Walls! City walls, guard towers, wood fences… This is the city of army, a genial engineering project planned to be the ultimate protection against the demons that spread all over the open lands. At the moment Deldor Daryll heard about the surge of these monsters, he immediately called Oldagg, a master dwarven smith, and Gnosha Galliezzo, a grand inventor of the gnomish folk, to make the ambitious project of Bak.

It took about ten years for the construction of the new walls and steel cannons, but the "new" Bak is finally finished… This city is totally devoted to the military and warrior arts, here we can find the better weapons, armors and war chariots of all Near World. Here we have the better warrior school of all, and obviously the most skilled warriors and mercenaries that you can find.

The governor of Bak is called Deldor Daryll, he`s a noble paladin that reach this position by doing a marvelous work as a knight of his country. Daryll is loved by almost every noble warrior and paladin of our lands, that calls him as the "yellow paladin", because of his famous golden full plate that he gained from the governor of the friend city of Talantha, Ultar Brightarm.

Daryll is very concerned about the dangerous situation of our world this days, so he also created an army of knights to protect the weak from all the dangers of the lands that surround Bak… This army is called the Purple Army, and they cover the lands between the edge of the South Wood and the end of the Crow Hills, that surrounds the city. Only the most strong, skilled and noble are accepted in the Purple Army.

The city has about 150,000 habitants, most of them torannians, tough high elves, dwarves and rotunnians are also very common to see inside it`s walls. The city economy is prosper and very dependant of his arms production, the most skilled blacksmiths, weaponsmiths and armorers live there. Also, there`s a great space covered by farms just outside the city area, and the Purple Army make their security too.

Bak is allied of almost all the other cities, that sure need their weapons to make a stand against the demon charge… But Zirmandia, as you may expect, aren`t much beloved by Daryll and his strong principles.

Craved between the rock walls of the Rotun Mountains, the High Helm is symbol of the dwarven pride. It is almost an underground city, with caves and tunnels that lead to the dwarven mines, but of course the houses are actually outside the mountain, and they form the passage between the walls of pure rock.

No one knows when the High Helm was built, but it`s believed to be as old as the city of Talantha, and that means that it was built right after the Red War. But the dwarves aren`t worried about their history, they are always thinking in the gold that they will mine the next day…

Bhrodain is the governor of the High Helm, he`s a very olden dwarf that left his life as warrior to enter the dwarven politics, and succeed. Tought he`s not exactly acclaimed by their own, Bhrodain does a nice job of keeping his folk in the dig of gold and construction of new defenses to his city. Course the governor has his own army too, formed by strong and skilled dwarves wearing plate mails and huge axes.

Inside it we can count almost 80,000 dwarves, and other races, particularly elves and orcs, are very rare to find at the High Helm. The economy lives by the hard work on the mines, and also by the forging of weapons and armor… So, if a dwarf isn`t a miner, he surely will work as a smith.

Bhrodain is very diplomatic, and his city is allied of all other cities, excluding the city of the orc Zurtak, Sur, for obviously reasons.

Vortex

The city was planned and built by the torannian wizards, with the aid of some of his constructors of course. It is basically a huge tower that slashes the sky, involved by the city itself (that isn`t much inhabited like Talantha and Bak) and the city walls. The city has about 200 years, and it all started when his constructors realized that all the magicians use the same force to cast his spells, something invisible and ethereal, that they called "mana". So, the plan was to construct a tower where the wizards can absorb more of this mana from the world, and share this power between them.

The tower at the center point of the Magic House is called Arcann, and inside there various mages study and practice the arcane arts, day after day. At the top of the tower, a huge soluakh crystal is used to absorb the maximum mana possible (Soluakh are the best crystals known for the absorption of mana, they are also very, very rare to find. This one at the top of the tower is the biggest ever found, and one of the most valuable artifacts of the world). The mana absorbed is also redirected by the mages for the "mirror houses" all around the land. Mirror houses are reduced versions of the Arcann tower, and each one have at least one piece of soluakh to receive the mana sent from there. Some of the known mirror houses are the mirror houses of Talantha, Bak, Pravokia and Niadia… Also, some experienced mages have been able to built his own mirror houses, but this ones are hidden along the lands, and will certainlly not accept any mage asking for a mana recharge.

The Magic House is supervisd by Marcus Odissey Biamindua, known as "the best mage of the world". But it`s a part of Talantha, and is governed by Ultar Brightarm. The city doesn`t have a economy of it`s own, and it serve for the purposes of all the torannian wizards who study and develop his magical skills and culture. Other races are very unlikely to enter this city, but the allied high elves and the common breed of half-elves are often accepted as students of the arcane arts.

The northern city of Niadia is almost a huge marketplace, here one can find all the traders that come from the south exchanging his goods with the dardean caravans that come from the Sand Ocean… It`s basically that, no big army, no big laws, no big security, just an area open for the trade.

Niadia was once an caravan camp: The dardean caravans started to stop by there between his long travels from the north to the south, and vice-versa. As time passed it became a famous place for the trading of both common goods and rare, most stolen, magical items and artifacts. Actually the only city with more merchants and thieves than Niadia is the coast city of Zirmandia.

The city doesn`t even have a governor, but a mayor was suggested by the dardeans to control the trades inside it… Of course these mayor will follow anyone who pays him more, and so the corruption of Niadia`s army is almost the great in all Near World (loosing again to Zirmandia). The actual mayor is Huij Othar, a dardean merchant, but this city`s mayors change very frequently, as they are commonly murdered by the thieving clans that one day doesn`t agree with their positions anymore.

The habitants vary too much, but it`s believed to have more than 20,000 residents in Niadia. The economy is based only on the commerce and trade between the merchants that passes by it, but there`s also a few farms beside the city`s area. Niadia get along with all the other cities, basically cause everyone likes to go there to buy it`s rare items.

Green! Gardens, giant trees, exotic flowers, rare herbs… This is the city of Pravokia, situated in perhaps the most beautiful spot of Near World, between Mahul Maakh and the Great Water, this is definitely a place for the nature lovers.

Some say that it was settled by the high elves of Mahul Maakh, and then populated by the torannian rangers who adventure the forest, but officially it was built by the legendary Mister Riggs, an antique and famous druid gardener that made his fame at Talantha… Tough the exact age of Pravokia is unknown.

Today the city is very dependant of Talantha, and so they have a mayor stead of a governor: His name is Omar Tutelys, and he is a glutton totally controlled by Ultar and his generous gold contributions to his family. Actually the army of the city is formed on the Talantha warrior schools too. So, like the Magic House, this city is almost a district of Talantha.

Pravokia has about 9,000 residents, and they all live at houses built on the top of the enormous trees that grows inside it`s area (the city also doesn`t have any kind of walls or fences limiting his land). Among the residents we may find a lot of torannians, high elves, hobbits and also rotunnians who came from the barbarian lands.

The economy is based upon the production of medicinal and special (some say magical) herbs which sells very costly. Also there are a few farms around the open fields… Finally, this city has good relationship with almost every other city of Near World, but with the arrival of orcs at Sur the elves are having some problems with this cities alliances.

This is the city of light. Where clerics from all around the world came to pray for their beloved gods. Soldur is a totally religious city, and his habitants follow various religious rules and restrictions, according to their own god. It was believed to be the ancient land where the emissaries came to feed the goldmen (see Ancient Lores), and so it`s venerated by the followers of the Holy Codex… But many other religions adopted this city for their own praying too.

Because of all that the city hasn`t a governor, yet they have a high priest that administrates the city and take care of the dislikes between the various religions to maintain the harmony… The actual priest is a priestess: Eleanor, the high priestess of Soldur, a woman of incredible charisma and power of oratory who are loved not only by the followers of the Holy Codex, but even by every other religious person inside Soldur.

The city is also very protected by his city walls and the White Cross, an army of clerics and paladins who protect Soldur with strength and faith. Also, inside it`s walls any people hurt normally receive an excellent magical healing treatment, but of course it costs some gold…

The population vary because the city receive lots of visitors looking for a help from their gods, but it`s believed to have almost 35,000 people living inside it`s walls. The economy is very strong, based on the farms around the city, and also on the contributions that the prayers give to their clerics. Also, this city has a fairly alliance with every other city of this world.

Many barren orcs live at Sur, because his former governor, Garlik, was forced to open his gates to the most uncivilized races, in an desperate attempt to reflourish it`s economy… The talanthians questioned this act and in response Garlik left the government of Sur to Zurtak, a barren orc, in exchange of an antique sword that Zurtak and his followers found at the deep underground of the Barren Mountains. So Zurtak now is the most famous orc of the world, and his city is growing up with the entrance of the most varied races, day after day…

Sur is a city very much alike the olden Bak, it is very militaristic, and of course her you will find lots of warriors and mercenaries, except that her this warrior will be orcs, hobgoblins, gnolls, and so on…

As soon as Zurtak entered Sur, he started to reinforce it`s city walls, and also to contract more and more people to his army. Tough he still accepts "civilized" races, most of his arms men came from the humanoid villages around the Barren Mountains… Because of all that, this city is also called "the monster city" this days.

Before Garlik`s abdication, the city population were about 160,000 persons, but now nobody knows how much beings live inside it`s walls. The once dead economy is now growing up, mostly because of the high city taxes, and the transactions between Sur and the humanoid villages near it… Farms are now very rare around Sur, specifically the torannian ones.

As you may expect, the relations with another cities are very chaotic now… The High Helm are declared enemies, and Talantha, with Pravokia, also dislikes Zurtak`s government… Actually only Soldur have a fair relationship with Sur.

Known as "the world`s capital", Talantha is the most brightly and civilized city of the Near World. Believed to had been settled right after the Red War, it may also be the most olden city of the lands.

Here you may find almost everything: Marketplaces, city tribunes, city walls, warrior arenas, bard theaters, magic libraries, beautiful churches, and so on… All that governed by the noble Ultar Brightarm, a descendant of the ancient kings of Torannia, with the wise advice of his right arm, the loremaster Tellius Tolken (hey, that`s me and I will not count my talents here…).

Ultar has his own army, called the Royal Army, tough no kings are found anymore, excluding at Khitai… This army have not only skilled warriors and noble paladins, but also most adepts, trained to fight as battle mages! So, you bet this city, and it`s governors, are very protected against the demon surges… At least for now.

It is also the most populated city: About 230,000 torannians live here… But of course you may find every other civilized race inside it`s walls, tough orcs are still very rare. The economy is also brightly, with extensive farmlands, skilled smiths and powerful alchemists… Also there`s a huge marketplace in the center square, and the warrior`s arena, that attracts fans from all around the lands.

Talantha have a fair relation with all other cities, tough Sur and Zirmandia are just tolerated because the trades generate more funds for the city. Who doesn`t like gold?

"The city of thieves" isn`t so bad as its reputation… Yes, here you will surely find the most chaotic and evil thieves and burglars from the world, but the city has also its good points. One of them is the great seaport, that generate a enormous trade and fishing industry, that sells all over the eastern coast… Unfortunately, because of this industry, Zirmandia also receive lots of syllian orcs looking for their loved work as seamen.

It was settled by the thieves who got banned from the other cities, and became with time a "thief paradise"… More than at Niadia, here are lots of thieving gangs and assassin organizations, so you better take care of your pocket here, to not say your life!

The governor of this city is known as "the death skull", nobody ever seen his face, covered by an human skull helm, but he`s believed to be a famous torannian assassin who escaped from jail when he`s about to suffer his death sentence… So, you better take distance from this one also.

The death skull has his own bodyguards, yes, not an army, just a group of skilled bodyguards to protect his skin from the other clan leaders, and to secure some of the rich merchants who pass by the city from time to time… But, laws? No, here you will not find anything like that…

The population is about 90,000 people… Most of them torannians and syllians, but many other civilized races can be found here, including high elves and rotunnians. The economy is based, as said before, in the sea industry… But you may expect that they don`t make a live only by that, it`s cause there are so many thieves, of course.

This city relations are very complex, but they surelly make lots of trades with Talantha, Bak, Sur, Niadia and also Soldur… The High Helm are not much inclined to make transactions with Zirmandia.

Note about towns and villages: Just to end all this, it`s obvious that there are many other urban areas at Near World territory, but unlike these Great Cities, they are small towns and villages, with much less importance and no need to be described. Town and villages doesn`t have governors or mayors, they are simply small urban areas made by the folks who aren`t willing to live at the huge cities.
If you want to know a few famous towns and villages, proceed here

Note about the Royal Path: The pointed lines that links the Great Cities at the map are called the Royal Path, a huge path of roads that are always watched by the cities guards. This roads are much more secured against monsters and burglars than the ordinary ones, and have many town and villages among its extension.

Entrance | Cities&Places