Nephalia

Beneath an ever-present shroud of fog billowing in from the sea, the people of Nephalia maintain a semblance of normalcy, buying and selling goods from across Innistrad in their bustling markets, setting out to sea in tiny fishing boats, or tilling the soggy earth in waterlogged fields. The three major port towns - Havengul, Drunau, and Selhoff - are the center of commerce in Innistrad, buying goods from the other provinces, trading them among themselves, and shipping them out to the provinces again.
To mention the horrors of the night and the terrors of the perpetual fog is an affront to polite society, as if giving voice to these fears bestows power on them. But hidden in basements or abandoned warehouses, the twisted and the depraved dare not only to speak of these horrors, but to invoke them. They offer sacrifices to the monsters of the seas and lakes, harvest the energy of fog-dwelling spirits, or create new life from the bodies of the slain. And they point fingers at their innocent neighbors when a Lunarch Inquisitor comes near, deflecting suspicion away from their own activity.
Innistrad denizens interested in commerce are attracted to Nephalia, which makes for an interesting mix of occupations and races in the province. Nephalia has numerous towns in which order is maintained by Avacynian clergy and their representatives. It has a "stock" of humans to be fed upon, thus the Stromkirk line is well represented here. It has busy trade routes with caravans of merchants and townsfolk milling between the cities for the Krallenhorde to prey on. And it has the ever-present Nebelgast, the so-called "Breath of the Sleepless," that rolls in and out with the tide, bringing with it a host of geists.

The Tide and the Nebelgast.

All along the Nephalian coastline, spirits come and go with the tide, but that isn't to say that when the tide is out, spirits are absent - there are just far fewer. Because the tide is connected to the moon, the pull of the moon brings the spirits into the world of the living to haunt. The Nebelgast consists mainly of the marei (drowned sailors and shipwreck victims) and the niblis (frost phantoms), but there are a host of other ghosts and spirits that are pulled by the moon.

Demographics

In Nephalia, skaberen (creators of skaabs, the alchemically vivified constructions of flesh) and ghoulcallers (practitioners of necromancy) alike can find out-of-the-way places in which to practice and further their art with little or no interference from suspicious townsfolk or Avacynian authority. Both must remain highly secretive, as their trade is still feared within the general human populace, but the Stromkirk vampires and Nephalia's merchants see money to be made, so their arcane trinkets and dark services are tolerated as long as they remain only rumors at the local taverns.
The merchants, known as the metzalar, are the glue that binds Nephalia together. They keep every separate party joined together by the exchange of goods and services and, of course, coin.

Geography

Nearly Treeless

Nephalia has always been lightly forested, but in the last century its few trees have been cut down or destroyed due to the vampires' fear of them being turned on them as stakes and other weapons. Runo, progenitor of the Stromkirk line, was crafty in his removal of the woodlands. Early on, using his glamers and sizeable fortune, he turned the human populace into artisans, supporting their efforts in building fine cities, proud ships, and a vigorous, provincial commerce - all based around wood. Prosperous and plentiful humans are good business for the Stromkirk, so Runo became a kind of secret Nephalian patron, supporting master craftsmen and commissioning buildings, towers, and ships, while funding any vampire-friendly efforts by alchemists and magisters. Out of this, Nephalia has become widely known for its masterful crafting and artistry with wood. Nephalian buildings, ships, chapels, and houses all bear a distinct and inspired art that sets it apart from the other provinces.

Waters

This province is defined by water - by its access to the ocean (the easiest of any province), by its many rivers that lead deep inland, and by its deltas, marshes, and lakes. Water enables commerce here but also gives Nephalia a silvery, mystical character; the clouds and the moon seem to be both above and below in most places.

Silver Beach

Nephalia's coastline consists of the Silver Beach, which stretches countless miles, interrupted by rocks, sea caves, and occasional large promontories. The sands of the beach are rich in granular silver, giving them an unearthly shimmer that dazzles visitors from other provinces. This is no vacation spot, however. Threats are far too numerous, and the ocean too dangerous, to invite beachcombers. Only experienced Nephalian sailors know the spells and the land well enough to venture out into the sea and return with fish, trade goods, or treasure.

May knowledge be our sanctuary

Type

National Territory

Included Locations

• Drunau
• Havengul
• Jenrik's Tower
• Selhoff
• The Erdwal

Characters in Location

• Richard Mayer