The Wild Lands (Asylon Supplement)
The Wild Lands are actually dozens (if not hundreds) of small kingdoms of monstrous races, men and mer in exile, and unclaimed wildernesses. It is a vast land that--for a variety of reasons--has never known a single ruler, though some kingdoms have lasted for far longer than others. In the south of the Wild Lands there is almost no cohesion of any kind, with the exception of the outpost at Raptor Bluff. This city of some 4000 souls sit atop a 200 foot tall mesa, and is home to the most legendary hunters in history. These southern lands are filled with monsters of all kinds, and men, mer, and feykind from across the world will journey here to hunt them and claim their pelts or hides as trophies. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Bosmer--who have forsaken the use of metal in any fashion--have steady trade with this region in exchange for alternatives to heavier armor, such as dragonbone plate and the like.
The lands around Raptor Bluff are temperate for the most part, featuring all manner of rocky outcroppings, stretching fields, shady copses of trees, and all manner of other biomes from the Feral Mountains in the East to the Great Western Ocean. As one travels further North, they arrive in territory that has long been fought over by rag-tag armies of orcs, goblins, ogres and trolls. This land is harder than the south, but still has it's share of growth and plant life. In this region is the city of Grapple, founded by Grak Oakfist, an orc, around 100 years ago as a staging area for a great, monstrous invasion force of the lush lands of Atralonia. This plan was thwarted by the Guardian Company, a semi-legendary group of adventurers, and the city has barely maintained order in the years since. It is a place where the monstrous races live in an extremely tenuous peace; they would pose a serious threat if another leader came along with enough influence to organize them.
Further North, the lands change into taiga on a latitude with Krôn, quickly becoming almost barren tundra. This is the land of great forgotten beasts. It is rumored that there are massive, elephant-like creatures covered in fur, and the largest bears in all of Aina. Somewhere far to the East of this region, known as the Everwinter Wastes, is Jotunbrow, fabled home of the terrible Frost Giants. Also in this region are small hunting tribes of men and mer that stumbled into the wastes and decided to carve out a living for themselves rather than attempt to find a way back into less harsh climes.
- Imports: Weapons, Armor, Magic Items
- Exports: Mercenary Services, Exotic Creatures, Processed and unprocessed ore, Weapons
Classes (Common)
- Barbarian: This is a hard land, and oftentimes the surest way to get done what is required for survival--whether it be felling continually larger beasts or fighting in near-constant skirmishes--is the path of rage. Barbarians are a common sight around Raptor Bluff, and over half of the population of the northern regions is estimated to belong to this ferocious group of warriors.
- Fighter: Some monsters are simply too large for one person to fell on their own. These creatures require teamwork, and no individual is better suited for teamwork combat than the fighter. It is not uncommon to see a mercenary troop of Geats or Atralonians out in the Wilds, whether they are looking for big game or to intervene in the squabbles of monstrous races. This class is less popular amongst the orcs and other monstrous folk, but has a strong following nonetheless.
- Ranger: Rangers are hunters and trackers to the core, and they thrive in these lands. In the south they often hunt for glory or for coin, whereas in the middle regions their prey might be more intelligent than beasts of the field, and in the Everwinter Wastes they hunt simply for survival.
- Paladin: Many of the races of men and mer find the lifestyles of the frontier to be disgusting and pagan, and Paladins are usually only too glad to bring the light of the gods down on these heathens. Most Paladins in the Wilds are immigrants from another land, but there are enough here that any native wouldn't have a hard time seeking out a tutor.
- Cleric: The more tenderhearted clerics often make their way into the Wilds to establish wayhouses for those mauled by great beasts or victims of the battles in the middle regions. These souls not only do their part to heal the people of this land, but they also train others in the way of healing and protection.
- Summoner: Sometimes the best way to bring down the biggest game is to throw equally big creatures against them. This is the realm of the summoner, and they sometimes become the most revered solo hunters in the region. Likewise, the monstrous races (especially smaller races like Goblins) find a personal bodyguard to be invaluable, lending a certain prestige to this role in their society.
- Witch: The classic image of a witch secluded from prying eyes in the deepest of wilderness is perhaps nowhere more fitting than here in the Wilds. These folk may not be as ever-present as the barbarian, but there is an anecdote that you could not walk for a single day in any direction of the Wild without encountering a witch of some kind.
- Rogue: These individuals are less often found as hunters, and more often found as guttersnipes and guides in the Wilds. They live in the settlements and cities, preying on the pockets of others or offering their services in procurement and information-brokering. Perhaps not surprisingly, in a land where one-upping is the major aspiration, there is no shortage of individuals who would sink to rather seedy means to accomplish what they desire.
Classes (Uncommon)
- Monk: It is most oftentimes considered foolhardy to chase after big game or monstrous platoons in anything but the highest-quality arms and armor, and yet there is a sizable contingent of folk in the Wilds who see more prestige in the eschewing of these "inferior" tools. Monks in the Wilds are more often in pursuit of personal power rather than sublime revelation, although there might be a monastery somewhere amongst the Wilds where individuals gather to reflect on the violence and struggle for power that seems inherent in the region.
- Wizard: Put simply, there are more interesting places for a Wizard than the Wilds. Lilandor offers a wealth of knowledge to study, and even the Troublemire is thought to have more magical secrets hidden away than the Wilds. That said, sometimes a Wizard finds particular pleasure in manipulating the natives of this land, or perhaps prefers to conduct field work on the high concentration of beasts in the area.
- Bard: Most souls that live in the Wilds prefer to make names for themselves, but there is no huge shortage of storytellers to facilitate this. Many bards find that they are capable of making more than a little coin by accompanying hunters out into the field, inspiring them with songs and poems as they go about their work.
- Druid: It might be uncommon to see these masters of nature in the Wilds, but no other individual can hold claim to such complete mastery over such a masterless land. Many times, these folks work against the hunters and raiders of the Wilds, choosing instead to fight as a force in defense of the beasts of the field.
- Sorcerer: You will find more sorcerers than wizards in the Wild Lands. These individuals often come to this place either to exert their power or others, or to come to terms with it. Oddly, a notable number of sorcerers here are actually Altmer, who have likely fled their country and its persecution of such natural power.
Classes (Rare)
- Oracle: Oracles are rare all across Aina, and nowhere is that more true than in the Wilds. This land sometimes seems forsaken by the gods, and they only very rarely choose a medium from this region. When they do it is almost always from the monstrous races, and they have a long road ahead of them to bring the brunt of their divine power to bear in service to their god.
- Cavalier: There are few organized militaries in the Wilds, and those monstrous races that do cobble together in force are all-too-often disorganized and lumbering forces of wanton destruction. There is little evidence of leadership among their ranks, and thus there are very few cavaliers amongst them.
- Inquisitor: What Inquisitors that do inhabit the wilds usually do so because they perceive some wrongdoing towards their deity being perpetrated in this land. Most often they have journeyed here from other lands (like the Paladin) to right wrongs and bring heathens to justice.
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