The Northern Marches
The Northern Marches lie along the western shores of the Grey Sea. From north to south, the region includes the Wild North, Blackmarsh, the Southlands, Vasa, and the Duchy of Northport, along with the undersea realms beneath the Grey Sea itself.
The name "Northern Marches" dates back to when this frontier marked the northern boundary of the Bright Empire. A thousand years ago, the Bright Empire ruled much of the Majestic Fantasy Realms under the authority of the Imperial Princes and the United Church. Castle Blackmarsh was once its northernmost outpost. The empire collapsed five hundred years ago after a cataclysmic battle known as the Shattering.
The Wild North
The Wild North is a land of stark beauty and ancient magic, where ice, wilderness, and old rivalries shape the fate of its people. The region is home to the Rurasin, descendants of Viking explorers, and the Sorobes, elk-hunting tribes native to the land. Divided among rival city-states ruled by princes and merchant councils, the Wild North still bears the icy remnants of the Great Glacier that once covered it.
Blackmarsh
Over 2,500 years ago, a mountain fell from the sky, striking what is now Blackmarsh and forming the Smoking Bay. The impact triggered disasters, storms, and the collapse of early civilizations. In the chaos that followed, cultures and tribes migrated across the continent seeking more stable lands.
In the wasteland around the Smoking Bay, adventurers discovered viz, magic in physical form. Scattered throughout the region were strange artifacts and creatures that survived the fall of the Mountain. Over time, many came to Blackmarsh in search of fortune. Eventually, the elves arrived, driving out rival factions, subduing the monsters, and healing the land. They formed the Blackmarsh Rangers, an order that welcomes all who are willing to defend the land and its people.
Today, the elves and the Rangers continue to watch over Blackmarsh, alongside realms like Castle Blackmarsh and the Duchy of the Ostrobards. But the surrounding wilds are home to many dangers: dark elves, orcs, goblins, and Viking raiders with ambitions of their own.
The Southlands
The Southlands are a vast and rugged frontier, deserts, plains, forests, and mountains teeming with danger and opportunity. Adventurers struggle to push back the wilderness and extend the reach of civilization. They face enemies ranging from orc warbands to dark elves of the Underrealm, as well as traitors and exiles from the Grand Kingdom who have carved out hidden strongholds. Yet they are not alone, dwarves, elves, and halflings stand ready to aid those who fight for good.
Vasa
Three centuries ago, Vikings from Norland began expanding outward, exploring the Majestic Fantasy Realms by sea. One wave reached the western shores of the Grey Sea, where they were drawn by the rich fur trade and founded permanent settlements. Eventually, they declared the Kingdom of Vasa.
Fifty years later, they encountered the Grand Kingdom. At first, the two powers allied against the Gnoll King, but hostilities soon followed. After a six-decade conflict, the Grand Kingdom conquered Vasa. The surviving nobility fled to Castle Taldane in Blackmarsh and established a kingdom-in-exile. Nearly a century later, the Grand Kingdom’s grip on Vasa remains strong, but resistance still simmers.
Northport
Northport is the westernmost duchy of the Grand Kingdom. At its center lies the city of Northport, ruled by Duke Duncan McDowell. The region’s wealth flows from its fishing, mining, and trade across the Grey Sea and along the Water of Boyle.
Following the Grand Kingdom's victory in the Great Gnoll War and its conquest of Vasa, the duke’s vassals, noble houses loyal to the crown and court, have governed the region. Yet peace remains elusive. Outlaws and vengeful druids haunt the forests, smugglers trade with rebel Vikings, and intrigue simmers behind courtly façades.
Magic also runs deep here. Hidden forest paths lead to ancient wolds and lost elven kingdoms. Powerful Sidhe Lords manipulate mortal passions from their mountain lairs. Mage conclaves pursue strange agendas behind tower walls, seeking mastery over the arcane.
The Grey Sea
The Grey Sea is vast and stormy, its waters shaped by fierce currents, deadly reefs, and bountiful fishing grounds. Once, reavers, pirates, and Vikings roamed freely. Today, the Grand Kingdom’s naval dominance has pushed most of them back, except for the exiled Vasans of Castle Taldane and a few remaining pirate ships.
At the sea’s center lie the Ring Islands, an archipelago formed when a viz-rich fragment broke off during the Mountain’s fall and crashed into the ocean. The central island, the Nexus, channels wild magical energies, making the surrounding islands unpredictable and dangerous. Only the Ring Tower on Ringwatch Island offers a stable base for those who seek to explore the archipelago’s mysteries and reap its rewards.
Beneath the waves lies an entire undersea world. Kingdoms of merfolk and marauding Sahuagin wage war in the deep. Storm giants serve the Thunder God in crystal halls, and the ruins of a drowned empire still whisper the name of Bathynaz, the Kraken Lord, a demon whose power once ruled the depths.
