Places in the Castellar World

Floating City from: Gloria'sBackgrounds.

Places in the Castellar World

Major cities are on the Castellar World Map, but players are welcome to create new cities and towns in each region for their character's biography.

Castellar City

The spires of the Castellar are everywhere known for their culture, beauty and power. Here lies the center of Imperial Power and the Castellar Dynasty.

Castellar City is cosmopolitan, drawing nearly every group within the Empire to its vibrant metropolis. From here a vast administration radiates out into the countryside, fed by ambitious citizens who arrive regularly to compete on the basis of merit for spots in the prestigious civil service.

The vast majority of remaining Castellar people live here in a special noble district, living on hereditary stipends and practicing rituals of courtly honor, though outside of their predominance as officers in the army, much of the Empire's business is carried on by others.

The city itself was built on ruins of previous capitals, where earlier dynasties ruled with an iron hand. The two most recent of these former dynasties, the Dragonlords and the Tanga Dynasty of Red Wizards, are only dimly recalled in legends which describe these past eras as times of rapacity and chaos. The Castellar, a group of invaders seemingly resistant to magic and with superior weapons, banished these forces and brought to the land a lasting peace.

In time, the Castellar Dynasty recognized the value of magic and allowed its practice by wizards under highly restrictive conditions, while shunning sorcerors, elves, and other magical races as innately tainted. Dragons were banished and have been seen little since they retreated to remote frontiers.

Castellar Emperor Thindar himself resides in the Imperial Quarter of Castellar City, a fortified area open only to royalty and the most trusted of his officials. He is by nature secretive and reclusive, delegating to his officials most public duties. Usually, Emperor Thindar makes public appearances only at the winter and summer solstices when his duties as defender of the faith of Nicah require it.

Around the city are numerous small farming and fishing villages that seem to exist simply to provide food to the much larger city. The folk of the country side tend to be envious of their more urbane neighbors.

To the north of the City the Mountains of Heaven rise, the highest peaks are considered to be the closest mortals can come to the Gods. Many important temples exist here.

Southern Coastal Frontier

At the Empire's southern border lies a land that two hundred years ago was devasted in war with a former lizard Empire to the Southeast. Human settlers and lizards clashed, resulting in a war that led to the destruction of a the Lizard Empire as well as loses that weakened the Castellar Empire as well.

Those who remain in these frontier areas include hardy independent minded setllers, heretics, unlicenced wizards, fugitives and persons of all descriptive seeking to escape the confines of the Empire. Recently, lizard raids on the frontier have brought word of war to the frontier settlements, so the Empire has sent parties of scouts into this territory. The last fortified human settlement is the Lost Legion Outpost. Beyond the outpost, frontier lands are haunted and unknown. Few dare traverse these lands and even fewer return.

The Ruined Empire

Beyond the mountains to the South lies a desert waste, lands whose fertility lies destroyed by war and wasted magic. Almost all citizens of the Castellar Empire are unaware of these lands, their condition or their inhabitants. A great magical lizard Empire formerly ruled this territory until its destruction by the Castellar Empire two centuries ago.

The most highly learned wizards convertly pursuing unlicenced magical knowledge within the Castellar speak of this Ruined Empire in guarded whispers. They say that floating city of Dol Agath lives again.

The perils of the frontier and the Ruined Empire however prevent all but the most brave or the most foolhardy from attempting the journey.

Dol Agath

Click here for a Dol Agath city map.

Once the great capital of the ruined lizard empire, the ruined floating city of Dol Agath has been revived as a center of magical learning by Queen Astri, the tiefling lizard ruler of the city. Under her leadership, the city has once again prospered as a center of magical learning, drawing scholars from throughout the Planes to its Great Library, Magic School and University.

Relic hunters and adventurers have come as well, hoping to find the secrets of the city's immense magical power. Built by dwarves out of solid adamantine, the city floats above the Ruined Empire, casting a great shadow as it rotates around the lands below.

As long as the Dol Agath is unknown to the Castellar Empire, the people believe the city will be safe. To that end, entrance and exit from the city is strictly controlled.

Unfortunately, Dol Agath's rebirth is attracted more notice than residents had planned on...

Brishang and the South Coast

The south coast is one of the newer parts of the empire, and was only conquered some 300 years ago. It remains somewhat rough and like a frontier in some respects. Many nomadic tribes of horseman roam the plains inland near Kellowin and Great Gate.

Delhow and the North Coast

The north coast has long been plagued by Privateers and smugglers. The cities in this region pre-date the empire itself, and while their citizens are not Castellar, they are rumoured to have played an important role in the founding of the empire.

The Silver Forest

Homeland of the elves. Little is generally known about this region. It is whispered that the elves practice strange magics in their woods and groves. Small populations of Forest Gnomes also live among the elves in the Silver Forest.

Dwarven Homelands/Heartland Mountains

An area of ancient mountains and mines, when the Dwarves settled here they found many of the veins of minerals had been previously worked by mysterious miners.

The Three Rivers

At the confluence of three major arteries of water, this region is filled with marshes and bogs. The citizens here live a mostly peaceful existence of rice farming and trade. This is one of the more prosperous regions in the empire outside of the capital.

The Ashkani Desert

A harsh land filled with sand and wind. Only two settlements exist here. The first is Shinjeong, a large bustling city that thrives on the trade flowing through the desert and the diamond mines in the nearby mountains. The other settlement, the Oasis at Altamadre is little more than a garrison. However, a large number of caravans pass through the Altamadre Pass into the Oasis carrying exotic goods and spices from the mysterious M'Piir Desert beyond the Altamadre Mountains. The Ashkani Desert is home to many bands of nomadic tribesmen that are fiercely protective of their grazing lands and watering holes. The desert is also home to many species of dangerous animals and insects that prey on passing caravans.

The Western Barrier Range

These cities and areas are considered by the majority of Imperial citizens to represent the end of civilization in the Empire.

Wedurak and its surrounds is a quiet city that lives on the rich farmlands and mines that can be found nearby. Its people are friendly to strangers as they pass by, but are deeply suspicious of their neighbors, the nomads of the Ashkani.

Land's End on the other hand has a large population of Ashkani living in and passing through the city daily. The people here pride themselves on their craftsmen who are considered to be among the best in the Empire.