by Karen Hertzberg on Dec 29, 2006
The island chains of
Kojan are steeped in mysticism and shrouded in ancient tradition. From
dense jungles which have swallowed entire cities to the mist-shrouded
mountains hiding forgotten monasteries, the Kojan lands are rich in
history and offer ample opportunity to an adventurer quick of wit or
sword.
Great artifacts lay undisturbed in the ruins beyond the imperial city
of Tanvu, where Kojani humans and half elves work side by side trying
to restore the glory of their city. With powerful battlements and crude
domiciles, the port city of Martok is home to the cunning orcs and
goblins who are willing to help any adventurer part with their gold.
Hidden away in the jungle, the wood elves and their raki allies have
created a sanctuary, Caial Brael, where they hone their skills against
the savage dwellers of the inner island.
The imperial town of Tanvu sits on several steppes that rise above the
harbor in the northern Fivefold Plains. Large stone walls house the
city’s guild halls, religious center and palace, while the
residential buildings fan out across the steppes in all directions. The
celestial hills shoot straight out of the ground rising hundreds of
meters before ending in a flat plateau on top. Tanvu exists as a feudal
town supported by fishing and textile exports and is the starting town
for humans and half-elves.
Strange portals have been cropping up near the harbor recently and the
emperor ordered the craftsman and sages to erect magical totems to
provide protection. Long have the ulvari fiends harassed the peoples of
Kojan, and their attacks grow stronger with each season. As a player in
Tanvu you must endeavor to deal with their fiendish presence and find
the origin of their existence.
To the south you will find the forest home of the elves and their new
guests, the raki. The motives of these strange tree dwellers may be
suspect at times, but the beauty of their lands is, without question, a
sight to behold. While the empires of this land will rise and fall, the
spirit of the people of Kojan always stands tall.
Deep in the forest surrounded on all sides by mountains lives the elves
of Kojan. Their city is built by magically altering the growth pattern
of trees, and over the course of several decades, they have shaped them
into living domiciles. Rivers meander through the base of the city
providing a peaceful and serene surrounding that is sure to put the
most troubled adventurer at ease. Giant stained glass windows are set
into the larger guild halls in the center of the city. Just up the road
at Whitefawn Retreat is where players begin their adventure as a wood
elf.
The residents have adopted the cast away raki who were marooned on the
island after fleeing their home world. The raki have adapted well and
they are now an integral part of the village’s culture and
traditions. Large chunks of the raki home world fell through the rift
when it was briefly opened, but the raki are reluctant to explore these
ruins that either float in the sky above, or lay crashed into the
mountainside.
Much like the residents of Tanvu far to the north, the elves and raki
are fending off constant assaults from the invading ulvari. These
fiends have taken over many of the ancestral tombs of the combined
peoples of Kojan and must be stopped. As a wood elf or raki, you must
deal with this problem or suffer the fate of your ancestors.
The Island of Martok is the northernmost inhabitable island in the
Kojani Archipelago. Centered on the this war-torn and beleaguered
island sits of village of Martok. Beset on all sides by wasteland and
water, Martok rises up from the center of the war chief’s hut
and radiates out into several residential buildings. Martok
accommodates both orcs and goblins and their domiciles are as different
as their personalities. Never have two cultures been so aggressive
towards others, yet so dependant on each other for their survival.
Marok has been locked in a war with the Gulgrethor clan for as long as
anyone can remember, and the city is heavily patrolled and fortified to
help stem incursions. Separating these warring clans is the Wildgrowth
Forest. This odd valley, site of the bloodiest battles between the two,
is now overgrown with lush trees and strange creatures. The Martok
oracles believe the Yukionna witches have formed an alliance with the
Gulgrethor and have created this magical forest to impede
Marok’s advancement.
Several training barges filled with new recruits have failed to return
to the harbor, and are now feared lost at sea. This is the third time
this long season ill-fortune has befallen our fleet. The war chief has
assembled search parties, and alerted the garrison at Gaxton Village to
be on the lookout for these lost recruits.