Land of the Geomancers
Arboria sprawls over the northwest of the Hyathine continent. Within its confines are some of the most verdant ranges of forest, fen, and mountain in all the lands of Lyran Tal. Such vast diversity is unparalleled by the other six regions once known as the Silver Moon Empire, with perhaps the exception of Oceanuus, whose deep mysteries lie both above and beneath the waves. Even so, much of Arboria lies yet uncharted and none but the foolhardy leave the well-known paths that twine the outskirts of the region; not without a guide. Indeed, many a druid and ranger seek to gain knowledge within the fabled Selendoria forest for this very reason. It comes as no surprise that the largest and most diverse forestland of Arboria is home to both the High Druid and Cennebrae, the capital city of the Elven Nation and the heart of Geomantic training in all of Hyathis.
The High Druid, Elcine Rivervale, resides in Evergreen, a nearly mystical druid city. What remains of written record shows that Evergreen has been the home of Selendorian druids for over five hundred years, and likely has existed far longer. Evergreen cannot be found by just anyone; only a true druid or the Elven rangers (and Rangers) of the Selendoria know its exact whereabouts. Whether this is due to some magical property or simply that it lies deep in thick forest is debatable. Either way, Elcine Rivervale took power in the year 1261 after the unexplained disappearance of the only human to ever hold position of High Druid, Cytorak Brownleaves. Although Rivervale seems competent enough, her relationship with the Archmage of Geomancy, Tequin Shadolf-Sundew, has not the trust that existed between the Leaflord and the Archmage. Problems arising in the wilds are being laid at Elcine's feet, and some have even taken to calling her the Riverwitch. Behind closed doors.
Tequin Shaldolf-Sundew has led the Geomancers and the Elven Nation for the past three centuries. Although many speculate that Tequin's power lies in his uncanny knowledge of the realms' affairs, his seat of authority is in Cennebrae where he holds court with the Geomantic Council. Located in the center of the Selendoria, Cennebrae is said to be a tribute to the beauty born of the stony earth, with its towering, pristine marble columns and buildings, lined with intricate statues of polished stone. Those wishing to travel to Cennebrae must do so along the Onndar Road, else risk the poorly marked side trails that sometimes just vanish into the vegetation - if they can gain admittance to Arboria at all. The Geomantic Council that rules not only geomancer instruction, but also the Elven Nation has closed the borders, cutting off most trade with what remains of the Silver Moon Empire. The hand of the Archmage has grown ever more strict since the disappearance of Cytorak Brownleaves, and when the Emperor Tumian Dreven died six years later Arboria ceded from the Empire, claiming neutrality against the new regime of the Klockwork Master.
All of the upheaval in politics, trade, and seemingly even in the natural spirit of Arboria has set the three political factions active in the Elven Court into a fury of action. The Resistance, long striving for a semblance of equality between humans and elves, suffered a low blow with the loss of Cytorak, and is still recovering. The Elven Hand, however, has gained power. Extremely conservative, the Hand would rather see the humans removed from Arboria entirely; not so impossible a feat given the ratio of elves to humans. Ironically, the Fist - the human counterpart to the elven extremists determined to gain Arboria's wealth for themselves - has also gained power, but in a more subtle way.
While much of Arboria's population is made up of elves, there are scattered villages of humans, and clans of dwarves hold the subterranean passages that span not only the Sturrbith Mountains, but down beneath the Selendoria as well. In fact, Arboria's second largest city is Dvarnia's Hold, an underground city located deep beneath the mountain of Spartak. Dvarnia's Hold is home to Clan Dvarnia, headed by Zuan Metalhead Fjornson. The uneasy alliance the dwarves held with the Elven Nation has long since broken, for the Dwarven Nation, as the mountain folk are now dubbing themselves, have continued trade outside of the borders of Arboria. When Arboria ceded the important trade town of Gaimalli was suddenly bereft of its income, and the protective dwarves were left without a location to trade outside their own cities. Loathe to allow strangers into the depths of their homes, the dwarves have instead begun their own trade routes, taking precious ore and metal-working knowledge from Arboria to the Klockwork Regime in Shadokhan. The Klockwork Master's endless need for metals has seen dwarven trade steadily increasing. Although the dwarves have upped their trading, they invite none into their borders.
The Land
Arboria is a land of vast diversity: lowlands that rise up to mountain peaks; cold, dry sweeps of forests and warm, moist expanses of swamp; thick, dark woods and open, light grasslands. Despite such variety, the most prominent feature known to Arboria is the Selendoria Forest that stretches from northern coast to southern border, and from the Talpeasea Mountains on the west to the Sturrbiths on the east. This forest, while a large swath of green on maps, is truly segmented into a number of different forests that subtly grade from one to another. Many streams, lakes, and rivers can be found in the wood, but there are four that are well-known by word, and three that are well-known by map.
The Aldene is the longest and slowest, casually snakes its way through the Selendoria's hinterlands. It originates in the Sturrbith Mountains, wending and winding through the middle of the forest clear to the northern shore of Arboria. Here it spreads out over the land in ever-changing mudflats covered in reeds, called the Sepalenne. The Cordunnda, named by the dwarves, is a rough and jagged river that cuts through the western base of the Sturrbith Mountains, sinking beneath the ground at Mount Spartak, only to appear again further north in its run to the ocean. While the Aldene is a slow flowing wide river, the Cordunnda is cold with dangerous rapids. Finally, the Océale divides the Selendoria from the Talpeasea Mountains. It flows down from the Talpeasea Mountain range, makes up the western border of the Selendoria, and then vanishes into the underground caverns of the mountains, never touching the sea.
The fourth river is much talked about, but rarely seen. The Eldethaine, the River of Dreams, is said to have magical properties and is reputed to show itself only to those with elvish blood... though more likely the various maps that pinpoint its locale are just incorrect.
Northeastern Selendoria: This region of the Selendoria, which runs up the sides of the Sturrbith Mountains, must withstand the cold winds of Northern Oceanuus. The higher elevations are alpine forest with freezing winters rife with snow, and even in the summer when the day is dry and hot, night temperatures drop to finger-numbing cold. As one moves down the mountains the clime becomes more temperate.Oaks and maples are prolific in this area, making the change of seasons a staggeringly beautiful time. Tall and sturdy trees provide a bright canopy, and undergrowth is thick in the warm summers. Many rivers run through the northeast, and most elven settlements located here as well, including Cennebrae. Many believe that the famed city of Evergreen is hidden within this region, though only the druids and Rangers know for certain.
Northwestern Selendoria: Walking the woods of the northwest is like entering another world. The gentle northern ocean breezes keep it cool year round, with only minor changes in temperature as the seasons fluctuate. The trees here are a marvel, rising hundreds of feet into the sky while the boles of their trunks grow so rotund an entire city tenement could be carved into the very heart. Misting rain is common, so light that the water hovers in the air like a cloud. Ferns and delicate flowers grow upon the moss-covered ground, struck by beams of sunlight that occasionally break through the mist.
Western Selendoria: Rain falls heavily here, and thunderstorms that shake the very boughs of the forest are common. Nearly tropical in nature, the closer to the Océale River one gets the more humid and thick the forest becomes, with climbing vines and bizarre flowers growing ladder-like from the ground up into the trees. Warmer year-round than the rest of the forest, the winter cycles see a decrease in rainfall and a slight drop of temperature, never truly freezing. Some say the weather is mystically connected to the Océale, and there could be some truth to this, for when the river floods high, it recedes leaving yet more life than before. Tens of thousands of exotic plants and animals make their home in the mild west.
Southern Selendoria: In contrast to the rest of the wood, the south has poor soil and stunted growth. Trees here are thinner, and oddly shaped and colored.Elves are scarce here, and rumours say that the nearness of the Caedal Marshes taints the earth. Some even whisper that the marshes are expanding, slowly eating away the forest until it all will be nothing but bog. Despite this, humans have braved the land and made homes here, building settlements where the elves refuse to go. Moist like most of the vast forest, the empty soil proves a challenge for all but the most resilient of flora and fauna. Still, the humans who call this place home are determined to survive and make the south their own.
Caedal Marshes: Not much is known of this fog-ridden land, aside from rumour and hedgetales. The soil never dries and the mist never burns, leaving the Marshes a sodden and impenetrable wilderness. The south marshes, nigh to Shadokhan, are expanses of still pools choked with vegetation and stumps, while the north is riddled with gnarled trees, their bark black with slime and moss.Only legends map this region, and it is said to be a place of trickster fae and troublesome spirits. No residence is known within the Marshes.
"There are places in the Caedal Marshes that the sun never reaches, so overgrown they are. Places where the swampy waters steam year round, regardless of the temperature, and where ground that was solid but a few minutes ago can turn to treacherous mud in the blink of an eye, to trap and drown the unwary. Some would call it a damned place, alive and evil, designed by some higher force to weed out those foolish enough to brave the marsh's depths. But the truth was that it was just nature, devoid of any guise and completely uncaring. The predator at its finest."("The Destruction of Eidonath," by Vassily Decados)
The Talpeasea Mountains: Colored silver for three days just before spring, the Talps are a fae-dominated mountain range. Hard to navigate, there are paths granted through the Talps by the faeries, who are said to only allow those people through that do them no harm. But faeries can be fickle, and few are the number that travel the Talpeasea with ease. Many magical herbs and mystic wonders are reportedly hidden within this mountain range, but no charts declare their presence. The Talps are not quite so high as the Sturrbiths, only a few peaks reaching into the airs where few plants can grow.
Lealóre Plateau: South of the Talpeasea Mountains and west of the Marshes lies the windswept plateau. The western winds blow off the sea and over the grasslands, sparing the plateau from harsh winters and cooling it through the summer with refreshing breezes. Ranging from fertile to dry depending on the weather, the plateau is devoutly faithful to the Druidic beliefs, for it is the Ritual of Joining that seems to guarantee them prosperity.Elves and humans both dwell on the grasslands, though their methods of living vary drastically. Some tilled fields and pasturelands can be found run by humans, while the elven 'farms' consist of native plants herded together for gathering. Indeed, it is difficult to tell an elven farm from the wild grasslands around it. The coasts of the plateau are spotted with fishing villages, both human and elven, with the same difference between them as the farms, although some of the human settlements have tried to adopt elven ways.
Sepalenne: A saltmarsh on the northwest coast, it is here that the Aldene meets with the ocean. Mudflats swamped with shorebirds are the key feature, and reeds sprout up in thick mats on the ever-changing mounds of silt deposited by the river.
Settlements
Anlanna - Adruid circle on the Lealóre Plateau. They are a small group, and make their living on the native herds of antelope that are a keystone in the ecology of the grassland. The colony is having difficulty with a near-by human village, whose ways do not match their own.
Cennebrae - The capital city of the Elven Nation, and the largest settlement in Arboria. The Tňrrea Talamh,the largely elven School of Geomancy is located here, as is the Geomantic Council. Created with the aid of geomancers, Cennebrae is a breathtaking marvel of earth and stone twined with nature.
Dellman's Pine - This settlement is no longer in existence, and has been vacant for over ten years. With its human citizens having been driven out thanks to political complications. Not much of what happened here is known to the general public, but should anyone ever run into an ex-colonist of Dellman's Pine, they are sure to share unkind words regarding the elves.
Dvarnia's Hold - The second largest city in Arboria, and peopled completely by dwarves, Dvarnia's Hold is located beneath Mount Spartak. Few outside of the dwarves know much about the city, for few are allowed into it.
Gaimalli - This once-affluent city lies just beyond the eastern border of Selendoria Forest. The town is strategically located for trade, for it sits upon the only well-paved path that links Fort Klimteg, Cennebrae, and the rest of Hyathis. Before the elves closed the borders, Gaimalli was known as 'The Trading Center of the Arborian Woods', for most Arborian woodsmen needed to travel through Gaimalli if they wanted to reach the rest of the Empire, and many merchants came in an attempt to get the first bid on the much wanted lumber. Now, the biggest human colony in the Elven Kingdom is under much duress, for their source of income 'trade' had been snuffed out.
Trajen - This small village is another human-founded settlement within the embrace of the Selendoria Forest, and does not boast of anything but quiet tranquility and peaceful existence. Trajen's only recent excitement was that its neighboring settlement of Dellman's Pine was destroyed over ten years ago.
Trade
Since the closing of movements to and from Arboria, the realm has become more isolationist than ever. Where once the Elven Nation exported unique woods, some textiles, wines, and a plethora of dried teas and herbs, now nothing leaves save what the dwarves take out. The raw ores, ranging from iron to gold to the rare ore of Soniarium, still flow through dwarven hands to the eager needs of the Klockwork Master in Shadokhan.
Common Roads
Fort Klimteg sits at the base of the western borders of the Sturrbith Mountains on the same altitude as Cremens Peak, overlooking the most well known path into Arboria, the Onndar road. One can picture the Onndar as a straight line drawn due west from Cremens Peak through the width of Sturrbith into Selendoria and Cennebrae.It can be accessed from Balthazor, Cloosidian, and Shadokhan. Balthazor and Cloosidian have the most direct access to the road, which cuts straight through the width of the Sturrbith at the midpoint of the mountain range -- its eastern path leading directly into Cremens Peak -- to proceed on northwestward into the heart of the Selendoria. Those traveling from Shadokhan can actually bypass entering the mountain range by following a northern path called the Cracked Pass that travels northward just between the eastern border of the Caedal Marshes and the western border of the Sturrbith Mountains. It skirts the mountainside northward until it joins up with the Onndar at Gaimalli.
The Onndar road is the most direct route to Cennebrae. There are other smaller paths through the forests and the Sturrbith Mountains, but they are more windy and treacherous as well as difficult to map. The road that links the major cities of the Plateau to Cennebrae is called the Wooded Way.
Lastly, there is a little known path that links northern Balthazor to the northern shores of Arboria, called Crandal's Crawl. It is rarely traveled, and the Elven Blades and Rangers that guard the pass have their hands full with the undead of Balthazor invading. Needless to say, these are not friendly borders.
Notable Characters in Arboria
(Click on a name to go to the character's Who's Who entry.)
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