It's time for another Bat in the Attic update!
I am halfway through the first draft of my upcoming project, Into the Majestic Fantasy Realms, the Northern Marches.
It will be divided into two sections. The first half focuses on the Northern Marches, which combines and expands Blackmarsh, Southland, and the Wild North into four 12" by 18" maps.
Rob's Note: The dark grey blobs are outlines of mountain ranges.
The second half provides a brief overview of the larger Majestic Fantasy Realms. It will be formatted like the old Greyhawk Folio booklet and detail some history, important terrain, and various regions.
The Northern Marches
The Northern Marches is the project's main focus, consisting of six major regions: The Wild North, Blackmarsh, The Southlands, Vasa, Northport, and the Grey Sea.
While the first three are based on products I already released, the last three, Vasa, Northport, and the Grey Sea, are brand new.
The Northern Marches region got its name from being the frontier of the Bright Empire. A thousand years ago, the Bright Empire dominated much of the Majestic Fantasy Realms under the rule of the Imperial Princes and the United Church. Castle Blackmarsh was the northernmost outpost of the empire.
The Wild North
The Wild North is a realm
of unforgiving beauty and ancient magic, a place where ice and wilderness shape
the destiny of its inhabitants. Among them are the Rurasin, the descendants of Viking explorers, and the original elk-hunting tribes, the Sorobes, who inhabit the region. They are divided into rival city-states ruled by princes and merchant councils. Looming over the lands is the remnant of the Great Glacier, which once covered the Wild North in its icy grip.
Blackmarsh
A fiery mountain fell from the sky and impacted the Northern
Marches. Over 2,500 years ago, it created the Smoking Bay and caused widespread disasters and storms.
Several early civilizations collapsed, and the continent saw widespread
migrations as different cultures and tribes sought better conditions after the chaotic weather.
In the desolation around the Smoking Bay, the adventurous found viz, magic in physical form. And there was more. Strange artifacts and stranger creatures that survived The Mountain That Fell were scattered amid the landscape. Over the centuries, many came to Blackmarsh seeking to plunder its riches. Then the elves came into Blackmarsh, expelled the feuding races, drove the monsters out, and healed the land. The elves created the Blackmarsh Rangers to stand watch over Blackmarsh. Anyone willing to defend the land and its people is welcomed into their ranks.
The Blackmarsh Rangers and the elves continue to stand watch over the region, along with a few realms that were able to peacefully co-exist, like Castle Blackmarsh and the Duchy of the Ostrobards. But lurking in the wilderness are those with designs and plans for Blackmarsh, including Dark Elves, Vikings, Orcs, and Goblins.
The Southlands is a vast frontier of deserts, plains,
forests, and mountains. Here, adventurers struggle to push back the wilderness
and move the boundaries of civilization forward. Opposing them are foes ranging from orc
hordes to dark elves from the Underrealm.
Renegades and traitors from the Grand Kingdom have established
themselves in hidden realms. Yet allies
also exist, dwarves, elves, and halflings who stand ready to support those
committed to good.
Three centuries ago, the Vikings of Norland began expanding
outward, sailing their longships throughout the Majestic Fantasy Realms to
explore, trade, raid, and ultimately colonize. One wave of exploration reached
the western shores of the Grey Sea over three centuries ago, where the Vikings,
drawn by the region’s abundant furs, established permanent outposts and
settlements. Over 250 years ago, they proclaimed the Kingdom of Vasa.
Then, fifty years later, the Vikings of Vasa encountered the expanding Grand Kingdom. They were briefly allies against the forces of the Gnoll King but afterward became bitter rivals. The conflict lasted over six decades and resulted in the Grand Kingdom's conquest of Vasa. The surviving nobles fled and established a kingdom-in-exile at Castle Taldane in Blackmarsh. Nearly a century later, the Grand Kingdom's grip on Vasa continues to tighten.
Northport is the westernmost duchy within the Grand Kingdom, centered around the bustling port of Northport on the Grey Sea. Within the region's heart lies the city of Northport, ruled by Duke Duncan McDowell, whose family has governed the duchy since its founding by the king. The region’s wealth stems from fishing, mining, and trade across the Grey Sea and along the Water of Boyle. Since the Grand Kingdom’s victory in the Great Gnoll War and the conquest of the Vasan Vikings, a century ago, a web of noble houses loyal to the duke and the crown has ruled the land. The might of the Grand Kingdom has not quelled all conflicts and intrigues within Northport. Outlaws and druids bent on vengeance trouble the land, while smugglers ally with renegade Vikings to evade the duke's taxes.
Magical forces have shaped the region. Forests hide entrances into mysterious pocket dimensions known as wolds and lost elven kingdoms. Powerful Sidhe Lords spin webs of deceit from their mountain lairs to fuel the passions and desire of mortals to fuel their insatiable lust for power. Ancient magical orders build conclaves filled with mages pursuing mysterious agendas to perfect their mastery of magic.
The Grey Sea is known for its storms, strong currents, treacherous reefs, and superb fishing grounds. Once reavers, Vikings, and pirates dominated the waters, but the Grand Kingdom's conquest of Vasa brought peace. Only the exiled Vasan Vikings at Castle Taldane and a few pirate ships remain to challenge the Grand Kingdom's might.
At its heart lie the Ring Islands, formed when a chunk rich in viz calved off and smashed into the Grey Sea. After the chaos of its impact settled, a ring-shaped archipelago emerged from the waves. A remnant of this chunk remained as the central island, known as the Nexus. The abundant viz channeled unpredictable magical energies, causing the archipelago islands to become perilous to explore. The Ring Tower, built on Ringwatch Island, is the only stable foothold for adventurers and seers seeking to understand the islands’ mysteries and plunder their riches.
Beneath the waves of the Grey Sea is a vast undersea realm. There are kingdoms of merfolk and Sahuagin marauders, the underwater halls of storm giants, servants of the Thunder god, and ruins of a sunken empire once ruled by the Kraken Lord, Bathynaz, a demon of great power.
Wrapping it up
I am currently writing the second half, detailing the Majestic Fantasy Realms. The first half detailing the Northern Marches is done except for the towns I plan to include. Plus, I have a list of maps to create, both large and small, that will form the bulk of the illustrations in the book.
Viking Exploration Routes
The Kickstarter to fund editing and the art pieces is slated to begin late April. I hope to see many of you there. In the meantime, I will post various excerpts over the upcoming weeks to help folks to better understand the final product.
I am very excited about approaching the finish line. Doing this project was the whole reason I got into self-publishing in the first place. While a lot of folks have told me how useful
Blackmarsh and my Points of Light books are, I always felt it needed to be a bit more expansive to be the foundation of a campaign that ranges from an adventuring group's first foray into a dungeon to the founding of kingdoms. Each map of the Northern Marches covers an area the size of Indiana, Ireland, or Scotland. A large enough area to take a campaign from beginning to end. Yet still small enough to fit into someone's pre-existing campaign world if they don't want to use the larger Majestic Fantasy Realms.
Until next time!
