While commonly referred to as “Rosenhall” by players and even myself, the world’s actual name is The Vale. It consists of seven continents: Rosenhall, Eldamar, Drachma, Qoporis, Calarin, Sakar, and The Frost Peaks.
Most campaigns take place in Rosenhall, with the other continents primarily serving as explanations for the introduction of new races or in-game elements when expansions or new rulebooks are released. For instance, Drachma was established in 2014 to justify the sudden appearance of Dragonborn within the setting.
However, high-level plots often take adventurers beyond Rosenhall, exploring the unique maps, cultures, and histories of the other continents in The Vale. This broader world provides ample opportunities for epic storytelling and world-spanning adventures.
Rosenhall
Rosenhall is the main setting of the world, consistent of five indepenent states.
The Kingdom of Rosenhall is the oldest part of the continent, home to historic settlements and rich traditions. Its capital, Rosenhall City, is renowned for Elkmire Castle and the opulence of its monarchy, which narrowly avoided collapse only years ago. However, Rosenhall now struggles to reclaim its former glory, overshadowed by its vassal states, leaving it seemingly outdated and stagnant.
The kingdom’s economy and strength are still reeling from The Beast War, yet Rosenhall City remains the largest and most diverse metropolis in the world. Yet, its grandeur is marred by a history of oppression, conquest, and slavery, with wealth dictating the city’s layout.
In Elysium Park, the rich enjoy lavish manors and every luxury imaginable, while the poor live in shantytowns outside the city walls, exposed to the elements and reliant on a barely functioning militia that only protects essential buildings like the orphanage. Refugees from Vlorfa, fleeing its recent economic collapse, have flooded into Rosenhall, creating a sprawling tent city throughout the shantytowns and farmlands beyond the walls. The Crown exploits these refugees for hard labor at meager wages while proclaiming its virtue and glory to its former vassals, warning that without its leadership, all would fall and return begging for charity and forgiveness.
The city’s middle class, once made up of tradesmen, clerics, and merchants, is shrinking as the gap between rich and poor widens. Sapphire Hill, a district originally built to house soldiers, is now home to wealthy merchants lacking the pedigree for Elysium Park. Meanwhile, many laborers and crafters lease small properties from Havenflower Estates, which has bought up much of the housing intended for the working class.
While some factions, like The Sentinels, work to strengthen Rosenhall, believing a strong Crown will eventually improve the lives of its people, others, like the Golden Rat Syndicate, seek to destabilize it. Operating in the shadows, the Syndicate robs the wealthy and encourages rebellion through organized crime, all while taking their cut of the spoils.
Vlorfa was founded after King Rose’s execution at the conclusion of the Beast War as part of Rosenhall’s attempt to sue for peace. This expansive region across the Dragon Bridge, called “The Commonwealth,” became home to Beastfolk (Goblins, Dragonborn, Tieflings), Wild Elves, and the nomadic Grim Thunder (Orc) tribe. Over the past 300 years, Vlorfa has repeatedly attempted to form a confederacy among its four kingdoms—Moressley, Holden, Ylathyr, and Blackpool, but these efforts have consistently failed, often due to the Wild Elves’ resistance to formal governance.
Recently, Vlorfa’s divisions deepened. The Crown recently occupied Moressley and deposed its rulers.
Meanwhile, the northern Blood Swamp is overrun with mutated monsters, and the Wild Elves fiercely guard Ylathyr Forest, leaving Holden and Moressley to fight for survival and independence.
The Sapest, a sprawling desert kingdom, is renowned for its innovation and as the first democracy in Rosenhall. Following the Civil War, it became a Republic, empowering its people after centuries of oppressive crown rule. Its capital boasts the Charmed Cove and the bustling suburb of Oars Rest, which together form the largest trading hub in the known world, exporting and importing every imaginable good. The Sapest is hailed for its quality of life, with laws enforcing fair wages, price-capped spellcasting services, and cutting-edge innovations from the Artificers of Azmar making it feel decades ahead of its time.
Yet, the Sapest operates much like the Wild West, with local settlements enjoying significant autonomy over their governments. Adventuring companies such as The Overseers often act as contracted militias, dealing with everything from monster attacks to bringing wanted outlaws to justice. This decentralized approach to law enforcement and governance creates both opportunities and risks for those bold enough to carve their own path.
Despite its progress, the kingdom hides darker secrets. Whispers of a Hell pact fueling its technological advancements persist, especially in towns like Little Ridge, where travelers mysteriously vanish.
Beneath the sands of the Sapest lie many truths—and gold—to be found. Will you seek them during this golden era?
Khim Khalduhr is a small but mighty city-state bordering the Sapest, built deep within the heart of a volcano. Once a grand beacon of industry during the Age of Empires, the city is rumored to have an extensive network of underground tunnels stretching across the seas to Drachma and throughout Rosenhall. Its crowning jewel is the Arcane Forge, a legendary relic capable of crafting both Adamantine weapons and magical arms. As one of the few Arcane Forges still operational after the Spellplague rendered High Magic nearly inaccessible, it solidifies Khim Khalduhr’s position as a vital hub of craftsmanship.
The city is also home to Elemental Fundamentals, the world’s most renowned architects, credited with designing iconic landmarks like the guildhalls of the Overseers, as well as St. Noglock’s Cathedral in Rosenhall City. Adding to its fame is the Dwarven Wrestling Foundation (DWF), the largest pit-fighting arena in the world. Its annual championship, Dwarfmania, attracts thousands of tourists and fills the volcanic halls with the roar of spectators.
Khim Khalduhr is infamous for Korvikoum, the world’s most secure prison. Its cells dangle over the molten heart of the volcano, and at the slightest sign of resistance, a prisoner’s cell is dropped into the lava below. This brutal system has earned Korvikoum a reputation as the ultimate deterrent to crime.
Society is structured through a rigid caste system, where Dwarves remain within their birth clan, living and working under their clan’s patriarch. Entire industries are controlled by clans, and being disowned is the gravest punishment a Dwarf can face, often leading to exile or death as they lose their job, home, and even their name. Khim Khalduhr’s government operates as an absolute elected monarchy. Upon the death of the Forgelord, the heads of each Dwarven clan convene to elect a new Forgelord, who rules for life with unquestioned authority.
Though small in size, Khim Khalduhr’s influence is immense, a testament to its enduring legacy of innovation, craftsmanship, and resilience, with its fiery depths serving as both a forge for greatness and a prison for the irredeemable.
The Mistlands, often called “The Heart of Rosenhall,” is a vast farming hub, its fields producing nearly every type of food imaginable. Bradford, its capital, is steeped in history and known for withstanding three attempted coups due to the Crown’s overwhelming popularity. For decades, the Crown has upheld the belief that their rule is divinely ordained, charged with the god-given duty of ensuring the safety and stability of their people. Public libraries, free universities, open trade, and subsidized farmland exemplify the Kingdom’s commitment to civil service and education.
The Kingdom’s generosity often comes at a cost, as it struggles to fund itself, relying heavily on foreign loans from the Sapest and Khim Khalduhr. This financial dependence has left the Crown burdened with a massive deficit, offset by exporting goods from its farmlands.
The Mistlands is also home to the renowned Bard College, the first public and free magical university, standing in stark contrast to the exclusive and costly College of Ioun in The Sapest.
Wyvern Castle, a fortified island stronghold, houses the legendary Ravenknights, Paladins and Clerics of the Raven Queen, who protect the Kingdom from monstrous and human threats.
Despite its economic struggles and internal divisions, the Mistlands remains a beacon of hope, resilience, and progress, continuing to shape the future of Rosenhall.
Eldamar
Eldamar, a realm of timeless beauty and arcane majesty, carries the weight of a troubled past. Though its elegant spires and magical landscapes remain awe-inspiring, the land is haunted by centuries of a rigid hierarchy and an obsession with perfection. The Crown Wars—a brutal conflict where Elves turned against one another to assert dominance over the human world—left Eldamar fractured and cemented its reputation as a land of pride, danger, and unyielding ambition.
Central to Eldamar’s dark history is the Taimavar, an extremist faction who seeks to restore Elven supremacy by uncovering the secrets of High Magic and force all Elves who have left their homeland to return. These “traitors” are to be bound to eternal labor under the doctrine of “Until the Stones Forget,” a chilling vow decreeing their service to the nation would only stop at the end of time.
The Taimavar believe that, through reincarnation, every Elf’s life belongs to the nation, and their twisted vision turned the Elven cycle of rebirth into a tool of endless oppression.
Drachma
Drachma is a confederacy of states bound by a mutual non-aggression pact established after the Age of Fire. During that era, many settlements suffered under the rule of Dragonborn Wyrmspeakers, who commanded the power of dragons to enforce a rigid Draconic caste system. With the fall of the dragons, Drachma entered an era known as “10,000 Years of Peace,” safeguarded by the passage of a universal humanoid rights decree and the establishment of a supreme court to mediate disputes and maintain harmony among its states.
As the birthplace of the Dragonborn, Drachma holds a deep connection to their history and legacy. It is also home to the ancient ruins of Nor Thordrim, the former capital of the Shattered Empire during the Age of Empires, when the Dwarves ruled the known world. These ruins serve as a somber reminder of past oppression and the rise of a unified Drachma, a land now dedicated to justice, equality, and lasting peace.
At the heart of Drachma’s capital, Lunaris, lies the legendary Vault of Dragons, a magically secured chamber that can only be opened during The Day of Black Sun, an annual solar eclipse in the late summer. The vault was designed to safeguard powerful artifacts, accessible only to all five Wyrmspeakers wielding the Dragonmasks—one for each color of chromatic dragon. These artifacts were intended for use in dire times, ensuring Drachma’s survival when it needed aid most.
Calarin
Calarin, the ancestral home of the Yuan-ti, stands as the spiritual heart of The Vale, renowned for its religious significance. At its center lies The City of Gold, a dazzling metropolis where the Archbishops of all the Gods convene annually in the Compact of Heaven. This sacred gathering ensures peace among the Pantheons and reflects the unity of the Gods themselves.
However, Calarin’s reputation as a beacon of neutrality and order was shattered during The Week of Terror. In a series of rapid and calculated assassinations, the Holy Father—the head cleric of the Compact—was murdered, alongside several other powerful figures throughout the world. The event left The Vale in turmoil, and despite countless investigations, the culprits remain unknown.
No official image of The City of Gold exists, so here’s a poorly drawn image to spark your imagination.
Qoporis
Qoporis is a militaristic nightmare where “might makes right” isn’t just a motto—it’s a way of life. Feuds, fights, and general chaos are as common as breathing. Prahas, one of its many charming regions, is home to The Hunters—licensed spellcasters who legally hunt down enemies of the state because, of course, spellcasting is illegal unless Big Brother says it’s okay.
This delightful warzone is also the ancestral home of Tortles, Kenku, Lizardfolk, and Aarakocra, who apparently looked at its mountains and forests at the dawn of creation and thought, “Yeah, this seems like a great place to settle forever.”
Here’s hoping we don’t have to deal with this hot mess of a place again anytime soon. Fingers crossed.
Sakar
Sakar was born during a drunken college night when my brain was running on more cigarette smoke than functioning neurons. Back then, I thought I was too cool for intricate plots and political intrigue, so I created this dumpster fire as a literal Yugioh parody.
Every settlement in Sakar is based on an anime stereotype, which, unsurprisingly, hasn’t aged well over the last seven years. The place has no real plot—just a collection of over-the-top tropes that seemed hilarious at the time. The one saving grace is that it became the backdrop for the premier aritfacts of my setting, the Tides of Chaos, those handy divine MacGuffins that pop up whenever a God needs killing. Cue the ragtag adventurers racing to collect all seven in true ronin fashion to stop some apocalyptic nonsense.
Beyond that, Sakar is a barren wasteland of relevance. Its only noteworthy features are the Monks of Feminism (don’t ask), The Coq Cave (don’t ask) and the town of Atbela, which boasts buttercream frosting so good that I had to consult a professional baker to recreate it just to shut my players up.
Somehow, there are over 5,000 pages of lore for this place, courtesy of a chaotic text RP campaign. But let’s be real—90% of it is NSFW and absolutely isn’t canon. Honestly, I’d rather never speak of this hellhole again… unless, of course, I need a place for a filler episode.
Oh, and apparently this is where Psionics originate. Why? Who knows. I mentioned it once, forgot why, and never followed up. So, hey, maybe there’s a reason to revisit this nightmare someday.
The Frost Peaks
Thanks, Doug. #NeverForget