Willowborn Province

The realm of the Fey stretches from the eastern edge of the Summoner’s area, south of Lumin territory, to the smoky and dark southern edge of the Necromancers’ land. Rotwood Promontory is a beautiful range at 28,273 feet at its highest, and is tremendously overgrown at all times, even fighting through the ice and snow at its peak with strange magical plants.

The Mirror Forest is a fearsome place for those who come unprepared. While it is beautiful, danger lurks in the form of fey creatures and sprites which attempt to mire the traveler and feed upon their magical energy. There are sparse habitations here, ones which even the Summoners don’t want to mess with.

Mount Willowborn is 29,541 feet tall at its highest peak, the very tallest in the world. It is a challenging area to live in, but well worth it, as the endless harvests from the trees, ground and even in the lakes which dot the area are all magically charged. Some of the most exotic fruits and crops come from this part of the world and are harvested by only the staunchest of sorts.

Still Sea is a small, dank and nearly lifeless inland sea. While there is life in it, it’s so alien and strange that it might as well not exist. No fishing, play or even travel is done on this large lake, it just doesn’t feel right for anyone near it to get any closer than they must. It is fresh water, but it may very well be tainted with bad magic.

Mossgate is described earlier. Its low, canyon-ridden hills are often deceptively covered in greenery: what looks smooth and flat is often hundreds of feet worth of plants crawling up the valley walls.

The Bracken Realm is a dense mire of jungle, swamp and lakes, but almost entirely grown with a canopy covering much of its landscape. Monkey-like creatures inhabit much of this area, though they are often kept as pets by seafarers they aren’t very good at this domestication and are quite dangerous in large groups. Eerie glowing fungus covers much of the Bracken Realm’s floor, collecting around many trees where the monkeys live, digesting the discarded bones and offal from their meals. Many actually carnivorous plants live in this area as well, and it is thus unsuitable for any real colonization by any but the bravest.

Viridian Country is the land of elfin habitation, soaring tree homes and extensive vine walkways appear every few hundred miles, collecting several million inhabitants but hardly betraying the size of their population. These elves are sturdy hunters, and enjoy their natural magic easily dominating the plant life and shaping it where they require. Their crafts are often living plants – large chairs, tables, chests and the like which grow extremely slowly and have the built-in functions anyone would expect, only they provide a seemingly warm presence in any room. There are ‘tree seats’ over a thousand years old in some homes (grown perhaps from a single chair to a massive sprawling room of seating), and only the richest folk might import these items to their own distant lands.

In the southern hills and in the cliffs below Rotwood, elves of another sort make their homes: air-loving gliders, who while they are not able to fly without their contraptions, are easily the most interesting folk in the area. They build gliders and arm-flaps out of plants and leather, and gracefully lift off in the stiff winds to hunt, travel, and communicate over hundreds of miles. They and the Dragons of the area have a special bond, as dragon-kind truly adores flight in all its forms.

To the north of Rotwood however are what can only be called ‘dark’ elves, those of a demeanor unlike their pleasant arboreal and aerial cousins. Masters of stone and metal, they are fierce warriors that live in the more sparsely forested northern hills. Their penchant for fighting has drawn ire from many but they do live by a code of honor, so if someone does come into conflict with them, they are willing to fight to prove who is right. Their homes are made of stone, edifices so unlike their kin that it is often a surprise to see who has built them. They are known as mercenaries, and travel the world where they are needed, but also have been known to move back and forth between Portals to settle problems off-world as well. Their population is low, primarily due to their own inner-cultural violence.

The realm of Thorntrap houses a variety of peoples, not just elfin but Wyld and dragonkin as well. They do a busy import/export business, mainly with wood products and furs. It is all but impossible to move easily northwest to Briar Portal, at least on the ground, thus there is a bustling ‘port’ of Dragons who make it their business to transport goods and people around that portion of the land. Thorntrap is easily one of the heavily populated areas of the world, with not two or three but five major cities that each sport over a million people.

Dragonreach is a large but weakly populated island, housing a number of dragonkin families who are dedicated to the recordkeeping and ancient artifacts of their true Dragon cousins. Few others are welcome here for the long term, but trade is common. It is known for its dry but hardy woods, and its unique herbs which when burnt can cause any number of side effects to those who breathe it in. It features strongly in the keepers’ rituals. Dragonkin and kind are mostly immune to the negative effects, however other humanoids often experience anything from fierce allergic reactions, to euphoric enjoyment, and rarely come away without some kind of ‘mark’ from it. Spiritual, physical or emotional, and certainly a strong memory of their experience.

Ravenhill off the eastern coast is where yet another breed of unrelated elf-like people live. They remain here, and their counterparts on Starcourt keep to themselves as well. Very little is known about these folk, with rich black skin and eyes, though their commune with Dragons seems strong. Unfortunately, their strengths play to the Dragon kind who would harm the world’s population. The Hill itself is deeply shrouded in tall, misty trees, and is aptly named for the great numbers of birds – some of them massive, Rocs by any other name – that congregate there.

The isle of Forgotten Dream is another remnant of the great war with the Gods. Also pockmarked like the Blessed Idol, this long, bent land is filled with the remains of brave Dragon warriors, respected by their companions and brought to this island resting place after their deaths. The long trek through sea or air eastward brings them to the Sacred Outland and Dragonshore, this deep sea between them, the Dark Dragon Sea, provides the richest waters and seabed for nesting but also has the strongest old magic. Trade ships do not stop on Forgotten Dream, however there are at least three or four pilgrimages a year for dragonkin as well as any curious scholars to spend some time among the long-bleached bones and remnants of battle-gear.