WOrlD Of ArOkA

Eastern Echoes

Ruins of those that came before dot this land, punctuating the broken land with ghostly spires and mounds of rubble that seem to beckon the strange and forlorn. Bordered to the north by the volcanic Ashlands, the east by towering mountains, the barren Dustveil to the south, and the Burning Sea to the west, this is one of the few remnants of the fallen Ryan Empire that is habitable. Clustered forests and sparse grasslands sustain the creatures and peoples that call this land home, but it seems to feed on those living on just as much as they feed on it. Monstrous creatures haunt the night and the ghostly Echoes of the lost and forgotten wander amongst the bones of a world destroyed long ago.

There are three major factions that dominate this region. The Scyonic Imperium claims to be the heirs of a fallen empire, wielding their arcane prowess from beyond the Hallowed Crest to try and reclaim what was taken from them. The Fellowship protects the forests of the Wild West, striving for a greater unity that can withstand the dangers of the wilderness and the advances of the Imperium. The Ember Guard dwell within the ruins that still stand amidst the fiery Ashlands, guarding the secrets of iron and ember with which they have crafted wonders of glass, metal, and stone.

Though these three rule their respective domains of the Eastern Echoes, there is a fourth. While not a unified people, the Frostborn Scourge dominate plains of the Savage East with unchained brutality. These hulking beings are divided into countless clans and tribes, each warring for dominion over the land and its resources. Legends speak of a tribe that lives in the frozen mountains beyond the Savage East that can unite the Scourge under a single banner, but many believe this to be nothing more than a tale to frighten sense into anyone considering crossing the Dynisin River. Those with a mind for scholarship do not see much value in investigating this claim and hope that they never learn the truth of the matter.

With scarcity as the norm throughout most of the region, excluding the well-protected Hallowed Crest, civilization, or the closest approximate of it, is frequently on the brink of collapse. Especially in barren regions, such as the Dustveil, theft and violence are often required for survival. Only the clever and strong tend to last long beyond the walls of civilization. Even within, the law is often what you can get away with and the absconder is rarely pursued into the wilderness. The gods may have forgotten their people. The Echoes have not.