At the western edge of the Empire there are several broken sets of hills and badlands on the coast of the Sorrow Sea, the shore itself riddled with cliffs and tiny coves from which you can see the rocks and islands that make up the Dragon's Back. As you head north the land becomes drier and gives way to scatterings of pine forests and the steppes themselves; south and the warm breath of the south trade winds feed a huddle of swamps and jungle. Caught between the steppes and these winds summer sees a sweltering explosion of native wildlife and winter is a harsh prison with travel difficult and sustenance hard to come by.

Settled a bare two centuries back, these Borderlands have seen separate waves of Imperials, Southron and Islander settlers spread themselves out over the land. True to their natures the Dwarrow among these waves have settled mostly in the hills, the Aelves in the jungle and the Jotun in the steppes and mountains. Prior to that the only settlement was the isolated Northman monastery of Kroll in the north-west.

In recent times three petty warlords have emerged: Bryna, Artor the Blind and Wulfen.

Claiming the industrious city-keep of Drayhold in the centre of the region, Bryna is a Northwoman Dwarrow who follows the Laws of Salt and Iron. Doughty and dour she is surprisingly loved by her people - who are mostly Southron and Imperial, Dwarrow and Humans. Her hand is firm but fair, tempered since the passing of her husband. With her mills and mines and recent investment into three massive forges, Drayhold is the centre of production for the region and Bryna's Housecarl are equipped with the best arms and armour.

From the cliff-ringed harbour of Port Chariss, Artor the Blind is an Imperial Human who clings to his authority as Trade Thane of the Borderlands and the lineage that led to that position, for he claims to be a distant cousin of the Imperial line. He controls the remnant of the Varangian Guard who have remained loyal in the region, as well as the tolls and taxes on trading vessels. This control is exerted even those passing through the region since they must pass the Fyrdeen Straits which sit close to the city. Port Chariss is a predominantly Imperial Human city, though representatives of many races and cultures can be seen in it's markets.

Further south along the coast and sprinkled amidst the isles, Wulfen claims the fealty of a loose collection of towns and villages known collectively as the Ridderrun. He is a Farlander Aelf, moving his seat from town to town in the airship Helgenswerd, and the wealth of his people lies in their sheep, their fishing craft and his raiding fleet. He is overly bold, happy to harry local shipping not flying his flag in recent years.

Within the region many still claim fealty to the Empire, often only in their ancestral prayers against the practicality of the power wielded locally, but many have aligned to Byrna, Artor or Wulfen. Beyond the three major settlements, numerous towns and villages and hamlets cling to the land. Among the better known are the White Keep of Gared the Brash who oversees the main mountain pass that leads east to the Empire and the towns of Jorn and Feyen whose rivalry in the brewing of beer and mead has been celebrated in song.

Finally outside these fealties there are the priests of Salt and Iron, representatives of the Geldvar mercenary halls, several trade consortia - handling import, export and intra-region routes - and Rumours of smugglers, pirates and rebellious soldiery.

Against this complex tapestry of loyalties and market forces, the availability, Market Prices and Legality of common Equipment and Services varies tremendously within the region. Fortunes may be made or lost by the bold, and hamlets may grow or wither by those who need comes at the wrong time.