Thoughts on Western Brun
by Simone NeriSo, let me know what you think of the region and the lands of the region in your own words. And, like the Skothar thread, I'm not looking for strict canon, although that would be helpful as a start. After that, tell me about why you like the Western Brun. Tell me whether or not you've ever set a game there. Tell me what you don't like about the region.
I never set a campaign in this area, nor I ever sent my PCs there.
Nevertheless, here's what I can say:
Canon:
Well, speaking strictly of the Arm of the Immortals and the area west of the Yalu River, canon about this area is nearly non-existent.
Canonwise, in the Arm of the Immortals are found two plateaus which are respectively inhabited by winged elves (the ee'aar of the Kingdom of Aeryl) and winged minotaurs (the Babylonian-like, good-willed enduks of the Kingdom of Eshu); both plateaus are found in the very middle of the mountain range which run in north-south direction along the whole lenght of the Arm.
The eastern side of the Arm is covered in jungles and swamps inhabited by orc tribes and dangerous hivebroods (insectlike parasitic creatures which infest humanoid bodies in order to reproduce). Porto Maldiçao, a colony of Vilaverde (a domain of the Savage Coast to the east), is also located in this area.
The western side of the Arm is more plains and hills, and hosts two kingdoms of demi-ogres (a cross between black-skinned Tanagoro humans from Tangor, in Skothar, and ogres) named Gombar and Suma'a. Not much is known about them, besides the fact that these realms are colonies (or former colonies) of distant Skotharian demi-ogre realms in Tangor, and that the demi-ogre are a religious and mercantile lot, quite advanced and civilized.
The southern part of the Arm is inhabited by some rakasta breeds, namely Jakars (who lives in jungle and swamp tribes, but who occasionally see the rise of temple-centered city-states), Jakarundi, and the nomadic Ocelotl in the southernmost part of the Arm. Vilaverdan and Texeiran explorers and merchants are known to foray in this area.
The Yalu River area was never detailed in canon products. The only hint we have about it is the rural realm called Cropland set along the lower course of the Yalu, a land of peaceful farmers and fishermen.
North of this area, near the northern end of the Endworld Line, the ancient homeland of the elves is found (the Sylvan Realm). In the mountains north of the Sylvan Realm stands the Blackmoor-built fortress of Dragonwatch Keep, a place where a cabal of gold dragon guardians keeps ancient Blackmoorian artifacts away from the eyes of mortals. Also, the Endworld Line is known to be inhabited by Mountain Rakastas clans.
Fanon:
The area west of the Yalu River is best known for the geograhically massive fanon works of Christian Constantin and Adrian Mattias, that is the empires of Yezchamen (inspired to the Persian Empire) and Zuyevo (ispired by imperial Russia), locked in the struggle to control the mouth of the Yalu River. You can easily find maps and descriptions of these places in the section of the Vaults you linked in your post. These empires are useful if you like to portray a Mystaran version of the struggle going on in the Mid-East in the 18th century between Russia, Ottoman Empire (which in Mystara would be Hule), and the Persian Empire.
Another major fan work of the area east of the Endworld Line, facing the ocean and south of the Sylvan Realm, is that regarding the Kingdom of Brasov and the Klagorst Confederacy, created by Giulio Caroletti and refined by LoZompatore. Cultures of this area are loosely inspired by central European Czech and Slovak cultures I think, but feature many interesting races in unusual settings (gnomes, hydrax, centaurs, feys, lizardmen, troglodites, strange fish-men, island dwarves, orcs, and so on).
And then there is the city of Nastoreth, a remnant of the old Varellyan civilization of Davania, created by Geoff Gander and located in the southernmost tip of the Arm of the Immortals.
Not much else has been produced on this area IIRC, besides names for many supposedly nomad or barbaric tribes of various races located in the northern steppes.
That's all. What I like about this region? It is still very much undeveloped. What I don't like? The same, I suppose.