Osten Ard

Osten Ard is a sprawling, high-fantasy continent characterized by its rich history, diverse climates, and deep-seated cultural tensions between humans and immortal races. This world, the setting for Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, is a place where ancient cities like the Sithi stronghold of Asu'a lie buried beneath human castles, and the looming threat of the undead Storm King serves as a reminder of a forgotten past. From the frozen northern wastes of Nakkiga to the southern jungles and the central Hayholt castle, the land is populated by various peoples—the elf-like Sithi, the mountain-dwelling Qanuc, and several human kingdoms—whose shifting alliances and ancient blood-feuds drive the continent's epic struggle for survival.