Kartaren
Kartaren, commonly known as "the Table", is a tract of continental land protected by frequent storms. It is a region made up of large flat areas, called the Plains of Hethan, which occupy almost the whole territory. Because of these spaces it is frequently travelled by caravans coming from all over the continent: its position allows commercial traffics to spread in the hinterland with great ease.
Government
The government is a military government based in Kartar. At present, power is concentrated in the hands of General Torm Mandor, a middle-aged human warrior. Thanks to its army constantly patrolling the region, the Kartaren is a relatively safe place, at least on the main roads. The government tends to be well seen by the population, who, given the scarcity of resources in the region, prefer to rely on imports, even if the cost is maintaining a very expensive army of war veterans.
War
As a military government, the Kartaren possesses a wealth of warfare resources to be used in the event of war, many of which are secretly hidden in deposits (whether or not woken up) for the whole region. The location of these places is secret and some warehouses are said to be poorly guarded. It is not uncommon to find some adventurers who, once they have found a refuge full of weapons and equipment, try to sell the booty to a village shop to enrich themselves. The population takes battles in great consideration, at all levels of society, to the point that many people consider the population of Kartaren as a single large army ready to unleash in the event of conflict.
Population
The people seem to be largely formed by old adventurers or merchants, although very few can be defined as elderly, given the nomadic and not very sedentary life, and are generally intolerant with those who do not respect discipline and order. Being a land of great pastures and vast distances, justice is held in high regard, almost acting as a social glue for the people. Merchants, taverns, artisans: almost everyone in this region has well understood that the world is dangerous and it is better to rely on established traditions, discipline and currency as a means to live for a long time.
Religion
The region believes in the Fives, but the majority of the population relies on Hardon's power in almost every aspect of everyday life.
Capitals
Kartar
The capital of Kartaren is situated at a crossroads and plays an important role in trade with the surrounding regions. In the center of the city you can find the Fortress, the palace of government. Very well defended, the Keep is one of the most guarded places in the region: escaping from its underground prisons is a feat even for the best thieves across the continent.
History
540 CE The area is home to a prison for dangerous criminals, given the desolate nature of the land from which it is surrounded. The prison is a self-sufficient magical building and is governed by a group of ex-mercenaries.
1113 CE The red dragon Kartaros invades the city, destroys almost all the buildings and creates its own den in a complex of caves and underground caverns. The dragon will be defeated after several battles, by a handful of heroes sent by the Dorne Society.
1350 CE During the two hundred years following the defeat of the dragon, the city gradually resumed, building new areas and discovering the access to a complex of underground mines, later known as the Kartar Mines.
1789 CE The flourishing of commerce, above all thanks to the wealth extracted from mines, leads the city to be declared capital. Subsequently the government settled in the Keep, acquiring complete control.
Districts
Kartar Mines
Used by the government as a source of forced labor for prisoners in the Keep, the Kartar Mines have often been inspected by the Dorne Society, given the variety of its minerals, dangerous tunnels and the presence of other strange rooms wrapped in unknown magical energy.
Dragon's Head
A large town area where it is possible to find clerical services, temples and noble houses, as well as the homes of some illustrious personalities such as former generals or leaders. The neighborhood is known by this name because of the large statue of a dragon's head placed in the center of the district.
Black Rivers District
So called because of the dense color of some gases coming out of the subsoil, the district is crossed every day by patrol soldiers, miners and recruits of the College of War, who find accommodation and rest here. It is possible to find some inns where you can gamble gambling betting gold, even if it is inadvisable to provoke licensed soldiers.
Points of interest
The Keep
The majestic defensive structure with circular walls is located in the city centre. It is the seat of the government and houses the city army barracks as well as the General's lodgings. It also includes an underground prison structured on various levels: some criminals prefer to take their lives away rather than be locked up in this place.
The Mortar
Every day outside this shop you can see blacksmiths and craftsmen working on strange explosives and exotic weapons. Several of the largest blacksmiths and inventors in the region, who are constantly building new artillery for the government and commission, work in the workshop.
Arcane Serrail
It is a large flat terrain bounded by strength fields and magical barriers. Here are sold magical beasts, horses and rare exotic creatures.
College of War
Famous academy of training for warriors, barbarians, rangers, mercenaries or professional soldiers. Leverage is compulsory and begins at a young age for the children of all the inhabitants of the region, male or female, without distinction. Those who manage to overcome years of training become respected soldiers and feared for their coldness.
The Red Cave
Large underground tavern frequented above all by adventurers, offers accommodation and refreshment at a good price. The inn has been built above the old cave of the red dragon Kartaros, which has also become the symbol of the region: the transparent floor of the inn gives a glimpse of the large underground areas that once housed the creature.
Cities
Adaren
This seaside town is different from the hinterland style, offering a coastal landscape dotted with low and colorful houses. Given the presence of magic schools, it is a destination frequented by many enchanters. Kantias The city is structured in such a way as to act as capital in the event of an attack from the North. Its harbor is large enough to contain the war freighters from Laentas and can provide support by sea in the event of war. In peacetime it is a port citadel where you can find various commercial activities and a school of bards, famous for being attended by the children of rich adventurers.
Golgos
It is said that anyone who visits Golgos and stays there for more than a few days, begins to feel a heavy sense of fatigue and depression. The village of Golgos was one of the most popular settlements in Kartaren, whose history is not even remembered by the elderly. What we know is that the village was swallowed up by the swamp and surrounding land within a night, and no inhabitants survived the disaster.
Kantias
The city is structured in such a way as to act as capital in the event of an attack from the North. Its harbor is large enough to contain the war freighters from Laentas and can provide support by sea in the event of war. In peacetime it is a port citadel where you can find various commercial activities and a school of bards, famous for being attended by the children of rich adventurers
Stormvale
The southernmost city in the region is also a point of entry for those entering Kartaren along the Long Road from Aumar. Stormvale is a kind of miniature imitation of Kartar: the military force stationed in this city is usually formed by experienced soldiers and willing to earn some extra money by acting as members of the Crossed Swords. Worthy of note is the great Temple of Hardon in the southern part of the city.
Weldun
Weldun is a citadel made of small stone houses from the nearby Stone Forest. You can find various services, but it is famous above all for having excellent stables and excellent horses, suitable for long trips.
Hills
Avaranth
The Avaranth excavation site and more generally the entire hilly area called Windarn Hills is one of the most unique sites in the entire region. Here the winds follow their own currents and it is almost impossible to determine whether the next current can raise entire shoals of red sand, mists or other strange atmospheric phenomena. In the middle of the Hills, Avaranth is a ruined city haunted by wild creatures and other monsters. It has been for years (and still is today) the test camp of the most gifted adventurers in the area and home to numerous expeditions of the Dorne Society.
Dungeons
Azumai Caves
In the southernmost part of the region, a set of canyons and open pit wells form the Azumai Caves. It seems that the name is derived from an ancient warrior god of the Natives, established in the caves during a great flood that lasted for months. Currently, the caves are a destination for archaeological expeditions because of the numerous Askari relics, which also suggest the presence of an underground outpost dating back to the pre-colonization period.
Forests
Stone Forest
This unique green spot in the plain is called this way because of the large number of stones that make up the paths and the undergrowth in general. Legends have it that the forest has grown on a huge deposit of stones used to erect the enormous structures of the town of Kartar and part of the stone buildings of Weldun. The forest would be the work of a group of druids who had had the task of greening the northern area of the region years before, a task never completed.
Plains
Plains of Hethan
Originally, Noomber was a military training outpost where the city garrison recruits were sent, or more generally those whom the General considered in need of advanced military discipline. To date, the outpost is used as a point of isolation for undisciplined hotheads and military undisciplined intended for re-education. In the village you can find a tavern, but it is not a place where it is advisable to stay for a long time.