The dominant feature of the Isle of Ealdun is the Varge. It is a high, rocky plateau of badlands, with only dangerous roads across it. It is a land ripe for adventure…
The Varge
The center of the Isle is dominated by the plateau known as the Varge. It is a high, rocky badlands area, with walls that drop to the smaller coastal strips of land that lie between it and the sea. It is generally uninhabited, except by bandits and monsters. The walls of the Varge rise up between 100 and 500 feet high, with only a few openings that permit travel onto it. These openings are closely guarded by the kingdoms where they are located.
The Varge itself is not flat–there are rough hills and bluffs on the plateau, with various valleys and passes between them. In addition, rivers carve channels across the Varge, making some areas impassable except for man-made bridges.
The northern end of the Varge is capped by the Morrigan Mountains, a range shrouded in danger and darkness. That area is controlled by the Winter Giants and their Dark One minions, and most travelers avoid that land. The southern area is still dangerous, with dangerous creatures as well as bandits inhabiting the hills and passageways of the Varge.
Why It Is Important
The presence of the Varge drives most traffic over roads and highways along the coasts of the Isle, or over the water of the coastal waters. Only a few heavily guarded caravans travel the roads across the Varge–the high rewards of the faster travel reward the bold.
It also adds a large wilderness area to the setting. The Isle has two large, ancient forest areas, but the Varge is much bigger, and has a lot more potential for exploration and hex crawling. There are many ruined forts and other older redoubts in the Varge, some home to soldiers and guards, but most inhabited by bandits and other foul things.
Finally, it increases the cultural distance between the various kingdoms. With the Varge separating them, the peoples of the Six Kingdoms really only have frequent contact with the realms on their coastal borders. The other kingdoms seem further away, and therefore more unknown. This can limit information that players have about the foreign lands, as well lead to cultural conflicts with strangers.
Adventuring In the Varge
Ultimately, the Varge is an area just ripe for adventuring! The land is a vast wilderness, with unknown dangers all through it. It is home to dangerous beasts, as well as fantastical creatures–there are many places where the Veil to the Cha’lon is very thin, and creatures cross through to the Mortal Lands. Any players who want to hunt monsters or play any wilderness travelling will find the varge fertile grounds.
It is also crawling with bandits and other human scum, groups who love to attack the cargo-laden caravans that attempt to cross the Varge for a quick coin. The players can play guards on the caravans, adventurers on a rescue party for a missing caravan–or bandits themselves.
In the north, though, the land is the haunting grounds of the Winter Giants and the Dark Ones–and other evil creatures. The coming war in the north will be a very big story arc for the Isle, and the players can be a part of it.
Still, if adventuring in the Varge is not for you, the fact that it drives so much trade over coastal highways and back roads or over the ocean trade routes leads to a good deal of adventuring in those areas as well.
In the end, the Varge simply drives the campaign setting of the Isle. Like a mountain that overshadows the local lands by its brooding presence, the Varge offers adventuring opportunities as well as heavily influences the stories that form the backdrop of the Ealdun setting. I’m looking forward to fleshing them out and getting them out to you all!
Marko ∞
(Originally published on inthelabyrinth.org, on 6/4/2021.)
