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KICKSTARTER PREVIEW: The World of Arden
🕑 Added 2021-01-25 06:52:32 +0000 UTCThe World of Arden
When I first started writing adventures for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, I didn’t take into consideration my world as a whole. Each adventure was meant to stand on its own and slot into whatever world you, the Dungeon Master, needed it to. Over time, however, I found myself writing about the same people and places over and over again, until eventually I had a rough idea in my mind of what the world looked liked as a whole. Thus, Arden was born.
The following are a list of regions located in Arden. Each represents a different biome. Within each region, you’ll find numerous cities, towns, and points of interest which you can use to flush out the adventures included in this book.
Isle of Frostmarch
Seated at the very top of the world, the isle of Frostmarch is a frigid wasteland occupied only by those creature for whom cold is an afterthought. Frost giants, boreal bears, and white dragons roam the isle unopposed. Few civilized settlements exist there with the largest being Fjornhall on the southern coast. Travelers to Frostmarch must be sure to bundle up as the sub-zero temperatures can kill as quickly as the native fauna. They say that a council of giants rules from atop the Giant’s Thumb, the massive spire in the center of the isle. No man has ventured there and returned to confirm it though.
The Kingdom of Cressia
Situated between the northern tip of Arden and the Snowcrown Mountains, the kingdom of Cressia is a small yet resource rich nation. The city states of Dureya, Dennmarsh, Valhenge, and Lustra each hold a seat on the ruling council and together decide the fate of Cressia and its people. Known for their high-quality lumber, fishing aptitude, and trade acumen, Cressians are a mercantile folk through and through. Many trade routes find their way up through Cressia and her ports are never wanting for business.
The Empty Lands
Also known as the Northern Sands, the Empty Lands comprise a massive desert that separates Cressia from the Greenwood to the south. Although many small villages and towns exist amongst the countless oases spread across the desert, only two major hubs still stand: Blackkeep to the north and Ulsterroth to the south. Both cities were built in the ruins of ancient keeps that stretch far beneath the sands where the sun’s scorching rays cannot reach. Those who keep to the surface can count on the protections of the local militia, but those who stray too far underground can find themselves at the mercy of the assorted bandit clans that make the depths their home.
The Greenwood
If one travels south through the Shatterspine Mountains from the Empty lands, they’ll find themselves in a lush temperate region known as the Greenwood. Covered in thick forests and shielded from the harsher weather and temperatures of its northern neighbors, the Greenwood is the largest region in Arden. Spanning more than a third of the main continent, it houses the kingdoms of Loch Nord, Hylensia, and Ulturna.
Loch Nord is the kingdom of the dwarves, nestled in the Tallspire Mountains that run through the heart of the land. They have numerous holds and fasts buried beneath the surface among the crags and peaks. Over time, some have been abandoned and overtaken as the subterranean kingdom’s borders have shifted, but one thing is always true: If you want to get across or under the mountains, the dwarves are the ones to see.
Hylensia is the realm of the elves, a massive forest that encompasses nearly the entire western half of the Greenwood. As dangerous as it is beautiful, few wander far from the handful of roads that pierce its borders. Beasts great and small roam its borders living in harmony with their elven neighbors. More than one hunter has found themselves at the business end of an elven bow for straying too far into their territory looking for the next big score.
Ulturna is the kingdom of man, spread out across the rolling hills and green fields of the eastern half of the Greenwood. Unlike their Cressian kin to the north, the Ulturnans keep to smaller cities and towns, sending representatives to quarterly councils to decide the fate of the land. Don’t mistake their cities’ lack of walls as a weakness though, as every man, woman, and child in Ulturna is trained from birth to defend their home with their life.
The Wildlands
Lastly, far to the south of the Greenwood lies the Wildlands, a mess of exotic vegetation, overgrown forests, and terrain so unpredictable that it’s nearly impassable. These jungles hide the remains of ancient empires long forgotten, and long lost treasures waiting to be found. Like Frostmarch to the north, few settlements can be found in the Wildlands. A handful of outposts exist along its borders, but once you enter the jungle proper, you’re on your own. Tales tell of all sorts of strange creatures that call the world under the canopy home, and none take very kindly to trespassers.
