The Interior
Overview
The interior of Ardentis is the most geographically complex region on the continent — a mix of swamp, mountain, jungle, ancient forest, and underground network. It is also the most cosmologically contested: the Earth Mother and the Mother of Monsters share dominion here, their territories in constant tension. In 4724–4725, Iceflame's campaign has further destabilized the balance, expanding the Mother of Monsters' reach beyond her sanctioned lands.
Major Features
Latan Swamp
The agreed territory of the Mother of Monsters, granted by the gods as compensation when human and dwarven settlers encroached on the Earth Mother's lands. The swamp is a source of aberrations, gnoll cults, and nightmare creatures. Marsh giants — driven here after Iceflame conquered their Stone Giant overlords — roam throughout, occasionally threatening nearby settlements and providing work for adventurers.
Some of the swamp's more powerful inhabitants use marsh giants as fodder or allies. In 4724–4725, Iceflame's disruption of the divine compact has allowed the Mother of Monsters to expand her influence further — the Jungles of the Serpent are a manifestation of this encroachment.
The Mountain Ranges
The interior mountain ranges form an interconnected system across the continent. Their names were assigned by the dwarves who traveled Ardentis's east coast — as a result, the names reflect the dwarves' journey rather than actual cardinal position.
| Range | Notes |
|---|---|
| South Mountains | North of center — named "south" by dwarves relative to their starting point |
| West Mountains | Central — likewise a dwarven directional name |
| Krem Hills | Lower terrain; the valleys here form the primary trade corridors between north and south |
| The Waterwall | Southern mountain range; holds moisture from the ocean and feeds the southern lands via rivers and rain |
| Grey Mountains | Eastern range; grey, bare, rich in iron and stone; basis of regional mining |
| Aradar's Peak | Tallest peak in the central range; houses a secret dwarven city |
All of these ranges are connected 10–15 miles underground via the Ancient Paths.
Krem Hills
The primary geographic enabler of north-south trade. The valleys cut through the Krem Hills provide the routes that connect the dwarven cities to the south. Two main routes exist:
- The Rough Road — through Aradar's Peak and the Grey Mountains; dangerous, lightly maintained
- The Established Road — Nordwall → Scrambledough/Bulb → Hodoronk; the preferred route
Jungles of the Serpent
South of the Latan Swamp, as the land shifts from swamp to dense jungle. Lizardfolk and serpentfolk make their homes in the trees and deep foliage, ambushing unwary travelers. Hidden deep in the jungle are temple pyramids — ruins containing treasures, ancient artifacts, and ongoing rituals. Shamanistic tribes guard these sacred sites fiercely, and the pyramids themselves are laced with traps.
The jungles are an expansion of the Mother of Monsters' presence, accelerated by Iceflame's disruption of the divine balance.
Aradar's Peak
Named after Aradar, a legendary dwarven settler who mapped the entire mountain range from the Waterwall eastward, culminating in the climb of this peak — one of the tallest on Ardentis. Inside the mountain, a secret dwarven city was founded by the dwarves who chose to remain among the human settlers rather than join the League cities to the north.
Deep traditionalists, these dwarves host human monks who come to learn the ways of the Dwarfather. Aradar's Peak was instrumental in establishing diplomatic relations between humans and dwarves in the post-settlement era.
The Waterwall
A mountain range along the southern interior whose name describes its function: it catches moisture from the ocean and channels it south as rivers and rainfall, feeding the fertile southern lands. Less a barrier and more a geographic engine.
South Forest & The Five Kingdoms of Terenei
The South Forest is the most politically complex area in the interior, home to five distinct power groups descended from the mixing of settlers and natives:
- A family of Mountain Dwarves
- A family of Forest Elves
- A family of High Elves
- A family of Rancher Humans
- A family of River Pirates (human)
These groups have a long history of war, alliance, and betrayal. The region's history is marked by north-south conflicts that evolved into a web of shifting allegiances.
The true power in the region is Terenei — a hidden elven city west of the South Forest label on the map. Terenei is ancient, deeply traditional, and disproportionately wealthy and populated compared to the five families. It hosts visitors who must wear a visitor's cape upon entry — a tradition ensuring citizens recognize and welcome travelers.
Terenei's greatest historical claim is its role in stopping the Mother of Monsters approximately 1,000 years ago, when she threatened to overwhelm the entire region. The city's citizens will tell you about this at length.
Nearby locations of note:
- Scrambledough and Bulb — two small towns in the South Forest
- Xas — a small village near Bulb, location of the hidden Temple of Primordial Evil, where Prince Eltram was sealed forever during the last battle against the Mother of Monsters
Deeprock — The Lost City
East and south of Hodoronk, near the edge of the Latan Swamp, lie the ruins of Deeprock — a dwarven city destroyed in the late 3900s AR during the crusading era. Built as an attempt to integrate the swamp region, it was obliterated by the Mother of Monsters. The trade routes connecting it to Hodoronk are now abandoned and overrun. See Deeprock.
The Ancient Paths
Known also as the Forbidden Paths. A vast underground network connecting all the major mountain ranges of Ardentis, running 10–15 miles below the surface. Accessible via the Krem Hills and through random surface openings near civilized lands.
The Paths are populated by generations of humanoids who retreated underground during past planetary calamities. Centuries of isolation and mutation have transformed them into something barely recognizable. Dangerous, poorly mapped, and deeply strange.
The most notable of these underground peoples are the Caligni — former surface humans who found the Lord of Deception in the deepest reaches. One of their own, the Iceflame Queen, has risen to reshape the surface world from below. See Iceflame Spire.