Ilcharis - The Grave Lands

This continent was once know as Lorithia, now known as The Grave Lands to those that live there. Over a century ago, a cult dedicated to Orcus, the demon lord of undeath rose to great power, waging war against the squabbling kingdoms. Within a couple of decades most of the continent had fallen, only a few powerful bastions of holy magic able to keep back the undead and fiendish hordes, and now only one of them remains.   The last place free from the grasp of the cult is known as Haven, a collection of small islands protected by an ancient and powerful ward schemes that keep back all unnatural beings. Initially boats were sent out to seek help from the other continents of Ilcharis but they encountered a great wall of mist. Any boats to pass through it are never seen again and it defies all attempts to dispel or destory it. Teleportation magic seems unable to bypass it and even attempts to use a wish spell to anul or bypass the wall seem to go horribly wrong. Because of this Haven has learnt to fend for itself, the outlying villages mimicing the old way of life but the central keep having to adopt martial law to prevent infiltration by mortal members of the cult.   On the main continent life has been altared drastically as the undead rule. The land is split up into a number of regions of independant rule and each functions differently. However, as a general rule the mortal races are subservient to the undead with only those who aid them able to rise to any power. They often act as labour or a source of food to the undead and a curse lain across the lands causes most of the people who die to rise again and join the undead ranks. But the prevalance of undead and an organised rule has led to an elimination of poverty which led many to a grudging acceptance of the new reigime, helped along by the vicous destruction of the few rebellions and the outlawing of the old pantheon.   Another major reason for the continued rule is a series of beings known as the Graven Lords. These are extrenely powerful undead, such as liches and vampire lords, that have been blessed with even greater power by favour of the cult. Each one rules over one of the regions of the land how they see fit (Though there are rumours of some who act as shadow agents) but still paying tribute to the cult. The cult now resides in a mobile fortress, a mountain ripped free of the earth and shaped to resemble the skull on Orcus' wand that has been their base of operations since near the start of the war. It circles the continent every year, and no one knows what occurs up there except that only the tributes of wealth and food ever enter and nothing leaves.   This state of affairs has lasted for almost a centuary since the last bastion, except Haven, fell. After one unsuccessful attack where, for the first known time, a graven lord fell the cult has left Haven alone for some unknown reason. Despite this an air of menace hangs and many wonder how long this can last.