Continentbuilding II
The Heart of the River
(Irimoidil)
This entire continent has only little people: dwarves, gnomes, halflings, (short) elves, etc. Maybe somewhere there is a single group of “big folk”, but they may be viewed as mythical.
11. The Inn of Irimoidil
Curiosity and Freedom combine downstream of Bethelede, where the river valley opens up into Irimoidil, becoming hilly but arable land without much in the way of strategic positioning or resources besides food. As a result, simple farming communities have grown up here that follow various levels of communalism. The halfling-style people have a deep connection to the spirits who dwell in their land, freedom from most oppression, and a natural curiosity that leads them to learn a lot about their world, to travel broadly, to learn about other places, and to bring that knowledge home when their wanderlust is done. Though this land boasts many inns and many roads, there is one famous inn—just called the Inn—along one famous road—just called the Road—that sits beside the river once it has slowed, opposite a lazily turning water wheel, where you can always get a mug of root beer, and games where you place, move, and stack flat stones are always going on at the tables, both inside and outside.
What can be found or done here
A surprising amount of knowledge is hidden here, but not in books, so you have to ask around for whatever local weirdo is an expert in some strange domain. Because of their connection to the spirits, this is also a good place to find an entrance to the ethereal realm where the spirits dwell—and possibly directions or a guide, if you look hard enough.
12. Setenethel
Connected: within the river network of Irimoidil, a group of people, the Setenethel, run wagon trains and merchant boats throughout the region and across the entire continent. They are old-school Elvish, so have a classic look-and-feel of pointed ears and faerie features, but are (very) short and flighty and magical. Instead of the trope of a traveling people that is looked down on as suspicious and outsidery, they are extremely trusted. Virtually anywhere they go, their word is known to be true; in fact, one of the things they do is carry mail from place to place, and their honor has become attached to the mail in such a way that letters are known as sacred throughout the continent, and violating the trust of a letter is viewed as truly horrible, especially if it is in their care. The Setenethel exist in harmony with an extensive network of roads, paths, rivers, boats, and even some magical transit, and also keep riding posts and other outposts here and there along their routes—this network is itself also known as the Setenethel.
What can be found or done here
Objects in a sort of networked lost-and-found, so searches for missing goods, especially weird magical things, can sometimes be successful, and they will sometimes hire out adventurers to track down missing items. They are also always happy to hire guards and escorts, especially through dangerous territory, or to seek help in clearing land for new or improved outposts, including those that have been afflicted by spirits.
13. Acaradan
Today’s word is Safe, which makes me think of a grand castle at the place where the River that flows along the Road past the Inn meets another grand river. This castle, Acaradan, stands upon a rocky island in the heart of the great river, and is considered safe not just militarily but from the intrusion of spirits, due to some magical object or material that prevents their appearance or intrusion. Because of this, the castle is viewed as a safe place for magical healing or hiding, and it is run by a religious group of monks that heal and run a non-profit bank, storing wealth and goods for many different peoples.
What can be found or done here
Any number of missions to track down thieves or stolen goods or gold might start from Acaradan.
14. Three Bridges
Betrayal is a good word for worldbuilding. Downstream of Acaradan lies a great trio of bridges built so long ago that no one remembers who made them, yet crafted so well they still stand and carry traffic. About 130 years ago, the bridges served as the site of a ferocious battle between the factions of a civil war. The battle involved forays back and forth across the bridges, attempts to ford the shallows, and construction efforts to make siege engines or towers. But the great tale still told is one of betrayal, when a general on one side betrayed his comrades and struck down his allies so as to carve a kingdom for himself. His betrayal was successful, but his kingdom faltered within a decade, leading to his own eventual betrayal and death. Now, the bridges are viewed as cursed by evil spirits, and none will settle near for fear of vengeful spirits.
What can be found or done here
There may be a handful of foresters who dwell nearby for unclear reasons, and learning the true history in the area might reveal that not everything about the commonly told stories is true.
15. Espũeríque
Today’s word is Machine, which leads me upstream from the Three Bridges and Acaradan to a land of tangled hills and mines where a diverse group of different peoples (gnomes and dwarves and such, inventive and soot-stained and a little grungy) has come together around the principles of mechanization. Terrible weather about 125 years ago forced them to create automata of all sizes to assist them in all their endeavors. Now, they have perfected their machines, including moving them past the point where they create terrible emissions that might harm the environment, and their society runs as smoothly as any other, though perhaps they are even getting to the point at which they must be concerned with whether their machines are gaining sentience. These people use a totally distinct naming convention; they and their land are called the Espũeríque.
What can be found or done here
Broken, escaped, or confused machines (as you might find in stories about the Laws of Robotics); a good background place if someone wants to come from a land of machines but not be into machines themselves; in general this is a major source of metal resources, so you can always have something dark and deep in the mines that must be investigated or dealt with.
16. The Wanderers
Today’s word is Basket, which makes me want to go opposite the Machine we got yesterday. In some other part of the world, no longer remembered, a river-folk made their living gathering fish and reeds from the gentle streams. The same weather that impacted the Espũeríque pushed them out of their home, far enough that they lost most of the memory of their previous home. Then they came upon this hilly place with all these machines, and no one was using the rivers, and even though they were different lands they settled here and formed a symbiotic community with the machine lords, bringing a valuable touch of softness and awareness of nature to the exploitative hillfolk. Without these new people (who have lost their old name and simply call themselves the Wanderers), the hills and rivers here may have died. The two communities occupy the same space, but do not quite live together, creating an interesting friction that tends to be settled peacefully.
What can be found or done here
Disputes between the two peoples are not uncommon, and sometimes need to be mediated. Even though the people as a whole have moved on, a handful of individuals might be intensely curious about their old life, and long to embark on a quest (or send someone in their stead) to learn about what happened to drive them away, and what happened along the torturous journey.
17. The Coloroso Statues
Today’s word is Greatest. Carved into the sides of a massive unpopulated canyon is the universally acclaimed Greatest Wonder of the World: the Coloroso Statues. They are huge statues of people, beasts, and events. Most are only a little taller than the canyon walls, but some stretch well above, including some that arch and combine, making impromptu bridges for the bold. While a few of these statues have entirely withstood the test of time, many of them have crumbled, leaving only ruins. The area is also full of two things, because of how remote and unpopulated it is: the detritus left by those who built the Coloroso Statues, which otherwise can only be found downstream, and a conglomeration of spirits, who gather here not only because of the emptiness of the region but also because of the arcane remnants (and some of the spirits are surely the result of the builders’ follies).
What can be found or done here
Undergo a dangerous crossing; search for valuable arcane relics; chase down missing fugitives; clash with violent spirits.
18. Afflla
Today’s word is Explore: a broad wilderness, a tangled forest of low and gnarled trees, of broken earth, of difficult travels, of animals, beasts, spirits, and valuable natural resources. A group of explorers, the Afflla Rangers, lead teams into the forest in search of various objectives, usually either looking for something or trying to defeat something threatening the neighbors of the forest.
What can be found or done here
Accompany an expedition; search for the remnants of a lost expedition; investigate and defeat a corrupt Ranger who has been leading people to their death for profit, though his impressive knowledge of the forest and its numerous ways to kill you is daunting.
19. The Library of Wishes
Wishes and Library are words that pretty naturally lead to the Library of Wishes. At the lowest level this is a rumor, just a place in the tales of academics or desperate people about knowledge or healing. It is rumored to exist on a sort of floating mountain that wanders around above the trees, cloaked in mist. Something real does exist, but much less ethereal—it is simply a library with the remnants of knowledge from a long-ago fallen civilization, where monks have kept up the knowledge for many years, believing they must remain hidden, and swearing all who find them to secrecy.
What can be found or done here
Gain lost knowledge or magic; stop someone who has broken their oath and is planning to lead a force to seize the library’s treasures.