The Lang Empire: Established by the renowned Lord General Lang Dragonhand at the end of the Scourge War, this nascent empire comprises mostly humans but also a fair number of halflings and dwarves as well. Lang Dragonhand I is a viewed as a benevolent emperor, but he is also shrouded in mystery. Some speak of his draconic heritage, while others say his name comes from the claw seized off a dragon he defeated in the final battle of the War and had grafted upon himself to replace the limb the beast took from him. Others say both his hands are perfectly normal, human appendages. The truth probably lies somewhere in between, and with the legions of courtiers who may, in actuality, run the Empire.
The Verge Dominion: A loose association of fey, elves and outsiders who distrust the younger races and have distanced themselves from them since the advent of the Scourge War. The Verge claims dominion over all lands “off the beaten path of mortals,” meaning the deep wilderness as well as that spot just over the hedge bounding your childhood home. Its capital, if it can be said to have one, is Feymark and another notable site is Shimmerglen.
The Cloister: This denotes both an organization and its place of power, the location of which is one of the only secrets to survive the Scourge War. It is here that most druids, rangers and the least aloof of the elves fled when the War began. It is even home to a few bards and loremasters, who sought to salvage what they could of their respective cultures before it was consumed by the War. They say a sample of all the flora to ever touch the earth has been preserved here.
Eidolore: A realm of high magic and supernatural creatures, this city-state is ruled by a council of wizards representing the various schools and disciplines of arcana. It is not a pleasant place to be, especially for a peasant, but it is known for its vast resources of unspoiled arcane knowledge from before the Scourge War. Visitors beware: Ghosts walk the streets at night, and act like they own the place – because they do.
Port Skar: A city claiming to be ruled by merchant princes (who are actually pirates), this coastal fortress is awash in scum and villainy of all sorts – perfect for adventurers! With all the anarchy following the Scourge War, Port Skar started billing itself as “one of the safest places to live” – and they’re not half wrong.
The Norrock Expanse: Small dinosaurs and their halfling riders inhabit this valley, at the center of which lies a haunted citadel holding secrets from a bygone age. Nearby is a huge monument known as the Stone Dragon, and a tribe of gnomes who lives there charges only a modest fee to produce a crude photographic image of visitors with the strange idol. Thri-kreen nomads inhabit the spaces between all else.
Stormloch: This vast lake is home to the fishing village Pale Abyss, a sahuagin settlement, a mighty castle known as Darfang Keep and a Bardic College.
The Mountains of Mabadon conceal a monastery ruled by a refugee Githzerai.
The Barrowmoor: Also known as the Swamps of the Fallen. The Houndflow River lies nearby.
The Cauldron Sea: A vast inland sea
The Dragwood: