I decided to richly detail this region to give Starlife a bit less work to do. It is fully peopled with interesting houses and conflicts. This region's history intersects with my own; it was once, but is no longer, part of my demesne. Red circles are primarily towns and cities, black squares are primarily castles. (Towns and cities may have fortifications of their own, and castles may have attendant castle towns) There are also numerous small villages left unmarked.
The Shorelands
The Solace Shore, commonly called the Shorelands, is a settled and productive land. Extraordinary fishing grounds in and just beyond the Mariner’s Solace are supplemented by the fertile floodplains of the Tyne and Esot Rivers, producing rice in quantities seldom surpassed elsewhere in the realm, and sufficient quantities of grain as well. Signs of intensive agriculture and irrigation canals crisscross the lowlands, interspersed with gently rolling hills, small forests, and occasional rocky escarpments.
[1] Naïs – Duke Verelle Tarquelin
The greatest city in the Shorelands (and perhaps all the west) is the ancient and famous metropolis of Naïs on the Tyne Delta, home to somewhere between forty or fifty thousand souls. This vast number makes it one of the largest cities in the realm. The lifeblood of Naïs is its shipping business, with arms in fishing, shipbuilding, and most critically exports. Rice and salted fish are the two largest bulk goods shipped, mostly to the Pale City, but other goods include timber and tea shipped down from the upper Tyne, as well as iron, silver, and raw jadeite in smaller quantities.
Naïs was founded some time after the Aulesiri migration as a great shrine to Delylani, who performed the miracle there of lowering the tides and leaving a great bounty of fish lying on the sands for the starving migrants. Around the shrine a small town grew, until the town became a city. The religious component never truly left the city, however, as it was ruled directly by powerful priests of the Order of the Moon as an ecclesiastical fief. Merchant guilds scraped and capered to do the Order’s bidding to gain trading rights while the poor suffered, crammed into a sweltering, stinking district of mud-brick dwellings called the Midden. Smaller lords in the outlands generally paid respect, if not direct tribute, to the Priest-Lord.
The Priest-Lords of the city struggled mightily against the ending of the Solemn Age, and fought fiercely on the side of the Forgotten Emperor during the civil war. Artavin Dyre was awarded the title of Priest-Lord at some point during his wars on the Emperor’s behalf. Initially popular, Dyre’s war taxes infuriated the common folk, and an opportunistic merchant, Verelle Tarquelin, who already had granted significant loans to the Emperor-to-be, incited a revolt that expelled Dyre’s forces. It also resulted in an orgy of looting and the murder of many Order priests seen as corrupt.
The new Emperor obviously abolished the title of Priest-Lord following the defeat of his brother, and reorganized the Shorelands, placing the newly-ennobled House Tarquelin at the head of a new dukedom, granting him numerous lands and subordinating all local lords directly to his rule. This understandably did not sit well with some of the smaller lords, some of whom retain private sympathies for the return of the Priest-Lords, and others who just hate Tarquelin for being merchant scum. But Tarquelin is rich, canny, and powerful, so his house may yet endure.
The Duke retains a family liaison and a factor in the Pale City to manage his business affairs, and visits the imperial city once every several years to pay his respects at court.
House Tarquelin – A golden hand on an argent field.
[2] Sarvene – Count Roche Tarquelin
Sarvene is an extremely large and imposing citadel which guards the only bridge over the Tyne Delta. Originally a strong fastness under the Priest-Lords, a second outer wall and barbican was recently built by Duke Tarquelin, who has handed it over to his younger brother Roche. Its seaward connection with Naïs makes it extremely difficult to take by siege, unless the stone bridge was destroyed or the city itself cut off from the sea. Unfortunately Roche himself (unlike his brilliant brother) is a wastrel and a whoremonger, and a recent hike in bridge tolls has upset many in the countryside. The fact that Roche is also the Duke's main tax collector from the smaller lords has further inflamed opinions against him, but if nothing else, he is a competent warrior, the de facto enforcer of his brother's authority.
[3] Yeorn – Lord Jan Kalyesi
Yeorn is an old castle atop an old hill, once a Rayakiin hill fort according to local custom. The house that occupies it is old as the hills as well, House Kalyesi. They are known for relentlessly protecting their lands from banditry. Being deeply alarmed by the degree to which the Order of the Moon was purged in the countryside, and resentful of the reorganization of the province that did not put him in charge, Lord Kalyesi has aligned himself as the opponent for all of Duke Tarquelin’s ambitions. They have very good relations with a large number of farming villages and can call a surprising number of levies if need be, though alone they are no match for the Duke and so maintain their grudging loyalty for now.
House Kalyesi – Two crossed spears on a red field.
[4-5] The Daughter Bright/The Daughter Dark – Mercenary Castellans
Originally twin ancient monasteries on neighboring hills, the Daughters were expanded throughout the Solemn Age. Following the local purge of the Order of the Moon, Duke Tarquelin assumed control over the Daughters, and established a toll road passing between them from Sedgwick-on-Tyne to Naïs itself. He then fortified and garrisoned them with his mercenaries, to serve as border posts against potential Dyre incursion. The fortification of the Daughters (very close to the border with House Haften, a Dyre retainer) with obvious hostile intent has not sat well at all with the Priest-Lord in Godsjaw.
[6] Korsrill – Viscount Ikonis Magas
Ostensibly a well-fortified market town with concerns in mining and horse selling, Korsrill has become a center of organized banditry. The Viscount Magas, having apparently exhausted all other sources of revenue, has begun organized raiding and pillage of the lands around him in order to continue to upkeep his household. Magas has been crafty enough to avoid hitting Tarquelin’s holdings directly, instead attacking mostly his retainers. Up until now the Duke has failed to bring his wayward lord to heel, but as Magas’ raids escalate, the unwarlike merchant prince may find his hand forced. In the meantime Korsrill has attracted a large quantity of local undesirables who have made their way onto the Viscount’s payroll.
House Magas – A yellow jacket on a black field.
[7] Leyturi – Lord Merrick Silven
Lord Silven is your average traditional country lord, but also manages a ferry crossing, the only regular crossing along the (unbridgeable) lower Esot, the greatest river in the realm. This makes him slightly more powerful. House Silven has been bearing the brunt of Magas’ raids, and with appeals to Naïs falling on deaf ears, has been aligning itself more closely with House Kalyesi. Castle Leyturi, renowned for the beauty of its towers, is rapidly expanding into a town as refugees from Magas’ raids take up residence in the shadow of the walls.
House Silven – A grey tower on a blue field.
[8] Orison – Baron Joche Artrey
Castle Orison is located on an impressive set of windswept cliffs facing the western ocean, a commanding location further improved by tunnels leading to an excellent bay below. Baron Artrey is a marcher lord traditionally responsible for the prevention of piracy, as pirate captains (and even pirate lords) often take up residence on the islands to the northeast. However, the pirate raids have been getting worse lately. Unbeknownst to his neighbors, Artrey has colluded with the pirates, turning a blind eye as they attack the Duke’s shipping for a cut of the profits. The Baron is also alarmed by Magas’ raids, but remains tentatively neutral for now.
House Artrey – Three goshawks on a green field.
[9] Duskport – ?
Duskport is a smuggler’s port that owes allegiance to no lord. Pirates fence their stolen goods here, and many ships seeking to trade without paying the proper taxes at Naïs dock at Duskport as well. Many of the inhabitants pay some sort of tithe or protection fee to a pirate leader of some sort, but his identity as well as his location is unknown. Two years ago Duskport was viciously sacked by Duke Tarquelin and his fleet, but the town quickly recovered, and this only led to the intensification of the pirate raids. It seems like it will continue to be a thorn in the Duke’s side until it is conquered once and for all.
[10] Sedgewick – Lord Alric Gerant [Lady Velina Gerant]
Sedgewick is an old, rambling castle, almost an extended manor house, which once belonged to House Karlas, along with the numerous small fishing villages around it. After the great war, however, it was confiscated by the Duke and granted to one of his mercantile partners, Alric Gerant, in order to shore up his support among the local lords of the region. Gerant has proved a well-intentioned but mediocre leader, preferring to tend to his mercantile concerns in Naïs and leaving his wife in charge of the demesne.
House Gerant - A ship upon a stormy sea.
) with players who are not geographically adjacent. In other words, you certainly won't be bored.
I'm also doing my best to recruit people. Matt and Crezth have both indicated some tentative or cursory interest that you could certainly encourage. 
