dunes of the east
Southern Deitziel
Cities in the Sky,
Battlemaps set in this location
Kingmaker's Keep
Perched on the arid mountains of Southern Dietziel, Kingmaker’s Keep stands as the birthplace of the infamous mercenary and bounty hunter collective known as the Kingmakers. This ruthless horde of swords-for-hire thrives on competition, each member boasting their own distinct style and flair. While the Kingmakers lack the rigid structure and discipline of formal armies, they compensate with sheer skill, brutality, and a fierce commitment to their craft.
The group’s structure is as unorthodox as its members. There is no singular leader, no chain of command—only the universally recognized Bounty Tier Board, an ever-changing list of lucrative targets and contracts. The higher the reward for a task the greater the number of Kingmakers drawn to it. Entire civilizations have risen or crumbled based on a name etched onto that board.
Among the countless Kingmaker keeps scattered across Crudilex, the Southern Dietziel Keep is the most iconic and revered. It is the first and oldest, with a bloodstained history that spans centuries. Dietziel Keep handles the most high-profile clients and the most dangerous contracts, often serving as a meeting ground for Kingmakers of legendary renown.
The keep itself is a fortress of pragmatic design, built into the cliffs to withstand siege and time alike. Its sprawling halls are filled with trophies from completed contracts, from dragon heads to the gilded helms of defeated kings. A bustling tavern dominates the lower levels, where mercenaries trade tales, forge alliances, and size up potential rivals. The upper chambers house the Bounty Tier Board, a massive wall of contracts where deals are brokered, reputations are made, and fortunes are claimed—or lost.
Tho
The ancient temple of Tho, devoted to the demi-goddess of energy and momentum. Tho, once a leader of a thriving cult, promised her followers sustenance and prosperity in exchange for their labor to build her towering temple. For decades, her promises sustained them in the harsh eastern desert, but once the monumental structure was completed, her interest in mortal affairs waned. As her indifference grew, the cult dwindled, and bitterness took root among the remnants of her once-devout followers.
In an act of vengeance, Tho was sealed within her temple by her betrayed flock. Enraged, her latent divine energy seeped into the surrounding desert sands, transforming them forever. These sands, infused with a millennium of the demi-goddess's energy, acquired a unique property: when the grains contacted each other, they generated static electricity. This phenomenon gave rise to Tho Sand, a resource so valuable it became the foundation of an entire area of scientific study and industry. In the nearby city of Silkwind, the field of Gyronautics emerged—an advanced discipline of electrical study and innovation centered around the properties of Tho Sand. From powering devices to developing experimental weapons, the applications of this charged material became vital to the region’s progress.
Centuries later, during the War of Redsands in Dietziel, the temple once again became a focal point of turmoil. A heated battle spilled into its sacred grounds, unleashing Tho from her ancient prison. Her unbridled energy erupted with catastrophic force, destroying the temple and reducing it to ruins. Hundreds perished as the temple collapsed, and Tho herself vanished in the chaos, her fate unknown.
Fadma Valley
For most of the year, the eastern deserts outside of Dietziel are an unremarkable, barren expanse, forgotten by most. However, twice annually, during the seasons of Spring and Blight, the desolation transforms into a hub of life and activity as the Totemic people converge for the Fadma. This grand gathering of caravans serves as a celebration of community, a market for trade, and an opportunity for alliances and unions through marriage.
At the heart of the Fadma lies its climax: the Great Fadma, a race spanning from one end of the valley to the other. Each caravan proudly flies its uniquely colored flag while their land-based vehicles—ranging from wagons and chariots to more fantastical contraptions—carry them across the various terrains of the world. Though celebratory in nature, the Fadma is not without its challenges. Rivalries between caravans often erupt into fierce competition, with some resorting to sabotage or trickery to gain an edge. The stakes of the race are high, for the first Toten to reach the finish line earns an extraordinary reward: an audience with the god of journeys.
The Lake of Silver
High in the dry mountains at the easternmost edge of the world lies a mysterious body of water known as The Lake of Silver. Nestled at the foot of the Soulgate, this enigmatic lake is unlike any other. Its viscous, silvery surface shimmers like liquid mercury, forming perfect beads that ripple unnaturally. Its depths remain uncharted, impenetrable to light or mundane means of exploration, and its secrets have eluded even the most determined adventurers. The lake's most striking feature is the creatures it harbors—unique, otherworldly beings that have never been seen elsewhere. Each creature is one of a kind, as if shaped by an entirely foreign set of natural laws. They emerge mysteriously from the depths, though no one has ever witnessed the exact moment or mechanism of their arrival.
Expeditions to study the lake have proven fraught with difficulty. The journey to the Lake of Silveris perilous, with harsh, unforgiving terrain and punishing elements that wear down even the most seasoned explorers. Those who reach the lake find their efforts thwarted by its unnatural properties, as if the lake itself resists inquiry. Scholars and adventurers alike are left with more questions than answers.
Midway
Nestled in the central savannah between North and South Dietziel lies the unique city of Midway. The city’s ruler is a Lich King, unlike any other in Crudilex, whose life energy is intricately bound to the well-being and prosperity of the city itself. As long as the Lich King endures, Midway thrives.
Midway is also distinguished as a place of innovation in the realm of mental health. It is home to one of Crudilex’s only asylums, a facility renowned for its pioneering use of magic to heal not the body, but the mind. In contrast to the more conventional magical practices of restoration, Midway’s healers focus on rehabilitation and therapy, employing techniques to address the ailments of the mind.
Golgari Reservoir
The Golgari Reservoir is an expansive man-made lake, a symbol of reconciliation and collaboration forged in the aftermath of the War of Red Sands. Named in honor of Golgari Harlemnaught, a visionary diplomat who dedicated his life to uniting the fractured territories of north and south Dietziel. Constructed to ease the fraught tensions between Staian and Roa, the reservoir serves dual purposes: as a testament to peace and as a strategic geographic barrier. Its vast waters pose a significant challenge to the predominantly ground-based Staiain Military, quietly curbing potential future assaults without the political troubles of something like a wall.
Despite its political implications, the reservoir's role in revitalizing the arid lands of Dietziel, both north and south, has garnered widespread appreciation. The water it provides to the region has turned once-barren areas into thriving grasslands and supporting trade routes across the savannah.
Ebbhyde
The Ebbhyde Library is a towering obsidian edifice that rests within the heart of a crater. This alien obsidian structure has become an object of fascination and mystery since its descent, reshaping the surrounding landscape and sparking the growth of a bustling city in its shadow.
The library's most prized treasures are the red noctrite crystals, ancient vessels of knowledge created by the enigmatic Lumen, a now-extinct lunar civilization. These glowing relics contain archives of wisdom from millennia past, encoded in intricate patterns of light and sound that even the most learned scholars struggle to comprehend. Their contents span topics from esoteric lunar rituals to forgotten celestial sciences for seekers of arcane knowledge and the lost ancient histories of Crudilex.
Obreian
Obreian is one of four legendary flying motes, floating islands that drift above the lands of Crudilex. Composed of rugged sandstone cliffs and lush hanging gardens, Obreian is a sacred and secret sanctuary, serving as the seat of leadership for the Vermontis, a unified coalition of colonies. The island is home to a hanging Vermontian village, where the most skilled and revered warriors of the culture reside. These champions, chosen from across the colonies, spend a season of their lives on Obreian to train under the guidance of the Vermontis leader. As part of their rite, each warrior carries a boulder to the center of the High Court, contributing to an ever-growing cairn to mark their unity and strength.
The people of Obreian, and the Vermontis as a whole, are renowned for their patience, resilience, and profound sense of purpose. Paradoxically, the greatest gift the floating island offers is a sense of grounding—a deep focus on clarity, stability, and foundational principles. This ethos shapes not only their warriors but also their leaders, who govern with deliberate thought and unwavering resolve.
Obreian is a symbol of balance—floating in the skies yet deeply rooted in tradition and values. Its warriors are not only trained in combat but are taught the importance of reflection and connection, carrying these lessons back to their homelands after their time on the mote.
Skalla Craggs
The Skalla Craggs are a fractured, volatile landscape where the earth seems constantly at war with itself. Massive cracks split the ground, earthquakes rattle the region, reshaping its treacherous, monster Infested terrain. Predatory beasts stalk the jagged crevices, while burrowing horrors lurk below the unstable ground, ready to erupt. Towering over the landscape are 400-foot-tall termite mounds, immense spires formed by unknown species of giant insects. All adding to its reputation as the most inhospitable place in all of Crudilex.
Mahat
Mahat stands as the final refuge of the Iumin people. This city was built by the descendants of those who survived the Doubting, a catastrophic event that obliterated their people almost completely. Fleeing into the void of purgatory, these Iumins sought to escape the gods' wrath by undertaking a harrowing act of will: they erased their memories of the divine entirely. Generations later, they returned to Crudilex, hardened and transformed, to reclaim their place in the mortal realm.
The city has a clear purpose, serve as both a home and a haven, a place where Iumins strive to preserve their culture, rediscover lost knowledge, and forge a future untethered to the gods they abandoned. its architecture is a blend of ancient Illumian styles and the strange, alien influences of their time in purgatory, much as its people have been changed, hardly even resembling the ancestors who protected them.
Seko
Seko, heart of the melodious hive, is a sprawling labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, each more chaotic and unpredictable than the last. This vast network is home to a bizarre and often maddening breed of goblins, their society governed by wild and erratic rules that appear nonsensical to outsiders and nothing follows the logic of the outside world.
The Redwell
The Redwell, located in the center of the salt dunes, is a place that seems harmless at first glance, save for its curious location and the frequent visits from witches who arrive by air. The true nature of this well lies beneath, hidden from view in the sunless sea of the subsurface world below. Long ago, a noctrite meteor, the largest of its kind at the time, crashed into the salt dunes, plunging deep into the earth. This meteor, rich in Sengeomantic essence, leached its powerful magic into the desert over hundreds of years, slowly forming a fragile, fleeting Sangromantic ley line, The energy used to empower the rare art of Blood Magic.
Today, this essence is carefully cultivated and offered to those who wield the dark art. However, there is a steep price for drawing from the wellspring of this blood ley line—one must always return more than they take. This is the sacred law of the Redwell, a law that ensures the well never runs dry. The blood of those who come here feeds the well, keeping it full and growing forever. The temple beneath the well, where the essence is carefully tended and guarded, remains a secret. Only those who practice the art of sangromancy are allowed entry, and they are sworn to protect the well’s true nature from the outside world.
Saltdunes
The Saltdunes, a vast expanse of coarse, white sand with grains as large as a fist, are one of the most unforgiving and inhospitable places in all of Crudilex. The desert leeches away any moisture it encounters, drying out the flesh of the unwary who venture too far without water. Those who perish in the Saltdunes are never truly gone; they become haunts- the weakest of all ghosts, trapped in a state of relentless thirst and longing. Lost spirits who do not realize their own death, eternally wandering the dunes in search of water they will never find.
Roa
Roa is a city that might seem familiar to us, but entirely out of place in a traditional fantasy setting. Its streets are filled with massive skyscrapers, lavish tuxedos and gowns, and mechanical vehicles—all powered by arcane corporations that provide a wealth of comforts to those who can afford them. For the extremely wealthy, those who possess more coin than they could ever feasibly spend, Roa offers nearly anything they could dream up.
Located in the southern Dry Lands of Deitzeil, Roa was once nothing but inhospitable dunes and craggy mountains. But through the masterful work of the Arconotech, The magic of conjuring for construction, the city was constructed in the southeastern corner of the region. Protected from the blistering sun and knife-like winds by powerful enchantments, the surrounding areas were gradually tamed, turning what could have been overlooked into one of the world’s most populated and powerful cities.
Yet, Roa's prosperity came at a great cost. The city suffered a catastrophic disaster when the ley lines were severed, unleashing the Spell Plague, a magical catastrophe that swept through the streets. Sorcerers numbering in the hundreds of thousands lost control of their powers all at once, and many perished. The aftermath reshaped the city in ways that would never be undone. In the chaos, Talihani Deacon, the ruling leader at the time, was overthrown by an angry mob, and in his place, the war hero Logan Mercuria was installed. This marked a return to stability, but it came at the cost of Roa’s independence. Mercuria agreed to surrender the regency of Southern Deitzeil to the neighboring kingdom of Grand Nostradan, which provided the much-needed aid that saved the city from total collapse. Roa continues to honor its relationship with the Lerians of Nostradan to this day, bound by the fragile peace they helped restore.
CULTURE
Rulership
The city is governed by Logan Murceian, a dictator. However, much of his power comes from the seven arcane corporations that sponsor his rule. The province is vassalized by the greater kingdom of Grand Nostradan.
Food
Roan cuisine tends to be conjured, resulting in extremely bland flavors. Because of this, spices, salts, and seasonings are traded in great amounts in Roa. Some street restaurants don’t even offer food, merely sauces and sides.
Holidays
Festival of Gluttony: Celebrated on the day of victory in the War of Red Sands, all of Roa spills into the streets to indulge in excess, spending all they carry and drinking all they can.
Leirn's Day: Celebrated on the name day of Leirn, this day involves paying homage to Dormis and praying fervently at state altars.
Oddstars: When a destined constellation shines above, it is considered sinful to work the following day. Instead, the newly free day is spent in study, based on the belief that all knowledge learned on this day will be remembered in reincarnation.
Turmoil
Name the Drama
Corporate Arcana:
The streets of Roa are patrolled by seven distinct groups of swords for hire, each belonging to one of the seven legal corporations of the city, alongside a few that operate more secretly. These groups represent the public secret of the arcane city, where the real power lies not with the government or even with the Lerians at the capital, but with these private interests.
Their wealth keeps the city alive, and if for any reason one were to outcompete another or if a few were to leave, Roa would be in jeopardy of falling into chaos as it did 35 years ago—a fact that the Barons of these corporations often remind Dictator Logan Mercuria of regularly.