NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 1488869" data-attributes="member: 2012">Near North Region (Revised Map)NEAR NORTH REGIONBefore the events of The Transformation, the Near North was considered more of a no-man's-land.The region surrounding Lake Gem was inhabited by wild animals, dangerous monsters, and scattered barbarian tribes. The few cities built in the region never seemed to last. Only the dwarven holds in the surrounding hillside (and one of two elven towns) seemed immune to this enigmatic apathy. It was whispered that the region was under the divine protection of some powerful spirit of nature.The Wind Plains are known for being home to nomads and horsemen yet there are also city-states and towns. These communities are linked by tradition and a mutual fear of the machinations of the new king of Thallin, to the south. Yet, there are few roads here and sense of windswept freedom.The Lashee Divide is a cold flat-land that divides the civilized lands of the Principality of the Shining Stones from the hills and forests of the Nashee. Its emptiness makes the Wind Plains seem like the heart of the civilized world. There are only a handful of stable communities between the City at Wood's End and the city-state of Varra.One cannot talk about cold desolation without pointing out the Cold Barrens. This frozen desert lives up to its name and then some. It isn't lifeless but it is harsh and unforgiving. It is the epitome of a subarctic desert. The barbarian tribes that live here do so because they have no choice. They are outcasts that once worshiped the evil god known as Xuar. When The Jealous Arcane betrayed the North Gods, these tribes were forces to flee into the frigid wastes of the desert.Life in this region would likely have remained much the same if not for The Transformation.Kingdom of JewelsAfter the mists of The Transformation receded from the Near North, six city-states and twice as many towns and villages stood around Lake Gem. Each city-state supposedly came from a unique material plane. Four of the city-states (Dalyvar, Felyer, Halle and Vull) were dominated by humans while the other two city-states (Alithton and Stonevale) were dominated by two unique races -- the Siarrans and the Niomus, respectively.Thrown into an alternate world with no connections to their past lives, the denizens of these diverse communities were forced to band together in order to survive. Like the Kingdom of Ahamudia on the Ragik Peninsula, the new city-states of Lake Gem had to defend themselves from those surrounding them. The most aggressive of these foes has been The Gleaming Prince, Lord Augustus Gault [ISPOILER](LN male human, aristocrat 10)[/ISPOILER], the ruler of Principality of the Shining Stones. War has never been officially declared, but the conflicts that are fought on a yearly basis are brutal and bloody.Luckily, the thanes of the Greystones didn't feel as threatened by the new city-states as the Shining Principality's ruler. A trade alliance has brought the city-state important resources and a strong ally on Harqual. It has also provided the city-states with some legitimacy. High Thane Sannl Blackforge helped broker the alliance that brought about the official declaration of the lands surrounding Lake Gem as a kingdom. This has put the High Thane and Lord Augustus at odds with each other; the two lands were strong allies before The Transformation.The newly formed Kingdom of Jewels has also forged a tentative alliance with the Archbishopric of Coldstone. However, the new kingdom's strong ties to the dwarves of the Greystones has limited the success of diplomacy with Coldstone.Regardless, the future of the region might depend on whether or not the city-states will remain allies or turn on each other due to the constant infighting. Each city-state has its own king and nobility. While many look to the siarrans of Alithton for leadership, there are strong forces amongst the human-dominated city-states that want a human as the kingdom's ruler. The kingdom's charter calls for the naming of one of the kings as high king. So far, the arguing (and backbiting) has prevented this from happening. (Alithton has been named the capitial city, for now.)The siarran king, Allarur Cakrellas [ISPOILER](NG male siarran, fighter 10)[/ISPOILER], isn't sure if he wants to be the first high king. He would be honored to claim the title, but he believes it is in the best interest of his people and everyone else that each king be allowed a chance to petition to become high king. The niomus of Stonevale are pushing for Allarur to be high king, which has put a strain on nonhuman-human relations.[ATTACH=full]44403[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

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