Places

Named locations in the world.

Thornwood-Aswâr

A conjoined city, merged during the Lapse.

Before the Lapse, Thornwood and Aswâr were separated by vast distance and had nothing in common. Thornwood was a sizable timber town, industrial in character, surrounded by dense forest. Aswâr was a large desert trade city, richer than Thornwood thanks to commerce. Its wealth and exposed desert setting made it an attractive target, but it was quite militarily sophisticated.

The Lapse crushed them together. Where Thornwood’s forests once stood the soil is now sandy, carried over from Aswâr’s desert. The woods have thinned out noticeably but the area is still distinctly forested — just sparser and drier than it once was.

The Crypt

A vast graveyard spanning great distances, containing layered dead from multiple formerly separate locations. Home to Jawharat Shawda.

The Moores

A damp, miserable stretch of land. Home of the horned great bear, a combined beast. Still sucks.

Tollman

A harbour city that reeks of fish. Tollman is best known for its trade — a large volume of produce flows through the city, feeding a thriving merchant class and keeping its craftsmen busy.

The city is home to a sorcerer school and has the skilled artisan base needed to produce replica relics. Its guard-core mixes sorcerer and traditional guards, reflecting how deeply sorcery is woven into everyday city life.

Tollman is also a hub for travel, with its port connecting it to wider trade and passenger routes.

Cairnholm

One of the largest cities in the world, built on and into rocky ground. Cairnholm is the seat of the dominant faith — its skyline is defined by massive cathedrals and temple complexes that tower over the surrounding districts.

Great white walls partially enclose the city, shielding its oldest and most important quarters, though the city has long outgrown them. The architecture is overwhelmingly stone: forts, banks, and halls of worship, all built heavy and built to last. Very little in Cairnholm is small or temporary.

The city’s central position and religious authority give it political weight that extends well beyond its walls. The cathedrals house the True Relic of the Capricorn, whose miracle draws in pilgrims.

Cairnholm trades on stability — and the city delivers it. Banking, archives and the slow machinery of temple hierarchy — all thrive there. People who need continuity, record-keeping, and the assumption that tomorrow will resemble yesterday come to Cairnholm because those assumptions hold.

Greyshore

A coastal city directly east of Cairnholm, existing because the larger city is landlocked. The vast majority of Greyshore’s prosperity comes directly from serving Cairnholm’s need for sea access — its docks, warehouses, and overland routes all point inland toward the big city.

Greyshore has a transient character. Many come here to work the port and the trade roads, then move back to Cairnholm when they’re done. It is less a place people choose and more a place people pass through. The city is a willing participant in this arrangement and does well from it, but little here exists for its own sake.