CURSE OF THE GHÛL LORD: REGIONAL SETTING PRIMER

THE MISTY BAY REGION

HISTORY

THE ROAD - The Misty Bay area is a largely trackless wilderness, except for The Road, a long, ancient, well-paved road that, even this far out, so far removed from civilisation and the days before Lumenorian/Strixian Empire fell, it isn’t in much disrepair. The whole of The Wilderness is a dangerous, wolf- and monster-haunted forestland that lies between two allied kingdoms. This portion of The Road that passes through the southern portion of The Misty Forest, is abused by bandits, monsters, and even some undead, restless spirits left over from ancient wars. The area is unusable in the early spring and most of the winter, but, when in use, it is heavily-traveled enough by merchants, caravans, traders, pilgrims, and the like. Good and ill alike use The Road.

THE MISTY BAY REGION - There are many tales about The Wilderness - also called Erämaa by the elves (after the petty god, Erä, The Vale Walker) - from its storied past, but, the one about the Misty Bay region and The Silent Monastery serves as a tragic chapter in that narrative.

100 YEARS AGO - A pair of mercenaries settle the Misty Bay area after wintering there with their retainers. They find it full of undead and monsters. In the spring they began planning. The Taryŵnish warrior of the group, Gŵron the Black, built a castle and village in the heavily-forested southern hills, and the Lumenorian priest, Othon, built a fortified monastery dedicated to his patron, The Lady of Light, just off The Road. They worked in tandem, protecting the Misty Bay from evil as a way to safeguard the area for travellers against the lingering undead presence from the days of the Age of Apocalypse.

89 YEARS AGO - After successfully scouring the area of most of its evil, another, more ancient one stirs. It springs up from the undercroft of Lord Black’s castle, the vengeful wraith of a Strix Lord lain dormant for millennia after being stopped by Erämi warriors near-500 years prior. It drains the warrior of his life and replaces his spirit with the ravening, vampiric power of the Strix Lord’s. Afterward, the corrupted hero began turning his retainers into servants of Strixa, goddess of evil and the undead. The light priests were barely able to contain the problem, but, in the end, Othon and his priests defeated Lord Black, sealing him into the undercroft of his own castle. After 25 years, the order eventually faded away after the last of the monks died. The priests were able to stop Lord Black, but, lesser undead and monsters still roamed free where the Strixa’s evil will still held sway, though only within the confines of the now aptly-named Dark Forest and Restless Hills, thanks to their efforts.

47 YEARS AGO - The Dawn Patrol, an order of established company of Lumenorian and Taryŵnish mercenaries-turned priests of light under direction from their founder, the Dawn Lord, Arrŵn, the Sword of Light, arrives in The Wilderness, but, they are a ragtag group of trackers and warriors ill-suited to cover the entirety of the area, so they welcome help, when it can be given, to aid them in patrolling and controlling threats. Their primary concern is The Road, so they may not care about other problems within The Wilderness, unless they directly threaten travellers. They operate out of Dawn Keep to the east on the shores of a shallow Mirror Lake there.

20 YEARS AGO - Another group of travellers, led by a disgraced Taryŵnish knight, fortune-hunters lured by tales of the ruined monastery, and hoping to find some wealth, found only death. The monastery, crumbling and forgotten, was beset by pests and bandits using the place as a staging area for their raids on The Road. During the liberation of the monastery, a few people were lost. Retainers, mostly, but, one of the older warriors, a Caliborian man, Kŵnan, fell. Disheartened by the loss of their leader, husband to the other veteran warrior in the group, the travellers decided to use what treasure they found to settle and rebuild the monastery into an inn and village, The Sleeping Knight. Othon’s body was removed from its resting place to make room for Kŵnan’s. Othon’s sarcophagus occupies the centre of the nave, which has become the inn's common room. The old bones were taken below to the catacombs and placed in a spot thought to be respectful enough. The statue of The Lady of Light from the temple was moved to the shrine at the centre of the village.

PRESENT - The old warriors who settled this inn are still here, working and providing sanctuary, for a cost, sometimes not, for trade or simply kindness because The Road is hard and the luckless are just as deserving as those with more of it. Some of the warriors, the retainers, turned to farming, some crafts the inn could use to help them operate with ease. This handful of retainers live on farms along The Road. Most of the others have wandered off to other places, or died of old age, sickness, or tragedy. What remains is a solid community of kind people capable of handling most things in the area. They see a variety of travellers, which has led to the next generations of innkeepers being well-rounded, diplomatic, and liberal of temperament. They can’t stop people from exploring the area, but, they are quick to warn of the dangers one might find, and may have heard rumours to share that might help those willing to brave the Misty Bay’s part of The Wilderness.

GEOGRAPHY

BUTCHER BAY - Butcher Bay is a dangerous place. The waters are calm enough, being protected by the land and the narrow spaces that contain them, but, the mist-shrouded granite cliffs bounding the bay to the east are home to large numbers of rock-dwelling butcher birds that prey upon the large salmon there, the murderous children of Apskalla, the Sea Witch, drawn by all the blood in the water left behind by the butcher birds, and any luckless, warm-blooded animals and travellers that happen into the area. 

CRACKCLAW PENINSULA - Named for the large, evil crab living in the soft mud of the marshy soil and sand of the peninsula’s beaches, namely the eponymous Crackclaw. Crackclaw is the dominant male, much larger, evil, and intelligent than others of his kind. They are servants of Karkus, the sea demon. The crab monster hunts the entire region and may be encountered anywhere, especially close to the coastal marshes. The lobsters are extremely territorial, which makes Crackclaw Peninsula a very dangerous place to be.

DARK FOREST - Home to the undead that roam the Restless Hills around Castle Black, as well as other unnatural evils, the Dark Forest is mysterious and deadly. A pall of evil rests over its gloomy sylvan halls, kept in place by the presence of the ancient evil trapped beneath the castle. A heavy mist common in the area, especially during morning hours, feels like a sickly fume than healthy precipitation. The forest, itself, is a protection against any comers who might interfere with the evil workings of the Master of the Castle.

MISTY BAY - Encompassing the entirety of the area’s water bodies, the Misty Bay’s two arms are Butcher Bay and Rainbow Bay. The area is heavily shrouded in mist most of the day, for months on end, in the fall and spring and winter, and some during the summer. The whole region is a cold-water temperate zone, so the mists appear in cloud form clinging to the hills and cliff faces when warm air from the south rushes in and meets the cool waters of the bay. The mists cling to the forests where it’s shadowy and cool most of the day. 

THE MISTY FOREST - A large deciduous and pine forest The Road runs through for hundreds of miles. The hilly lower portion ending at the Misty Bay is the only place where The Road exits the forest for miles east and west. The forest is known for its near-perpetual mist that clings to the ground that turns to thick fog during the fall, winter, and spring. Wolves haunt the wood, and so do other things best left to the imagination, but, those live in the deep wood, where old magic and old dead kingdoms linger in vine-choked ruin and mystery. The Road skirts the interior edge where the forest offers protection from the sun and rain. Bandits can be an issue, but, a local group of warriors, called The Dawn Patrol, patrol the entirety of The Road that passes through the Misty Forest in the name of The Lady of Light. They take it upon themselves to make sure the area remains secure for all travellers.

THE MISTY HILLS - Like most of the region, The Misty Hills are glittering granite near-perpetually-cloaked in fog. The tree cover, where it occurs, is mostly deciduous, but, pines are common, as well as firs and poplars. Willow grows in the valleys and droop low over the rivers and streams. Monsters dwell there, like the occasional dragon, but, more often, it’s the batlike butcher birds that prey on flesh and blood, and roving bands of humanoid monsters and undead that threaten farmers and explorers alike. 

THE MISTY PLAIN - Near-wetland, The Misty Plain is a wide stretch of misty, open land and tall grass that houses a large variety of wildlife and dangerous monsters, namely a few swift, small and snake-like winged dragons lairing in the rocky outcroppings that dot the plain. They are dangerous, and hungry, feeding on the wild deer and occasional monster or hapless traveler. There are only 3, hateful siblings who settled the region to feed as a group to better their chances of survival. They are territorial and avaricious, often collecting gold and jewels and other shiny objects to decorate themselves and their lairs. Sometimes, they bicker and fight over territory and treasure, but, they are smart enough to keep this to a minimum, and often support one another against threats. They are, in the end, loyal to one another and do not make many stupid mistakes.

RAINBOW BAY - The Rainbow Bay is a plentiful fishing opportunity, but, few venture there. For as lucrative as it is, the shimmering waters, when they can be seen through the mist, hide large evil crabs that lurk near the banks that would gladly trade a salmon for a larger meal. The Bay gets its name from the salmon that begin their northern trek up The River to their original spawning grounds. When in large shoals, the fish create a scintillating effect just below the surface of the water. The mists also create rainbows across the water’s surface when the sun begins burning it off.

RESTLESS HILLS - Evergreen-choked, limestone hills home to the restless dead left there after The Age of Apocalypse. Less common are the goblins, bandits, and cultists living in the caves and shadowed rocky outcroppings outside Castle Black who use the old path to attack caravans and travellers to support their efforts liberating their master from the spell of light binding him beneath the castle.

THE OLD PATH - A near-overgrown cart track once used by the inhabitants of Castle Black to take them to The Road. It meanders into The Dark Forest where few dare to tread and none have successfully returned. Goblins and evil men use it to raid The Road for supplies to support their efforts.

THE ROAD - Left over from The Age of Empire, The Road now serves merchants, pilgrims, outlaws, traders, diplomatic envoys, and farmers. This portion of the cobbled, lightly overgrown and damaged path passes through The Wilderness between two lands once linked by forced alliance through The Lumenorian and Strixian Empires. Now, the two kingdoms only share in trade and light talks concerning peace. They were both used during the Days of Empire, and neither is looking for a fight. They trade out of tired resignation and a desire for peace. After the Apocalypse, neither wants to cause trouble for the other. Much shame remains from those days over what transpired, and The Road offers a neutral place to meet and travel without contention. Any disputes that happen within The Wilderness, between anyone, are left there, as agreed upon by both kingdoms, so as not to upset the peace between them. Thus, The Road can be a dangerous place for reasons other than bandits and monsters.

SILVER HILLS - The Silver Hills are home to silver veins that were once mined by The Lumenorian and Strixian Empires, but, when the latter fell, the mines were abandoned and left to be claimed by the elements, animals, bandits, and roving monsters. No one goes there, but, mouldering ruins and abandoned mines dot the landscape.

WILD WOODS - The Misty Forest is an ancient, massive, dark forest, but, the Wild Woods are darker, and older, and smaller. They are home to the fair-skinned, shamanic hill-dwelling people living under its branches. They do not entreat visitors with much kindness, especially after the events of the War when The Strixian Empire attempted to claim the woods for their own. Feathered shafts and gryphon talons greet any who wander there. The gryphons do not stray far into the Misty Bay region, but, do hunt the The Misty Plain, despite the serpents, and might dare The Misty Hills for the ponies roaming there. Since travellers of the area know the gryphons prefer horse-flesh, and visiting any area without a horse isn’t advised, they know the plain and hills are bad places to travel. Good game has lured a few into the Wild Wood, but, none have returned from such excursions. The elves prefer to be left alone, but, they may choose to wander outside of the Wild Woods for the right reason(s).