Land of the Old Empires- Aurum

Aurum

From the shores of the great Western Ocean, to the borders of the Dynasty of Khitai, as north as the Kingdom of Skaave and as south as the Jungles of Kush, the domain of the old Empires lay. These lands embrace the Sea of Thieves, a massive inland sea and home of many pirates. It borders the mountainous homes of the Dwarfs and gnomes, Kalca Doroth, and the woodland realms of the Elves, the Lavender Forest.
The peoples of this land are varied, brought together by the ambition of men and of a dragon. Humans of all color and stripe inhabit the lands of the Old Empires, from the dark southern men, to the dusky hued me of he Far East, and the pale people of the rugged north. Halflings resided in secluded shires, and Teiflings still live in their most ancient of cities. Half orcs, as much feared as tolerated, live in work in all areas of Aurum. As do the DragonBorn, who bear the stigma of traitor and hero, of tyrant and liberator.
The old Empires have fallen, the Dragon Emperor Faxardor slain by his own praetorians, and freedom returned to a war torn land. The forces of evil see their chance, and the monsters of legend return from the shadows.
Now the city-states and kingdoms of Aurum fight amongst themselves and against the powers of evil. The kingdom of Conth is falling into shadow. Xoth wages a pitiful war while internal intrigues weaken the nation of pirates. DragonBorn still feud in the ruined capital of Ashes, and the Teiflings scheme in the Old City.
The ruins of the Old Empires lay scattered and hidden throughout the land, as does its secretes and treasures. But these places are not unguarded, and only the brave and capable can wrest fortunes from bygone eras.

Conth, Kingdom of Slendor and Shadow

Dominating much of the coastline of the Sea of Thieves is Conth, a league of city states ruled by King Ward the Short. The Road of Kings, an ancient highway constructed millennia ago, bi sects the kingdom, with most of the important cities along its route. Only might Sparthe, the greatest port city on the Sea and home of the largest Navy in the world is separated from the great highway.
Aside from Sparthe, the cities of Nepanth, Erscylly and the capital of Ravensbrook control vast areas of land for farming, lumber and quarry, as well as a couple silver and gold mines. The armies of Conth, including the famed Knights of the Raptor, patrol the Kings Road for marauding monsters and bandits- but the need is great.
The woodlands of Conth hide the ancient ruins of Empires gone by, as well as resurgent monsters. A scarlet dragon has been seen near Ketter's Keep, causing a section of the Kings Road to be all but abandoned. Humanoid monsters have been on the rise in the outlying villages and townships, as have strange magical beasts.
For his part the King has done little to nothing about these incursions. The guilds of the cities demand action against the neighboring nation of Xoth, a loose republic of city-states considered more of a consortium of pirates. King Ward is a renown drunkard, and has let the more militant voices pressure the borders of Xoth, while the navy attacks and captures Xothian ships for "pirate activities".

Xoth, Realm of Pirates

Neighboring Conth to the east is the Consortium of Xoth. Not unlike Conth, Xoth is a small collection of city states, most of which border the Sea of Thieves. However, Xoth is only loosely considered a kingdom, with many of their "nobility" consisting of the more successful pirate captains. A council of rulers generally leads the common people, although it is the responsibility of the elected monarch to enforce the laws and maintain the armies. Xoth taxes its common citizens like other nations, the inland farmers give a portion of their crops for example. But the nobility are not taxed, instead the nobility give tribute to their current ruler, the amount either based on the favor they wish to glean or the disapproval of their leadership. Although the common folk do not starve, the fighting forces of Xoth vary greatly, with a majority of their standing army being comprised of mercenaries, and their navy being the ships pressed into service at the time.

The current monarch of Xoth is Queen Satasha the Black, who rules from the Island city of Skullsreach. Skullsreach has a difficult, but far from impossible harbor to navigate, and is well defended. As one of the largest ports on the Sea of Theives, Skullsreach is a place of wonders. Exotic people's and creatures are common, as well as forbidden goods and treasures.

Xothian pirates have had a long accord of not raiding their neighbor Conth, as to pursue a peace and to have a principle trading partner. Individual captains will rarely heed this statute, but risk is the nature of piracy. Recently, Conth nobles have pressured King Ward to declar war on the smaller kingdom, and Queen Satasha has returned in kind. War is an unpopular business in Xoth, and the Queen has little support from the council. Plots to undermine her rule have already been ousted, and the War effort suffers from it.

The chief victims of Xothian raids are the Shemite traders of the south and the Khitai of the east. These people trade with Conth and Ash, as well as dozens of city-states mostly silks, spices and other exotic goods. A rival of the Xothian pirates, other than themselves, is the strange Brotherhood of Enoch, a cult of sea rovers operating from the far southern jungles of Kush. The Brotherhood slay or enslave those upon ships they capture, and burn to ships without looting them. What dark fates await those taken, none can say.

Skaarve- the Winter Kingdom

To the north of Conth, beyond the Stone Mountains, is the Winterlands of Skaarve. A hardy and powerful people live in the frozen fastness, their determination well known, as well as their bloody raids into the Middle lands.

A loose collections of tribes, the Kingdom of Skaarve is led by Storven- the barbarian king. In the old fortress of Corvech does the barbarian king's rule stretch into the frosty lands. Corvech is built on the great Northern Sea, the icy waterway snakes into the fjords and leads raiders to the southern land of Asheron. The city-fortress is also the largest in the north, a port city which sees many foreign visitors and exotic goods from around Aurum.

Not all of Skaarve is Ice and frost. Although the the winters are harsh in the north, spring and summer bring warmth and beauty to the Winterlands. The people believe in primitive gods, and rarely call upon them. A long Druidic tradition is rooted in Skaarve, the Circle of Frost and the Circle of the Moon can be found in the remote wild lands. These people guide the common folk spiritually, more so than any religion, although some villages may have a shaman.

Unsurprisingly, Skaarve is known for its berserk warriors. Many of the ships which raid the south carry these rage fueled madmen. Many legends are attributed to their great strength and ability to shrug off mortal wounds. It is said that King Storven himself is such a berserker, and his personal Guard, the Red Wolves, slay Giants and monsters in the frozen tundras beyond the sea ways.