Announcing Rite Publishing!

Today RITE PUBLISHING launches as an imprint dedicated to PDF adventures and supplemental material that "Requires the Use of Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved" along with being compatible with the Open Gaming License. You can read the complete press release HERE. Our first product an urban monster supplement, Veiled Denizens will be available at our storefront on 03/01/08.

Timeline of the Edgelands updated

Sorry abou the lack of an update look for an annoucment soon as to why, in my precelebration I am putting up something I have been working on including a clup of art to go with it, what follows is a work in progress on a timeline for the Edgelands and the Town of Far-rough.

180 The dramojh begin their war against the lands east of the Bitter Peaks: dramojh ivasion
181 The destruction of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (hence forth known as the Trinity Ruins)

547 The dramojh Fangmaster Sylythyss takes control of the area now know as the edgelands,
1102 Fangmaster Sylythyss creates the Curse of the Stromvale and begins the creation of the savage human tribe as the Khanish.
1103 Birth of the sibeccai
1228 Giants land at Khorl; the first giant is sited, first sibeccai is sited
1407 The Battle of the Serpent’s Heart, final defeat of the dramojh, dramojh refugess
1420 Council of Magisters formed; a member of the council from the region
1451 Order of the Axe founded: a chapterhouse of order is found in the region
1452 A secret monestary of Giant and Sibbeccai ritual warriors is hidden by magic in the bitter peaks.
1658 a ishon infestation comes spilling out of the floating forest, overrunning the native trolls and goblins, the khanish come spilling out of the stormvale and hunt the ishon to extinction in the forest.
1659 A gathering of dire boars are discovered in the floating forest, and become a massive food source
1660: a flight of strange tiger striped griffins decend upon the domestic and wild Rodant heards this year,
1661: a unique clan of intelligent water elementals is discovered to be traveling about the lakes, waterfalls and rainstorms of the floating forest.
1662: a tribe of satyrs lead by a charismatic leader found he high isle of music and wine in the floating forest
1663: A family of magically gifted sphinxes begins to lair within one of the anctient nem strongholds waylaying travelers eating those who cannot answer their riddles.
1668 Council of Magisters disbands; a former member of the council settles in a ancient dragon’s lair in the region
1669 A single unicorn of unique power and abilities destroys a band of trolls who attempt to raid the town of far-rough
1670 a group of brigands and graverobbers while rading a former dramojh cache release a large number of lamia of various unique forms that were held in stasis, only a lone female of the group was left to tell the tale.
1671 a group traveling to the dragon’s lair to seek the magisters help are attacked by flights of gargoyles who guard the entrance a single gargyle brings a message to the Giant Steward saying to send no other inquires.
1672: The Taskclaw Litorian Tribe are infected with a ghoulish plague, most are hunted down but rumors persist that members of the tribe escaped, and roam the plains still
1673: after helping hunt down the taskclaw tribe, the blacksky centaur tribe make a formal pledge to the giant steward of far-rough.
1674: after a hard winter, the trolls and goblin slaves led by a covey of hags raid the town of far rough, the raid is quite successful do to blade trolls joining the assault but the steward is able to have aid brought from the capital.

1675: the satyrs of the high isle of music and wine are slaughtered and their abodes left in ruin by the retreating tolls.
1676: The Knights of the Diamond called by the Steward, send the sphinxes fleeing to the cloudlands, on their return to De-Shammod.
1678: The X brothel is founded and open for business, its owned and operated openly by doppelgangers.
1679: A deranged escapee of the houses of the damned founds the Theorem Institute.

1680: Khanish raid and nearly eradicate the blacksky centaur tribe, the leave exactly 500 of the tribe alive stating they wish to leave a minimum viable population for the future.
1681: A vampire hunter from Khorl revels that Rarina the Invidious of the steward’s personal guard (The Steward’s Shield) is a vampire lord in service to the nightwalkers, she is destroyed but her coffin is never located.
1682: The Tower of Scion appears just south of the plain of eyes on midwinter night, a mojh runelord named Kargoth declares in the start of a new movement the Scion Foundation
1683: The Khanish decimate and plunder a six rhodin tribes including one formed entirely of Skurg this year, it takes four decades for the rhodin population to recover.
1684: The Bitter War (Slassan vs. Chorrim) starts this year ranging from the roof of the world to the dark depths, the fortress of Edgehold is built to protect the Chorrim from an attack by the Diamond Throne.

1685: The Clandestine War begins this year between the Vallorian and the hyplonox in the wake of the bitter war,as the hyplonox support the chorrim and the vallorian support the chorrim.
1686: Based on a pledge to the Harrowdeep Court Faen arrive and start a village a sky-isle away from Satyr-island, in order to “commune with the green of the floating forest”
1687: A band of alabast proform a ritual of creation for a week straight in the shadow of a bitter peak tor and create Ginnesh Minos the Ivory Enclave.
1688:
1758 The dragons return from the Mysterious West; the dragon X arrives in the area.
1759 Today

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE EDGELANDS (PART IV)

SCION FOUNDATION: exactly south-west of far rough in at the boundary of an area in the Edgelands called the plain of eyes (due to the high presence of Staj) is a strange lone tower that is wider at the top than at the bottom, jutting out in three directions, and looking almost like three separate towers. It is called the Foundation of Scion, and originally would serve as a retreat for Mojh until the Wildlands of Kish took over that purpose it has now become a place of study, recruitment and conversion.

STORMVALE: Most likely a cartographer would consider the stormvale outside the bounds of the Edgelands, but since its residents a human tribe who call themselves the Khanish have raided Far-Rough in the past the locals include disagree. The Kanish were a sect of religious political prisoners forcibly trapped within the stormvale by the dramojh in an experiment to see if extreme environmental conditions rather than magical breeding could create a suitable sample of warrior stock. As such the Khanish are cursed to remain within the stormvale lest they succumb to wasting sickness overtime, and the vale is subject to constant unending storms leaving little to no fertile earth within the vale.

THEOREM INSTITUTE: this large ranch structure is made mostly of brass, and serves as a academy of invention for the verrik who live here they are attempting to develop a synthesis of engineering and magic, which the verrik refer to as Steam Arcanum. It is said some of the institutes funding comes from the Diamond Throne itself and that the institutes’ designs will be put into military service in a predicted war against the dragons.

TRINITY RUINS : Amongst the farmlands north-east of Far-rough lies all that remains of a once magnificent cathedral that was dedicated to The Hanavere Trinity, In truth the power cyst the trinity used to ascend exists upon this site though the cyst is now entirely empty. The temple itself was left in ruins by the trinity themselves to keep it out of the hands of the dramojh. All that remains now are the cursed spirits of the dramojh that haunt the grounds.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE EDGELANDS (Part III)

NORTHCLUTCH: To the South in the heart of the floating forest is a clutch of harrid, who travel about on the Airship Crying Star, they are primarily traders, though many rumors persist that they are raiders, and many accusations come from the Cloudlands of the Windlords (lammasu, giant eagles, shendu, and sphinxes also reside in the clouldlands as well); but the Steward has no solid evidence and for now they are left alone. There are also whispers that they have struck an alliance with the Sisters of Eis-Nachtblut.

OSSUARY OF NEM: So near the Bitter Peaks and the Threat of Black Streams the people of the land have long had the practice of burning their bodies down to the bones and burying the bones in two separate vessels, they are then taken and placed in an ancient necropolis known as the Ossuary of Nem. Yet in the long years it has become an Abode for strange abominations such as Xaaer, but strangely no undead.

PANTHEON RUINS: One of the most prominent ruins and oft visited places in the Edgelands are the remnants of a temple to the Gods of the Denotholan, which sits upon the banks of Niashra’s Estuary to the north. A copy of the human hero’s journey to the mystical realm of the gods is still held within and protected by an immortal oathsworn known only as Prior (hm os 25), who is said to dole out advice to those who come to worship here.

SANCTUARY OF FORMS (Xa-Arren): This secret monastery was founded as a training ground for giants and sibeccai seeking to prefect the arts of the ritual warrior. It takes only the most serious and skilled of applicants, who are given letters of introduction by their masters. Since announcing its existence this last year it has recently taken a human and litorian as members. It is rumored that in times of crisis the Steward can call upon the sanctuary to perform military service.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE EDGELANDS (Part II)

HIGHTREE: is a faen village-colony created at the command of the Harrowdeep Court located just to the south east of Far-Rough, it is primarily populated by sprites as the village has been built upon on the sky-isle of one of the great gassar trees. Faen love of the gassar trees, abode in the floating forest; they currently have a truce with the Sisters of Eis-Nachtblut the covey of hags who rule local tribes of trolls and blade trolls, by agreeing to report any escaped goblin slaves.

GINNESH MINOS (The Ivory Enclave): To the south west underneath a shaded Tor is a pyramid of ivory colored frosted glass call Ginnesh Minos. It is a rebellious satellite of Kellest Minos two of the most gifted refused a promotion to become king and queen. Here they have found a place more akin to their homeland, yet their creed is make Serren their home, and make sure their population grows, there are currently just one band, not enough for a viable population, but many have begun to travel to visit relatives and end up settling permanently, Kellest Minos has not yet made an official response.

FORGEHOME: Just over 75 miles to the south east is a forge and tower made entirely of iron that stands next to the Theorem Institute. It is sanctuary of the Codex Ferrinium of the Iron Born. Anyone interested in creating a free-willed Ironborn, may come here and create one, with the ironborn magisters who live here providing the material, resources and know-how, in return the ironborn increase their population.

LIEGE SHRINE: This long ruined shrine, has recently seen a near miraculous rebirth and renovation. It has become occupied by a flight of Dracha, who revere Erixalimar, Dragonliege; The Steward has yet to make a decision as to what to do about the Dracha, he applauds their renovation of a ruin, but is concerned about the presence of draconic servants in the Lands of the Diamond Throne.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE EDGELANDS

Population: 2,000 (40% human, 18% faen, 10% litorian, 10 % giant, 10% sibeccai, 10% verrik, 1% mojh, 1% other) as low as 1,500 in winter and 2,500 in the peak of the spring trade season and again at the fall harvest. The Faen population continues to grow here especially with the founding of hightree village in the Floating forest. One of the Stewards newest laws is that the city is open for trade from any race including the rhodin and trolls from the Floating Forest, though only in small numbers, and they are watched closely by the local militia.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE EDGELANDS

The lands around Far-Rough, while a frontier is not a barren for this realm has long been a dwelling place for nearly two-thousand years. Far-Rough originally was a village that dealt in the lumber of the great gassar trees whose trade, grew into a minor town, recently with the discovery of Serathis it has swelled into a near city. Its trade route runs from Jerad, through the Fields of Yallatonan to the bitter peaks, with another lesser path from Mi-Theron and the lumber path still follows Nara’s Estuary to De-Shamod so a few take this path from Serathis. Here is a prominent though hardly comprehensive list of other points of interest for travelers and peddlers.

CYCLOPEON STEAD: the majority of farms that lay to the north and east of Far-Rough are populated by humans and grynlocs, there is one rather exceptionally large farm that is neither. It is the family farm of eight cyclopes, where they raise dire cattle and even dire sheep, both the dire bulls and the dire rams can be a danger to those who wander onto their property by accident. They are an embarrassment to the steward but the meat they supply, and their good relations with the grynlocs have robbed him of any justification in attacking them. They are still not welcome in the city, so peddlers travel to them.

DARK DEPTHS: the lightless lands beneath the edge lands are populated by three factions, the Slassan who are in engaged in War with The Chorrim of the Bitter peaks, The Vallorian who secretly trade in the town for the riches of Serathis, and the Hypnolox who are have engaged the Vallorian in clandestine cold war.

EDGEHOLD: Some 75 miles to west at an entrance into the heart of the Bitter Peaks, lays a Chorrim Military outpost, called Edgehold, it marked the western boundary of the Edgelands, and the border of War Marshal Rasham’s territory. Currently the War Marshal is not looking to start a two-front war by invading the Edgelands as he is currently struggling with the Slassan for supremacy of the expanse beneath the Bitter Peaks.

The Setting Evolved: Geography of a Town

“It is a diamond far in the rough, here folk make a home out of what lies between the bitter peaks, the floating forest and the vast central plains; and though it lays upon the path to Serathis, The Ruins of Intrigue, it is not nearly as lawless. Yet, by no means is it as safe as a true city of the Hu-Charad. The town of Far-Rough is the Birthplace of Seral the Rune Messiah, and the Cradle of Nem, and I am its Steward“ as spoken by Vi-Carris; Steward of Sa-Haraz to Our Lady Protector; 6970 GT

Geography of Far-Rough

The Cradle of Nem, The Birthplace of Seral, Sa-Haraz; the town and the lands around it have many names, yet the most common is its human name, Far-Rough. It lies on the north-western edge of the Floating Forest near the Bitter Peaks, and the south-western edge of the central plains. It is commonly called “The Edgelands” by the locals because it lies on the edge of these three regions and because survival here often depends upon the edge of a blade. There are no hard a fast boundaries that define the edgelands, you’re in them only so long as the locals say you are.

Far-Rough’s size is mostly dictated by the slowly growing trade and a need for more farmland to support a larger population. All the farm land lies north east of the town away from the floating forest, being well into the central plains. Far-Rough has seen a rapid growth from modest town to its current near-city size with the opening of the trade route to Serathis, yet it this is not the only trade route, and the town is unlikely to grow further.

Most of the town sits on two high hills that sit on opposite sides the river known as Nara’s Estuary, it then spreads along the shores of a wild lake the local’s call Fanormere, protected by The Woven Wall (a wall built using the caementicium techniques of long dead Devania, and reinforced by the crystal weavers in those ancient times before the Dramojh Invasion; all covered by a veneer of stone.) Only the newest parts of the town, like the Traveler’s Burroughs lay outside this wall. Fanormere itself was created by the gigantic gassar trees of the floating forest, though those trees and their islands are long gone, and the Woven Wall creates a dam that keeps the lake constantly filled, and allows the farmlands to be irrigated.

The Woven Wall is pierced by tower gates, the Fanorwier which leads to the fishing docks of the lake; the Narawier, which has a path that leads north along the river toward the Ghostwash, The Floatingate, which leads to the lumber camps and toward the floating forest. Farmer’s Way which leads out int the central plains and most of the homesteads; and the Traveler’s Door, which gives entrance in to the traveler’s burroughs and to the Serathis trade route. The most current project under consideration by the Steward is a true road to Serathis, but it is meeting stiff opposition.

Vekik’s Watchtower sits atop the western hill upon a sky-isle of a gassar tree, and is the highest point in the city. Many long viewing devices purchased from the Verrik are stored here. A very small clan of merfolk, has been trapped in Fanormere by the dramojh fangmaster Sylythyss for over 800 years, and is at the lowest point of the city on the eastern side of the damn. There are rumors about the old undercity of Nem that was once with in the walls, but it seems these were all turned into cellars that have since been walled off but rumors persist.

History of Far-Rough

Since I am going to be detailing the area of the Diamond Throne formally known as the Duchy of Nem, I decided to start with the history (timeline) of the region, so that the region could evolve organically out of its past. This timeline is still in development and its final form is likely to be a bit different but I decided I wanted to do the last 200 years, touch on some major events, this is pure worldbuilding and may be a complete waste of time but I may turn each event into an adventure seed if I can.

all of these are done in the common years. (still a work in progress).

1659 A gathering of dire boars are discovered in the floating forest, and become a massive food source

1660: a flight of strange tiger striped griffins descend upon the domestic and wild Rodant herds this year,

1661: a unique clan of intelligent water elementals is discovered to be traveling about the lakes, waterfalls and rainstorms of the floating forest.

1662: a tribe of satyrs lead by a charismatic leader found he high isle of music and wine in the floating forest

1663: A family of magically gifted sphinxes begins to lair within one of the ancient Nem strongholds waylaying travelers eating those who cannot answer their riddles.

1668 Council of Magisters disbands; a former member of the council settles in an ancient dragon's lair in the region

1669 A single unicorn of unique power and abilities destroys a band of trolls who attempt to raid the town of far-rough

1670 a group of brigands and grave robbers while raiding a former dramojh cache release a large number of lamia of various unique formers that were held in stasis, on a lone female of the group was left to tell the tale.

1671 a group traveling to the dragon's lair to seek the magisters help are attacked by flights of gargoyles that guard the entrance a single gargoyle brings a message to the Giant Steward saying to send no other inquires.

1672: The Taskclaw Litorian Tribe are infected with a ghoulish plague, most are hunted down but rumors persist that members of the tribe escaped, and roam the plains still

1673: after helping hunt down the Taskclaw tribe, the Blacksky centaur tribe makes a formal pledge to the giant steward of far-rough.

1674: during the winter, the trolls and goblin slaves led by a covey of hags raid the town of Far-Rough, the raid is quite successful due to blade trolls joining the assault but the local steward is able to have aid brought from the capital.

1675: the local steward is discovered to be a giant by a knight of ax and is publicly executed by exposing him to sunlight in the town square. A new steward is appointed this year.

1676: the canyon of lost lights in created by a hoard of uniquely gifted will wisps, where the bitter peaks, the floating forest, and the central plains meats.

1678: An alabaster magister comes to investigate the powers of the broken door to see if it can move the alabaster city into the bitter peaks, he touches the standing stone and is never seen again.

1679: a chorrim battalion descends from out of the bitter peaks and raids the city, the majority of city holds up in the Steward’s Hold and the Chapterhouse of the Axe, until a huge contingent of the Order of the Ax arrives and Chorrim are driven back into the bitter peaks.

1680: a family of Cyclopes takes residence to the east of far-rough raising dire sheep, the steward decrees that “they have chosen to join the diamond throne, and we shall always respect personal choice” they also are known to kill any rhodin they see attempting to raid their herds.

1681: The current Steward of Far-Rough abandon’s her duties, goes to the Ceremonium and transforms herself into a Dark Warden, disappearing into the canyon of lost lights, a new acting steward is hastily appointed.

1682: a number of dream hunter litters are discovered being smuggled through Far-Rough by the local Catchpole, he confiscates them, but they soon disappear many rumors about the nightwalkers spread.

1683; a clan of harrid arrive in an airship after being blown far off course by a massive spring storm, The new Steward is able to work out a valuable trade agreement, avoiding a costly battle for both parties.