Altan'ruhl - Before the Splintering
That said, many of the cultures that existed prior to the Splintering still factor heavily into the culture that exists today, so understanding the factors that shaped the world can provide insight into the various towns and people that might be encountered.
The Revulon
The Revulon was a large river that traveled south to north along the western half of Altanruhl, the longest known river. Dotted up and down this massive river were a number of lords and ladies that claimed portions of the river and the surrounding environs. These Lords of the Revulon formed a confederacy of sorts, each an independent ruler of his own kingdom, but all could come together for military purposes or common cause when necessary. Culturally, the people in this area fell into one of three buckets:- The Lords - These individuals were haughty nobility who existed on the earnings of the classes beneath them. Each fiefdom had its own style, but by and large they prioritized independence.
- The Merchants - The real life-blood of the Revulon came from the merchant class. Hagglers and swindlers, the merchants made the entire thing "go."
- The Serfs - Unfortunately, beneath lords and merchants were the isolated and oppressed serf class. These individuals tended the land, performed manual labor, and existed primarily as marks or fodder for the classes above them.
Oceangarde
Proud and aloof, the towering city of Oceangarde was once the pinnacle of all civilized culture. Oceangarde touts a history of being the oldest civilization in Altanruhl, containing records dating back thousands of years. They have extremely organized and structured lives, and firm rules that govern everything they do. While they no longer command the culture of the world as they once did, they still maintain a formidable enough presence that no gathering of powers would be complete without representation from Oceangarde.People of Oceangarde tend to be very precise and structured. They believe firmly in rules and organization, and endeavor to allow that to influence not only their own lives, but the others around them.
No discussion on the culture of Oceangarde would be complete without a glimpse into the city. It is the single largest city in all of Altanruhl, larger even than Eibenein in the south or Favholm of the Saldragon Princedom. It is built into and onto the high cliffs near the northmost sea, with gleaming white towers shining out over the water, and walls over 60 feet high in places. Buildings are constructed both atop and directly into the terraced surface of the cliffs.
Oceangarde also contains one of The Illustrious Four, the Hallowed Halls.
The Splintering left Oceangarde mostly intact, although the northeast wall now looks out into the Pael rather than the ocean that was once there.
Read more about Oceangarde (coming soon).
Saldragon Princedom
While Oceangarde touts being the oldest civilization, The Princedom undisputedly commands the largest, being thousands of miles across. Nearly 80% of the land east of the Endless Wall are considered territory belonging to the Saldragon Princedom, which makes them sovereign of over 1/4 of the mainland. Dotted with immense castles and a wide geographic range, this kingdom is moderately at peace, or at least as peaceful as you can be for so large a kingdom.The size of the kingdom is navigated by an immense network of Hives, immense towers that are used as refueling and trading stations for the fleet of Airships constantly in motion over the Princedom.
Unfortunately, the kingdom is able to remain united because of three very serious threats that continually face their kingdom. In the north, the Princedom had been forced to endure constant attacks from endless legions of undead. Even when the Splintering was at its worst, this conflict commanded more attention than shelter from the Pael. Their lengthy coast makes them vulnerable to the Elves of the Eastern Sea, sailing along in their Floating Forest, pirates and pillagers taking the wealth and spoils of the Princedom for their own. Finally, and most significantly, the SDP faces the threat of their namesake: The Dragons. Dragons rove up and down the length of the territory, destroying villages, eating livestock, wrecking airships, and worse. This threat has grown more significantly since the Splintering.
Within the Princedom, people are almost fatalistic, but not gloomily so. Most have a deep understanding of their place within the world, and don't aspire to much more than that, feeling that their place is just and they are doing their part to support a much bigger entity. Princes are Princes. Lords are Lords, and Peasants are Peasants.
The Splintering left this realm far safer than before. First, and perhaps most strangely, despite the immense size, no individual Splinters appear to have formed within the Princedom, keeping it as an extraordinarily large (and unbroken) realm. Second, the warfront against the undead was completely severed by the Pael... IE: The pathway became cutoff, and so far, no undead have come forth. It may be possible they too cannot travel through the Pael.
Read more about the Saldragon Princedom.
The Iron Hills
The Iron Hills were broken into several pieces by the Splintering, but contain notable features of interest. The first item of note is the existence of Orcs. Orcs are dangerous and brutal fighters that live in tribes dotting the Iron Hills. Mostly they war with one another, but occasionally in history, they have banded together under a single war leader, and this threat has been enough to make all of Westeran Altanruhl tremble (deadly fighters, resistance to the Pael; they are nigh unstoppable when they work together). The second big item of significance is Stonerang Institute, which is one of The Illustrious Four.Life in the Iron Hills is challenging, whether you are Orc or Human. Orc tribes wage almost constant war with other tribes, ensuring that weakness does not survive from one generation to the next. Humans, by and large, must live under the same complications. Harsh winters, dangerous indigenous peoples, and being generally isolated from more civilized regions, these humans are both gritty and self-sufficient. They see life around them as it is, and face the concept that it could end at any moment. As such, they enjoy the brief stretch of time between birth and death.
Central Altan'ruhl
The central region of Altan'ruhl was always a dangerous and difficult place, and the Splintering has not made it any less so. Culturally, the people of Middle Altan'ruhl are as diverse as its various regions. Three are rugged mountain tribes, shattered cities that have both been conquerors and been conquered dozens of times over. The shadow of the Endless Wall looms over them to the East, the impossibly tall Spire of the Sorcerer to the Northwest, and the Orcish hordes to the south. Their principle stronghold, the Citadel, has seen its power slowly decline over the past three generations, and was completely obliterated during the Rise of the Second Sorcerer, leaving nothing but Splinters no wider than a few feet across, and hordes of Pael Beasts spewing forth.Anybody left surviving in Central Altan'ruhl is probably seeking the fastest path away.
The Elves of the Floating Forest
The make their home along the Eastern shore of Altan'ruhl. No history records a time when the elves actually numbered among the land-dwelling people, but rumors say that when humans first learned to manipulate the Pael, the Elves foretold the chaos that was to follow and isolated themselves. Still others say that the Elves worshipped dragons as gods, and that colonies of dragons were once found in the islands east of Altanruhl before Rehl Flameshield led his Purge.The Elves built an enormous fleet of vessels that sail almost as a single moving island, and it is widely rumored that the city exists as much or more below the surface as above. Because of its greenish hue, this is called the Floating Forest.
Rare is the Elf who would venture beyond the Floating Forest for anything except a raid against the Princedom, but they do exist and can be found here and there.
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