The Sunlands
Marsalim
A sprawling city at the southernmost point of the Former Lands. Marsalim was once considered a defensive point for the Silver Empire against the south, though who or what lived there is a mystery today. In modern times a royal family rules over the city state and has little contact with the rest of the Former Lands with the exception of a heavy military presence in the city and at the nearby Grimsand Ruins.
Sunlands Arena
Every region has an arena that invites potential champions to battle for the amusement of the crowds. Generally these duels are not to the death, but accidents happen and sometimes grudges need settling. Gambling on these battles is one of the common pastimes of those who can afford it, and make it to the arenas safely.
Working at the behest of the Zhentarim, Tortonymous fought a match here with the intent of upsetting a tradition of fixed matches by killing his opponent. Upon discovering that said opponent was Tortonymous’ mentor Hamato Howlclaw, the party instigated a series of chaotic diversions that forced the cancellation of the match and started a riot among the whipped-up populace.
Sunshade
A city built in the protection of an enormous natural outcropping that protects it from sandstorms but also means the city sees little natural light. Perhaps appropriately, the city is known as a den of crime and sin. Gambling is considered the city’s primary vice but it is known that worse things happen regularly in its shadowed alleyways.
Sunshrine
The result of an attempt by the Ministry of the Pantheon in Cathedral to create an outpost of the Pantheon south of The Basin, this large building functions as a temple to the six gods for those who cannot make the journey to The Frostlands. Even among the devout, its “South’ron Bishops”, are appreciated but treated with somewhat less reverence than the Bishops in the north.
Wellspring
A small village that sprung up around a natural oasis. For a long time it was barely more than a waypost but has recently grown some to support the nearby recently constructed Sunshrine.
The party visited Wellspring on their way to investigating Sunshrine and following up on rumours of the Cult of Thanaset in the town. They encountered a teenage cultist who seemed to be more juvenile delinquent than death cultist, but upon pursuing him the party found him to be in the service of a powerful Lich at a nearby mausoleum. Most of the party escaped, but Tortonymous fled into the mausoleum with the boy, eventually encountering a terrible witch. The witch returned Tortonymous to the party, but left him obsessed consumed with the awareness of a doppelganger.
The party made a deal with Sam to find him the Lich’s phylactery and in return he would aid them in challenging the Lich at the Court of the Dead.
Whistling Caverns
A series of natural caverns that, during sandstorms or strong winds, produce sounds that some say are perfectly decipherable whispered words.
The party were invited to the Whistling Caverns to attend a meeting with an agent of the Zhentarim who hired them to impersonate a gladiator in the Sunlands Arena. The Zhentarim were losing money due to low interest in the games due to their being rigged by a rival criminal businessman, Holgan. The Zhentarim hoped that the party could change the fixed outcome of the match and kill the planned winner.
While there, Garron was almost certain he could hear decipherable words in the wind but could not make out anything definite.