Greetings all. Welcome to the homebrew campaign The Secrets of the Sunderlands.
Each of you received the following summons to the city of Kiffport:
You possess a particular set of skills that I wish to employ. You will be compensated handsomely, but I will require a time commitment of no less than two months. Prepare for sea travel. Go to Kiffport on the turning of the year, if you are interested. Procure a room from the inn nearest the ports, and mention my summons to the innkeeper. My representative will contact you.
-Karajhin
For reasons that are your own, you decide to answer the summons.
If you wish to try to research about this “Karajhin” before you arrive, it will be difficult, as records of significant people with this name are scant. Knowledge (local), (history), or (nobility), DC 27.
Significant city-states and dominions of the continent of departure, Hamonreld:
Kiffport –a more wretched hive of scum and villainy you will not find. Anything can be bought for the right price, anything can be sold. A puppet mayor is backed by a ring of organized crime. So organized, in fact, the city is an economic hub for trading, in general goods and contraband alike, resting on a corner of land between the coast and the mouth of the river that runs miles inland.
Kragband –the largest and strongest fortress of the dwarves. It stretches across a mountain pass, and its inhabitants are the most militaristic of the dwarf kind. The mountains have yielded excellent metals for crafting and jewels for hoarding. Not surprisingly, Kragband houses the largest standing dwarven army, and are renowned for their discipline and training for war. Their aggression toward the orcs of the southwest is seconded only by the elves.
Sheng Dynasty –The elves inhabit the southeast corner of the continent. Their dominion is comprised of thousands of small communities, though two metropolis’ mark the map. Sheng, the capital, is the trading center of the dynasty, and considered by the elves to be the center for enlightened thought. Jodan is an island fortress not far from the southern coast, built to safeguard the realm against the orc attacks from the southwest. Where the dwarves may favor a solid defense from which to defeat their foes, the elves prefer the swift cunning of the narrow blade, and will use finesse rather than brawn to defeat their foe. Such a philosophy lends them to be the most aggressive opponents of the orcs.
Timple –originally an Iriori monk temple that took in human refugees from the Blighting, and eventually grew into the only exclusively human city over time. Since then, the city thrived into a trading center, seated at the forking of the mountain river, one branch leading east to Kiffport, the other leading south to Karn. They maintain some traditions of their Iriori caretakers, but mostly in name than deed.
Karn –a smattering of small, disorganized communities kept in the hills that border the southbound river. Karn enjoys trade with the city of Timple to the north, as well as occasional trades with the orcs directly south. As a people, Karn is a collection of refugees, escaped criminals, and other types that wish to avoid the structures of government and live as they please. It is perhaps the one settlement where humans, dwarves, orcs, and their mixed offspring have coexisted peacefully. Karn is a harsh land not easily coaxed into producing a crop or maintaining a herd. Best known for their barbaric approach to combat, the sellswords that hail from Karn are renowned for their martial prowess.
Stonegard –At the base the largest mountain of Hamonreld lays a dwarven fortress. The fortress burrows deep into the stone, ending with two massive double doors. The Keeper of the Mountain, as their leader is called, is charged with the task of keeping the enormous gate closed. It is known that a mighty power resides behind it, though through the ages, rumor has distorted whether the power is helpful, to be called on in great need, or terrible, and intended to be kept locked away forever. Stonegard remains in the mountains near Timple, not far from the snows that contribute to the river.
Krut –the closest thing resembling organization for the dominion of orcs is the island fortress of Krut, which is centrally planted where the southern river spreads into a delta. There, the orc leadership drills a standing army and plans raids on Karn and the Sheng Dynasty. Because of their proximity to the coast, the orcs are also skilled sailors, and have proven so by landing raiding parties as far as Kiffport.
Remember, these locations provided are detailing the land you are leaving. I only write them so you had some history to base your rp from, if you wanted it. Ask me more questions about Hamonreld if you wish.
Also, one other detail I forgot that might come in handy: In this world, Halflings are the offspring of human and dwarf, much like half-elves can claim human and elf parentage, and half-orcs, human and orc.
You will find a link to the map of the Sunderlands here. And here is a link to the tactical map
