Other Locations of Interest

The Ravencourt Sanctuary

Miles from the Raevan shore, a permanent blanket of fog called the Mistwall obscures the horizon. This is the first line of defence of the island that holds the Ravencourt Sanctuary.
Little is known of the Sanctuary itself, and the mages who return from it will not be drawn into discussing it. All that historians have gleaned is that the Sanctuary is an academy and haven for mages. Some mages have alluded, with a longing sigh, to its vast libraries filled with tomes and spellbooks, or its laboratories with all manner of instruments primed for magical experimentation. Then they catch themselves and fall silent once more.
Until now, none have been able to uncover the secrets of the Sanctuary. Yet every seven years, like clockwork, a boat comes through the Mistwall bearing those who have graduated from the academy. Invitations to others deemed worthy are given out as well, and the boat bears them away.
Those who, by accident or design, end up in the Mistwall without an invitation wind up hopelessly lost in the fog. If they linger within, they are soon beset by monstrous sea serpents. The sheer number of broken ships that wash up at the Dire Shore stands as a testament to the dangers of the Mistwall.

The Black Mire

In the eastern portion of Ostoya, near the Dire Shore, a forest of aspens, willows, and oaks give way to fetid wetlands full of slow-moving, brackish water.
The Black Mire has not been thoroughly explored. Most cartographers are forced to turn back due to the treacherous terrain, bad weather, illness, or swamp monsters that accost them as they travel. Many an adventurer has met their end in the swamp’s murky embrace.

Stories persist that covens of hags dwell within the far reaches of the swamp, and that they are willing to make bargains with those who come searching for them.
One must beware when dealing with hags, however—often the payment they demand is something one is not willing to part with.

The City Below

Anyone who walks through Soma long enough will encounter a deep fissure in the earth. Those brave enough to descend find themselves in a labyrinthine ruin running throughout the land. This is the City Below, an ancient metropolis whose original name is now lost to time.
Those who brave the broken streets and ruined buildings of the necropolis will find much to discover. The entire city complex lies in a massive cave system. On the cavern ceiling dwell large glowing insects that form strange constellations. The city itself is filled with ruined buildings: temples, arenas, parks, docks, even orphanages. But nothing lives in the City Below itself. A strange negative energy pervades the entire metropolis, sustaining its massive population of undead. Zombies, ghouls, wraiths, and ghasts abound—worse still dwell in its central districts. Few who enter the City Below leave it unchanged.
According to legend, an ancient intelligence dwells in one particular glowing shrine somewhere in the city. This entity was responsible for turning the Soman Aristocracy into vampires. One can only speculate about what further dark designs it has for Ostoya.