Southern Wildlands

The Southern Wildlands is a region located in the southern-most reaches of the continent of Pyalea. It is defined and divided from the rest of the continent by the Sapphire Desert and a pair of mountains ranges known as the Candide and Sabine Mountains.

Due to its inaccessibility, the region has historically been largely ignored by the more prominent societies and factions that have populated the northern regions of Pyalea. Independant settlements and ventures began to prosper there in the decades prior to the plight of many amidst the Karratesian Invasion of 2944 PL, but it was the eruption of Mount Firebrand in 2947 PL that redefined the region, leaving only The City in its wake.

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Geography

The Southern Wildlands are unfettered wild lands of a largely undeveloped, natural world, for the most part undocumented in its present day form.

History

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Notable Locations

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Inhabitants

Beyond The City, the region's population is only comprised of a sprawling collection of small, highly varied, and insular/self-contained societies, predominantly sustained by nature and/or agriculture. There is some low level of trade and interaction between closer societies, but they are otherwise distinct and self-governing, and comprised of a diverse range of different species, many of which are not found in other regions of the continent.

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Concepts

The original concept summaries proposed in creation of the campaign setting. May no longer be accurate.

Magic: Predominantly rooted in nature, magic has a strong presence and influence. Practiced by many to a small-degree, and welded by the wise and experienced to greater effect, but still rather limited. Each society may have a different relationship with magic, but many would have an influential figure that utilises it in some fashion. A seer, druid, greenman, wiseman, wizard, scholar, etc.

War: With such disparate and self-contained societies, there may well be differences of opinion or border/claim disputes, but all-out warfare is uncommon, and the relatively small size of each community would render such a pursuit devastating. The nature of The Wilds has been sufficient for some time in deterring major expansion or invasion from outside the region.

Technology: Predominantly low technology, agricultural societies. There is room within the high variation of communities for some to be more technologically advanced or reliant, perhaps only in small ways, or ways that still rely on nature (e.g. utilising natural chemical processes, water power, minor steam power, etc.). There are perhaps remnants of an older, larger, more advanced civilisation present in the world, with evidence (or even instruments) of war. Some communities may hold a particular interest in these remnants, and attempt to understand or even utilise in some way.

Political Intrigue: Minor disputes between communities, or the objectives of small factions within a community/nearby communities, present options for political movements and intrigue, but on a relatively small scale.

Religion: Likely heavily focused on natural spirits, or deities of the land, animal spirits, etc. Different communities will have different perspectives and interpretations, some clearly of the same concept, others will have formed entirely different manifestations of faith and/or belief.

Deities: A variety of divine forms; spirits of land and nature, people of different faiths, divine beings, etc. The gods or spirits may be eager to see whatever event has transpired resolved, and/or fear it. They may also be responsible for it in some way - such as intervention, conflict, death, or corruption.

Nature: Wild, varied, and untamed swaths of nature in all its forms, mundane and extraordinary, miraculous and dangerous.

Resurrection: Who knows? Anything could be possible out there, with strange creatures, magics, and divinity abound. The Unnamed Order likely has some stories involving resurrection, or rumours that such a thing is within the grasp at the pinnacle of their order.

Undeath: With the wide variety of strange creatures, magics, and even divinity abound within The Wild, undeath or something similar would certainly not be out of the question.

Commerce & Trade: In such small, agrarian, and insular communities, trade is predominantly conducted on the barter system rather than through currency. This would enable capable parties to trade their unique services or even generated good will for goods and services that might otherwise be prohibitively expensive.

Firearms: Likely not existent for most societies, but perhaps remnants of firearms from some previous civilisation or era remain. Some more nature-based or magic-driven equivalents may exist, but only in a very limited form.