Eridor

• The Crescent Shores
• Moradin’s Spine
• The Endorii Desert
• The Eastern Lands

Eridor is the smallest known continental landmass on Orth, and a key location where its past, present, and future unfold. Very vaguely rectangular in shape, it is roughly 3400 km long (approx. 2112 miles), 2400 km wide (approx. 1491 miles), and 4000 km (approx. 2485 miles) diagonally. It is split in half, from north to south, by an enormous mountain range the dwarves – its ancestral denizens – have dubbed Moradin’s Spine.

But on the southern tip of the range, a dark monstrosity looms heavily upon the horizon. A giant volcano – the tallest mountain on Eridor – stains the otherwise pristine white peaks of the Spine.

The Crescent Shores

To the northwest of Eridor lie the lands of the Crescent Shores, called as such for it is believed to be the place where the elves first hit land on Eridor millennia ago. Bound by the Spine to the east, and the vastness of the Endorii desert to the south, the bountiful Shores are the main sphere of cultural influence of the free folk of Eridor. Speckled throughout with all sorts of settlements, from the smallest hamlet to the largest city, one can find in it representation of most of all kin in the lands.

The great human city-state of coastal Greyhaven stands as the bastion of modern civilization in the Shores and it is the largest point of interest and seat of power of the region. It overlooks the Oldwyn Sea, and its horizon is occupied by the sight of Westholm Island.

Moradin’s Spine

It is said that when Moradin forged the first dwarves in his great workshop, he also lifted the Spine.

The Great Eruption

For thousands of years of recorded history, the Spine had stood as a reflection of the dwarven spirit in its resolute stability and apparent stoicism in face of the elements. It is unknown whether there had been rumblings of the tragedy to come, or if it was a true surprise to all. Most see it plainly as a natural catastrophe, while others spins stories of vengeful deities, mad arcane powers let loose unchecked, or simply blame industrious dwarves for having finally mined too deep.

Nevertheless, the undeniable facts are that one day the south peak of the Spine – the highest and most impressive – exploded in a gigantic ball of fire, brimstone, and ash, that darkened the skies all across the realms. It consumed Haarkengar Hold, displacing a whole civilization of dwarves forever.

The volcano that emerged burns to this day and became a grim reminder that nothing stands forever.

The Endorii Desert

South of the Crescent Shores, veering to the southwest of Eridor, lies the Endorii desert. Once a green and lush location, it is now barren and harsh. The destruction of Haarkengar Hold dried out its once teeming ecosystem leaving very little left. It is now home only to the hardiest of creatures, and it is mostly dominated by nomadic tribes of barbarians.

The Lost Empire of the Endorai

Long before the Great Eruption, the large part of western Eridor was dominated by one of the greatest human empires the land has memory of. For centuries the Magocracy of the Endorai ruled with might and magic over half of the continent, keeping a tight grip on all that lived within its domain. It was humanity at its highest peak of power, but also tyranny.

The eruption of the volcano changed all that, and the Endorai were lost. First in the ash, then in the sands of time.

The People of the Sand

From the remnants of the Endorai humanity rebuilt and endured. But while the northwestern Shores grew free and prospered, in the south the tradition of oppressive rulership endured. A theocratic monarchy rose up, inspired by the sun and moons, and found in the southwestern coastal city of Akhet its seat of power.

Akhet is, at its core, a merchant town. But it is also a dangerous place where the strong proper and the weak suffer. Opportunists without a shred of morality wait at every corner, and it’s not uncommon to hear tales of ruthless slavers within its walls.

The Eastern Lands

To the southeast, the vast dunes of sand eventually give way to a barren flat of salt and minerals. The Dead Salts are a place of wild magic and unrelenting heat. It’s a deathtrap, and the few who survived it never truly leave it for a madness stays within forever.