Much of Nightwall bears the burdensome scars of the Battle of the Fall, from the Bay of Teeth to the murky swamplands that purportedly are where the blood of the Nameless Dark tainted the land. Few people live in this cursed place, but those that do are some of the hardiest warriors Mortannia has to offer. The largest population center is Novogan, located on the Island of Redoubt, and is also the pre-eminent training grounds for the country’s notorious Nameless Wardens. The remainder of Nightwall’s population huddles in quiet, unassuming villages and stoic fortresses standing watch against the tide of the insatiable Dark.
- Novogan (LN Small City) – A small fort city on the coast of the island known as Redoubt serves as the political seat of power for Nightwall. The Count of Nightwall holds the title of Shield-Lord in the Church of Purifying light, and also serves as the military commander for the Endless Crusade tasked with purging Mortannia of its dark influences and answering only to the Dawnbearer. Novogan is a dour, regimented city that observes a strict curfew and sees very few travelers due to its strict regulations on all visitors. It is also, perhaps, the safest city in Mortannia due in no small part to the influence of the Nameless Wardens; crusaders who forsake their very identity to pursue the servants of the Nameless Dark wherever they may hide.
- Vezlin Sanitarium – When Tyrna Mortav’s cruel and unholy reign was unseated by her nephew Vezlin in a short, but bloody coup, one of his first edicts was to devote the Crown’s coin to creating facilities devoted to the healing of his people’s ills both mental and physical. None could fathom that in the twilight of his life, he would be consigned to the sanitariums by his own son. The sanitarium has fallen into decay and disrepair, abandoned in the year 1101 as the Sanguine Marshes crept inexorably closer to the clinic’s grounds. It is said the tormented ghost of King Vezlin wanders the halls, desperately seeking to warn his people of a dark threat to the kingdom.
- Bay of Teeth – Few ships are able to successfully ply these ever-churning waters, fed constantly by dark runoff from the Sanguine Marshes. If lore is to be believed, this incredibly jagged coastline is where the Nameless Dark sliced Old Antravarcia in twain with his tainted claws. Unknown horrors lie in the dark depths beneath the waves, not least of which is the mythical Sovereign Sin; described as a massive angler fish, octopus, and demon all at once.
- Sanguine Marshes – The heart of forsaken Mortannia where it is purported the blood of the Nameless Dark is the cause of the unholy moors that taint a vast swath of Nightwall. A network of caverns lie beneath the swamps, once providing refuge for the cult of the Nameless Dark but since have been cleared by King Vlexin Mortav I nearly a millennia ago. Writings from the time describe the caves as labyrinthine and possessing of a sinister vitality not unlike the chambers of a festering heart. Maps from the time period depict the marshes being far more contained than their current boundaries, leading to great unease in Novogan and beyond.
Contessa Nessia Firsova (Female Mortannian human paladin [grey paladin]) – The Shield-Lady of Novogan. Contessa Firsova is a fierce crusader of the Purifying Light and implacable in her duties. After inheriting her title at the age of 15 when her father Konrad was lost in the Bay of Teeth there were several who voiced doubt in her ability to lead effectively. The young Contessa held a public forum in the grand cathedral of Novogan, inviting any and all detractor to voice their concerns. In turn, each and every critic of hers was rebuffed by a girl who not only seemed to grasp the full weight of her duties, but had a greater command of country-wide issues than many of the assembled graybeards. This forum has been repeated every year since and is viewed more as a ‘state-of-the-union’ style address these days. Still, after nearly three decades prosecuting the Endless Crusade, some whisper that the Contessa’s resolve is wavering as reports of muted, child-like sobbing can be heard echoing across Novogan.