Cities:

These are the cities found within this area; each one is marked on the map, and divided by tiers. The larger the tier, the larger the city - tier one may be a small village or town, while tier four may be sprawling cities of grand proportions.

ABEL:

RACE: elf. LEADER: Kekeli (NPC). TIER: two.
LANGUAGE(S): Elven and Common. ALLEGIANCE: Shi'vrann'aeli..

APPEARANCE: Abel resembles Heartwood City very much; though vastly smaller, it is built in the Forest's eastern end, glittering white against the backdrop of the distant mountains. It has two central towers, one larger than the other, spiraling towards the sky. The walls slope upwards to the north and south, and their gates are made of a mixture of polished greatwood and gleaming gemstones.

CULTURE: Isolated by thick trees and clinging undergrowth, Abel rarely sees visitors, and resents all who do not share their elven blood. Exclusively elven, all others are turned away at the gate save for those in great and dire need. A quiet city, the inhabitants put their resources into magecraft and nature magic rather than swordsmanship and skill at the bow; most prestigeous is the mage school located in the taller of the two central towers, where young magic-users are trained.

BLOODSWORN:

RACE: orc. LEADER: Didraelis (NPC). TIER: two.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Anquil.

APPEARANCE: Led by a warlord both parts cruel and cunning, the city of Bloodsworn is located far to the south in the plains near the sea. Once a human fishing settlement, its architecture shows the straight-walled and tile-roofed influences of its former inhabitants, as well as wide cobblestone streets. Now, it has been taken over by orcs originating from the distant Anquil, who hold it against all who would wrest it away. Fortified with crude stone and heavy logs, the outside of Bloodsworn gives the deceptive appearance of a ramshackle town abandoned by all, painted the reds and browns of its leader.

CULTURE: Slavery is commonplace, especially in those species unfortunate enough to be considered lower than orc-kind. They use Heartwoodian Blacks, Reds and Greens often in alliances to bring them slaves of wars; they're also used to hunt the Heartwoodian Golds and Silvers, sometimes the Blues and other clans that resist their will. A common rule to the end of a young orc's training is that he may pair with a dragon and hunt of of these to gain honor and prestige among his peers. If successful, the new-fledged warrior will be given wealth and property, as well as the terrible tradition of a harem of infertile human slaves.

DEATH'S HOLD:

RACE: undead. LEADER: Lord Bahjj (NPC). TIER: one.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Neutral.

APPEARANCE: Built completely of brick and bone, the Hold is an ancient place that withstands the great desert sandstorms in which it's located. Upon first sight, smoke billows from ever-burning fires underground, and pours through the eye-sockets of a massive skull. Row upon row of bones formed from the ribs of mighty dragons rise as the protective walls, and the curled, charred bodies of nnar' twisted and melted into one form the great gates. Underground, the undead roam in great number, led by a mysterious necromancer by the name of Bahjj.

CULTURE: Nothing is known of the Hold's inner workings.

FAITH:

RACE: halflings. LEADER: Lady Irheli (NPC). TIER: one.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Shi'vrann'aeli..

APPEARANCE: A joyful village of straw-thatched roofs and brightly-painted walls glimmers in the forests of the far north, protected from the cold and snow by towering mountains on both sides. Faith is comprised of a multitude of cottages that surround a much larger house, where the town's council gather. Though not as skilled as the elves , these halflings keep up exquisite gardens and take pride in the design of their quaint little village.

CULTURE: A peaceful people, the halflings of Faith have little to no military. Instead, few of them train the younger ones how to defend themselves, and nothing more; the mountains to the north and south have protected them for many years, and war comes little this far north. They are fans of parties and guests, and adore excuses to feast. Unfortunately, being so far north they get few visitors from other lands, though their wine and bread are rumored to be the best in all Evylon.

GLORY:

RACE: the Halgian people. LEADER: Lady Silverveil (NPC) TIER: four.
LANGUAGE(S): Common and Halgian. ALLEGIANCE: Halgia.

APPEARANCE: A beautiful city and a sattelite from the Halgian Empire, created as a sign of kinship with their elven allies. Taking from the elves in design, Glory was built into the bedrock of the eastern mountains. With straight, white sandstone, it flows from the darker rock like a gemstone uncovered by an inquisitive hand, twin towers reaching high into the sky. On either side of the tall walls, statues of old Halgian lords and ladies stand, heads bowed in greeting to friends. The swords they hold before them is a warning to enemies, and statues of their like - though much smaller - are found throughout the city.

CULTURE: A wealth of fortune and prosperity gleam within Glory's walls. Filled with clerics and paladins, the Halgian people work hard to keep their citizens happy, and their military is one of the best. They often invite Heartwoodian Golds and Silvers, as well as the great gryphons, into their halls and train with them daily. Teachings of their beliefs that there are clear-set Light and Dark races pervade everything, and stepping out of line in those teachings is frowned upon and punished greatly.

GLYMSTAR:

RACE: elf. LEADER: Headmaster Dolores (NPC). TIER: three.
LANGUAGE(S): Common and Elven. ALLEGIANCE: Shi'vrann'aeli.

APPEARANCE: A sprawling, productive town, the city of Glym is a beautiful village built into the ancient trees of Heartwood Forest. Once completely made of white marble, much like Heartwood City and Abel, the citizens grew wood over the walls and towers. Now, it appears as if Glymstar grew from the ground itself; it is nigh invisible from the air, save for its dancing lights late in the darkest nights.

CULTURE: Neither isolated like its cousin-city of Abel, nor as massive and diverse as Heartwood, Glym is a city dedicated to the arts. Those interested in scholarly learning and artistic endeavors will travel from their homelands to take residence here, and participate in their festivals and celebrations. Most noteworthy is their pursuit of history, and the discovery of new Realms.

HEARTWOOD:

RACE: primarily elves. LEADER: Lord Draoidh. TIER: four.
LANGUAGE(S): Elven and Common. ALLEGIANCE: Shi'vrann'aeli..

APPEARANCE: Akin to its sister in Felnova, Heartwood's smooth white marble is reminiscent of Albronel's elven archways and intricate doors. When first built, it held a draconic touch - but since its rebuilding several years ago, it hasn't been the same. Though the elven architects tried to preserve what they could, the spelled carvings and strengthened walls are lost to time's indistinct ravages. Nevertheless, Heartwood City remains one of the most beautiful, and the most storied.

Made of white marble walls and polished wood, Heartwood consists of many spiraling towers set at points along flowing smooth-stone walls, inlaid along the archways and passageways with treated wood. Vines and flowers crawl along the bases, and tr'nertha trees grow in gardens located along every street. The spiraling central tower is nearly twelve stories tall, overlooking the entire forest - its peak glows ever with the gathered light of the sun. Each gateway is intricately carved with story-art telling the tale of its founding and history, and all is enhanced with spells to strengthen and cure. Inside, the walls are set with opal and made to flow like water. The furniture seems grown from the plants and trees themselves, and some are still alive, needing to be watered everyday.

CULTURE: Dedicated to their Ether-goddess, Daama, and to the forest in which it stands, Heartwood City is a joyous and beautiful place to be at any time of year. Festivals that celebrate nature are held at the end of every month with a dedication to the element of the zodiac in which it falls. They also have an incredibly strong military; consisting mostly of elven rangers, their elite warriors, and bowmen, they are a force to be reckoned with. Their training begins at an early age with willing recruits, and their horsemanship from childhood is great and envied.

ITU’KLATI:

RACE: mythkin. LEADER: Fellblade vi Kisheel (NPC). TIER: three.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: none.

APPEARANCE:Itu'klati is a proud fortress-city made from grey stones and embellished with many banners depicting the accomplishments of the city's greatest warriors. These banners are the city's only true embellishment. The stonework, though impressive, is austere, and rather grim. Well-ordered streets lead from the four outre gates into the heart of the city. At the center of the city stands a mighty citadel, where dwell the city's greatest warriors, and city leaders. The citadel's main gate consists of a pair of massive doors plated with mythmetal, displaying a representation of the creation of the first mythkin.

CULTURE: The mythkin of Itu'klati are militant and disciplined, priding themselves in their martial skills. Every citizen is required to undergo extensive military training, meaning every inhabitant inside the city can be called upon to man the walls. Those who cannot are expelled from the city. Outsiders are typically viewed with contempt unless they have proven themselves as warriors. Those who die in honorable combat are interred within a grand mausoleum. Those who die in any other manner are buried in common, unmarked graves, and forgotten.

MINORA:

RACE: dwarf. LEADER: King Cidnalid (NPC). TIER: four.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Shi'vrann'aeli..

APPEARANCE: Found in the island-mountains to the far south, Minora is the dwarven city-state of Evylon. It has three rings of walls, each equally spaced upon the mountain's surface. The first wall is made of white marble and is over ten feet thick. The people who inhabit the area behind the first wall are primarily lower craftsmen and the military; the second was carved from the mountain itself and is made of primarily of a dull grey marble, its thickness the same. Behind this wall live the master craftsmen and city officials. The last wall is the most impressive, for it is made out of solid blocks of obsidian and because of the rarity of the material is only five feet thick. This wall protects the most sacred site in the city, the tomb of Bjornolf and his descendants. The king's palace is also housed on this terrace.

CULTURE: The dwarven kingdom has never been involved in any long conflicts, though it has a strong and disciplined army that is used to uphold order. Even though the country keeps itself isolated from the rest of the Realm, it does know about various conflicts which are waged outside of its borders and the king is not stubborn enough to realize that eventually they might be called upon to pick a side. Minora has a friendly relationship with the elves of Heartwood and peaceful humans of the Realm as well. A trading caravan the primary way that Minora Cannador communicates with the outside world, never straying far into lands where they might not be accepted. It also never tries to incite trouble in the lands it travels through.

Petriode

RACE: basilisk. LEADER: Lord Geode (NPC). TIER: three.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: neutral, but may ally with Shi'vrann'aeli.

APPEARANCE: Petriode is a place of magical petrification, afflicting both flora and fauna, spreading slowly until local basilisks decided the claimed territory was enough. Somewhere in the midst of petrified fauna is a cave entrance that winds deep into the mountainside, opening eventually into a massive cavern littered with tunnels and openings lit with natural gemlights and glowing stone mushrooms. Glowing vines dangle from the cavernous ceiling, and bioluminescent moss lay trapped and crystallized on various surfaces. Latent magic with nowhere to go has slowly seeped from old tombs, splitting the stone into wonderful colors.

Elemental magics have been harnessed and frozen in time, spread across much of the city. Crystalized water seeps in an endless supply, clear and cold, becoming a closer source of water for the basilisks here. Fire frozen into crystals of orange and red never loses its warmth and even provides a warm glow in the darkest nights. Many of these crystals spread from the stone remains of other species, though some of the old trees and mushrooms have begun to crack and grow their own crystals.

True buildings are rare, though cave entrances are often carved, as well as signs, plaques, and doors of multiple varieties. Mausoleums to dead basilisks are cared for with great honor, and the statues of the deceased are carved around with stone engravings nearby depicting their names. Otherwise, limited markets exist, as well as an area for non-basilisk guests to stay, a healer's den, and a multitude of other, smaller stations throughout.

CULTURE: This is an official city for basilisks, a safe haven for all that come, no matter their ages or allegiance. The inhabitants keep to themselves in their communities with outsiders generally being threatened with the gaze of every citizen, should they prove a threat. Those that break this peace are petrified without warning or salvation, and their statues are added to the collection both inside and out of the cavern itself. However, trade with outsiders that respect the peace is allowed and encouraged, though many tend to avoid the place based on fear of the basilisks alone.

Though Petriode does not have its own central government, it is often led by the eldest and wisest basilisk, along with a council of similar elders. They select certain capable basilisks as guards instructed with maintaining the peace and little else.

Saroyehven

RACE: strigine. LEADER: a member of the Strigamot (NPC). TIER: three.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: neutral; the strigine race.

APPEARANCE: Saroyehven is an ancient city, nestled in the forest to the west of the Blackdrake Range, partially overgrown with massive trees. While the original inhabitants have long since gone, the city has been reclaimed and repaired by the strigine for use as a grand library. Many of the buildings are made of basalt bricks, or carved from the very rock.

In the trees growing high above the city, and in the upper levels of some of the larger buildings, strigine roost in orderly nests, while the lower levels serve as the library itself. Numerous books, stone tablets, and scrolls are stored within, carefully catalogued by the strigine and available for study by scholars seeking knowledge.

Several of the buildings are used simply for storage, without easy access, and hidden deep inside the city is a portal connected to the strigine starways. This portal is heavily guarded, and can be deactivated with ease, preventing any unwanted intruders from infiltrating the starways.

CULTURE:The great library-city is a place of learning, and repository of all manner of knowledge the strigine deem safe for viewing. However, most of the books and scrolls are kept secure until requested, then delivered to the scholar who requested access in a secluded reading room. More common books are kept on shelves where they are more easily accessible.

The strigine zealously tend to the books, scrolls, and tablets in Saroyehven, and anybody caught not treating their knowledge with proper respect is immediately ejected from the city, and banned from entering, and the strigine reserve the right to deny access to anybody they deem unfit, though only rarely will they turn anybody away completely.

The city is up-kept and its contents tended to almost exclusively by strigine, though a small group of scribes are permitted to work there as well. The city itself is something of a legend, rumored to be haunted. The sounds of strigine roosting in the dark, together with the many ruined, overgrown buildings, have given rise to various tales about the city, tales the strigine have never denied.

SHIKERA:

RACE: human. LEADER: King Fuhuli (NPC). TIER: two.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Shi'vrann'aeli..

APPEARANCE: Surrounded by a high curtail wall of solid granite, the city of Shikera is one that grew beyond its builders' original plans; straw-thatched roofs and humble walls are spotted on every cottage, as many outside of the walls as in. The keep was built to withstand any attack, and holds a long history and many scars; its flags that fly from each turret are colored a deep purple, and have never been taken down by force to the present day.

CULTURE: A heavily populated town, the people of Shikera are average folk led by a cruel king. Celebrations once tradition have been abolished, and unrest lines the streets; rebellion seems imminent, and talk of such can be heard in any tavern. Ongoing wars of the outside are generally ignored by all but the king himself, who sends his forces wherever he wills - usually with a deadly outcome on his side alone.

Landmarks:

These are the landmarks and important places scattered through this area. They can be anything from forests and rivers to special caverns, monuments, ruins, and more.

Blackdrake Range

The great Blackdrake mountain range is called the spine of Heartwood; it separates the inhabited portion of Evylon from its wilder forests and the raging Drowned Sea to the far, unexplored west. The home of many dragon clans, evidence of their population can be found everywhere. From the volcanic regions on the western edge to the rocky caverns of the south, scars of Evylon's unique dragonkind hold tales of a history unknown to most mortals.

Bleachbone Desert

Only newly discovered by the Heartwoodian elves, the Bleachbone Desert is home to fierce sandstorms and neverending winds. Fires can be seen to the far south and east, and along its eastern border a wasteland of ash and dust reigns where no living thing can grow.

Demon Valley

Discovered in its making by an old elven fisherman, the Valley is rumored to have been created when two warring demons destroyed a portion of the surrounding mountains. Now, little will grow amid the rubble, and even the mining dwarves of Minora avoid its cursed rock.

Faelinn Lake

Created by dragons long ago, before they eventually bred and evolved into the Heartwoodian drakes of today, the Faelinn Lakes were made to combat illness brought by the oppressive heat of the desert's crossing. Over time, grassland spread from the dragons' inherent magic; now the Faelinn is a magnificent oasis for any and all who've made it across Bleachbone, or escaped the ravages of Death's Hold to make it this far.

Fate's Cavern

A long, gem-studded tunnel deep in the side of one of Heartwood's surrounding mountains leads to a large cavern, the slate walls covered in twinkling jewels. These stones glow with stored magical power, their light glittering upon the small pool that shimmers in the middle of the great hall. This pool affords the viewer a glimpse of past, present or future, depending on their thoughts; though it refuses to work for those who are ill of heart. This great cavern splits into many different tunnels that lead into subsections and passageways and rooms. Secrets yet to be uncovered lay within their depths, secrets of different times and eras yet to come, some artifacts from lost Realms and worlds destroyed.

Heartwood Forest

Greatest of the elves' endeavors was the expansion of Heartwood Forest, discovered from when they fled the violent east in search of more hospitable land. Through their magic, it now covers nearly the entirety of the valley between the Blackdrake Range and the Eastern mountains, lush and beautiful. It consists mainly of old oak and maple, though pine and fir are commonly found in the northern reaches, and birch trees line the lower south. In its depths, somewhere near to the center, lay the Tree of Memory; sister to the Soultree, a giant oak that enables those who come a glimpse into their own past - or someone else's.

Hyanda's Clearing

Long ago, the founder of Felnova's city, Hyanda, fled from war into Evylon; greatly wounded, he stumbled upon the Realm into a portion where the elves hadn't yet grown more trees with their faun allies. He lay there long, giving orders to commanders who had followed, and soon died under the boughs of a lone tree alone after his soldiers had left. The tree passed several years later, and the elves could get no trees to ever grow there again; a clearing of short grass and flowers instead greets the eye, as well as the rotting log of an old, dead tree.

Lake Halgimar

The icy lake of Halgimar is nearly constantly covered in thin-sheeted ice, treacherous to all who wish to cross. Discovered by one of the arctic dwellers to the far north, it is home to many Heartwoodian Whites, those who guard the wealth of fish within against all outsiders.

Noc'tak Ruins

The dark elves of Evylon, the elder bloodline banished from their high-elf kin, once made a city protected by the Blackdrake mountains and the Tailbone Ridge. However, the elves pursued them into the ground, and it soon fell to absolute ruin. Remnants can still be found; tattered tapestries and crumbling walls are all that's left.

Shimmering Elera

When the elves came across the Bleachbone Desert and crossed the mountains, they came into the middle of a large expanse of plains; as far as the eye could see, there was little but tall green grass and a beautiful lake from which sprung a wide river. Camping alongside this, they named the lake the Elera, after their queen. To this day, the Shimmering Elera is a haven for all who seek shelter, and remnants of the elves' ancient camp can still be found.

Tailbone Ridge

The Tailbone Ridge is an odd placement of rocks that broke apart in a rogue mage-storm that crossed the Drowned Sea into Heartwood. Striking the mountains, it crashed like waves upon rock and shattered the south, leaving the ridge that kept it from reaching the great forest. Now, it stands as a monument that towers above the surrounding countryside, and appears as the bones of a short tail when viewed from the air.

The North

The Northern lands are coated in ice. Uninhabitable and fierce, creatures roam amid the snow that are kept at bay only by the south's strong magic, and the elves' dedication to protect their homeland. It is said that humans unlike any before have settled here, though one know what they look like; or even how they act.