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.

Aboveground Cities;;

MORDUE:

RACE: weredragon, human. LEADER: Lord Arcaius (NPC). TIER: three.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Khankirae.

APPEARANCE: Hidden away in the mountains, to the west of the Rift, lay a small city wreathed in secrecy. The city is much like a smaller version of Vystriana's Ibenia - built of white walls with three central towers, it mimics the style of the north in both beauty and structure, just as strong as the Ibenian walls themselves. Behind the walls are an assortment of stone houses with branch-thatched roofs, and a variety of gardens. While the bazaar is small, there's many, many craftsmen and craftswomen who travel to Aehryn to sell and barter off their wares.

CULTURE: A cheerful community that is nonetheless protective of its unique heritage. Because the weredragon is shrouded in mystery - both in its origin and how long it's been around - the citizens of Mordue go to great lengths to hide what they are when a visitor stumbles upon their gates. As such, they may come across as standoffish and rude, though quite amiable once their trust is won.

AEHRYN:

RACE: drow, elf. LEADER: Lady Ryn (NPC). TIER: two.
LANGUAGE(S): Elven, Drowish, Common. ALLEGIANCE: Khankirae.

APPEARANCE: A city nestled in the snowcapped trees at the foothills of the Twisted Mountains. Aehryn is small and quaint, a trader's city designed and run by elves from many walks of life - their cottages are made of wood and stone, simple yet elegant, with sweeping roofs and clean, neat walls. The town center is decorated with a simple fountain featuring a lioness and a merman, playing the harp and the flute together.

CULTURE: As a trade city, it's placed where many of Khankirae's roads meet. Once a month, Aehryn holds a festival where all are welcome - they even extend their invitation to the Faen pride of lions, who will come watch the festivities and trade what they've found in the wild.

GREAT TEMPLE OF LEARTES:

RACE: mixed. LEADER: Priestess Ysria (NPC). TIER: four.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Khankirae.

APPEARANCE: Leartes' temple is a large, circular structure made of black and white marble, arranged in a myriad of balanced patterns. At its center is a large water garden filled with a plethora of plant-life. Inside the garden, a gentle breeze stirs motes of soft light among the rustling leaves and over the trickling waters. Within the circular structure, there are weapons of every type, manuals on their use, and sparring circles.

CULTURE: Much like the Temple of Time, the Temple of Leartes is a quiet place, though not nearly as strict as the temple made of bismuth, for the frequent sparring sessions that take place are often very loud affairs. Minds may be put at ease here, focused, and readied; those that seek peace, and those that seek readiness before battle, are both welcome. The priests of Leartes' Temple are balanced individuals who often preach both preparation for war, and the protection of peace, at various sermons held throughout the day.

LEONINE:

RACE: human. LEADER: Patriarch Kotaan (NPC). TIER: two.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Khankirae.

APPEARANCE: Surrounded by a picketed wooden log fence, the town of Leonine is settled in the grasslands close to where the Faen Pride takes residence. Straw-thatched homes lay scattered about the rolling hills, sleeping in the shadow of the jungle. Amid these smaller buildings, three stables lay at various points within the city, as well as a tavern named The Sorrowful Lioness, a small church, and a bustling bazaar.

CULTURE: Every Kemen is Market Day, and every other Silma is the day upon which taxes are paid. Twice a month, there's a marvelous faire called the Festival of Lions, where the Faen pride is invited to share stories of the wild and trade what they might have.

MEMORIA:

RACE: terravyrn. LEADER: the Seven (NPCs). TIER: two.
LANGUAGE(S): Draconic. ALLEGIANCE: neutral.

APPEARANCE: Memoria stands in a secluded mountain valley, on Khankirae's westernmost ranges. The city is carved from a unique, polished grey stone, and is arranged in seven large, septagonal terraces, each one smaller than the one below. The upper three terraces have several balconies open to the outside that serve as the only entrances to Memoria. Atop the towering structure, a sharp, seven-pointed spire rises. Within, the polished stone halls constantly shift, displaying memories of lost Terra in the form of shifting images playing out past events. At the heart of the tower sits a large, crystal shard of unknown origins, rumored to be a remnant of lost Terra itself. Seven slender spies made of dark crystal surround the city, and empower an energy shield that repels all elemental magics, and those who wield said magics.

CULTURE: Memoria is a place of mourning, and of sharing memories of lost Terra. As such, it is very rare for any besides terravyrns to walk its halls. The Seven, bound to Memoria by powerful flare magics, zealously safeguard the city, and maintain its defenses. Mournful songs often echo through the halls as visiting terravyrns mourn their lost Realm. Terravyrns visiting Memoria for the first time are often directed to the very heart of the city, where they can add any memories of Terra they may possess to those already gathered.

Z’RADA:

RACE: mythkin. LEADER: Nightstriker vo Zaeshin (NPC). TIER: two.
LANGUAGE(S): Language. ALLEGIANCE: none.

APPEARANCE: A city carved of dark stone, nestled in a dark mountain valley. High walls ensure the lowest reaches of the city are rarely illuminated. There are no straight roads or paths leading into the city, and many narrow alleyways and subterranean tunnels allow for multiple pathways through the labyrinthine city, with only cryptic markings understood by city natives serving as directions.

CULTURE: Z'rada breeds intrigue and lies, and betrayal and murder are commonplace. Great care should be taken when choosing ally and enemy alike. The city's ruler governs only for so long as they can remain cunning enough to survive. No special treatment is offered to outsiders daring to enter Z'rada, and many are often preyed upon. However, any mythkin actually caught in the act of murder face being beaten to death by the Sentinels, who patrol the city in groups of four and carry staves made of pure mythmetal. For if an assassin is incompetent enough to get caught, then they are a disgrace.

Belowground Cities;;

HAMON:

RACE: veldryn. LEADER: the White One (NPC). TIER: four.
LANGUAGE(S): Veldryn. ALLEGIANCE: Neutral.

APPEARANCE: A network of caverns shaped by the veldryn into a thriving, crystal and stone city. The walls of the tunnels are smooth and polished, set with natural crystals that glitter and shine with their own inner light. Many of these crystals have continued to grow over the years, forming glittering outcrops untouched by veldryn claws.

The caverns are split into six different groups, each of varying sizes. The largest, located near a spiraling tunnel that leads to the aboveground, is a meeting place and communal hall, with many a flat dais for veldryn to lounge upon. The next largest is the Room of Feasts, where the veldryn hunter bring their kills for those who can no longer go above to eat. Adjacent from the entrance, a honeycombed, section of small caves serves as homes for the various citizens, each one anywhere from ten to fifteen feet in diameter. A much smaller section, farther back, serves as a nursery for birthing mothers, next to the fifth section, where healers tend to those sick and injured. The last is where the defenders of Hamon reside and train - the Guardian Quarters, connected to the rest of the city through small, easily-accessed and well-hidden tunnels they may utilize in times of need.

CULTURE: Not much is known about the veldryn and their habits. However, they are led by the nameless veldryn, only known as the White One - the only individual of an entire species that has been able to master the Common Tongue. It's known that he holds a celebration of life on the solstice and equinox, where all take part in storytelling and reenacted portrayals of their species' history.

RAVIEL:

RACE: drow. LEADER: Lacy Ihce (NPC). TIER: four.
LANGUAGE(S): Drowish, Common. ALLEGIANCE: Khankirae.

APPEARANCE: A beautiful city built of icy white marble and blue opal, swirled into designs reminiscent of the art and culture of their northern Vystrian cousins. Raviel's buildings reach to brush the roof of the massive cavern they've been built in, glimmering with gemlights and magefire torches, a constant glow that never goes out. Small, glowing mushrooms and bioluminescent plants gleam in shadowy corners, while doors and walls are carved with the likeness of the Felnovian Five.

CULTURE: Little is known of Raviel and its customs; it is a secretive, distrustful city that bars outsiders from its walls. Once a citizen has left, it's very difficult to win the trust of the city Council and be let back in - often, such things are unheard of.

URIA:

RACE: primarily dwarves, mixed. LEADER: King Kithnar (NPC). TIER: three.
LANGUAGE(S): Common. ALLEGIANCE: Khankirae.

APPEARANCE: Built in the deepest caves known in all of Felnova, the city of Uria is a sweltering place where the desperate have come to dwell. Founded by a lost mining party who had made a portal while the Markers were broken, it's a place surrounded by thick metal walls to protect it from the frequent tectonic activity. The buildings are made from riveted steel, designed to move with the earth and withstand an incredible amount of heat, should the walls temporarily fail. Far beneath the city itself, seen through hastily-repaired cracks in the ground, is the red-lit glow of flowing magma, giving an eerily red cast to the light of the city.

CULTURE: Uria is called the City of Fire and Steel for very good reason; it is a place of last resort, and those who stay long have learned to live in the immense heat, ill protected against its ravages. They are open to any and all, and many refugees - before they can withstand the hot lower levels of the oldest buildings - stay nearest the tunnel that leads up into higher caverns, where the magma and fire cannot reach. Once a year, a ritual bonfire is created at the center of the city, where old items are burned and done away with. It's a symbol of renewal and rejuvenation, freedom from the oppression of whatever they had escaped from before.

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.

Aboveground Landmarks;;

Draeilk Islands

To Khankirae's north, scattered amid the sea, lay a gathering of slender islands nestled in the curve of the entire continent. Though relatively unpopulated, there's said to be tribes of harpies that do trade with local pirates and merfolk, keeping watch over southern Alubria and the distant Yorije.

Nokka Bay

A bay roughly the size of Vystriana's Hidden Lake, the Nokka is a gathering place for traders and merchants, a safe haven for ships from the violent southern currents. All species are welcome in the small ports, even the lions of the Faen and the gryphons from Alubria.

The Rift

The Rift is a large canyon that cuts through the southeastern part of the Twisted Mountains, said to be the place where the One and Death had once fought. It cuts in a zigzagging shape through the mountains, gorged like a massive clawswipe - even though the lore behind it has never been proven to be true, the locals are fond of the legend it's spawned.

Twisted Mountains

The Twisted Mountains lay along the southern border of Khankirae, keeping away the harsh south sea. More massive than the Darklights, these peaks spiral into the sky like icy claws, constantly covered in snow.

Belowground Landmarks;;

Dragontooth Mine

Rumored to be the largest diamond mine in Felnova. Oddly enough, no dwarves nor humans mine these rare stones - but a faction of the drow, coming from Raviel, rules its crystalline depths. Utilized for their beauty as well as their power, diamonds are the baseline of Khankiraen trade, and a lifeline for the country's economics.

Ferslyf River

Named after a human explorer who initially uncovered the vast underground of Khankirae; the river was the first landmark he'd come across, and thought it amusing to name it after himself. The name is, however, by some quirk of the explorer's jest, his name spelled backwards.

Gaelin Shrine

A small stone shrine located in the northernmost caverns of the underground, held apart from everything else. Two torches inside burn with a calm, white fire, never needing fuel nor seemingly affected by any outside occurrence. Inside, small marble statues of the Felnovian Five stand before an altar, where gifts are brought to win the gods' favor.

Ra's Eye

Said to be Khankirae's equivalent of Vystriana's Bloodstone, Ra's Eye is a massive topaz nearly two stories tall, with a white slash of color at its very heart. Said to have been the eye of a former god, it's a sacred place to the veldryn of Khankirae, one that they go to for guidance and reassurance in whatever endeavors they may have. Once a prayer is heard, the stone seems to give a gentle, brief glow - but whether this is the spirit of a deceased god, or some strange magical occurrence, it is not known.