Dragon Realms Campaign World

The World of the Dragon Realms

The campaign world I’m setting the adventures in is based on a previous campaign. The current scenarios will take place 2000 years in the past on the planet that was the home to the City-States of Talismonde, Talizine, Kweebia, Raven, Varacas Grimslade, Landor and Hoji.

What follows is a brief description of each of the countries shown on the Map of the Dragon Realms. Further details and game information on character races and classes can be found on later pages. First of all, far less of the planet’s habitable regions have been explored and even in most major population centers, civilization’s grip is tenuous at best.

Avanir is home to the Silver Elves. Their capitol and home to the School of Emerald Wizardry and Witchcraft is Bespiron and the major trade and travel center is Cliffwhistle. The Silver Elves are ruled by a council of elders which represent the major guilds, nobles, and clergy. The Elves are makers of wondrous weapons and arcane tools, but they jealously guard these items because of past betrayals at the hands of humans and dwarves. The main trade partners of the elves are the people of Rutstalt and Freeport, the Tinkers of Pentathaway. There is occasional trade with the human nomads of Hell’s Camp, who revere the Elves, and Avanir is the preferred vacation spot of wealthy Burgents.

Dugerdeeps is the mountain range favored by the Wild Dwarfs. These rugged miners are organized into fiercely loyal familial clans and work in ancestral deeps. The Dwarfs mastered the Riddle of Steele a long time ago and make themselves wealthy supplying humans with weapons. The most powerful Dwarf, Alanor Magesmith, has declared himself the Mountain King, and holds the power in the Dwarfs largest city, Redsteel Gate. Dwarves regard all races with suspicion. Orcs and goblins are killed on sight.

Equigonia is the war torn land of squabbling human warlords and the knights, clergy, thanes, and peasants who serve them. Their capitol at Garigorn Keep is currently held by Lord Aquinas Remus of Greendale, but he has not earned the allegiance of more than a few other warlords. Thus, the kingdom is under the constant threat of war. Battles are frequent, but fortunately, most of the nobles realize that Equigonia cannot afford to throw all her knights away in internal conflict. So an uneasy peace has emerged to stay prepared for the common raids and wars with goblins, orcs, ogres, and barbarians. The towns of Oakhurst, Brindinford, Ossington and Blasingdell are all primarily inhabited by humans. Burgents, dwarves and Silver Elves are welcome in all Equigonian settlements. Wood Elves and barbarian folk are regarded with suspicion.

The Freewoods are the home to the Wood Elves or Grugach. Several generations ago the Grugach were slaves to the Lizardmen of the Tichenese Empire far across the ocean. During a thousand years of enslavement, the Grugach held fiercely to what little remnants of their culture they could. They developed powerful sorceries, natural magic, and a fighting style which utilized farming tools and bare knuckles. After a grueling war and escape onto the oceans, the Grugach found themselves delivered by their new god, Deltherain, at the feet of a vast forest, their new home. The Elves of the Freewoods are very secretive and territorial. They have a live and let live policy and general but malicious intruders are met with deadly force, whether they are goblins, orcs, or humans. As usual, Burgents are welcome and the humans of Hell’s Camp are regarded as friends.

Greenpillow Downs is the primary home of the Burgents of the Dragon Realms. Although Burgents are welcome most everywhere, no where is quite as homey as the Downs. Like the Burgents themselves, Greenpillow Downs is idyllic and comfortable on the surface, but years of attacks by goblins, orcs, and occasionally human bandits or barbarians, have necessitated a hidden arsenal of carefully crafted war machines, traps and guard posts hidden around the Downs. In recent years, the Burgents’ and Hellions’ mutual respect for both Elven kingdoms has brought them closer. But due to the size of Burgent dwellings, outsiders are very rare. Even others of the small folk are rare, since Burgents find Dwarves grim and unsettling, and Tinkers think Burgents are boring and mundane.

Hell’s Camp is the commonly used nickname of the Greenrock Highlands and Silver River Valley, home of the tribal Humans. They are known in most of the Dragon Realms as "Hellions" because of their fierce warriors and "primitive" ways. The highlanders are actually the predecessors to some of the humans in Equigonia and practice ancient versions of its religion. In recent times the Hellions have established better relations with most other nations, especially the Dwarves, Elves and Burgents, whom they regard as little cousins. Equigonian and Pentathaway are regarded with suspicion. The Barbarians’ territory stretches well into the lowlands, taking advantage of internecine struggle in Equigonian to grab more farm area. Surprisingly, the Hellion warlords are benevolent to farmers with previous claims in this area.

Pentathaway is the land of the Tinkers or Gnomes, a reclusive people who are so amused by each others’ company that most tinkers seldom travel. This said, the few Tinkers who do feel the need for trade and travel have managed to foster an active trade route in the seas around them. Gnomish traders are protected by the Tinker Merchant Marines, a full fledged navy of insane Tinker soldiers, wizards, and bards. The Gnomes also engage in active trade with the Dwarves of Dugerdeep, and the humans of Equigonia, whom the gnomes supply with intricate weapons of self destruction. The Gnomes maintain a small but well equipped army to protect them form Orc and Goblin raids. Although the Hellions learned long ago that it is easier to trade with a tinker than use force, they are regarded with extreme suspicion.

Orkheim is the gathering place of the scattered Orc tribes. The Blackrock Throne is the seat of the Grand Warlord of the Orcs, Redfang Twoaxe, a towering and cunning soldier and high priest of Marghast. However, most Orcs resent leadership rather than flocking toward it, so they maintain their independence and find homes wherever they can. Fortunately the Dragon Realms are vast and Orc tribes inhabit almost every area, building strongholds or utilizing natural defenses as bases for their murderous raids on their neighbors.

Rutstalt is an independent city-state populated by members of all races. It is a center of learning, the home of two Universities of Magic, and a mecca for independent thinkers and freaks who found their homelands boring or backward. This openness, has made Rutstalt the largest and wealthiest city in the Dragon Realms. Fortunately, the variety of political attitudes and special interests keeps Rutstalt from building a military force capable of conquering other areas.

Freeport is the only known city on an island range called the Dragon’s Teeth. Two hundred years ago, it was not much more than a city of pirates, where illegal and stolen goods were traded in abundance. Piracy still abounds and ships flying pirate flags are still welcome in Freeport, but the city has gone ligit, with a Council of Captains and an hereditary Sea Lord, running the show.