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Background
Jessimond the Just ruled over Raumith with an iron fist for nearly 600 years. She drove her enemies from the field of battle and enslaved them and their families in serfdom. She had large armies of humanoids who helped her as well as other fell creatures. She called herself the Just and none dared say otherwise, but her idea of Just was that those who did her bidding and followed her laws lived and the rest died.
She was nearly deposed 10 generations ago, but she survived and it gave her a tremendous hatred of magic. She called it "the great equalizer" and she did not want anyone to be her equal. Her loyalists could use only items she gave them. Other items were buried with their owners in a foul place called The Sleeping Plains.
Four generations ago, the people of Raumith rose up and, aided by magic from a group of planeswalkers, they were able to finally put her down and bring an end to her reign of terror.
It has not been an easy time. Most of her followers are still around and they are still evil The biggest changes is they are no longer well-organized and unified, so they control only a small portion of what they once did and are much less of a threat than they were. They are, however, still a threat.
The Sleeping Plains
The plains are mostly an arid wasteland. In the time of Jessimond, many of her troops dwelled here fed by caravans from the lands further east. The troops were here for convenience and to guard the gravepits, an area where many of the dead from both side were thrown together. Some speculate that Jessimond hoped to some how raise them as another army but others think it was done as disrespect. What is known is the graves were pits that might hold anywhere from dozens to hundreds of dead creatues, thrown in with only their coins removed for fear they might have magic. They were buried, covered and left. Most of them are unmarked and are lost to the horrible conditions of the Plains.
There are a handful of areas in the Plains which can support life, usually these are supported by an artesian well. Some of the smaller areas are seasonal low-lying areas supported by the spring rains. The other unusual feature is called a flume. No one knows their cause, but they are an area where energy erupts from the ground. Most flumes are acid or fire, but it is not unheard of for one to release other kinds of energy. There are whispers that some flumes release pure magical energy but, if this is true, the locations are very closely kept secrets.
Armies of the Just
Jessimond's forces were collectively named the Armies of the Just. She had many different kinds of troops and many still survive in the Sleeping Plains, hoping to one day reclaim the glory and power they had when they were led by their queen.
- Orcs
- Orcs made the bulk of her army and are still found in great numbers across the region. They tend to be found in small bands as hunting parties while there are settlements and villages hidden away in remote locations.
- Kobolds
- Kobolds are not as often found and they are far more likely to have set up a camp near a caravan passage with the goal of collecting tolls. Many pay these tolls just to avoid making enemies with the kobolds who seem better organized and more interconnected than the orcs.
- Men
- There are wicked men who still prowl the Sleeping Plains. Most of them are barbarous tribes who don't really have a home and lead a nomadic and opportunistic existence. The most dangerous of these are probably a group who call themselves the Eaters of Men. They ride powerful horses and it is said that both they and their mounts live on the blood of their enemies.
- The Dead
- Although there are undead in the region, most of them never had any loyalty to Jessimond. They are likely created spontaneously by others of their own kind and by the horrors of the gravepits.
- The Unliving
- Chief and most powerful of Jessimond's servants were the Unliving. These mechanical creations served as leaders and officers in her armies and some of the most powerful operated alone as commandos, enforcers and special police. They were never plentiful and most creatures avoid them because they are powerful and somewhat unpredictable, even moreso without their Queen.
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