THE TWELVE MAGICAL WONDERS

1. The Icewall: Usually referred to as The Wall, this 360 mile long/720 foot tall/300 foot thick structure is one of the Twelve Magical Wonders of the Known World.  Built over 12,000 years ago using ice magic, the Icewall is used to guard against the barbarians and draugr north of it.  There are a total of 31 castles along its length spaced every 12 miles apart.  From west to east, the castle names are:

Westkeep, Blackwatch, Foeguard, Frostfell, Snowshear, Winterwatch, Starkhaven, Queenskeep, Deepwinter, Nightguard, Bleaktowers, Greenguard, Honor's Fall, Hoarfrost, Wailing Keep, Icewall, Stonekeep, Deeplake, Frostbite, Woodguard, Whitehall, Blackfort, Frostreach, Winterfell, Draugr's Bane, Crow's Nest, Rimegate, Rhaungan's End, Icewatch, Bonechill, and Eastbridge.  Most of these castles are unmanned these days and there are less than 1200 men in the Winter Watch now.  Most of them are criminals and nobles who've fallen on hard times.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Floating Continent of Ark:  The smallest of Aeden's continents, Ark was seized from giants centuries ago (though it was called Voninheim by them).  How the landmass came to float is unknown (the most likely explanation is that dragons enacted the magic).  The wizards who seized the continent did so because the native giants were beginning to organize and attack other lands.

Those who seized it have little in the way of government although they do monitor their land for visitors and require extensive investigations into anyone who wishes to claim a holding there (only archmages are allowed to stake a claim).  Their laws are simple:

A. On pain of death, no Archmage may attack or otherwise assault another or invade another's holdings.
B. An archmage's land is theirs to rule as they wish.  One wizard may, with no more provocation than trespassing upon his holding, slay another if he sees fit.  Fellow Archmages must always announce their desire to visit and be accepted before visiting.
C. Holdings are generally 7 provinces in size (each province being 30 to 40 miles across).  Archmages are usually required to live close to the center of their lands so as to provide a sizable buffer between them and fellow Archmages.  This is done so that experiments gone awry or other disasters may be responded to within time to mitigate such crises.
D. Upon claiming a holding, Archmages are required to create (or procure) a palantir (a device that can be crafted in many forms but has the effect of allowing other Archmages to contact each other when desired).  Most palantiri are crystal balls, but gems and crowns/circlets are also popular.
E. As mentioned above, Archmages are allowed to rule their lands as they see fit (some are kindly and generous, others are evil and iron-fisted).  However, any action that has the effect of causing harm to the land is frowned upon and the Eldermages (see below) may censure, banish or even slay Archmages who overstep.
F. Eldermages are those who have chosen to serve their fellow Archmages as leaders.  Any Archmage may step forward as a potential candidate for an empty position (even a newly accepted one).  However, the Eldermages choose their members as they see fit.  In cases where a tie is deadlocked, the eldest (as in longest standing Elder) among them chooses.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Dragon Mountain: It is said that in ages past the terrible Dragonking Eirvincmaugh sought to expand his power far beyond the (already vast) norm of dragonkind...and he nearly succeeded.  Through some ritual lost in the mists of Time, the dragon grew to a size far greater than even the eldest of Great Wyrms.  He began laying waste to the territories of other dragons and, it seemed, he would succeed in dominating his kind.  That is, until the coming of the Dragonmage.  Who this individual was is also lost to the mists of Time, but he (or she, it is unknown what race the Dragonmage was though he/she appeared as a humanoid) managed to dominate the wyrm, forced him to pose, and then turned the Dragonking into stone.

It is said this wizard took up residence within the wyrm (almost certainly carving out chambers in vital areas so that the dragon would remain dead if it were ever restored to flesh) and lived out his, or her, days within, never to be seen again.  Some say the Dragonmage yet lives, ensuring that the terrible Eirvencmaugh is never restored to life.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:43, Sun 02 Oct 2016.

THE TWELVE NATURAL WONDERS

1. Mount KA: Located on the continent of Argonnessen, Mount KA peaks at over 60,000 feet.  It is volcanic (though its activity is sporadic and unpredictable).  It was home to the High Dragons and is held as the most sacred place in all the world by the Dragons of Aeden.

2. Deeprift: Over 1,200 feet deep, 240 miles long and between 60 and 120 miles wide, the Deeprift is the largest canyon in the Known World (though the Worldscar is believed to be MUCH deeper).  Although technically created as the result of a magical disaster, the Deeprift owes its sheer size to the great cavern that was beneath the land when it all collapsed and is thus held to be a natural wonder.

3. The Worldscar: This rift is approximately 300 miles long but no more than 1,200 feet wide at its widest point.  It is, however, deeper than anyone has been able to determine and is believed to access the deepest regions of the Underdark (below the regions known as Nightreach [Upperdark] and Blackreach [Middledark] into what is called the Fellreach [Lowerdark]).  It was created from a seismic effect of the Cataclysm.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:14, Sun 28 Aug 2016.

THE TWELVE GREAT WONDERS

1. Isle of Imladrys: The seat of imperial power rests upon a mysterious island in the Sea of Angelis.  Almost its entire border is shear cliffs jutting out of the sea with two escarpments in its interior.  Although islands with jagged cliffs aren't uncommon, an island that appears to be tiered in this way is.  In addition, there is a circular chain of mountains called the Starpeaks in the center (similar to the Worldcrown and Crownwall mountains, but not as high).  It's obvious that the island's formation is not natural, but no magic has ever been associated with its creation either.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. The Worldcrown: This circular ring of mountains exists at the northern icecap (North Pole).  It is clearly not a natural formation and yet no magic is known to have created it.  It is said that KA created the 12 peaks of this ridge to hide a great secret.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. The Crownwall: Similar to the Worldcrown, this circular ring of mountains exists at the southern icecap (South Pole).
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:09, Fri 04 Aug 2017.