Zephyr Skies: The Winter Sage

Cities and Towns

Note: There are other cities and towns throughout the continent, but most of these are randomly generated.

Labrynne
Geography: West of the Millennium Plains, on the coast of the South Sea
Controlling Power: Calcedonia
Weather: Sunny, prone to sudden fogs
Description: Like most capitol cities, Labrynne is full of huge government buildings and massive public works. Red tiled roofs and marble columns are a dime a dozen, but housing is at a premium in poorer districts. While no part of the city can be classified as a slum, the southern and western districts are quite impoverished. The wide and slow-moving River of Kings splits the city in two and provides for a great deal of the city's economy. Many of the trade guild and universities have property along this beautiful river, and an entire branch of local government is dedicated to the preservation of this natural resource. During the Spring Equinox festival, the entire city is bedecked with flowers and bright greens, and the Royal Family always makes a point of being seen helping some of the tidier street urchins make these decorations. Some major city attractions include the Opera House, the Palace, and, on the city's outskirts, the Haunted Gardens.
Lore:The Kings of Calcedonia have held court in Labrynne since the founding of the kingdom far in the past. Legend claims that should the River of Kings ever be dammed, then so too should the royal bloodline. Thus, no attempts have been made to construct weirs or levies that would control season flooding on the river. The Haunted Gardens, officially called the Royal Arboretum of Queen Aulonza, are said to be haunted by the angry spirits of those killed in the queen's (sometimes
called the Mad Queen) purges two hundred years ago. For this reason, the Gardens have fallen into disrepair.

Silvius
Geography: West of the Tektuk Forest, North of the South Sea and Siren's Cove
Controlling Power: Malcaira
Weather: Humid, windy, prone to high pollen levels
Description: This capital of the Malcairn Empire is home to many of the world's premiere schools of theology, thaumaturgy, and buisness. Far more sprawling than Labrynne, this fortress city contains a huge number of citizens. Originally confined to an island in the center of a Lake, the city is home to many flotillas of barges, houseboats, and waterborne businesses. As it straddles the Correlus River (a major connection between the South Sea and Northwest Providences), much of the city's wealth and influence originated from its ability to control trade to slightly under half of the continent. The long-defunct Chain of Correlus spans from one side of the river to the other, and, in theory, it can still be raised to destroy the hulls of ships unwilling to pay taxes to the Malcairn Emperor. Dominated by the Steel Tower, a massive column of gray granite and steel, citizens of Silvius are constantly reminded that they are subjects of the emperor. The intelligence branch in the Steel Tower uses an extensive network of spies and secret police to make sure that everyone is happy and safe, but stories about the massive, floating prisons offshore are usually intensive enough to keep one's head down.
Lore: Even though the empire is run by various Lord and Councils, the government maintains that the emperor is still alive and well. They claim that no one has seen him for many years because the perfection of his form would drive an ordinary man insane.

Aurora City
Geography: Northern Tundra, near the Pole
Controlling Power: None
Weather: Snowy, cloudy
Description: As a usual arctic fishing port, this "city" has very few inhabitants, and all of them work together to survive the harsh, permanent winter of the North. Most buildings are either homes or fortified boathouses, and nearly all buildings are constructed from driftwood or other sea refuse. A particular attraction of the city is its main bar, The Storm. Residing in the bowels of a beached and toppled whaler, The Storm is a hub of information and trade. If you want a job in the harsh north, you'll probably receive word of it from The Storm's barman. Snow in Aurora City is a constant problem, thus, it isn't hard to rent sled teams, and most of the buildings in the center of town are connected by rope bridges.
Lore: Local sages are known for their potency with ice magic, and more than one of them will tell you about their supposed travels to the part of the city said to reach into the aurora its self. The few scraps of metal that can be found in this town are in the crude tribal signs made to deter wandering spirits. Most scholars find this talk of soulless wraiths little more than idle superstition, but there might be more to it than just talk...

Areas

Obsidian Mesa
Geography: Mountainous, located along the Western Ridge. Easy pass between the Millennium Plains and trade routes in the Sand Ocean
Controlling Power: Calcedonia
Weather: Hot, dry, windy
Description: This large, flat, mesa is situated between two of the continent's largest peaks, one of which is a dormant volcano. Ancient lava flows made the mesa rich in both minerals and secrets. Several small settlements crop up from time to time along the Mesa's rim, but water is scarce in the center. Most of the Mesa is filled with dangerous caverns, many of them hewn from the rock by flowing water, lava, or both. These caves sometimes function as cisterns for rainwater dropped by the infrequent storms, but anyone relying on these natural wells for water will soon be confounded by the deep caverns. As its name suggests, obsidian is quite common on the Obsidian Mesa, and razor sharp chunks of the stuff are usually found by accident upon squeezing through tight, underground passages.
Lore: Of the few ancient tribes that lived in the area, very little is known. Adventures often return with tales of well preserved villages and cruel, ritual artifacts. It is also said the the caves below the mesa stretch to the earth's core.

Sand Ocean
Geography: Dry and desolate, natural barrier to invaders. Northwestern border between Calcedonia and Malcaira
Controlling Power: Calcedonia
Weather: Hot, arid
Description: The Sand Ocean is a massive desert, and it is home to very little wildlife. Oases are almost nonexistent, and what little water is found in this vast, dry, expanse is usually in the form of freak blizzards along its northern edge. This desert is named from the unusual blue-black color of some of its sand. On clear days, this blue seems to dominate the view, and this led early settlers to give it its name. The only reason to venture into the center of the Sand Ocean is the mining settlement placed over the only known vein of Eternium.
Lore: Because wadis appear so infrequently, locals treat them like angels, lifelines in a brutal world. There are also legends of sandstone cities which come and go overnight during the frequent sandstorms. An ancient race of half-men, half-cheetah is said to inhabit them, but no evidence of this has ever been recovered.

Millennium Plains
Geography: Flat, grassy, and fertile. Dominates central Calcedonia
Controlling Power: Calcedonia
Weather: Temperate, perpetually spring-like
Description: The Millennium Plains is a massive prairie, and it is the single largest natural form on the continent. The occasional forests and rivers that dot the plains serve as excellent landmarks and safe havens for those traveling from the capital to the northern or western reaches of Calcedonia. Most of the population of Calcedonia lives in towns and villages throughout the plain, and its residents consider it the source of Calcedonia's international economic power.
Lore: The seemingly everlasting spring in the plains is said to be a gift from the gods to the first king of Calcedonia for some great service. The new Scientific Academy in Malcaira, however, attributes this natural bounty to the plains' advantageous geographical location.

Cape of Rage
Geography: Rocky and infertile. South of the Western Ridge
Controlling Power: Calcedonia (disputed)
Weather: Somewhat tropical, rainy
Description: This narrow peninsula that protrudes into the South Sea is home to a variety of towns and natural landforms. It has, in the past, been the home of several cross-border forays by both the Calcedonia and Malcairn armies. Ironically, the Cape is home to the rich and influential as well. The secluded coves and harbors of the Cape are full of illegal pirating and smuggling operations. These unsavory types use the cave networks beneath the cape to do their business. Riptides and sudden storms have marooned many a ship on the cluster of islands around the Cape, and more than one of these islands are home to secluded tribes and even a few cults.
Lore: A notorious gang of pirates and thieves known as the King's Men are said to move about the South Sea on an enchanted ship known as the Emerald Queen. It is also said they make port in the Cape of Rage.

Tektuk Forest
Geography: Lush, loamy soil. Spans from Siren's Cove along the Drakalor Range to the Pole
Controlling Power: Malcaira
Weather: Misty, rainy, humid.
Description: This expansive forest provides much of the Malcairn Empire with much needed lumber and game animals. It is also home to a variety of swamps and bogs which fill the Forest with its characteristic mildewy odor. The Forest also has its fair share of indigenous people, who can be found towards its Eastern edge in the Drakalor Mountain Range. These tribes are known for their work with precious and semi-precious stones, especially Jade and Emeralds. These peoples also fiercely guard their shrines and temples from outside exploration. All attempts by the Malcairn Empire to control the indigenous
population of the Tektuk forest have failed.
Lore: Many of the tribes in the Tektuk Forest beleive that Jade and Emerald are the minerals of the gods, and for this reason, most ceremonial artifacts recovered from the area contain high quantities of these two stones. Of late, sightings of the common Tektuk aboriginal god, Taluxtectus, have been reported. As Taluxtectus is part cobra, part bear, and approximately 21 feet tall, these sightings have been discounted.

Whispering Woods
Geography: Rocky, mountainous. West of the Calcedonian Highlands
Controlling Power: Calcedonia, none farther West
Weather: Hazy, dry, overcast
Description: It is not known how far West the Whispering Woods extend, although many adventurers and cartographers have tried to measure it. Very few people live in this region, and those who do generally make their living hunting, trapping, or logging. All three of these professions are rendered quite dangerous by the rugged terrain. A vast network of unplumbed and seemingly ever-changing rivers and creeks traverse the hills and crags hidden beneath the canopy of the Whispering Woods. As currents in the South Sea begin to move quite powerfully Southward around the Calcedonian Highlands, sea trade and fishing contribute very little to the local economy.
Lore: The Whispering Woods has its fair share of ghost stories. Most of these ghosts are the shades of and are reported by adventures and treasure seekers who believe that a city of diamonds is hidden somewhere deep in the forest. Several tales of Ents and whole groves of animated trees have been passed down in families as well.