Isteria: The Land Over the Mountains

The land between the tall peaks of the Greywatch Mountains and the deep expanses of the Caeruleum Mare has been known for centuries as Isteria, the “Land Over the Mountains.” A backwater of the Monrovarian Empire to the north and isolated by the Isarian peninsula, now known as the Blasted Erg, to the west, Isteria is of small importance to the great powers of the world. Littered with ruins from the now mythic ancient Empire of Medea that was destroyed by the cataclysm that created the Blasted Erg, the land sometimes attracts seekers of lost knowledge and treasure.

An Old School Hexcrawl

Easily inserted into an existing campaign or used for the basis of a new one, "The Land Over the Mountains" is a simple 10x10 hexcrawl usable with any old school (and many modern) RPGs. The land is a small area, but filled with politics, intrigue, mystery, and not a small amount of danger. The occasional baronial war flares between the major nobility, and the savage desert tribes of the Blasted Erg wait at the borders with hungry eyes searching for chances to raid or perhaps even conquer.

The doom haunted forest of the Zaberwald is shunned by normal folk, and the Howling Hills sprout mysterious ruins that seem not to be made by human hands. The ruins of ancient Licinium beckon the sage and magister with possible answers to ancient questions. The Grand City of Eisenbach is filled with intrigue and turmoil. In short, adventure awaits.

The major features and factions of the land are defined for the referee. Each hex is given a short description littered with possible adventure seeds. Some of these focus on grand intrigue while others are more whimsical and creative. The major plot points are left open however for the referee to develop. The goal is to inspire a referee's creativity, not tie them to any plot.

Look for more adventures in Isteria coming soon! The first will be "A Doom Haunted Forest"- A paragraphed keyed adventure for solo or group play set in the Zaberwald...