As we move on to the second pat of our brief gazetteer, it occurs to me that while we’ve got a great name for this storyworld, I haven’t mentioned the name for the setting itself: that is, the name the inhabitants use for the place they live:
Shunadar
That said, let’s continue our tour around Shunadar by visiting…
The Hunting Grounds (Shuna-Korvassa)
Before the invasion, these rugged plains were populated by vast herds of bison-like honsu and the people who hunted them. Now the hunters have become the hunted as the spiders swarm into the region looking for prey.
Poraz: This trading town near the border of the Webbed Lands is officially under spider control, but is actually a hotbed of corruption, rebellion, and criminal activities. The leaders of the town keep the spiders off their back through extensive bribes of honsu meat and human captives.
House of Stone: Storms are common in the hunting grounds: terrible, violent storms full of deadly lightning and lashing hail. Thick-walled shelters dot the countryside; when a storm is coming, the locals know to make their way to the nearest shelter. The most famous of these is a large keep with walls of smooth stone. No one knows who built it, but it’s been here for centuries and is now a sanctuary against not only storms, but attacking spiders as well.
The Stronghold (Maza-Shun)
Separated by distance (and raging rivers) from much of Shunadar, this coastal region has been spared the worst of the spider invasion. While the nobles of Maza-Shun pursue isolationist policies in order to protect themselves against the spiders, the religious leaders are preaching that there is a moral imperative to help the resistance and take in whatever refugees they can.
Maza: This port city is a bustling hub of commerce, where ships regularly come and go to other continents and other ports on Shunadar. Business is down after the invasion, of course, but life has continued on well enough that many nobles are able to pretend that the spiders are someone else’s problem.
Rhaza: Once a small trading village, the town of Rhaza is now swollen with refugees from the hunting grounds and parts further west. While some worry about the influx of strangers, others are forging them into an effective militia to defend their new home from invading spiders.
Unstoppable Turtle: Wealthy merchants sail up and down the rivers of Maza-Shun and style themselves “river lords.” The largest of their “floating palaces” is the Unstoppable Turtle, a massive river boat defended by hundreds of soldiers. Since spiders don’t like crossing water, the Turtle does seem truly unstoppable, but its captain is more concerned with his next paycheck than fighting off his homeland’s invaders.
The Dominion of Shadow (Orzah-Shun)
The realm of Orzah-Shun is a decrepit, crumbling shell of what it once was. According to the lords of Orzah, they are the original inhabitants of Shunadar and its true, rightful rulers. According to everyone else, the Orzan people are strange and terrifying, given to mass slavery, twisted alchemical experiments, and the worship of ancient dark gods. Whether due to the protection of its shadowy pantheon or just its remoteness, Orzah-Shun has not yet been invaded by the spiders, and its leaders hope to keep it that way.
Orzah: The twin hearts of the crumbling capitol are the Palace of the Immortal Queen and the Temple of Unspoken Truths. No one outside Orzah-Shun has entered either of these sites and lived, nor can they speak of them without shuddering.
The Black Keep: This fortress marks the edge of Orzan territory, and is full of slave-soldiers who have been prepared to die in defense of their homeland.
Temple of the Sunken Ones: On the edge of the sea is a towering temple that’s open to the tides. According to legend, acolytes of the dark gods come here to seek forbidden wisdom from the things that slither beneath the waves.
