IG Talks while traveling to Ceriopolis

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Baron
(Note: This information is in addition to whatever downtime you have sent in.)

While traveling with Purdha the Sarr and her River Tribe you learn there are several nations that comprise the continent of Calliphestus.

In the Southeast, where you are coming from, is the Blackened Reaches. The Blackened Reaches is constantly terrorized by undead. Within the Blackened Reaches lives the Dark Elf Nation known as the Denigrata Regnum, the Seven Sarr Tribes, and the three High Ogre clans known collectively as the Erde Ritter. Apparently, the Sarr there believe the undead curse on the Blackened Reaches is the result of their ancestors transgressions against nature some 1500 years ago.

To the South is the archipelago known as the Waupani Islands. Waupani is home to Mystic Wood Elves, Reed Dryads, and Thorn Dryads, who all live in what can best be described as a semi-tribal republic, where the elder of each island serves as the representative in a council held on the biggest island. The Waupani’s eastern islands, the islands closest to the Blackened Reaches, have undead horrors in the sea making fishing extremely challenging and dangerous.

The Southwest panhandle of Calliphestus is controlled by the Golden Empyrium. It is a human nation that has decided that other races just want to control or eradicate them and so the Golden Empyrium has shut themselves away by building a grand fortress at the bottleneck of land that connects the Golden Empyrium to the rest of Calliphestus. The humans of the Golden Empyrium are best described as xenophobic, racist, contemptible, greedy, and narcissistic as a whole, even though the society is mostly a matriarchal one.

Just outside the Golden Empyrium wall is the Hobling city known as Silvermill. Silvermill isn’t aligned with any specific country and is home to Hoblings almost exclusively. It is the premier Hobling resort location on the continent where people flock to enjoy any luxury their heart desires. The Hobling motto at this place basically boils down to, “We can do anything or get anything if you can pay for it.” Gambling, drugs, magical antiquities, and more can be found in Silvermill. More nefarious things can be found if you know who to talk to. Silvermill seems to be protected from the Savage Legion by an enchantment just big enough to contain the town. This allows people inside to feel safe, further encouraging them to spend their money.

On the Western side of Calliphestus is that land known as Elara. It is a jungle landscape inhabited by Dark Elves in the Undergrowth and Elves in the treetops. The two elven races work together and are known collectively as the Perditus Regnum. The jungles of Elara are extremely dangerous for the plants routinely become animated and/or inhabited by spirits. These plant creatures threaten the Elarian elves quite frequently and as a result the elves often accept help from the High Orcs in fighting back the threats. That is, when the High Orcs are not busy fighting each other or the Savage Legion.

The Northwest corner of Calliphestus is the Prashapti Desert. It used to be a grand plains, but something happened that turned it into a lifeless landscape. Humans and Biata live in the Prashapti desert; mostly in different tribes wandering the desert, yet performing different functions for the other tribes. There are two cities in the Prashapti Desert, one is hidden (no outsider really knows where it is) and a grand bazaar type city that all the tribes wander through at some time or another.

The Northern mountainscape is the Odekrag, where Hoblings, Barbarians, and Stone Elves dwell. The Stone Elves live in the mountain, the Barbarians live on the mountain, and the Hoblings live around the mountain, except for the Hobling village of Copper Springs. It is said the Dark Elves and Dwarves used to live in the Odekrag, but the Savage Legion drove those races out back in the Age of Fury. Then the Stone Elves took over the remaining ruins of the dwarves when they migrated to the Odekrag. It is rumored that the Stone Elves use the privacy of their cavernous home to perform experiments away from prying eyes. The Hoblings have a town on the Northeastern coast of the Odekrag called Whalerton where they mostly hunt whales and fish. The Barbarian tribes are known for being the Merchants of the North, often carrying goods from Whalerton, to the Stone Elves, across to Elara, down to the Silkleaf, and back to Whalerton.

The Hobling village of Copper Springs is a snowy resort that the rich spend their money to be pampered and relax. The location of Copper Springs makes it challenging to get to, often requiring hiring the Barbarians as guides, but once there the Hoblings make life very easy … assuming you have the money to pay for it. Known more for it’s luxurious hot spring spas the village of Copper Springs has a more serene reputation than it’s hedonistic double, Silvermill.

Just South of the Odekrag region is the land known as the Silkleaf Refuge, home to the Bark Dryads, Spore Dryads, and Dwarves. The Dwarves are the best workers of metal in all of Calliphestus, so why dryads live with the dwarves is unfathomable. But, out of necessity for survival, these races have created a bond that is nearly unbreakable. No one really knows much more than that because the Dwarves and Dryads won’t let anyone into their capital. They are completely fine with dealing with outsiders when they stay outside the city walls; they just will not allow entry into the city, even if you’re bleeding at the gates. There seems to be some tension between the Silkleaf Refuge and Elara. Apparently, the Perditus Regnum blames the Dryads of the Silkleaf Refuge for their plant problems.

In the Northeast of Calliphestus is the Verdant Eyrie, home to Biata and Elves. It is another mountain region, but not nearly so frigid or large as the Odekrag. The Biata and Elven nation is known as Sarzera and they have two major cities: Skyhaven and Tidereach. Skyhaven is a city on the Skycrest mountain where most of the noble folks live, and Tidereach is where most of the workers live. It is rumored that there are no children in either city so who knows how the population of Sarzera is replenished. Rumor has it that all children are taken away to be brainwashed, but that sounds unrealistic.

Wandering throughout Calliphestus are the Olanlari Wanderers who are comprised of Gypsies and Wylderkyn. Many cultures depend on the Olanlari as messengers, even if they don’t like them as a people.

The center of Calliphestus is a grand plain with a lake in the middle and rivers leading from the lake down South towards the Waupani sea. The plains are effectively split into two halves: the Western half is known as the Tranquil Plains and the Eastern half is called the Raging Plains. The lake in the center of the plains is where the Ceriopolis ruins are rumored to be.

The Tranquil Plains are home to the five High Orc Clans. The High Orcs apparently used to be part of the Savage Legion, but ended up turning on the Savage Legion at some point. The High Orcs claim that their ancestors saw no honor in the killings the Savage Legion were doing, so the High Orcs revolted against the Savage Legion. Ever since then the High Orcs have mainly been fighting skirmishes with the Savage Legion with the occasional war against one of the other lands, but there haven’t been any wars in the past decade. The High Orcs also seem to routinely host a large tournament. Strangely enough, the High Orcs seem to be extremely calm outside of battle, but fly into a blood curdling rage as soon as battle breaks out.

The Raging Plains is where the Savage Legion reigns supreme. From there, the Savage Legion frequently tests the borders of the Blackened Reaches, often attacks the Verdant Eyrie, and routinely throws themselves at the Silkleaf Refuge. The only nation that actively fights back against the Savage Legion are the High Orcs which the Savage Legion seems to be at a stalemate with. Often, the Savage Legion also sends war parties through the Tranquil Plains to attack the Golden Empyrium, who hides behind their wall, or attack Elara where the living jungle doesn’t discriminate between elves or goblins when ripping creatures apart. Occasionally, the Savage Legion builds boats to attack the Waupani and frequently succeeds in razing a small island or two before being returning to the mainland. About the only nation that is left alone for the most part is the Prashapti Desert since its borders are behind Elara and the Silkleaf Refuge; the Savage Legion has enough opportunity for death and destruction between the Raging Plains and the Prashapti Desert. But, it’s a desert so life is hard enough without the Savage Legion attacking.

When asked, locals from all over the continent talk about how evil the Savage Legion is. Stories abound of the Savage Legion terrorizing the lands. Tales of goblins, savage orcs, savage ogres, massive trolls, and other evil creatures attacking villages and cities, razing them to the ground are common. The people telling these stories expand on the horrible mutilation of corpses the Savage Legion performs, ripping people limb from limb. One Reed Dryad of the Waupani, who was a part of the militia of an island that was razed, tells a story about how he was held by an orc and forced to watch a troll slowly rip the arms from his wife; he resurrected after the battle while his wife did not. A High Orc that was captured talks about how he was tortured by an old goblin for apparently no other reason than to see how much pain the High Orc could withstand; no questions were asked and it looked like the goblin was enjoying himself at the time, often cackling with glee when the High Orc howled in pain.

All stories are unanimous in that they describe the Savage Legion as an evil force. When asked, no one truly knows why the Savage Legion does what it does. Some believe it is because the Savage Legion just likes to kill, maim, destroy, and cause pain. Others think there is a force commanding them that just wants to see chaos and anarchy. And still others are of the opinion that the Savage Legion has developed a taste for the flesh of the great races and is willing to do anything to get it.

The Savage Legion was beaten into submission during the age that Ceriopolis stood, but it wasn’t destroyed. When their forces were strong enough, and when the other nations were complacent, the Savage Legion overran Ceriopolis, which caused the rest of the nations to retreat back to their fortifications and spend only enough resources to defend themselves. However, most of the people you talk to share concerns that their defenses are eroding with each wave the Savage Legion throws at them. You hear worry from everyone that the Age of Fury may return, that the Savage Legion will overcome everyone’s defenses once again, and that this time they will succeed in killing everyone.

Sumnus explains that Ceriopolis must be rebuilt and returned to glory to prevent the Savage Legion from overwhelming the whole content again. There is a prophecy that speaks of the heroes of old bringing the light of hope back to be the beacon against darkness. So, Sumnus, who believes you are the heroes the prophecy speaks of, is taking you to Ceriopolis to begin relighting hope.

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(OOG: Credit to LARPkitten for the map - https://alliancelarp.com/forum/threads/ig-calliphestus-maps.27956/)
 
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