well-informed about the goings on in her Othyrian dominion. She is served by myriad spies and agents, not least of all the Iron Guard across Izolda and, in theory, her many daughters and exhaustive descendants.

While not directly worshiped, the amount of adulation, fear, obsession, and resentment heaped upon her nearly qualifies. Godhood has never been Iggwilv's aim, rather whatever state-of-being might reach beyond even that: Planeswalker. She was never one to settle. Everyone and everything else are merely the means of achieving it. 

• Ally of The Dark Queen and *The Abyss (not listed)
• Enemy of The Spirit of Harmony, The Prince of Murder, The Dragon Prince, and The Brotherhood of Man

The Consortium (faction)

Conglomerate Monopolizing Trade in Norsland, Tolerna, and Liscar

"Lumber, iron, gold, and wheat an empire makes."

The Consortium is a trading empire, a massive conglomerate extending throughout the nations of Norsland, Tolerna, and Liscar. They control all artisans and industry in any way related to the supply of lumber, iron (and the production of steel, weapons, armor, and parts), gold (all precious ores and gems), and wheat (all agriculture). Guilds and free-trade simply aren't tolerated, quickly assimilated or destroyed through bribes, political pressures, intimidation, and if necessary arson, blackmail, and murder. Primarily a human enterprise, The Consortium keeps close ties with the dwarves and dark dwarves. 

The Trade Barons run The Consortium, the Lords of Lumber, Iron, Gold, and Wheat specifically. They don't use their real names. They aren't public figures. They meet secretly once a month for their board meeting, the city chosen at random. They are beholden to no one nation, though are willing to negotiate with governments in return for certain concessions. Each is stunningly wealthy, though the Lord of Gold is the richest. It was his established mining resources which first plumbed the depths of the fallen red elderwyrm's lair in Dorjia, reaping unimaginable rewards. A fair portion was also injected into the company, inspiring additions to an already exhaustive chain of accountants, management, and protection. 

Profit reigns in The Consortium, no matter the other costs. The Lord of Gold did not halt mining operations or prospecting when the first of the red dragon's traps and defenders began to appear. He still hasn't stopped, nor have the deaths, dozens of laborers each week. His practices, without the slightest regard for worker rights or well-being, are indicative of the company as a whole. And not all of these workers are adults, either. It's an easy matter to criticize, but The Consortium's total control of three nation's economies prevents anyone from simply leaving for better employers. Any protests are quickly squashed. And even the slightest whisper of unionization summons The Wolves, a collection of the Consortium's most effective freelance 'problem solvers'. That is, only if these hints of revolt start. Under the typical thuggery at the bottom rungs of the organization, it rarely occurs.

The Consortium boasts a navy larger than any one single nation and thrice as many merchant ships, ranging river barges and longboats to grand caravels and galleons. Their dominion extends across the roadways of three countries and they're only just beginning to experiment with a revolutionary vehicle out of Nibenay called a zeppelin. 

• Ally of The King of Eternity and The Emperor
• Enemy of The Spirit of Freedom, The Mysterious Traveler, and *Avencia (not listed)

The Bastard Kings (faction)

Barbarian Chiefs Claiming Blood Ties with Allfather Matthias

"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women."

• Ally of All Gods (depending on the king)
• Enemy of All Factions (depending on the king)

The Brotherhood of Man (faction)

Human Supremacists in the Backwoods of Norsland, Avencia, Saspien, and Tolerna

"This is Man's world!"

Served by various xenophobes in and around the rural communities of Norsland, Avencia, Saspien, and Tolerna, The Brotherhood of Man is a humans-only cult with the sole purpose of exterminating all expressions of non-humans (especially from perceived 'human lands'). Much violence, pain, bloodshed, and misery is shared between the likes of men, elves, vampires, and the other Othyrian races. It takes on a life of its own, passed down from generation to generation, and not so easily transformed as the Emperor. The Brotherhood is that force given life in the hearts and minds of thousands.

Depending on the location, a Brotherhood lodge might be hidden beneath the veneer of a club or fellowship in larger towns, but in the backwoods these locations can be proudly, even gruesomely, vaunted. Wherever law is lax, brethren can run rampant, terrorizing, burning, kidnapping, and lynching according to the will of their local leadership. Brethren operate in cells, led by an absolutus. Absoluti can be anyone from village bullies to rural landowners, but more often than not are ex-Inquisition or an accomplished member of the former Sons of Nor. Of these, some possess psionics, feeding on the hatred and anger of their congregation to empower themselves. The menace of some of these rumored demagogues makes it hard for any with non-human blood in their veins to sleep soundly on the roads and in the wilderness of the afflicted nations.

Despite many efforts to exterminate The Brotherhood of Man, the cell structure of its organization and the enduring nature of hate and anger ensures its endurance. Some suspect a few very powerful individuals throughout the continent contribute to the survival and proliferation of the Brotherhood, though these secret occulti (singular: occultus) are a total mystery (if real at all).

The Brotherhood's congregations are mostly poorly-armed, the bulk of their members the peasantry. No cell has ever successfully toppled the established authority of any major settlement, though they have infiltrated many, including seats on some very cosmopolitan boards. Though many would love nothing more than to lead the Brotherhood into a continental power, none have managed anything close under the watch of the Circle of Ten, Scarlet Blades, Modus Operandi, and other Othyrian agencies.

More than one otherworldly force takes interest in the Brotherhood, greatest of all The Prince of Murder.

• Ally of The Prince of Murder
• Enemy of The Spirit of Harmony, The Radiant Mother, The Mysterious Traveler, The Dark Queen, The Emperor, The Mother of Witches, *Avencia, *Thrakkis, *Clannash, *Tolerna

First Generation Regional Map

The Map Is Coming Along...

Getting a Head Start

If you wanted a head start on the next game, we're playing 13th Age for the first generation adventure arc. You'll be starting level 1 with a standard array (one stat must be 8). Characters should have some tie to one of your characters last campaign. Use the standard races for 13th Age, but feel free to reflavor to another established setting race. 13th Age doesn't put the same value in shopping D&D does, so you're assumed to have the basics in coin and equipment (though feel free to personalize them a little).

You don't start with any magic items and you get very few across the game. The idea being that when you do get them, they're really unique. There are plenty of potions and other consumables, though, to give you boosts when you want them. Not sure how available they'll be- more treasure than magic shop, I think. If that's not your preferred play style, bear in mind this is only the first generation and other rules systems might handle things differently. I'd like to think everyone's preferences will be addressed along the way.

This arc will be based in the mortal world, specifically Othyr. It will involve the city-state Etheria, the returned oligarchy of Izolda, the former empire Norsland, and the North (see descriptions in Epilogue 1).

After reading the epilogue, it becomes apparent there's this weird political stalemate which allows Etheria to exist inside Izolda's borders, neither country liking it much, but all suffering it for the sake of intercontinental peace. The crux of this adventure arc is centered around the threat of that tension snapping the peace in half and plunging the whole continent into war nobody wants (or so they say).

HOOK!
Your party is tasked with helping preserve the peace until something lasting can be established by the Icons. You wouldn't be the only ones, rather part of an international effort kind of like the UN, a collection of Othyrian nations offering aid and remaining visible. This allows for disparate backgrounds, races, and nationalities to be in the same group with a single purpose- one that is varied enough that most hooks you follow throughout the arc qualify as 'keeping the peace'. We only have about 12 sessions per arc, but I'd like to see what develops organically with a broad objective. You can imagine some of the things you might have to do, from negotiating to rooting out saboteurs. Maybe one or more of you -are- saboteurs. It can go a lot of ways, and I'm willing to work that out with you.

Those already cringing at the political nature of it all can relax, though, it's still level 1 and the weight of the world is only partially on your shoulders hehe. You'll be starting out relatively simply, a good-will mission for Izolda to establish trust with the local government of Segnova, seat of the Arcouth Barony.

Prologue I: Twenty Years Later

This is a living document that will be updated as we develop the launching point for the new campaign. Fair warning, while I value your input and will incorporate it into the final product, I reserve the right to alter, tweak, and twist.

For the first generation, with a working title of 'The Road to Peace', we're focusing on Othyr. The plot revolves around Izolda, Etheria, Norsland, and the Northlands.

Izolda
The wilderness of northeast Othyr, from the frozen reaches of the Vox to the edge of The Great River, and encompassing the entirety of the Dawnspear Mountains (save one peak), Izolda is a vast country possessed of staggering natural resources. Its population consists of monstrous citizens such as trolls, ogres, and werewolves, served by a class of poor, uneducated human serfs. These lording monsters are themselves cowed by an elite witch caste known as the striga. Of these witches, three reign supreme, splitting rule of their mother Iggwilv's homeland into the baronies of Arcouth, Tsojcanth, and Vox.

The Black Witch Drelzna Zarov controls the mountainous barony of Tsojcanth, above and below the Dawnspear Mountains. The Green Witch Litka Javine rules the Arcouth, comprised of the woods of the same name and the open country bordering Norsland and Clannash. The White Witch Imprela Carnast reigns in snowy Vox. The capital and surrounding coastline are technically the responsibility of Iggwilv herself, however she very rarely spends time in her own lands, preferring darker planes and fiendish rendezvous. A haughty collection of lesser daughters, bolstered by a considerable amount of tiefling grandsons and great-grandsons called boyars, maintain power through the authority of the Church of Hecate and several martial and magical orders, most notably The Hellfrost Club.

In a matter of twenty years, Izolda has reclaimed almost all of its former ancestral holdings and then some (conquering the goblins and adding Vox during the fallout of the Emperor's War). Iggwilv's return has ensured those lands have remained Zoldani. Though the expansionist period of the country is largely ended, its last point of contention remains Etheria. The Holy City stands an autonomous political power within the borders of Izolda that openly opposes the striga's practices and the cruelties suffered by the common Zoldani. Though the accusatory sermons from the mount once orated by High Priest Oranar and others have ceased in recent years, Etheria's very existence as a shining alternative to the doldrums of life as indentured servant stirs trouble within the peasantry.

Many on both sides have been driven to the brink of action over real and perceived offenses, though cooler heads have prevailed thus far and spared international incident. Drelzna, busied with work below the Dawnspears, would greatly prefer not to incite hostilities. Similarly, the vampiric kingdom of Saspien, possessing strong ties to Zoldani leadership and the wider continent, has no interest in potential conflict. Despite two decades, the rest of Othyr remains war-weary and hesitant to escalate. However, Izolda has reached the limits of her neighbors' patience. An act of hostility against Etheria now would likely force nations to take sides and start a new continental war.

Etheria
Increasing tensions between the Holy City and the witch-state of Izolda have seen the swift reduction in Etherian landholdings over the last two decades. The Zoldani have reclaimed their ancestral lands, settling and fortifying up to the base of the Holy Mountain itself. Fertile plateaus and the Rayan Falls enable Etheria to be self-sustaining even without the surrounding valleys, yet Saspish diplomacy and the High Priest Oranar's pacifist leadership are what really stave off any sort of military conflict. While many regard the high priest's pacifism as weakness, just as many recognize it as the only thing keeping peace.

All parties' leadership understands that any push up the Holy Mountain itself would result in international outrage and continental war. Izolda already walks a fine line under the guise of reclamation, straining its alliance with Saspien in order to maintain its recent territory. Thus an unusual stalemate has developed in the Dawnspears, an autonomous city-state stranded in the midst of a much larger, much more powerful nation.

Faith sustains Etheria. Faith in diplomacy, faith in their own discipline, and most of all faith in the gods and goddesses of light (Spirit of Harmony, Radiant Mother, Mysterious Traveler, and Dragon Prince). It's these gods Etherians owe the steady rise in population and expansion of mystic knowledge. Where any other city perched on the summit of the highest mountain in the world and surrounded by one of its most aggressive nations would wither and die in isolation, Etheria possesses the favor of several divinities. It stands a metropolitan temple-complex dedicated to peace, understanding, acceptance, and truth, one that grows yearly to accommodate the pilgrims and settlers from across the universe gathered by the divine servants of Eilessa and given home and protection by Kalia. Alongside their followers, numerous alien saints, demigods, and orphaned powers have come as well to join the goddess's allied sub-pantheon. A vibrant, varied blending of Othyrian traditions and some wondrous (sometimes strange) holy orders and mystery cults have enriched the Holy City and given it value more than it ever had previously; It is a true mecca.

The Northlands
The frozen lands north of the Black Forest have become a more desolate place in recent years. The conglomerate nation of Atha is no more, collapsed under one too many dragonfires, demon invasions, celestial shake-ups, and costly wars. And with the liberation of the empire's many duchies and the changing face of the south, the appeal to 'return home' was too great for most.

Not everyone left, however. Huddled around the icy Lakes Idloch and Welsord, several small villages have sprung around a modest fishing and trapping trade. Mostly first or second generation refugees of New Veluvia too stubborn or too fearful of leave, toss into the mix a few southern fugitives and exiles looking to keep low profiles, a smattering of disowned half-giant and half-orc rabble, and on very rare occasions one or two surviving feladrin.

The imperial roads which once carved through the wide Roam have been buried in the drifts and mostly abandoned. The snowy tundra is again the dominion of winter wolves, orc and goblin bands, giant raiders, and the great hordes of the Bastard Kings. Each claiming descent from the barbarian legend Matthias, the Bastard Kings gather to them great entourages of savage northmen which war with each other constantly. Petty children in the political arena of Othyr, at least one must be appeased for any substantial travel through the north, lest those 'children' scramble over one another to pick any caravan clean.

The Crown of Winter Mountains, spanning the perimeter of the north and extending to the feet of the great glaciers, are dark and deadly and now devoid of their oldest civilizations. The frost giants have abandoned the continent entirely, and the feladrin who refused to leave Ivristel were wiped out in a matter of months by the demonic developments in newly-dubbed Abystal.