The following knowledge is available to characters entering or living in the Wild Coast. Choose your additional knowledge the first time you receive this handout; if playing the same character in multiple adventures, carry those choices forward without selecting new ones.

The Wild Coast, A Land of Chaos and Adventure

The Wild Coast is a largely lawless strip of rolling countryside between the Jewel River to the west, the Gnarley Forest to the north, the Suss Forest to the south, and the sparkling waters of the Woolly Bay to the east. Bandits roam the land, pirates prowl the coast, and who knows what lurks in the trees. But holding back the chaos are six bastions of civilization, ranging in size from several hundred residents to several thousand: Narwell, Safeton, Cantona, Fax, Badwall, and Elredd. (For convenience, we’ll generously refer to them as “city-states.”) Their rulers’ authority over the lands between them is largely theoretical, as they lack the military might to enforce their will too far outside their own walls. As such, mercenaries are always in demand.

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Things You Know

These are common facts your character would know simply by arriving or living in the region.

• Adventurers Needed. Though old roads connect the city-states, the merchants and trade caravans that use them are always in need of guards, and no one with any sense who travels on personal business goes without a sellsword or three by their side.
• Order North, Chaos South. The Wild Coast gets wilder the further south one goes, though nowhere outside a secure settlement is truly safe (and even then…).
• Every Territory for Itself. Apart from trade, there’s almost no correspondence between the city-states, no treaty or alliance that ties them together.
• Frontier Justice. Serious disputes in a city-state are often decided by its ruler rather than according to established laws. Oaths are important and binding here, and breaking one’s oath is a serious offense.

Things You Might Know

Pick two facts from the list below that your character knows. These represent a deeper knowledge of the region.

• The Count of Phlandish. In the Territory of Narwell, a cruel exile named Merleche from one of the Ulek states rules the town of Phlandish with an iron fist. He’s taken the title of count—an audacious move.
• Shady Succession. A few years ago, when Narwell’s baron died, his brother Janstin swooped in and “convinced” the thanes to declare him the heir instead of the baron’s eldest son… who’s since disappeared.
• Local Peasant Makes Good. Wolstan, the ruler of Safeton, was a peasant who won glory in the Battle of Emridy Meadows, and was elevated to the rank of Lord Protector by the people upon his return. He’s no politician, but he means well.
• Wild Coast, Wild Magic. Many years ago, a paranoid wizard laid protective wards and enchantments on the town of Cantona that have since become corrupted. Now, casting spells there is a dangerous affair.
• Untamed Fax. The Wild Coast is a rough-and-tumble place, but nowhere is rougher or tumblier than Fax, a true hive of scum and villainy.
• Badwall’s Suloise Origins. Badwall was founded by Suloise wizards fleeing the Rain of Colorless Fire. The current prince has declared himself a reincarnation of one of them, due to his albinism—a dubious claim.
• Elredd’s Rough Justice. The southernmost city-state of the Wild Coast is also the largest. Self-appointed vigilantes there enforce the peace swiftly and violently.
• Blessings of the Road. Many deities are worshiped in the Wild Coast, but only Fharlanghn has a widespread following. Rarely does a traveler set off on a journey without a prayer to the Dweller on the Far Horizon.

Things You Probably Don’t Know

Pick one fact from the list below that your character knows. If you have the Guard, Merchant, or Sailor Background, you may pick an extra fact.

• Forest Ruins. The woodlands that border the Wild Coast on three sides are a mystery, and conceal the ruins of at least one ancient kingdom lost to time.
• Carrion Keep. A castle on the edge of the Welkwood known as Carrion Keep is full of undead warriors under the command of a necromancer named Leraizen.
• Eyebite. A day’s ride southeast of Narwell, there stands a castle called Eyebite. No one is ever seen to enter or leave, but if anyone goes there with ill intent, its twin spires flash sun-bright and blind them.
• Rival Bandits. Directly west of Safeton are three groups of bandits: the Cockatrice Riders of Pascorel, who operate out of the Welkwood; the bandits of Stalkara, who levy a toll on anyone who crosses their sizable territory; and the mercenaries of Castle Sulafrait, who serve a self-styled baron.
• The Cult of Pelor. A sect of Pelor-worshipers has taken power in Newtemple, south of Safeton, led by a foreign human woman of noble bearing.