A great deal of time and effort has been spent discussing the prevalence of Tenebrian and Nornsa cultural influences upon the world, to the point one might suspect no human culture remains beyond their influence but for a few marginal barbarian tribes.  Certainly the Bearmen are barbaric primatives, and the Reve are in their own ways hardly any better, so far removed from other Men that they often fail to consider them men at all.  

While it could behoove us to speak of the Spada, their culture is unique and not without influence of the Tenebrians as well, for their long wars with the kingdoms to their south have tempered away all remanents of peaceful living within them and converted them to a culture dedicated solely to war... war against the Teneb Dynasts to their south, once part of the greater Tenebrian Empire.

The simple fact is, no kingdom outside the reach of either historic power is viewed as truely civilized, regardless of actual cultural developement.  

Let us turn to a vast unexplored territory that we have not yet spoken of at all, the western savannahs of the northern continent, bordering the Hydimenoi and stretching from the desert of Hesh to the southern reaches.

There lies three kingdoms of men, closely linked in culture, that never bowed their head to Tenebrian Dynasts, never swore oaths to the Nornsa to their south.  These three kingdoms, the numbers in flux as wars are waged and alliances made, the kingdoms of the Savannahs are viewed by their neighbors as savage lands, ill settled or used by the inhabitants.  A lack of good quarriable stone, or for that matter a pressing need, has 'reduced' them to building of wood and thatch. Hot dry air with frequent powerful rains coming from over the western coast, means they favor only breif clothes of durable materials.  

These kingdoms, Wei, Xibaltci and Humatrp are each based in a single large, but impermentant city out in the grasslands, with wooden palisade walls and buildings of wood frames and thatch or leather walls to keep the dust and rains down.  The people that live among these three are the same, tall, long of limb, with sun bronzed skin and reddish hair, the color of rust or dry blood some say, and eyes of beaten copper.    

Agriculture on these savannahs is difficult, beans and certain grains grow but poorly, other foods not at all.  Some say that the soil is cursed so that none may live off it, yet the grasses and occasional jungle fastnesses are lush, and the people herd animals, living off the milk and meat primarily. Hunters are welcome, as a great number of beasts live out here, many make good eating, others are dangerous to man and livestock alike.  

Due to the heat and freqent breif rains, men and women alike only wear a strip of cloth around their loins, often nothing. Adornments made of smooth river stones, teeth, bone disks and others make necklaces, hair peices and the like. Warriors and hunters frequently use scarification as well, ritual designs giving honor to totemic gods, cherished ancestors (frequently a pattern used by a family line, homage to all who previously bore it), and even allegiances. Men and women both use body paints and even brightly colored tatoos and large, bold patterns to mark themselves.  

In the villages and towns of the Savannah kingdoms things are simple and functional.  Fathers teach sons, mothers teach daughters, and there is little privacy. While actual lines of relation are more complex, many times life in smaller, more rural villages will be very much like one extended family.  They are very aware of inbreeding, however, and if suitable mates can not be found in the village, one will be 'bought' with a dowery of livestock from a distant village.  Couples are not expected to love one another, not romanticly, though lust between newlyweds is encouraged, and a man or woman with a 'lazy' spouse is commiserated with openly.

I was forced to end the previous post prematurely.  I will continue it at a later date. Sorry.

In the villages unmarried adults tend to live with their parents. Recall that an entire village tends to have the characteristics of a large family, with a great deal of communal property and sharing, along with room for individual expression.  If a young man choses to build his own 'house' away from his parents before he is married this does not raise any eyebrows.  If he chooses to allow his close freind to move in with him, the only raised eyebrows come if he choses not to marry and produce children to continue the family.  Jokes and ribbing are frequent and freindly.

Identifying the cheiftan of a village is often difficult, as many times there isn't any formal recognition. Older, respected men tend to dominate the 'politics', but in reality the person with the most forceful personality has a great deal of power. Generally a single individual is entrusted to make decisions for the village, while their sons are expected to follow their footsteps, there is no formal method to 'take charge'.

As one approaches the larger, more permanent settlements things grow more complex, with greater levels of social stratification.  Often the village cheifs in the larger towns are hereditary positions, as are their councils.  The more powerful the town, the more likely for decorative insignia to be used. The skin of a hunting cat may be used as a cloak of rulership, elaborate headdresses of beads and feathers, adornments of precious metals and gems all signify power, as do brightly plummaged bodyguards.

The three cities of the Savannahs are old enough to have developed unique cultural artifacts, particularly in regards to power.  The King of Wei, known as Wei Shakti, is said to be the personification of the Gods and he rules naked from a seat of stone under the naked sky. Each morning as the sun rises his preists annoint him with a gold infused oil, handing him his sacred weapons of black iron, each night he bathes in the sacred pools of the moon. Wei Shakti is not an idle king, he oversees his armies, leading them on brutal runs to weed out the weak, occasionally finding villages that pay tribute to other kings and destroying them.  Wei builds his power, religious, temporal and militarily with every day.

The king of Xibaltci, King Huruma has built a massive fortress of clay bricks, clad in sheets of beaten copper along the top and wears only jade. None of his subjects may see him, officially that is, for his servants and advisors treat him as a spoiled child. Huruma is the inheritor of an old dynasty, some seven generations in power, the scion of that line is an immobile fat man, a giggling manchild who issues mad proclamations that are ignored by all around him.  Huruma does not even rule himself, instead the nascent beauracracy set up by his grandfathers organizes the city, and the taxes.  They are rich, powerful men, their ambitions are tied to the wealth of the city and they rule well, but they are paralyzed by the aggression of Wei, unsure how to deal with the wolf at the gates.

The King of Humatrp, the Jui-De, is a woman, said to be the mistress of the former Jui-De by her political enemies. She is the oldest of the three kings of the savannahs, cunning and personally powerful but with the most unsteady rule. She is less concerned with Wei, and scornful of Xibaltci, as her most dangerous foes put poison in every meal, a dagger behind every curtain. Only her own cunning, paranoia and potent magics have kept her alive for so long, and she fears her time is nearly up.  Ironically, if not for the viscious intrigues, Humatrp would be the most powerful of the three, with easy access to both the wood harvested from Hydimenoi and mines to the north, trade from Hesh and the Erd Humatrp is wealth, many of her villages lie to her back, preserving them from the agression of the other two, and the army is strong and well disciplined, and fanatically loyal to their Jui-De.  Should the Jui-De order it they would sweep through the palace and slay all those who might wish to harm her... but she fears to use them so.

Mining and weaponsmaking are rare, valuable skills on the savannahs. Most metals are gathered in small amounts from surface veins, as deep mining is nearly impossible in the dry dirt and flash storms that flood. Still, the metalsmiths, preists all, are very skilled at using what they have. Spears and sheilds of boiled leather over wicker frames are the standard military accoutrements, ranged weapons are javelins and slings predominantly, though Humatrp has imported a tiny number of firesticks and cakes, perhaps a couple dozen guns in all.   The Wei Shakti uses a large iron sword, not like Nornsa swords, the hilt is actually a large oval ring of iron cut out of the blade, for example; as do his bodyguards/elite regiments. These massive blades are brutal weapons, but preclude the use of a shield.

At least on tribe of nomads, or rather group of tribal nomads (several individual tribes) that call themselves the Maxcai use long thin leafbladed swords, thought they hunt with very long spears, each adult in the tribe is expected to hunt a Korribe (a type of large cat) alone before they are considered old enough to marry, and being married is crucial to participate in tribal council.  The Maxcai do not settle in villages, but each carries a roll of woven cloth around a bundle of sticks, half of a family 'tent'.  They are fearsome warriors, and may hire out as mercenaries from time to time, many currently take gold from Xibaltci, along with some of the more vulnerable independent villages.  The Maxcai do not use sheilds, but fight with sword and spear together, the spear is used to fend off the enemy until the sword can disembowel them.  They refer to battles as 'hunts', and their enemies as 'prey', though they are freindly open peoples, quick to laugh or share a meal.  Refusing Maxcai generousity is an open insult, but accepting it may mean you must participate in their hunts and even marry into the tribe... a fine line that most attempt to avoid.

To close out discussion of the Savannah kingdoms we will turn to more sweeping topics.

To begin with there is no real discussion of race among the peoples of the savannahs. It helps that the local orcs have the same general coloration of the humans, for example. Dwarves are considered strange, short outsiders rather than a seperate race.

For the most part, any race local to the region seems to have adopted the same mindset. While certainly those Elves who live on the grasslands, rather than in the forest, have a broad enough perspective to recognise the different species, it isn't a topic of conversation.  

Naturally, there is a fair amount of hybridization among most of the peoples of the plains.  While it is naturally more common for orcs to find other orcs more attractive (and humans other humans... et cetera), the lack of linguistic differences between the two, or other identifiers of race, combined with the low expectations of romance or love in marriage decisions makes for very common crossbreeding.  That said, all orc villages are essentially treated the same as all human villages. One notable exception are the priests of Iron, who are predominantly orc males, and whose brutal initiation rites tend to preclude frailer species.

One of the few edible 'crops' that grow easily on the Savannahs are peppers, and this delicacy is prized around the world as a spice, worth it's weight in gold in the cities of the Nornsa.  It is said that the Savannahmen have no tastebuds from having eaten pepper in every meal, and their cuisine is notable for it's spice; this is a myth however. Despite an unusual assortment of ingredients (nettles, certain insects and the like) that make up many dishes, the Savannahmen have very refined palates, cutting the hotness of their food with lime and salt, tricks that other nations miss, as these are not added to the food itself but served on the side.  Still, an enjoyment of spicy food is a necessity to getting along in the region.

The Maxcai have very powerful taboos about the Korribe. The name their god Korribe, but he is not, as is commonly understood, to actually be a Korribe. They worship only this God, for he is the strength of the tribe, and the animal of that name as said to be sent by him to punish them and test them. Only on a child's first solitary hunt, to become an adult, is any part of the Korribe eaten, and the organ chosen is said to have mystic properties. One eats the heart for courage, the liver for strength, the eyes for visions, the brain for cunning and so forth.  Whatever the hunter feels is lacking in him he takes from the Korribe he kills and consumes raw.  Depending on how long the hunt has taken it may have been days since he ate anything but for the root of the Banjub to keep awake, and upon consuming the Korribe many are struck with visions that will shape the rest of their life.  To eat of the Korribe at any other time is said to insult the God, and brings terrible punishments and afflictions. The Maxcai will refuse to even speak to someone who violates this taboo, and none of the other inhabitants will eat the beast either... outsiders who have tried claim the meat is delicate and delicious, but many also report being struck by the affliction commonly known as Plain's Fever, or the Yellow sickness, for the color the skin takes on. Many die of Plain's Fever, even among those who have not eaten the beast, so this may be a coincidence.

Other than the Maxcai, many use the root of the Banjub for strength or endurance, and warriors chew it to ignore their wounds, or apply the chewed pulp to wounds to staunch bleeding.   It is rarely traded outside the plains, where it can occasionally be found as a recreational stimulant in decadent city-folk.  The plant itself is harvested, while unedible, the pulp made from it's stem and leaves can be fermented into a pungent brew, a powerful alcohol that is often watered down and drunk regularly.  Serving it unwatered is a popular prank among males, and pretending not to notice, while difficult, is the accepted response.  Bunjula, the drink, is exported, often with peppers steeping in the bottle to add flavor, and is very popular among certain types. Unpeppered Bunjala is much cheaper and sells very well to sailors and other rough sorts. As the drink is potent enough to make even seawater palatable, it is very commonly used shipside as a 'grog' mixer.  Landlubbers who have drunk the Bunjala/seawater mix swear that the mix is lethal, a myth.

Due to the huge cost difference in the pepper trade, all three savannah kingdoms no longer sell peppers in huge quantity to outside merchants, with a limited exception for the Dwarves, who historically have been the primary merchants (so much so that peppers were long known as "Dwarven Fruit" in many distant markets), and the Hesh, who are close enough (and can grow peppers as well, though not of the quanitity or quality of the Savannah pepper crops). Instead they have sent their own men out to trade and sell, making Savannahmen more common in distant cities, bright plummage and all. Such men tend to be very canny traders, and often learn many languages, though occasionally they might pretend to be distant bumpkins if they think it will get them a better deal.  As the value of such trade is very high, these merchants often employ the best mercenaries and soldiers they can find as bodyguards, and the trade flowing down the river Erd from Xibaltci to Paravail is said to have singlehandedly spawned the 'river pirates' trade.  Such men tend to buy primarily metals and grains that are hard to aquire on the plains, and more than one has fallen in love with distant lands and retired to a life of wealth and priviledge, often working as a go-between for other merchants from their forgotten homelands.

It occurs to me that I am nearly done with this thread.  I've a mind to discuss Hesh and the surrounding regions, maybe get my map cleaned up and posted, but other than that all I really need to cover still is another look at Tenebria... basically the nations that have spun off from her and maybe a closer look at the heart of the empire itself.  

I do have a mind to get away from the geographic/culture mindset and get to more sweeping topics, as I did with Guns for topics such as trade routes and valuable goods, linguistic matters, economics and so forth.  

Of course I still have less interesting areas to cover like Spada, northern Nornsa (or the Northron kingdoms...)

If anyone has any questions, areas or topics they'd like me to cover, by all means drop a comment or two, suggestions are always welcome.  If you are interested to see how I personally will be putting it to use, as it developes, chech out my thread in the actual play forum.

I've got digest it all first, but I, for one, would love to see more.

BTW - you've just crossed into the 75th page and have somewhere in the range of 285,000 non-space characters.

Interesting, James. 75 pages translates very roughly into 150 pages of novelization formats, but  I'm sure it's more of a direct fit to game book formats (barring artwork, etc...).

Of course, a very good chunk of that is stuff that should be excised as 'designer notes' rather than up front information... like the creation of the world, the origins of demons, the truth behind the Warlord of Melitior and more.  Indeed I rather suspect that a huge portion of the first three quarters of the posts would have to go, or be pared down extensively to avoid 'revealing my secrets' if I were of a mind to publish.  Of course, I could pad it out a bit by actually writing in the details of Paravail, rather than leaving what was in the Wiki as fact.

Anyone want to link to the Paravail wiki here?  I lost track myself and I'm still very shaky on how linking works.  I'll write more on the Melitior regions.  I'm leary of filling in the spaces too much, for some reason people have a hard time contradicting what is written down by others...:rolleyes:

As always, I extend an open invitation for ideas, even full posts if something I wrote inspired you to expand.  I've been taking it slower, allowing ideas to percolate and drift from previous bits.

There is a great swath of land north of the Hydimenoi and south of the Tundrid Plateau known as the Plains of Melitior. Bordered to the East by the Desert of Hesh and extending west all the way to the Blasted Lands of Irem, and the beaches of the Northron Kingdoms (of Nornsa),  and cut through lengthwise by the northernmost stretch of the River Erd, this is a huge region, perhaps the largest single stretch of nearly contiguious geography, barring only the Sea of Grass.  

Many consider the Plains of Melitior to be the true heartland of civilization, for it was settled by the Elves who migrated from the Hydimenoi, the Dwarves fled through it for the mountains to the north, the first Orcish kingdoms arose here in modern time, and the ancient kings of Nornsa made their homes here.  

Ancient legends hold that once the Tundrid Plateau was part of the Plains of Melitior, the cold, snowy reaches were far less brutal then. It was the curse of the elves of Siti that raised the mountians under the Tundrid wastes and lifted them to the Sky. Or so legend says. But legend also says that once the Dwarves lived as men, walked under the sun as men, and when they fled to their mountains long ago, it was to the north... long before the Elves curse raised those mountains.  Surely only one might be true, or perhaps the age of each legend is wrong, none alive can say for certain.

What is known is that when the Dwarves opened their great Clan Halls for the first time, sent explorers and armies and merchants out into the world, they came from the north, marching across the Plains of Melitior, slaughtering the Goblin Hordes where they found them.

This then is the history of the Plains.  Here they build of stone and heavy timber, the winters are cold when the wind comes from the north, the summers cool and pleasant. Towns and cities are built like fortresses, and the most defensible land is the most treasured by nobles.  The people are fair of skin but dark of hair, strong of limb and feature, with proud noses and full lips.  Those who live in the shadows of the mountains are known as the Northmen, feirce and hard as the ice that is said to flow through their veins.  It is said no Northmen home is complete without a pack of half wild dogs sleeping on the hearth and a sturdy sword above.

The Northmen are organized under their King, with jarls, earls and huscarls overseeing various levels of a loose fuedal state.  Every householder is a 'noble' and responsible for the protection of those who live 'under his roof'... even if they actually live in a sod dugout miles away.  His responsiblity to his King is as a man at arms, with his men under him.

The Northmen have a very close relationship with the Dwarven clans under the mountains, and many a 'young' dwarf and young human have grown up as 'hostages' with the opposed race.   On the other hand, their relationship with the bearmen of the Tundrid plateau is unbearably hostile, for the 'wildmen' regularly raid south out of the mountains when the need strikes them... and it often does.  The Northmen return the favor, raiding north for what few rare resources the wastes have, and slaughter whatever bearmen they find in revenge for previous raids south.

Though many consider anything north of the Erd 'northman' territory, the actually culture and lands occupied are a much narrower band right up against the mountains.  In fact one of the greatest cities in the Melitior region is Prczolyc, which lies on the northern banks of the river, which is only a few hundred yards across so close to it's source.  Only two great bridges of stone cross the Erd here, and the smaller towns on the southren banks are seperate entities with their own Lord Mayors and paying tribute to another king entirely.  Generally, however, those from the southern bank towns consider themselves Baemin, and more importantly citizens of Prczolyc, though many have never crossed the bridge.

Prczolyc is a lovely town, with cobbled streets and sweeping spires, clock towers and mighty cathedrals.  Waterfront property is valued if sufficently far from the bridges, and thus industry, otherwise the wealthy live as far up the small hills as they can.   The people are known for an inordinant fondness for hats, but an utter disdain for cloaks, preferring long heavy coats instead.  It is said that a native of the region can identify a man's wealth, occupation and even ancestry by observing the hat he wears, a tidbit that leads to much amusement among more southren nations.  It is notable, however, that those from Tenebrian lands do not, for their own reasons, find it unusual or amusing at all, something that has led to greater diplomatic inroads for those distant kingdoms.  Similarly the traders from the Savannah kingdoms have quickly adapted to local customs within Baemia, and despite the cooler air find the city of Prczolyc a suitable second home.   Baemins find the practice of slavery abominable, an affront to the gods. This attitude is actually quite common among the nations of the Melitior Plains, though the Northmen have a 'bondsrech' which is a mix between an indentured servant and a family servant, the word is most often translated into 'slave' in other languages... something that would be a point of contention if the practice were more wide spread or visible.  

Baemia is actually a largish nation, the similarly sized land south of the Erd consists of no less than 8 seperate kingdoms, though the culture is similar, there are significant differences between the Baemins and their southern neighbors, particularly the closer one gets to the Hydimenoi or the Savannahs.


To be Continued.

The lands that lie along the northern border of the Hydimenoi are as unique in the Melitior plain as the lands that border the Tundrid Plateau, though they pay homage to the kings of the rest of the plains.  In fact some three kingdoms of the Melitior hold territories that border the great forest.

Those who live in the shadow of the woods are viewed as 'touched' or 'fey', and indeed, crossbreeding with Elves that have found their way out is excessively common in the region, resulting in a high degree of hybridization among the locals.  Despite this the locals appear to have a nearly supernatural dread of not only the black woods to their south but of Elves in general.  One might wonder how such hybridization could be common given the local attitudes, but dread is expressed primarily as nearly worshipful respect.

The people tend to worship spirits of the woods, or commonly bastardized variations on the gods of the elves, though the worship of Hirstur, the Flame of Life, spreads slowly and occasionally violently even here.   Woodsmen are not envied, though they are the primary source of lumber and firewood, their lives can be brutally hard, as the Forest is not forgiving of even the most respectful men.

Farms are easily identified by the borders of scarlet flowers, their beds seeded with ancient nails, said to ward of the Fey... including elves, though of course they have no power over those worthies.  

Every village has at least one wooden palisade fortress, used to protect the locals from rampaging beasts, bandits and other menaces. Often the leader of the town, be they a noble or simply a respected elder, makes their home inside the fortress, along with food stores for taxes or famine.   In many cases such fortresses may go unused for years, making the people complacent and ill prepared, in others the town virtually lives within the walls, venturing out only to work during daylight hours.  

Throughout the plains of Melitior, swords are the most common weapon for war, and this is true here as well, though most are proficent in the spear and bow as well. Militia or soldiers train in large powerful crossbows, but tend to fight with sword and shield, as the untrained militia, using their bows are the superior archers by far.   Armor is chain link, sheilds are rarely reinforced plank sheilds, though the nobility are marked by their steel breastplates and, among those who use sheilds, their well made triangle sheilds marked with heraldric devices. Weapon choices among the nobility range from the prosaic to the exotic.

To be cont....

The Eight Kingdoms of Southern Melitior are, to outsiders eyes, identical in all but name.  Indeed, to many of the populous the differences between neighboring kingdoms is trivial, though some stereotyping does exist between general regions of the area.  The simple fact of the matter is, the 8 kings hold very loose territory that has changed hands so often over the past centuries that there is no real unified sense of nationhood.  

This has slowly started to change, not from the permanence of Kings, but from the spread of a new, young faith, sweeping in from the West.  

After the Warlord had passed through the region, leaving devestation and strife in his wake, a young woman set herself to the task of his destruction, and the destruction of all he had wrought.  Some say she had been enslaved by his army, some suggest she had been raped by the Warlord himself. Regardless, she rose up and slew the puppet king the Warlord had left behind, alone and unarmed.  Her action, celebrated in statuary and art, brought to her side a small army of ragged peasants and farmers, dispossessed all, to fight the warlords forces.  As if driven by the Gods she and her hapless followers won every battle, suffering horrible losses at each until they were driven into the valley of Geths, where the Warlords men prepared to slaughter them to the last for this affront to his power.

To the south the Warlord was even then being slain, and the Valley of Geths was swept clean of all life by a raging firestorm, destroying the northern forces of the Warlord.  

In the aftermath the people of the region were able to rebuild without concern for those who had swore fealty to the Warlord, the few survivors were left without protection from the wrath of the survivors.  The nameless girl was enshrined as the patron saint by those who had met her on her doomed quest, eventually a shrine, later a church was erected at the site of her first act, pilgrims flocked to it, making their way barefoot and penitent to the sites of each of her battles, ending at the Valley of Geths, where they ritually scourge themselves with flaming brands.   Not all worshippers are so fanatical, but they still persecute the crusade against the heretics who did not fight the Warlord... meaning of course any who are not of the faithful.  The Church of Hirstur, the Flame of Life, as they call themselves (Hirstur is the former seat of the Warlords appointed king, now the center of the Faith, some say the 9th king of Melitior is the Matricarch), does not tolerate the worship of other Gods, though some missionaries are more single minded than others.

The rise of the faith has not been without impact in the region. At least two of the petty kings have recently converted, finding their ambitious plans supported by the church, their entire kingdoms have been converted as well by decree.  This has only fueled the petty infighting and border wars that crop up as each seeks to improve his power.  The missionaries from the church have had no luck north of the Erd or in the Savannahs, though some of the desert nomads of Hesh find the demanding faith suitable to their own beliefs, leading to a strange bastardized variation in that region.

Politically there is a very shallow 'noble class' consisting of a regional King, his extended family, and perhaps a half dozen lesser 'lords' that run the the country under him and their extended families. The wide variety of ranks and stratification does not exist here.  The middle class is similarly shallow, a few 'landed' merchants and exceptional tradesmen, town mayors and sheriffs, and that is about it. The bulk of the population are peasant farmers, not tied to the land as the serfs of Baemia are, but relatively poor but hard working folk.  The region is rich in natural resources, though they do trade for most of their metals, and life is reasonably comfortable when the nobles are not at war. Sadly, they often are, and it could be said that at any given time at least two kings of Melitior are fighting.

Someday, I will have a chance to put this intp PDF form for you.

Quote from: McrowSomeday, I will have a chance to put this intp PDF form for you.

Given that I'm going to be running a campaign in it, I need to start yoinking posts into a word document I can print out... not only that but it's gotten long enough that I'm having trouble remembering all the details.  Time to start referencing my own work!

well if you get it into word, I would take me almost no time to generate a PDF of it.

Eventually the Erd passes north into the mountains, back to it's source lake lying between the Tundrid Plateau and the Wastes of Irem.  Few make the dangerous journey to it's placid, misty surface for dragons inhabit the mountains above it, occasionally dropping down to the lake for giant fish.  Some say that the Gods take their ease here, for the region is earily quiet and peaceful, the weather mild the year round, and the entire lake feels magic.

Men live on the surface of the lake, fishing it's depths, their villages on the shore shrouded in the fog.  It is said there are islands on the lake itself, but their locations are never mapped, their names unknown, they cannot be seen from shore.  The men here are strange to outsiders. They live in peace with the dragons, the waters, and the orcs that live in the region. Some suggest that an entrance to the Realm of the Dead lies somewhere on the Lake itself, and that those who live in the region are guardians of it, the dead restored to life to watch over its paths.  


South of the lake, as the border of the Wastes retreats to the Western Coast, the westernmost expanse of the Melitior plains takes over. This is the lands of the northern Nornsa, of elves and men alike.

Near the coast of the western ocean lies the old capital of the former Empire. This is the city Nornsa, called Nornska by the locals. Nornska is dominated by a massive castle build of white stone and roofs of blue slate.  The High King rules from here, though the title is more a tradition for no other kings owe him fealty.  Still, while the High King may be an old lion in winter, his teeth and claws are sharp still.  Northron Nornsa has access to the clansmen, each man of the clans a fearsome warrior in addition to his normal duties. There are no peasants here, no real serfs. It is said that in times of need every man woman and child will answer the High King's call, sword in hand.   This is certainly true of the Clans, though their loyalty is not absolute and often fractious, but not everyone is of the Clans, particularly among the city folk.

The city folk tend to look down upon the wild clansmen with their 'primative' ways, while the Clans look at the cityfolk with pity, for they have no family to fall back upon. As many city folk were once members of the clans, perhaps generations ago, perhaps only years, they view this as a particular tragedy.

The clansmen have an unusual method of waging war, at least as far as other nations go. While the march as one, with sheilds at the ready, they often do without archers, though slings are popular for harassment they lack a 'unit' of missile weapons. They use the sheilds to weather any incoming missiles, drop them in favor of spears (against cavalry, or occasionally as preferred weapons. Spears feature prominantly in tales of ancient heroes, even in duels). A Clansman uses both hands for offense, either with two weapons or a large two handed weapon, very often a massive sword, referred to as a massacre sword.  Those who prefer smaller weapons have more choice, axes, maces and flails are all popular, though smaller swords are strangely not, used only rarely.  'Landed' cityfolk use smaller swords.  

The image that springs to mind of half naked wildmen with massive weapons charging madly across the open ground is somewhat inaccurate.  The Clans are not suicidal, and those who fight regularly will wear hauberks and helms as a matter of course. They prefer to charge forward, rather than wait for their enemies as a matter of course, but only in groups... fighting alone means your family does not support you.  More, the traditional stereotype suggest that they have no grasp of strategy or tactics, which could not be farther from the truth. These wildmen once conqured the known world, casting out the Orcs who had once ruled their lands, then sweeping aside all other kings who opposed their march.  Some say they were the first to use spears against horse, sweeping aside the cavalry of the southron nations.  Further, to dismiss them for their lack of archers, is to ignore their greatest asset, for the High King maintains ancient treaties that were sealed by bonds of marraige to the Northron Elves, whose archers are without compare.  Should the High King in Nornska call upon them, there are few who could withstand the combined might of these two closely linked nations.  Even the machinations of the Warlord could not shatter those bonds, though his efforts were not entirely in vain for in the wake of his passing the contact between the two kingdoms has grown increasingly infrequent and cool.

Though it pains, one must perforce return to the Southron nations to discuss the kingdoms of Ys and the region of Heltdan.  The divide of the Scar is viewed as the border between these two regions, with the modern, split kingdom of Kerkesh occupying both lands.

The kingdom of Ys once encompassed lands as far north as Avante and beyond, and while the western half of Kerkesh is technically part of Ys, the Kerkeshi have not renewed their oaths of loyalty for three generations.

Ys herself is a kingdom of faded, tarnished glories. The capital reeks of sewage, for the dwarves have abandoned her, and none who live there now know the secrets to the sewers. The elves and humans bicker and debate in the house of Lords, occasionally brawling like urchins, the wealthy and powerful fill their days with intoxicants and hedonistic pursuits.  It is said that in Ys, coin is the law of the land, the army is filled with worthless fops and dandies who owe their position to birthright rather than talent, and they are a toothless rabble, better suited to shaking down those who draw their gaze than enforcing order or protecting anything.  

Hethdan is perhaps better off, for it was a nation for perhaps 80 years before collapsing into nothing. The petty kingdoms, of which Western Kerkesh is technically one, that sprung up are individually much less powerful, yet are more vibrant and dynamic than what has become of Ys, which survives merely because none of her neighbors can be bothered to conquer her.  Of the former Heltdan kings, Kerkesh is the most powerful and well known, and were it not for the bitter rivalry with her sister nation, might have turned her attentions east.  The faith of the Kerkeshi has spread slowly, despite an utter lack of assistance from the king.  The Hethdan region spreads from the northern border of Hygleac to the south of the Hydimenoi.  It is notable for having the only surface kingdom of dwarves in the modern age.