Notable Places:
The Rooja Desert is a desert land that stretches across the entire western section of Corde. Near the south is a large oasis surrounded by trees. The capital city of Dalvok rests in the northern section of the desert, next to a (still unnamed) river and the Apogaz Mountains. Dalvok is separated from the rolling hills to the east by the Lylomi Chasm. The Rooja Desert continues to the south and borders the plains where the Tahnatl Forest is located. There is another major city located in the southern peninsula. There are ancient ruins in the Rooja Desert, said to be from a former civilization. They are located close to the oasis, and were only recently discovered.
Dalvok is the largest city on the continent. The only way to enter the city is through its front gate, or through its sea ports in the north; however, there is a hidden gate to enter the city that only certain residents know of. Its main export is gold, coming from the Apogaz Mountains across the river. In fact, the people of the city wear gold colored clothing (or gold itself) most of the time. It is renowned for its fish stew, cactus juice drink, and smoothies. It is widely populated by Dragonborn. The city is run by a mysterious Wise One, and has been run by a Wise One since its founding. There is also a large temple dedicated to Bahamut. The flag of Dalvok is blue and gold, with Griffins on the left and the right. There is also a large golden statue of a griffin in the town’s center. There is a strong military presence, but it is mostly for show since the town hasn’t been attacked or invaded as long as history remembers. Every year the people of Dalvok celebrate a holiday dedicated to the Apogaz Mountains that provide them with gold and wealth. The number one rule of Dalvok: no stealing. Theft is punishable by death.
The Apogaz Mountains are located across the river from Dalvok. Within the mountain cluster is one extremely large mountain. Originally considered holy, the Apogaz Mountains have become a source of wealth. They are the major source of gold for Dalvok. The Dragonborn of Corde are said to have descended from these mountains.
The Lylomi Chasm is a giant fault chasm on the border of Rooja Desert, going along about 1/3 of the border of the desert, ending just north of the hills by the Tahnatl Forest. It separates Dalvok from the rolling hills. The chasm is seemingly bottomless. It was named for an ancient priestess who attempted to “heal the land” by repairing the fault. Dalvok has blocked any attempt to build bridges across the chasm.
The Tahnatl Forest is an “impenetrable” forest in the mid-south of the continent. It is said to have a large lake in its center. While it has not been proven whether anyone who entered the forest has returned, there are rumors. It’s possible there are Fae that inhabit the forest.
Directly north of the Tahnatl Forest are hills. There is an abandoned mine within these hills that no one is allowed to enter. The mine is rumored to be haunted.
The Plishpy River is a huge river that divides the continent in two. Legend has it that the river formed during the Great Cleave, when the volcano Ocan’Queb initially erupted to seal the lava flow. It forks in the south, forming the Shumpech Swamp in the middle. A major town lies on the north start of the river, and another major town lies each side of the fork (currently referred to as the “tri-town”).
The Shumpech Swamp is in the southern section of the continent. It is created by the split in the Plishpy River. One section of the “tri-town” is located within it.
Ocan’Queb is a large volcano in the Northeastern point of Corde. It is constantly erupting, filling a lake around it with lava. It has killed much of the former green life. There are several small nomadic tribes that reside in the badlands of the volcano. The tribes, although separate, function as one cohesive unit. Tiefling are said to inhabit this area.
The Moford Mountains are a huge range in the northeastern section of Corde. They separate the volcanous land with Ocan’queb Volcano and the Plains. Legend states that they were created when the land was split to protect the people from the volcano’s eruption.
South of the Moford Mountains are plains, with one major city in its center.
South of the plains lies a border, separating the plains from a tundra landscape. There is a magical property within the border, which is said to have created the tundra in the south and a warmer climate in the north. The tundra takes up the southeastern portion of the continent, with the Plishpy River at its western border.
Mount Akrcaam is the tallest mountain on Corde. It lies within the Tundra, with a major town at its base. No one has ever climbed to its peak.
To the north of the continent are two islands. One lies directly north from the Plishpy River and contains a single, large mountain. The island to its northwest contains a single hill. The hill is rumored to have magical properties.
Things of Note:
When creating the continent, we each picked one place to have magical properties. Cordelia picked the hill on the island north of the continent, Justice picked the lake in the middle of the Tahnatl Forest, and Miranda picked the Ocan’Queb Volcano. We also each picked one place to hold a mystery or dungeon. Cordelia created the ruins in the Rooja Desert, Justice created the abandoned mine in the hills, and Miranda created the border that separates the tundra and the plains.
You can see that the Rooja Desert and Dalvok are more thoroughly fleshed out than the rest of the map. There are a couple of reasons for this. For starters, this is where the adventure is beginning. Cordelia’s character hails from this area, so we wanted it to have more body than the rest of the world. Cordelia also had a major hand in creating the desert (she created most of it, except for the oasis). She did a project on Egypt in 1st grade and it really inspired her. She put a lot of Egyptian themes when creating the town and desert. She is really proud of her creation, so it made sense to give it the most attention. The rest of the world will be fleshed out as necessary.