Travel between the three continents is not for the faint of heart. The safe seaways through the turbulent waters and fierce storms are regularly changing, a legacy of the archmage's folly centuries ago. It takes a truly brave or foolish captain to try to make passage without an up to date map.

 

The Izz Protectorate is known for its mastery of the seas, and for its cartography. All explorers of note seek out the masters of Izz to learn their secrets.

 

The island to the north of Arioth, Zara, is also considered to be a part of Arioth, being on the same tectonic plate. Unlike the rest of the continent, about which little is known, there are active cities on Zara and adventurers almost always travel there before attempting to reach the larger landmass.
(I'll add updates to the map whenever I have the opportunity.)

 

As a consequence of its large number of celestial bodies (five), Borrovia experiences eclipses, both lunar and solar, an astonishing number of times, throughout the year.

The local fauna and flora have evolved to adapt to this, some plants only bloom during an eclipse, other animals start migrating after an enclipse occurs.

The denizens of Barrovia, long having stared at the eclipse sky in wonder, have eyes that have evolved to tolerate the dangerous rays emitted during an eclipse. This has given them not only the ability to view an eclipse without harm, but has also conveyed other benefits to their vision, which they use to great effect in their daily lives, throughout the year.

 

Updated: (I would like to add that much of the map, including the rumored tunnel, is speculative)

 

The Mountains on the northern edge of the Kingdom Knorr are home to a small race known as halflings; sightings of halflings are rare and it is said that those who catch a halfling are owed a wish...but beware deals made with the small-folk for they are binding on one's soul.

 

Rumour has it, according to the sailing masters of Izz, that the Forgotten Waters of Forgis contain wonders untold - sunken treasures, ships, technological devices, even entire islands sunken under the fury of ancient magic. To sail it without a chart is to court death, for not only are obstacles near beneath the surface, some areas of the Waters will stop you dead and suck you down.

 

Many adventurers will bluntly describe Forgis as a hellhole out to kill them all. Between the marshlands of the south, the arid sands of its center, the lack of many basic supplies, and monsters that seem designed by a sadist, no two travelers will have the same complaint. Despite all of that, after a few drinks they would describe a clear night under the stars in that land as one of the most beautiful sights they've ever seen.

So long as nothing bites you in the process.

 

The Mage-Priests of Slorath worship a pantheon of Draconic Deities, who they believe were there for the origin of the world and shaped it around them. The principle deities of the pantheon are:

He Whose Fire Fuelled the Volcanos

She Whose Wing Beats Brought the Storms

He Whose Armour Inspired the Mountains to Grow Tall

She Whose Eggs Brought Life

They are referred to by many other titles, but their Names are a closely guarded secret held by the Mage-Priests. It is rumoured that the magic of the Magic-Priests depends on their knowledge of the True Names of the Dragons.

 

Forgis has one major river system, the river Cosci. It flows from an active volcanic range on the eastern side of the continent, through the desert and swamplands of the greenlings, and finally into the ocean. It is befouled by a mysterious substance. There are several oases dotting the desert.

Arioth has no major rivers on the surface. Surface streams form breathtaking waterfalls into rivers flowing in the tunnels.

There are two major river systems in Qitor, Cynni and Cysen, the twin rivers. Cynni flows to the north and defines Iraski's border on the west, before flowing into the sea. Cysen flows in a meandering path through the Kingdom of Knorr and reaches the sea near the tunnel of Tronin.

 

Not much is known of the ruin of Sor Sar Sur. It sometimes serves as a resting place for ships in need of repair or resupply, but no one likes to stay there long. The whispers get to all men eventually.

 

The capital of Slorath is Vernichtburg, once a sprawling necropolis filled with vast undead beasts, unholy experimentations, and most importantly, countless mannish slaves.

It is said that the rebellion started in the pens, a boy who had been spat on or beaten one too many times, had done what none of his people had done in generations, he prayed.

And God Whose Name Is Vitalität answered, and with the strength and providence of the Holiest, the boy lead his people to victory after victory in clashes against their dark overlords until the final conflict fell upon them, and the city was freed. Their overlords having been slain or fled, God Whose Name is Vitalität granted upon the boy the Staff of Himmel, as reward for freeing His people, and with it, the boy became His voice on Barrovia, becoming the first Heilige, supreme leader of Man.

His first act as Heilige was to establish the first Providential College where the anointed and benevolent Mage-Priests are chosen and trained to become the righteous defenders of the holy.

Excerpt from the History of Slorath

 

The capitol city of the Izz protectorate is Zheralum. A massive vertical city built on the edge of the Emerald bay, it acts as both the nation's largest trade hub and its primary shipyard. Due to the limited room around the bay for construction, the people of Zheralum built upwards higher and higher up the mountains at their back.

The city is built in seven tiers currently with the lowest being the harbour and the highest being the militant sanctum. In between are the various social classes of workers who live in the city. Upward movement between tiers is rarely permitted without express permission from the administration.

At night, the thousands of lights illuminating the city call sailors for miles, acting as a beacon for those returning home.

 

The circle of green in the Greenling Lands is because I got tired of individually placing trees for religious purposes yet to be defined. I added the small city of Fane, whence adventurers depart on the trip to Arioth.

 

Iraski and Bors are much smaller and weaker than the other 3 nations of Qitor. Their existence is protected by treaty signed by the other 3 nations - should any nation attack either Bors or Iraski, both other major nations will go to the defence of the smaller country, and will also punitively take the fight into the invading nations territory.

This ensures that the only direct border shared by Slorath and Knorr is the heavily fortified mountain range known as the Caulgar Peaks, and keeps their violent interactions restricted mostly to small border clashes.

 

Sailors have reported seeing spires that dot the coast of Forgis. Attempts to examine the spires have all failed, reportedly they vanish when one gets too close.

 

As the northern most point on the continent, Izz has a much harsher climate than the other nations. Their sea based culture is largely because their land is hard to make a living from - only in the most southerly parts of Izz can crop farming take place, and even that is easily ruined by an early winter.

As well as fishing and trading by the sea, many Izzians make a living from raiding the coastlines of other nations. A hard people, often thought of as cruel by others but only looking out for themselves and their families, they'll take whatever isn't nailed down and put it to good use in the cold north.

 

Added/expanded forests, names, college near Vernichtberg, and Mysterious Spires
The cartographers of Izz label map elements when they are: known by name or location to the sailors of the Protectorate, large enough for me to write a name on it without having to make the fucking font smaller, and generally considered important. Legends say the island of Zara was once part of greater Arioth until being ripped asunder and cast into the sea.

 

In the hills of the southern second fork of the river Cysen, lies the failed experiments of Lofter the Tall. An attempt to give a longer lifespan to the attendant race, her experiments allowed them to grow perpetually, becoming as tall as mountains as the years progressed. Eventually these giants rose up against the Knorr nobility, who put them down with their usual prejudice. Lofter's son Rakter the Merciless took some of the younger experiments, those less than a dozen meters in height, and designed his own spellwork to a solution. What happened is unknown, save that now the giants have half the lifespan of the lesser race, and at the end of their lives they retreat deep into the hills, never to be seen again.

 

Near the base of the Mountain of Regret is the Lake of Souls - a lake of dark black water, in which can be seen the souls of the damned. It is whispered amongst adventurers that the residents of ancient Forgis gained immortality by placing their soul in the Lake so that it could not pass the boundaries of life and death. But when magic was wiped from the face of Forgis, the connection between their souls and their bodies was severed, killing any who had undertaken the ritual and leaving their souls trapped within the Lake for eternity. Those few brave, or mad, adventurers who have seen the Lake in person say that you can hear the souls wailing and begging to be set free, trying to lure anyone they can to touch the water in hopes of being able to enter the body.