The Eastern Frontier
The Eastern Frontier
Eastern Frontier – A desination given to a recently, within in the last fifteen years, opened Eastern wilderness by a coalition of five Guild Merchant Prince houses. The area encompasses an area roughly five hundred miles on a side, from the Creeper Peaks to the westernmost provinces of the Ixcoatli kingdoms and from the deep Northern wilds to the southern branch of the Meander River. The region's potential has barely been scratched as settlers and fortune-seekers from the River Province flock to Azrego, the Guild's most important town in the area.
Azrego – A Guild boomtown that sprung up around the Guild's easternmost outpost. An uneasy coalition of five merchant princes determined to make a fortune out of the wilderness runs the place. In a matter of years the town has grown to a population of tens of thousands with a mixed architecture of tent towns, log houses, and the Upfalls district where the merchant princes have established their fine mansions. Azrego is divided into three neighborhoods. Lake-town where fishing and trade cross Greyscale Lake. Up-falls where a sudden drop in elevation has great roaring falls down to the Meander River. Here a number of water demesnes and the best homes of the well to do are located. And River-Town, where the majority of the lower classes, red lantern districts, and river traffic is handled.
Azrego survives heavily on the fur trade, logging, mining, exotic Eastern plants, slave-taking along the shores of the Greyscale Lake, and the new plantations springing up between the arms of the Meander River.
Creeper Peaks – A harsh range of mountains that borders the western edge of the Frontier. Heavily forested on the lower slopes with numerous streams and rivers feeding into swamps along its southern edge. Numerous ruins dot the high slopes though their providence is unknown. The barbarians consider the whole range a cursed battleground of the gods, with many-legged demons emerging from deep holes to raid their towns. The Guild has so far been unable to verify these legends but independent scavenger lords sometimes brave the foothills. Most are never heard from again. The Guild is currently planning a major expedition but keeps running into snags.
The River Plain – The expanse of fertile lands between the northern and southern arms of the Meander. A number of plantations have sprung up to experiment with the exotic plants of the region. They are staffed with local barbarians whose lives have been destroyed by guild intrutions or taken as slaves.
The Fasil Swamps – Home to the Fasili peoples. Fairly typical of Eastern barbarians living in rude walled compounds and worshiping numerous local spirits. Divided into many bands that often war with each other. Early enemies of the Guild presence on the River Plains they suffered a number of defeats against the Guild mercenaries. Today the bands are divided between those who continue to war against the Guild (under a popular warchief named Five Winds) and those seeking patronage and protection from the slaving raids. The Guild trading posts of the Second and Third Portage has been established to keep Guild influence strong among the tribe, in addition to serving as secure portages around rough sections of river.
The Twilight Bog – Another swamp fed by Creeper Peak streams and crossed by the North Meander. Dreary even by the standards of a swamp. It is often overcast with withered vegetation crowding the streams and deer with bone white coats watching from the shores. It is inhabited by the unrelentingly hostile Twilighters, bands of savages known for their pale skin, cannibalism, and ancestor worship. They despise the Guild. The Guild has opened the First Portage here but it is essentially a walled fort with numerous mercenaries to help keep the Meander open to trade.
Greyscale Lake – A huge lake hundreds of miles long and wide. Storms frequently churn the waters leading to the lake's name – sometimes the lake seems to show a scaled hide shifting just below the waves. Many superstition suggest its the spirit of the lake showing itself. What manner of spirit is unknown but the Guild makes a regular practice of sacrificing to the lake spirit, just in case. The lake is a hotbed of activity. Azrego is a growing, vigorous power making itself felt all along the lake shores with its fishing, trading, and slaving ships. The North Shore is inhabited by Wyld Barbarians who are said to be at the command of fey folk. Their fey lords can sometimes be seen in the distance sailing in glittering glass ships with gossamer sails. They have yet to make their intent known and Azrego's leaders have been reluctant to provoke them. The far Eastern shore belongs to a province of the Ixcoatli empire and has a growing city of its own on the lake shore, Calakmal. The potentate of Calakmal is said to be insulted by the scaleless ones sailing the Empire's waters and is considering war. Despite its hostility to the guild smugglers from both sides conduct a thriving trade.
Calakmal – A serpent-man city and extension of the vast beast-man empire of Ixcoatli. At present low grade hostility exists with Azrego though low key smuggling continues between the cities. The Guild is considering a diplomatic expedition to smooth out relations with the beast-men. The city is ruled by the serpent-man prince, Kinich Ehb. He is reputed to have many mystical powers.
