Campaign World 7 Kingdoms

The Mountain Kingdom

The Dwarven kingdom. Beyond the Alarian city states lies the tall mountain kingdom of the dwarves. Nestled in unforgiving crags and canyons, the dwarves live a life not unlike that of an Alarian city state except they have no navy and no love of water. Dwarves famously fear the ocean and few if any know how to swim. Their kingdom includes a multitude of caves and their dwellings made of rock cut into the mountain and some made to resemble caves as well. Dwarves specialize in metal work and are famously hard-working, gruff and superstitious.

Alaria

Alaria is no longer a Kingdom, it is A Republic of city States, as it was long ago. Each city is its own state. The Alarians call the middle sea, the Alarian sea, for once they’d conquered almost all the lands surrounding it. They are a civilized people and have great appreciation of the arts, music, theater and even the art of battle as well. Ferociously independent, they are, however, always willing to join in the fight with the underdog if the cause if fair. The Alarians don’t have a warrior class, instead pride themselves with being warrior-farmers. Some city-states do have dedicated warriors but they’re fairly rare. In the middle of every Alarian city is a wide space where the art of the trade is practiced and it’s the beating heart of every city. Pride is one of the highest values held by Alarians so thieves are treated harshly. In the middle

The River Kingdom

Traders of everything… this Lush Kingdom lies interconnected with rivers that allow connection to far away lands. Living in makeshift housing along the river or in lush palaces, the river kingdom is all about trade. Deep in the forests, enchanted and dangerous, live the elves, secluded, apart and mysterious. Occasionally ejecting wandering minstrels that travel to learn, and adventure.

The Hermit Kingdom

The only kingdom that has never been conquered is also the poorest and most isolated of them all. A long climb up mountains that jut out among rivers and valleys the hermit kingdom is high up in the mountains surrounded by clouds. Horses are useless to climb the steep passages sometimes so narrow only a goat should be able to climb it. Nestled in the mountains are the monasteries, villages and towns. Opulence is forbidden in the kingdom and most people’s most prized possessions are their tools. Even the aristocracy are indistinguishable from peasants with the exception of falcons and weapons of exquisite craftsmanship that they sometimes carry. The beast of burden in this kingdom is a type of hairy small camel and people wear clothes made from its fur dyed in bright colors.

The Sand Kingdom

Full of old ancient magic, a harsh environment…

Among the ruins of long forgotten Kingdoms that the great dessert swallowed long ago, is an unforgiving land. Grown barren, it is clear it was once a sea or a lake. Now scraps of humanity claim a living on the crags and remains of pasts glories. Rumors that the lost empire of Kesh lies below the forgotten sands holding countless magic and wealth can be heard in every market. Now they serve as a conduit to lands unknown beyond, where caravans bring silk, spices and foreign things.

The Wizard Principalities Archipelago

A collection of small islands protected by magic and navigated by ferries, they specialize in trade of many kinds. The magical academy is in one of the bigger islands. A good place to visit but not stay too long as there are prone to be ‘magical mishaps’ and creatures that escape novice mages. While nobody knows the true number of wizards, the principalities are the smallest kingdom in population.

Uncivilized Lands

These lands are mostly uninhabited:

The Wind-crushed Steppes
The Red Marsh
The Swamp of Argos
The Badlands
The Frozen Tundra

World Building

Economics: Understanding Economics of the Seven Kingdoms. While we are used to industrial age prices where volume usually results in a discount, in the 7K world it’s usually the opposite: the more of a durable good you want the more expensive each becomes. Every transaction with a merchant is unique since almost every item sold is unique. Food in the market being an exception, if you come at market close you can find way cheaper food and comestibles, unfortunately their quality is also suspect and you may get poisoned from it. Druids with their by Nature sustained ability can spot rotten food by smelling and touching it and can buy food at market close with a quick wisdom check. If they fail, no item was found at the market that was safe enough to eat.

Most of the economy sustain by agriculture though because the 7 kingdoms lack large open fields it is mostly done by small farmers in small farms. Income in a kingdom is usually related to the amount of land under cultivation.

The main crop of each kingdom is different:

Cloud Kingdom: produces legumes and tubercles that they grow in ladder-like farms in the fountains. They also trade in a strange colorful fur.
River Kingdom: Rice (and poisons of all types).
Alaria: Golden wheat.
Mountain Kingdom: Mushrooms, cheese and sheep fur.
Sand Kingdom: Little grows here in the way of agricultural produce… however, they are the only kingdom from where the halfling’s leaf is produced, and as the name says the halflings love it. And, of course, caravans bring exotic items like spices.
Wizard’s Principalities: Everything is grown here, if you look hard enough. But, as a land, they are a great consumer and an almost negligible producer. In exchange they are the only magical producer in the kingdoms.

Inhospitable Dungeons: Treasures lie in dungeons because they’re not easy to get. Either they are guarded or maybe because traveling below the earth in stifling air, and possibly toxic circumstances can be injurious to one’s health. Some dungeons don’t have enough air to breath, or the air is tainted with poisonous spores or their fragmented floors make walking treacherous and sharp edges likely to bite and tear and extract a price of those that delve into them.
Making camp in an inhospitable environment is impossible.