The World of Highland Guidebook: Highland
- About this book
- Highland
- The Elves
- About this book
- Highland
- The Elves
- Highland: No Kings
- “Nine hundred years ago, the world was destroyed in the third cataclysm—the cataclysm of Earth. It brought the thousand-year rule of peace. With the coming of the true Pope out of the East in the 1,000th year of the cataclysm (the 2,000th year of our Lord anno domini), the final cataclysm of Air will bring forth the reign of God. The third cataclysm was a punishment by God for the creation of Kingdoms. In the time before Christ, the…
- Christianity
- Christianity is the major religion of Highland and Great Bend. Christian priests are not generally also prophets, though they can be. They can also be warriors, sorcerors, doctors, politicians, scholars, or simply priests.
- Scholarship
- Following the Cataclysm much knowledge was not only lost, but destroyed. Mankind blamed scholars for delving too deep into forbidden mysteries. A major reason for the proliferation of scholastic orders across the mountain was to escape the pogroms against scholars.
- The Goblin Wars
- In the year of the Cataclysm 896, night trolls and other creatures swarmed northwards led by a mysterious hooded wizard who became known as the “goblin mage”. Christian west Highland had been expanding south of the Leather Road as early as 558 when the Astronomers set up their castle there, but more recently farmers and hunters around Black Stag had begun crossing over. Someone triggered something, or perhaps it was mere chance, but…
- Magic in Highland
- The history of magic in Highland is the story of a few unique and legendary researchers who through their genius have advanced the techniques and power of sorcery. Even up to the last century a mind like that of Charles Dodgson could make great strides in their chosen field. His spells remain the state of the art in mentalism, and one commonly used in East Highland still bears his name, the infamous “Dodgson’s Eyetrick”. But it…
- What’s different?
- There are a few things one might expect Highland to have due to its similarities to medieval England but which it doesn’t, and some things it does have that might not be expected.
- Time Passage
- Time Passage in Highland
- Highland: Money
- By far the most common form of trade in Highland is barter, especially outside of the two major cities. Elves, Halflings, and Gnomes work strictly on a barter basis, not trusting coins at all.
- Highland: Weather
- From the Dark Forest to the northern plains is six hundred miles south to north, similar to the distance from, say, Montreal to Norfolk. From Hightown to Erventon is four hundred miles. This is all temperate region. The Leather Road gets snow perhaps two months out of the year, from mid-December to mid-February. Further north there is more snow, and in the Deep Forest the things that live there grow unchecked year round without the cleansing…
- Sports and games
- Sports and games in Highland
- Highland: People
- People in Highland
- East Highland
- In the cradle of the High Divide and the Sea Haven, east Highland is a center of commerce. Ships arrive from Great Bend laden with fruits, clothing, and other sundries and specialties, and return to Great Bend with leather, pearls, silver, and iron from the High Divide.
- West Highland
- Most of west Highland is on the Fawn River. Most of the rest is on the west side of the High Divide.
- The High Road
- The High Road in Highland
- Human Languages
- Human Languages in Highland
- Highland: The Ocean
- The ocean is a mass of roiling waters and dark skies. The eastern sea is the end of the world. No vessels capable of safely traversing the ocean exist. The constant storms on the deep ocean make travel beyond the sight of shore deadly. There are legends of strange boats arriving from beyond the storms, battered and torn. Most people, however, believe the world is flat, and that the tumult on the sea is the water running over the side.
