Aul'daran

Once considered the jewel kingdom of the western realms with its open fields, light woods, temperate climate, fertile lands, great cities and bastions of education, magic and scientific and scholarly advancement. This all changed about 60 years ago. A fleet of ships arrived in the port of Xordar. At first thought to be from Quelm although the ship design was unusual, the truth is they were from much further west. Thinking it was a raiding fleet the Auldaran navy was sent out to block the harbour. Not much is known about the event that followed but in short order the navy was destroyed and the city invaded. The invaders pushed through the city without actually controlling it and spread out into the countryside. It was not until it was to late that the peoples of Auldaran realize the intent of the invaders was not to conquer but to destroy. The invaders carried with them a magical plague that quickly spread throughout the kingdom. In an effort to slow its spread, the cities of Xordar and Sussail were quarantined and burned to the ground. It was only when the kingdom was on its knees that the true enemy revealed themselves. The Archdevil Paliax once the scourge of the north invaded from out of the Free Cities and he and his armies were only defeated by the combined forces of Bararas, Elaquwish, Garndson and heroes from the Dutchy of Miraris at the now ruined and haunted city of Jalgard on the edge of the blackwood. The Plague and subsequent invasion left a land scorched and diseases. Rivers that were once the lifeblood of fertile lands now were the arteries which spread the plague further. The woods became home to bandits, monsters or the remnants of Paliax’s armies and the untilled land reverted back to wilderness. Today little has changed. Much of the lands remain wilderness and pocket of the magic plague appear from time to time often wiping a settlement or two off the map. Civilization is limited to small pockets around the defensible townships and forts. The city of Sussail has rebuilt its port and a town has begun to spring up around its old port district although much of the city remains in ruins. Xordar likewise is a shadow of its former self although some parts of the city have been rebuilt, much still lies in ruin. The kingdom is currently ruled by Lord Hagan Lomard II who rules from what was once Xordar’s city hall. Much of the old upper city and the palace itself is in ruins and lords over the city like a silent ghost from the past. The kingdom, although broken is still protected, from the north the imposing Gormnar Castle and the haunted ruins of Jalgard where no man nor beast is willing to tread. The Republic of Elaquwish, a former ally of the house of Lomard defend its eastern borders, not because of former ties but simply because they are there and do not what any of the cursed lands for themselves. To the south Starside the city of mages has seeded from the Kingdom but in doing so has guaranteed little to no influence or invasion from the Empire of the sands. This has led its people to eke out an existence as best they can. For the adventurous it is a land of opportunities, mercenary work is readily available and ruins dot the landscape from simple farms to the cities of Xordar and Jalgard. Water and food are scarce, river water often contains the remnants of the magical plague, and few crops are grown due to the dangers of farming the land in these times.