realms
Realms and Dominions (AC 1016)
Realms and Dominions, AC 1016
Norwold has no single government. King Ericall’s crown of Alpha is the nearest thing to a central authority, and in the campaign era it reaches only a little past the Alpha peninsula and the southern shore of the Great Bay [Alm-Alpha]. The rest of the land is a scatter of dominions won in the Great Land Rush, held by the adventurers (or their heirs) who took them, grouped by the Mystaran Almanac into eight regions [Gander-Dom] [Alm-NorthBay].
Two rosters, one map. The Mystaran Almanac’s AC 1019 regional index pages name the dominions of each region [Alm-NorthBay] [Alm-WestBay] [Alm-SouthBay] [Alm-Icereach] [Alm-FinalRange] [Alm-Tranquil] [Alm-Kamminer] [Alm-Lothbarth]. Geoff Gander’s “Dominions and their Rulers as of AC 1016” names the same dominions with their holders [Gander-Dom]. They corroborate: the roster below is the two sources merged. Titles sometimes differ between them (a “Jarldom” in one, a “Barony” in the other); both are noted.
Full stat blocks by region
The summary tables below give each dominion’s ruler at a glance. For the complete Mystaran Almanac (AC 1019) stat block of every dominion (Location, Area, Population, Languages, Coinage, Taxes, Government, Ruler, Important Figures, Flora & Fauna, and Recent History, with the source page for each), see the regional pages:
- Northern Bay Marches: Draken, Latela, Nordenhafen, Panteria
- Western Bay Marches: Chitine, Leeha, Siegeria
- Southern Bay Marches: Alpha, Free Plains, Kameloth, Ossian, Redhorn, Ublaat-Nor
- Icereach Domains: Arcadia, the Arch of Fire, Chevas, the Lake, Mory, Two Lakes Vale
- Final Range Domains: Kildorkak, Moonland, Nordalfheim, Stamtral, Vyolstagrad
- Tranquil Coast: Canium, Dag, Dikhoff, Ersenbal, Serenity, Sonnenfeld, Swordcoast
- Kamminer Bay: Heldland (and Landfall), Wolkenburg
- Lothbarth Forest: the Elms, the Foresthomes, White Oak
The three standing powers
| Realm | Type | Ruler | Capital | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Alpha | Monarchy, in NACE | King Ericall (F20) | Alpha | Alpha |
| Kingdom of Oceansend | Independent monarchy | King Olaf Yarrvikson (F10) | Oceansend | Oceansend |
| Shire of Leeha | Halfling democracy | Sheriff Shaedrik Divotfoot (F9) | Leeha | Leeha |
Alpha and Oceansend are the two real states. Leeha is a self-governing halfling shire that keeps friendly ties with its larger neighbors [Alm-Leeha]. Everything else is a dominion.
The eight regions and their dominions
Rulers are as of AC 1016 [Gander-Dom]; regional groupings and alternate titles are from the AC 1019 Almanac [Alm-*]. “F/MU/C/T” = Fighter/Magic-User/Cleric/Thief class where given.
Southern Bay Marches, the safe, rich heartland
The dominions south of the Great Bay, close to Alpha, with stable alliances [Alm-SouthBay].
| Dominion | Title (Almanac / Gander) | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Kingdom | King Ericall, F20 [Alm-Alpha] |
| Free Plains | County / Barony | Allisa Patrician, F15 LG |
| Kameloth | Duchy / County | Shuren (elf) |
| Ossian | Barony / Duchy | the “Black Duke” |
| Redhorn | Chaosarchy / Barony | Diablerus I |
| Ublaat-Nor | Khanate / Barony | Brogahn of the Steppes, F15 LG |
Western Bay Marches, wealthy and nearly independent
West of the Great Bay, east of the Icereach; “some of the most powerful, wealthiest and most important” dominions, enjoying great freedom from Alpha [Alm-WestBay].
| Dominion | Title | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Chitine | Grand Duchy / Duchy | Ney, F18 LG (said to represent Alpha’s interests) [Alm-Leeha] |
| Siegeria | Kingdom | Sieger von Duwn, MU20 |
| Leeha | Shire | Sheriff Shaedrik Divotfoot, F9 [Alm-Leeha] |
Northern Bay Marches, the marcher lords
North of the Great Bay, between the shore and Lothbarth Forest; a “rather safe” frontier [Alm-NorthBay].
| Dominion | Title | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Draken | Duchy / County | Count Beriak Alanira (brother of Queen Christina) |
| Latela | Barony | Longtooth (secretly a Thyatian master spy, T20 CE) |
| Nordenhafen | Jarldom / Barony | Bardeen Longwalker, F15 N |
| Panteria | Marquisate | Celia, T19 (building a trade-and-thieves empire) |
Icereach Domains, the western mountain wall
Founded south of Lake Alinor where the weather is milder; beyond lie Denagoth (west) and the Wyrmsteeth (east) [Alm-Icereach].
| Dominion | Title | Ruler | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia | Barony | Baron Arcadius, MU20 | Arcadia |
| Arch of Fire | Efreet Kingdom / Duchy | contested: efreet vs. the sollux Sun Brothers | Arch of Fire |
| Chevas | Barony | Adik de Chevas, MU16 LG | |
| the Lake | Barony | Winifred of the Lake, C15 | |
| Mory | Tyrannie | Coiger de Mory (renegade cleric, M2 villain) | |
| Two Lakes Vale | Barony | Maltus Fharo, F19 LG | Two Lakes Vale |
Final Range Domains, the eastern mountains and their demihumans
Along the eastern coast, north of Landfall, touching the Wyrmsteeth; several domains are dwarven or elven [Alm-FinalRange].
| Dominion | Title | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Kildorkak | Dwarven Barony | Gard Rocktooth (dwarf) |
| Moonland | Barony | Sandralane of Glantri, C16 |
| Nordalfheim | Elven Kingdom | (elven rule) |
| Ironwood | Elven Barony | Baron Elarianthas Blackblade, F10/MU15, see Ironwood |
| Stamtral | Duchy | Stano (CM4 domain) |
| Vyolstagrad | Duchy | Nevik (the CM4 Earthshaker! duchy) |
Tranquil Coast, the quarrelsome shore
The coast running north from the Bay of Oceansend to the Bay of the Hook; “the sea has always been friendly,” but the baronies feud constantly [Alm-Tranquil].
| Dominion | Title | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Canium | Barony | (not named) |
| Dag | Barony | Rutger Dag, F15 |
| Dikhoff | Barony | Dimitri Dikhoff, F18 CE (mercenary captain, plots to be king) |
| Ersenbal | County | Martigan |
| Serenity | Barony | Siegfried Sixx, F16 |
| Sonnenfeld | Barony | Fergus the Justifier, F15 LG |
| Swordcoast | Barony | Maximus I |
Kamminer Bay, under the Heldannic boot
The conquered southeastern coast around Landfall, held by the Heldannic Knights since AC 1010 and part of the Heldannic region of Heldland [Alm-Kamminer].
| Dominion | Title | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Landfall | Duchy (nominal) | Duke Lernal “the Swill” (Ericall’s half-brother; the Knights are expected to depose him) [Neri-TG] [LoZ-R2R] |
| Heldland | Heldannic Territory | Heldannic Order |
| Wolkenburg | County | Helmut Jaschke |
Lothbarth Forest, the elven woods
The great evergreen forest north of the Great Bay, up to the Landsplit River; elven clans who guard it from outsiders [Alm-Lothbarth].
| Dominion | Title | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| the Elms | Barony | Quillian Elmgrower (elf) |
| the Foresthomes | Free Clans | (elven clans) |
| White Oak | Elven Lands | Zoltan Hytaxius, C19 (rival of Ironwood’s baron) [Alm-Ironwood] |
How to read the roster at the table
Most of these holders were the player-character claimants of the original Land Rush [Gander-Dom] [Neri-RBP]. That is a gift to the DM: every dominion is a ready-made NPC with a backstory, an agenda, and (often) a rival. A new party rising through levels 1-12 moves among these lords as patrons, rivals, and eventually peers. Several are not what they seem: Longtooth of Latela and Alak Dool are Thyatian deep-cover agents; Dimitri Dikhoff means to murder his way to a crown; Quentin Jax, a count near the Ransarn, is a gold dragon in human form [Neri-RBP]. See NPCs for the full cast.
Earlier snapshot (AC 1000). The MMB gazetteer also preserves a complete dominion roster as of AC 1000, immediately after the Land Rush, with slightly different names and holders [MMB-Region]. Use it if you set the campaign in the Land-Rush years rather than the Almanac era.