Klaus
First Post
Say what you will about the D&D cartoon, but one thing it had in spades were fantastic locations. I recently came across a website that listed them.
CENTRAL REALM
Overview: This use to be the heart of the Realm, the seat of power from which the Council of Wizards governed the Realm. It is now a great wasteland, with large portions of it under the control of Venger and his minions. Free human settlements are very unlikely in this portion of the Realm. Venger has many strongholds scattered throughout the land.
1. The town of Helix. This use to be a great city, and the base for the Counsel of Wizards, but during the Great War, the majority of the city was reduced to rubble. The only reason it survived at all was thanks to the magics of the wizard Merlin. Presently, it's main citizens are Dwarves and Gnomes,(strangely enough), and it is not under the control of Venger, (although he is seeking to counter Merlin's spell and crush Helix).
The area around Helix is barren wasteland, but in the sky is Merlin's floating castle, which is always seen floating around Helix.
Contrary to belief, Merlin did not die upon saving Helix. He was merely transported to our world were he became part of the Aurthurian legend.
2. The Valley of the Beholder. Once one of the most beautiful parts of the Realm, the Valley is devoid of any life except the terrible Beholder, which attacks anyone that enters it's domain.
To the north is the small, yet mysterious, Mushroom Forest. Beyond that lies the village of Pendrake.
3. The Hall of Bones. This is the final resting place of many of the Realm's greatest heros. It is secluded deep in the Central mountain range; the closest settlement being the town of Threshold to the west. It is forbidden for anyone evil to enter the tomb; it is supposedly haunted.
Threshold is not under Venger's control, but Orcs and other monsters pass freely through here. Also, Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders, is said to have many webs spun in the caverns below the town.
4. The Valley of the Unicorns. This almost extinct race has a hidden land underneath a beautiful waterfall. Nobody can find the valley without a unicorn showing them the way.
The evil wizard Kelek has a castle to the northeast, amid a wasteland of thorns.
5. The Slave Mines of Baramore. A vast network of caves lie underneath these mountains and partly underneath the adjoining swamp. The Slave Mines are run by Orcs, and their leader, the evil mercenary Warduke. Warduke has been known to go on "hunting trips" with his private army of Bullywogs, leaving the mines in control of the Orcs, who keep the prisoners (mostly dwarfs) working non stop for gold.
To the east of the mines lies the small Forest of Know Trees. These elderly scholars can tell you just about anything.
6. The Valley of Mists. The homeland of the Gnomes, who are now enslaved to Venger and his Orcs. Venger has placed a spell over the valley, preventing any gnomes from leaving. Lukion the Spellbinder, the gnome's leader, has been imprisoned in the Swamp of Sorrows to the south.
The Swamp of Sorrows is a horrible place that is the home of many undead and other strange creatures. The swamp is said to crush the hopes and dreams of any who enter.
7. The Prison of Agony. Lying inside of an active volcano,(it's erruptions are kept in check by Venger) the Prison of Agony is one of the most feared locations in the Realm. The prison is run by lizardmen and a giant named Karox. The lizardmen keep a ravenous Slimebeast on hand; one of their favorite pastimes is to feed a prisoner to the beast.
Anyone sentenced to the Prison must fight off the repressive, evil magic of the place, or eventually turn into an agonizing creature, a shell of their former self. The person to fight off this evil magic the longest is the brave paladin Strongheart, who has been there for 10 years.
To the far north of the volcano lies another mountain range, and beyond that is the giant Karox's homeland, of which he speaks of frequently. Many different races and sizes of giants reside there. It has fought of the attacks of Venger quite successfully so far, and Venger is content to leave it alone, at least for now...
8. The Underground Valley of the Bogbeasts. Underneath this rugged area of jungles and deserts lies the Valley of the Bogbeasts. A primitive and cowardly race, they live in constant fear of the giant Cawamung, the master of this area. The giant has enslaved many dwarfs in this area as well.
9. The Tower of the Celestial Knights. This was once the stronghold of the greatest knights in the Realm, the Celestial Knights. During the Great War, they were betrayed by one of their own and nearly all of the knights died in battle. But thier mystical tower,(which was constructed with the help of the greatest wizards of the time) became hidden to those who would seek to claim it's riches for their own use. It is lost in these mountains, waiting for someone to discover the tower.
10. The City of Zinn. This is one of the few major cities left standing in this portion of the Realm. But it is not exactly prosperous. Zinn has been ruled over the years by a line of dictators, all taking the name Zinn for themselves. The latest Queen Zinn is a wizard of sorts, and rules with the help of her Shadow Stalkers,(thanks to their fearful shapechanging ability) form a private militia that keeps the city inline.
11. Skull Mountain. This was the site of a wizard battle during the Great War. Nobody travels up on the mountain, an ancient, evil aura hangs around the landscape.
To the south lies the supposed location of Zandora's Box. Zandora was one of the greatest wizards in the Realm, and her box was her greatest creation. It functioned as a gate between worlds. Zandora was banished to her box by Venger in the wizard battle beneath Skull Mountain.
12. The Forest of the Lost Children. It is a typical forest, but the inhabitants are anything but typical, and somewhat new to the Realm. The Lost Children came in a ship from the stars and crashed here. There leader, Alfar, was captured by Venger, and he and the ship are being held prisoner in one of Venger's strongholds to the north.
13. The Floating Island. In the skies above this forest lies one of the floating islands. These pieces of land were set adrift in the skies thanks to the magics released during the Great War. On this particular one lives a Rogue Giant, who keeps one of the terrible Slime Beasts. A rare Gold Dragon lives there as well.
(How do I know there are more floating islands? Check out the first part of Night of No Tomorrow and the opening first season sequence. You can see some hanging in the sky. Neat, huh?)
EASTERN REALM
Overview: This portion of the Realm held out longest during the Great War. In fact, some parts are still holding out! Many battles are fought in this land; the places under siege hold prizes that Venger still craves.
You will not find places like the City at the Edge of Midnight, nor the Dragon's Graveyard on this map, for they do not exist on the Realm's plane of existence. These places exist in little "pocket dimensions" which the Realm seems to have surrounding it constantly.
14. The Maze of Darkness. One of Venger's favorite creations, the Maze of Darkness is one of the most dangerous locals in the Realm. A magical portal at the center of the maze is said to take anyone home. This unique prize has eluded adventurers for many years; people who enter the maze are never seen again.
15. Tardos Keep. The mighty city fortress of Tardos Keep has stood since before the Great War. Venger and his Orcs have made many attacks on the stronghold over the years, but the walls of Tardos Keep have been strengthened by magic. During these periods of war, the citizens are sent into the caves in the mountains beyond Tardos. Only the military and rulers stay to protect the Treasure of Tardos.
The Treasure of Tardos is the mysterious Dragonsbane, a plant grown in their fortress, in a garden similar to the one at Zinn. The magical properties of the plant enable it to kill the most powerful of dragons!
16. The City of Kadish. Perhaps the greatest free land in the Realm is the City and Kingdom of Kadish. These desert people are isolated from the rest of the Realm. This, and the strong leadership of the Kings and Queens over the years, has kept the kingdom safe.
Perhaps what kept the kingdom safe during the Great War was it's isolation; it didn't become involved in the politics of the other countries. Perhaps this is what has kept Venger from focusing more on the kingdom: they avoid him and the rest of the Realm, and he doesn't bother with them.
To the west, deep in the desert lies the Oasis of No Return. Created by evil wizards, it appears only once a year from sunlight to sunset, and it was made to trap unweary travelers.
17. The Forest of the Cloud Bears. This is another kingdom that has escaped Venger's wrath, for now anyway...it is populated by a rare race of talking bears, who live in the trees. These are the tallest trees in the Realm.
One of the few things Venger fears is found here: heart stones. These magical gems seem to attack all magical items they come into contact with, and Venger is unsure of what affect they might have on him.
18. Darkhaven. This was once called Light Haven, but the new name of Darkhaven now seems to fit more appropriatly. Nobody lives there now, nor does anybody remember what caused the people of this once mighty city fortress to evacuate. There are only whispers that the place is now cursed.
Somewhere in the city is the Golden Grimoire, one of the most powerful spell books ever created. The lure of this spellbook has seen many wizards meet thier doom inside the ancient city.
19. The Forbidden Tower. One of Venger's personal favorite strongholds, he likes to make all manner of evil creations here. He often unleashes his creations on a poor village in the valley below; it is his way of torturing them. Reports indicate that he has just captured a young girl from the town and plans to use her for torturing the village somehow.
20. The Great Glacier. This is the most southern point of the Great Glaciers. The Glaciers are home to many monsters, particularly the menacing Frost Giants.
21. The City of Turodh. This city has been ruled by a terrible demon for nearly a thousand years. The demon has taken the form of the queen, but she is no loving queen. She rules with the help of the corrupt nobles and the elite army, while the rest of the city lives in fear of the demon.
Recently, some of the nobles have started up a rebellion against the demon. Their only hope is in a prophecy that says the child of a stargazer will one day save their people.
SOUTHERN REALM
Overview: The Southern Realm was destroyed more than any other portion of the Realm. All of the major cities were destroyed in the Great War. The humans that live here now survive in wandering tribes, only recently have their been any towns settled. But the majority of this part of the Realm is still wasteland.
Legends circulate around the tribes of a land deep inside the earth, and of a place called the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn, but only the oldest and wisest people know of it's true existence.
22. The Tower of Darkness. This is all that remains of an ancient city. Now it sits alone in the wastelands. This tower holds in it the mysterious Box of Balefire; any who know of it's name know to fear it.
23. The Citadel of Shadow. The Citadel of Shadow lies in a seldom visited mountain range; the whole area is supposedly haunted. Legend has it that a great wizard battle was fought here at the end of the Great War. It is said that Venger had a sister whom is buried here. But this is generally laughed at, for the idea of the Evil One having a sister is absurd!
24. The Temple of Chronos. This is the Temple of the Crystal of Chronos. The Crystal is larger than a human, and was created eons ago. It has magical properties that allow one to open a portal to any time or place. Only a strong person can use the crystal correctly; it is difficult to get the correct time and place.
25. The Human Tribes. This is the area where most of the humans gather together; they live as barbarians now. There were once many great cities throughout this area, in which there were created many powerful magical items.
26. The Grotto of Darkness. Deep inside this forest lies the Grotto of Darkness, home of the terrible Darkling. He appears every 30 years to torment this area, but any who enter his private domain never return.
To the north are two towns: Shouldron and Mindrel. Both have been founded only in the last century, but Mindrel appears to be growing into a new major city of this portion of the Realm. But both communities live in fear of the Darkling. Only time will tell if these towns survive.
27. The Cave of the Fairy Dragons. This is the temporary home of the magical Fairy Dragons. They used to live in the Enchanted Forest, which was long ago burnt down. They are now slowly on a pilgramige to the far west, heading for a forest called the Forest at the End of the World.
To the southwest of the cave lies a relatively new kingdom, founded by a line of Barbarians, their current leader is King Varin, a vicious savage. He has been looking for the Cave of the Fairy Dragons ever since he heard tales of fabulous riches there.
