Even centuries after The Shattering, many areas of the material plane were still wild and untamed. The most ferocious and dangerous of all these locations was an island known as Arboterra: a large landmass in the middle of the Katonic Ocean. Early attempts to colonize Arboterra were unsuccessful due to the dense forests that cover the entire island and the savage creatures that inhabit them. Eventually, a sorcerer named Senton laid siege to Arboterra in an event known as The Taming. Senton used powerful and ancient magic to summon colossal rocks from the heavens and slam them into the island, creating five large craters. Then he turn his attention to the earth, causing an enormous earthquake that rocked the island and formed huge fissures in the ground, connecting craters. Finally, he summoned a relentless storm that raged for forty days and nights, filling the filling the craters and canyons with water to create a system of lakes and canals. This newly-created matrix of waterways made it possible to transverse the island by boat and avoid the treacherous forests entirely. After The Taming, Arboterra was quickly colonized by adventurers treasure hunters hoping to plunder the untapped riches of this new land and exploit the powerful magical energy that radiated from the island’s core. They created small settlements along the waterways that would eventually grow into large cities.
About 35 years after Arboterra was tamed, there was a revolutionary war. The colonial powers of Dreb, Kallor, and Tresharia had become greedy and imposed oppressive taxes on the settlers. There was a revolt, lead by the sorcerer Senton himself. After 10 long years of grueling warfare Arboterra eventually triumphed over its oppressors and appointed Senton as the defacto king of Arboterra. Senton ruled for 8 years and made great strides in establishing the self-sufficiency of the island’s major cities. After he had sculpted the political landscape to his satisfaction, he abdicated the throne. In his final decree, he established the cities of Senshore, Komond, Tila, Utram, Telgwood, Valso, Poria, and Egresston as independent city states.
Modern day Arboterra is thriving colony with eight major cities and a population in the tens of thousands. The forests are still largely unexplored and regarded fearfully by the general population. In the 100 years that have passed since The Taming, a rich folklore has developed surrounding the forests and the creatures that inhabit them.
While the city states all consider themselves part of the same nation, they have divided themselves into a series of factions. Each with their own set of goals.
The Central Alliance, consisting of Senshore, Komond, and Valso, is the most dominant and powerful of these factions. They have been trying without much success to bring Tila and Egresston into the alliance to bolster their strength even further. The central alliance seeks to unite all of Arboterra under their banner and establish a democratic system of government. They are currently ruled by a democratically elected senate of 15 individuals; 5 from each of the cities in the alliance. There are rumors the senate’s votes being manipulated by the mysterious agency located in Senshore.
The Border Alliance, consisting of Tila, Ultram, and Egresston, is the second most powerful faction. They are united under the banner of The Brothers of Senton. They seek to ‘complete’ the taming by leveling the forests and rooting out all the hostile creatures that live in them. They are ruled by the military order located in Tila. The highest ranking general and most powerful person in the alliance is a man known as Vilfu Nesrel, The Demon Hunter. Vilfu’s organization is responsible primarily for the defense of Arboterra from colonial invaders and demons that have pierced The Veil and landed on the island. The Border Alliance is generally friendly with The Central Alliance and they frequently collaborate and trade with each other.
The Leaves of Justice, consisting only of Poria, is considered a terrorist organization by most of Arboterra. They actively sabotage efforts to settle the forests more completely. In their most famous attack, they released all of the dangerous animals held in the Zoo of Wonders, resulting in major casualties in both Utram and in the ranks of the Leaves of Justice.
The last faction consists only of the independent city of Telgwood. They have no ruling authority and mostly keep to themselves. They have a good relationship with most cities except for Egresston, due to Telgwood’s refusal to condemn Poria and the Leaves of Justice for their actions. Despite their sympathy for the Leaves of justice, they have a good relationship with the other six cities.
One year ago, the leader of the organization that runs the island from the shadows attempted to cause a localized second Shattering and separate Arboterra from the Material Plane. Her attempts were thwarted by a group of unlikely heroes from within her own organization. The current state of the organization is not known.