T HE H UMAN K INGDOMS
Centre of beauty and knightly virtues, its
I NTRODUCTION
Here follows a brief description of the many
lands in which our story takes place.
This file is obviously not exhaustive. If you have
any further questions or ideas, please let me know
so we can change it whatever way we want. This
document is merely here to give you some quick
background and inspiration to flesh out your
character, and their place in the world
C AMPAIGN S ETTING
T HE L ANDS OF M EN
The starting point for our story centres around
the human kingdoms on the eve of war. Many
wonders exists beyond its border, and intrepid
adventurers can choose to venture far beyond
these realms. But our story, like all stories,
needs to start somewhere. And this story starts
with a chance meeting of a group of strangers,
somewhere in a tavern on the edge of a forest,
on the edge of a kingdom verging precariously
on the edge of war.
T HE D EMESNE
Squabling lordlings and gathering storms
This is where our story begins. The Demesne
is not one kingdom, but a collection of disparate
minor lands who rose together in rebellion to
break away from the dominion of Salvaygne
some two-hundred years ago. Its home to
charming little villages, rolling hills and even
the famed wizard city of Costagne. Usually, the
individual lords are left to rule their lands as
they see fit, meeting in the Lord’s Conclave
only very rarely. But word is that one of those
times is fast approaching, as the spectre of war
now hangs over these once quiet lands.
S ALVAYGNE
The crowning glory of the Old Kingdom
inhabitants insist that in all the world there
truly is no place like Salvaygne. Once upon
a time, the Old Kingdom ruled all the human
kingdoms until one day they rose in rebellion.
Even though its size is now vastly diminished,
the kingdom is still a prominent centre for the
magical arts, and its Paladin orders are widely
renowned. Salvaygne was the first land settled
by the elves when they landed on these shores
a thousand years ago. Even so, as elves were
never particularly numerous, even in the Old
Kingdom they are vastly outnumbered by the
human populace. Nevertheless, most of these
will have at least a few drops of elven blood in
them, and half-elves make up a sizable part of
the population. While the wonders of the old
empire are still in evidence, Salvaygne is clearly
a kingdom in decline, and most recently has
shut all of its borders, shielding the lands of
from all outsiders.
C OURGRAVE
Land of Kings, home of the Heartflame
First among the breakaway human kingdoms,
since the Rebellion Courgrave has risen to
rival the splendour of the Old Kingdom. It has
also become the dominant center of religion,
which revolves around the worship of an eternal
Heartflame. From its capital city of King’s
Rest, it’s High Priest shepherds his flock and
keeps watch over the physical manifestation
of the Heartflame itself. Outside of Salvaygne,
Courgrave is home to most of the Paladins, and
alongside them stand the imposing Warforged.
Iron-wrought constructs of metal, animated
with the radiant powers of the Heartflame, these
holy machines strike fear into the heart of any
unbelievers they come across.
A RAMAR
The mountainous bulwark
The mountainous kingdom of Aramar is often
called the last bulwark of men. Its mountain
ranges straddle the border with the dread lands
of Zamoyaar, and the famed Gryphon Riders
of Aramar patrol this border ceaselessly. It’s a
land of rugged beauty, with many things that
T HE H UMAN K INGDOMS 1
 have long left the civilised world still present
here. Giants are said to still roam the slopes,
and many a great adventurer is forged here.
W ENDMAR
The Pearl of the East
Situated on the western shores of the great
Inner Sea, Wendmar is a place of trade and
naval voyage. Exceptional among the other
kingdoms, after the Rebellion Wendmar chose
to do away with its lords and kings, in favour of
popular democracy. Its lands are also home
to the largest populations of Dwarves and
Gnomes, whose craftmanship and engineering
acumen has made Wendmar a renowned centre
of science.
S TROMDAHL
Land of a thousand streams
The kingdom of Stromdahl is as rich in farms
as it is in rivers, making it the breadbasket
for the region. Ruled by a well-liked lord, its
citizens enjoy a relatively quiet life, and prefer
to keep it that way. That does not mean the
land is without danger, though. Bandits raid
are common on its eastern border, and pockets
of gnolls and even the stray troll can be found
hiding in caves and hidden groves. To the south
bands of rogue paladin long for the days of the
Old Kingdom, and seek to return Stromdahl
to the writ of Salvaygne once more. The Dread
Swamp that separates its northern border from
Aramar is a constant source of consternation
for the locals, as savage swamp raiders and
creatures far more sinister make constant
incursions.
T HE L ESSER K INGDOMS
Vintergaard, Corvayn, Merodan and Osmar
The remaining kingdoms, though far less
illustrous, do deserve proper mention.
The city state of Vintergaard, though close to
the lands of the The Demesne, nevertheless
is decidedly more Illuskan in nature. It’s
renowned for its famed Paladin Order, whose
members are known to be amongst the bravest
and noblest in the world.
The sleepy kingdom of Corvayn sits on the
border of a great dark wood. Depending mostly
on its thriving logging industry, the kingdom
is perhaps best known for its famed Monster
2 T HE H UMAN K INGDOMS
Hunter’s Guild. With the mountain passage to
the Orcish Wastes to its west, the inhabitants
of Corvayn know better than to let their guard
down.
Apart from Osmar, Merodan is by far the
poorest of the human kingdoms. It was only
through the intervention of Courgrave it ever
gained its independence, and its proximity
to the Salvagnian border means that its
population is more Elvish than most. The
rogue Paladins that also plague Stromdahl
have their largest bases of support here, and
its lord must sleep with one eye open in fear of
their machinations.
Of the kingdom of Osmar, that wretched
bandit hive, it is best to say little.
I LLUSKANIA
The Ancient Lands of the North
Being the earliest of the human kingdoms to
have freed themselves of the the Old Kingdom,
Illuskania shares only little in common with
the other human kingdoms. Worship of the
Heartflame is scarce here, the local populace
instead worshipping a dizzying variety of
smaller gods. It’s harsh winters make for a
cold people and a fierce warrior culture, but its
cities are home to many wonders of the magical
arts and sciences too, and its many temples
keep the legacy of the early human culture alive
and well.
Z AMOYAAR
A mysterious threat beyond the Eastern border
To outsiders, very little is known of the
vast lands of Zamoyaar. Once the earliest
home of Heartflame worship, tragedy snuffed
out its flame long ago. Now strange people
with stranger gods inhabit its deep forests
and endless tundras. bordering Aramar
and Illuskania to its east. The relationship
between Zamoyaar and its neighbors alternates
between indifference and outright hostility,
and it appears that this time the pendulum
is swinging its way to the latter once more, as
whispers speak of an imminent invasion keep
many of its neighboring lords awake at night.