Norwold Region
by members of the Italian MMBFollowing some requests posted in the "Future Gazetteers" thread, I'll post here some of the work I and my friends on the Italian MMB (some of whom you should probably already know - DM, LoZompatore, Morgoth, etc.) have done on the Norwold region as part of my "Mystaran Demography" project.
I have to warn you that this version of Norwold is mostly based on canon material; in an attempt to stay as canonical as possible, we've reduced to the minimum any "fanonical" addition - mostly the ones that seemed to us inconsistent with the canonical description of the land; so you'll find no large and unified kingdoms north of the Great Bay (i.e. no Kaarjala or Littonia). Be it clear that this is by no means an attempt to criticise or despise the good work many of you have done to improve this region.
We've indeed filled the wide gaps left in this region by lack of canon material with new cultures - most of them barbarian cultures - we deemed well-fitting with the wilderness character of the whole Norwold.
Last but not least, I've kept or taken many of the names for places and land features some of you have created for the Mystaran Almanac line or other contributions to the Vaults of Pandius (some place-names are taken from one of OldDawg's gazetteers).
First of all I'll post the map I've assembled with the help of the other contributors on the Italian MMB. Regarding the Heldann-Norwold border solution (i.e. discrepancies found among canon maps of the region), I've chosen the solution proposed months ago by LoZompatore in this forum also; regarding the terrain types, we've added some forested hills in the narrower valleys and near some mountain ranges, and followed some hints of the DotE 72-miles-per-hex large map (especially for the area north of the Great Bay). Forests have been placed on the map according to what was shown in the map of Norwold featured in the PWAs. After the map (which takes into account the situation of AC1000), I'll describe some of the features it contains:
What follows is a brief description of cultures, realms and places you find on the map. Some people and places have had a longer description, so if you're interested ask me and I'll translate it in English as soon as possible.
POLITICAL ENTITIES:
Evedotardom of Stormhaven
This is the most famous dwarf clan of Norwold, from CM1. I've called it an "evedotardom" because it's likely ruled by the clanhead (evedotar in dwarven language, see GAZ6) of the Stormhaven clan. Because these dwarves can muster up to 1,000 soldiers in time of war (according to CM1), we've supposed that many dwarven families, and not only one, lived under the rule of the Stormhaven clanhead - and so we've given this "evedotardom" three mountain hexes.
Kingdom of Ghyr
This land lays outside of the Kingdom of Norwold, and you can see it in a different position from the one you see in OldDawg's gazetteer. We've put this kingdom in the north-east corner of the Denagothian plateau because we traced its history back to the Essurian colonisation of the northern areas of the plateau; later, the campaign of Henadin against King Landryn Teriak of Essuria caused a riot among the Essurian noblemen; the northern ones (i.e. those who had lands in the Ghyr area) kept themselves independent from the Shadow Lord in later years and were next unified under the banner of Qasmar, Baron of Ghyr, who was then crowned King of Ghyr. Because we've followed canon hints about the placing of X11 (JA says that Gylharen was crowned King of Wendar in AC901, and from X11 we know that this happens after the Wizard's War and the defeat of Landryn Teriak), in our version X11 takes place in AC898-899 and XL1 in AC950.
Kingdom of Norwold
The huge unnamed nation you can see in the map is the Alphatian Kingdom of Norwold, ruled by King Ericall. Its borders are shown in the 72-miles-per-hex map of DotE. Within it, you can see the borders of the Royal Estate, which corresponds more or less to the land area listed as Kingdom of Alpha in the PWAs.
Kingdom of Oceansend
Another largely known kingdom. Its borders reflect the land area listed in its entry in the PWAs, and have been extended toward nearby mountains and forests because: 1) we know from PWAs and CM1 that a number of dwarves and elves live within the border of the kingdom, and not all of them reside in the city proper; 2) 700 of the 1,200 elves that are listed in the PWAs as inhabitants of the Kingdom of Oceansend are likely to be Shiye elves belonging to one of the Foresthomes, allies or subjects of King Yarrvik - the other 500 urban elves are probably foreigner or sea elf traders from Minrothad; 3) CM1 and the PWAs also list many dwarves as subjects of Oceansend, which live in the nearby mountains but are different from the Stormhaven clan - so we've supposed that these dwarven communities laid in the foothills of the Ironroot Mountains (as we've called this section of the Final Range). Moreover, following information given in CM1, we've traced some roads within Oceansend's territory, which link the city with the rural villages present in its territory and with dwarven communities in the said foothills.
Shire of Leeha
This is the halfling shire we all know about. While tracing its borders, I've taken into account the position of its clanholds and the land area listed in 'Leeha' entry in the PWAs. The names of individual clanholds (Fort Divotfoot, Merrybrook, and the like) are borrowed from Dan Eustace's "Leehashire" article, at the Vaults.
CULTURES AND PEOPLES:
HELDANNERS
These are the descendants of Heldanner folks who settled south-central Norwold (south and east of the Final Range) starting from 1st century AC (see DotE). These settlers brought with them the customs of their motherland (Norduland - as we've called Heldann Freeholds before the deeds of Heldann the Brave gave the region his name): they're farmers, fishermen and herders, ruled by clanheads assembling yearly to decide important questions and squabbling among themselves most of the other time. By AC1000, they should have settled the whole area from Oceansend to the south, up to the Final Range. Heldland region should be the most populated area within the region settled by Heldanner peoples. Landfall was originally an Heldanner town, which in about AC930 freed herself from the Heldanner lord's rule and became a haven for foreigners, smugglers, thieves, pirates and the like; it fell under Alphatian control after AC985.
The "free" area standing between the borders of the Kingdom of Norwold and those of the Heldannic Territories should be occupied by the surviving Heldanner domains that still haven't been conquered by the knights. These domains squabble among themselves but are also allied to keep the Heldannic presence south of the Altenwald. These Heldanner lords are allied with the Kingdom of Norwold, which supports them as buffer states against the Heldannic Knights; the knights have abstained from an invasion of these domains, thinking such an action could stir up the wrath of the Alphatians and open a war. The domains extends from this area up to the Kingdom of Ghyr, beyond the Eastern Mengul range.
JÄÄKANSA and VAELTAJAT
This is our M-Finnish people. As I said we put aside James Mishler's Kaarjala because it conflicted with canon description of Norwold to have such a large and organised kingdoms in the north; at the beginning we preserved the name "Kaarjala" for this region, but we feared it would have been unfair to use Mishler's names while changing whole aspects of the people that he had created. So we created the name "Autuasmaa" (Land of Bliss) as the ancient land of the Jääkansa (Ice People), an M-Finnish settled human culture living in small villages of hunters, fishermen, herders and farmers - ruled by clanheads but without a real kingdom (much like Middle Age historical Finnland). We preserved the idea of an M-Lapp culture, which we named Vaeltajat (The Wanderers); they're tribes of northern nomads that hunt the reindeer herds and fight with humanoids and giants in the northern tundras (the Everwinter Lands).
NORSENIANS
We've called this way (following an hint of GAZ10) the post-Antalian peoples which reverted to barbaric ways after King Loark's invasion. Their culture is somewhat similar to that of a sort of semi-nomadic-Vikings; they've no longships, and have semi-permanent villages: in winter they stay there, protecting from cold and snow, while in summer hunters and warriors wander the wilderness, bringing periodically game and food to the village. From year to year, some tribes move their villages to richer hunting grounds. Some Norsenians have adopted civilised ways and have settled in small villages, while others who live near the coast are fishermen and plough the sea in small fishing boats, that never go too far from the coastline.
VATSKI
Another barbarian people, also descended from a branch of the Antalian peoples (the Vantalians) which lived inland - and not on the coasts as the Antalians did. They're a sort of M-Slavs, the root from which you can trace back the origins of the Yevo, the Vatli and other M-Slavic peoples introduced in the ethnographic material of the Vaults by Giulio Caroletti and others.
These Vatski retreated in the mountain valleys of south-central Norwold when the Great Horde of King Loark destroyed the civilisation of their kin, the Antalians. Here, fighting humanoids, dragons, giants and beasts, they've become a fierce people, hostile to most outsiders and prone to bloody rituals and raiding. Their culture is somewhat similar to that of Birthright's Vos. As the Norsenians, they're semi-nomadic too and occupy a vast area, from the Final Range west, up to the Icereach Range, and north up to The Bloody Scythe and Quesa's Massif.
During the last three-four centuries, southern Vatski - i.e. those living in the valley of the Ransarn River - have been influenced by the culture of Essurian and Heldanner peoples, and have slowly adopted their sedentary ways, settling down and establishing villages and keeps. They've become a sort of feudal Middle Age M-Slavs - ruled by the boyars, their former tribal leaders who now own most of the land - but also more civilised and favourable to trade and contact with other civilised peoples. Slowly these settled Vatski are expanding, and some of the boyars have settled in the past decades the lands on the south-east shores of Azure Lake (the area where you see that many villages, and where we've placed the duchies of Vyolstagrad and Stamtral from CM4).
We've included the settled Vatski in this region because of the CM4: here you find the duchies of Stamtral and Vyolstagrad, with a lot of Slavic-sounding names for places and peoples, a boyar as advisor to King Ericall and other seemingly strange things. Given its size in CM4, the position of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad was somewhat obliged, so we created this history and this people to justify the information of CM4.
VIASKODA
Jet another barbarian people, this time from the area north of the Great Bay (Viaskaland). These tribes are divided in three Banners, and they're the barbarian people described briefly in CM1. The Red Banner, the banner of Barkal the Red, wanders along northern coasts of the Great Bay, hunting in the woods, building temporary shelters and stout longships that raid other shores of the Great Bay (according to M2, Barkal's tribes have a flotilla of longships and his tribes are located "anywhere north of the Great Bay"). The Azure Banner inhabit the steppes and plains of Viaskaland, north of the Red Banner; they're superb horsemen and follow herds of cattle and reindeer that wander these areas. The White Banner is a mountain, river and forest people which inhabits the large valleys on the eastern slopes of the Icereach Range, up to the Plains of Skulls; some of them inhabit the ruins of forgotten mountain cities belonged to the ancient dwarves, other fish and trade along the White Bear River, others wander the woods and jet others obey the commands of powerful creatures, like the legendary white dragon Quesa, the giants or even stranger beings (like the Crones of Crystykk).
Please note that the name of this people and some of its traits are borrowed from the Mystaran Almanac at the Vaults (there, however, they were placed south of the Great Bay).
OTHER PEOPLES
Of course there are also the Alphatian of Alpha and of other small pockets in Norwold, and the Thyatian of Oceansend and some other areas of eastern Norwold, and the Northmen of Ostland divided among various areas. Being already well-known peoples, I'll not say anything else about them.
GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES:
Below are listed in alphabetical order all the names you find on the map (with attached notes).
Another two things about the map: you see some trails passing through eastern and southern Norwold. The trail that goes from Strondborg to the Kingdom of Ghyr is canonical, and is found in the southern Norwold map shown in JA. The trails that links Landfall, Lighthall and Oceansend are canonical and come from the novel "Rogues to Riches". The trail that links Oceansend with Alpha has been supposed on the basis of travel times given in "Rogues to Riches" - but it should be a trail formed thanks to usage and passage by Norsenian tribes, not sanctioned or maintained by one or more realms; it's simply the most travelled way to get through the Final Range and toward Alpha via land.
The small green circles are the elven Foresthomes.
Alinor's Ridge: In CM1 is featured the history of Prince Alinor, an Alphatian nobleman who led a colonisation attempt and founded the Princedom of Alphia (see Alphia). In our history of Norwold this takes place in the 1st century BC. We know that this Alinor had the intention of elevating a mountain range, and it seems that this caused his fall. We've supposed that the small mountain range he elevated was Alinor's Ridge (the range bears his name), and that this deed destroyed Alinor's capital, Alphia.
Alpha: The capital city of the Kingdom of Norwold and seat of power for King Ericall. See also Alphia, below.
Alphia: CM1 describes the history of Prince Alinor: how he led an expedition from Alphatia to colonise this land, how he ruled long conquering the barbarian tribes, and how his project of moving a mountain range caused his fall. Alphia, capital of Alinor's kingdom, was a port-city according to CM1, but now its ruins lay inland. We've supposed that Alinor's kingdom spanned from the Alphan peninsula (the original settlement of Cape Alpha was built by Alinor - because it was the Alphatian who at first founded a colony here, according to M5) to the whole course of the Sabre River, up to the Wyrmsteeth Range south, and included also some lands north of the Great Bay. Coming into conflict with the dragons, Alinor developed a powerful spell to move the Wyrmsteeth Range and destroy their lairs; but the spell went wrong when the dragons attacked Alphia, and the result was the opposite: a huge mountain range elevated from the ground and destroyed the capital of Alphia, killing Alinor. The rest of the kingdom was ravaged by dragons, barbarian and humanoids. Only Cape Alpha survived as a small trading post used by Alphatian; the Thyatian conquered and refounded it in AC12 - and this violated the Treaty of Edairo (even if, according to the Thyatian, the existence of Cape Alpha before the signing of the treaty constitutes an earlier Alphatian violation of the treaty).
Altenwald: This area of wooded hills is the main hideout for Heldanners who fled from the Heldannic Territories to escape punishment and capture by the Heldannic Knights. The name is taken from Geoff Gander's map of the Heldannic Territories.
Arch of Fire: These two volcanoes are a well-known route toward the Plane of Fire, from CM1 and later modules. The area is inhabited by fire creatures like fire elementals, efreets and the like.
Ashtagon River: This river is featured in M4.
Autuasmaa: The region around the great lakes and rivers of northern Norwold, inhabited by the Jääkansa; the area is lightly wooded thanks to the slopes created by the rivers' courses.
Awk: In CM2 there's a NPC called Glyndon of Awk; we've made Awk a village, and we've put it here.
Azure Lake: This is the greatest of Norwold's lakes. In the Mystaran Almanac at the Vaults it was called "Lake Alinor", but since we moved Alinor's kingdom toward the Alphan peninsula, we changed this name also.
Bay of Kammin: The name of this bay is borrowed from Geoff Gander's map of the Heldannic Territories.
Bergholm Isle: A lonely rocky islands that control the door to the Great Bay.
Bityansk: A village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Blackrock: A village of the Duchy of Stamtral, from CM4.
Bloody Scythe, The: Another branch of the Wyrmsteeth Range.
Catberg Hills: These hills are infested by humanoids and giants; their name is taken from the Mystaran Almanac and from Dan Eustace's article on Leehashire, at the Vaults.
Coiger's Lair: The lair of the evil renegade cleric of M2, Coiger de Mory. His lair is said standing in a remote mountain range, but it should be also not-too-far from civilised lands, because the adventure says that Coiger raided scores of dominions and in M2 he can also take part in the final war.
Dawn Rising: The town assaulted by Coiger de Mory's giant warband at the beginning of the M2. I've made it the site of government for the Barony of Hvittland, ruled by Trent the White (one of the pregenerated PCs from M2).
Deposkna: A village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Dragon Spur Hills: I've borrowed this name from the Mystaran Almanac at the Vaults.
Eagles' Barrier: The northernmost tip of the Wyrmsteeth Range.
Eastern Mengul Range: The famous mountain range that surrounds the Denagothian plateau. This branch of the range has been labelled "Eastern" to distinguish it from its western cousin.
Elfswood: A small Foresthome described in Dungeon Magazine #21 adventure "The Bane of Elfswood"; it's the home of the Glanadyl clan, which left Whispering Grove 30 years ago and founded this small settlement in the wilderness.
Enstig Island: The island in the middle of the Azure Lake.
Essurian Arm: This part of the Eastern Mengul Range has a name borrowed from OldDawg's Denagoth gazetteer.
Everwinter Lands: The region of the northernmost tundras inhabited by the Vaeltajat human tribes, Lynxmen rakasta tribes, Norwold Malamute lupin tribes and humanoid tribes. In the tongue of the Jääkansa these lands are called "Ikitalven Maat".
Final Range: One of the great mountain ranges of Norwold; divided in many lesser ranges, it was first mentioned in CM1.
Finster Forest: The name of this forest is partly taken from the Finsterwald, a forest featured in Mystaran Almanac's Norwold, at the Vaults.
Forton River: From JA, it's the river at the mouth of which the Heldannic Knights will build the town of Forton in AC1013.
Foxes' River: The whole valley of this river is forested, and it's another home of the Foxfolk lupins (white variety).
Frigsun Island: One of the smaller island in front of Oceansend.
Frosthaven: The isle of the frost giant, from CM1 and later products.
Frozen Moors, The: A large moor in northern Norwold, inhabited by humanoids and other monstrosities. The Jääkansa call it "Routajängät".
Giants' Mountains: Another branch of the Icereach Range, filled with giant clans (probably the ones which will attack Alpha itself in AC1010 according to PWAI).
Goddess' Diadem: Another branch of the Icereach Range; in my campaign it was called this way because there was found a community of northern amazons (the Nainartas) led by a former Alphatian princess (Ishenya) that surrounding barbarian tribes worshipped as a demi-goddess.
Halls: Another village supposed from the name of Maryan of Halls, NPC from CM2.
Hämäräjärvi Lake: One of the lakes of Autuasmaa.
Heldland: This is the name by which the whole Heldannic provinces of Norwold are known, according to the PWAs. We've supposed that it was the historical name of the southernmost region of Norwold, from the Rhien Forest to the Altenwald and from the Hettafjall Mountains to the Bay of Kammin.
Hettafjall Mountains: This massive mountains ranges stands between the Eastern Mengul, Wyrmsteeth and Final ranges, without being clearly part of neither of these. We've made it a dominion of the humanoid tribes.
Ice Mountains: These are the mountains north of Ghyr shown in XL1, where Dahnakriss hid and held the Heartstone.
Icereach Range: The greatest mountain range of Norwold, from CM1 and later products. It is split in various lesser ranges.
Ice Tomb: This is a sprawling palace of ice and stone, featured in the novel "Rogues to Riches". It's the home of Frota, the Ice Witch, a powerful being wielder of cold magics and leader of a vast humanoid and monstrous army. We've supposed that the Ice Witches were an ancient sect of female followers of Hel, who had the aim to cover Norwold in an eternal winter and dominate the whole region. One of them, Akra (also mentioned in "Rogues to Riches") is said to have ruled Norwold (we supposed around AC150-300); another, Frota, was possessed by Akra's spirit in 9th century AC and attempted to regain control of Norwold, but ultimately failed. Frota isn't dead, but still plots in the Ice Tomb the downfall of Norwold. Her pet white dragon is called Nievous.
Ironroot Mountains: They're a branch of the Final Range, cited in another adventure of AC10, "The Pestiferous Castle of Bodor Sordstone". Here we have a clan of mountain giants (whose leader has fought on the side of many lawful nations in the past) and nearby dwarven communities. We've supposed that the dwarves of Stormhaven are the ones of the adventure, living on the eastern slopes of the Ironroots, while the mountain giants live on the western side of the range.
Isbreidd Mountains: The northernmost branch of the Eastern Mengul Range, which encloses the Denagoth area from the north along with the Ice Mountains.
Isle of Dogs: This large island is called this way according to the PWAs.
Isojärvi Lake: One of the lakes of Autuasmaa.
Jagged Teeths Mountains: We've borrowed the name of this mountain ranges from the Mystaran Almanacs at the Vaults.
Jotunheimr Hills: An ancient haven of giant clans and other humanoid tribes (mostly trolls, bugbears and orcs).
Kalajoki River: One of the rivers of Autuasmaa.
Kesäjoki River: One of the rivers of Autuasmaa.
Kothir Mountains: Another branch of the Eastern Mengul Range, this also uses a name created by Oldie in his Denagoth gazetteer.
Kothir River: The name of this river is borrowed from OldDawg's gazetteer of Denagoth.
Lake Ashtagon: This lake is featured in M4; its waters host a colony of devilfishes.
Lake Gunaald: The name of this lake is borrowed from the Mystaran Almanac published at the Vaults.
Lake Vanern: The third great lake of south-central Norwold.
Landfall: The infamous city of thieves, from CM1 and later products. The novel "Rogues to Riches" adds much detail about this filthy city - such as the presence of half-orcs and gnomes, the wonderful gardens of Lernal's palace, Lernal's magist Faldron and Lernal's beautiful and beloved daughter, Erise.
Landsplit River: The river that represents the northern border of the Kingdom of Norwold, from CM1 and later products; in the tongue of the Jääkansa we've called it "Maanselkä".
Lighthall: The town of Theobold Redbeard, pregenerated PC from M4; the adventure says openly that Lighthall is placed on the coast, half-way between Landfall and Oceansend.
Lirovka's Alp: A branch of the Final Range.
Ljallenvals Mountains: A mountain range on the northern shores of the Great Bay, north-east of Alpha. According to the novel "Rogues to Riches" it's inhabited by many humanoid tribes and frost creatures that serve Frota, the Ice Witch (see Ice Tomb).
Loark Pass: The mountain pass from which the humanoid hordes came in AC1722. We've called it with the name of the orc king that led the Great Horde to the ravage of the Antalian civilisation.
Lothbarth Forest: This great forest (whose name is borrowed from the Mystaran Almanac at the Vaults) hosts many Foresthomes that are allied together; they share a common history and the legacy of Lornasen, their Immortal patron who brought here the Trees of Life and introduced the worship of Ilsundal among these Shiyes.
Menascha (Northern) Marsh: These are the marshy areas found east of Castle Ghyr in XL1, where they're called simply "northern marsh". I've also borrowed the name used for the same swamp by OldDawg in his Denagothian gazetteer, Menascha Swamp.
Mt. Crystykk: A huge ice-covered mountain, which hosts the lair of the three famous Crones of Crystykk, the mysterious oracles featured in CM1 and later modules. According to its description, it should be a mountain far away from civilised areas; we've chosen a large mountain that fulfilled that characteristic.
Mt. Eirick: The tallest mountain of the Icereach Range, according to TMs and PWAs.
Naga River: The river which separates Denagothian lands from Wendar and Heldannic Territories, from X11.
Nordenhafen Isle: The name of this island is borrowed from the Mystaran Almanac at the Vaults.
Norzee: The northern sea, according to M1 and other modules; perhaps it's the sea which extends from the Frosthaven waters east to Qeodhar (remember that Norlan is called "Scourge of Norzee"). The arctic sea beyond Frosthaven is called White Sea (from RC and HW).
Obechek: A village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Oceansend: No need of further explanations; see "Kingdom of Oceansend", above. "Rogues to Riches" adds many detail about the city, such as the daughter of King Olaf (the novel is set in AC1010), the ranger Mara.
Oceansend Bay: This bay is called this way according to the PWAs.
Oceansend Marshes: This large swamp is called this way according to CM1.
Peaks of Snorri: Another branch of the Final Range.
Pierced Crown, The: Another branch of the Wyrmsteeth Range, called this way because of the valley that pierces the range at about its midpoint.
Plain of Skulls: A bleak steppe whose land is covered by many skeletal remains of giants, humanoids, humans and other creatures. It's considered a bad place by the Viaskoda of the White Banner, who usually leave here exiles and people sentenced to death. Only one or two of the darkest tribes of Viaskoda live here.
Pohjanjärvi Lake: One of the lakes of Autuasmaa.
Quesa's Massif: In the novel "Rogues to Riches" a story is told about the Witch-Queen Akra and her rulership over Norwold centuries ago. Her pet white dragon, the fearsome Quesa, still lives and is bound to the Ice Cave - Akra's former hideout. We've supposed that this massif was the site of the Ice Cave (now Quesa's lair) and that the whole mountainous area is called with Quesa's name by the locals.
Raatovaarat Mountains: A set of hills in northern Norwold.
Raider's Point: The name of this point is owed to the frequent Ostlander raids.
Ransarn River: The valley of this large river is the region where the dominions of Vatski boyars mainly lay. The whole region should be filled with boyars' keeps, Vatski villages and poor trails. The river should be the main way of travel and land trade of the region. The trade route should then head toward Saffir, and hence to Lighthall. The valley between Lirovka's Alp and Hettafjall Mountains is wilderness and inhabited by goblins and other humanoids.
Regent Pass: The fortress and the pass of the same name are introduced in CM1.
Rhien Forest: This dense forest is home of some elven clans (marked as a Foresthome on the map), which maintain friendship with Foxfolk lupins that live nearby.
Sabre River: The cursed river from CM3. According to the adventure, this area was targeted by an Alphatian colonisation attempt, which failed because of lack of support from the empire and barbarian opposition. We've linked this attempt with the war between the dragons and the Alphatian featured in the "Dragonlord Trilogy". So we've supposed a carefully-organised Alphatian expedition that created a port city at the mouth of the Sabre River, and a colony along the river valley (this around AC450-510). Later, opposition from the elves, the Norsenians and the dragons caused the destruction of the Alphatian army (CM3), fleet and colony (Dragonlord Trilogy). The Alphatian summer palace featured at the Heart of the River in CM3 should instead descend from Alinor's Princedom of Alphia (see Alphia).
Saffir: In AC10, in the adventure "Krasniy the Red" it is described a small town laying over a mountain pass crossed by a trade route, and some of its inhabitants have Slavic-sounding names. We've chosen to set that adventure here: Saffir should be an Heldanner-Vatski mixed town which serves as the mayor trading point between the land of the Vatski boyars and that of the Heldanner clans.
Selchnogorsky: A village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Sinijoki River: One of the rivers of Autuasmaa.
Skaufskogr Hills: These wooded hills are inhabited by clans of Foxfolk lupins. The name of this hill range has been borrowed from Agathokles.
Skejdar River: Part of this river appears in the southern Norwold map found in JA; we've supposed that it flows up to Oceansend.
Skelleft River: Another of the great rivers of Norwold.
Sklogtir Island: The largest island of Norzee (apart from Frosthaven).
Slaves' Point: The name of this point traces back its origins to the Nithian times, when many slaves were bought periodically here to work on the Nithian colony that existed in the Leeha area (see Tokoramses' Watch).
Stamtral: The village capital of the Duchy of Stamtral, from CM4.
Stormhaven: This is the site of the well-known dwarven clan allied with Oceansend; see "Evedotardom of Stormhaven", above.
Strimmen Island: One of the two smaller islands if front of Oceansend.
Strondborg: In PWAIII, AC1012, Heldannic Knights build a port called Neuhafen, where they start to construct ship at a high rate - too high for this to happen in a newly-founded town. So we've supposed that the Heldannic Neuhafen was nothing more that the enlargement and the upgrade of an existing Heldanner town, which we've called Strondborg.
Stryna: A village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Sumarokoyva: A village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Todstein Island: This was the island of the Darklord Meredoth, from "Domains of Dread" (Ravenloft); now it's uninhabited by the living. The Todstein Island featured in "Domains of Dread" is said to be the exact duplicate of his original island on Mystara; this is because we created this new island instead of naming "Todstein Island" the isle at the mouth of the Great Bay (as it was done in Mystaran Almanac, at the Vaults), which was larger and of different form.
Tokoramses' Watch: According to one of the library clues shown in M5, one of the Thothian (Nithian) pharaohs, Tokoramses V, went on pilgrimage toward the Arch of Fire, and came to see it by distance. We've supposed that the Nithians had a colony in the Leeha area and some other posts along the coast of Norwold. We've considered this mountain the one from which Tokoramses V saw the wonderful Arch of Fire.
Timayam River: Another of the great rivers of Norwold.
Tukkijoki River: One of the rivers of Autuasmaa.
Viaskaland: The large expansion of steppes and plains north of the Great Bay, home of the Viaskoda of the Azure Banner.
Vinisk River: The marshy areas around this river comes from the poorly-made southern Norwold map shown in JA. We've made the whole Vinisk valley a place where Ghyrian and Viaski settlers come to flee the oppressive rule of their feudal overlords - but also a place of monsters and humanoid tribes.
Vyolstagrad: The capital village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Vyzama: A village of the Duchy of Vyolstagrad, from CM4.
Walrus Island: This island is called this way according to the PWAs.
Whispering Grove: A Foresthome cited in the Dungeon Magazine #21 adventure "The Bane of Elfswood"; it was the home of the Glanadyl clan before they left their kin to found Elfswood.
White Bear River: One of the largest rivers of Norwold, from CM1 and later products.
Whitehall: This city is mentioned in the background of the pregenerated PC Theona of the Most Righteous Glory, in M4. It' described as a "great city", so we've made it a town in an area of Norwold a little less savage, easy to contact often by Alphatians and other traders. Moreover, maps in the PWAs show that a sea trade routes stops here, so we deemed necessary to have a trading post/town in this area. According to the history we've written about Whitehall, the town is an Oceansender colony, founded in the first half of the 10th century.
White Mountains, The: Another branch of the Icereach Range.
Windreach: The "capital" city of Mystara's dragons, from the "Dragonlord Trilogy". There the dragons meet once every given time to attend the Parliament of Dragons and rarely to see also an avatar of the Great One. The city has a central dome that is taller than 1,000' feet, but it's situated largely underground and so it's not easily visible from distance. In this city, who is said to have enough lairs to hosts up to 2,000 dragons, reside also the Eldar, and ancient elven races linked to both gold dragons and elves.
Winter Peaks: A lonely northern mountain range.
Wiuden's Valley: I've partly borrowed the name of this region from the Mystaran Almanac at the Vaults, where it was called "Wiudental".
Wyrm's Head Mountains: The main massif of the Wyrmsteeth Range, it's in this mountainous area that most dragons inhabiting this range have set their lairs. The dragons are ruled by a Draconic Parliament, where each dragon species has a Speaker, and the assembly as a whole is ruled by a First Speaker; the seat of the Parliament is the draconic city of Windreach. Contrary to what's written in CM1, there seems to be also gold dragons in the range (perhaps the humans don't know about them). All this information come from the "Dragonlord Trilogy", which says also that: a) dragons and humans are at peace according to an ancient pact signed between the first Blackmoorian Dragonlord and the dragons - and so only renegade dragons not respectful of the pact attacks human communities (the situation could have changed since AC500, however); b) dragons often "chant" by night, and their voice is audible far far away from the mountains; c) the dragons trade with the elves of nearby Foresthomes, and protect them; d) dragons are friends of an ancient elven race, the Eldar, and many of the surviving members of this ancient race live alongside them in Windreach; e) the Draconic Parliament doesn't rule over the Wyrmsteeth dragons only, but it's an assembly that rules over the whole draconic population of Mystara; f) this assembly is sometimes addressed by an avatar of the Great One.
Wyrmsteeth Range: The (in-)famous mountain range inhabited by dragons, cited for the first time in CM1. See also Wyrm's Head Mountains and Windreach to read more about the dragons. The range extends from the Wyrm's Head Mountains in the south to the Eagles' Barrier in the north - but dragons inhabit mostly only the south-central part of the range. The range is passed through by a huge valley that separates the Wyrm's Head Mountain from The Bloody Scythe.
For the sake of completeness, I post here also the political map of Norwold, which shows where we've placed the various canonical (or so) fiefdoms. Some of the names of these domains are taken from the Vaults, while a few other are canonical (those in italic in the list below).
List of the Domains of Norwold (AC1000):
Alpha (Royal Estate). Ruler: Ericall, King of Norwold. [CM1 and later products]
Blakyst (Barony of). Ruler: Bardeen Longstrider. [M2]
Demistra (Barony of). Ruler: Mark Acres. [D&D Companion Set]
Ellikavki (Barony of). Ruler: Ethendril h'Caramore. [M5]
Fjskevik (County of). Ruler: Niles Douglass. [D&D Companion Set]
Free Plains (Barony of the). Ruler: Allisa Patrician. [CM1 and M2]
Garette (County of). Ruler: James Essex. [D&D Companion Set]
Glumicagora (Barony of). Ruler: Claransa the Seer. [CM1 and later products]
Havkulle (Barony of). Ruler: Rutger Dag. [CM1 and later products]
Hopeland (Barony of). Ruler: Ernest Day. [CM1 and M2]
Hvittland (Barony of). Ruler: Trent 'il Bianco'. [M2]
Lalmetaure (Barony of). Ruler: Quillan Elmgrower. [CM1 and later products]
Landfall (Duchy of). Ruler: Lernal the Swill. [CM1 and later products]
Latela (Barony of). Ruler: Longtooth. [CM1 and M2]
Lausthorp (Barony of). Ruler: Geoffrey of Heldann. [CM1 and later products]
Lighthall (Duchy of). Ruler: Theobold Redbeard. [M4]
Moonland (Barony of). Ruler: Sandralane of Glantri. [CM1]
Morkheim (Barony of). Ruler: Alak Dool. [CM1 and M2]
Nyslott (Barony of). Ruler: Shebb Woolsey. [M5]
Obaladosk (Barony of). Ruler: Lucci Dhay. [M2]
Solvhavne (Barony of). Ruler: Max I. [CM1 and M2]
Sommerplass (County of). Ruler: Tralkar Fenn. [M5]
Sonnenfeld (Barony of). Ruler: Fergus the Justifier. [CM1 and later products]
Stamtral (Duchy of). Ruler: Stano. [CM4]
Taulenilda (Barony of). Ruler: Delsel Oaktree. [M2]
Ublaat-nor (Barony of). Ruler: Brogahn of the Steppes. [CM1 and later products]
Twolakes Vale (Barony of). Ruler: Maltus Fharo. [CM2]
Veived (Barony of). Ruler: Winnefred of the Lake. [M2]
Vyolstagrad (Duchy of). Ruler: Nevik. [CM4]
Westria (Barony of). Ruler: Weston the High. [CM1 and later products]
Whitetower (Barony of). Ruler: Adik de Chevas. [M2]
Yskelb (Barony of). Rulers: Knolimer Knolin and Unice. [M5]