Cities and Settlements (GM-Facing Only)
Mandala Cities Overview
| Settlement | Type | Primary Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kalorand | Capital City | Authority, ritual legitimacy, administration |
| Bhadra | Food City | Agricultural production, storage, caloric stability |
| Trushandar | City of Towers | Knowledge, magic, vertical infrastructure |
Frontier and Rural Settlements
| Type | Name | Authority | Placement | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fort | Fort Stonejaw | Core | Kalorand Range | Mountain stronghold controlling passes and mine traffic |
| Frontier Fort | Túros Tem | Core | Viaspin Forest | Maintains and patrols the Northern Road |
| Frontier Fort | Threshold | Core | Blackpeak Mountains | Watches the Blackpeak approaches and high passes |
Central Settlements
| Type | Name | Authority | Placement | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elven Stronghold | Shadgrove | Elven | Viaspin Valley | Elven hold enforcing eastern forest borders |
| River Settlement | Woodbridge | Mixed | Dymrak Reach | Island settlement guarding river crossings |
| Hill Town | Lungra | Velkari | Lungra Valley | Horse cavalry culture, valley patrols |
| Port Town | Varosha Haven | None | Southern coast | Abandoned port settlement |
Northern Settlements
| Type | Name | Authority | Placement | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandala City | Bhadra | Core | Northern plains | Food city sustaining regional supply |
| Mountain Village | Drakmö | Velkari | High mountains | Isolated Velkari settlement |
| Dwarven Stronghold | Bharak-Kûn | Dwarven | Northern mountains | Major dwarven fortress and hold |
Dead Mandala Cities
| Type | Name | Authority | Placement | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead Mandala City | Sakkara | None | Southern forest | Failed mandala city and sealed ruin |
| Dead Mandala City | Sarn Veloth | None | Northern marches | Frozen and abandoned |
| Dead Mandala City | Ormath | None | Eastern wastes | Lost to collapse and exposure |
| Dead Mandala City | Bhūtaka | None | Northern frontier | Mandala failure and political fracture |
| Dead Mandala City | Nadir | None | Skyborne | Former flying city, eighth mandala and ill omen |
Campaign Notes
| Category | Note |
|---|---|
| Authority | Core indicates Mandala Monarchy or Church aligned control |
| Dead Cities | Treated as hazardous zones rather than settlements |
| Northern Band | Reduced density reflects mandala attrition |
| Nadir | Excluded from normal census due to non terrestrial nature |
In-World Understanding
What people believe, broadly:
“Mandalas fail when people fail.”
This is comforting and mostly false.“Some cities are better left buried.”
This is true more often than anyone admits.“If the Church won’t go there, you shouldn’t either.”
This is practical advice.
Rivers and Major Watercourses
| Type | Name | Authority | Placement | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River | Rasal Flow | Core | Bottom to middle | Major southern river marking the frontier near Fort Stonejaw and the Drazhal Hill. | Structural boundary |
| River | Lungra River | Core | Middle to upper middle | Cold northern river associated with abandoned shrines and dangerous crossings. | GM-facing |
Implicit World Logic (for Cartography and Play)
From the above, the map should communicate:
South to north climate collapse
Regions give way to landmarks, then to absence
Rivers and roads terminate before safety does
Singular features dominate the far north visually
The land itself signals danger before encounters do
Dead Cities of Reisa
Across the kingdom lie cities where the mandala failed and warmth vanished. These places are known collectively as the Dead Cities. Their names survive in monastery records, road-songs, and warnings passed from caravan to caravan.
- Ormath
- Sarn Veloth
- Sakkara
- Bhūtaka
- Nadir (special)
Most travelers detour widely around these places. The Sangha discourages inquiry without formally forbidding it.