The Lands of Mirte

The known lands of Mirte (for DM use only)

Mirte is a northern highland wilderness of the world of Tenebrous in which my D&D campaign takes place.  The land is dominated, geographically, by the Everlasting Range, a towering chain of steep, but relatively narrow mountain peaks.  The southwest coast, reaching all the way to the highland slopes bears a mild maritime climate most of the year with heavy rainfall and thick foliage.  East of the mountains, the climate is colder with long winters and heavy snowfall, but unusually warm summers creating conditions for plenty of flora highlighted by pine forests in the higher elevations and even a few deciduous forests in the lowlands.

The far northwest is the most wild and untamed part of Mirte, and few, in modern history, have ventured beyond the borders into the region surrounding the great ice sheet.  Rumors circulate of ruined cities and a great prison of ancient origin among tales of horrible monsters.  The small fishing town of Ebony Bay shares the border with the King's Keep, an outpost watching the northlands for trouble.

Stony Deep and its surroundings

The land is ruled by the High King under the banner of Monarchy out of the capital of Stony Deep, a medium-sized city in the southeast.  The city's original origins date back hundreds of years and sits atop a wide limestone mesa.  Rumors hold that many secret tunnels run through the mesa under the city, with tales of deeper caves and aquifers beneath that.

The city's most stark feature is the large, central fortress where the king and his family reside, along with other nobles and the royal guard. Well-known locations in the city include the cathedral church, the fighters and thieves guilds and the wizard tower.  A popular place for travelers is the Screaming Elf alehouse, situated in the northwest corner of town.

The far north, nestled between the great ice sheet and the highest peaks north of the swamps of Marshmere, lay an enormous stone wall spanning nearly a hundred of miles from southwest to northeast.  No man alive has ever scaled the wall and returned to tell the tale of what lies beyond.  Before reaching the wall, a massive ruined city, nicknamed Stoneholt lays in waste where it is whispered to hold many dark secrets about Mirte's past.

The civilizations of the Lands of Mirte are dominated by humans.  A small contingency of Elfen folk recently existed, but there is nothing known of any other race of civilized beings of lawful creatures other than folklore and myth.  On the other-hand there have been many documented sightings and encounters of other chaotic creatures both magical and monstrous in the darker places of the land.  The recent Kobold War has put many on edge and it is now believed that something sinister has taken up residence beyond the wall to the north.  Not far to the north and east of Stony Deep lies the Faery Forest, once home to the mysterious elfs, and still rumored to be home of many magical fae creatures (though not officially confirmed).

Our story takes place just after the departure of these mysterious race of beings.  A recent timeline of events will be heretofore outlined in the next post.