Geographically, Fortunata is an inland basin: a ribbon of not quite so inhospitable terrain dotted with oasis cities, surrounded by mountains . . . and wrapped around the Scar — a giant vortex of chaos. The oasis cities are far enough apart for each to be self-sufficient, and self-contained. The Silver Road connects East and West via the Northern or Southern Branches, each offering different benefits and perils — and both allowing the wise traveler to avoid going through the Scar.
Culturally, Fortunata is a product of what lies within it — a 500-mile, magic-spewing crater — and what surrounds it: Four Great Powers (the Red Imperium, the Great Kingdom of Valmanway, the Kallendai, and the Lestian Empire), locked in an endless game of espionage and diplomacy as they vie for control of the realm’s treasures. The geography of Fortunata will not sustain military imperialism; instead, each Power operates through agents and proxies — but the constant mingling of these four ancient cultures within Fortunata’s basin has done as much to define the culture of the realm as the chaotic magic spilling out of the Scar.
Most of the people who live in Fortunata are focused on trade: maintaining the circulation of spices, silver, silk, and mystical relics from one end of the realm to the other. Much of the conflict within Fortunata is about this trade (with the caveat that the Kallendai Masters may be playing a very long game on a board nobody else can see . . .). Occasionally, dynastic or civil strife from the Four Powers does spill over, creating ripples of contention within the region.
However, in such an era as this — when the Scar has quieted enough to make exploration of it possible (though still highly unpredictable, and terribly dangerous) — the key point of interest in Fortunata is . . . fortune. Everyone you meet is trying to seek their fortune: some stick to the oasis cities, supplying travelers as they pass through; others ply their trade in Iron Gate or Grenadyne, the two major cities on either end of the Silver Road; while adventurers like you venture deep into the Scar, searching for the treasures of the Nameless Kingdom . . . and all the glory and wealth that accompany such endeavors.
If I were to summarize what my experiences thus far have taught me, I would say this: Fortunata is the refuge of heretics and renegades — a world where the bold can wrest power from the very landscape. Ancient treasure . . . forbidden magic . . . lost relics . . . adventure beyond the wildest imaginings of anyone who dares to choose their path, brave the Scar, and seek their fortune. So be on guard, watch your pockets, and stop into a Merry Mausoleum when you can.