Falth

A federation of large cities sprawling from the lowest, most navigable point in the Cloudpiercer Range to the coast of the Inner Sea, the vast majority of Falth’s cities are run by mafiosos and criminal kingpins.

Falth generally shares the natural climate of southern Doshairiel: deciduous forests, humid summers, and rainy winters. Falth is rockier and hillier than most of Doshairiel, and the easternmost reaches of Falth - through the Cloudpiercer Pass - are scrubby desertland that receive little rain year on year.

Academic.

Many of Falth’s cities fund universities or academies. The crime lords that run the cities typically believe that an educated citizenry will lead to more economic prosperity, even if it does come with potential threats to their power.

Aristocratic and Political.

Each of Falth’s cities are run autonomously by crime families. The larger families, along with those that have intermarried, control two or more cities that almost function as miniature nations within the Falthic federation. Falth is primarily held into cohesion due to shared cultural history and the mob bosses’ mutual respect for one another. While one mafioso would order another one dead without hesitation, that does not mean that they do not admire each other’s clever political machinations and see one another as respected rivals.

Mercantile and Trade.

Falth’s rocky foothills near the Cloudpiercer Mountains produce a healthy amount of precious metals and gems. Farther to the west, the forested regions of Falth offer lumber and plant and animal byproducts. Fiercely capitalistic crime lords will compete with one another to sell their goods on the international black market.

Given Falth’s central location in the middle of Gathandia, many merchants find it difficult to get from the east to the west and back without traveling through Falth. Most mob bosses allow safe passage through their towns in exchange for hefty tolls.

Militant.

Each crime lord maintains a private army of thugs, spies, and assassins. Those that prove incompetent are quickly disposed of, and even common grunts know that they play a dangerous game. Most crime lords put a good deal of resources towards buying out the thugs and spies that work for their rivals. If the price is right, and a spy becomes a double agent, it can be lucrative, but at the risk of death if they are discovered.

Religious.

While some Falthic commoners might hold religious beliefs, it is uncommon for anyone in Falth to act in obviously moral fashion. Those who do refrain from stealing, grifting, or conning are usually left behind. A few mafiosos practice religion, though it is hard to tell whether this is borne of true conviction or a desire to project an appearance of moral superiority.

Social and Underworld.

Needless to say, even the lowliest Falthic commoner will not go out of their way to do favors for anyone unless something is in it for them. An act of pure, uncalculated altruism is as rare as a five-moon eclipse in this selfish land.

The one notable exception is the Gray Hoods. Led by former members of the Hoods syndicate in Thunderhead Vale, the Gray Hoods use all of the unscrupulous methods of typical Falthic mobs, but they use these methods in an effort to build a better society. They steal from crime lords and give money to the needy, trying to foster a sense of goodwill among the common folk. When possible, they leap at the opportunity to assassinate a corrupt leader and try to replace them with one that has at least some measure of scruples.

Dirge

Felson Weskh, a cunning polar urkou, is widely regarded as the most powerful and influential crime lord in all of Falth. His city, Dirge, is the largest in Falth and straddles both a lucrative mine and the main road that traverses the Cloudpiercer Pass. Dirge is miles wide and also covers many rocky hillsides that stretch west of the Cloudpiercer foothills. Felson deviously manipulates the lesser crime lords, ensuring that they fight one another rather than challenging his authority over this vital region. He has designs on uniting some of the least ambitious crime lords into an organized nation, from which he will springboard his conquest of the surrounding nations, beginning with Nalathesh.

Points of Interest

Cloudpiercer Pass. The Cloudpiercer Pass consists of a several-dozen mile stretch of the Cloudpiercer Range that is no taller and no rockier than large foothills. This pass has a score of switchback paths, tunnels, and bridges that merchants can use to easily pass the Cloudpiercers. The only catch, of course, is Falth’s notorious road tolls.

Quest Ideas

• A small-time mob boss hires the heroes to assassinate a regional crime lord, which will enable the mob boss to fill in the power vacuum.

• Merchants from another nation (Nalathesh, Doshairiel, or Anedonia would make sense) ask the heroes to protect them while they travel through Falth’s crime- ridden cities.

• The Gray Hoods have formed a plan to take down Felson once and for all, but they need the heroes’ help to perform acts of espionage, assassination, and reconnaissance.