CAPITULO 4CAPITULO 4

The subcontinent today known as the Orcish Wastes was once a portion of the Antonican region called the Jaggedpine Forest. The ancient woodland has been thoroughly despoiled by the Deathfist orcs, who have controlled the region since the Rending. The Deathfists have felled trees, used their timber to build warships, and dug deep beneath the land in search of coal and iron. Once one of the most idyllic and beautiful places on Antonica, the old Jaggedpine is almost completely gone, obliterated by the orcs’ violence and greed.

Most of the region’s once-abundant wildlife has been exter-minated, along with the forests. In some corners of the subcontinent the region’s old species — bears, panthers, wolves, and even an occasional wily old treant — still survive, but for the most part the wastes are in the hands of the Deathfist orcs. The surviving treants have banded together in an alliance called the Seeds of Tunarbos — named after Tunarbos, the first tree — hoping to preserve what remains of the Jaggedpine in its natural state. They are opposed by a faction of dark treants called the Ring of Rotwood, who worship the god of decay, Bertoxxulous, and hope to bring disease and death to all living things in the region.

The orcs are opposed by a small group of rebels, the Green Hoods — also known as the Ghost Brigade — an alliance of druids and rangers who fight the Deathfists at every opportu-nity. Originally made up of humans and half elves, the Green Hoods have liberated numerous Deathfist slaves of all races, recruiting many into their ranks. Today, the Green Hoods include many different peoples, including even orcs, ogres, and dark elves, all united by their hatred of the Deathfists.

Though it is a faint hope, the Green Hoods hope to one day drive out the orcs and restore the land to its old glory.

Vallon Foundry: This is the largest of the many mine-foundry complexes built by the orcs in the old Jaggedpine. The foundry itself is located deep inside the mines, with elevators

operated by slaves that transport ore and other items between levels. Deathfist mines are always shrouded in a foggy, chok-ing haze from the wood fires used to run the forges and smelters. They are well-guarded by the Deathfists, and are sometimes the target of raids by the Green Hoods.

Grove of Stones: This is the best-known of the defiled druid rings of the wastes. It is a small grove with a circle of eight megaliths at its center, each carved with a different nature rune (one each for Growth, Decay, Health, Ocean, Sky, Storm, Sun, and Underfoot); at the center of the circle is a flat stone carved with the universal symbol representing the druidic faith. However, the runes have all been defaced, save for those that represent Decay and Underfoot, and today it is a place of great foul magic, where vicious, bloodthirsty undead and warped treants are often found.

Petrified Treant Grove: Some fearsome disaster during the Rending or the Shattering transformed dozens of normal treants into petrified trees. Today, these majestic beings stand in various postures, their faces and gestures suggesting that something horrible was happening. Some look to the sky while others cover their faces.

Titan’s Tower: The highest point in the wastes, this craggy mountain is covered with shrubby vegetation, and is very treacherous to climb. So far, the Deathfists have avoided the place, but the Green Hoods believe that there is an object or site at the summit that contains a power that will help them defeat the orcs. So far, all attempts to climb the Tower have ended in disaster, so the truth of this tale remains unknown.

Deathfist Citadel: On the northern coast of the Wastes, at the summit of Deathfist Hill, stands the capitol of the current orc empire. Deathfist Citadel is a near-impregnable fortress, guarded by thousands of seasoned warriors, and well-pro-tected by thick stone walls. Here, the Deathfists lay their plans for conquest and cast their greedy eyes across the world of Norrath.

Contents

Contents

I

And so let it be known that we, the independent folk of Qeynos and of Freeport, in order to preserve the harmony and peace of these troubled lands, and to lend our assistance to those in need in these fearsome times, do agree to jointly and concurrently main-tain a separate region, neutral and mutually administered, where those who were displaced by the cruel whims of circumstance may find refuge and safety. We declare these lands to be called the Isles of Refuge, and all who seek shelter are welcome there. Each inhabitant of these isles shall henceforth be free to choose his or her city of residence, while each city retains the right to accept or reject citizens pursuant to its own laws and customs.

To this the cities of Qeynos and Freeport solemnly agree, as witnessed by the undersigned representatives.

— from The Pact of Tserrin

In the wake of the Age of Cataclysms, only two of the old great cities of Qeynos and Freeport are known to remain standing, and these were badly damaged and their resources sorely strained by an influx of refugees from all across Norrath.

Accordingly, the two cities, whose inhabitants normally detested one another, were forced to negotiate, finally agree-ing to jointly manage the hordes of refugees, and to formulate a relatively humane and measurable system for allocating them to each city. The neutral Far Seas Trading Company was created both to help manage the refugee problem and to explore and create a trade network throughout the Shattered Lands and beyond — seeking to determine what of the old world exists beyond the remnants of Old Antonica.