March 2021 – Kulan World Journal

Merria has very little detail fleshed out. The simplest explanation is that Merria is like a homebrewed version of The Pirates of Dark Water. (No, I’m not kidding.) The key difference will be that Merria will be a darker place than what the cartoon portrays. I’ve already created the map below for Merria based off a map related to the cartoon series, so it will be the primary source for the island realm. I’m fairly certain most of the names are based off the map created for the cartoon.

There will likely be some Pirates of the Caribbean thrown into Merria, as well, but I don’t want the region to be an homage to Jack Sparrow. If anything, it will be more true to the real Golden Age of Piracy than the Pirates movies, but it will be highly fantastic and there will be airships in addition to sailing ships. The image below shows how I see the region being darker in scope than either the Dark Water cartoon or Pirates movies.

There are many isolated cays, islets, and rocky outcroppings throughout Merria and there is no such thing as a 100% detailed map of the island realm. Pirate captains are very closed mouth about their favorite ports and hidden anchorages, and they will fight to the death to protect their knowledge of the Dragon Claws Sea. There are many infamous pirates that make Merria their home that have risen to fame since the death/disappearance of Captain Bloth.

DM’s Note: There are rumors that Bloth and his crew are now undead and that the Maelstrom still exists in the Dragon Claws Sea as a ghost ship.

While searching through Pixabay for free images to use with Time of Ages, I came across this image by Enrique Meseguer. It didn’t really fit the style of Steampunk Spelljammer, but it immediately made me think of the Bluffside Region on the continent of Kanpur. No, it doesn’t really bring to mind Bluffside itself, but there are many other places in the region with high waterfalls that flow over into the sea or one of the freshwater lakes of the region. I thought maybe this could be a scene from Orra, City of the Sail, which lies south of Bluffside along the Highrock Coast, but decided to make it the outflow of the Adav Aesi along the northern shore of Lake Coldwind (also known as Tó Hildeg Szél).

It is a perfect representation of the Town of Solvas on the western bank of the river and the Fortress of Adav Aesi on the eastern bank (although the fortress extends well beyond the scope of this image). The bridge that spans the river is a massive structure that was constructed by dwarves and humans in the distant past, but Solvas is primarily a human town that was founded centuries after the bridge’s construction. The Fortress has no other name other than its connection to the river, and it was built by the citizens of the City of Kalidmar (at the behest of their rulers), which lies to the northeast along the shore of the lake.

The rulers of the Kingdom of Várad have always considered Solvas to be theirs, and the Fortress of Adav Aesi was built to ensure that vassalage, whether the people of Solvas wanted to be ruled over by Várad or not. Roads connect the fortress to the east and Solvas to the north into the high valley that eventually reaches the Town of Brigias around a mountain lake that is surrounded by the Red Mountains (also known as Montagne Rosse). There isn’t a road to the west across the low forested mountains that divide Solvas from the Eastwatch Barony, as those lands are highly contested by the Baron of Freim against Várad and the Maroon Knightholds.

There have been several wars over the legitimacy over Várad’s rule over the lands of the Adav Aesi, and Solvas and the nearby fortress have been conquered so many times by so many different lands that it has become a mosaic of the various peoples living around Lake Coldwind. However, the Kingdom of Várad has always been able to reconquer the Fortress if Adav Aesi, which always brings Solvas back into the fold. However, the last time Solvas was reconquered over 20 years ago, the previous king of Várad granted the town a measure of autonomy, which has never happened before. While the fortress remains firmly under the control of the Kingdom of Várad, the Town of Solvas now has a Lord Mayor and only pays a tithe to Várad every 5 years.

This has lead to increased stability in the region and Solvas has prospered and grown. (Many believe it will soon grow to become a city in only a decade.) The much smaller Brigias has allied itself firmly to Solvas for increased protection and better trade. Dwarves, elves, and catfolk are a common sight on the streets of Solvas, as are half-orcs and hobgoblins. The citizens of Solvas are accepting of all races, as long as they come in peace and with coin to spend.