Amelis

The city of Amelis stands as a beacon of civilization in an otherwise untamed land with a mysterious tower at it's center, rising into the sky and piercing the clouds. This massive walled city of stone is home to probably 80-90% of the known world's population.   To the north of the city is a vast desert, home to the snakemen, who have a vicious hatred of outsiders.   Beyond the desert are The Badlands. Here lies a small pocket of civilization that have made their home in a nearly inhospitable region. Humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves all manage to make life work here, though it is a struggle to thrive. The Badlands are populated by 4 small settlements: The woodland town of Deadtree, home to the elves from this side of the world, the farming town of The Plains, a place of generally simple folk, the dwarven mining town of Chert, home to skilled crafters, and on the edge of the desert is Borderland, a hub of trade between the Badlands and the lands to the south. Though it is isolated by the vast desert, caravans frequently travel between Amelis and the Badlands for trade and transport in either direction. More and more people have been leaving behind the dull subsistence of the Badlands, in order to seek adventure and prosperity in the city of Amelis and the lands beyond.   Lands beyond the city are largely uncharted. There are a few settlements within arms reach of Amelis, such as the village of Whisperwell to the east, bordering the forest, and the dwarf homeland of Skarn nestled deep into the mountains of the west. The southern forest is a place that few have dared to venture into, and that even fewer have returned from. The most that can be known about it for sure is that it houses a clan of elves who do not tolerate their city-dwelling neighbors. It is believed that they have been twisting the nature of flora and fauna into monstrosities deep within the shaded boughs, but these are just rumors and speculation for now.   Beyond that is a world that is unknown and perilous. There have been records of many groups and parties setting out into the great beyond to find new people and found new settlements. There could be new cities and tribes established far to the south, or there could be mass graves of adventurers felled by lurking dangers.