Earthdawn Revisited - The Books of Tomorrow (An overview of the Current World)

Return to home page:

The Lands of Barsaive
Most of the large, untamed land that we call Barsaive has remained unexplored since the days before the Scourge.

Formerly a province of the Theran Empire, Barsaive became independent before the Scourge and is surrounded by natural and political barriers on all sides.


 * Directly North is the Blood Wood. A twisted place that is fiercely protected by its rarely seen guardians.
 * North East beyond the city of Parlainth is sparsely inhabited by villages and tribes with no greater political unity due to the lack of things worth having in that area.
 * Directly East is the Aras sea, beyond which lay several independent nation-states.
 * The South East is blocked by the Dragon Moutains (Beyond which lays the Theran Empire). To the East is the enclosed Aras Sea across which lay several kingdoms.
 * Directly South is the Death Sea, a lake of molten lava hundreds of miles across.
 * The South-West is Theran Territory anchored around the city of Vivaine.
 * The West is bordered by the Poisoned Wastes a land hit so badly by the scourge that now nothing but horrors dwells there for long.
 * The North-West is watched over by the City-State of Iopos that dislikes travellers in its lands, beyond the city there is little but scattered groups villages and tribes. (The region had few natural resources and so most people fled and built Kaers elsewhere before the Scourge hit)

The Majority of Barsaive is covered in hilly uplands, plateaus, and low mountains, interupted by more serious mountain ranges liek the Throal Mountains and the Twilight Peaks.

Nothing grew in Barsaive in the years immediately following the Scourge, which had the effect of causing dramatic and frequent shifts in temperature and rainfall. Once the people began to emerge from their kaers, however, they used magic to regenerate the world’s greenery at a phenomenal rate. Within a decade of the end of the Scourge,

Barsaive enjoys a year-round, temperate climate with moderate rainfall. Rainfall in most of southern Barsaive is heavier than the 40 to 60 inches common in the rest of the province, but the area surrounding Death’s Sea suffers continual drought. Most of the year’s rainfall occurs during the first six months.

Cities of Barsaive:

 * Throal
 * Travar
 * Urupa
 * Kratas - The City of Thieves. When the Scourge came, this city had only a thin Earth dome to protect it. It is believed to have fallen within only a few years. But is was relatively wealthy, so it had numerous buried caches and extensive underground construction that remain full of treasures. Despite being called a city it is very sparsely populated and many of the people who call it home are criminals or outcastes of one sort of another.
 * Kratas-1(1).png
 * Iopos
 * Parlainth - (Far North East of the map) A city that tried to hide in a distant pocket of the Astral plane, vanished for centuries and only recently returned, bereft of life, but filled with treasure, traps, horrors, the undead, and a Dragon that has taken up residence (Did I mention the Treasure?).There is a smaller settlement called Haven which serves as a base camp for explorers who don't mind risking their lives.
 * Ishkarat
 * K'Tenshin
 * Claw Ridge
 * Jerris - To the Western most extent of the Kingdom of Throal it is largely independent. It borders of a vast blighted wasteland that prevents further exploration West. The dark smoke that blows in from the wastes blankets the town and gives the place a sombre mood as even colourful decorations are soon stained by the grey substance. Although it is commonly called Ash, nobody actually knows what the dark substance is except that it's bitter to taste and falls on the city of Jerris. Whilst the people may seem bleak, they are easily moved to passion, be it tears or angry blades. Because strong air currents pass over the city, it is a natural port for airship travel.
 * V'Strimon
 * Vivane
 * Marrek
 * Syrtis

Rivers and Seas:

 * The Serpent River - A series of connected river systems, the longest in the known world, flowing through Barsaive's chaotic terrain. Each stretch is patrolled by one of five great T'Skrang Trade Houses.
 * The Caucavic River - A tributary to the Serpent River that stretches from near Parlainth and the Caucavic mountains down to where it joins the Serpent river at Tansiarla. Three Kaers sits on this stretch of river and it is ruled by...
 * The Coil River - Running from just outside Throal to lake Ban, this is one of the wealthiest trade routes in Barsaive and ships Dwarven-made goods out to the Serpent river from which they are moved either up or down the Serpent River or down towards Urupa where they are shipped off to distant lands. Likewise large tributes of food and raw materials make their way back up to Throal. This stretch of the river is dominated by House V'strimon.
 * Death's Sea
 * Scarlet Sea
 * Aras Sea

Other locations:

 * Caucavic Mountains
 * The Throal Mountains
 * The Sarvos Jungle
 * The Blood Wood - (North of the Map) A vast forest twisted by Blood Magic filled with isolationist elves, monsters and treachery. The elves of the Blood Wood do not permit outsiders and do not venture out themselves, which suits most people. Rumours suggest that the realm is ruled by Queen Alachia, the same monarch who first sealed the woodland away from outsiders hundreds of years ago. Those who try to explore the woods are never seen again. The area is believed to be an unsavoury place. The Elves who remained loyal to their Queen had to do terrible things to survive.
 * Mist Swamps
 * Cara Fahd

Return to home page: