Wildlands



Only recently charted, the Wildlands beyond the Northern Aegis have always been a place of dark mystery and great evil for the people of Fastheld. For the most part, this impression has been fabricated by a number of sources; most vocal of which being the Church of True Light, which has long dictated that anything that exists outside of Fastheld is inherently evil.

That the Wildlings also apparently came from the Northern Wildlands - hense the name - judging by the number of attacks that the North Aegis has suffered over history was also more than enough fuel for the fires of both fact and fiction.

The truth is that the Wildlands are indeed a place of great evil, as well as a place of great good, great darkness, great beauty, and a great many other things that one would expect of an untamed and natural wilderness.

The span of these Northern Wildlands, stretching from the North Aegis to the southern reaches of the Dragonspine Mountains have mostly been charted by those that have followed the path of the Fastheld - known also as the Jadesnake - River, and are believed to be several hundred miles long, and just as wide between the uncharted lands to the North East and North West of Fastheld.

In that expanse, the following locations of interest can be found:

Crown's Refuge
Established by Talus Kahar XIV and a collection of settlers in late 624 ATA, Crown's Refuge is the only "friendly" Freehold that exists beyond the Aegis, and is considered to be a protectorate of both Fastheld and Ebonhold, thus remaining disputed territory.

It is a slowly developing Freehold the size of one of Fastheld's smaller Townships, although contains both a Palisade and a number of Watchtowers to aid in it's defense upon the bluff that it has been built upon.

Ebonhold
Far to the north of the Wildlands, tucked away at the base of the Dragonspine Mountains, rests the Fortress of Ebonhold. An ancient and virtually impregnable fortification, it is at once both a major influence in the Wildlands, and a truly enigmatic place of intrigue, history, and might.

Thought to have been built by the Great Drakes of Old, Ebonhold is considered to be a pre-Cataclysm stronghold that has, over the course of history, changed hands many, many, times. Usually from forces acting within, rather than without.

In recent history, the Drakesguard of Ebonhold and the Green Tribe of the Wildlings lost control of the Fortress to the Black Wildlings a few years before Kalath'aria was released from Fastheld; a situation that Kalath'aria quickly resolved.

During 625 ATA, Ebonhold was once again under the control of the Drakesguard, and the Lady Drake herself, and featured additional support from the Archmage Zanorin Drakesfire.

After Kalath'aria departed the Wildlands in late 625 ATA, and the Archmage vanished, the status of Ebonhold was once again shrouded in mystery. However, it is believe that the Drakesguard still hold the Citadel, and as such remain a major power within the Wildlands themselves.

The Dragonspine Mountains
A vast mountain chain that runs through the contintent north of Fastheld for a thousand miles, from Solonar Pass in the far northeast, Ebonhold to the north, and Halaghi in the far east, the Dragonspine Mountains forms the natural border between the Wildlands, the Uncharted Lands, and the undiscovered world beyond.

Verdigris Forest
Over a hundred miles long from north to south, the Verdigris Forest is an illimitable span of lush monoecious deciduous tress and natural and exotic flora and fauna. It's western most edge follows the path of the Jadesnake, spanning the region between the Drakebreech Sierra and the Azure Steppes.

Azure Steppes
A large region of bluish-green grasslands that cover the landscape between the Verdigris Forest and the Ashlands, populated by a sporadic smattering of monoecious deciduous trees and shrubs. It is a beautiful vista of natural majesty and rolling plains, and home to the large hunting cat known as the Leopradae.

Snake Tangle
It is often said that the less that is spoken about Snake Tangle, the better. It is a region of land best avoided, as hostile as the Azure Steppes are beautiful, consisting of deep marshes, apparently near-sentient vines, and a host of fel creatures and mortal dangers.

The Ashlands
The remains of an ancient and foreboding forest that was utterly razed by the Lady Drake Kalath'aria in 625 ATA, the Ashlands are an unforgiving and somewhat desolate region of the Wildlands defined by miles upon miles of black ash, and little else. Of note is the landmark known as the Skull of the Defiler, and the dunes of black cinder that grow atop the devestated and alien landscape.

The Drakesclaw
A small mountain range located in the northeast of the Northern Wildlands, The Drakesclaw is so named because those who discovered it claimed that the range resembles five talons reaching up from the earth to claw at the sky.

It is also believed to contain the lair of the Red Dragon known as Val'sharax.

Drake Breach Sierra
Also known as the Drakesreach Sierra the Drake Breach Sierra is a steep and rugged range of rocky hills that feature an irregular and jagged profile, consisting of auburn grasslands and bleaker lapidarian terrain. Totally inhospitable.

Maer Verdantis
A lonely mountain north of The Drakesclaw range, Maer Verdantis is a forsaken place believed to have once been the lair of the Dracolich Kas'arath. It is also believed to have been the place where Talus Kahar XIV was taken after being kidnapped from Fastheld.

Northwatch
An old watchtower from the epoch before Fastheld was founded. It is believed that the actual Township of Northwatch may have been named after this ancient landmark.

The West Fold
A vast region of uncharted plains and mountain ranges that rest beyond the western shore of the Jadesnake, directly west of the Verdigris Forest.

Daggerford
A shallow section of the Jadesnake River, centrally west of the Ashlands, over which Serath Kahar made a last stand against a horde of Wildlings in the summer of 625 ATA.

Stillwater Lake
A large inland body of fresh water unusual in that it is believed to be fed by subterranean springs, rather than by any actual river inlet. It was once believed that the waters held the secret to eternal life; a notion that resulted in a small Brotherhood of Scourges being dismissed from the Church of True Light in 257 ATA for wishing to pursue such a quest.

There are rumours and songs that state that the Brotherhood did in fact leave Fastheld soon after they were dismissed to make a new life at Stillwater, but such Bardic Tales have always been unfounded.

Ravenrend
An independent Freehold located towards the northwest of Daggerford.

Nothing is known about Ravenrend, but it is believed that Serath Kahar visited the location during his wandering sojourn after the events of Daggerford. What he discovered there, however, has never been revealed.