The World of Ios - A Map

To be happy is to forget the past.
- Sai'Jer, gnome inventor and amateur elven historian.

The world, one map.

Aendar: A large trade city, Aendar has prospered greatly thanks to the decline of the Quan and Talkani Empire, and is well on it's way to becoming an empire in it's own right. While land-locked, the High Council has various trade deals set up with many cities and most of the larger trade roads are guarded because of Aendar funding. As the city is so dependant on trade, the arrival of an army from either Empire could quite possibly cripple it. No one knows what contingencies they have planned, but the High Council - known for it's creative taxation laws - has proven itself to be a very formidable force in politics, and many political watchers are worried at the kind of plans they would adopt to stop entire armies.
Aendar is also known because it is the only city - excepting Elandai - not ruled by a king or emperor. No one is sure who officially makes up the ruling council nor how it's members are chosen but since it's ruled the city fairly for centuries no one wants to rock the boat. Aendar is also well known for persecuting mages and gnomes rarely visit the city as a result, just to be on the safe side.

Never make war. Dead men can't buy things from you - except in certain regrettable circumstances owing to a deep sleep and over-zealous relatives burying them alive, in which case you can sell them wake up alarm charms and insurance policies.
- Aendar Motto

Bakar: An orcish city founded as a guard post against invasion from the north, this city is infamous for its own raids on the Namat Villages and for resisting the Talkani Empire even longer than most Quan armies. The city eventually surrendered in a peace treaty that kept the city free of the empire but allowed Talkani to garrison it as they saw fit. Not much is known about the city since few travel their willingly, but Bakar is said to have more tricks and traps for invaders than any other city, with a river of lava as a moat and some very intricate walls. The fact that the Talkani even managed to lay siege to it successfully is a sore point with orcs.

Bay Of The Kings: This is the bay where the Elandai kings were slain while fleeing the rebellion against their rule. Despite attempts to suppress information about it, it is known that the queen surrendered and asked only that her son be spared. The rebels ignored the pleas and sunk the ship after boarded and abusing everyone on it as revenge against the corrupt rulership. The fact that many vessels have inexplicably sunk in the bay lead many to believe that the last king laid a curse on it, or his ghost is down their doing the sinking.

Blasted Pain: This plain is exactly what it's name implies. Really.An entry shouldn't even be necessary. Ah well. Such is life. To the point: this is the ruined plain made by the wizard war between the 3 towers and is about as barren and inhospitable a place as there is. There are no roads here and only the occasional fool in search of power comes here. None of them have ever returned sane, if they came back at all.

The Broken Coast: This is all that remains to remind people of the rest of the Namat Empire whick sunk under the sea.

Burnhelm: Once part of the Quan empire, the city of Burnhelm is well known for the amount of dwarves and dwarven architecture that can be found here. Burnhelm is the foremost exporter of metal weapons, armour and other implements outside the Fastness of Stormhold and, while dwarven trade goods here are expensive, there are many others to be found by humans, gnomes, halflings and even elves who have developed their own metalworking styles based on dwarven principles.
It's succession from the Empire of Quan led to a war that proved that many warriors and mercenaries liked Burnhelm (and the free weapons they got for helping defend it against the Quan Empire). After repelling three armies, a truce was engendered and Burnhelm left alone for a time. The once open and spacious city was transformed during the war into a dark and forbidding place, a reality that has not diminished over the centuries and people wanting access to their weapons. As recently as 30 years ago, a war with some of the Aendar families was only averted by threatening to demand they pay up monies owed to some Burhelm smithies.

Changing Lands: The changing lands are perhaps the least understood phenomenon in the world. They were created sometimes during the infamous Wizard War, but since those lands are removed from the Blasted Plains no one is sure what hit them, or why. Some stories claim there were really 5 towers made and that one of them was in here but no one knows. The changing lands, as their name implies, change. A lot. Geological impossibilities are common there and the land, sky, horizon, gravity and practically anything else alters from day to day and sometimes even moment to moment. Even kender find it difficult to live in and they're the only ones who would consider trying. Many rare and wondrous cures and poisons could be found in these lands but few survive venturing into them and fewer still return sane.

Deep Wood: This forest is simply the home of the elves and has been their home for a very, very long time. Perhaps not since they existed, but definitely since after the great Catastrophe that decimated the world so long ago. Few outsiders are ever permitted into the wood and none ever far into it. For purposes of trading, the elven city of Xarien lies at the edges of the Wood. No one knows how the elves govern the wood nor what political systems they might use, of even if there are cities in the wood. There are rumours of a library in it but elves are reticent - even more so than usual - to talk about it. Attempts by aries to take this wood have all failed, as if the very wood was alive and resisted them. Again, how the elves control the wood remains the subject of myth more than fact - some druids think that there have been (or were) elven druids who worked powerful spells in the past, others think it's a gift from the Goddess, and others claim the wood actually exists to trap the elves inside it. In the end, all we can say for sure is that the elves live in it, and it's a place of old powers and old magics. Everything else is supposition.

Drake's Landing: This port city had another name ages past, but it was changed over two hundred years ago when a man named Drake arrived with a ship called the WaveChaser and claimed to have come from the West. Of course, everyone knew that if you sailed west you went over the edge of the world. Apparently, this pirate didn't. He actually laughed at people who claimed that and an expedition was sent out to prove him wrong. Obviously, since they went out to prove that they *would* fall off the edge of the world, the sailors were extremely drunk. None returned, except one vessel who watched the others fail off the Sun Death Ocean and returned rather angry. The Pirate drake and his crew sailed north, barely escaping with their lives. The WaveChaser has never been seen since.

Elandai: The only democracy in the north, Elandai rebelled against a tyrant king during the last age. The city has strongly resisted all attempts to enter with any other empire and has defeated both Quan and Talkani armies in its day rather brutally. Little is known of the city in present times save that is almost crippled by the will of the people and has become a haven for criminals and is ruled by charismatics more than leaders who often rule like the very despots the city rebelled against. Perhaps the only thing that could draw the city back to its democratic glory would be the threat of a new king.

Fastness of Stormhold: This is the dwarven kingdom of the north, as old as the dwarven race and said to have been founded in the place where the first dwarves awoke. Few non-dwarves are ever admitted to the Fastness save to the upper levels that often open up to the sky. There are rumours of great magics and begins dwelling deep inside the Fastness but for the most part they remain just rumours created by people who are suspicious of the dwarves for refusing anyone else access to their lands. What is known is that the Fastness itself is a larger underground network, actually consisting of several other kingdoms of which tge ruler of Stormhold is the High King over. No one has ever conquered Storrmhold and the Empire of Quan was wise enough to rarely make the attempt.

Forbidden Swamp: The dark home of the mythical Shadow King, a being of unknown power and goals in the world. The Shadow King and various dark and evil armies are said to dwell in it, ready to march on the world if their King commands. The Talkani Empire has held them back in the past and few - even among the elves - truly understand what that cost the Empire. No elf will go here for any reason.

It is an undisputable truth that the failures of the wise tend to long outlive their successes.
- Kral Orsh, half-orc fighter

Great Northern Barrier: These are the mountains of the north. While passage through they could lead to the other half of the world, no one except perhaps the dwarves would be able to get through. They are considered impassable even by the dwarves and there are said to be things living in them left often from eons ago that are best left undisturbed, to say nothing of the rumours about dragons living there. Naturally, this doesn't stop the dwarves from sending out expeditions every odd century, but none of them have ever returned save for broken and mad dwarves stumbling back home on the rare occasion they manage to return, having barely entered the Barrier.

Handarun Plains: These plains cover all the land between the the Deep Wood, Elandai, Aendar and the Quan Empire for the most part. The plainsfolk are a hard and sturdy people who tend to live in tent cities that can be moved as they hunt various animals in the plains and protect them and the plains from outsiders. Travellers are well advised to not leave the roads sinc ethe people here have long memories and remember what armies have done to their lands over the years. Many outlaws find a home among the plains and many others live here for the relative peace from wars and the lack of cities. Most city-folk confuse them with barbarians.

Hen Marsh: Once the entire Forbidden Swamp, the Hen Marsh was eroded by the swamp over the millennia and is now a minor marsh. No one knows how the witch of the marsh has withstood the Shadow King for so long and she isn't telling. Yet.

Land Watch: The central guard tower for western Talkani, Land Watch is actually a series of forts designed to alert the nation about any attacks and supply other forts as well as incoming and outgoing troops. It's currently a border no outsider has been allowed to reach or pass in 50 years and a wall is reportedly being constructed between the towers.

Lokor: The only large city left in the Quan Empire, Lokor is ruled by the brother or sister of the current emperor (or the son/daughter next in line for the throne) as a test to see if they are worthy of being Emperor. As a result, the city tests them, sometimes at the hidden urging of the Emperor's spies, other times just because the citizens want to see what their ruler-to-be is made out of. It has more problems, revolutions, protests and general problems than even Elandai some of the time. All that aside, the city does work. No protest or revolution or revolt stops merchants from trading or people from visiting, they just effectively try and cripple the palace. Naturally, things sometimes do get out of hand, but in general the revolutions are very well timed and well controlled. Some stories even claim that the Emperor hires effective revolutionaries to ferment dissent in other cities.

Lorai: Once a city of the Quan Empire, this city is known for having a large elven population and producing the best wines to be found in the north, including ice wines amazing enough to get dwarves to drink them instead of ale. Well, sometimes. The city is nominally ruled by a council of merchants but the city guard is generally a law unto itself within the city proper, enforcing the peace and making sure spies die quickly. Unlike Burnhelm, it broke off from Quan simply by requesting it and begin allowed to since the Emperor was well aware he couldn't afford many more wars. It is justly famous for many splendid gardens and considered, next to Xarien and Quan, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Lorn: The city of Lorn is an old city largely populated by humans and noted for having a large number of stone and metal quarries around. It also has a disproportionately high number of clerics for unknown reasons. (Or at least for reasons the clerics don't talk to anyone else about.) Despite the mines here there are few dwarves in Lorn, which often suits most humans just fine. Lorn is ruled by hereditary kings who are little more than figureheads for the city's merchants. The few who aren't too inbred or just plain stupid tend to die at a very early age. Besides that, the city is a rather dull and boring place.

Makal'dra: One of the cities allied with Aendar, Makal'dra was made by humans and many claim that the chief architect was insane, even by human standards. The resulting city was so horrible that her name was stricken from all official records and her family put to death. While the latter might not be true, it is true that the name of the architect was removed from records and that Makal'dra is, without doubt, the ugliest city in the world. It's dark, dreary, boring, plain and the buildings seem to lean at angles that are impossible. When there is a windy storm it's perhaps the only city that can cause motion sickness just by looking at the buildings as you walk by. (Being inside them is even worse.) The only positive side is that invading armies tend to recoil in horror and often settle for lobbing boulders and trying to burn the city down. It's never worked. The fires go out - possibly from depression - and the rocks seldom seem to actually knock buildings down. It's led some to speculate that the ugliness of the city is actually a magic designed to prevent invasion, but most people think that's a load of crap. It's been voted the city people would most love to see by destroyed by a dragon and no one travels here if they can avoid it.

Legend has it that Makal'dra was once a seaport. But it was so depressing a place that the tide went out one day and never came back.
- Jerlik, gnome architect

Makake: Perhaps the weirdest city in the world, makake is known for refusing to trade with many other cities, which is a rather odd reputation. In truth, the city is largely a haven for a peculiar kind of free people, people who - in the words of the gnome bard Gerlos - "want to be free from freedom." The people of the city have no currency and refuse to trade in it with anyone. Trying to buy things with money is an offence punishable by death here. The city was founded after the formation of the changing lands since few people would bother then here and it was a long time before other nations came calling. The city itself is mostly made of old stone and wood built over the ruins of a previous city but it's defended itself against armies and ticked off merchants many times in its time. Most people in this city seem to make do with a simple barter system and have an almost pathological hatred for money, which them claim has enslaved the world and made people tools of their tools. Most people just think proximity to the changing lands drove the people here nuts.

Namat Villages: The remains of the Namat Empire, these are just a series of small villages that remain along the coast. The southern-most ones are mostly destroyed by orc raiding but the northern ones tend to make a living with fishing and keep to themselves, perhaps awaiting the day that the empire itself rises from the ocean depths.

North Lands: The north lands compromise the area north of the river Calmino and are cold, hard and unyielding, much like the barbarians they spawn. The north has a beauty, but it's a harsh, deadly kind that is often fatal even to those who have been dealing with it all their lives. Summer is rarely felt in these lands and the scattered tribes and clans eke out a grim living in the barren lands. Interestingly, magic is actually accepted here on par with priests (except by the priests) since the barbarians are willing to use any aid to survive and worry about the moral and spiritual consequences later.
While the Quan Empire did lay claim to these lands, it was mostly because the barbarians weren't unified to stop them and most Quan settlements were simply butchered to death as the Empire fell, the barbarians wreaking havoc on the fools who had disturbed the balance of the land. Druids are said to have first begin here when people attempted to fix the harm the "southerners" had done by killing too many animals and importing their own. Be that as it may, the north lands have been harder to live in ever since and many young barbarians are sent into the south to seek fame and adventure and send home what they can to their parents along the dwarven trade routes in the north.

North Reach: A small, hilled wood just north of the Deep Wood, North Reach is home to the gnomes of the world. Lacking the protection of the elves, the gnomes have made use of lots of their magics and no invader has ever conquered the North Reach, except Quan once when one of their most ruthless generals simply set the entire Reach on fire and burned half of it down. The Reach still hasn't recovered and some think it never may, but the general in question - a halfling known as Codailab - was killed by his superiors rather brutally and the Empire left the gnomes alone but have a standing offer to aid any gnome who asks for it as repatriation for the crimes of one of their own and against the founders of the Empire itself.

North Watch: The central guard tower for northern Talkani, North Watch is actually a series of forts designed to alert the nation about any attacks and supply other forts as well as incoming and outgoing troops. It's currently a border no outsider has been allowed to reach or pass in 50 years and serves as a wall against Quan and the northern more than a fortress. Most of the forts connected to it are walled but the walls are said to be undergoing reinforcement and being connected to the Land Watch wall being built.

A man's destiny is both his glory and his doom.
- from a famous oral Kobold book Sayings of The Chicken Slayer

Quan: The northern Empire, Quan was once a mighty nation whose territory stretched far into the inhospitable North Lands and almost as far south as Makal'dra. Unlike the Talkani Empire, members of practically any species can be found in Quan and, perhaps due to its founding by gnomish settlers, the people of Quan have traditionally had a higher tolerance for magic users than most other lands.
Sadly, the ruling classes authoritarian demeanour led to various rebellions that eventually crippled the Empire financially over the course of several centuries. Quan itself was never involved in any war and still remains one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Most former cities of the Empire pay it lip service in deference to the still formidable Quan navy but, even collecting tribute, it remains an empire in name only, fallen from it's halcyon days of yore.
The city of Quan itself is a well laid out place of beauty and simplicity, renowned for it's lack of walls against invaders and, indeed, it has never been invaded yet by any army. The city doesn't have the same natural splendour as Xarien, but makes use of stone, wood and brick to create stunning art and a city that literally glows at dawn and dusk. It has no poor quarters or beggars in the city and is widely considered one of the architectural triumphs of the world and proof that humanity does have some talent for building for the ages.

Quan Isle: The home of the Emperor and family, this island is a fortress due to political necessity and contains the palace and smaller palaces for any visiting diplomats.

Quan Sea: The sea of Quan is the heart of the Empire and the home of the navy on various scattered islands and villages within the sea. It is worth noting that littering in the sea was a crime worthy of a death penalty during the time of the Emperor and the still impressive navy enforces that whenever it can.

River Calmino: The largest river in the world, Calmino crosses the entire continent and carries the waters of the Sun Rise and Sun Death oceans within it. In practical terms, this means that it's currents go both ways and since the currents aren't as simply as "right means the current pushes you to sun death, left to the sun rise" travel of the river becomes rather dangerous when you can end up going in circles, or even backward. Add that to the story that elven magics that are said to control the river (The Quan Empire believes in them...) and you have a powerful and dangerous river few choose to travel. There are 3 bridges that cross it to the NorthLand, all of them unmapped since map mappers claim they move. They're all wood and impervious to harm if the legends are correct. Other legends claim that if they are destroyed no new ones will be made and the northlands become forever separated from the rest of the world. Still others say that's not much of a threat because the dwarves have tunnels under the river ... perhaps ones to plan an invasion through.

River Lasiento: The southern river of the Deep Wood, Lasiento is a much milder river than the Calmino, and only flows in one direction. Of course, that direction seems to vary from time to time, but at least it's reasonably consistent. There are bridges across it to reach Xarien and are aid to be places where it can be forded, but none have found them yet. (Or at least not survived to tell others about them).

River Talkani: The Talkani river extends from the city of Talkani itself. About the only thing of note about this river is that it extends into the Blasted Plain and some claim it is fed directly from the Tower of Night. However, many scholars claim that if this was true the effects on people would have been rather immediate and obvious. Other claim the closing of the Talkani Empire is the result of a long-term plan by the Tower of Night itself. No one knows, but the water of the river is the same as that of any other. Honest.

Sea Watch: This was the site of the major Talkani naval base but somehow was taken over by pirates just as Talkani was closing up it's borders. Since then it's become a haven of lawlessness and walks a thin line between piracy and a Quan fleet decsending on them to wipe them out. Quite a few members of the Quan navy are said to have become part of Sea Watch as well as mysterious blue skinned elves and humans from a mythical island of Hy Bresil which is said to lie somewhere near the edge of the world on the Sun Rise Ocean. Only time will tell if Talkani or Quan crushes this island.

Sha'Kay: This is a small town nestled among the northern Namat Villages. It's completely unimportant and unremarkable save that in future generations¹ the town may well become famous as the home of the PCs and become some sort of museum. More information about the town will be available on the campaign page (including a map, I hope) sometime in the near future.

All heroes must sacrifice themselves. It doesn't matter what do, as long as they pay, and they pay, and they pay.
- from the memoirs of Hadrien Dragonsbane

Sun Rise Ocean: The ocean that the sun rises from each day. This ocean can be travelled to the north or south to the other side of the world (in theory) but travel east simply leads to falling off the end of the world.

Sun Set Ocean: This is the ocean that the sun sets in each night. It can be travelled north or south to the other half of the world theoretically. Travel west leads to falling off the edge of the world, as people from Drake's landing can well attest to.

Talkani: The Talkani Empire was founded by humans and, partially because of its climate, remains a mostly human empire to this day. Originally set up to protect the north from dangers in the Forbidden Swamp, the guard posts banded together and eventually formed a nation in their own right, one hardened by wars and threats to become the pillar of the world. Their battles with Quan were things out of legend and, while they massacred Quan armies on the field, the Quan navies built on the Sun Rise Ocean were a constant threat to Talkani itself. (Attempts to ferry ships via the River Calmino and Lasiento led to the ships sinking without a trace. Apparently they ruined the scenery for the elves, as some gnomes joked.)
Eventually, the Empire spread itself as far as the Namat Villages and even farther south than the orcish city of Bakar, if legends are to be believed. The Quan Empire continued an aggressive war against them for a long time until the Talkani Empire decided that conquering the north wouldn't be as interesting as the south and a series of treaties kept both empires at an uneasy peace for a very long time. While the borders never ran red with blood, they did tend to dribble with it a lot.
Exactly why they never went north for more territory ly after Quan's collapse is lost somewhere in arcane diplomacy and agreements with various cities and the dwarves. The elves only got involved in the past two centuries, due to a supposedly accidental Talkani naval attack on Xarien. No one is sure how they mended the fences, but is said to have involved the king, an elf and a resultant child or two about a century ago. Proof of this was never found.
Fifty years ago, for reasons no living person knows, the Empire began withdrawing troops and closed it's borders. Shortly after, the orcs in Bakar slaughtered all humans in the city and forced a Talkani garrison to retreat rather rapidly. The Empire now consists of the North and Land watch and the city, Sea Watch having been taken over by pirates a decade ago. No one is sure what Talkani or it's armies are doing, but they have apparently been decimated by a powerful invasion from the Forbidden Swamp for the first time in living memory and some say the Emperor was stricken with some curse.

Tower of Bones: This tower was ruled by a wzard known only as Avern, a human who had somehow become a creature known as a Lich and survived long after death. There is no record of how he learned that magic and none have been able to work it since his death defending the tower from the Tower of Night. This tower is surrounded by white gleaming bones of the mighty army he was assembling and any who try and enter are faced with creatures of bone, skeletons of the dead rising up to protect the tower. The tower itself is said to be made of bones and is a sickly yellow-white and is half ruins.

Tower of Night: This tower is said to be a ting of living darkness with no consistent shape. There are no barriers to prevent someone from reaching it and one normal door to enter it. Few have had the door open to them, and none of those have ever returned. Exactly what ruled this tower is unknown but it was powerful enough to make war on the other two towers, a war that only ended when the three towers were destroyed. The Talkani claim it was from the Forbidden Swamp, but there is no proof for that assertion.

Tower of Sand: This tower was ruled by a human wizard known only as Elauris, who was said to have mastered some of the deepest magics that have ever been known. Of the three towers, it is the only one to have remained standing and unchanged through the centuries. All who try to approach it have died or simply vanished and whatever mysteries the tower guards remain its own. All that can be said for certain it that it is a white, thin and tall tower, with flying buttresses and a look much like a castle from a fairy tale.

Pity the enchanters, for they can enchant all save themselves.
- Hami Grassblade, halfling thief

Xarien: The only elven city that is known to exist, Xarien is a river city at the base of the Lasiento river. The elves travel the city by canoe and boat and there is no other way to get into it - or leave it. All the buildings are made of "living wood" and are basically trees magically grown into homes, with the base of the tree becoming an entry way and stairway up to the actual home or business set in the top, with the branches having been moulded into buildings. A cadre of elven adventurers form the city guard and deal harshly with anyone who deliberately tries to harm a tree or someone in the city. Murder is forbidden here and punished by death or exile primarily, with most other crimes (such as theft) punishable by exile alone. Someone exiled is unable to enter the city again - the very waters and boats seem to act against them.

1 Assuming there are any.

Outside The Map

A posession is also a possessor.
-Sen'groid the Cynic, Aphorisms vii.2

Not done yet.