On the Ground

The territories on the ground are wild and reckless, they are vast expanses of untamed wilderness, rich in natural resources and abounding in massive, majestic, beasts. They are broken up between lush resources and fortified cities, traveled by roving nomads and daring adventurers.

Major Cities

Major cities on the ground are never truly independent, but they also rarely exist without a solid connection to the world above them. Most cities on the ground view themselves as distinct entities and tend to operate in a sort of organized chaos or wild-west style lawlessness. Many of the organizations on the ground operate more like mercenary organizations rather than governmental ones, regardless of their connections, political or otherwise, to the nations above them.

The cities of the ground have numerous threats against their security and rely a great deal on the strength of their residents and the thickness of their walls for security. The guardsmen of ground territories are significantly tougher and more willing to bend the rules in the name of security than their counterparts on the Skylands.

Immediately outside of the cities on the ground are wide stretches of farmlands where foodstuffs are grown to be sold both up in the Skylands and to people in the cities. These farmlands tend to gradually stretch away from the walls of their nearby city during times of peace, then abruptly collapse following an attack from monsters.

Travelers to the cities on the ground may quickly find themselves, victims of thieves and pickpockets, if they are unprepared or unprotected. Adventurers visiting the ground cities typically use them as waypoints between quests, taking the opportunity to rest or to spend their gains on wine and whores. Other adventurers and travelers use the ground cities as places to meet with criminal elements or to seek out mercenaries and toughs to hire.

The People

Those people living in the cities on the ground tend to be blue-collar workers, developing and collecting resources from the verdant world around them. They act as farmers, loggers, ranchers, miners, hunters, and other similar positions.

Some of the residents of these cities are exiles or those hopeless peoples looking to start fresh in a new territory. Some are hoping to avoid the law, or are fleeing their pasts or their reputations.

It’s a pretty safe bet that the people of the ground cities are armed and very familiar with how to use their weapons. Brawls can break out fairly easily when tensions rise and they can get ugly fast.

Another common focus of the people living on the ground is operating in martial roles, serving as military or guardsmen, or working as adventurers, traveling the ruins and the wilds. They act as guards for caravans that move goods and people between the ground territories. They also use the cities as staging grounds for ambitious expeditions into the ruins of the old world.

Law

On the ground the law is typically loosely enforced, the city guards maintain their watch and, unlike the guards on the Skylands, they have the space to build prisons. But given the threat of monsters outside their walls, most guards only concern themselves with obvious or violent crimes, using the prisons more as holding cells to allow people to cool their heels. Few cities on the ground get much direct contact from the monarchy they may owe fealty to if they are not simply independent city-states, so the city’s governor is typically the final authority or say in legal matters.

In the event of an attack on the ground cities, people are expected to serve as a militia, the city’s governor and its guardsmen will seek out able-bodied individuals and conscript them into service. Those who accept are typically rewarded for their service, and those who refuse are punished, usually with jail time, though some cities use flogs or stocks, or even exile.

Settlements, towns, and villages

Outside of the walled cities are small scatterings of settlements. Although this is dangerous for its occupants, leaving them vulnerable to raids and monsters, it is much less expensive than life on the Skylands and much less likely to incur trouble from the criminal elements of the cities.

These small towns use impromptu methods for their defensive measures, relying on militias, watchtowers, and boltholes in place of the sturdy walls of the cities. The people of these locales will trade-off guard responsibilities, acting as a loosely-organized citizen soldiery.

The main advantage of places like this is the proximity to the resources they are there to take advantage of. Farmers and ranchers don’t need to worry about the space-constrained by walls, loggers can simply take advantage of the wood surrounding the village, miners can set up right above a vein or quarry, and hunters do not need to travel far for game.

Travelers to these small villages go there either to trade for the goods of that town or to settle there themselves. Visiting adventurers are there to resolve turmoil or deal with monsters. Attacks of this nature are usually small, these places are not high-value targets and don’t attract higher orders of monsters. The exception is if a village is in the path of a monstrous warband, then all hope is swiftly lost.

Nomads

There are numerous nomadic cultures on the grounds of Orizon, they travel from city to city, or simply wander the world’s wildernesses. The ones that travel between the cities typically act as large wandering groups, traveling between large cities to trade or serve as entertainers or both. These nomads have a strong culture of independence and count on their mobility to prevent being devastated from attacks rather than tall walls. They typically have some specific locations they hold significant or sacred that can serve as points of return should anyone get lost or the caravan becomes scattered.

These nomadic groups follow a travel route determined by their leadership which usually has hard destinations in mind but aren’t too dedicated to a specific route to get there, which will change depending on a variety of circumstances. Some of these circumstances may require the assistance of adventurers and runners may be sent ahead to contact adventuring guilds and post a job, or to warn nearby governments that can muster armies.

Whenever two groups of nomads encounter each other they usually celebrate the meeting with a party where both groups share in an exchange of goods, stories, and people. Typically these two caravans will remain together, either resting in an impromptu village of caravans or traveling together, for several days or weeks, then part with a slightly different arrangement of people than they had when they started.

These nomadic groups rarely go inside of a city as a whole group, preferring to stay on the outskirts. They’ll make camp outside of the walls and either walk into the city or let its residents come to them. This is both to keep themselves away from the claustrophobia of being inside the great walls of these cities, and to keep themselves safe from the historic mistrust and persecution that follows nomadic peoples.

The nomadic groups of Orizon share a simple common symbolic language. They’ll mark certain locations with these symbols to convey information to other nomadic groups that may be traveling through the area. These symbols are designed to inform travelers of safety and danger or to inform them of how the people in the cities they visit might behave. This symbolic language is often inscrutable to people who have no experience with the nomads, and it may be mistaken for peculiar and simplistic graffiti.

Travelers that meet up with the nomadic people will find a seemingly welcoming group, though a great deal of time will be spent observing newcomers to assess if they are a threat and threats may be quietly removed and eliminated. Adventurers may join up with traveling groups for additional security and knowledge while they travel and may find gifts of all but forgotten legends or mysterious magical items waiting for those who provide great assistance.

The People

The population of these nomadic groups is fluid and changeable, they accept people outside of their groups who choose to join them and some members choose to leave to join the people’s they pass by, cities and other caravans. The populations of these nomadic groups are mixed and can have representatives from numerous races.

Others choose to join the nomads or caravans for long enough to reach the group’s next destination. These people travel so long as they can pull their weight, and will typically act as guardsmen or craftsmen.

Law

The laws of these nomadic people are dependent on the individual caravans, usually, the only constant is a harsh punishment of obvious crimes, such as theft or violence.

Punishments are varied and also depend on the caravan, but can include beating offenders or shunning. An extreme punishment is branding the crime onto the offender and leaving them behind. The brand is so that they cannot repeat their offense with another caravan.

Dwarves

The dwarven nations operate large independent cities underneath the ground and small villages that spread very short distances from the entrances to their great halls. The dwarves trade with the Skyland governments and nearby cities, typically mineral goods for floatwood and foodstuffs. The main entrances of these cities are usually carved into the mountainside, the peaks, and cliffs of which are converted into docks for airships.

Dwarven cities extend a bit beyond the decorated and fortified walls, these are usually small trading villages where dwarves peddle their wares for travelers on the ground. The dwarves that venture out from their walls into these trading posts are often some of the only dwarves that most people of the surface and Skylands see.

Some dwarves travel further out into the world past their halls, either to escape troubles with their families, or to fulfill some quest of honor, but also may do so simply to seek out new concepts and techniques to bring back to their otherwise secluded peoples.

Elves

Wood elves keep hidden forest villages on the ground, their tree-houses are connected by a latticework of ramps, ladders, and bridges, a wood elf can live in their cities without ever touching the ground. These tree cities are loosely governed, but the exact strictures of their organization differ between cities.

The cities of wood elves are often expertly hidden, often trespassers will not know that they have entered the territory of the elves until the elves decide to let them know. Sometimes there are hidden enclaves and structures hidden deeper within the cities that no one outside of the elves has ever seen.

The wood elf cities usually have a strong relationship with nomadic groups like the traveling caravans or the nations of the Kor. The wood elves enjoy their seclusion, and this connection to these nomads allows them some means of both trading with the outside world and gaining news and other information.

Travelers to the cities of the wood elves are most likely to not even know it so long as they stay by the outskirts, but those who come with the approval and permission of the residents can find magnificently crafted woodworking and intricate magical items, as well as rich bounties of nature.

Goliath

The Goliath of Orizon are a mostly nomadic people, they stick to the hills and mountains where they are the most comfortable, occasionally wandering out onto Skylands that float close enough. The Goliath adore hot springs and will adorn them with decoration and elegantly stacked cairns to mark their locations and may spend their winters nearby the warm waters. Goats, because of their hardiness and skill at traversing the goliath’s mountain homes are special creatures to the tall folk, and younger goliath often spend time as goatherds.

Goliath are famously independent and hardy, they value strength and ability, those that can’t pull their weight are left behind. Although the definition of “pulling their weight” is expansive, and many stay beyond their peak physical ability, this is still a death sentence for most goliath. Some abandoned in such a way wander down into lowlands and try to integrate with the peoples down there, but have a hard time adjusting.

Some goliath tribes act as raiders, venturing into the lowlands to strike at any unprepared cities or settlements. Since the goliath only keep what they can carry these raids are usually only for food, gear, or supplies, although the raiders will zealously snap up any fine weaponry. There are many stories among settlers in the hills of a group of goliath descending, grabbing a cow and hefting it up before running off with it.

Travelers who visit the Goliath tribes find them patient but gruff, accepting of visitors so long as they don’t interfere too much with their wandering. Some take the opportunity to trade, exchanging their simple but finely made goods for tools and gear. Adventurers may seek out the goliath for their knowledge of the highlands while they hunt giants or dragons.

Tsukiusagi

The warrens of the Tsukiusagi are cleverly hidden and their libraries are expansive, these reclusive peoples have entire villages buried a short distance underground while seeming to be little more than a simple if large, farm above. They are a reclusive people, hoping to avoid conflict as much as possible, but they have of late opened some communications to the world around them, even sending out the odd traveler and ambassador.

Tsukiusagi warren homes are comfortable, warm, and dry, well designed to drain away water from the rain and make the absolute most of fireplaces. The libraries of the Tsukiusagi are legendarily expansive and, rarely, outsiders are granted access.

The elders of the Tsukiusagi hold great power in their culture, bordering on almost dictatorial amounts of control over their people. In the past, they controlled everything, from what job a child would take to who would marry, but recently it seems the moon rabbits have become more permissive, though they do not say why.

Travelers to the tsukiusagi warrens may not even know it, they may only ever see the farms and monasteries that sit above them and those few residents that were permitted to interact with them. Those that travel deeper do so with difficulty and are begrudged the privilege. Adventurers seek out the Tsukiusagi for their knowledge of magic, or in the hopes of finding some lost tome in their libraries.

Monstrous Hoards

The intelligent and “civilized” monsters of Orizon build themselves into a mixed bag of loosely affiliated and integrated tribes and villages. Traditionally these are led by a single powerful leader or by a coalition of elders, but they always hold to the ancient tradition and credo “never be a friend to those who enslaved us.” There is an animosity, carried across generations, towards the people that once ruled the ancient world. The monsters hate humans and dwarves, and they hold a special loathing for the elves.

Most of the monster settlements are mixed bags of races and peoples. Orcs and goblinoids mingle among the lesser giants while humanoid slaves scurry around in fear of being beaten further. All of these various peoples act in service to their clan leader that rules over them.

The civilizations of monsters are typically smaller groups, consisting of a few family groups and raiding parties. Sometimes though a more powerful leader emerges. These war chiefs travel to other settlements and villages and take over, merging the disparate clans into great armies and tremendous mobs. Lashing the disparate groups together and sending them out against the cities of the ground and the Skylands. These mobs are a terrifying prospect, howling masses of bloodthirsty clans warring to seize slaves and plunder and leave rivers of blood in their way. Fortunately, it’s rare for someone strong enough to lead such an army to emerge.

These are egalitarian people, all that matters to them is the strength to put themselves to their chosen tasks. There are philosophers and educators among their ranks. They are hidden with the families, the old and young, in villages away from the more visible armies and raiding parties.