Page 99 - Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting

tal’dorei campaign guide

The Distant Regions of Exandria

The land of Gwessar, now known far and wide as the century Norway built around relics and ancient religious
young nation of Tal’Dorei, is a sprawling, curious land sites similar to ancient Sumerian and Mesopotamian tem-
full of adventure, danger, and glory. That being the case, ples in design, presentation, and structure.
the world of Exandria is far larger and more ancient than
just the Lucidian Coast to the Bladeshimmer Shoreline. marQuet
Many of the people who live here either descend from or
are immigrants to these green lands, and the history that
marks their origins stems from these distant realms that Following the winds and waves to the southwest of
cover the other corners of this vast world. Tal’Dorei across the Ozmit Sea will eventually lead one
Any of these mentioned lands can be the basis for a over the chain of islands called the Hespet Archipelago
character’s personal history or background, and if running and to the shores of the continent of Marquet. The pebble
a campaign in Exandria, feel free to utilize the open out- beaches of the Bay of Gifts greet the traveler, where the
line of these places as a base to expand upon and flesh out port city of Shammel invites gambling and extravagance
however you see fit. Does your adventuring party wish to for the traders who travel from afar.
sail across the Ozmit Sea to the taiga landscapes of north- Beyond the port lies the rocky edge of the Aggrad
ern Othanzia? Take the notes here and create whatever Mountains, which spread for hundreds of miles of deep
you’d like within that space for them to explore! chasms and endless caves housing predatory creatures
lying in wait, before giving way to the immense Marques-
issylra sian Desert that seems nearly endless to the naked eye.
Overbearing heat, deadly sandstorms, and ever-hungry
denizens of the dunes encroach on the safe travels any
To the northwest of Tal’Dorei, across the freezing waters caravan may attempt across these lands in search for a
of the Ozmit Sea, lies the oldest continent in known Exan- number of the oasis-like bastions of civilization.
drian history. Issylra is considered by most to be the land Near the center of this intense desert, surrounded by a
where all civilization emerged and spread in the time of sprawling network of small villages, is the grand city of
the Founding, making it the religious core for many, and Ank’Harel, the center of culture, history, and power for
the focal point of historical study for others. The territory all of Marquet. Ruled by the mysteriously undying J’mon
known as Othanzia encompasses a majority of the conti- Sa Ord, the streets of Ank’Harel are safe and rich with
nent’s developed regions, keeping most domains protected music and culture compared to the desolate lands that sur-
and governed by the might of the theocracy of Vasselheim. round it. The Hands of Ord, the internal guard of the city,
Nestled among eastern taiga forests of the Vasper act as guardian to nearby villages and townships, but they
Timberland, the city of Vasselheim stands as the oldest can only reach so far. Further south the sands give way to
known seed of civilization and religion, and the only city scrubland and marshes tangled with the volatile moun-
to withstand every catastrophe that has rocked Exandria tains surrounding the smoking Suuthan Volcano and the
since the gods brought life to it. As the spiritual center of dangerous clans that worship it.
most of the world, Vasselheim functions as a partnership The deserts of Marquet stand as the echo of a once lush
between the many faiths that follow the Prime Deities, landscape that housed a prominent civilization during the
with a handful of faiths holding tight council as the core Age of Arcanum, one that ended in terrible internal conflict
protectors of society and life within those walls and the during the Calamity. The war that raged reducing the lands
entire region of Othanzia. to sand and ash, burying a multitude of long-sealed secrets
Beyond those walls lies ever-cold seasons and savage that many factions now compete to uncover and claim.
wilds, as the ancient and magically rich nature of the area
has led to dense wilderness, powerful beasts, and dan- inspirations
gerous travel routes. Smaller camps, communities, and
From a lifestyle and architecture standpoint, the larger
townships are scattered across the surrounding landscape,
Marquessian cities have a 12th century Turkish flair, with
and those who call Othanzia home are a tough, hard-
smaller villages being comprised of large tents and mud
ened people who remain through duty, faith, or the need
brick buildings via early Palestine.
to protect. Beyond the Othanzian region, a handful of
lesser republics hold smaller societies with varying moral
interests, but the ferocious creatures that stalk the jagged the shattered teeth
Utesspire Mountains prevent expansion too far away from
the Othanzian borders.
Should someone wish to sail the dangerous waters south-
inspirations east of Tal’Dorei, past the ever-present fog bank called
the Fool’s Curtain, one might discover themselves adrift
From a lifestyle and architecture standpoint, much of among a cluster of forty-three islands referred to as the
Issylra and the cities within are reminiscent of 12th Shattered Teeth.

98 chapter 2: gazetteer of tal’dorei