The World of Alpharas

Alpharas
What is this region called: The Dominion of Ithlond.

The Town
What is the starting town called: Quainbluff.
What is the name of the local inn: The Battered Shield.
Who do we meet there: Andis Kyrtsor, male human, who is hunted by ghosts.

Geography
What is the name of the main road: The Tower Road, so named because of the beacon towers that run along its length to guide travellers under the starless night sky. Maintaining the beacons is the purview of the Lamplighters Guild, an order more akin to heroic monster slayers and knights-errant than a simple illuminators' guild, based in Whillpool but with chapter houses in many settlements.
What is the local river: The Trollfen River. The Trollfen wanders fat, sleepy and marshy through the lowlands and rushes white and foaming through the ravines and defiles of the Dusk Hills. Its waters are legendary for their restorative properties, being a key ingredient in medicines and healing elixirs, but gathering them can be more dangerous than the ailment they are intended to cure, as many species of trolls lurk along the shores.
A local forest: The Elling Vale, haunted by elven shadows. The Elling Vale's darkwood roots wind through the foundations of ancient elven ruins, with gnarled trunks replacing once-proud columns and shadowy canopies ruling over overgrown palaces and lonely towers. A few elves remain here, avoiding the ruins and living as hunters or nomads in the safer outskirts, but the heart of the Elling Vale is the domain of the forgotten elven kingdom of Niamah.
The nearby hills: The Dusk Hills, wherein magic is treacherous. It is said the goddess Lieliah of the Wand favours these desolate and unpredictable hills, turning the laws of magic into anarchy. Floating islands of earth and backwards-flowing waterfalls are the least of the high strangeness a traveller might encounter here.
The mountains beyond the woods: The Shadowcap Mountains, known for the black snow that falls on their peaks. The mountains are made especially dangerous by what the dwarves call stengrachs, especially ferocious bulettes that can burrow through solid stone.
Nearby villages: Cerdon; Fallingtree (a settlement of human foresters and elven refugees on the fringes of the Elling Vale); Emall (a halfling village in the foothills of the Shadowcaps, prosperous from sulfur mined from the nearby Devilsbreath caverns).
A distant city: Whillpool, the City of Intrigue.

Government
Who rules this area: Count Brewyn Wythley, male half-elf. Count Brewyn's legitimacy is disputed – he is not the son of the previous ruler, count Hargate, but the changeling bastard of the countess Ymelda and an eladrin prince. He was able to claim the throne due to the misfortunes that befell the count's legitimate children and the support of three powerful witches. He is widely regarded as a generous ruler, if somewhat whimsical.
Who are the town elders: A coven of witches, the ladies Ryessa, Cazimi and Zhetra. Rumours abound in Ithlond as to whether the three are benevolent sorceresses or wicked hags in disguise – any number of good and ill deeds are attributed to their enchantments and machinations. What is certain is that the count heeds their advice closely.

Culture
What do the locals think of the elves: Living legends.
Dwarves: Fair and honest merchants.
Halflings: Natural alchemists.
Humans: Bold explorers.

Religion
Who is the God of Knowledge: Pernem, the Rune Lord (LN). Pernem is said to be a ancient spellcaster who first escaped the bounds of mortality as a lich, then ascended to godhood. He is the lawgiver for the rules of magic and society alike.
God of Life: Rielah, the Silver Lord (NG). Some say that Rielah, the Silver Lord inspired the creation of the Moon and dwells within it – a heretical view is that the Moon is Rielah, a god made by mortal hands and magic.
Of Nature: Allam, the Keeper of Beasts (N).
Of Storms: Hella, the Keeper of Voices (N). Allam and Hella are the wild twin god and goddess of animals and unspoiled places, of the destructive and creative power of nature, sky and sea.
Who is the Trickster God: Lieliah of the Wand (CN). Reputed to be Pernem's apprentice who stole the secrets of divinity from him, Lieliah is a mischievous figure of unbound magic. She is revered as a liberator, inspirer and culture hero, and feared as a force of chaos and destruction.
Who is the God of War: Elwindis, Lady of Victory (N). Also worshiped as the goddess of justice, Elwindis is notoriously even-handed – victory at any cost, by any means is her doctrine, and she teaches that might makes right.

NPCs
Who is the local expert on the arcane: Rancis Keenfoot, male halfling. Ill-tempered, critical and cowardly, Rancis is a master of anatomy, healing, life and undeath.
Who's the local religious expert: Andrel the Astute, male dwarf. Lame from an old wound that seems to resist magical healing, Andrel is a scholar of theology and religious history but is too bitter and cynical to be an adherent.
Who knows the most about the area's history: Ilis Bright, female halfling. Matriarch of the wealthy and extensive Bright clan, Ilis is an older woman with a penchant for collecting exotic creatures in a private menagerie. Her records of Ithlonds's genealogy and history are unmatched.
Who knows the most about the area's geography: Gilliamn Witt, female dwarf. Rarely seen in Quainbluff, Gilliamn spends most of her time exploring the wilderness and making meticulous maps or serving as a guide, returning only for supplies and consultations.

Adventure
Who are the local low-level monster tribe: A horde of zombies.
Who is the local low-level boss: Fervida, the Bloody Countess, vampire.
A slightly farther off mid-level monster tribe: The constructs of a mad wizard.
Who is the mid-level boss: Crigeia, Elemental Queen of the Giants.
What do they want: The Fallen Blade of Niamah.
What happens if they get it: The royal line will end.

Lore
Things everything in my world knows: Something is murdering the town guards. The silver moon was crafted by dwarves.
Very few people know: There were once stars in the night sky. The God of Knowledge is an ancient lich.
No one knows: The quest of the Star Wizards has failed.

Castle Wythley

The Hill: A public park and garden rises on Quain's Bluff, which gives the town its name, though locals just call it the Hill.
Elling Walk: A beautiful folly designed to evoke the ruined elven kingdom of Niamah, these man-made ruins are deliberately overgrown with vines and flowers. The mausoleum of Count Quain the First is in the heart of the Walk.

Smokeport: By law, all businesses that burn excessive wood must be based here – smithies, glassworks, kilns, meat preservers and the like. This makes the air thick and hard to breathe, especially when a mist rolls in from the lake to produce a cloying smog.
Duri's Iron: The only smithy licensed to sell weapons to customers except the count's guard, Duri's has been buying a lot more ore and ingots that usual, causing gossip as to what the master blacksmith is working on.
Bright Smokehouse: A shop that sells specialty cured meats and cheeses, smoked with exotic herbs and rare woods.

Forlorn Row: Neglect by the previous counts of Quainbluff lead a large part of the town within the walls to decay into a slum, which then spilled out. Thatched hovels, tenements and shabby taverns are the rule here.
Stargazer Hall: Once the home of a navigators and astronomers' guild, the Stargazer's Society dissolved and its majestic hall fell into ruin. These days it is a den of thieves and drug addicts.
The Old Wall: Part of the town's former fortification runs through Forlorn Row, now a low and ruined wall that is often pillaged for building materials. The locals say a ghostly watchman still patrols it on moonless nights.

Trade District: The bustling Trade District's streets are narrow and its buildings mostly rise to three or four stories, meaning many only get sunlight at noon. Many workshops and stores are located here, with pokey and crowded apartments in the upper storeys.
Cloister of the Moon: Though officially dedicated to Rielah, this domed building houses shrines to all the known gods and itinerant preachers from far and wide.
Helm Market: Quainbluff's marketplace resembles a terraced amphitheatre, and was supposedly originally built in the discarded helmet of an ancient titan. Huge iron spurs continue to hold streamers and coloured fabric shades overhead.

Timberport: The warehouse and shipping district, Timberport's streets are paved with sawdust from the mills that give it its name.

Wind Lane: Home to many merchants and crafters that choose to (and can afford to) live outside the town walls, Wind Lane's buildings tend to be more spacious and ostentatious than others.
Odeon of Dreams: Though looking like a humble timber framed house on the outside, this playhouse and minstrel hall is larger on the inside thanks to fey magic.

Applebank: Applebank's misfortune is to be built on low marshy ground so that its streets often turn into muddy quagmires. Most of the town's businesses for dealing with overland traders and foreign visitors are found here.
Lamplighter's Chapterhouse: A stout little fortified manor, from here the local Lamplighters set out to patrol the Tower Road.
The Battered Shield: A brick and timber building with a white tiled roof, the Battered Shield is comfortable place whose large taproom is warmed by three fireplaces, their mantles decorated with countless curious from the innkeeper's travels. Iminyel is a tall elven woman, old enough to actually show some elegant signs of age with a fondness for collecting tales. The inn has unusually deep and sturdy foundations for Applebank's boggy ground, housing cellars full of barrels and rooms for rent.

EASTERN HORDE
Unafraid of the dawning sun, the Skull Tribes can strike anywhere at any time.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Tireless. Once per long rest you can reduce your level of Exhaustion by one step.

GREAT HORDE
The Blood Tribe stands at the center — the very heart — of the Black Blood armies.
Pride of the Horde. Hobgoblins are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). You can use this trait a number of times per rest equal to your Proficiency bonus.

NORTHERN HORDE
The Bone Tribes sweep through the night, reminding the weak why they should fear the dark.
Superior Darkvision. Your darkvision has a radius of 120ft.
Starless Soldier. In dim light or darkness you can add your Proficiency bonus to an attack roll or a Dexterity (Stealth) roll. If you are already proficient in that attack roll or Stealth, add double your bonus. You can use this trait a number of times per rest equal to your Proficiency bonus.

SOUTHERN HORDE
The Fang Tribes keep the black lore of the goblinoids, some of it mysterious, some deadly.
Dark Dealer. You know one cantrip of your choice from the warlock spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Lorekeeper. You gain proficiency in Arcana, History, Religion or Nature, and one tool kit of your choice.

WESTERN HORDE
When night falls, the Iron Tribes settles in for prolonged siege.
Thick Hide. When you are not wearing any armour, your Armour Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

LOST HORDE
The wandering Claw Tribe once traveled beyond the horizon, only to return with exotic fighting styles and tales of conquest.
Strange Tales. You can speak, read and write two languages of your choice. You are proficient in your choice of medium armour or two additional martial weapons.