The City of Highgate

The Southern part of the mainland is dominated by a high plateau, skirted and crossed by multiple mountain ranges. It is also made up of coastal plains and lowland river valleys. The weather here tends to be on the warm side, generally speaking these lands experience hot summers and cloudy weather along the coastlines. Most notable about the nature here are the many valleys that hold fields of colourful flowers, giving the area a pleasant smell and a beautiful, multicoloured look.

Most notable landmarks:

...................................................... Boding's Tower Just outside the city, Boding's Tower was once a simple clifftop watchtower which has since been repurposed and expanded into the headquarters of the Adventurer's Guild. Beyond usual guild business and supplying adventurers — guild members or otherwise — with survival gear and armaments, tower-turned-fort is also known as the last bit of luxury that travelers experience before heading out into the world. The Door Possibly the biggest mystery in the south is the existence of the Door. Affixed between two pillars, this large, brass door built in the middle of the hills seemingly serves no purpose. No one has been able to open it, nor does anyone know where it came from. The Door is simply there, waiting for someone to discover its true intention. Gartham Lake The largest lake in the south is Gartham Lake, right by the village of Gartham Meadow. A variety of wildlife lives in and around the body of water and is currently being used as a fishing spot by the locals. Competition here is fierce as Gartham's citizens are an industrious folk, all wanting to have the biggest slice of the pie which causes the lake to be depleted of fish rapidly. There is a supposed legend among the populace that there are caverns at the bottom of the lake that lead straight down into a secret cache in the Underdark. Whether that is true or not is not proven. Gartham Meadow One of the bigger villages in this part of the world. Gartham Meadow's people are farmers and herbalists, cultivating a variety of herbs and rare flowers in their fertile fields. There is a strong Druidic presence within this community, but as of late its people have been very ambitious. They too wish to become a big city and are working towards industrializing Gartham Meadow and move away from cultivating plants like they were known for. This has caused a rift between those who are more traditional and the ones who wish to expand. Jerkimedes' Tower On the far edge of the shore stands a lone, tall tower with a rounded roof. There are multiple signs on the pathway that read "Jerkimedes' tower ahead. Business inquiries only. Ignore the wails of orphan children on the beach, they're not real." Very little is known of this odd wizard as he never shows himself anywhere. Most believe the tower is abandoned, but some people claim that strange lights can be seen in the darkness coming from the tower's windows. Lone Peak A single, tall mountain stands between the fertile lands of the Woods of Whence and the arid fields of the Southern Plains. Surrounded by ruins of a feudal civilization, it is common knowledge that a conquering dragon makes its lair there. What is not known however is that it is not one, but multiple dragons that meet at the Lone Peak. Their reasons are beyond us simple folks, but fact remains that many schemes and meetings take place between dragonkind in the Lone Peak. Every once in a while brave adventurers trek towards the mountain, intending to take the dragon's hoard, but none ever return, either falling to the dragon cultists known as the Mud Men or perishing to the great beast itself.

...................................................... Maladen Moor Once a beautiful flower field, Maladen Moor is now a flatland upon which a terrible battle was fought in the past back when Highgate was under control of a warlord. The battle left the land scarred and it is said that many war crimes were committed during this skirmish, leaving the land cursed with restless souls. Once in a while stories of would-be looters attempting to gather some historical riches from Maladen Moor will bring back some worthwhile loot, inspiring others to dare tempt fate and the moor's many undead and corpse eaters. Peakshadow Marsh The marsh is barely habitable. The ground here is too soft to build anything on and when the tides of the Sleeping Waters roll in, ninety percent of the land is submerged. However, a strange group of creatures managed to adapt to this terrain. A pack of Gnolls with odd aquatic mutations such as an inflatable air sack in their necks and webbed appendages hunts the swamp's waters for fish and crabs. These creatures are highly aggressive and voraciously hungry like most Gnolls, but this particular pack is capable of tactical thinking, using their mutations to lay in ambush of trespassers in the waters, able to survive up to three hours submerged. Their feud with the Mud Men is a long and bloody one, making it hard for scholars to properly study these creatures. It is assumed some creature from the deep is responsible for their mutations, but that is mere speculation. No one even knows what their clan's name is, let alone where their power comes from. The Ruins of Fort Boneshatter Overlooking the Maladen Moor stands an ancient, derelict ruin. Fort Boneshatter housed hundreds of soldiers back in its day. Many battles were planned and even more atrocities were committed here. Fort Boneshatter is the definition of a haunted ruin. To this day people claim that the last general to have had control over the fort was a man known as Caspar Merron, a man who would do anything to achieve victory. He still fights this ancient war to this day, stopping any adventurer from claiming the treasure trove of rare magical weaponry stored within the fort's safe. The Southern Plains The Southern Plains are an arid grassland where the sun shines hottest. It is a wild land void of any settlements beyond a few hunters' camps. The plains are most well known for their many herds of wild horses and zebras, which locals from Gartham Meadows and Highgate wrangle and tame. It is said that people have tried to settle the Southern Plains, but that the land's protector, a zebra-striped pegasus known as Hibo, tramples any attempt at building permanent residence here. The horse wrangles therefore stay on the fringes of the plains, fearing the pegasus' wrath. West River One of the south's many streams, the West River houses many fishing communities and acts as a last stop for hunters who venture into The Forest. Its people are immigrants from Gartham Meadow and beyond. Woods of Whence An isolated bit of nature, the Woods of Whence were once a favoured hunting grounds, but ever since the dragon of Lone Peak made its residence and the nearby city fell, so did the woods. People avoid the area now as they're home to an almost tribal faction of dragon worshipers who call themselves the Mud Men. In tune with nature, the Mud Men have their own Druid Circle and are adept at taming the wildlife around them, often seen fighting their mortal enemies, the Gnolls of Peakshadow Marsh, with the help of bears and boars. Their ranks hold all sorts of races, but they are predominantly Humans and Kobolds.

The Forest is a large patch of woodlands under the strict control of queen Lumen — an ancient, primordial creature that has ruled over this particular patch of nature for generations. Much as the name suggests, the Forest is a patch of untamed wilderness that stands between the city of Highgate and northern lands, featuring many species of trees and plantlife coexisting in harmony. Travelers do well to remain on the road, for their safety is not guaranteed otherwise.

Generally speaking the Forest can be split up in two parts: the edge of the forest and the deep woods. The edge is most hospitable. Various settlements and more conventional species of animals can be found here. The deep woods however are under the influence of outer planes. Ancient fey magic permeates the deeper parts of the forest. The closer one gets to the Archtree, the more apparent the magical influence becomes. Illusions, portals and monsters become a part of the norm in these parts. Only the bravest of survivalists and Druid Circles dare venture this far.

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The typically calm sea known as the Sleeping Waters make for easy voyages — so long as one avoids the pirates who stalk it. The waters quickly deepen the further one moves from the coastlines and islands that line much of the otherwise open sea. Down in its lowest depths sits a sunken ruin where seafolk such as Merfolk and Tritons gather.

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To the west of the great gorge of Gaeae lies an empire so vast and great that it is considered Highgate's biggest threat. The Vonad Empire have been expanding over centuries, waging war on other nations and city states to unite them under one banner. This dream began with the forefather, Linus var Vonad, who, according to the annals of history, lost most of his family to warring neighbours who sought to divide the much smaller Vonad empire amongst themselves. This series of events gave birth to Linus I, who dreamed of a world who answered to one emperor, one who earned the right through conquest and determination.

This expansion has been happening for over two hundred years now, showing no signs of slowing down. Almost every generation of Vonad emperor/empress has managed to carve out new territory for themselves, assimilating other cultures under their ever expanding banner. The people assimilated under the Vonad flag take a long time to become fully indoctrinated citizens, especially if said nation houses many long lived races. But the Vonads are nothing if not patient. Whether a people are docile or rebellious, the multitude of bureaucratic powers that be have an appropriate way of dealing with them, be it through reward or fear.

The Vonad Empire is most known for its harsh deserts filled with megafauna, golden dunes and rocky canyons filled with rich ores and subterranean lakes. While it is true that such terrain makes for the largest occupied area, the Vonad Empire also consists of mountainous hillsides, fertile farmlands and even grassy flatlands upon which is industrial zones are getting expanded upon. The biggest export of these conquered lands is industry. Every nation is allowed to keep their identity, but must pay tribute to the empire. They are cogs in the great machine of progress.