Bluffside Region

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.

It’s finally finished! After several versions of this map that I’ve eventually rejected, I’ve finally finalized the map of the lands surrounding Bluffside: City on the Edge, as it exists on Kulan. As with the Bard’s Gate map, I’m not going to post tons of details about the lands on the map. I don’t want to spoil anything for my play-by-post players on The Piazza.

EDIT: That game fizzled, but I’ve now rebooted it over on EN World.

Beyond a few town and terrain names that come from the Bluffside sourcebook, most of what exists on this map is homebrewed. The Coldwind Forest detailed in the Bluffside book has been broken down into several interconnected subregions. While Bluffsiders often refer to the entire expanse of forest as the Coldwind Forest, the peoples living in the forests do not.

The same is true for the Red Mountains, which the various lands north of the range call Montagne Rosse. In truth, the mountains west of Kingdom of High Morria are actually called Kniyan Mounts. Only the eastern mountain range is known as the Red Mountains.