Ursum is the main island of the Lucarcian Continent. It holds three of the major five houses and is the center of the empire in the city of Lucar. The island is split into three provinces, the Head, Spine, and Tail. The Head is controlled by House Ruby, the Spine by the Imperial House Azure, and the Tail by House Ebon. This island is buffeted by large waves and storms in the south, but the north and eastern coasts are tranquil and sheltered in comparison. The weather is mostly temperate with a warm, dry climate in the summer and wet but not too cold winters.

Recent myths say that Ursum was a titanic whale who came to the surface and was somehow turned to stone during a primordial battle between the servants of both Light and Darkness. This legend only really surfaced after cartographers mapped the island following the Sundering and realized the shape of the newly formed island roughly looked like a huge fish. As the island was only created five hundred years ago as part of the Sundering, that legend is clearly recently fabricated.

Ursum boasts the most relics of the ancient Rainbow Empire which collapsed about five hundred years ago with the catastrophe of the Writhing Death and the destruction of Antissa. Small ruins dot the landscape, most of which are avoided by the locals and farmers. These ruins tend to have strange magical or technological anomolies and defenses protecting them and although it is said great treasures can be found in their depths, the risks are simply not worth it for most normal folk. These ruins are a magnet for adventurers and mercenary bands alike however.

Lucar is the capital city of the Lucarcian Empire and is named after the first emperor who founded both the city and the empire itself. It was founded about five hundred years ago at the time of the destruction of Atlanise and the end of the Rainbow Empire. The emperor moved his court to the promontory which overlooked the new Inner Sea and the site of the destruction which broke the Rainbow Empire apart.

Lucar is known as the Azure City, which conjurers all sorts of images of a bright, clean and sparkling city of blues and whites. In fact the capital is anything but. It is a dull and grimy place which many say represents the current state of the empire: old, dirty and past its prime.

The city is built entirely on one huge headland which sticks out into the Inner Sea for a few miles. The promontory is rounded, with the neck of the headland only a few hundred yards across. A large granite wall circles the headland, making it a very defensible place, but in the five hundred years it has stood it has never been attacked so its defences remain untested.

The city boasts two harbours, one on either side of the headland, in the coves formed by the neck. Harbour walls have been built out on each side to produce two very sheltered bays. The eastern bay is deeper and the deep hulled ocean-going ships are directed to dock there. The western bay is shallower and tends to be full of smaller ships and boats. Both harbours have multiple granite staircases leading up to the outside of the city walls and to gates which lead into the city. Each harbour has also given birth to its own waterfront district, outside the city walls, complete with all the usual trappings these places acquire: taverns, gambling dens and brothels.

On the southern side of the city, beyond the city wall, the neck stretches out into the mainland. Here the city continues to sprawl. Many of the city’s poorer inhabitants live here outside the protection of the walls, and the Azure Watch who patrol the city streets inside the wall, rarely come here. Gangs of thieves and thugs roam the streets in Poor Town, as it is known, and violence is a way of life.

Inside the walls life is safer, but the city is still rough and ready. The market district lies just inside the South Gate and the thieves of Poor Town populate this area too, picking on merchants and their customers alike. Beyond the market district are rows of shops and residential areas, clustered tightly together. Many alleyways and short cuts crisscross the area and litter and rundown buildings are common. A lot of these buildings are five hundred years old, having been built when the city was originally constructed. Some look like they have not been renovated at all during their lifetimes.

As you move north you pass by the Temple District where large temples to the city’s main gods can be found. These are fairly well looked after, testimony to the religious nature of the populace. The Azure Watch patrols this part of the city regularly, keeping unsavoury types away. Hanging onto the edge of the Temple District, almost like it is trying to infer it is a temple to a new god, lays the Guild Hall, home of the Guild of Master Merchants and Sea Farers. This place is constructed of white marble, much like the main Guild Hall in Cansae, but is a smaller structure than the Guild base in the Red City. It is in pristine condition and very clearly shows the wealth and power wielded by the influential Guild.

Beyond the Temple District is a large park with tree lined avenues and decorative ponds. This was once the jewel in the crown of the city but now is like a tiny vision of the state of the empire. The paths are cracked and have weeds growing through in places. Low walls which separate the ponds have bricks missing and some ponds are beginning to be choked with algae and reeds. The few fish which still swim in them look brown rather than golden and in places the odd tree on the avenues stands dead and leafless even in summer. The park, like the empire it is at the heart of, lies decaying and broken, in its last days of life.

Past the park, right on the northern most edge of the island rises the Azure Palace. Built by command of Lucar and the very first building to be raised in the city, the palace still looks an impressive sight. It has been kept regenerated, perhaps at the expense of the rest of the city. The palace is made of white marble, flecked with blue in places. Azure decorations break up the stark white façade and compliment the colour scheme. Pendants showing the great blue whale, which is the sign of the Azure House, flutter from every available cornice.

The palace soldiers, known as the Thought Guard, guard the palace inside and out. Dressed in polished breastplates with spears in hand and swords by their sides, they wear long flowing cloaks of azure and plumed helms with bright blue feathers. Their surcoats are white with the blue whale of the house emblazoned on the front. The Thought Guard are so called as they are rumoured to be trained telepaths, able to tell what a man is thinking and able to get into a person’s head and turn his brains to jelly with a thought. So their reputation goes, in the city and throughout the Empire.

Emperor Jovius Azure II lives in the palace. He is ancient and has been said to be on his last legs for many years now. He is the last living descendent of Emperor Lucar Azure, who formed the Lucarcian Empire five hundred years ago, and he has no children. When he dies the line of Lucar will end. House Azure has no heir and will likely crumble too, leaving no royal house in place. Most fear civil war is inevitable.

The Head of Ursum is the name given to the province located at the far western end of the island of Ursum. Ruled by House Ruby the Head of Ursum is a large sprawling landscape, bordered by a big mountain range to the east and the sea to the west.

A quiet stretch of water approaching the city of Cansae. This place is usually full of fishing vessels and Guild ships.

Cansae straddles the Nabor River where it flows into the Aper Sound. The Nabor is a thin, fast moving river which spills out into the Sound a mere two score or so miles from its source in the foothills of the Aratas Mountains. Three bridges cross the Nabor in the city and each is constructed so as to be able to be raised up to allow high masted ships to pass below – although these days the only ships making this journey are the ships tasked with carrying building stone to the city from the quarries of the Aratas hills.

The majority of the buildings of Cansae are formed from the stunning ruby-red bricks quarried in the Aratas hills near the source of the Nabor. These rocks are cut out of the hillside and loaded onto barges and shipped down river overnight to the city where they are used in the construction of most of the city buildings.

Cansae is one of the oldest cities in the Empire. Founded back in the days of the beginning of the Rainbow Empire, the discovery of the unusual red bricks here caused the head of the local ruling house to name his house the Ruby House, and to build his palace out of this amazing rock. Incredibly the supplies of ‘ruby-rock’ as it is known locally have not yet been depleted, even though an entire city has been built from it. The quarries of the Aratas hills are now nearly expended though.

The districts of Cansae have developed over many years and the city appears to have no real plan or layout. Perhaps it did at one stage but it is so old that any original plan has now been lost and engineers and architects tend to just build wherever they can find spare land. Fortunately the Cansae Plains are vast and there is no real restriction on the size the city could grow.

Cansae is the capital of the Head of Ursum and still the centre of power for House Ruby. The Dragon, Ignatius Ruby, current overlord of the house makes his home in the Dragon Fortress which sits surrounded by warehouses, inns, residential houses and shops in a haphazard collection of styles and structures. The Fortress overlooks the harbour and approach to the city by sea along the Aper Sound. The red dragon standard of the Ruby House flies from the flag poles atop the palace and on all significant buildings in the city. Well, all significant buildings bar one.

The city has one new and notable addition. The Guild of Master Merchants and Sea Farers have set up their base here. The mysterious Trade Lords have gone against everything the city stands for and built a huge Guild Hall out of white marble, transported at great cost from the mountains of Manabas. This stark white monolith stands like a single tooth in a full red mouth. It is testament to the power the Trade Lords now wield that the Dragon did nothing to stop them building this complete contrast to the rest of the city. The Guild standard of a fox sat atop a set of merchant scales hangs from the flag pole on this building.

Cansae’s location on the southern side of the Head makes it difficult to get to and yet it maintains its position as a major trade hub, probably in no small part due to the influence of the Trade Lords. Guild ships are often seen sailing up and down the Aper Sound on their way into or out of port. The people of Cansae are interested in the latest fashions from Lucar, the jewellery from Selkie and other more exotic goods from the further parts of the empire and beyond. In exchange Cansae is rich in simple food stuffs which grow in abundance on the plains outside the city. Typically Guild ships load up with grains, rice and fruits when they leave the city to their next port of call.

The Dragon Fortress is the seat of power of the ruler of the Ruby House. Built from the stunning 'ruby-rock', quarried from the nearby Aratas Mountains this palace overlooks the Aper Sound to the south west.

A very fertile stretch of land to the south of the city of Cansae. This area feeds most of the towns of the Head and still has enough produce left over to export to the Spine.

Mamucium is the smallest town in the Head of Ursum. Nestled on the north coast it is one of the three main ports in this region. The Dragon has a summer retreat here overlooking the sea and his daughter, Melissa Ruby, is often seen wandering the streets of the port, looking for bargains in the shops and markets. She is a popular figure with the populace here. Rumour has it she is also a powerful Pyromancer.

A local name given to the point of The Head of Ursum where it thins the most.

Tunis is located on the north coast of the Head of Ursum, on the Inner Sea. It is built on a slight rise with three main streets leading up away from the waterfront. The buildings there are of local sandstone and are a pleasing uniform sandy brown colour. Most have simple clay tiled roofs, typically of a reddish hue. The streets are cobbled. Rumour has it that the Ruby House have recently been training Pyromancers here, against the decree banning the study of arcane lore.

The Spine of Ursum is the central region of the island. This province was historically ruled by House Azure from the imperial capital at Lucar. This part of the continent is mostly now dangerous wilderness. A few points of civilization dot the Spine in places but travel between them is dangerous and not undertaken lightly. It has been so long since the Spine was patrolled that in fact no one really knows what lies in the desolate regions of the centre of the empire. Although this is the geographical centre of the empire it is probably one of the most dangerous and untamed areas in the continent.

A small coastal port on the north side of Ursum, on the Inner Sea.

Black Sail harbour is located in the south coast of the Spine of Ursum. Natural fingers of rock have been cunningly extended by man made breakwaters which make for a lovely calm, deep-water harbour which is almost impossible to spot from the sea, unless you know it is there. The village itself sits deep inside the high-cliffed bay, meaning it is also hard to spot from land, and also protected by the Mere Marsh to the north, and its relative seclusion in this part of the world. As such few people even know this place exists and it is not easy to reach.

Black Sail is a haven for black market goods and also has a surprisingly large shipyard which specializes in "adjustments" to ships - often involving changing names and identities of stolen vessels.

In recent days walking lizards from the nearby Mere Marsh have been seen on the cliff tops above the town. Local leader Seneca has hired some passing adventurers to investigate the issue.

These natural hills have been here for a long, long time. Their tops are dotted with man made hummocks, believed to be the tombs of the Old Folk who inhabited these hills even before the Rainbow Empire rose to power. Legend tells that these people possessed ancient and powerful magic and that this magic protects their dead, even to this day. It is certainly the case that people who consider disturbing the barrows in search of ancient treasures are often never seen again. Sometimes the low moans of what sound like ethereal voices can be heard coming from the hill tops. Sensible people give the area a wide berth.

Brakspear Castle was once a prominent and vital part of the defences of the Rainbow Empire. Over seven hundred years old, it is not certain when it fell into disuse, but it was certainly still in use when the Lucarcian Empire rose from the ashes of the Rainbow Empire. The castle itself is still tall and imposing, although much of it has crumbled to ruins, and what still stands is not safe; likely to collapse at any time. It is rumoured that a large series of caverns and dungeons lay under Brakspear Castle and of course the legends tell of the huge amounts of lost Rainbow Empire treasure which lays ready to be discovered here.

Canonium is a fishing town on the southern coast of the Spine.

Coates was an old warrior who bought this woodland from the Azure House when he retired from the his adventuring life about ten years ago. Apparently the old warrior disappeared into the wood and has not been seen since. It is assumed he perished in there. The wood has an evil reputation and is left alone, but occasionally passers by tell of seeing a giant shaggy bear on the fringes of the wood. It is widely assumed that Coates met his end to that bear. It is also believed that Coates was a rich man and his fortune must be in the wood somewhere.

Nestled in the sheltered northern coast of the Spine, Condate looks out across the Inner Sea. The Old Trade Road connects it to the capital and that is one of the few trade routes still in constant use. Recently however Guild caravans have reported attacks by strange creatures roaming out of the south and the Guild has started to increase protection on its caravans. Rewards have been posted for the recovery of some of the Guild's merchandise which these creatures have apparently carried off into the wilds.

The Crags are a series of high hills, almost small mountains. Rugged and barren, they are made mostly from granite and are sharp and craggy. The rock here is too hard for humans to shape and mine, but dwarves live in their halls under the hillside, their mining skills capable of shaping homes and dwellings in the impermeable rock. The dwarven king is old and his first born son is well known in the region for being an aggressive and violet soul. The locals fear what will happen when the old king dies and his son takes the dwarven crown.

The Darkmoor is a desolate place, with wild moorland rising into craggy hillsides and dropping into deep trackless mires with equal frequency. The occasional ruined settlement dots the drier areas of this moor and humanoids and other fouler creatures are said to make their homes there. No civilized folk are likely to ever wish to wander there.

The Deadwood was once called the Oakwood, named for the huge oaks which dominate it. It was the site of a great massacre, over a hundred years ago. A minor noble house called the Oak House, rose up in revolt against the Azure House and were ruthlessly and efficiently put down. The local Azure noble put every member of the Oak House to death, crucifying them in the Oakwood from which they took their name. The Oakwood was cursed that day and the spirits of the crucified have never found rest. Now the Deadwood is infested with the restless spirits of those who were put to death here.

Despite its name, no goblins live here any longer. This was once home to a large and aggressive band of goblinoids but they were hunted down and destroyed by the soldiers of the Azure House nearly twenty years ago. The forest is still avoided by most folk and who knows what may have taken up residence in their since the goblins were vanquished.

The Greenwood is a leafy, sylvan wood, full of pretty streams and open fern beds. This is the home of a large band of fey who keep intruders from passing too deeply into their domain.

Last port town on the southern shore before you reach the Neck and then The Head of Ursum .

Mere Marsh is a small expanse of wetland, home to many brightly coloured birds and chirping insects. Large alligators dwell in the depths, feeding off who-knows-what. It is said that some of the alligators have evolved and walk on two legs, and that these lizardfolk make crude huts and shelters in the marsh. Travellers who have ventured into its edges report wooden bridges crossing the deeper parts of the mire.

Molesworth is a small fishing port. On the bluff overlooking the village is a large fortress, a relic from the Rainbow Empire. This fortress is still maintained and boasts a large number of well armed guards. The owner, self styled "Lord" Armiger, is basically a drug runner. He will buy drugs and poisons from people - at a fairly low price, but without any questions being asked.

At the end of the Wildflow River where waters from the Crags spill into the Southern Ocean.

A city in the centre of Ursum, Pontes is located towards the western end of the Spine. Trade routes used to run into and out of this central hub but in the last hundred years trade has dried up to a trickle. Recently, travellers who have made it to the fringes of the Spine from this city tell worrying tales about the rise of an orc warlord who has taken over the city. If true this could be a beacon for many evil creatures to flock to his banner.

Providentia is a small town which straddles the Old Gore River as it flows down out of the Vacheron hills. The town lays at the back of a large,wide bay and is nicely sheltered from most of the bad weather that the Southern Ocean has a tendency to throw at this coast. The bay is a little craggy in places, like most of this coastline, but also boasts some stunning sandy stretches which make for wonderful places to spend lazy summer days.

The town flows up the small hillside on which it has grown, developing over hundreds of years since the first settlers to this region decided this would make a good place to live. Providentia grew organically, never really planned, and has expanded as needed with no real direction. But in recent times the Earl has modified and organised the settlement. Lord Caer Ferrand, has added fortifications to the town since he became Earl of Providentia some thirty years ago.

The fortifications are only simple wooden walls which surround the town. They are wide enough to support a thin battlement on which watchmen can patrol. Every few hundred yards the Earl has added a small wooden tower, where more guards can be stationed and weapons and provisions stored in times of need. He has also built dividing walls through parts of the town, again only wooden and this time just large fences really, but they have the effect of channeling traffic from one part of town into another through the wooden gates which have been placed strategically in various locations. This is a source of minor inconvenience to the population but the Earl saw the benefits should Providentia ever come under attack.

At the top of the hill overlooking the town is the Iron Fortress, home of the Ferrand family, the Iron House. Made of grey local granite the fortress is an imposing building. It was not built for show but for defence and is a dour and dreary looking structure, but an impressive one none the less. A high stone wall surrounds a courtyard which contains many wooden buildings and the keep. The keep, three stories high, is dominated on one side by a huge stained-glass window depicting a smith at work on a great forge – the symbol of the Iron House. The window is a masterpiece and is one of the most beautiful pieces of art anywhere in Lucarcia. The builder of the Iron Fortress, the founder of the Iron House, Lord Hiberus Ferrand, the first Earl of Providentia, commissioned it. That was over three hundred years ago.

The Iron Fortress is the ancestral home of the Iron House. Built by Lord Hiberus Ferrand over three hundred years ago, it is a dreary and dull building, built for function, not show. All apart from the three story high stained glass window which dominates the fortress on one side. This was also commissioned by Lord Hiberus and depicts a blacksmith at work at his forge - the symbol of the house. This window is in the process of being repaired after Captain Nikolai Kester dove head-first through it whilst escaping from Reynard Ferrand recently.

The Temple of Light in Providentia is an impressive building. Built of local grey granite, it rises above the buildings around it. The temple is fronted by a series of large granite columns, supporting an arched roof. The arched roof has a huge golden sun disk emblazoned on the front of it which is positioned such that at sunrise the sun catches the disk and reflects out across the area in front of the temple, bathing it in golden light. Steps of sandstone lead up to the front and it is a mark of how long the temple has stood that the passage of many feet has worn the steps down severely in places.

The interior of the temple is even more impressive than the exterior. If the outside speaks of power and stability, the inside speaks of opulence and wealth. Gold is everywhere. The main doors lead directly into the main worship hall. This is rectangular and stretches away as one enters. Two neat rows of wooden pews are laid out side by side and an aisle leads down the middle towards the High Altar at the far end of the room. The High Altar is dominated by a huge golden sun disk, which hangs from the ceiling on golden chains. White cloth, heavily trimmed with gold, covers the white marble altar slab itself. Even the pews are covered with white cloth, and embroidered with gold. A thick carpet runs the length of the centre aisle. This carpet depicts scenes of angels and other holy beings, frolicking and playing, all bathed in shining light.

The ancient town of Ravenspear is still partially standing. An old relic of the Rainbow Empire, the wooden timbers of the houses in this town are all over eight hundred years old. Recently a group of bandits have taken up residence in the ruins.

A small settlement of about a dozen thatched cottages, located about a day east of Providentia. It has a homely place called the Seagull Inn, the heart of the village, where travelers and locals gather. The innkeeper, jovial Elara, serves hearty fish stew, salted cod, and mugs of frothy ale.

Sarnia lays on the northern coast of the Spine, not far from Lucar. This is the home of the Emperor's extended family and a large palace flying the Imperial Azure standards is built high on a hillside overlooking the port. Local rumours tell that no one has been into or out of the palace since the Emperor's death and it is not certain if the family are in hiding, in mourning or if they have fled the town.

A horseshoe-shaped range that surrounds the ancient city of Vacheron on three sides. The Wyre Forest hugs the inner circle of the range, near the city.

Off the northern coast of the Spine of Ursum lay the ruins of a Rainbow Empire castle which collapsed into the Inner Sea when the Empire was sundered five hundred years ago. Its name has been lost into history. Now it is just called the Sunken Fort. At extremely low tides the very top of the tallest remaining tower in the castle becomes visible, some hundred feet out to sea. Some brave souls swim out to it, although the currents around it are strong and dangerous. People who have swum out to it tell that on a calm day with the right light it is possible to see an entire castle below the sea. Rumours persist of a band of merfolk who now reside there, enjoying the benefits of all the ancient magics and treasures of the Rainbow Empire which were lost in its collapse.

Thurrock, a quaint village perched in the embrace of The Spine of Ursum , is a tapestry of rustic charm. The village is a cluster of stone cottages with thatched roofs, each one a sentinel watching over the winding cobblestone paths that meander like streams. Gardens bloom with wildflowers, and the air carries the scent of freshly baked bread and woodsmoke from chimneys.

The Old Gore River, a lifeline for the villagers, cascades down the Vacheron Hills, its waters clear and cold, nourishing the land and the people alike. The riverbanks are dotted with willows and alders, their branches dipping into the flowing water, and the gentle hum of the river accompanies the daily life of the villagers.

At the heart of Thurrock stands the Church of the Light, an ancient structure of stone and stained glass, its spire reaching towards the heavens. Brother Vincent, the village priest, is a figure of reverence, his sermons a balm to the weary souls.

The village square is the hub of activity, with a fountain at its center and a market that comes alive with the voices of merchants and the laughter of children. The forge bellows with the clang of hammer on anvil, and the tavern is a haven of tales and ale.

As night falls, the village of Thurrock transforms. The hills cast long shadows, and the sea port of Providentia glimmers in the distance like a beacon. The villagers continue their lives, bound by tradition and the rhythms of nature.

Known as the City of the Platinum Dragon, this is a shining beacon in a dark world. A group of knights, called the Great Council, rules this city and its streets are clean and well maintained. A huge temple to a dragon aspect of the Light can be found here - the biggest on the continent in fact. Protected on three sides by the Spine of the World mountains and at the end of a long winding valley, Vacheron is well protected from any who would care to attack it. Rumour says that with the recent death of the Emperor, the Great Council has declared Vacheron an independent city state. If true this further damages the Azure House's chances of recovering from the death of their patriarch, as Vacheron was a powerful ally for the Azure House until now.

The Wildflow runs down to the Southern Ocean where it spills gently out into a deep bay. The Wildflow is only in any way wild in its headwaters. For the most part the river meanders gently down through the lowlands. The lower reaches of the river are known to be the homeland of many halflings who live in their burrows alongside the winding river. Many halflings live and make their livings on the river itself. Their brightly coloured barges can always be seen travelling up and down the Wildflow. They are great traders and merchants.

A pleasant, open and deciduous wood, this place is light and spacious. It appears for all the world to be a safe and pleasant forest.

This is the region at the north western end of the island of Ursum. As Ursum somewhat resembles a whale and this area would be the whale's tail. It was once a safe and prosperous region, part of the now ruined Rainbow Empire. It is now ruled by the Ebon House of the Lucarcian Empire. There are a number of villages and towns in the region but none of them have a great deal of control over the wilds in between them. Communications between the settlements is sparse and often confused. The lands which make up the majority of the Tail are wild, dangerous and only the foolish or brave venture into them.

The old Coast Road leads from Kelp across the wilds to the port town of Selkie some sixty miles away to the east and then on around the coast to the village of Derketo in the east. This road is part of the old Rainbow Empire and used to be well maintained and patrolled. Now it has fallen into disrepair and anyone setting out on it takes their life into their hands.

Awash with burial ruins of the Rainbow Empire these hills are said to be swarming with undead stirred up by the evil wizard Darken.

A dark and foreboding forest rumoured to be haunted by shades of the evil wizard Darken's minions. No one in their right mind would even think about going here.

This is the ruined tower once owned by the legendary and hideously evil wizard Aramir Darken. Darken dabbled in things he should not have and was known to have an unhealthy love of the undead and all things necrotic. It is said he created many undead to serve him in his tower and experimented with the spirits of those buried in the burial halls under the downs that his tower was built upon. Rumour has it he tried to learn the secrets to becoming a lich but must have failed as he disappeared from the region about a hundred years ago and his tower has remained uninhabited (apart from perhaps by his undead servants) ever since.

Not much is known about this far away fishing village save that its fish are a rival for Kelp's in Selkie's fish markets.

The only route through the Frosthold Mountains from the Tail of Ursum to the Spine of Ursum. Guarded by the fortress of Frostgard in the northern end.

Not too surprisingly this place is a rough and tumble walled frontier town which guards the Frost Pass into the mountains - the only way to get into and out of the Tail of Ursum without mountaineering skills, equipment and a guide, or a delve under the Frosthold Mountains.

The Frosthold Mountains are named after an old Empirical fortress called the Frosthold. This fortress was situated high above the pass at its highest point commanding views across the mountains and down into the Tail to the north and towards Vacheron in the south. It was said that the hold was so high up that on a clear day one could see the far off city of Vacheron to the south and all the way to the port of Selkie in the north. A single slim path leads from Frost Pass up to the entrance to the hold and this hold is said to be unstormable. Legend has it that the old Empire employed Stone Giants to build the fortress overseen by dwarven artisans. Now rumour holds that the Frosthold is home to a frost giant chieftain of great power and its certainly true that merchants making the trip through the pass oft times tell tales of being charged tolls to pass by a band of ogres who claim to be working for the Jarl of Frosthold.

Badly named this river is actually quite warm once you reach the lowlands and it runs past the forest of Mithlond. The upper reaches as the water cascades out of the Frosthold Mountains is the place where the river was named when explorers in the early days of the Rainbow Empire first breached the Frost Pass and found this river running down into the Tail. It is main souce of transport from Frostgard to the sea and the town of Selkie via the fey forests.

Kelp is one of the main settlements in the region, but one of the smaller such settlements. Its primary source of income is fishing and farming and both trades account foor about half the villages' economy. Kelp exports fish and some farm goods to Selkie where they are traded on and sent upriver to Frostgard or across the Inner Sea to Dun Laren.

Mithlond or Sanctuary as it translates in the common tongue is the fey forest in the centre of the region. The entire forest used to be populated with fey in the days of the Rainbow Empire but these days the fey numbers have been drastically reduced and the fey have been forced to retreat deeper and deeper into their forest home. The edges of the forest are now roamed by monsters and strange creatures and the fey fight daily battles to protect and maintain their realm. The whole forest if still known as Mithlond in the region but really speaking the fey controlled parts of it have shrunk to about a quarter of the size of the overall forest, clustered around the centre by the river fork. The river fork is where the entrance to the fey realm can be found and members of the civilized races are generally speaking welcome to enter the fey lands there.

A rarity in the lands, the newly erected Sahuag Inn was constructed in the last five years by an enterprising Halfling called Dando Billberry who saw a niche for a roadside stop along The Coast Road to encourage travellers between Kelp and Selkie . So far this enterprise has worked - the inn is flourishing and trade between the two settlements has improved because of it.

Dando has been successful enough that he is considering employing a small force of mercenary warriors to guard his inn to keep the inn and its customers safe from any marauding monsters in the region.

Rumour has it that a local Selkie bard and old time adventuring companion of Dando's may start performing here regularly soon. It is possible, if the inn survives, that a small community might grow up here.

Selkie is a trading port on the north coast which has links to the republican city of Dun Laren across the Inner Sea. Some traders also sail north west to the island of Ibini but they are fewer in number. Selkie links the fishing villages of Kelp in the west with Derketo in the east via the old Coast Road . It is itself a fishing port and is situated where the Iceflow River flows out into the Inner Sea. Halfing riverfolk and some other merchants use the river for transport to far away Frostgard and to the fey forest of Mithlond.

The Ebon house controls the Tail of Ursum from this town. Barrius Ebon, "the Dark Lord" and head of Ebon house, has his seat in the castle overlooking the town. The raven on the wing standard flies from its roof tops. The castle is a "no-go" area for most people and nearly everyone is turned away by the Dread Guard who defend it. These soldiers are dressed all in black with red flashes and wear helms which are made to look extremely like oversized human skulls.