View Map of Cemen - one of the four great realms (realm of earth) of Alcarin (97.8 kb)

Location/Setting: The Kingdom of Cemen is one of the four important realms of the planet Alcarin. Cemen is the Realm of Earth. It is the smallest of the four realms, some 1500 miles from north to south and 1000 miles from east to west. It's capital city is Arquen.
The culture, climate and terrain are mostly European; a standard-fantasy environment. Areas range from mountains to forests to plains. Most of it's inhabitants are humans, although there are large numbers of Elves and Fey as well. The largest part of the inhabitants is of good alignment. Cemen's economy is largely based on trade. It forms the connection between the realms of Vilya and Nen, on the other side of the ocean, and Narëal, Cemen's neighboring country.
Religion: Since nature is counted under the Alcarin Element of Earth, it has an important role in both the country and in it's most important religions. The most important religions are those of the Wing of Earth (see: Elfstone Pantheon). Due to the importance of trade, the religions of the Wing of Water and the gods of Competition/Trade, Fortune/Luck and Prosperity are popular as well.
Government: Arquen is ruled by King Khalimon, who lives in the capital city of Arquen. The King is assisted by court and city nobles, the mayor (appointed by the King), city council (elected by the official residents of Arquen (usually the people that do not live in the slums)) and the nation's Government (elected by the nobility of Cemen). Most other cities and towns are ruled by local nobles. The nobles of larger towns and cities are assisted by a mayor (appointed by the noble) and a city council (elected by the people or important characters of a town), to do the daily governing of the city. Land and castles can be privately owned by none-nobles, but the authority over a community and the right to collect taxes (of which a part goes to the King and the Government) is a privilege of the nobility.

LEGEND:

Important Cities (blocks; from north to south):
Northkeep: Cemen's northernmost settlement. This small, but well fortified city is meant as a defense from possible attacks of nations, kingdoms or barbarian tribes north of Cemen. The city is very similar to Southkeep in the far south of the country.
Bharan-Goleth: A medium sized city is one of the more strange in Cemen. It's population mainly consists of Dwarves and good and neutral Giants. The city is dominated by the huge structures made by the giants. It is part of Cemen and not a separate nation, such as Imriël or Andëa-Ingólemo.
Úmëa: Large city of the Drow. Only very few know of it's existence, fewer know it's location.
Arquen: This gigantic metropolis is the capital city of Cemen. It is a beautiful, vast and busy city. Most dominant structures are the various temples (at least one for each of Alcarin's 51 religions), the huge marketplace, the vast port facilities and fortresses and The Ridge: a large rock that towers above the city and holds the rich-peoples' district, the ancient castle of the King of Cemen and the kingdom's main military and governmental facilities. (see: Geography: City of Arquen)
Thir: Medium sized trading town.
Andëa-Narëal: This small trading town lies in the Empire of Narëal, 50 miles from it's sister-town Andëa-Cemen. It is the "Gate to Narëal"; the first of it's cities when entering along the Trade Route.
Andëa-Cemen: This small trading town is the "Gate to Cemen", the first of Cemen's cities when entering along the Trade Route.
Andëa-Ingolemo: This large city, the "Gate of the Sage", is city-state and kingdom of the Grey Elves. It has many great libraries and is known for it's practical hewn-stone buildings. The city houses many great wizards.
Laurëa: This is a large and important trading city on the crossing of the Trade Route and the Fey Trail. Lots of caravans pass through here and stay here for the night. The city is well known for it's good inns and taverns.
Limpeth: A large trading city on the Trade Route. The River Ai, which passes through the city, is sailable with sea-going ships until only a little after this city, so it is often used as a port, going by ship from the ocean and unloading here to go by cart on the Trade Route.
Imriël: This large city, hidden in the wilderness of the Forest of Imriël, is the city-state and kingdom of the High Elves. For the largest part it lies high up in the trees at various elevations. Most people know of it's existence, though not many people know it's actual location.
Ai'Rhin: A large port city, this is the harbor all the goods that are shipped up the River Ai to Limpeth must pass through.
Khazad: A medium sized city along the Fey Trail.
Starkeep: Small, well fortified city along the Fey Trail. It is meant as a protection, might any trouble come from the south or south-east, the kingdom of Ksé-Fliph or the town of Mirrorglade.
Mirrorglade: A port and large trading town on the shores of "The Mirror", a large lake. It is a stronghold of the Halflings. It is part of Cemen and not a separate nation, such as Imriël or Andëa-Ingólemo. It is used as a trading post for ships that sail up the Mirror's Flow. Trade can then go further on either to the Fey Trail down south or north to the Trade Route. Mirrorglade is well known for it's cozy atmosphere and small buildings (although public buildings, inns, taverns and some other structures are human-sized).
Tsi: This small city on the Fey Trail is the capital city of the Kingdom of Ksé-Fliph. It is partly build into the trees and underground and home to various sorts of Fey. Building sizes vary enormously, to fit the various inhabitants. The city's atmosphere is very natural and fairytale-like. A strange place to humans.
Ëarmon: Medium sized port city. It the entrance point to the Mirror's Flow river. Cainen: Small city along the Mirror's Flow. It is used as a place to supply ships along this river and unload goods that are transported south to Redmine and Southkeep.
Redmine: Small city and mining town in the Peaks of Galaecia. A large part of the city's population is Dwarf. It's mines produce various metals, minerals and other precious things (mostly gold and silver, but also diamonds and other gems, mithral and some adamantite).
Sairel's Tower: This small city is build around a huge granite tower. This tower is, according to legend, the second tower build by the great mage Sairel. Although a lot of people consider it just another legend and probably not true, it is in fact a true tale. The great wizard wanted to live completely alone and built his tower in the middle of nowhere. To his agony, it wasn't long before people began to live near his tower (probably because of the safety having such a powerful mage as neighbor brings) and his first tower grew to a small city. Sairel decided to move and put up a second tower on a different site far away from the first. This is the tower that still stands in the city of Sairel's Tower. The story repeated itself as again people began to live near his tower. Again he leaves and builds a third tower, in a place so inhospitable and impossible to find that no one comes to live near it. The location of the first and third towers are unknown and lost even to legend.
Southkeep: Cemen's southernmost settlement. This small, but well fortified city is meant as a defense from possible attacks of the creatures of the Fields of Many Eyes and what else dwells south of Cemen. The city is very similar to Northkeep in the far north of the country.

Important Sites (circles; from north to south):
Goin's Rest: The tower of the Dwarven wizard Goin. Goin is a powerful wizard: lvl 16. He retired to the place a long time ago and lives there high up in the mountains with a few apprentices. This site is not known to many people. A few meters from the tower is the spring that is the source of the River Ai.
Elfbridge: A big stone bridge over the River Ai, between Laurëa and Limpeth, build by the Grey Elves. This is where the road to the Grey Elf city of Andëa-Ingólemo splits from the Trade Route.
Vëomir's Camp: The grove of Vëomir, the Grand Druid of Alcarin (Druid level 20). It is a beautiful place, where nature shows her best side. Full of Treants and other powerful plant creatures, animals, beasts, Fey, druids and several rangers. It is warded by powerful magic. None who means to do harm will enter. Druids are always granted free access and rangers, nature priests elves, fey and other creatures of nature are usually welcome as well. Other people may enter if they have business with the Druids and/or are sometimes required to bring a small gift. Few people know the general area where the grove is, and only very few (druids, fey, some elves and other important people) know it's actual location.

Important Roads and Rivers:
Coastway: A very long and ancient road (terrain type: highway) that stretches along the entire coast of Cemen and far beyond (both north and south), going all the way to the cold northern kingdoms and to the jungles far in the south.
Trade Route: The road (terrain type: highway) from Arquen to Mindon-Nasár (the capital city of Narëal). A very busy road full of merchant caravans.
Fey Trail: The road (terrain type: road/trail) from Laurëa and the Trade Route down south to the Fey Kingdom of Ksé-Fliph and far beyond, between the Great Desert and the Fields of Many Eyes to the far away Elven Kingdom of Lorannia.
Southern Route: The road from Redmine to Southkeep. It is used to supply Southkeep. It is also heavily patrolled to safeguard southern Cemen.
River Ai: The river that springs at Goin's Rest and flows along the Trade Route to Limpeth and Ai'Rhin. The stretch between Ai'Rhin and Limpeth is sailable by sea going vessels (though only during the day; cutting the daily movement listed in Player's Handbook in half). It is sailable for a few more miles upstream from Limpeth, but quickly becomes too rough and shallow to sail.
Mirror's Flow: The river that flows from The Mirror, a big lake in central Cemen. It flows through Cainen and Ëarmon. It can be sailed by sea going vessels all the way to the lake and over the lake to Mirrorglade (though only during the day).

Important Areas (from north to south):
Narëal: This Empire is one of Cemen's neighboring countries, this is the Realm of Fire, one of the four important realms on Alcarin. It is a very important trading partner to Cemen.
Fields of the Dead: A huge area, north of the Trade Route, that is an ancient battlefield from the great wars that had raged between the four realms for centuries. These wars ended with the peace treaty of Cardárë, in the year 0 CR. Many people and other creatures have died horrific deaths in these fields. Today, it is a cold place where nothing grows, a place of evil. Many undead dwell here. It is best avoided and strongly advised to stay on the Trade Route.
Nairel's Shadow: The circular sea north of Arquen. It is named after one of the two suns of Alcarin (probably just because the sun is round and for no other reason).
Far Hills: The mountains north of the Trade Route. Many Trolls and Giants and also quite a lot of Dragons and other rare creatures. Most of it is very rough and inhospitable, although there are many human and demi-human settlements in the valleys.
Forest of Imriël: A large forest that stretches from the Fey Trail to Ai'Rhin and from the Trade Route to south of Khazad. It is known for it's large population of fey and elves.
The Wide: The large grass planes between the Forest of Imriël and the Mirror's Flow. There are lots of farming communities and herdspeople in this area.
Ksé-Fliph: The Fey Kingdom of Ksé-Fliph is a strange, enchanted country west of Cemen. The Fey Trail runs straight through it. The country's borders are heavily patrolled and guarded and humans and demi-humans venturing in will be under constant observation by groups of invisible fey (usually sprites).
Entwood: A large untamed forest between the Fey Trail, the Mirror's Flow and the Peaks of Galaecia. It's name comes from the tales of many gigantic Treant "cities" somewhere in it's vast wilderness. Although most of these tales are exaggerated, there are indeed several large communities of Treants and other plant creatures.
Peaks of Galaecia: A mountain range that serves Cemen as a natural protection from the monsters of the south. It contains many dwarven mining communities that produce various metals, gems and other materials. The mountain range thanks it's name (the peaks of the Moon Goddess Galaecia) to it's somewhat moon shaped appearance.
Fields of Many Eyes: The vast wilderness of rocky hills south of Cemen. It is full of monsters and evil demi-human tribes. The area's name comes from the many Beholders that roam the area. The tales that adventurers bring home from the Fields of Many Eyes always serve as a good bed-time story... one to produce severe nightmares.

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