Northern Blacklands

Woodsgate

The gateway to the blacklands, Woodsgate is the largest town in the area.

The Eorl of the Blacklands, Hamstrel Stourley lives in Woodsgate in a fortified inn, the Stourley Arms. His retinue includes his personal advisor Toleneous Stone, his son, and a number of chosen militia (including the Longsor Devotee Matthew Oak )

After quests were completed in the names of the Seven Gods, Woodsgate has been given Divine protection. The area bounded by the town wall is inpenetrable to ALL undead. The protection this offers has caused a large migration of people into the town
In the centre of town a shrine to the Seven Gods of light is maintained by the Eorl.
Mercinaries and scouts are acommodated and trained in the militia barracks, run by Forestor James Asheart.
The new Guild House stands outside the town wall, and contains limited facilities and stocks of equipment for the other guilds.
 

Mercia Road

The only way in and out of the Blacklands, this road runs between Woodsgate and Mercia.
A caravan travels to Woodsgate in the third week of each month, bringing supplies and adventurers to the area. It returns to Mercia three days later. The caravan is the only sensible way to travel to or from the area. Even this has become more dangerous, with attacks by the Trisp becoming more common every month.
It is extemely dangerous to leave the road, because as well as the danger from foulspawn there are also invisible portals to the Lands Beyond Dawn.
 

Briarton

This small village had managed to survive in the depth of the Blacklands for many years thanks to a well organised guarding system. During 996 however the village was finally evacuated due to increased raids by the Trisp and the severe undead problem. A few people remained in the village, refusing to leave their homes.
Briarton was retaken in 999

Dark Wood

Also known as the Lost Wood, this is the home of the Dark Elves. Due to some form of magical protection, humans are unable to navigate within the wood. Those who have entered have reported strange creatures and effects.
A group of adventurers were recently hired by the dark elves for a mission within the Wood, but since their return none of them would speak of their experiences.

Forbidden Wood

This is the forested area between the Seal and Dark Wood. Full of traps and undead it had not been entered for many years. As part of the peace treaty with the Dark Elves, Eorl Stourley agreed to clear the wood and allow it to be considered part of Dark Wood.
This clearance has been completed, and the land is now considered elven territory.

Orc Village

A very large encampment near to the Seal, inhabited by a large tribe of foulspawn, the Seven Clans. To enter uninvited is foolish in the extreme, usually fatal.

The Seal

Also known as the Trading Post, this is a large lead coloured disk, laying on the ground. The boundary runs through the centre of it. Runes engraved into the surface say that the boundary can only be removed by placing a number of pieces of a key on it. For many years this has been used as a point of exchange between those "inside" and "outside" the boundary, although those inside are seldom seen. When trading is not scheduled undead appear to congregate at this point.

The Boundary

A magical boundary, visable only to those trained in the ways of soulfire. It only allows living beings to pass through in one direction, although undead appear to be able to pass both ways. Annajue Le Fan, a Vleyborian priestess, voluntarily crossed the boundary in order to heal a wounded comrade. Her friend Kassandra followed a few months later in a rescue attempt. Neither have been seen since. Guildmaster physician Bran died within the boundary and was pulled through and resurrected by the White Council. After being expelled from the Guild of mages and attempting to kill the Witchfinder, Martyn Jenkins fled through the boundary to avoid punishment. He can occasionally be seen at the edge of the Boundary hurling abuse or spells at adventurers.

Longstorian Shrine

The local shrine to Longstor still stands, despite many attempts by heretics to damage it. It is run and maintained by creatures of the Seven Clans, and is known to have been defended by a leprechaun and a wolf man.

Vleyborian Shrine

Although this shrine is located by the roadside, often left unguarded, it has never been damged or defaced. This is probably due to the respect for the goddess built up by the White Council.

Dead Wood

A very dense wood separating the Northern and Eastern Blacklands. It gained its name from the large number of undead that used to prevent passage. A path was cleared through the wood in 994 by a group of adventurers, and had been kept open by the Lord High Necromancer. Since his rejection of the arts of necromancy the area has again become impassable, cutting off the Eastern Blacklands from civilisation.

Mountains

The Mountains to the West of the Blacklands are unexplored and considered impassable. It is rumoured that the old road that runs to them used to lead to Sortho.


Eastern Blacklands

This area has been ruled by necromancers for longer than living memory. When the area was rediscovered by an adventuring party six years ago, the "Lord High Necromancer" of the time, Jocelyn Staffort, agreed to hand over control of the lands to Eorl Stourley. In return for this he was made a Baron, and given stewardship of the lands.

Manual labour in the Eastern lands has traditionally been performed by "Silent Workers", allowing the living to persue a relaxed, leisurely life.

Crime was virtually non-existant before the opening of the area, as a combination of Truthtell / Strikedown made a very good deterrant.

The current situation there is unknown, as the route in via Dead Wood was cut off by large numbers of undead.

Luckton

The southernmost village in the Blacklands, Luckton contains the remains of an old Traldan church. A party visiting here, and trying to proceed through the woods to the south, reported meeting a strange Traldan and a powerful Sidhean/Crowan warrior.

East Fort

Ancestral home of the Necromancers who ruled the Eastern lands, the black tower here can be seen from miles around.