Rotkrater
The Gambler’s Wastes
It’s believed that Rotkrater was once a jungle, but now little can survive on its reddened shores and arid flats. Those who can are not to be trifled with. Rotkrater’s deathly conditions are considered a plague, clawing its way north. It is because of this that the people of Rotkrater rely on the fresh water and food brought in from beyond its shores. Yet, due to this desperation, pirates flock to the Rotkrater, looking to quickly fence stolen goods. It has become a safe haven to those who find themselves unwelcome elsewhere.
Coins of Demise • Dolorog • Outer Wastes • Red Bay
The Colonies • The Fissure • Túran Farrig
Coins of Demise
Off the southeastern coast of Rotkrater runs an archipelago known as the Coins of Demise. These tropical, volcanic islands have been dormant for longer than anyone can remember, and so some have begun to build their homes here. While the red waters stain the beaches, greenery is still able to grow at the heart of the islands. Though more and more begins to wither each year.
The name of this archipelgo stems from legend. The story goes, long ago, a pirate stole from the treasure trove of Demise, the god of the watery grave. The pirate managed to escape the afterlife by riding a Leviathan through the Confluence of Worlds. At the last moment, Demise caught the pirate by the leg and dragged him back down into the endless sea, but a few coins slipped from their grasp. These coins rose to the surface of the ocean in our world and formed these islands.
Dolorog
According to Orcish legend, the Orcs journeyed to Kad from a distant world of violence and war and founded Dolorog as the last bastion of the Orcish people. The heavily fortified walls protect the city from those who might wish them gone. Many within its walls fiercely that the Orcish people must remain united and separate from the rest of the world. Those who challenge that view are exiled.
Outer Wastes
Beyond the major cities of Rotkrater, there is only desolation. Gnolls, Kenku, Yuan-ti, Orcs in exile, those that live in the bleak wilds roam in herds. Some wastelanders build makeshift shelters out of scrap metal found in the expanse, but, at any time, the ground may crumble and swallow the settlement whole. It’s unwise to stay still for long. And if you dare hunt the creatures that live in the wilds, whatsoever you choose to hunt is just as likely hunting you.
Red Bay
Situated along the southern bank of the nation, Red Bay is a raucous city of thieves and pariahs. It serves as the capital of the nation and is considered the most popular marketplace south of Ren Sahari.
As the capital of Rotkrater, Red Bay is the legislative heart of the nation. There is no singular ruler. Instead, laws are amended, repealed and created through a complicated game known as Regency. The laws of the land are manifested in gambling chips. Whomsoever controls one of these chips decides the law it will represent and, in turn, the punishment for infractions.
The Colonies
As desperation in Rotkrater grows, so too does the need for fast shipments. Yet the people of Sen Miëgog have been unwilling to cede passage through Gardener’s Sound, the strait which separates Sen Miëgog and Outgarden. To clear the way, the sailors of Rotkrater began claiming colonies along Sen Miëgog’s shores.
The colonizers have overtaken the Grung town of Garacost on the eastern coast of Sen Miëgog. And on the western coast of Outgarden, they’ve built Fort Kradin. The colonizers have neared a complete seizure of the strait, but they have had little luck taking Pantano, the expansive, amphibious city on the northern lip of the passage.
The Fissure
The hobgoblins and bugbears of Rotkrater have staked a claim on the northern ravine. The Fissure, as it’s known, is home to the city of Trup, built within the skeleton of a long-dead leviathan at the lowest point of the ravine. Trespassers in the Fissure are often met with violence in defense of the delicate network of aqueducts that run throughout the Fissure.
Túran Farrig
High up the mountain side along the Graveyard of the Tectonics stands Túran Farrig, the southern tower and counterpart to Northern Ardea’s Túran Domin. Few know what the inside of the towers look like save for the dwarves and rock gnomes that call them home.