Regions of Ashandri

The world-island of Ashandri consists of eleven unique regions, each one vastly different than the others: In terrain as well as in culture and local creatures. The regions are: Delvaroth: Home of The Void Fortress, the fort of Marisha Veilbreaker. Delvaroth is a land of lush meadows and luscious forests. Humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings make up the majority of the inhabitants. The land is split in two by the Blackriver, a massive stream of black ash thrust into Delvaroth from the so-called Drift, a miles-wide maelstrom at the border between Delvaroth and the Ocean of Ash. As Delvaroth was hit hardest by the two attempted invasions of the armies of Va’Laeth, the Delvarati are still on high alert. Most people own or even commonly wear armor and weapons. Local militias and even military groups voluntarily supporting Veilbreaker's missions have formed in recent years. Population distribution:

Humans: 25%
Halflings: 20%
Gnomes: 20%
Elves: 10%
Half-Elves: 5%
Dwarves: 5%
Other races: 15%

The Ocean of Ash: Before the end of the old world, this was the land of Dvarys. It was famous for its advanced culture, the great sages and inventions that came from here, but also for its fertile lands. As Virthys exploded into a million pieces, Marisha Veilbreaker tried to save this place - but she was a little too late. The global firestorm had engulfed Dvarys already, destroying many of the greatest wonders the old world had ever seen. Today, the ashen remains have become a compact mass that you can walk upon - mostly. The terrain itself hides many dangers from quicksand-like areas to ruins only barely covered by a layer of ash. As Dvarys was burnt, millions of people died... just as Ashandri was transported into the Braythian Void. Many of these souls were captured in the Ocean of Ash as Unbound Spirits, desperate, angry and confused. At the same time, the magic sweeping over the Ocean of Ash changed many creatures and monsters, adapting them to prosper in this new land. And then there are the rumours about the Grave Palace, allegedly a realm of undead, said to be governed by seven "oblivion kings and queens", or short, the Seven Oblivions. Aside from spirits and undead, there are a few small, grim settlements of survivors from all sorts of races. Among them are the Ashfolk - a race of former humanoids of all sorts that were engulfed in magic, and imbued with the essence of the Ocean of Ash. Population distribution:

Undead: 50%
Ashfolk: 25%
Humans: 15%
Other races: 10%

The Ice Desert of Varua: The frozen wastelands of Varua were almost bare of life even before the apocalypse. But it was also home to a few races that existed nowhere else: The Sherran, a species of living ice statues, for example. The white lands, as many Delvarati call it, also keep many secrets frozen below the surface. Some of which might be essential in the fight against the agents of Va'Laeth or The Perishing. It is also here, in the region called The Crevice, where the final battle of the first war against Va'Laeth ended. Alongside the humanoid armies of the neighboring world, the so-called Laeth-Beasts were led into war here: Gargantuan creatures, each one responsible for the deaths of thousands. Marisha Veilbreaker herself fought in this battle, and managed to entrap several Laeth-Beasts in the ice. This was the tipping point that finally made the armies of Va'Laeth retreat in the first war, and they have not yet fully recovered from this loss. Population distribution:

Humans: 40%
Dwarves: 20%
Sherran: 15%
Elves: 10%
Half-Elves: 5%
Half-Orcs: 5%
Other races: 5%

The Ember Wastelands: While many consider this region to be harsh and deadly, it is home to a unique and prospering culture. In the old world, this was the queendom of Larysh. Once home to small Human, orcish and giant settlements, the land changed several thousand years ago. During a volcano eruption, a permanent portal to the elemental plane of fire opened up. Supernatural beings from the other realm made their home in Larysh, and trade between the two worlds emerged. Over time, Larysh developed a new culture, focused on elemental magic, masterful forges and smithes and the metaphorical "forging" of the individual. While the apocalypse destroyed the political structures of this land, this culture is still deeply engraved in the local population (who call themselves the "Embers"). On the second day of Ashandri, the frontier between the Ember Wastelands and Delvaroth became a warzone, resulting in countless deaths. When later the first war against the neighboring world erupted, the armies of both Va'Laeth and Delvaroth barged into the Ember Wastelands. Many warriors of Delvaroth and the Embers still considered each other to be enemies. It was as if everyone was fighting against everyone. The giants that lived here were almost entirely driven out of the Ember Wastelands, retreating into the lands of Carivar, but the other races also suffered great losses. Most inhabitants of this region still consider Delvaroth to be their sworn enemy. The Ember Wastelands are known for their so-called Rainbow Roads. These pathways have been created by fire elementals serving the former queendom of Larysh, and connect the important settlements of the land. They protect travelers from the heat at day, and provide comfortable warmth at night. The road that once led to Larysh's capital Ja'lad ends at the border to Delvaroth, north of the Bloodhaunt Forest. The Western part of Larysh where the capital was located could not be saved, and many Embers still mourn the loss of their queen and part of their land. Population distribution:

Orcs: 40%
Half-Orcs: 15%
Humans: 10%
Entities from the Plane of Fire: 10%
Halflings: 5%
Goblinoid Races: 5%
Kobolds: 5%
Giants: 5%
Other races: 5%

The Swamps of Shamrua: The border between Delvaroth and Shamrua is one of the few that are a bit more diffuse. The meadows of Delvaroth slowly become damper, until they turn into freshwater swamps. In the northern regions, the swamp forests of Shamrua become so thick, it almost feels like walking through a jungle. Aside from the cities of Hollow Market, Floodfort and Hag's Rest at the borders to other regions, there are only two big cities here: Shivorth, a city of humans, and Abrac, the major trading point between Shamrua and the Spirit Fields. There are countless small settlements in Shamrua, many of them from toad-like humanoids called Dreevith, a humanoid lizard race called Chazrac, and other species adapted to this environment. The big scourge of this region are the ever-present hags, which even rule over the once-flourishing city of Hag's Rest. The so-called Night Queen Agrutha is rumoured to be a night hag, and under her rule, Hag's Rest has turned into a living hell for all other species. She is also responsible for a horde of fiends terrorizing the land of Shamrua. Population distribution:

Chazrac: 40%
Dreevith: 30%
Humans: 15%
Hags: 10%
Other races: 5%

The Ocean Heart: This is the one big ocean of Ashandri, the greatest mass of water in the entire world-island. Rumours speak of isolated cities on remote islands, and even underwater civilizations. Whether these are just stories or not, the floating cities are well-known: Hundreds of ships and wooden platforms tied together. Each one can be considered a city-state of its own, some rather anarchic, others under the rule of a council or a single strong leader. Population distribution (above water):

Humans: 30%
Gnomes: 25%
Halflings: 15%
Elves: 10%
Orcs: 5%
Half-Elves: 5%
Half-Orcs: 5%
Other races: 5%

The Spirit Fields: A land of seemingly endless meadows and steppes, imbued with purest natural magic. The only noteworthy settlement here is Spirits Gathering, an anarchic community of druids, shamans and spirit-beings, from fey creatures to intangible embodiments of nature. Before the end of Virthys, this land was in an isolated valley surrounded by mountains. But it was also the place of death of Areia, a nature-focussed demi-goddess. As she died here about four hundred years ago, her essence flowed into and transformed the entire land. There are small forests and meadows of awakened plants, sentient rivers, communities of feyfolk, and so on. A couple elven villages exist here, too, but they tend to keep themselves hidden from the eyes of travellers. While the Spirit Fields might be the most peaceful region of Ashandri at first glance, the land has its very own plague - literally: The Heartwaste is a sickness that transforms both body and soul. Victims of the disease become pale, their hands and feet growing into viscious claws, and their hearts driven by hatred and a lust for destruction. Rumours are that The Perishing themselves created this plague, and it is imbued with their very essence. The locals kill everyone they believe might have been infected, and they do their best to contain the disease. So far, no cases from outside of the Spirit Fields are known, but this might just be a matter of time. Population distribution:

Fairies: 30%
Elves: 25%
Half-Elves: 15%
Humans: 15%
Other races: 15%

Carivar, the Land of Giants: The mountainous region of Carivar was home to giants and barbarian settlements even in the old world of Virthys. It is one of the few regions of Ashandri where the terrain experienced little change. But it suffered even more as the armies of Va'Laeth and Delvaroth stormed first the Ember Wastelands, and then Carivar. After months, the giants managed to drive back all invaders. But to many of them, the war has never ended, and they are still plotting their revenge. It is also home to a number of dragons, and the dranonic humanoids called the Dragonborn. Allegedly, they were created by the dragons of Carivar for reasons lost to time. Millennia ago, they were simply left to their own fate. Population distribution:

Giants: 30%
Orcs: 20%
Half-orcs: 15%
Humans: 10%
Goblinoid Races: 10%
Kobolds: 5%
Dragonborn: 5%
Other races: 5%

The Mesmerizing Mountains: Before the world ended, this was a pretty regular mountain range, inhabitants ranging from humans, orcs and kobolds to mighty dragons. But during the apocalypse, this was the first region that Marisha Veilbreaker rescued. Not yet aware of how to handle her new-found powers, the magic literally flooded the entire region and completely transformed it. The mountains crystallized, and the minds and souls of all living beings were tied together for eternity, a magical mind-web of thoughts and emotions. This effectively created a single consciousness, a meta-being existing simultaneously along with the individuals that it consists of. This entity, called Divrashin, has created a crystal body for itself, but it is also ever-present in the entire mountain range. Travelling the Mesmerizing Mountains can be like travelling through a dreamscape. By touching the crystal landscape or simply being exposed to the land for too long, a temporary connection to the mindweb is created. Disembodied whispers, dreamlike images and strange visions are common experiences while journeying through this region. Some even say there is a hidden world here that can only be uncovered by mentally venturing deep into the mindweb. Meeting the locals is a strange experience for sure: After meeting just a single one of them, or by connecting to the mindweb even once, they seem to at least superficially know you, even when you have never met the individual. Population distribution:

Humans: 30%
Orcs: 25%
Kobolds: 20%
Half-orcs: 15%
Goblinoid Races: 5%
Other races: 5%

The Bleeding Jungles: Humid, hot and almost impenetrable: This describes most areas of the Bleeding Jungles pretty well. This primeval forest is teeming with life, and sentient races like humans and elves are more like tolerated guests here. The only well-known settlements are the Waking Halls at the border to the Mesmerizing Mountains, The Shadow Sanctuary and the city of Crocnayle. But rumours speak of hidden temples and forgotten civilizations in the depths of the Bleeding Jungles... Population distribution:

Elves: 25%
Humans: 20%
Chazrac: 15%
Awakened Animals: 15%
Orcs: 10%
Half-Orcs: 5%
Half-Elves: 5%
Other races: 5%

The Forgotten Lands: Despite all the dangers of the other realms, this land might be the harshest one in all of Ashandri. The world-island was fully created, when the debris, which was once a nameless border region between two kingdoms, swirled towards the isle. Marisha Veilbreaker sensed that their was still life here, and reached out with her magic to rescue this final piece of the old world. But she was exhausted, little of the world-creating magic left within her. The place almost slipped away, and would have been lost. But instead of giving up, Marisha forced the very ground of Carivar to reach for the nameless land. The Forgotten Lands are now attached to Ashandri by nothing but the Obsidian Path, a piece of rock stretching from here to Carivar. It is possible to climb down the rock from above, but you effectively leave Ashandri and enter the Braythian Void. The only other path is a network of tunnels, the actual Obsidian Path, leading from a chasm in the ground of Carivar to another chasm in the Forgotten Lands. Most inhabitants of either region don't know about the existence of the Obsidian Path, though. This region was also struck hard by the apocalypse, but not burnt as bad as the Ocean of Ash. But being barely attached to Ashandri, The Forgotten Lands are bleeding out, slowly losing their essence to the void. This region is, effectively, a dying land. Unless Marisha Veilbreaker finds a way to save this place, it will only be a couple of decades, centuries at most, until the Forgotten Lands will dissolve. The survivors of this region still struggle every single day. There is never enough food for everyone, and the locals started to kill each other fighting for resources. As they did, they realized that the life essence of those that are killed at least temporarily infuse the land, allowing them to grow measly crops. This has led to communities regularly sacrificing some of their own, so there is more food for less mouths to feed. But the essence-bleeding also has another effect: It attracts what the locals call "void wraiths", hungry spirits that roam the purple void - and the Forgotten Lands. And as if that wasn't enough, it seems Marisha Veilbreaker's influence over this land is not as strong as elsewhere. Rumours are there is a permanent presence of the Perishing here, and their sway over the realm twists and decays the land even further. The only larger settlement in the Forgotten Lands is the city of Hellward, a bleak city-state ruled by the Council of Harvest. Ethics and justice have no place here, only survival. It is also the origin of the so-called Dire Mages, an organization of spellcasters that have learned to use the essence of the land itself to support and protect their communities. While they help people survive in the short term, they also accelerate the deterioration of the Forgotten Lands. As none of The Dire Mages have left their home land yet, it is hard to say how their magic affects the other regions of Ashandri. Population distribution:

Humans: 50%
Elves: 15%
Orcs: 15%
Half-Elves: 10%
Half-Orcs: 5%
Other races: 5%