100 Fantasy World Points of Interest

Do you struggle making your fantasy world fantastical? Do your heroes go from town to dungeon and back again? Send them to some of these locations.

Fantastical points of interest will fill out your campaign setting map and inspire adventures and social encounters, suggest downtime activities, and fuel crazy schemes. These should be mapped. If you just want a bit of color or set decor in areas around the major point of interest or minor wonders to encounter randomly, check out my minor points of interest.

Note that these locations can be used as-is, but they could also be used as ruins. Perhaps Coldfire Forge is abandoned and merely a place where legendary magic weapons were once made, and the heroes must restart it in order to create or repair their own legendary weapon.

Architectural Wonders

Castle Monthaut: The fantastical castle of the outlaw sorcerer Thorisinus de Monthaut, with its great, sweeping arcs tipped with towers (top image).
The fabulous Castrican Palace, where the Prime Cardinal lives, next to Cathedral Perfecta, from which he rules and issues bulls (edicts). These sit atop Castrican Hill, site of an ancient fortress, of which only the dungeon remains. There, the 1000-year-old tomb of Castric himself, King of the Boutons, can be found.
Greatstone Castle, a grandly scaled castle built long ago by giants but occupied now by the Earl of Highlandshire. It has broad corridors and huge halls. Guests may sleep in the giant’s enormous bed, 12 feet long and 8 feet wide.
The Tower of Tuzian, a tall tower overlooking wasteland, built by Lord Tuzian, Earl of Lakeshire as a sentry-post over goblin territory.
The great marble Palzzi Fountain of Tuscara, whose figures celebrate the gods, unicorns, centaurs, horses, pegasuses, and hippocampuses–horse-kind generally being associated with flowing water.
The city of Fronterburg, where three rivers come together, crisscrossing the city with bridges and channels full of small boats. The Central Canal is a deep-water port.
The Great Wall of Iodimus was constructed to hold back the Bacriti barbarians.
The Golathian Aqueduct is an ancient stone work that brings water from the Hipatian Mountains to the city of Turva, ending at the Great Fountain.
Bridgestreet in the city of Siparre, which is a bridge parallel to the river that connects two other bridges, all three of which are so large that they have shops on both sides of them.
The Great Flame signal tower of at the Palace Royale in Filense, made of brass-clad iron.

Attractions

Dinabrian’s Obelisk, a monument to Emperor Dinabrian of the Old Empire, carved with his triumphs and likeness, standing in the old center of Port Crown.
The changing of the guard at the Imperial Palace in Portovinia, where griffon paladins trade off with pegasus paladins.
The changing of the guard at the Palace Royale in Filense, where giant panther knights trade off with giant bear knights.
The Hall of Heroes in Portovinia, where great marble statues of past heroes of the empire stand.
The Ship of Dessia, the largest ship in the known world, built by the heroine Dessia Antiklas 900 years ago and still in use as a cargo ship, altho it only goes back and forth between two nearby cities.
The Galleria di Confordia in Tuscara, where celebrated paintings and sculptures, many of them centuries old, are on exhibit.
The Tomb of Saint Evanoise [eh-van-WAHZ], the former cardinal, the greatest saint in the last century and considered the most beautiful woman in the known world and was therefore given the most beautiful tomb in known world.
The Colossus of Bourge is a gigantic bronze-skinned iron statue that stands beside the port of Bourge, holding a brazier that lights the way for ships.
The arena called Theatre de Seaux de Sang [soh de sahng], in Filense, offers anyone the chance to fight a monster for a prize. On holy days, it offers plays in which magic is used to simulate horrific deaths of martyrs (hence the name, which translates as “Buckets of Blood”).
In Ducatia, the magnificent Arena Scelesto offers anyone the chance to fight criminals or ferocious beasts for a prize. They pay well for captive beasts.

Lost Treasures

The sunken treasure ship Vintacol, swamped in a storm off the coast while loaded with gold and sunk in deep, but clear, water.
The city of Domretta was buried in volcanic ash two centuries ago, but its famous interconnected cellars may yet be intact and navigable, if there is a way in….
The Alabatamon Monastery is long fallen into ruin, but, if the rumors are true, there should be treasure there. The monks supposedly abandoned the place in a rush amidst smoke and flame from a barbarian raid–taking few of their fabled treasures–but were slaughtered on the run.
The Sword of Alogas: In the Church Glorious of Dann in the city of Bradol lies the tomb of Saint Alogas, a fallen paladin who reformed and became a monk and whose legendary sword lies buried to the hilt in the stone used to seal his tomb. Only a paladin worthy of its power might draw it.
The Valley of the Barrules, where tombs of ancient kings (called the “barrules”) of Tangiep [tan-JEEP] were buried. Most of their treasures have been looted….
The Librarium Caxionum, where hundreds of ancient scrolls were lost when an earthquake struck. It is thought some scrolls may have survived in magical preservation urns or could be restored by magic.
The Barrow Mounds of Sandalbury, where chiefs of ancient tribes were entombed.
The King’s Ransom of White Swamp, a birch tree swamp where a great treasure was once lost in transit, after King Eddelgar was captured by Hedric the Yellow.
Don’t bother searching for more Temples of the Pentangle. Four have been found, and that’s probably all there are.
The Puzzle of Fayel is a small stone puzzle found in an ancient temple by the company of the ranger Fayel of Drivenford that is inscribed “Solve me, and the treasure shall be revealed.” It has been sold, stolen, recovered, sold again, and put on display in Drivenford but remains unsolved. Try it yourself for 1 gold piece.

Natural Wonders

The Dragon’s Tail, an archipelago extending from the southernmost tip of the mainland well out to sea, the last of which is an active volcano.
Denivrian Falls, where two rivers join and form 12 separate waterfalls.
The Winding Way is an ancient road from Little Hake to Andor around Totenmay Hill and nearby Storamay Hill and thru a landscape of breathtaking beauty, each twist an opportunity to gaze in awe at rolling hills, waterfalls, and rock formations.
The Gargantuan Mountains, a mountain range of great height, beauty, and peril.
Shatterock Cavern is a large complex of caves and caverns in a green wilderness where a small river spills over the main entrance.
The Smoking Trail, a narrow road to a hot spring, with steaming vents along the way.
The Snow Steps of Mount Vindoy is a set of steps carved into the rock that lead to a narrow mountain pass–treacherous, but less so than scaling the mountain.
The Ilbrithin Tree, a beautiful, red-blossomed fruit tree that grows on the tip of a rock promontory in a high mountain canyon.
The Giantwood, where enormous trees grow 40 feet in diameter and 500 feet tall.
Waterfall Ford, where a shallow, rocky ford tipples over a waterfall.

Unnatural Wonders

The gigantic tree village of the elves, called Isgarulem, where a single enormous three hosts 12 tree-houses, and the central crotch is a broad bowl, like a town square.
Zonil Falls, where the Holanduin River meets a cliff face and magically falls up to the top of the cliff to continue down the mountain on the other side. Who created it and how are unknown.
The Stone Titan of Lexater, the enormous, petrified skeleton of a titan lying half-buried on a hill.
The river pass of Doricanum, where ancient figures over 100 feet tall, carved from the cliffs, flank the river, appearing to be in confrontation.
Ander’s Ford, a human town where magic is forbidden, because it is covered by a wild magic zone due to an old arcane mishap.
The Meldorath Star, a 40-foot ball of stone–literally a star fallen out of the sky–captured by drow to light their underground city of Meldorath at night.
The Cornu Spring, where healing waters spring from a rock in a druid’s grotto, flowing down the mountain, gathering tributaries, to form the mighty Rho River.
Coldfire Forge, the great joint dwarven-elven forgeworks where the fire produces no heat but for the item immersed in it.
The fairy glens of Hiraland are spirals carved into the land and punctuated with stones, which act as meeting places and possibly portals for fae creatures.
The Isle of Birds, a floating island anchored to the land by great chains.

Pilgrimage Sites

The Holy Ruins of Parasula, a temple partially toppled by barbarians centuries ago but still a site of great meaning for the Parsulan faith. The faith requires that no renovation or reconstruction can be made to a temple once complete.
The Forest of Soan, where elves gather each year to celebrate nature.
The Coffer of Mirgo, an obsidian box the size of a wagon reputed to contain the remains of the first martyr of Tizon.
The bones of Saint Mothril in the Church of Pastua, touching which heals all disease.
The marble statues of the Hall of Saints in the Temple Prime.
The Reliquary of Hastigia, hidden in an inn to keep it safe from the evil thrall god’s soldiers but accessible to knowing pilgrims.
The Shrine of Parva, trickster goddess, hidden from prying eyes in a tiny green valley in the mountains in a cave behind a waterfall.
The Star of Tomassas, a star from the skies, having fallen in a valley, now protected by druids. It is a 40-foot white stone ball with seven points; it lights up each night.
The Sepulcher of Dame Antinia, where the greatest of all paladins is laid to rest.
The Jungle Temple of Akhora Kon, a ruined temple complex in the land of B’ku. Overgrown, it is still occupied by secret monks, who protect it.

Dungeons

Thandropolis, a city carved from the cliffs of Thandras, abandoned to the desert.
The Pit of Parsul, a deep sinkhole with caverns in its length, said to be home to all manner of foul aberrations.
The Ziggurat of Onkar Ma, built to honor his dead wife but finished in a fit of madness by the insane sorcerer-king.
The Inky Deep, a series of subterranean chambers where awful monstrosities lurk, like purple worms and otyughs.
The City of Madness, an ancient ruin of a city carved out of a cliff, now the lair of Igra the Eye Tyrant and its minions.
The Ruins of Castle Mog, where the mad bishop of Ongate retreated with a cadre of undead that includes vampires and ghouls.
The Devnian Monastery Ruins, abandoned when it was clear the monks would never be able to clear it of monstrosities, slimes, and oozes.
The Sunken City of Harfanc, sister of the prosperous Corfanc, was flooded by the collapse of a natural dam many years ago. At each equinox, there is a low tide that leaves only 2 to 3 feet of water in the city for 12 hours, followed by the highest tide of the year, putting 50 feet of water in the city in an hour.
The Dungeon of Lost Souls, where giant spiders creep thru the remains of the prison in the mountain below the abandoned Lord Constable’s Castle.
The Sunken Kirk, which was partially flooded by a shifted river, and whose floor is a shallow marsh, and whose walls are overgrown with vines.

Mysteries

The dark county of Hakkalheim on the border with Amaniterre, where Count Hakkal rules with an iron fist, dark witchcraft is feared, and undead haunt the moors.
The Floating Stones of Soderburnam, a ring of huge stones floating in the air.
The flying ghost ship The Brass Dragon is said to have mysteriously had its crew corrupted into undead.
The Fallen Castle, a formerly flying castle that crashed in the countryside as the result of a battle many years ago.
The Sylvan Portal, a magic stone ring of unknown purpose in a fae forest.
Who built the twin towers of the Blue Spires? They sit on the peak of the tallest mountain in the land, older than the Old Empire. What did they guard? And why two fortresses linked by a bridge?
The Black Chasm of Hapachuk, a sinkhole where human sacrifices were thrown for centuries, from which only holy Anticus survived, going on to become high priest.
The Abyssal Pit, deep in the lower chambers of the Darkhollow Caverns, is thought to be a portal to the Netherworld.
The Crystal Cavern, an array of narrow, winding natural caverns that were once the home of unknown creatures–perhaps dark elves of prehistory–who carved the crystal into elaborate forms, including in a throne room like by a narrow chimney open to the sky a hundred feet above.
Who keeps lighting votive candles in the ruins of the High Temple of Tsao-Kalu? It took nine armies to destroy the goddess-sorceress. Who hopes for her return?

Lairs

The Caxi Rocks, lair of several wyverns who hunt in separate directions.
Sweetwater Way, a halfling town wiped out and occupied by orcs.
Mount Ilgoth, lair of the spiked dragon Melgora and Gloom Crack, lair of the crested dragon Onkahol.
Demon’s Run, a hot spring river where a powerful nature spirit holds sway.
The Damned Passage, a high mountain pass terrorized by frost giants and polar bears.
The Zerian Reef, where Cortiaz the sea monster stalks ships.
Canyon of Wyrms, where ancient dragon-worshipers carved larger-than-life dragons from the living rock, and where more than one dragon is said to remain.
Dowyre Manor, an abandoned stone manor house on the coast that was taken over by a gigantic crab, which pulled it onto its back and uses it as a shell. Rarely moves much.
Hag’s Crag, a rocky mountainside with a split in it where a hag dwells and makes wicked deals with desperate people.
The ruins of Pretigor, ancient city by the sea, where the monstrous sea serpent Tornfanga guards Nornlif, the Mage Tree, whose fruits are said to grant wondrous powers.

Nornlif, the Mage Tree, in the surface remains of Pretigor.

Foreboding Places

The Hell Gap, a huge stone portal to the Awful Beyond among the ruins of Castle Vlag, and the constant bane of good folk across the realm.
Gloomwhile and Darkeven are a pair of bizarre mansions built in trees by drow elf nobles in the Silvermoon Valley, a lonely, dark, and strange place.
The old “witch towers” of the past regime remain stark reminders of a dark time.
The Gorgon’s Garden is a bower where a gorgon once lived and turned many people and other creatures to stone.
The Oracle Stone of Ihn, perched on a mountain ledge, is a 12-foot tall stone slab covered in mystic runes that speaks predictions and–under certain circumstances–answers questions.
Mia Yorga’s Hut, a sage’s hut built onto the side of an ornate imperial ruin, the interior of which features mosaic floors and grand frescoes.
The Amphitheater of Timpalokas, which lies in a ruined city, where ghosts are doomed to perpetually enact ancient plays.
Castle Maelstrom, which is cantilevered over rocks on the coast, where a maelstrom swirls continuously.
Castle Akrivor is the mighty fortress of the evil Lord Yakrikoth, with many towers and four baileys.
The Old Pollard Forest is a large woodland of pollarded trees grown wild on the Veltry Manor, which was depopulated by plague long ago, yet something lurks there still.