Dimitryi/CrownOfSunRegion

The Crown of Sun Region

The Crown of the Sun is an open region of land southeast of the city of Nexus, its borders determined by four rivers: the Yellow River on the north, the Grey River on the west, the Maruto River on the northeast, and the Sandy River on the southeast. Though these are the recognized boundaries, the Crown of Sun typically also includes lands beyond those rivers, such as the Republic of Chaya and the River's Reach City-states. The entire area is roughly 1500 miles by 1500 miles, with an area of 2.25 million square miles (editor's note: nearly the size of Australia).

The most notable geographical feature of the region is what lends it its name: the Crown of Sun. It is a large plateau that makes up well over half of the region, covered in warm, savannah grasslands. The northern and eastern sides of the plateau rise steeply in dry cliffs and mountains, and both the Rolling River and the Falling River find their sources here. The southern and western sides of the plateau flatten out gradually in rolling hills. Beyond the plateau on the north are lowland savannahs that run into green riverside farmlands. The lowland savannahs are home to the Hill Tribes, and also to the Walker-in-Darkness' shadowland. The fertile riverside lands are home to great cities such as Nexus and Great Forks. Beyond the plateau to the south, the land becomes thick with jungle foliage. The area south of the Crown of the Sun is wild and untamed, and home to Lunar Exalted, Wyld tribes and Fair Folk.

Regional Maps

• Crown of Sun regional map, displaying the cities and powers of the region.

Nations of the Crown

• The Varsini Protectorate, a contentious nation expanding its borders through force and subtlety, and internally dominated by a network of power struggles and intrigues between the Guild, the Realm, and Outcaste Dragon-blooded.

• The Emerald Kingdom of Crocodiles, on the edge of the jungle and the banks of a river, the Emerald Kingdom prospers because of ancient negotiations with fickle spirits.

• The Kingdom of Ah'jah, proud feather-crested warriors and elephant cavalry defend this kingdom of united tribes from the Wyld barbarians to the south, many of them servants of Ma-Ha-Suchi.

• The Republic of Chaya, calm and friendly, this quiet democracy is annually intoxicated into wild behavior by its strange local foliage.

• City-states of River's Reach, shaped by centuries of barbarian raids, Fair Folk incursions, and aggressive nearby neighbors, these city-states have banded together for mutual defense and have become a hub for mercenary companies.

• The Mandate of Ardent Shade, an ancient nation of cliff-dwellers that predates the Great Contagion, its people owe its survival and growing power to the Deathlord Ardent Shade Eternal of the Shrouded Sun.

• Walker's Realm, stark and empty plains, ruled over by the Deathlord Walker-in-Darkness, its corruption slowly spreading ever further.

• Independant City-States, from the massive free city of Nexus to the Fair Folk hunters of Shieldwall to the scavenger kings of Melekin, independantly-minded cities dot the Crown of the Sun and spread their influence far and wide.

Remnants of the First Age

• Denandsor, the Empty City, cursed to fill all those who visit it with such dread that they flee from the city at the first chance.

• Mired Tiaku, a sunken First-Age ruin whose surface ruins have long been picked clean, but what remains in the the buildings which have sunken beneath the swamp?

The Wyld, the Fair, and the Little Gods

• Arczeckhi Horde, jungle beastmen who once carved a vicious path into the Crown of Sun, and may yet be re-organizing to try again.

• The Karala, savage animal tamers who ride mammoth beasts into battle with their neighbors and hang their victims' bones from the harnesses of their mounts.

• People of the Horse, numerous and disparate savannah horse-tribes, who are only united in preserving the freedom of their ways in the center of the Crown of Sun.

• Hill Tribes, primitive remnants of the original inhabitants of the River Province, who worship a panoply of animalistic totem spirits.

• Riverfolk, nomadic wanderers who ply the rivers on rafts or follow in the wake of Guild Caravans. Entertainers, diviners, thieves, and spirit mediums, they are both desired and feared.

Comments

Any comments or input, feel free to post 'em here! -Dimitryi

This is good! Are you going to do any more work on this? Also, is it okay if other people flesh out some of your ideas? -- JesseLowe

Say, where is the map for this area posted now? The link above seems to be dead. -- Oakthorne

Sorry, the map must have vanished when I was rearranging some of my web storage. I'll put it back up soon, and there will be a revision of some of this material. I've had some new ideas lately. I'll be fine with other people adding in details, but I'd recommend waiting until I get some of the new stuff in. -Dimitryi

I'm probably going to be doing a variation on the River's Reach City States and Shieldwall, since my players are headed that way and the cities have been on the campaign map since the beginning. It'll be at JesseLowe/RiversReach. Care to drop any hints about your vision of it? -- JesseLowe