The World:
This time we have emerged in a land called Cyprus. Cyprus is a small, coastal region, an oasis of lush green surrounded by inhospitable desert and vast ocean. It is very roughly 100 kilometers (60 miles) across and 70 kilometers (45 miles) long, which puts it at 2-3 day's march across, assuming human speeds, need for rest, and no resistance. For an Earthly comparison, it is about the size of a small European nation. The climate is temperate, bordering on tropical.
The land of Cyprus is bordered on the North and West by a mountain range. At the North-Eastern corner there is heavy vulcanism, with numerous active volcanos constantly spewing out ash, forming the wastes known as the Ashlands. In the middle of the Northern border is a frozen wasteland, making that stretch of the mountain range even more treacherous. Beyond the mountains is desert, which stretches many, many days into the distance and is home to little more than the wildlife and a few nomadic barbarian tribes. The South and East of Cyprus is coastline, and while that is quite hospitable there is little of interest within reach beyond that horizon. Around the South of Cyprus sprawls a thick jungle, the fauna of which makes it quite a perilous location for the unwary. Within those borders lies lush green plains, interspersed with woodlands and lined with a few pristine rivers and a small lake.
Within those borders live the inhabitants of Cyprus, which are mainly human, some of which have magical capabilities, and number approximately 120,000 in total, including those of the major kingdom as well as the lesser races. They have made their mark on this land. In the territory of the major kingdom, half the arable land has been converted to farmland, and hundreds of little villages dot the countryside, spaced only a few kilometers apart on the myriad roads. While these villages are undefended and plentiful, they are also small, averaging a population of around 200 people each. A much more tempting target would be the towns, or even the cities, each with populations numbering in the thousands or more, but those are far fewer and also much better defended. There are also a few castles, fortresses intended for border defense, which may make useful footholds within their territory. The races living in the borders are generally populated much more sparsely when compared to the central kingdom, although this varies.
NPCs:In Cyprus, there are five nations and races of especial interest, The largest of them is the kingdom of the Cypriots, with the capital city of Amplus in the centre of Cyprus. The Cypriots, named so because they lay claim to ownership of this whole land, are mostly ordinary humans (by the standards of Cyprus, anyway), ruled by a monarchy. Their kingdom covers most land which is not held fiercely by the other races, and has been maintained by a combination of technological superiority, a greater population, and a mysterious absence of any political unrest. Quite likely your first forays as a Keeper will be into the villages of the Cypriots, and while it will be a challenge to penetrate deeper into their territory, if you can successfully conquer their kingdom you will definitely be the strongest Keeper in the land.
To the West, nestled in the mountains on the border of Cyprus, is the grand city of Monolith. In the centre of Monolith stands an artefact of great power, Providence, which powers the many untiring golem Workers which are the city's inhabitants. The Workers used to be people, drawn by the prospect of immortality and transformed into these beings, at the cost of never being able to leave the city and having to toil continuously. Watching over the city, and capable of travelling elsewhere, are the Travellers, who are more powerful. Monolith is a centre of manufacturing, and is a source of many of the weapons and tools of the Cypriots. While the Workers can not simply be captured as slaves to take back to your Dungeon, to capture Monolith would be to hold the greatest hub of manufacturing on Cyprus, and to cut critical supplies from the Cypriots.
To the South in the jungle are the Dragon Riders, a nomadic race of people who live in a symbiotic relationship with giant, poison breathing, flightless lizards, often referred to as Dragons. Little is known about them, for they do not have settlements or language. Instead, they are spread across the jungle, adding to the dangers already lurking there. The intelligence and trap-making skills of the Riders, combined with the sheer strength and power of the Dragons, makes them dangerous opponents to face on their home turf. While they are dangerous, they are in no way organised or united. To conquer the jungle would be to control the greatest source of lumber in Cyprus, as well as the greatest concentration of biodiversity. Who knows, you might even be able to find a use for the Dragon Riders.
To the North in the mountains is Kythnos, a frigid icy wasteland of unnatural cold locked in eternal snowfall. It is inhabited by the ice witches, who are actually ice demons in a thin disguise, and who have gathered a significant cult following. A jagged, crystalline city of ice twists through the mountains, but the majority of the city lies underground in ice caves. Save for the storms and the magic of the ice demons, the mountains are also defended by sheer cliff faces and pits leading to crystalline spikes. While this land is unpleasant, the ice demons may be useful allies in your quest for conquest. And if not, they have been storing up power for quite some time, which lies locked within the ice.
Just East of Kythnos is its polar opposite, the Ashmarch, a land of volcanos and poisoned by ash. Few dare enter, for any water is toxic and the ground itself is treacherous. However, deep inside the Ashmarch are the towers of the Warlocks, humans who have been shunned by the rest of humanity for their practice of necromancy and other dark magics. They are highly aggressive, sending out soldiers to raze settlements and capture slaves from the borders of the Ashmarch. Above ground, their settlements are quite dreary, save for their magnificent towers. However, they have made extensive use of subterranean caves and caverns to house slaves, fungal farms and so on. While the land is dangerous to enter, it is for this reason that the towns of the Ashlanders are quite poorly defended, so if you can brave the Ashmarch with a proper army you should find easy pickings of slaves. Alternatively, you could make allies with the Warlocks, perhaps taking advantage of the unrest rising among their ranks.
There can be other lesser races inhabiting Cyrpus as well, in the corners of the land where the other races won't have wiped them out or assimilated them. However, they obviously wouldn't have the same level of influence as the aforementioned five.
