The Vale of Cythraul Campaign Background

I have made some edits as I changed the geography of my world, but this is about what I sent out to players before their first session:

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Motivation
Since I know I won't be able to run consistent sessions with a consistent group of people, I wanted to create a sandbox for players to explore and have adventures in. I will try to add a few overarching plot elements so that the game is not all about murderhoboing, but the story will mostly progress by players deciding to go do things.

Death
The world I am creating is a dangerous one. I will try to give fair warning, but players will inevitably run into things too dangerous for them to handle. So I won't be surprised if some people (or even parties) die and need to start over. I know dying isn't fun, but I'm hopeful that knowing the stakes are real will make the overall experience more rewarding.

The Story Thus Far
It began with the war for the Wolfwood. For years the Cymru elves pushed the Larnacan humans east, demanding more and more of the forest for themselves. So when Queen Polemas inherited the throne, one of her first acts was to declare war on the elves, and reclaim the Wolfwood. At the battle of Lyko's Keep the Larnacan army, spear-pointed by their fearsome dragonknights, triumphed over the elves. While the humans celebrated, for the war was surely won, unknown to any but her closest advisors Polemas died that night of a mortal wound she took during the battle. Her generals decided to keep her death secret, but to sue for peace with the Cymru before it became known and the army lose it's morale.

Count Symvasi met with High King Gastiwir of the Cymru in the elven city of Afonydd. He was told to try to secure the Eastern Wolfwood including ownership of the middle Cythraul river. The elves were adamant about keeping the river but to Symvasi's surprise, they offered the Vale of Cythraul instead. Tens of millions of acres of woodland, with the upper Cythraul river flowing through the center. Being an experienced diplomat, Symvasi kept a straight face and accepted their offer.

At home Symvasi was celebrated as a hero. The young king, Kalos II, awarded the count with gold and estates. He then sent seven knights to explore the new lands and determine a fitting place for a new settlement. They never returned. Search parties were sent. Those that returned alive told tales of goblins, giant spiders, manticores, and creatures whose names are best left unsaid. But the explorers weren't the only things to return. Monsters that no human had seen in centuries, awakened by the intrusion, began terrorizing human settlements east of the mountains.

The king was furious at Count Symvasi for bringing this suffering upon Larnaca. And so Symvasi was named "Warden of Cythraul" and tasked with taming the great wilderness. He gathered a small army from his own lands, and after pleading with the king was allowed to borrow a division of dragonknights and group of royal engineers.

They built a small fortress in the pass of Kindynos, the easiest way in and out of the vale. From there, Symvasi saw a large flat hilltop twelve miles away and decided he would build his base there. At dawn, he road into the vale with his army. They went as straight as they could, cutting or burning down trees as they went. Goblins, giants, hags, and dryads apposed them and were slain. They got to the hilltop, now called Mount Proklisi, and built wooden fortifications around the entire plateau, a mile in diameter, and in the center a stone keep. Eventually the attacks slowed down. The king's dragonknights and engineers left, replaced with peasants, mainly from Symvasi's home in Idalium.

Not many have come, barely enough to call Proklisi a town, but as Warden of Cythraul, Symvasi can promise land and riches to those desperate or brave enough to take the risk.

In addition to those who came to make a new life here, a few adventures came to explore. The townsfolk largely ignored them, since there's no point getting to know someone with a death wish. And many did die. But one group came back, there weapons soaked with the blood of monsters, and there bags filled to bursting with gold. One stayed in Proklisi but the others returned to Larnaca to live like the rest of their lives in comfort, and to tell everyone about the great wealth to be won in the Vale of Cythraul. Since then brave and foolish adventurers have come from every corner of the world to seek their fortune.

Feel free to stop here. The rest of this is going to be an info-dump about the world of my campaign. It will have little bearing on our game, so there is really no need for you to read any of it. I'm mainly including it so that, if you choose, you can give your character a background that ties them to the world in some way.

Dytika
Most of my game will take place in the Vale of Cythraul. The story will however be effected by events and populated with people from all across Dytika. Dytika is, for the characters in our story, the known world. While they know there are kingdoms and people beyond, they are places half of legend, the vast majority of Dytikans will go there entire life without meeting someone from outside. Dytika is bound on the west by the poison sea, beyond which lies the elven homeland; on the north by endless tundra; on the east by the Dragon Sea, bringing traders (mostly human and gnomish) from far off kingdoms; and on the south by the Black Desert. South of Dytika there was a city called Praeteria. It was the center of a great human empire ruling half the world. But 300 years ago, by a cause unknown, the empire was destroyed in an instant. Where Praeteria and many other cities and countries once stood there is now only the Black Desert - 2000 miles from East to West and 500 miles from North to South, nothing exists but black sand and rubble.

Dwarves
North of the Vale of Cythraul stands the great Pillar of the Sky, a hundred mile wide marble column stretching from earth to heaven. According to legend, the first dwarves came down to earth by way of a stairway at the center of the Pillar. The Celestial Emperor (king of all dwarves) is said to be the only mortal with access to this stairway today, so that he can ascend and seek guidance from the gods.

The Celestial Emperor Huangdi IX rules over the high dwarves, or Zhuru, who are the inhabitant and protectors of the Sky Pillar. Since they never leave the Pillar and rarely let others enter, few outsiders have seen a high dwarf, even their fellow dwarves. Surrounding the Pillar are three nations of common dwarves. In theory all dwarves owe fealty to the Celestial Emperor, but in practice they are independent kingdoms.

To the west (north of the Cymru elves) live the Quylun, sometimes called hill dwarves. For centuries they were a mighty kingdom, collecting tribute from the surrounding peoples and producing art and especially instruments coveted across the world. But after King Saucung, the last known member of the royal Nhavua family, died from poison, the kingdom descended into chaos. For the last 40 years the various clans have warred with each other in ever-changing alliances, but no clan has been able to restore unity.

In the far north live the Nanjaengi, or surface dwarves. While other dwarves will occasionally plant crops on the surface, the Nanjaengi are the only ones to regularly build homes above ground. Farmers and reindeer herders, they exist as a loose federation under a king elected by the clan chiefs, currently Gamcheongsaeg of the Sunlog clan. Constantly having to defend themselves against the surrounding orcs, the Nanjaengi are fierce warriors with little time for "culture" but they do love singing.

To the east (north of Larnaca) live the Dowafu, mountain dwarves. Over half the Dowafu live in the mountain city Yama, home to King Gorudo and a multitude of peoples from every race and nation. Tunnels continue being dug, haphazardly following veins of gold, silver, and gemstones, then eventually becoming home to more shops, houses, and gardens as the city grows. Dowafu who want to get away from the crowds move out to the surrounding mountains, home to smaller mines and cities as well as many monasteries.

There may have once been a fifth dwarvish kingdom to the south of the pillar, in what is now northern Cythraul, but hardly a memory of them exists today.

Elves
The elves claim they were the first peoples in Dytika (and, in fact, the world). Despite all of the races existing here for many thousands of years, The elves still see the other races as invaders, especially humans, and hope that one day the will be expelled. Were the elves united they would certainly be the strongest race in in Dytika, but their chaotic nature leads to constant disunity. Each valley and forest rules itself and is loath to send soldiers to fight a war hundreds of miles away.

The Cymru are the biggest exception to this rule. Seeing first the city-states of Larnaca united into one kingdom, then the southern orcs organize into a cohesive army, the Cymru realized they needed to work together. And so a meeting was convened and Gastiwi, oldest and wisest of the elf lords was named high king and tasked with defending the Cymru from their many enemies.

Far to the north-west, in the forest between the Poison Sea and the endless tundra live the Bosque elves. They are, for the most part, isolationist. They fight the tundra orcs, dislike the Quylun dwarves, tolerate the Flod River halflings, mistrust the Cymru elves, and very rarely see anyone else from further abroad.

In the east, between Larnaca and the Dragon Sea, live the Dwyrain elves, the most notable clans being the Draiocht and the Sithiche. The Dwyrain tend to be more tolerant of other races than the western elves, which has let them weather the many invasions over the millennia while other eastern elves did not. The Sithiche city of Mara, on the coast of the Dragon Sea, is home to many foreigners and is a major trade hub.

Note: There are no "high-elves" in my world. However, if you choose to make an elf character, feel free to use the high elf stats.

Humans
How the first humans came to Dytika has been lost to time, but in ancient times many human cities dotted the fields and hills and forests, often warring with each other as well as the other races. Then the Praeterian Empire invaded. At first the local humans fought, but once conquered they found that they were first class citizens in the empire and enjoyed it. When the empire fell, the humans were thrown into chaos. While other races still had their clans and nations, almost all sense of human cultural identity from before the empire had long been forgotten. Over time a handful of kingdoms have emerged, the largest of which is Larnaca, where our story is set (see below).

South of Larnaca, across the Notos Mountains, are two rivers that flow into the Black Desert, where they eventually fade into nothing. Along these rivers two human kingdoms have been born, the Ducado and the Reino, both of whom live almost entirely along the river banks. In the foothills of the mountains live the nomadic Artaldea, who herd goats and sheep. They are mistrusted by the Ducado and Reino, who accuse them of interbreeding with orcs and practicing dark magic.

To the east of Larnaca, past the forests of the Dwyrain elves, lies the kingdom of Agroktima. There was no distinction between them and the Larnacans in ancient times, but the Agroktimns were less integrated into the Praeterian than perhaps any other humans. Their nobility trace their lineages to before the empire was established and their commoners claim a deep tie to forests, rivers, and hills of their land.

Further east, along the coast of the Dragon Sea, human port cities have cropped up. One of the most notable is Liman Sehri, a city established by a nobleman banished from some far eastern kingdom. His descendants still rule the city, and the city has grown and is a popular stop for merchants looking for goods from the east.

Far to south-east lies the kingdoms of the Mamlaka.

Halflings
It's not entirely clear how or when the halflings arrived in Dytika. In any case they have settled in valleys and tend to have peaceful relations with their neighbors. Aggressive neighbors occasionally demand tribute (or offer "protection" at a steep price). But the halflings are hard working and can only eat and drink so much themselves, so they are usually happy to share with friends. There are, of course, halfling warriors but they mainly find themselves fighting monsters and orcs.

In the west, north of the Cymru elves, live the Flod river halflings. They were a protectorate of the Quylun, but now with the dwarven kingdom in chaos, the various halfling towns fend for themselves.

Northeast of Larnaca live the Wald forest halflings. They were made a protectorate of Larnaca under Good King Kalos, but since his death the number of Larnacan soldiers protecting them has dropped, and monsters and orcs are starting to get through.

To the south, between the human kingdoms of Agroktima and Mamlaka live the Veld valley halflings.

Gnomes
In ancient times there were no gnomes in Dytika. Gnomes are native to the east, but were valued for their ingenuity by the Praeterian emperors so many were brought west. Two communities were settled in Dytika.

The Ucheny live north of Larnaca, in the shadow of the Dowafu mountains. After the fall of the empire they agreed to swear fealty to the King of Yama. They are largely left to their own, but send advisors to king's court in Yama.

The Izobretatel live to the south in the hills between between the Notos and Jabal mountains. They are very secretive and mistrustful of outsiders.

Orcs
There are various groups of orcs around the perimeter of Dytika. They are intelligent, but are driven to savagery against the other humanoid races by their god and creator Gruumsh. They vary between bands of a few dozen to armies of hundreds as strong orcs manage to assemble a following.

In the southwest, the orc Komuzhas built a significant following. They have clashed with the Artaldae, burned down a Ducado city, and warred with the Cymru.

In southern Larnaca, the orc Ujax has conquered the ancient Larnacan city of Paphos. To stop his rampage, Queen Eirini named Ujax the Count of Paphos.There are still occasional acts of violence, but mostly things are quiet as long as the peasants keep bringing food and drink to the now orc-filled city.

Dragonborn
There are no naturally occurring dragonborn in my world. The dragonknights were created about 40 years ago by Dimiourgos, high wizard to the Good King Kalos. They are the elite foot troops of the Larnacan army. Dragonknights can have children with each other or with humans, and their children are the dragonborn. Many, but not all, dragonborn join the Order of Dragonknights when they reach adulthood.

Larnaca
Larnaca is the largest human kingdom, located about in the center of Dytik. The Vale of Cythraul was recently given to Larnaca, and Mount Proklisi is a Larnacan settlement, so the vast majority of characters in this campaign will be from Larnaca.

History
Larnaca took it's name from a Praeterian province. Kataktiti, king of the city Tamassos, conquered the provincial capital of Nicosia 120 years ago and crowned himself King of Larnaca. This marks year 0 off the Larnacan calendar. 18 years later, all 12 of the ancient cities were under his control. Kataktiti established a feudal system, with 12 counts (the rulers of the 12 ancient cities) swearing fealty to the king, with barons and knights beneath them. A few years later he died and rule passed to his daughter Katocha and the new kingdom was put to the test. She put down rebellions, fought off invasions, and between wars she built roads, colleges, cathedrals, hospitals, and castles. She did not, however, produce or definitively designate an heir, so when she died the kingdom descended again into chaos. For 7 years there was no monarch, until Katocha's second cousin, Tromeros the Terrible, took control. He mercilessly slaughtered his enemies, burnt the ancient city of Marion to the ground, killed Astartian priests, and secured a decade and a half of fearful peace for the country. He also died without an heir, but this time the nobles came together and choose an heir, his nephew Kalos to put on the throne.

Kalos's rule was quiet to begin. He relied heavily on the guidance of his nobles and advisors. But as he grew more confident he became more assertive. He punished nobles who were cruel to their people and rewarded those that were just. He stored food for droughts and employed wizards and scholars to maximize harvests. He established good relations and trade routes with Larnaca's neighbors. He fought to defend the borders against orcs, elves, and monsters. He established strong, defensible borders. He employed the best advisors he could find from every city and kingdom, including Dimiourgos who created the Dragonknights. His reign is remembered as a golden age for Larnaca, and he is remembered as the Good King Kalos.

Queen Eiriniwas not suppose to inherit the throne. Her older brother Adelfos died mere months before their father,making her heir. She was timid nobles took advantage, strengthened their positions and weakened the kingdom. She was reluctant to go war, and agreed to move her people out of the Wolfwood when the Cymru claimed it was theirs. In her later years she was frequently ill, and failed to even defend against the half-orc  Ujax who had sacked Paphos, instead naming him Count. When she died, her daughter Polemas was determined to right the wrongs that had been allowed to occur under her weak mother, starting by kicking the Cymru out of the Eastern Wolfwood. While she was victorious, and ultimately would gain the Vale of Cythraul as well, the war took her life before she ever really got to rule. The crown now sits upon the head of her young son, Kalos II. It's unknown what kind of ruler he will be. Currently nobles gather at his court to offer there council, and their daughters, hoping to gain advantage from his inexperience.