Osturan
Separated from the ancient and civilized lands of Miserad by the Siren Sea, the continent of Osturan is comparatively wild and untamed. Civilization clings to the edges of things, on borders where land, water, and sky meet. And in between are vast trackless swamps and wastelands, forests, mountains, and plains. There are few places that resemble anything like a nation - and those usually a bare handful of cities that have decided to band together for their mutual protection. And yet there is much evidence to be found that this was not always the case. Ruins from long ago hint at a past that was much different. Strange, wonderous sights and constructions abound from a past that has been lost, forgotten. A past that may hold the key to unlocking the future.
The Venmarr Coast
The scars of harsh weather, poor land, and a history of both political and geographic upheaval mar the Venmarr Coast which is stretched north/south along a thin strip of land often less than forty miles wide between the deep and turbulent Siren Sea to the east and jagged, looming mountains to the west.
There are few safe harbours to be found along the rocky and treacherous shores, and a few small city-states hold sway in the region by controlling access to those ports. Despite being the closest ports to the markets and exotic goods of the far east across the sea, the isolated location of these cities and difficulty of transporting goods overland through the mountains once they have arrived means most legitimate merchants prefer the longer but safer route to the south. This has led to a tumultuous existence for the Venmarr Coast as they are frequented by less reputable ships including smugglers, pirates, raiders, and slavers.
Though the soil is thin, the rolling hills and boggy swamps are dotted with hamlets and small villages that scrape out a living through farming and herding, supplying food to their nearest city-state.