Background Notes: Climate, The Stone Axe Inn, Threats, Ancient Empires

Campaign Climate & Terrain

Players’ Map of the Wilderlands: http://necromancergames.com/judgesguild/misc/jg_pmap.jpg

The immediate area is humid and sub-tropical, resembling somewhat low-latitude South America.  The equator runs north of the starting campaign area; in a line west to east through the Underwing Jungle, Grindwell, Gulf of Pinnacles, just north of the Eyestones Jungle, to just south of the Starlight River.  The Carnelian Plains are a savanna; hot and wet in the rainy season, warm and arid in dry season.  The land rises to the east; the Lagoldurna jungle rain forest is warm and humid year round, while the central mountain belt is sunny and temperate, cool on the high peaks.  

Southern Hemisphere Savanna Climate – adapted from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_climate_page.htm

There is a distinct dry season, which is in the ‘winter’, the 6 months M5-M10. Savannas get all their rain in the ‘summer’ months (M11-M4). During the distinct dry season of a savanna, most of the plants shrivel up and die. Some rivers and streams dry up. Most of the animals migrate to find food.  In the wet season all of the plants are lush and the rivers flow freely. The animals migrate back to graze. In the Carnelian Plains area the rainy season runs the 6 months M11-M4. 

It is usually cooler during the dry season by a few degrees. Because it is in the tropical latitudes, that is still hot enough. The savanna climate has a temperature range of 68° to 86° F (20° - 30° C). In the winter/dry season, it is usually about 68° to 78° F (20° - 25° C). In the summer/wet season the temperature ranges from 78° to 86° F (25° - 30° C). In a Savanna the temperature does not change a lot. When it does, it is very gradual and not drastic.  There is an annual precipitation of 20 to 30 inches of rain. In the 3 months M6-M8 hardly any rain falls at all.

More broadly, the  Wilderlands is an Ice-Age world.  The Great Glacier lies to the north of Valon, the frozen Ament Tundra with its mammoth-riding Amazons rises in the far south-west, and the equatorial rain forest cover is scattered and limited.  The world is much drier than our own. There are no vast tropical rain forests as we presently see on Earth, just scattered patches.  The fallen 'Demon Empires'  in the far south, beyond Ghinor, are a howling frozen Chaos wasteland.

THE STONE AXE INN (Barbarian Altanis hex 2023)

Located at the intersection of the trade roads south to the horse-farming town of Bisgen, north-west to Colisth on the Blazing Stream, famous for its silks, and north-east to the highland Halfling township of Bisituni with its potatos and llamas, the Stone Axe Inn is a prosperous and thriving establishment.  However recently the roads have been troubled by bandit raids from Shadar’s Den (hex 2022); Parre of Bisgen is offering 1,000gp for Shadar’s head.  However his men are known to frequent the Inn, looking for likely targets, and spending freely of their ill-gotten gains.  Shady fences frequent the Inn, looking to do business in these stolen goods, or carry ransom notes to relatives of those kidnapped.   Open trade in slaves is conducted at Shadar’s Den itself, but sometimes recently enslaved captives are brought here by bandits in capture-hoods to avoid identification, and quietly sold to slavers round the back.  The Inn is also a place where bands of adventurers gather to listen for rumours of adventure, mercenaries seek out employment, Altanian nomads come to carouse with the serving-girls, and assorted low-lifes try their luck.

The proprietor is Hagar Gudmunson, a grizzled and battle-scarred Skandik.  Once a warrior huscarl of Ossary far to the north-east, he fled after killing one of King Alkazed’s henchmen in a drunken brawl.  Years of adventuring across Altanis brought him quite a fortune, which he has invested in rebuilding and refurbishing what had once, long ago, been an ancient Nerathi imperial way-station, but had long been gutted and ruined, until it is now once again a favoured rest-stop of merchants and travellers.   Rumours persist however that the dark and crumbling halls beneath the Inn, some dating back to the Turathi Empire of Glorious Doomfire, continue to hide sinister secrets...

Threats Further Afield

To the south beyond Bisgen, the Orc-ruled Wastelands are an expanding threat, as more and more Altanian villages fall beneath the cruel yoke of  their inhuman masters. 

Far to the north, beyond the Carnelian Plains and the Lagoldurna Jungle, is the Gate-Castle of the Black Sun, where it’s said the High Priest Morthor Coff schemes in the name of ancient Nerath to unleash alien abominations upon the world.

Sigil of The Black Sun

Ancient Empires of Altanis - Boundaries

Empire of Nerath (ca 3700-4197 BCCC): Founded by exiled Alryan nobles from the City State of the Invincible Overlord.  Northern boundary at the River Greyrush & Lake of Temple Deeps, extending south over the Ghinarian hills and northern Arkhosia.

Bael Turathi ‘Empire of Glorious Doomfire’ (ca 1500-2500 BCCC)– founded by Ghinoran colonists who interbred with the indigenous Altani, eventually carving out a powerful sorcerous state from the decaying empire of Kelnore.  Interbred with demons to create the Demonbrood/Tieflings. Battleplain Gwalion in the NW, Plain of Cairns and Sea Rune in the NE.  South to the Ghinarian Hills and the dismal swamps SW of the Castellan Mountains.  Destroyed in war with Arkhosia by the backlash from the Rain of Colourless Fire which annihilated Bael Turath, then by subsequent Altanian slave uprising.

Dragonborn Empire of Arkhosia (ca 1000-2500 BCCC) – Founded by the Dragonborn, a race created as slave warriors by the Orichalan Dragon Lords.  From the southern borders of the Doomfire Empire, south across Oricha and Isle of the Blest, with outpost colonies in Ghinor beyond the southern sea.  Capital Arkhosia in northern Isle of the Blest and other cities along the Straits of Oricha were destroyed by the Turathi Doomfire, eliminating Arkhosia in a single blow.

Empire of Kelnore (ca 500-1500 BCCC) – Founded by Northmen who copied and adapted Ghinoran culture.  Extent as described in WoHF, across all Altanis and far to the NE.


Ghinoran Successor States - arose in the aftermath of the destruction of the Orichalan Dragon Lords.  Ghninoran city-states spread across Ghinor, Oricha, and the Ghinarian Hills, with outposts far to the north and west. 

Empire of the Orichalan Dragon Lords (?) – The only major power to survive the War of the Pious and Philosophers which destroyed the power of science across the Wilderlands.  The Dragon Lords were humanoid entitities who bound the power of the mighty Dragon Kings to their will.  At its height, the empire extended across all Pazidan, the Antillian Peninsula, and beyond, far into Ghinor to the south, and north across the Winedark Sea.  Following a disastrous century-long war with the Demon Empires of the far south, Orichala was destroyed by a combined slave uprising of the Altani tribes under Bondorr (now god of swords), the Dragonborn slave warriors, and to the south the proto-Ghinorans under Prince Ghinor.


Altan Federation(?) - This almost unknown technological and peaceful culture predated the rise of the Dragon Lords, and was destroyed by them before and during the War of the Pious and the Philosophers. Originators of the Warforged.  There are indications that the Altan in their desperation may have allied with the alien Markab.