Geography
 Spanning
less than 140 miles from NW tip to SE tip, the Island of
Faalor is a rough and dangerous land. The weather can be
extreme during the late winter and fall as ocean storms pound
inland. During the spring and summer, though, the weather is
quite pleasant. (Map
of Faalor)
In the north and east, a series of broken hills and bare
granite mountains dominate the landscape. Due north of the
town of Duath, The Crags rise. They spread downward and
northward into a high, wooded valley east of Mourningthain
which has remained unexplored since the time of the coming of
man. Small bands of the Veshnuul orc tribe claim these lands.
It had only been recently that the longstanding war between
the dwarves and orcs began to subside. Some now fear that the
orcs of this region are conserving their strength for some
future assaults on the rest of the island.
The north-western part of the Island is covered with light
forests and low hills. This region is known for it's mining,
orchards and lumber harvesting. Several rather profitable
mining operations (mainly iron) dot the landscapes. Far from
the orcs and wild elves, this region is thought to be a fairly
safe, if generally unexplored area.
The south-western part of the island is dominated by a
heavy forest, what is now called Faewood. To the human
populations, these woods are forbidding and quite dangerous.
The last remnants of the elven homelands are found somewhere
within the woods here. Destroyed by the advances of humanity
and a growing threat of Chuth orcs (Swamp orcs) and the Mnluug
(forest orcs), the elves live in small bands deep in the
forest, occasionally making contact with humans.
A fetid swamp lies in the far south. It is home to the
Chuth orcs and creatures far worse. The hills and valleys to
the east of the swamp are said to contain ruins of ancient
dwarven and elven cities.
Main centers of civilization: Mourningthain: A dwarven
town, built well over 2000 years ago. This is the center of
dwarven and, to a lesser extent, gnomish activity on Faalor.
This city is built deep into the earth, some say going as deep
as 3 miles beneath the surface. Kyrdanna: Human fishing town.
One of the last areas on Faalor to continue contact with the
mainland, Kydanna is an odd town that on the one hand
maintains it's rough, outpost nature while flirting with new
ideas and far-flung trade. The rest of the small island is
dedicated to sheep-farming. Faalor: Built on the ruins of a
once-powerful elven civilization, Faalor (the whole island
takes it's name from this one city) dominates the Bay of Tears
and the Citadel of Praevel. At one point, orcs had possession
of the city and built huge walls around it, some of which
still stand to this day. Duath: As the original human
settlement on Faalor, Duath has a long history. Duath is known
for its bellfoundery which exports its wears to the mainland.
(This is where the story will begin and more detailed
information will be available at the time of character
creation.) Gravemist: This is home of the Vicariate of Adrahil.
A magnificent cathedral dominates the hillside, while the
Alfred's Castle (so named for the first human king of the
land) sits atop a nearby ridge. Aaerdowns, Raelik Keep: Within
a day's walk from Duath, these small communities busy
themselves mostly with wheat, corn and cattle. The Crossroads
once served as a major military post against the orcs of the
Crags, but as time has past, a thriving community composed,
oddly enough, of an even mix of all the races including elves.
Applegate and Napscomb. Applegate has a large minority
population of halflings (nearly 45%) and Napscomb contains a
good number of gnomes and dwarves.
These of course are only the major settlements on the
island. Small, sometimes nameless villages dot the landscape,
especially along the Faalor to Duath road and in the
northwest. In places, a lone noble has set up his own fief,
drawing on dissatisfied and marginalized citizens to make up
his population base.
Bridalveil. Since it returned from the mists some years
ago, Bridalveil has become the hub of intellectual life on
Faalor. It is known for its open borders and the free mixing
of all races and ideas.
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