TL;DR
Argora: Let's be honest guys, it's basically Faerun.
The Contested Lands: The most southwestern tip of Argora rich in rare and valuable ores and minerals. There are many ancient magical secrets hidden here as well. Its most notable landmark is Qualbudj, a dark spire that stretches high into the sky that only the most brave even dare to approach. There are three powers that generally vie for the land each with their own reasons. The center of the region is strewn with abandoned forts and mining communities. People come out here to either get rich or die... Guess which is easier!
Thrice: A city widely known as pirate city, but its citizenry see it as the only bastion in the turbulent Contested Lands. It got its name because it was named and conquered thrice over. For the last 100 years a hobgoblin warlord has ruled the city as daimyo, though the Order of the Red Hand is the true power in the city and has been for hundreds of years. Basically most people stay away because it sits in the shadow of a gigantic black spire. It's like the best parts of New York and Las Vegas... and also the wort parts of New York and Las Vegas.
The Holy Empire of Kelnar: Super pious, sorta racists and ruled by aasimar. Primarly controls the regions to the north beyond the mountains. Primarily controls the land beyond the mountains to the north. They're basically Rome but they rather wipe out other cultures than assimilated them.
Vildhaust: A region populated by simple folk that just want to hunt, craft, and farm. Very affable beast-races and shifters live here. Oh, and their may or may not be some ancient horror that haunts the roads at night and is the only reason its never been conquered. Its like the pioneering west but the kind from horror stories, not western movies... and furries, I guess.
Rael Concordant: A bureaucratic nation ruled by wizards and artificers. Where the only thing that matters is how many spells you know and how high you can upcast them! The control the south and while others want the Contested Land for the land and riches in it, they are more interested in protected the Feywild-infused Volerin Wood and unraveling the secrets of the Qualbudj. Its basically a mix of a dystopian utopian nation mixed with Hogwart, mad sciencist and mega-hippies abound!
Kurai Badlands: Far in the east is where the monsters be! This is where all the things that bump in the night call home, and bullywugs. The three goblinoid Great Hosts started here before they ravaged across the rest of the region, and is the primary reason Kelnar exits. Feudal japan but spoopy!
The Phoenix: The parties patron and base of operations safe behind the protective walls of Thrice. Congrats recruit, its now your charge to take on the job no one dares... and probably die in the fruitless attempt to complete. Good news is your boss is a cat that can bench press you!
Thrice, the Haven City.
On the south eastern edge of the continent of Argora within a region commonly known as the Contested Lands stands the Qualbudj, a great spire stretching far into the sky overlooking a small bay at the foot of a coastal mountain range. An ancient relic believed to have been constructed by the original inhabitants of the continent that vanished eons ago, yet it remains untouched by the rigors of time. For hundreds of years the region has been a hotbed of war. Only briefly have these struggles been interrupted by uneasy truces as major powers vie for access to its hills and mountains, rich with rare and precious ores, gems, and crystals. Small fortress and mining colonies in various states of disrepair are strewn across the vast region, remnants of bygone eras. The oldest of these settlements sits along the bay beneath the shadow of the spire. Originally founded by a company of dwarves whose clan and origins were lost to time. These prodigious builders established a mine, a fortress, and a defensive wall to protect their fledgling town they called Runtheli.
Old Kyutso Era
Runtheli eventually fell when the 2nd Great Host of Magliboyet invaded from the sea as part of the hobgoblin's brutal precision across the continent. They brought with them a small army of slaves to work the mines, using the highly valued ore to fuel their relentless war machine. Kyutso, as they named it, became the heart of the goblinoid conquest of the Contested Lands. However like all Great Hosts, it inevitably collapsed due to infighting, leaving an opening for the Rael Concordant to wrench the valuable port from the goblinoids and freeing their mostly human slaves.
Tal'Rael Era
The coalition of elves, gnomes, and other magically-inclined races renamed the town Tal’Rael, and it flourished as a great trading hub in the peace time that followed the end of the Great Host. Where the previous inhabitants were concerned with the treasure buried deep in the hard dry terrain, the elves were most interested in the great spire just outside the city and unlocking its mysteries. As Tal’Rael attracted great scholars and tradesmen, the town blossomed into a true city. However this golden age was brought to an abrupt and horrifying end as an exploratory group who ventured deep in the tower returned, unknowingly carrying a disease that targeted only those who used magic. The Spellscourge spread throughout Tal’Rael wiping out nearly every magic-user. The Rael Concordant responded by enforcing a strict quarantine of the city, essentially abandoning those that remained to their fates.
The First Free City
With Rael gone, the city fell into the control of the descendants of those slaves brought from all over Argora by the Great Host. These newly independent peoples quickly removed the stringent restrictions the Concordant had established, creating their own precepts under the enigmatic Order of The Red Hand. Ironically it was the stigma of the Spellscourge kept sovereign powers well away from it for over 200 years. The harbor quickly built a nefarious reputation welcoming any and all willing to pay access to their ports. In turn, the populace grew much more diverse as Thrice, named for the city had been thrice named and thrice conquered, became a haven from the wars that continued to be waged across the Contested Lands. So great was their prosperity that other city-states in Argora began emulating Thrice's example, a power rooted in the trade of wealth and information instead of blood and iron.
New Kyutso
A 3rd Great Host was formed, stronger and far more disciplined than the last, and bent on restoring Maglyobet’s former glory. It wasn’t long before the goblinoids returned to reclaim the port they had lost. However instead of a battle, the shrewd heads of Thrice collectively known as the Red Hand openly welcomed the Great Host into their city. Showing the warlords how well run and integrated the various industries of the city were, the Red Hand were allowed to keep their autonomy but a daimyo loyal to the Great Host was placed as overseer. New Kyutso once again became the heart of the Great Host’s expansion, though people still commonly referred to it as Thrice. The of the Great Hosts turned once more as the gears of war ground to a halt, and it began to break down. Fortunately, the savvy hobgoblin who ruled Thrice at the time was able to repel the other warlords to sack New Kyutso.
Founding of the Phoenix
A generation had passed since the 3rd Great Host terrorized the Contested Lands, and New Kyutso, or Thrice to any non-goblinoid, and its people lived in relative peace. Their hobgoblin lord rarely interfered with the goings on of the city, preferring a opulent yet secluded existence high atop Lordmount, contented with the taxes reaped from a prosperous city than the overambitious slavemongery of his ancestors. While the Red hand worked to maintain the precarious balance of power throughout the Contested Lands.
That peace was completely shattered in a single night. Four groups of invaders appeared out of seemingly nowhere in a lethally coordinated strike to cripple the city. Calling themselves the Shareeth, these cloaked figures from parts unknown, used magic that even the elven sages had ever seen. They vanished as suddenly as they appeared, destroying most of the ships in the various harbors along the bay, decimating the daimyo’s army of goblinoids, and leaving the citizens racked with terror by the senseless attack.
As word quickly spread of the horrific raid, the hobgolin lord was left with the unbearable stench of the defeat hanging of his head. The daimyo was desperate for answers, and most importantly, retribution. It was then a retired but well-known adventurer, known as Still, approach the daimyo with a risky proposition. He asked for a large sum of gold to recommission the old abandoned dwarven fort and raise an elite mercenary company. Still's aimed to not only to bolster Thrice’s defenses, but to take on the most dangerous jobs throughout the region all along looking for information on the Shareeth. As the company's chief patron their success would be his own, and raise the lord’s profile across the Contested Lands. Still named his group the Phoenix from his ardent belief that something greater will always rise from the ashes of the old.
Regions of the Contested Lands
Holy Empire of Kelnar
A nation founded by the legendary Emperor Aurin I as the first of its kind in the region, it is still ruled by his descendants. Every member of his blessed bloodline is an aasimar, and so by their citizens, are seen as demi-gods and oracles who speak with the voice of the gods. Aurin I lead the feudal territories of the north against the 1st Great Host, a defeat that took the goblinoids nearly 300 years to recover from.
Kelnar is the most prosperous nation in the region and the standard for art, culture, and wealth throughout the contested lands. The Kelnari credit their prosperity to the divine favor secured through the Holy Tenants handed down by Aurin and his descendants as unquestioned law. In order to ensure they remain favored they closely regulate most facets of life, foremost being religion and education. A ubiquitous order of special priests known as the Inquisition set about ensuring the Holy Tenants are observed to the letter, and righteously punish any they see fit.
The Kaleeshar see the conquest of the Contested Lands as the culmination of Aurin I’s divine mandate. This also includes cleansing the land of heretical beliefs as well as creatures spawned of creatures from beyond the Material Plane and those who serve them (except celestials of course).
The Shining Legion is the great military and security force of the nation. Boasting a middling navy, their infantry and calvary are where the Kelnari truly dominate. Chief among them being the Knights Templar who guard the nation's vast borders and roads.
However even such a fervent culture is not without internal strife. The Holy Tenants' strict religious and racial restrictions are the source of much dissension, especially among those deemed as “lesser”. There are also tribes of dragonborn who roam the plains at Kelnar’s southernmost border to the upper planes the border the great desert to the west, that do not recognize the Empire’s sovereignty at all.
Vildhaust
Not a true nation, but a collection of sparse farming and hunting communities nestled in forests and marshes hidden among verdant rolling hills. Since the region isn’t rich in rare ores and minerals, it was often overlooked. The only interesting aspect being the abundance of beast races that settled there such as leonin, shifters, tabaxi, and tortels. Despite lacking centralized governance, the simple remote settlements function as one.
These communities were once thought to be quite insular, though they welcomed open trade, but when the first Great Host raged across the Contested Lands the farmers and hunters quickly came together to defend their homes with expert guerilla tactics. In the end they fell to the overwhelming army as it moved northward. However, when a warlord returned the next day to inspect the occupying forces, he found every goblinoid savagely torn to shreds. Yet every captive was accounted for, and professed to have no idea what happened that night. So began rumors of the great spirit that fiercely protected the people of Vildhaust, mercilessly slaughtering any outsider. When the second Great Host rose, they avoided Vildhaust completely. However, during that war, two full regiments of Kaleesh's Shining Legion invaded Vildhaust’s northern hills and were never heard from again. The Vilders still maintain the Verekenmacht is a guardian spirit that protects all farmers, traders, and simple folk.
After the first host fell a formal coalition of the various communities was forged, though most remain simple quiet villages. Despite the horrifying tales of the Verekenmacht, Vildhaust is renowned for its hospitality, and having the safest roads in the Contested Lands (by day at least). That along with its fresh produce, rare pelts, and famed woodcraft has made it a favorite stop for any merchants traveling through the continent. If Vildhaust had a capital it would be the large trading town simply known as Outpost, the only town with a true road leading to it.
The Rael Concordant
A collective of various groups that originated on Argora and beyond that sought to establish the perfect sovereign entity centered around the pursuit of arcane mysteries. Lead primarily by elves and gnomes, but Rael welcomes any and all creatures with high magical acumen and a willingness to share knowledge.
The Conordant originally began as a group of wizards attempting to unravel the mysteries of the ancient crystal city of Rael. Having successfully reactivated the floating city, casters from far and wide came to bear witness and ally themselves with powerful and like minded individuals. Unbeknownst to these mystic scholars the 2nd Great Host was building in the neighboring Kurai Wastelands. The great hobgoblin campaign had its start in the lands south of the Volerin Wood. Rael was only saved from their rampage simply due to the fact they could not reach the crystal city. However the mages were not apathetically listening to the cries and limitations from far below. Using their magic they built a network of contacts and pieced together an army of mercenaries that smashed the host when they were spread the thinnest. This great victory only grew the legend of Rael and even more wizards sought to join what soon became the beginnings of a nation. To this day the Rael Concordant is the continent's largest repository of ancient knowledge, lore, and some of the most prestigious magic schools in all of Xoff that cater to wizards of all ilks, proclivities, and backgrounds. The Concordant's society is a quasi-caste system where a person's standing, access to knowledge, occupational opportunities, and even living arrangements are determined solely by magical talent. Anyone, no matter their background, can advance as far as their abilities and ambition can carry them.
There is an old saying in the Contested Lands, "There are two things in this world that are certain: death, and that the Rael Concordant are still in debate over the second." Though the Concordant has highly efficient society ruled by a diverse and wise council, they also tend to cling doggedly to their many, often conflicting, philosophies. The traditionalist and preservationist factions are often at odds with the more innovative mages' desire to adapt and progress. One of longest running debates is to focus the Concordant's resources on protecting the great Volerin Wood from the ignorant, the ruinous, and the greedy, or a return to expansion in order to explore the greater mysteries of the continent including the enigmatic Qualbudj.
Kurai Badlands
The region east of the Black Spine and the Inner Sea is a wasteland forgotten by the gods overrun with monsters and abominations roving the bogs and petrified forests. The ismuth is a wasteland that separates the Contested Lands from the rest of Argora.
Kurai is in perpetual upheaval between the many goblinoid shogunates, bullywug baronies, gnoll cackles, and the Kingdom of Dreams constantly testing each other’s strength since the fall of the Oni Clans over a millenia ago. Normally the factions are too involved warring with each other to be a threat to those outside it. However, when Maglubiyet calls the goblinoids set aside their hatreds for the greater glory of their god and amasses a vast army that roars out of Kurai’s borders like a flood. The goblinoids kill, pillage, and enslave any and all they come across, devouring the land and leaving not but destruction in their wake.
The seven goblinoid shogunates are each ruled by a warlord and their supplicants. Despite their open animosity toward each other they are bound by bloodlines stretching back when they were under the thumb of the oni. Cunning, military strength, treachery, and bizarre code of honor are how the warlords maintain their rule. Sudden and violent coups are commonplace within their ever-changing boundaries spread throughout the isthmus.
Two bullywug baronies exist along the coast of the isthmus and the smaller third one much further inland to the north. Each is ruled by a prince who maintains their power through strict hegemony rooted in the bloodlines of the original tribal founders. They are isolationist who concern themselves with nothing but hunting and defending their lands from Kurai’s endless threats.
Gnollish cackles, who bare loyalty to none, migrate out of The Scarrend to the north and rove in erratic patterns throughout the rest of the badlands. The nomads seek out goblinoid armies on the march to scavenge what they leave behind, or attack any poorly defended caravans or towns they happen across.
The Kingdom of Dreams is a small valley in the heart of the badlands where an undead legion of untold numbers rests eternally. They lay dormant for the most part, with only a small number freely wandering the valley, but not a single one ever leaves. Whoever created or controls these ghouls and phantasms has long been lost to time, but it’s believed they’ve slept even before the Oni Clans ruled Kurai.
Greater Argora
Known as the Land of A Thousand Lords, Argora's mainland is divided up into several regions that live in relative peace compared to the Contested Lands thanks to the abundance of land and resources. A primarily human populace is still quite diverse, and is where most of the people who settled the Contested Lands originated from. The continent included terrain that is as varied as any other. Besides the exterior coastline to the west and south, the most dominant feature on the continent was the Five Interior Seas. This was an irregular inland sea that kept the interior lands fertile, connected the west and east regions of Argora and served as a major trade route for many of the bordering nations.
The White. A region of wilderness, difficult winter weather, orc hordes, and barbarian tribes, this region was generally referred to as "The North". It was a mostly untamed region that lay between the east of the large Raewin Desert.
The Iron Coast. The western coast of Argora boasts the most human kingdoms among its riverlands and lush forests. Across the Shimmering Sea is the Taril Archipelago, the ancestral home of all elvenkind.
The Armiddean. The region to the west of the Five Interior Seas is populated by many city-states that act as the trading hub for the entire continent.
The Interior. The region to the east of the Five Interior Seas is a lush mostly untamed region, home to exotic genasi, and lies to the south of the Raewin Desert.
The White Spine. A great mountain range separates the Raawin Desert and the rest of Argora from its most eastern region, beyond it lies a pioneering land of wide open spaces. Home to ancient clans of giants, orcs, and dwarves and their long held emnity towards each other.
The Wild Coast. The jungle rich southeastern region was believed to be the seat of power to a long forgotten empire that had once dominated all of Argora but fell to some great catastrophe. The remains of their cities have long since been reclaimed by the relentless march of nature.
The Underdark. The immense complex of caverns and passages that lay beneath many parts of the continent of Argora. Divided into the commonly known Upper Dark, the drow dominated Middle Dark, and widely feared and unexplored Lower Dark.
The Scarrend. The southern west tip joining the Kurai Badlands to Greater Argora is a hard land for a hard people. Expansive fissure cut seemingly bottomless chasms through the arid plains, and strange pillar like formations of earth rise discordantly. Surprisingly these strange plateaus are home to lush biomes teaming with rare flora and monstrous fauna, while the low lands are home to roving bands of canabalistic humanoids.
