[Background] Overview of the Thunder Rift

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Here I will post a brief overview of the most famous areas and settlements of Thunder Rift. These are short notes describing "what everyone knows" about those places.

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Overview of the main areas of the Rift

Brichtwood: The Brichtwood is a lovely forest to the south of the Gloomfens. It is home to many sylvan creatures including a tribe of Centaurs.

Gauntlin Forest: This vast wood covers nearly a quarter of Thunder Rift. The northern part of the Forest is claimed by Gnolls, Bugbears and other humanoids. The southern part is controlled by the Gauntlin elves under the leadership of the Silvercrest clan.

Grakken Wood: This dark sinister wood-realm is a dreadful contrast to the Brichtwoods. Many strange and terrible creatures dwell here.

Marshwoods: A wet marshland forest filled with ruins of old settlements and various failed attempts to farm the marshes. The Marshwoods are home to a large number of lizardmen and other swamp creatures. A large number of undead are also encountered in these marshlands.

The Black Swamps: Bordering on the Marshwoods, the Black Swamp is filled with quagmires and other dangerous swamp-like terrains. Somewhere within the swamps lay the ruins of the legendary Castle Kraal.

The Bone Hills: A jagged, bleak landscape in the southwestern corner of Thunder Rift protects one of the lost exits from the valley. Unfortunately, the red dragon Scortch has made it his home.

The Burning Hills: The hills of the northeastern part of Thunder Rift swarm with Goblins, Hobgoblins and Kobolds. Dire wolves are also frequently spotted in this dangerous area. The Bone Hills are also the home of the legendary Master Thief, Raven. The Burning hills is home to the few remaining Gnomes of Thunder Rift. Sadly, most of them have been enslaved by Goblins.

The Dark Pit: Surrounded by humanoid settlements, this wide hole in the ground is the entrance to a vast network of caves guarded by powerful monsters.

The Farolas Hills: Those dry smooth and rounded hills are home of dwarves and orcs, who wage endless war against each other.

The Gloomfens: This was once the location of Sir Jameson’s Academy of Combat (AKA The Fighters’ Academy), but has been turned into a cursed poisonous swampland. Terrible undead are said to reside within the ruins of the Academy.

The Great Grasslands: These plains go from the northern part of the Rift to the swamps in the far south. They hold several types of terrain and climates and some of the most interesting sites of the Rift

The Upper Great Grasslands: This northern part of the Great Grasslands is loosely delimited by the West Drake River, the northern edges of Gauntlin Forest, the Burning Hills and the Farolas Hills, this is a plain site with fertile farmlands around the Drake River. Many tiny farmer hamlets are scattered around the river, protecting themselves from the goblin raids and from humanoids coming from the forest as well.

The Lower Great Gasslands: southern to the Black Swamp, the Lower Great Grasslands are a wide plain site with small hills and prairies. Much alike its northern counterpart, the Lower Grasslands hold small villages scattered around the rivers. There are also several ruins from old keeps and castles.

The Horned Hills: These hills guards one of the few known entrances and exits to the valley. The Horned Hills are controlled by a tribe of Minotaurs who extract some toll from caravans travelling through the area on their way to or from Melinir.

The Monolith: Another mystery of the valley is the huge black monolith.

Wizardspire: This mountainous fortress was once the center of magical learning of Thunder Rift. After the tragic conflict with the warriors of Jameson’s Academy, it was believed that all of the Wizardspire mages had been killed. However, there are now rumors of a survivor, known as the Mad Mage who is said to be able to control armies of undead.

The Wailing Plateau: This huge piece of rock rests within Gnoll controlled parts of Thunder Rift. However, Gnolls keep away from this area, possibly due to the shrieking sounds emitting from the holes in the rock. The Wailing Plateau is now home to the Rakasta of Artarashai.

The Plunging Cataract: The Thunderous roar of the Plunging Cataract that can be heard throughout Thunder Rift is what gives its name to the valley. It is rumoured that the last King of Thunder Rift travelled across Lake Ostrel when his barged sailed too close to the Cataract and was sunk, it and its treasure still remaining below the waters.

Mage Island: Mage Island lays at the centre of Lake Ganif. It is the original home of most of Thunder Rift’s magic-users. It is said that the great library there contains one of the greatest collections of arcane lore in the world.

Melinir Hills: The hills surrounding Melinir contain a large number of mines originally built by dwarves. These mines have now become taken over by brigands. Legends of the area say that the mines are also home to a race of supernatural beings whose eternal sleep has been undisturbed until now.

Drake River: This river running through winding through almost every corner of Thunder Rift.

credits: edited from the Pandius TR almanarc entry by Håvard Faanes.

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Thunder Rift main settlements:

(mostly) Human settlements:
Melinir: the Rift's largest village stands between the hilly region southwest to the Gauntlin Forest and Lake Granif. This is the best place of the Rift to find goods and services, as well as adventuring opportunities.

Kleine: this small village stands on the shores of Lake Ostrel. Most of its inhabitants are fishermen or farmers. Kleine also attracts adventures because of its proximity with ancient ruins and abandoned mines.

Torlynn: inside the edge of Gauntlin Forest, this was once a prosperous village, but Torlynn fell victim of an evil spell throwing its lands on a deep, harsh coldness. Most of its inhabitants moved from the village and the few who remain search for a way to brake the spell.

Edgewater: this tiny village near Melinir is know because of its library: a reminiscence of a lost order of monks.

Other settlements:
Heart-Home: this dwarven village lays deep inside the mountains at the northwestern corner of the Rift. There are produced the finest metal items of the valley. The dwarves struggle for control of the region as the massive presence of orcs create great hassle for the business of Heart-Home smiths

Silvercrest: this is the main elvish settlement of the Rift, inside the sourthern Gautlin Forest. All elves are welcome there and this is the most well protected portion of the forest.

Artarashai: halfway to the top of the Wailing Plateau stands this small village. It is home to the Rakasta, a humanoid cat race. The Rakasta are newcomers in the Rift. A xenophobic race with an alien culture when compared to the other people of the valley.

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In Darker Dungeons, people worship Immortals and the Immortals grant powers to the clerics (and fighters taking chivalric vows). Each cleric will get favored and opposed spell domains depending on the worshiped Immortal. Spells from these domains become easier or harder for the cleric to cast.

I created a small list of the most important Immortals worshiped in the Rift. Humans have a polytheistic religion worshiping all these Immortals and others. Clerics respect all these Immortals and don't see any of them as enemies, but each cleric have a patron Immortal who gives him his powers. The Temple of Melinir have a small chapel to each of these seven Immortals. Elves and Halflings usually worship the Immortal Neerath, with Elves calling her by a different name: Lariel. Dwarves usually worship Athis. Rakasta worship their ancestors.

This is just a list of generic Immortals to give the players some options when creating clerics. These Immortals are the more likely ones to be mentioned in any conversation in the Rift. The words god and immortal are both used with the same meaning by inhabitants of Thunder Rift.

Humanoids usually worship their own Immortals (sometimes they worship other powerful creatures they believe being Immortals too).

The seven Immortals:

Anker - The Lord of the Dread
Domains: Inertia, Corruption
Anker is the younger brother of Athis. He is the keeper and master of the Underworld, the believed homeland of demons and place where the souls of the condemned go after death. He is portrayed as a strong man with dragon head and wings.
Anker followers strongly believe in capital punishment for crimes.

Athis - The God of Creation
Domains: Creation, Truth
Athis is the elder god of the pantheon, and the husband of Neerath. He is the creator of the universe. Portrayed by humans as a young man with the sun in his hands and by dwarves as an old dwarf with a hammer.
Athis followers praise the protection of Athis creations (like mountains and rivers). Dwarves see their craft and building as homage to Athis creative spirit.

Fagon - The Father of Men
Domains: Confort, Hope
Fagon was the first king of mankind (at least his worshipers believe so). He is the protector of men and is called for aid in harsh times. He is portrayed as a giant knight in silver armor.
Fagon followers praise the protection of mankind and pursue the path of righteousness after their father example.

Gre-Al - The God of Fire
Domains: Antipathy, Pain
The son of Anker, he keep the gates to the Underworld. Portrayed as a giant, black bird.
Gre-Al cult is an odd mix between the cults of Anker and Fagon, believing that judgement and fire must be brought to those who threaten the Rift welfare.

Merech - The Storm Goddess
Domains: Destruction, Despair
Merech is the sister of Neerath. She is the goddess of destruction and despair, sending natural and unnatural catastrophes when not appeased. She is portrayed as a winged snake
Merech followers believe that evil deeds from the mortals are promptly punished by the goddess.

Neerath (Lariel) - The Seed of Life
Domains: Vitality, Purity
Neerath is the creator of life in the world and takes care of all living things. She is portrayed as a beautiful woman with three pairs of arms. Elves portray her like a beautiful female elf casting a spell by blowing over her hand.
Neerath worshipers are very caring for all living things but consider unnatural life, like the undead, to be a great offense to this Immortal.

Nileth - The Water Lady
Domains: Deceit, Sympathy
The goddess of water and magic. She spreads magic on the world, distorting its shape and its creatures at her will. She is portrayed as a nymph holding a magic wand.
Nileth followers believe that chaos and change are the natural ways of the world to evolve.

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Bits of Thunder Rift History

Just to let you aware of the most important facts of the Rift history (well, the most important wars):

The Rift Wars:
Dwarves, Elves and Halflings came to the Rift long before the humans with Dwarves and Elves quickly spreading through most of the valleys. But their different ways and a fateful series of misunderstandings eventually brought two races to war. The war was only finished, without winning sides, with the coming of the Orcs, who promptly became a a common enemy. After dealing with the orchish threat, the Dwarves retired themselves from most of the Rift, finding a isolated and well protected place at Heart-Home, while the Elves adopted the southern portion of the Gauntlin Forest as their home.

The Humans appeared in the Rift at about this time, finding it much of their liking. Soon they were spread through all the Great Grasslands, building villages and castles. The demi-human were not very happy with the coming of their new neighbors, but found a strong ally when the Orcs returned and other tribes of dangerous humanoid appeared.

The Quadrial:
Humans and demi-humans alliance was victorious in the war against the humanoids, but tension between Dwarves and Elves still existed and both races were still suspicious of men. It was when a nasty plague affected all the races that the valor of men and of alliance between the races were proved again. At great cost, he human clerics were successful against the plague and new war was made against the ever returning humanoids. A council was held in the Mage Island and it was decided that a group of heroes was to be assigned as the flagship of the alliance. The group was called Quatrial and should be formed by the greatest adventurers of all four races.

But suspicious and hatred were still in the hearths of the people and when two of the Quatrial members, a male Dwarf and a female Elf, decided for their marriage and later expected for a child, treason struck again and both were found murdered. This shameful event was the end of hostilities between Elves and Dwarves, as both races realized that their irrational hatred had gone too far.

Since then, there's always been a Quatrial, always formed by the finest adventures of the Rift: one of each of the allied races.

Sword vs Wand:
War between the races have ended forever, but human taste for was against their own people was still to be seen. As years passed, humans organizations were getting stronger and the struggle for power joined the Fighter's Academy and the Wizardspire against each other. They were both the most important learning centers for Fighters and Magic Users in the Rift, respectively. When they waged war against each other, consequences were brutal. Both schools were destroyed, and the Gloomfens were created in the wasted region of the Academy. Their former grounds are now homes to armies of undead who still hate each other even after death.

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Living in the Thunder Rift.

There are three major villages which are mostly inhabited by Humans: Melinir, Kleine and Torlynn. There are also a dozen or more tiny villages, like Edgewater, spread through the Great Grasslands. Most humans live in these villages and in small farms through the valley. The farm people have a great need for protection, as the Grasslands are always target of humanoid attacks and for that reason, many Fighters come from the farming regions. Thieves are encountered mostly in the major villages, specially in Melinir where there's a Thieve's Guild. Clerics are most common in the villages as well, but some of them live with the farmers or wander through the Rift. Almost every Magic User makes his training in the Mage Island, near Melinir. Druids are most common in and near the forests, specially Brichtwood. And Mountebanks usually travel though all the villages.

Most Elves come from the Gauntlin Forest, specially the Silvercrest village. But there are also Elves living in the human villages.

The Halflings once had their own villages but found better protection from the humanoids in the human villages. They are specially common in Melinir and Edgewater. Most halflings from Torlynn live in Melinir since the curse.

Dwarves come all from Hearth-Home with few of them bringing their craft expertise to the human villages. With the growing power of the Orcs in the Farolas Hills, Hearth-Home is slowing becoming more isolated than ever from the rest of the Rift.

Almost all Rakasta live in Artarashai with few of them leaving the village in search of adventure. Non-rakasta are not very well received in Artarashai, except when they proved to be brave and honored people.