The New Territories

The PCs are located on a sort of West-Coast-sized island in the far north of the world referred to commonly as Os Novos Territorios, or the New Territories. Aside from a very small population of indigenous loxodon known as the Pauaa in the far North, it was relatively isolated until approximately 1,100 years ago, when it was discovered by explorers from the mainland. Rumors spread of possible magical resources to harvest from the largely uncultivated landscape. There was a sudden rush from the many many countries in the South to grab up as much of the New Territories as possible. They set up rival port towns all along the coast and spread inwards to explore and search for shit.

After a time, however, the newcomers found there really wasn't anything extraordinary about the island. Most of the continent was frigid high desert and grasslands, thick temperate rainforest too dense and aggressive to easily agriculturalize, or mountains and marsh primarily inhabited by beasts. It contained some new and interesting biodiversity, both magical and mundane, but largely without an exploitable amount of resources. Many of the countries left colonies behind, and still use some of the port-towns for the convenience of trade, but for the most part the island has largely been abandoned by its original explorers. The remaining colonies have now largely established their own national identities and cultures. Although humans are largely the most common race, you find much racial and cultural variation.

_{*Note for map: The Clouded Island is actually represented by #12. I don’t remember what I had intended #11 to be. Womp womp}.

1. The Frost Desert

The Frost Desert is the Northern most Tundric region of the Island. Uninhabitable by most, you know this region to hold the highest concentration of the Pauaa, as they are of the few who can survive in its harsh conditions.

2. Ufudo

You know it to be occupied largely by a pirating culture that came from the southern hemisphere, occupied one of the least occupy-able areas of land, and so largely depends on pillaging coastal towns. They’ve never fucked much with Prescott, the city where you all start out, on account of it’s super defensible harbour system and significant military force.

3. The Dust Marsh

A largely barren patch of high-desert (think Central Oregon). Occupied by no one in particular, but home to some roaming bands of traders, nomads, herdsman, and bandits.

4. Garourisson and 5. Le Villeloup

Both city-states separated by dust marsh conducted a revolution and seceded from the same motherland, initially as one national identity, and then proceeded to conduct revolutions against one ANOTHER, squabbling over territories and resources. Although communication with the outside world is scarce, as they have been in a state of passive aggressive warfare over the past couple of hundred years, there are always rumors. The most prevalent one is that they willfully infected their military populations with lycanthropy to create more effective soldiers. Who knows though.

6. The Juniper Citadel

The Juniper Citadel is a military colony centralized on top of a large plateau in the desert. They have a monopoly on one of the few interesting resources to be found on the island - Arcane Jade. They have mined what is thought to be perhaps the only vein of it on the island, and have defended it furiously for some 800 years. A matriarchal, aggressively warlike people, they are ruled by the Mogul Orual.

7. The City of Prescott

The center stage of our story!

8. The Bark Labyrinth

A hecka big forested mountain range. Varied communities within.

9. The Muck

A swamp. It's probably yucky. I bet there are mosquitoes.

10. Bol'shaya igra

Another large city, the closest large trading hub. High population of those with orc lineage, governed by an aristocratic family branch of an imperial mainland nation. Strongly religiously homogeneous, worshiping Malar, god of the Hunt.

11. The Clouded Island

Sort of a wildlife refuge, entirely inhabited by animals and druids. Created in response to the initial rush to exploit resources on the island, both indigenous and newly arriving druids rushed to create a space for endemic species to live. There have been attempts by various nations to occupy this space, but they learned quickly not to fuck with these guys.

Type

Continent