Local Info

Here are a collection of notes on miscellaneous local info.

Races

A wide assortment of races call the lands of the Westing Reach home. There is a large elven forest to the west, and half-elves are relatively common in the Upper Valley. The Serpentcoil mountains, separating the human and elven lands, contain at least 3 dwarven settlements. To the south, in the Fallen Lands, half-orc barbarians are common. Small halfling communities are scattered throughout the more peaceful lands, and gnomes are said to inhabit the forests of the Upper Valley.

Languages

Due to the varied races in the area, you can hear elven and dwarven spoken almost anywhere. In most towns you can also find speakers of gnome, halfling, and orc. In fact, almost any language spoken in the modern world can be heard in Caernigan.

People

The humans of the Westing Reach are also a varied lot. The barbarians of the Fallen Lands are a tall, blonde, muscular race. Thurians, from an empire far to the east, can commonly be seen in Caernigan, and they are a shorter, dusky-skinned people. The majority of people that make up Lurland, Ellewyr, and Caernigan are of medium height and build, and light brown hair is the most common. Alignments vary according to location; the cities of Lurland are chaotic places, but Ellewyr is an ordered, peaceful land. Karlon Keep is widely known to be a bastion of evil, but the inhabitants of Shieldkeep and the Upper Valley are usually of a good alignment.

Religion

Worship of almost all deities found in the Player's Handbook takes place in the Westing Reach. In the Upper Valley, Pelor, Ehlonna, and Obad-Hai are the most common. In Ellewyr, Heironeous, Pelor, and St. Cuthbert are found. The cities of Lurland have temples to Vecna, Olidammara, Fharlanghn, and Kord. Karlon Keep is home to temples of Hextor, Nerull, and Vecna. Finally, Caernigan has temples or shrines to all of these and more.

Commerce

Caernigan is the hub of much of the trade in the Westing Reach. Fine dwarven goods float down the Asarwe river into Caernigan. Expensive elven crafts come through Durvik's Pass. Carefully crafted items from shops in Lurland and cartloads of grain and other food from the Upper Valley travel by caravan to Caernigan. Caernigan itself contains the largest shipyards in the Westing Reach, and the mages' guild manufactures many valuable magic items for sale. Not all trade goes through that mighty city, though. Karlon Keep is known to be a center for the slave trade and other, less legal items.

Government & Politics

A wide variety of governments exist in the Westing Reach. From the tyranny of Irrephim and Shademehr in Karlon Keep to the almost complete lack of government in the Upper Valley, from the fractured, competing lords in Lurland to the lawful monarchy in Ellewyr.

Ellewyr and the Upper Valley have historically been friendly, though no formal treaty exists. A few of the city-states of Lurland have tried to annex parts of the Upper Valley, but they are always forced to withdraw their forces due to Lurland politics or forces from Shieldkeep. There are a lot of people who would like to see Karlon Keep razed to the ground, but since it is the only thing holding back the hordes of barbarians to the south, it has a lot of support from Lurland. Caernigan is too self-absorbed to ever try to expand its reach. The elves have always maintained a careful neutrality, but their relations with Ellewyr and the Upper Valley have historically been friendly. The dwarves likewise remain distant from human politics, but they trade most heavily with Caernigan and Ellewyr.

History

Elves and dwarves lived in the Westing Reach long before the first humans came from the east. Records are sketchy about how long ago humans started coming to the Westing Reach in significant numbers. At that time it was a wild place, full of orcs, goblinoids, dragons, giants, and worse. But the humans persevered and came in ever increasing numbers, and a large kingdom was built on the southern shores of the Westing Reach. This country pushed the uncivilized forces back from the area, allowing towns and villages to spring up in the fertile lands. When the humans discovered there were dwarves living in the Serpentcoil mountains, a trading encampment sprung up at the mouth of the Asarwe river which eventually grew into the city of Caernigan. But tragedy soon struck - whether it was a civil war, an external enemy, or natural disaster, the great kingdom fell into ruins and the lands were soon inhabited by the uncivilized forces they had kept at bay for so many years. In time, even the name of the once great kingdom was forgotten, and now all that is left are empty cities and the ruins of castles.

Geography & Climate

The Westing Reach is a temperate land - the summers are long and warm and the winters are relatively mild, in the lowlands at least. The rolling hills are frequently washed with rain, creating an ideal climate for food crops.

Places of Interest

Out in the Westing Reach is a smoldering mountain rising from an uninhabited island, White Plume Isle. It is said to be a dangerous place, with frequent earthquakes and terrible monsters, but some who have gone and returned speak about the strange ruins found at the base of soaring cliffs and the outcroppings of rock containing unworked gemstones.

There are still humans who eke out a living along the coast of the Fallen Lands, but there is also a new hope in the area. A hardy group of adventurers have set up camp in the ruins of the city of Thelox and are working on exploring the surrounding area. Their goal is to begin the reconquest of the Fallen Lands and make the area once again safe for humans to live in. Only time will tell if they are successful in their mission.

In the southern foothills of the Serpentcoil mountains, a land still wild even at the peak of the fallen kingdom's greatness, is said to be a set of caverns that contain portals to other worlds. The dangerous location prevents people from travelling there, but it is known that strange monsters are found in that area that have never been seen anywhere else. It is even rumored that some of these other worlds contain great human and elven nations as this one does!