Agran, Plains of
The Plains of Agran is a huge region of grasslands lying south of the Darkroot mountains. They are fairly flat, though dotted here and there with low hills, and cut by many streams and rivers. Their vast expanse is largely uninhabited and little known, and home to many strange creatures. The plains are hot in the summer and cool in the winter, though snow only falls in the northern reaches, and then only occasionally.
They are inhabited only by tribes of fierce nomads, about whom little is known. They tame and ride triceratops into battle, making them fearsome opponents. Triceratops roam the plains, as do flocks of axebeaks and herds of albany, a type of small albino buffalo.
Ammerdan River
The Ammerdan River is the longest and mightiest river in Elcea. It rises in the western Darkroot Mountains, and flows south across the Plains of Agran, where it is joined by many other tributary streams and rivers flowing south out of the Darkroots and east out of the Shield Mountains. Its mile-wide mouth in the Southern Sea is over 750 miles from its source.
It is navigable for almost its entire length, though its usefulness as a north-south artery of commerce is limited by the fact that for part of its length it serves as the eastern border of Akam-Osar. It also serves as the western border of the Kingdom of Soroth, and some trade does pass between the two realms via the river.
The river teems with life, especially giant catfish, giant gar, and many species of large frogs, as well as many species of smaller fish and amphibians. Frogemoths are not unknown, and naiads are sometimes found in quiet pools along its verges.
Badlands
The badlands are a region of canyons and plateaus lying just south of the coast south of the Sea of Xenthus. The region is about 150 miles long east to west, and some 60 miles across at the widest. Many monsters make their lairs there, such as manticores, ogres, and orcs, and there are many giant snakes and other creatures. The area is also a haven for thieves and brigands, who make their hideouts there. Somewhere near the center of the region is Thaven, the thieves' town; it is a death sentence for a thief to reveal its location.
Balbar, Isle of
The Isle of Balbar is a large island in the Sea of Xenthus, lying about 40 miles off the west coast of the Xenthus Peninsula. It is about 60 miles long and 20 miles wide, and is claimed by the Kingdom of Xenthus.
There are several fishing villages on island's coasts, and one small town, Baranach, at the north tip of the island. The island's interior is quite mountainous and generally uninhabited, but the southernmost peak on the island is the home of the Knights of Balbar, an order of knights and paladins who train and fly pegasii from their mountain fortress.
Bleak Lake
This large lake, which is about 30 miles long, lies to the west of the northern Mountains of Shadow. It is fed by a river that descends from the mountains in many waterfalls. The lake itself is set in a cheerless, windswept plain, and its edges are dotted with many gnat-infested marshes. No humans dwell there, though large tribes of gnolls inhabit the area.
Bones of the Dragons
This is a rugged, mountainous region in northwest Keranidor. Almost nothing is known of the area, though legends that have trickled over to Xenthus from Akam-Osar speak of it as an abode of dragons (as the name suggests). Further, it is thought to be a birthplace of dragons, and Osarian legend claims that Tiamat herself comes here to lay her eggs.
The Broken Lands
This is a wide region of tortured rock surrounding the huge canyon of the Earth Wound, at the southern edge of the Great Desert. It is an arid, scorchingly hot land of canyons, fissures, pits, and pinnacles of rock. Some nomad tribes have winter quarters in hidden valleys at the northern edge of the region, and many orc tribes dwell within its depths. Many other terrible creatures live there, and in the western part of the Broken Lands is the legendary, hidden city of Boneblight, a citadel of evil.
Caldos River
The Caldos River rises from several sources at the eastern end of the Darkroot Mountains. It has cut a great gorge, nearly 1000 feet deep, through the foothills of the mountains, and flows in a broad arc to the south east of Copperhame. It then turns to the east, flowing across 300 miles of desert terrain before reaching the Great East Ocean. In this latter part of its journey the river is calmer, and the banks are lined with date palms and cottonwoods.
In the early stages of its course, when it rushes through its deep gorge, there is only one crossing, at the village of Durthen on the Copperhame-Ossana road. There a great stone bridge was built long ago, the longest in the known world. The village of Durthen is pleased to charge a modest toll to those crossing, in exchange for the service of living near the bridge. The bridge has been the site of several famous events, such as battle between the assassin Yoginar and the paladin Bethalnia, and the meeting of General Robart and Candil Tresmorton.
Chandr River
This river runs eastward out of the Shield Mountains, eventually joining the Ammerdan River. It forms the southern border of Akam-Osar, and that Empire and Soroth have fought many bloody battles along its banks. The river is known in Soroth for its population of poisonous eels.
Darkroot Mountains
The Darkroots are a long range of mountains running east and west across the center of Elcea. They extend for some 700 miles. The only major passage through them is the Darkroot Pass, a broad gap roughly in the center of the range. The highest point in the chain is Ebar Krowden, with an elevation of 16,200 feet.
The mountains are an abode for many creatures, both good and evil. Dragons and giants live there in some numbers, as do titans, wind walkers, and aarockra. The peaks are also home to griffins, giant eagles, goblins, orcs, gnolls, chimera, and more. There are many deep caves, dungeons, and ruined habitations in the mountains. Many of them predate the human presence in Elcea.
Some hardy souls currently have strongholds in the mountains, especially at the eastern end of the range. Glendon has his castle there, for example, and there are others. In general, however, its rugged peaks are home to neither men, nor dwarves, nor elves.
Durland
Durland is the name given in Xenthus to the large peninsula that depends from the southwest corner of the main Elcean continent. It is a little-known region of dense jungle and volcanic mountains. Humans dwell there, though almost nothing is known of their kingdoms or organization. It is also known to be the home of the yuan-ti, the dreaded snakemen.
Earth Wound, The
The Earth Wound is an enormous canyon south of the Great Desert, miles deep and over 300 miles long, the result of some event so cataclysmic that it shattered the land for many miles about, creating the Broken Lands. According to the most common legend, it was created in a long ago battle between two gods, back when they contended on the Prime Material Plane in person. In fact, the Earth Wound is thought by some to be the reason the gods banished themselves from appearing on this plane.
Little is known of it save that it exists. Blue dragons dwell there in numbers, and no one has brought back a reliable report of what lies at its bottom. It is said, though, to give access to the Dark Road, the subterranean highway that links the realms of the Underdark.
Ebar Krowden
Ebar Krowden, which translates to "Raven Mountain" (all mountains in Elcea are named in the dwarven tongue) is the highest peak in the Darkroot Mountains, with an elevation of 16,200 feet. It is permanently snow-capped, though the lower elevations are generally free of snow in the summer months. The mountains rises in a series of granite ridges, and its slopes feature many meadows and dark, fir-clad forests. It is an abode of many creatures, most especially flocks of giant ravens.
Ebar Krowden is best known for its vast dungeon. Long ages past it was an abode of the gods. When they departed, according to legend, they left its endless tunnels and labyrinths as a challenge. In the time since many races have dwelled in those halls, and whole empires have risen and fallen below the ground, leaving their own legacy behind. Certainly the dungeons descend low enough to provide access to the Dark Road, the highway of the Underdark. It has always been a magnet for adventurers, and some of them even return.
Ebar Lrac
This volcanic peak lies at the north edge of the Great Desert, rising some 14,500 feet above the desert below. It is roughly 200 miles south of the city of Ossana. Ebar Lrac is an active volcano, and it constantly smokes and steams, and every few years it actively erupts. The land about is covered with old lava flows, forming a torturous landscape.
Many fire-loving creatures dwell there, such as salamanders. In addition, the lands about are inhabited by a race of lizard-men. These are not the usual swamp-dwelling bipeds, but are instead well-adapted to the hot sands and old lava flows of the area. They do not welcome intruders, except as sources of weapons and loot.
Ebar Nain
Ebar Nain ("Mount Dwarf") is the southernmost peak of the Mountains of Shadow. It is the great habitation and citadel of the dwarves in Elcea, and their cities and halls delve deep into the mountain. The Fourchette River issues from the base of the mountain, which stands about 13,550 feet tall. It is very rare for non-dwarves to be permitted into the mountain.
Fornar
Fornar is the name given to the region of northwest Elcea that lies northwest of the Gulf of Akamia and west of the River Persh. It is a green land of hills and forests, and contains many lakes and streams. It contains few, if any, human habitations, but is populated by gnomes, and also by a small number of elves. Bugbears and kobolds also live there in large numbers. The southern part of the area is dominated by the dense woodlands of the Forest of Fornar.
Fourchette River
The Fourchette River flows in several branches out Ebar Nain at the south end of the Mountains of Shadow. These branches combine into one river that flows southward through a broad valley between the Greybole and Myrobolan forests, ending at Lake Cenar. There are a number of keeps and castles along its banks, and the region is known for the (generally) friendly bands of centaurs that roam there.
The Great Desert
This is the huge desert in eastern Elcea, stretching for hundreds of miles west from the Great East Ocean, south beyond the Earth Wound, and north to within 100 miles of the city of Ossana. Parts of it are vast seas of sand, and parts are rocky, but all of it is hot and dangerous.
The desert is home to an unknown number of nomad tribes. Some of these are relatively friendly, and trade with human cities on the edge of the desert, especially Copperhame, and others are relentlessly warlike. Many monsters also roam the desert, such as dragons (blue and brass dragons, especially), giant scorpions, spiders, gorgons, and fire giants. There are scattered oasis and hidden habitations, but their location is not generally known to outsiders.
Worth mentioning is the city of Ben-Bazal, which is located on the coast off the eastern tip of the Earth Wound. Hundreds of years ago this was a thriving city-state and a staunch ally of Xenthus. It was sacked and destroyed long ago, but much of the city still stands, preserved by the desert. Riches are said to still be hidden there, but the place is an abode of evil, and few will risk the dangers involved.
Greybole Forest, The
This is the large, roughly triangular forest that lies west of the Sea of Xenthus. It has in ages past been a largely tamed place, inhabited by elves and men, but in latter centuries it has grown wild again, and its borders have grown. Roughly speaking, the forest can be divided into three rather different regions.
The first of these, the southwest, is inhabited by elves, whose stronghold of High Greybole remains the center of eleven culture in Elcea. Under the influence of the elves, this part of the forest is a sylvan place, a home to pixies, unicorns, treants, and other friendly (though sometimes dangerous) creatures. This part of the forest is characterized by enormous oak trees and stately elms, and there are many pools and glades.
The southeast part of the forest has similar trees, but is wilder and more perilous. Green dragons live there, as do owlbears, ogres, blink dogs, and many other creatures. The ruins of human castles can be found there, completely overgrown, hiding their secrets under a canopy of green.
The northern region is darker and more tangled. This is a mixed forest of ash, fir, and hemlock, pathless and dangerous. Many spiders of all sorts spin their webs there, and there are also many ettercaps. This part of the forest is also home to a lot of rather large wild boars, stirges, giant weasels, and wyverns.
Icegate Island
Icegate Island lies in the Great East Ocean, to the northeast of the Xenthus Peninsula. It is a large, mountainous island with two arms that descend to the south, enclosing a deep bay. There are several human habitations here, including Ice Town, a notorious den of pirates and smugglers. The heights of the island are locked in perpetual winter, but a brief summer does come to the lowlands around the bay. Seals and walrus are found here in large numbers.
Keranidor
This is the region of southwest Elcea that lies beyond the Shield Mountains. It is a warm, wild land of deep jungle valleys and rugged ridges and mountains. Very little is known of the area, though it is known to be the home to an unusually large numbers of dragons.
Lake Cenar
This lake lies at the end of the Fourchette River. It occupies a broad and lightly wooded valley, and stretches about 50 miles north to south, and around 20 miles east to west. It is also very deep, over 1000 feet near the center. The waters are full of fish, among them giant pike and giant carp. There are many centaurs in the area, and satyrs, giant boar, and giant porcupines are also not uncommon.
Marshes of Dread
This wide area of fen and bog lies between the Badlands and the Greybole Forest. It is fed by many streams flowing east out of Greybole, and hemmed by a low ridge to the north and the foothills of the Darkroot Mountains to the south.
The marshes have a sinister, and entirely deserved, reputation. They are full of dangerous creatures, such as giant dragonflies, wyverns, black dragons, giant leeches, and catoblepas. Even worse, somewhere near the heart of the marshes dwells the Swamp Witch. This mysterious being has a walking hut, which stalks through the fens like some sort of macabre marsh bird on long birdlike legs. She has lived there for time out of mind, and enjoys catching and eating people she finds in the swamp. Many heroes and adventurers have sought to slay her, but none have ever returned.
In addition to these dangers, the marshes change constantly, and are full of treacherous pools and stretches of quicksand. Firm footing becomes a mire, while sinister pools can provide a safe passage.
Myrobolan Forest
This forest is the largest in Elcea. It lies north of the western Darkroot Mountains. Relatively little is known about it. Elves dwelled there thousands of years ago, but were driven out, and never venture there now if they can help it. At the heart of the forest, which stretches 350 miles east to west, dwells the evil wizard Malor, known in Xenthus as Gormar the Poisoner. Under his influence the woods are filled with evil things, and large numbers of orcs, kobolds, and other evil humanoids live there.
Northern Waste
The name of this wide region in the north of Elcea is something of a misnomer. While the far northern reaches are indeed ice-locked, most of its thousands of square miles are tundra and taiga. A brief summer does come to the region, and then there are huge fields of wildflowers - as well as hordes of biting insects.
Nor is it uninhabited. While sparsely populated, many barbarian tribes live there, though barbarian is a dismissive Xenthian term and perhaps not accurate. There are towns there, and kingdoms, and the people of the region possess a vibrant culture of their own. the region is also home to large tribes of gnolls, and they and the human dwellers war constantly upon one another. Further north bands of frost giants dwell, and they raid into the southern areas on occasion, especially in winter.
The area has a great many lakes and rivers, and is dotted with woods of fir and pine. Herds of caribou, some of vast size, roam the area, as do ice goats. Also found there are dire wolves, giant weasels and giant lynx, snow snakes, and many other dangerous creatures.
Pelth, Jungle of
This jungle occupies most of Durland. It ranges from great steaming basins filled with vegetation to tall peaks, their sides covered in verdant growth. At least one active volcano is found there. It is said that some of the trees that form the jungle canopy are over 400 feet tall, and vast of girth.
It is so distant that little more is known about the place. Humans dwell there, some with dark skin, and there are yuan-ti and the dreaded carnivorous apes as well. Many other strange monsters are found there, and it is said that great wealth in gold, gems, and silver can be found there as well, but this could be only rumor.
Rimworld Mountains
This chain of volcanic mountains lies far in north of the Northern Waste. They run east to west. Its peaks are locked in perpetual ice, save where steam vents issue forth, and it is a great habitation of frost giants, white dragons, and yeti. Few have been there, and even fewer have crossed them to bring back report of what lies on the far side.
River Persh
This is the second-mightiest river in Elcea. It's two main branches rise from the western Myrobolan Forest and the western end of the Darkroot Mountains. They combine and flow about 500 miles south, where the river empties into the Gulf of Akamia. Much of the river's course is through woods and forest, and it is known for its population of giant river otters, an intelligent and playful race.
River of Snows, The
This icy river flows southeast across the Northern Waste, eventually reaching the Great East Ocean. The river is ice-covered in winter, though clear for most of the summer. It is a broad, powerful river by the time it reaches the ocean.
It has a lot of fish, especially trout, and enormous cave bears prowl its banks, fishing for them. Giant leeches and giant snapping turtles are also not uncommon in its waters.
Shadow, Mountains of
This mountain chain runs down the center of northern Elcea, from the Northern Waste to the Fourchette River valley. It isn't really especially shadowy, though the mountains hold many deep clefts and valleys. The name rather refers to the reputation of the range as a haunt of undead, and of creatures from the Plane of Shadow. It is in fact a strange and sinister chain, except for Ebar Nain, the southernmost mountain in the range, and the citadel of the Dwarves.
The mountains are not as high, generally, as those of the Darkroots. They run from 8000 to 12,000 feet, with the high point being Ebar Numbra, at 12,400 feet. The range is pierced by a couple of passes, though these are impassable in the winter. The slopes of the mountains are covered below the tree line in fir and spruce. The ruins of many strange castles and temples can be found there, of human and non-human origin.
Shield Mountains, The
This mountain range separates Keranidor from the rest of Elcea. It is a relatively short range, but very rugged. There is only one known pass. It is an abode of giants and dragons, and generally avoided by the peoples of Soroth and Akam-Osar. The tops of the mountains are snow-covered, but snow rarely falls below the 6000 foot mark, even in winter.
Stunted Forest, The
This strange forest lies about 25 miles south of Ossana. It begins at the east end of the Badlands and runs about 100 miles to the east and southeast. It is a region of dwarfed, twisted trees, known for its vicious black squirrels. Trolls, manticores, and giant beetles are found there, and many other creatures besides.
No one can say why the forest grows the way it does. There is some unhealthy influence there that affects the vegetation, though animals do not seem to fall under its influence. There are some low hills in the wide, shallow valley of the forest, and among these are many strange structures and ruins. The Copperhame-Ossana road pierces it at its narrowest point, and travelers always ride warily through along this stretch of the road.
Trollstep Hills
This is actually a high ridge in the southern foothills of the eastern Darkroot Mountains, about 130 miles west of Copperhame. As the name implies, trolls are common there, along with displacer beasts, hippogriffs, and hill giants. The southern face of the ridge has many cave openings, and some of these run deep under the earth. There are some hardy human villages and strongholds nearby.
Wighthelm Hills
This highland region of steep hills lies about 100 miles west of the central Mountains of Shadow. There are no known human habitations there, but gnolls and hobgoblins live there in some numbers. The hills are covered by occasional copses of trees, but thickets of gorse and bramble are more common. Somewhere in the hills are the Five Fingers, tall pinnacles of rock surrounding a small lake, hollowed out by some unknown civilization and connected by tunnels and dungeons.