Land of Humble Men
Hark
Hark is a land of picturesque beauty, a living painting of sunset-draped hills covered in golden grain, dotted with generational farms and cobblestone roads lined with weathered stone walls. Nestled in a serene valley between five city-states, Hark has transformed from a land ravaged by war into a bastion of peace and pastoral simplicity.
The weapons of its turbulent past now serve its people—towering automata, 12 feet tall, plow the fertile fields and transport goods, while magic is used sparingly, often to ensure bountiful harvests. Despite its tranquility, Hark carries the quiet vigilance of a retired knight: content in its newfound peace but never entirely free from the echoes of its past.
Battlemaps set in this location
Jilder
Nestled behind the renowned white walls of the Divine Bulwark, Jilder stands as a towering city of grand marble vistas and imposing pantheonic churches, whose steeples reach high above its skyline.
Once home to the primordial dragon and guardian of the Aquan Portal, Vel'Jilder, the city was reduced to ruins during the Age of Adventure, in the Fifth Godsbirth, by the cult known as the Necromuntis. From these ashes, a small church of divine scholars emerged, reclaiming and rebuilding the city as a refuge for those steadfast in their belief in the gods. Today in Crudilex, where practitioners of godly magic have largely lost their connection to their patrons, a universal crisis of faith has driven people away from divine blessings and toward the arcane and engineered miracles of the modern age.
The Pantheonic Church of Jilder, determined to reignite divine power, has gathered all remaining practitioners of holy magic and their associated churches, shifting its focus from individual gods to appealing broadly to any celestial beings willing to share their power. In the eyes of much of Crudilex, Jilderan priests are unparalleled in both training and might. Villages and hamlets across the world send their most promising youth to Jilder in exchange for well-trained priests who will return to purify corruption, revitalize spirituality, and combat undeath, monsters, and unholy threats. These mercenary clerics and paladins, unmatched in skill and dedication, serve even the poorest communities, offering hope and holy protection in exchange for the promise of a brighter future for their children.
Jilder presents itself as a city above reproach—the last bastion of holy integrity, with its paladins as the ultimate guardians of the sacred in an era of religious uncertainty. Yet, beneath this virtuous exterior, secrets and underhanded dealings lurk in the shadows. Not all in Jilder is as righteous as it seems.
The Twisted Plains
During the War of Sword and Fang, the elves and fey wielded the powers of the land so forcefully against the invading humans that the very earth ruptured, sending massive motes of rock into the sky. The natural arcana of the region was wholly consumed, leaving it completely devoid of druidic magic. No natural divine or druidic spellcasting can occur here. Legends say that Cruidlex itself prevents it, as punishment for the abuse of natural powers in those ancient times.
Aberdeen
Once a proud city, Aberdeen was where the legendary band of heroes known as "The Wrecking Crew" was formed. This brazen settlement was famous for its College of Heroes, a secretive organization created to find the foretold adventurers who were said to be strong enough to prevent a cataclysm arising from the Door of IV, hidden within the school.
Such an event did occur, known as the Day of Dawn. The ensuing disaster nearly destroyed all of Cruidlex, and Aberdeen was at the epicenter of the catastrophe. The world was forever changed, and Aberdeen was wiped out completely. Its famous Cathedral of the Pantheon, the only structure to remain, sank deep into the earth and became known as "The Sunless Citadel." All other evidence of the city's existence has been reduced to little more than rubble and rocks.
Owl Bridge
Once known for its Hall of Heroes in the town of Aberdeen, Hark is now largely farmland scattered with ruins. The only holdouts are the far southern cities of Saradross and Owlbridge. Owlbridge barely qualifies as a "city," consisting of just a handful of taller buildings and a fort. However, its people are proud, strong, and resolute. They have defended their city from both the Ironcircle and Collora, and now enjoy their hard-earned independence. The city is ruled by a lotocracy, where five members of the population are randomly selected and advised by experts. These leaders debate until they reach a consensus, with all decisions—ranging from criminal trials to local taxes—made through this method.
Oaklake
The quiet, humble town of Oaklake was once a Colloran settlement built to catalog the discoveries made in the nearby regions, primarily from the ruins of Aberdeen. Constructed in the high, rocky forests north of Fordum's Rift, it serves as a "final rest" before the long journey up the mountain to ruins.
Oaklake has only 16 buildings and even fewer residents, but it is the perfect place to vanish from the eyes of Cruidlex and remain completely overlooked—something the townspeople are well aware of.
Fordum's Rift
Long ago, the legendary human hero, Fordum the Barbarian, stood as humanity’s protector and achieved countless mythic and unparalleled feats.The most well known is the tale of Fordum’s Rift. With a single mighty swing of his axe, he cleaved Crudilex in half, creating a vast canyon and sending humanity's enemies hurtling onto a distant island. The canyon, now known as Fordum's Rift, marks the spot where his axe is said to have struck the earth with untold force.
Today, the Rift serves as a natural barrier between the savanna of Riddles and the redwoods of Dunwel Fen. Its desolate expanse is nearly devoid of human settlement, as the treacherous terrain and eerie howling of the winds deter all but the most daring. Yet, the Rift is far from empty. Strange and often dangerous creatures are said to creep from the cracks and crags of its jagged canyon walls. Preying upon the unwary and seething at humanity for that ancient defeat long ago.
Crosshaven
Crosshaven was established alongside the construction of the Sanroko Crossnational, its very foundation built by and for adventurers. The town boasts a culture entirely its own within Crudilex, shaped by the rhythms of traveling parties, daring quests, and the ever-evolving needs of heroes and explorers passing through.
While Crosshaven operates under an official government, the true seat of power lies in the Tavern on the Hill, a legendary gathering place for adventurers. Here, a quiet but unshakable understanding binds its transient residents: if ever the town were in peril, its inhabitants—both locals and adventurers—would band together to protect it. This unspoken pact has kept Crosshaven safer and more orderly than any garrison of guards could ever hope to achieve.
Yenna
After the Royalist defeat in New Collora, the Federalists established a massive fortified frontier—a heavily reinforced camp designed to rally their allies and consolidate their forces in preparation for a final campaign. Their strategy aimed first at Saradross, then New Ironloft, and ultimately the Royalist’s stronghold, the palace of Daven itself. Over the years, the camp grew beyond its military origins, evolving into a thriving settlement complete with a bustling tavern, sturdy stables, and even an airfield.
Thus, Yenna was born—the first city of the Palavier Republic. Yenna embraced the Federalists’ modern ideals, repurposing the fruits of war engineering to serve civilian life. In this burgeoning city, the tools of conflict were finally turned to peaceful innovation: swords to plowshares. With this transformation, Yenna blossomed into a beacon of progress. The city introduced marvels such as electricity, indoor plumbing, canned goods, refrigeration, and even the talkie moving picture show, cementing its place as a window into the Republic’s vision for a brighter future for all of Crudilex.
Saradross
Saradross isn't an easy place to be, and an even harder place to live. Nowhere is the class divide more clearly defined than in this city, where it is more accurate to say that two cities share a river. The White River, named before the industrial boom of the Sixth Godsbirth, is now the most polluted stretch of water in all of Cruidlex, and it is that toxic waste that separates East End from West End. The city is rife with problems, strife, and crime, much of which the powers that be—namely the politicians and the Thieves' Guild—have no interest in resolving.
Saradross is a place ripe for adventure and intrigue, but tread carefully, as those in power are only interested in what profit they can make from newcomers. There's a saying among its citizens: "Saradross is the place where altruism goes to die."
The Relentless Witness
The creation of the Relentless Witness marked the bitter end of the Colloran Federalist Revolution. Under Royalist command, soldiers rounded up every citizen in the free city of Saradross, forcing them into brutal labor. Their toil gave rise to a monstrous dreadnought—an indomitable airship forged from blackiron, a material said to be utterly indestructible. Rising above all other aeronautic creations, the Relentless Witness had the power to hover over any city in Crudilex, raining devastation from above and rendering resistance futile.
Yet, even this terrifying weapon harbored a fatal flaw: it was piloted by mortal men. This weakness became its undoing after its very first flight. Chaos erupted in the control room, culminating in regicide. King Infante du Collora was slain at the helm by none other than his son, the prince. In the ensuing madness, the dreadnought veered off course, its immense bulk plunging into the Soughtsoul Mountains. The indestructible ship buried itself deep into the mantle of the world, its blackiron hull protruding from the mountainside like a colossal blade. To this day, the Relentless Witness remains where it fell, a grim monument to ambition and hubris—a black knife wedged into the heart of the earth, defying time yet cold and dead.
The Savanna of Riddles
The vast drylands between Old Colloran and Hark were once an unrelenting desert during the Age of Adventurers, home to a single mysterious creature: the Colossus of Riddles. This towering behemoth of sandstone, headless and inscrutable, roamed the desert in an endless circle, awaiting its prophesied clash with the Leviathan—a battle said to herald the end of the world. Wherever the Colossus tread, the shifting sands hardened beneath its immense weight, forming a continuous path of sandstone.
Now, nearly 50 years later, the Colossus has vanished, leaving only its path behind. In its absence, the barren desert has undergone a miraculous transformation into a verdant savanna teeming with life. Yet, the great ring of hardened ground remains like a road crossing the drylands.
Kitendawili
Long before any other beings arrived in Crudilex, the Aventiens called this land their home. Among their most mysterious settlements was Kitendawili, a society that existed before the concept of time itself was forged—a place where the progenitors of the world sought to glimpse the future.
Little is known about this isolated culture, but its greatest mystery remains its downfall. How could a civilization so deeply rooted in divination magic fail to foresee its own demise? The ruins of Kitendawili tell an enigmatic story, carved in intricate sandstone hieroglyphs. Among these depictions is the Colossus of Riddles, recorded long before it ever reached the savanna, along with countless other prophecies etched into stone.
Despite its allure, Kitendawili’s ruins remain shrouded in mystery. Its remote location, combined with ongoing conflict in the region, has prevented successful exploration. Leaving many wizards and scholars to wonder what secrets might still lie hidden in its crumbling walls, slowly dissolving by the ravages of time, fate itself undoing their intrusion.
Thom
The last fortified outpost of the Colloran royalists, Thom is a bastion fortress city with towering walls, deep trenches, and a formidable military presence. Originally constructed by the Ironcircle during the Fifth Godsbirth to house refugees fleeing the devastating Dolver plague, it has since been repurposed as the stronghold of the Royalists under the leadership of King Bentley Thom.
Thom’s strategic value as a military outpost has become its defining feature, transforming it over time into a self-sustaining military city-state. While old tensions with the Republic Federalists linger, a tenuous peace holds, with each side keeping its distance to focus on serving their own people. However, whispers in the high towers of Castle Thom suggest that King Thom harbors dark ambitions. Some believe he is on the verge of unleashing something catastrophic upon his old adversaries—a move that could herald a return to the colonial empire that once ruled the land in years past.