Malaray

Malaray
Early cartographers would describe the continent of Malaray as being shaped like a fat, short, pear. Later cartographers would come to agree that their predecessors just wanted it to sound interesting, and that in fact the shape of the continent could be much more accurately described as that of a perfectly ordinary tangerine.
Lining the NNE coast of Malaray are The Feeding Mountains, a range which holds three reservoirs that drain into three rivers. The largest of these, descending from the tallest mountain, is the River Alay. It flows down south to the centre of the continent, where the capital city Tes’Alay rests upon it, then twists to the west and makes for the Wulfshome Forests and then the Ochrei Swamps, finally finding the sea through the shady port city of Ochrin. The second river, the Bendt, flows South-West and into the Alay just past Tes’Alay. The smallest of the rivers, the Dremp, winds South-East through the valleys of Lofthold and then out over the Southern plains, where many a farm and village can be found. The southern coast is dotted with towns where city folk like to holiday, the jewel in this crown being a city itself, Pitchpuddle.

The Cities of Malaray
Tes’Alay – The sprawling capital city of Malaray is set on the turning point of the River Alay. It is the seat of power of the Malarayan Leader, who in theory rules the entire continent of Malaray. In practise, Ochrin has a tendency to hide behind the woods and go “Who, me?” whenever the Leader looks at it, and the Lofthold has the air of a teenage son begrudgingly obeying his mother while planning to buy a motorcycle and have sex with a girl with piercings. Nevertheless, Tes’Alay is the first stop of those seeking a new life in a big city, and is full to the brim with guilds and shops and all manner of modern convenience and novelty.
Lofthold – Once a state at war with Tes’Alay, Lofthold is now united under the banner of Malaray, and watches from a high hill over the South-Eastern plains. The people of Tes’Alay have a tendency to think of Lofthold as primitive and classless, and in response the people of Lofthold either hold a persistent grudge against the slightest advance or move.
Ochrin – Held from the rest of the continent by a treacherous swamp and a dangerous forest, Ochrin is a brave frontier in the fields of thievery, murder, prostitution, and music. While on its face it is a city of crime, it is not a city without justice, compassion, or hope. If you wrong someone, you’re almost certain to pay for it. If you’ve got a little coin to spare, you’ll find a friendly face.
Pitchpuddle – Malaray is resolutely south of the equator, and as such is warmest in the North. This fact does not stop the residents of Lofthold and Tes’Alay in the annual ritual of journeying to Pitchpuddle in the summer to get a few nights away from the city eating fried seafood and being adjacent to sand.

Notable Places in Malaray
The Monastery of Layana – Around the edges of the Alay Reservoir stands the grand Monastery of Layana, Goddess of Life. Those who show Layana’s gift at a young age seek to cultivate it through study, or simply wish for a humble, noble life closer to Layana make the pilgrimage to the top of Mt. Tamarre. Its bell-tower currently stands as the highest point in Malaray.
The Barracks of the Holy Brothers – South of Tes’Alay, on what was the border between The Tessian Union and the Kingdom of Lofthold, there stands the red-bricked home of the Paladins of Vrata, God of War. Many a promising warrior has journeyed to their doors in the hopes of being accepted, and many have been sent home disappointed. They fought on one or both sides during the war, as per individual whim, and now grow weary of the constant bloody peace.
The Malarayan Institute of Arcane Magics – The only formal place of arcane magical learning in Malaray (as recognised by the Leader’s government), standing to those without magical ability as a great and imposing castle on a hill in the south-west. This is, in fact, an illusion. The actual building is a small house (on the outside, at least). The hill it rests on is not actually large enough to hold the castle that mundane folks see, but they rarely notice this.
The Waypoint – The Waypoint is not, in the strictest sense, a landmark. Travellers who come across it never seem to find it in exactly the place it was last found, and it has a tendency only to show up when you need it. The structure itself is no more than a few large stones, forming a crude shelter and a shrine to The Wandering Gods. It is stocked, perhaps by those that happen upon it and leave things behind, with leathers and furs for warmth, salted meats that will keep on a long journey, and an inexhaustible supply of hope.

Gods of Malaray
Layana, Lady of the Rains – Layana is a Goddess worshipped mostly in Tes’Alay, but also commonly in the other three cities and in settlements on or close to rivers. She is responsible for bringing all freshwater to Malaray, and therefore all life. She is seen as a maternal figure, and is the opposite number of Kalabash.
Kalabash, Lord of Misrule – Kalabash is a God not widely worshipped, seen as evil in comparison to Layana. His followers are usually anarchists, musicians, or young. He is a mischievous trickster, and is said to be responsible for droughts and fires. He is also blamed for putting rebellious thoughts in the heads of teenagers as they sleep.
Vrata, Father of Fighters – Ultimately, the Church of Vrata seeks to bring people together. And nothing brings people closer than fighting side by side, says Vrata. Nothing but sticking your sword in them down to the hilt. That’s pretty darn close. For this reason, battle is holy to Vrata and his followers, who never fight alone.
Whirrol, Shepherd of All – Worshipped largely by the farmers of the plains and the old guard of Lofthold, Whirrol makes all soil fertile and each seed grow. He is a friend to all living things, and seeks peace and balance. His followers across the plains see Wanton as an obstacle to his goal, whereas his faithful in the West see Wanton as Whirrol’s final challenge.
Wanton, Prince of Wolves – Wanton finds his faithful in the thick woods of the Wulfshome Forest, his priests predators and their flock a pack. He is a God of the hunt, taking from nature by force rather than toil. The strong should feed on the weak. The weak should aspire to be the strong. Many of his followers in the West also follow Whirrol, a fact which perplexes followers of both Gods in the rest of the continent.
The Wandering Gods – These Gods are a number of deities who have no clergy, but are followed almost universally, if sporadically. Tred, the God of travellers, is rarely called upon by any but the lost or path-worn. Plenti, the Bosum in the Cold, is worshipped only at Winter, where she is celebrated and rituals are held in her honour and her thanks. They are known as The Wandering Gods as they are said to wander without aim over the affairs of man, stopping only when called upon. The most prominent of these is Natte, the Goddess of Good Fortune, who daily flits about to tend to hundreds of tiny prayers.

Races of Malaray
Humans – Physically taller and more adaptable than their Halfling countrymen, Humans are the most common sapient race in Malaray by a small margin.
Halflings – Shorter than Humans, and possessed of natural luck, Halflings live side by side with Humans in the cities of the continent.
Middlefolk – Half Human, Half Halfling, Middlemen are the product of a union between a Halfling and a Human. They are known also as Inbetweeners and Blessborn, for there are many difficulties that come with Halflings and Humans living together and making love, which indicates that the Middleman’s parents were very much in love.
Grippli – Native to the forests and swamps in the West of Malaray, these frogmen have only recently started living among Humans and Halflings in the cities and towns of Malaray, and they are rarely seen outside Ochrin.

Languages of Malaray
Malarayan – Spoken universally by almost everyone in Malaray, this language was formerly known as Tessian, and became the universal standard following the Malarayan War.
Lullian – The native language of the Kingdom of Lofthold, it is growing scarcer and scarcer. It is derogatorily referred to as Hillspeak.
Grumpa – The native language of the Grippli of Malaray, a heavy, croaking language that very few Humans and Halflings speak.
Scrat – Heavily modified Malarayan, incorporating elements of Grumpa, spoken almost exclusively by the unsavoury element that uses the various underground passages in Ochrin. For that reason, Scrat is also commonly referred to as Thieftongue and Sewertalk