Malice / Sanctuary

Malice is the blighted island in the far northwest corner of Syndeomai. Some believe it was forgotten by the gods during The Great Aether War, as the conflict left its people and land devastated. Many Tieflings deliberately refer to the isle by its ancestral name - Sanctuary - as a way to defy fate, the gods, and the foreigners who now seek to explore the isle.

History

Much of the isle's history was lost after Psemia stole the ability to read the Language of Malice. Most surviving knowledge was either passed down as oral tradition or deduced from the myriad ruins that dot the devastated landscape. Based on the diverse architecture of these ruins, historians believe that before The War, the isle was populated by a variety of ancestries.
As a result of the devastation of The War, the people of Malice lost contact with the rest of the world for nearly a two centuries. Regular contact was not restored until long after the metaphysical dust settled and the Nether Gods were imprisoned, shattered, or banished back to the Nether. Once contact was re-established, the Ilosian Theocracy sent aid ships posthaste. The mission was led by Viscount Illesandro of Caramechi, who recorded in his journal the first known records of the devastation he found across the land. He famously declared the land was no longer an isle for the living but instead an "isle for the blight" - Mavris Menigi in his native tongue. His records were circulated among scholars, and the name resonated with the outside world, which continued to refer to the island by this somber moniker. Over time, linguistic drift simplified the difficult-to-pronounce name; first, it was simply called Mavris, before being transformed by lazy tongues into Malice.

Geography

The Eastlands

The eastern half of the isle was mostly spared by the ravages of The War, and is home to the island's few ports and cities that readily engage in trade with other continents. The eastern roads are mostly safe from bandits thanks to patrols dispatched from Circopolis; the coastal port has a vested interest in keeping its trade routes protected. These trade routes pass through Norfolk, Sweetwater, and Riversmoth - the three next largest towns of the eastern isle. The city of Circopolis has received a boon from investments by the Spellweavers' Circle as they prepare expeditions into the western lands.

The Midlands

Beyond the Sweetwater River, the amount of arable land progressively declines - farming is more difficult in these parts, and settlements are fewer and farther between. Villages tend to rely on animal husbandry, breeding hardy animals capable of grazing and foraging on the scrubs and brush that dots the land. The twin cities of Eastmoor and Westmoor are notable exceptions: Eastmoor trades with Draconia to its south, and Westmoor is the only major settlement to maintain trade relations with the western half of Malice. Most merchants who hope to transit goods between the cities usually prefer a caravan to a boat, as it can save a couple of weeks. As such, the road between the two settlements is well-guarded, but the rest of the central isle is oft left to fend for itself. Any travelers seeking to cross these lands will likely stop at Copsewood, a small and friendly town with a famous inn. Those foolish enough to seek passage into the blightlands will certainly stop at the aptly-named Last Rest, the westernmost settlement before one enters the Blightlands.

The Blightlands

Once one passes about halfway through the Teeth of Malice, or makes it across the Stillpond River, the land shifts from scrubland with the occasional copse of trees into the Blightlands, a land which still bears scars from The War. Travelers will find it difficult to find settlements in which they can stay the evening, often resorting to careful camping along the wayside. Even if a traveler finds a village, there may not be an inn - the villages are small with few amenities. The hardy people within barely scrape together enough to survive, let alone to offer kindness to strangers. The exceptions, of course, are the Three Cities.

The Three Cities

Legend and scripture agree about the sinister origins of the three largest settlements found within the Blightlands. Each city exists as an unholy reminder of The Three Pacts, struck long ago by the desperate denizens within. The Three Cities are some of the only cities on Syndeomai that have been continually inhabited since before The War, making them among the oldest settlements in the world. The cost of survival was the transformation into Tieflings, and their descendants still bear the curse to this day.
Gnossos is the largest and most dangerous of the three settlements. Ruled by a dangerous magnocracy who claims to descend from the same mages who sold the city to Thanatos, God of Forbidden Knowledge, the city is abuzz with dark magical energies. Rumor has it one can find anything in Gnossos - knowledge, magical items, alchemical reagents - no matter how profane, for the right price.
Living in Semata, often dubbed the City of Whispers, is no less dangerous. The city is often derided as a den of scum and villainry - a gross simplification. Power is brokered between a number of crime families, whose influence ebbs and flows in a matter of hours. Such dynamics are befitting of the city rescued by Psemia, Goddess of Deceit and Untruth. As long as one keeps their nose exceedingly clean, minds who they talk to, and watches what they say in public, one can live a mostly peaceful life. But, you may not even realize one of the syndicates has decided you are an obstacle on the path to power until it is too late.
The fate of Moria was sealed when an anonymous, long-forgotten person sought Navaros, God of Fate and Prophecy, and demanded he foretell the fate of its citizens. In a cruel twist of fate, Navaros cursed the city, transforming the people within into Tieflings. However, with the shattering of the Blade of Navaros, the city appears to be free of Netherian influence. For the first time in history, the city responded to messengers sent from Circopolis, and some speculate the city may maintain communications long enough to establish trade. One wonders what riches await within, harvested from the western mines of the Teeth.

Type

Continent