The Pomarj

Overview

Once this area was called the Poor March until the name was slurred together. The Pomarj, as it is known today, is a large peninsula located in the Flanaess. It was well known to be overrun by humanoid tribes, until the Griffins Guild founded Obsidian Bay. Now the forces of Obsidian Bay fight off the advances of the Orcish Empire.

The Pomarj lies between 26 and 30 degrees latitude.

Brief History

• CY 295: The Kingdom of Keoland conquers the Pomarj, divides it into 12 baronies
• CY 305: Highport is constructed, becomes the unofficial capital of the region
• CY 461: The Principality of Ulek breaks off from Keoland, the Barons follow suit and declare their independence
• CY 510: The events of the Hateful Wars overrun the Pomarj with humanoids
• CY 513: The town of Obsidian Bay is founded
• CY 584: Turrosh Mak uses the Greyhawk Wars to gather the humanoid hordes of the Pomarj into the Orcish Empire
• CY 588: Obsidian Bay and surrounding communities gather into the Domain of Obsidian Bay
• CY 592: Turrosh Mak is killed by the Blackrazor Guild, reducing the power of the Orcish Empire

Countries and Regions

This is a dynamic list of all the Countries and Regions associated with this Region. {{#ask:located in::The Pomarj | format=ul | order=desc }}

Original Twelve Baronies

As the history of the Pomarj tells us, the original Flan tribesmen of the area were joined shortly after the Great Migrations began ~1000 years ago by outcast Suel. The Pomarj was then invaded by Keoland in CY 295, and divided up into twelve baronies under favored families of the Keoish crown (who would have been Suel and Oeridians), and subordinate to the dwarven Prince of Ulek for the sole purpose of exploiting the mineral wealth there. In 461 Ulek declared independence from Keoland, and shortly thereafter in 463 the Pomarj baronies declared independence from Ulek. Celene revealed itself after long centuries of secrecy in 465 (the same year Tanevir was born), and the Hateful Wars began in 498 and lasted until 510. The remnant humanoids of the Lortmils descended on the Pomarj in 513, and to counter this the Griffins Guild invaded the same year.

So, where were the seats of power for these original twelve baronies? Some are attested, but we propose the following complete list:

1. Elredd (technically on the Wild Coast)
2. Highport (the one-time "capital" of the Pomarj)
3. Fenrill/Lost Fenrill
4. Blue
5. Storm Tower- recluvsive family of outcast Suel wizards, lowest in population
6. Ostrand Keep
7. Stoneheim
8. Suderham*, seat of the later so-called "King of the Drachensgrabs"
9. Strandkeep Castle
10. ???, suggest an unnamed settlement NW of Blue in the vicinity of the Bluebottle Hobgoblin heraldry
11. Ogard on the Ulek border/Jewel River
12. Grindin on the Ulek border/Jewel River

Geography

Pomarj Cartography

This is a placeholder list which will be incorporated into a new map. The references are based on this map.

Natural Features

• The southern portion of the Drachensgrab Hills surrounding the area of Obsidian Bay: The Obsidian Highlands (naturally)

• The higher part of the Obsidian Highlands to the west of the bay on the small peninsula: Obsidian Ridge

• The river flowing down from the Obsidian Highlands to Obsidian Bay: The Obsidian River

• The three lakes, from West to East: Hourglass Lake and Obsidian Lake on the Obsidian River, and Skull Lake just south of Obsidian Lake, which besides being skull-shaped (upside-down), is also poisonous

• The river flowing past Ostrand Keep: The Ostrand River

• The river that crosses the Great Southern Plain: The Ocre Flow (hence the name of the nearby kobold tribe)

• The river with multiple lakes flowing to Blue: The Blue River (where the obsidian-dominated geology near OB gives way to the blue quartz-dominated geology of the eastern Pomarj)

• The narrow and dangerously rocky straight with strong tidal surges which is the entrance to Kraken Bay: The Kraken's Maw

• The narrower bay just northwest of Obsidian Bay: The Black Bight

Roads

• The road from Blue all the way to Havenhill in the Principality of Ulek: The Great Southern Road
• The road from Obsidian Bay that meets the Southern Road: The Obsidian Road
• The road from Storm Tower to the Southern Road: The Storm Road

Further Reading

For further reading see:

• the Pomarj entry on Wikipedia
• Anna B Meyer's Pomarj Maps
• Dragon Magazine Issue 167, featuring the article See the Pomarj - and Die!

Files

The Pomarj (CC2 format)