A Milieurth Gazetteer

Lands of the Ffolk

Despite being the specific kingdom ruled by the Mist Queen, the name "Avalon" is often used to refer to the confederation of Ffolk kingdoms as a whole.  

Alba

As the Dragon Empire expanded southward, the ancient clans of Alba sought to protect themselves by aligning with the Draconic Marsh King, knowing that the Dragon Kings would not dare move against such a trusted servant of the Dragon. To seal the agreement, the leaders of the 12 clans promised their eldest daughters in marriage to the dukes of the 12 hidden cities of the Marsh King's realm. The alliance protect Alba from invasion, but in later generations the demonborn descendants of these couplings returned to Alba to lay claim to their ancestral lands and titles. Despite strange ideas and customs learned in the Marsh Kingdoms, these returning sons and daughters of Alba lived peacefully among the Alb, respected the traditions of the clans, and were eventually accepted as kin. As a result, Demonborn and Firbolgs are heavily represented among the population of Alba.   Although the rulers of Alba swear allegiance to the Mist Queen, their long association with the Marsh King leads to frequent speculation about their true allegiances, with some suggesting that Alba only served in the Mist Queen's war at the direction of the Marsh King, who did not want the Dragon Kings at his doorstep. Despite this stigma, the Alb have served the crown faithfully since they threw their lot in with her during the wars.  

Avalon

Avalon is the homeland of the Mist Queen and now serves as the seat of her descendants' power. The capitol city of Tanis Mywyd is the Ffolk's largest settlement and the heart of commerce, learning, and culture. In addition to the royal court, Bard's Hall, and the headquarters of the Knights of Oberon, Avalon is the location of the Faestones of Oberon, where the High King of the Fairies himself holds court and confers with the Queen.  

Calidon

Calidon was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting during the The Mist Queen's War and its ruling Clan, the McLeods, were completely destroyed by the Dragon Armies. After the war, the Mist Queen appointed a regent to oversee Calidon until an omen told the druids which clan should step in to rule the kingdom. In the ensuing centuries, no omen has appeared. Castle McLeod remains in ruins and the people of Calidon have suffered under a long line of short-term regents who rarely arrived with the best interest of the people high in their thoughts. Calidon is called "The Kingdom of Ghost" and in some cases the appellation is literally accurate.  

Camlann

This region was once the center of power in the Dragon Empire, but with its major cities destroyed in the magical event that crated the Draxtrone Bog and its population killed or driven north, it's now a sparsely-populated territory on the edge of the Mist Queen's realm. The territory is technically part of Calidon, which some see as a reward for the Calidonian's bravery and sacrifices during the war. Others believe that awarding the territory to Calidon, combined with the failure of the druids to appoint a new ruling clan for that kingdom, is simply a way of keeping more of the realm under her direct control. In either case, the result is that the Yarls of Camlann have acted as monarch in all but name ever since Tyr Cogadh was settled by the Ffolk. This has led to a long-time movement to pressure the High Queen to either designate Camlann as an independent kingdom or to name Clan Nimue the rulers of Calidon.  

Comgaill

Although it was once the bread basket of the Dragon Empire, the people of Comgaill remained defiant for the duration of imperial occupation, staging frequent uprisings and preserving traditional ways off life even when they were forbidden by the Dragon Kings. When news of the Mist Queen's victories first reached the kingdom, the people of Comgaill were the first to mount independent revolts against the Dragon Armies. While Comgaill is still a mostly rural kingdom of simple farmers, frequent skirmishes with the Marsh King's subjects has kept their proud warrior traditions alive and relevant.  

Emania

The rocky soil of the Emanian peninsula is bad for growing but good for grazing, and during the early days of the Dragon Kings the region was sparsely populated by a few clans of shepherds and cattlemen. Once the Dragon Armies defeated the hopelessly outnumbered resistance, Emania became a common destination for imperial colonists who established several large settlements and soon outnumbered the natives. Many of the settlers came to Emania specifically to put some distance between themselves and the policies and laws of the Dragon Empire, so when the Mist Queen's armies moved in to liberate the kingdom, the imperial subjects did not resist. Today, the majority of Emanians are of Draks heritage and many Draconic traditions are still practiced, but the people there have adapted to the ways of the Ffolk in most consequential respects.  

Gwynnad

Gwynnad is a land shrouded in mystery and wonder, mainly due to a combination of the difficulty in traveling there, its proximity to the Savage Lands, and its mystical significance as the seat of druidic power. The forest that covers a third of the kingdom's main island is said to be the home of a circle of Faestones that allow the druids direct access to all the wisdom and power of the Faewilde.  

Tyr Ivers

Tyr Ivers is a city second in size only to Tanis Mywyd and is an important trading hub for the Ffolk. Unlike most settlements in the realm, Tyr Ivers is a free city with no obligations to any King or Queen except the Queen of Mists. Although its ruler is called Yarl and has most of the benefits and responsibilities of the title, the office is not held by a single clan or lineage. Instead, the Yarl of Tyr Ivers is elected by the population to serve a 7-year term of office. While many in the court find this lack of continuity troubling, it's generally conceded that any attempt to place the city under the control of a monarch would invite rebellion.  

The Savage Lands

The Savage Lands are a harsh and brutal wasteland where the Draks who fought back against the Mist Queen's armies were driven into exile. Some established their own cities and kingdoms there and still follow the ways of the Dragon Kings, while others integrated with the barbarian tribes native to the area. Every few decades, some new warlord arises and gathers an army in hopes of restoring Draks rule to the land, but so far the forces of Avalon have successfully driven back every attempted invasion.  

The Blood Queen's Citadel

The Blood Queen is a Draks warlord whose risen to power over the last decade. Many of the Ffolk fear that she is gathering power to mount an invasion. The town that's grown up around her citadel to support and profit from her growing army is said to be a savage and decadent place that caters to every vice and is the site of savage gladiatorial contests.  

The Sorrowful Shore

Ships traveling along the western side of the island must always take care not to venture too far from shore lest they get caught up in the strong current of north wind that carries any ship it catches toward the rocky shallows of this bleak harbor. Aside from a ruined Draks stronghold, this land contains only shipwrecks and the barbaric tribes who survive largely by looting the wreckage and, according to some accounts, eating the survivors.  

Other Places of Interest

Gorre

Gorre is an isolated kingdom that once laid claim to the entire North but neither submitted to the Dragon Empire nor joined forces with the Mist Queen during the war. Gorre is said to be a wild land full of dangerous creatures and strange places. The people of Gorre are said to practice many strange customs and traditions that range from mildly odd to deeply disturbing.  

The Realm of the Marsh King

This vast swamp is ruled over by a creature from the Draconic realm known as the Marsh King and is said to be the home of 12 large cities that only the Marsh Folk know how to enter.  

The Wailing Waste

This wasteland was once part of Avalon and was the site of some of the Mist Queen's earliest victories. As the rebel forces fought their way into the Duke's stronghold, he placed a dying curse on the land that reduced the cropland to a rocky waste, blighted half the forest, and cursed all who died there to haunt the land for all eternity. Today, the Wailing Waste is a dangerous region as dead as its inhabitants, who hunger for human flesh and thankfully can only venture outside of their cursed homeland once a year.  

The Winter Kingdom

Hundreds of years before the coming of the dragon kings, the ruler of this small island angered a sea witch, causing her to curse the island with eternal winter. Unable to grow crops or feed their herds, the people of the island sailed for the mainland, but before the reached the shore many of their number turned to ice and began to melt away. This cause most of the ships to turn back toward the island, but a few continued onward to the mainland. In the coming years, many of those who had fled the island would turn to ice and melt away without any warning, while other survived to old age and died of natural causes. Eventually scholars and wizards managed to work out that those most closely related to the king turned to ice more quickly than distant relatives upon leaving the island, while those with no royal blood in the their veins were unaffected by the curse. While the Winter Kingdom has adapted to the island's harsh conditions, they are still unable to remain self-sufficient and must rely on trade for many necessities. Since most of the islanders not descended from the king left long ago, this trade is conducted by distant relatives of the royal family who can survive for up to a year before having to return to the island.