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Table structure:

  1. Introduction - Wikitext
  2. History - Wikitext
  3. Geography - Wikitext
  4. Climate - Wikitext (allowed values: editor=visualeditor)
  5. Flora_and_Fauna - Wikitext
  6. Inhabitants - Wikitext
  7. Native_Spirits - Wikitext
  8. Factions - Wikitext
  9. Notable_Settlements - Wikitext
  10. Cultural_Significance - Wikitext
  11. Mythology_and_Legends - Wikitext
  12. See_Also - Wikitext
  13. Bibliography - Wikitext

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Page Introduction History Geography Climate Flora and Fauna Inhabitants Native Spirits Factions Notable Settlements Cultural Significance Mythology and Legends See Also Bibliography
Angarik (edit)

Angarik is the realm of fire. It sits below the physical world of Orethil. It occasionally interacts directly with orethil through volcanoes, geothermal vents, and the general use of fire among the populations.

Aurelion (edit)

Aurelion is the realm of Dharas, the Primordial Spirit of Light. It is a vast, radiant domain where light is omnipresent, and the concept of darkness is rendered obsolete by its overwhelming brilliance. Aurelion embodies the essence of purity, clarity, and truth, serving as the eternal counterbalance to the realm of darkness, Noirra. Aurelion was formed in the wake of Daathir's awakening when the Primordial Elements emerged from the Primordial Void. Dharas, the essence of illumination and clarity, shaped Aurelion as a realm of boundless radiance, where light is not merely illumination but a tangible force that sculpts reality itself.

The Birth of Aurelion[edit source]

In the beginning, when Daathir stirred within the Primordial Void, the interplay of consciousness and imagination brought forth the Primordial Elements. Among them was Dharas, the Spirit of Light, whose awakening ignited the first radiance within the darkness of Astram. From this light, Aurelion was formed—a realm where illumination was no longer a fleeting spark but an eternal presence, a beacon of clarity within the newborn cosmos.

Dharas wove the first structures of Aurelion from the purest essence of light, shaping crystalline landscapes, radiant spires, and flowing currents of golden brilliance. Unlike other realms, Aurelion did not arise from material elements but from the very force of illumination itself, rendering shadows and deception nonexistent.

The Dawn Wars and the Balance of Light[edit source]

As the realms of Adaris took shape, the balance between light and darkness became an essential force of existence. Arafia, the Spirit of Darkness, emerged alongside Dharas—not as an enemy, but as the counterpart through which contrast and perception could exist.

However, in the early epochs of creation, conflicts arose when the light of Aurelion threatened to expand unchecked, consuming realms beyond its own. Some ancient texts speak of a time when Dharas’s radiance nearly overpowered the fledgling cosmos, threatening to dissolve all into pure illumination. It was during this era that the Aelthari were created, not merely to guard Aurelion but to ensure that its radiance remained in harmony with the balance of Adaris.

In response, Arafia forged Noirra, the Realm of Darkness, to act as the counterweight to Aurelion. This established the Great Equilibrium, a cosmic principle ensuring that neither light nor darkness would eclipse the other, allowing existence to unfold with both clarity and mystery.

The Age of Illumination[edit source]

With the balance restored, Aurelion became a center of wisdom and revelation. The first of the Lioris emerged, their forms sculpted from Dharas’s own radiance. These beings became keepers of cosmic knowledge, guiding souls and seekers toward enlightenment.

During this age, mortals across Adaris began to perceive Aurelion’s influence, leading to the development of sacred rites and philosophies centered on light as truth. The art of Lightweaving was first practiced in Aurelion, granting artisans the ability to shape illumination into physical forms, creating structures of light that could be carried beyond the realm.

It is said that the Lightborn—mortals who Ascendant into Aurelion—began their transition during this time, proving that enlightenment was not merely a divine state but one that could be attained through wisdom, purity, and devotion.

The Celestial Veil and the Modern Era[edit source]

As Adaris evolved, Aurelion became more distant from the material world, separated by the Celestial Veil, a luminous boundary that only the worthy can traverse. Some scholars believe this shift was intentional, a way to prevent the overwhelming purity of Aurelion from interfering too greatly with mortal affairs.

Even now, the light of Aurelion touches every realm in subtle ways, revealing truth where deception lingers, offering warmth where darkness looms. It remains a realm of seekers and protectors, where the radiance of Dharas shines eternal, a beacon for those who strive toward enlightenment.

Aurelion is defined by its unending brilliance. Every surface emanates light, and shadows cannot form, for light bends and flows like a tangible force. The landscapes are ethereal, sculpted from luminous crystal, golden mists, and rivers of pure radiance.

Notable locations[edit source]

  • The Beacon of Dharas: The heart of Aurelion and the purest manifestation of light in the cosmos. It is said that all illumination in Adaris originates from this celestial beacon. Towering beyond mortal comprehension, the Beacon of Dharas pulses with divine radiance, guiding seekers toward enlightenment. Some believe it to be the very core of Dharas’s consciousness, an eternal source of wisdom and purity.
  • The Brilliance: A boundless sea of luminous energy, where light flows like liquid across an endless horizon. It is said that one’s thoughts and emotions influence the colors and intensity of The Brilliance, making it a sacred space for meditation and divine communion.
  • The Prismic Mountains: A breathtaking crystalline mountain range that refracts Dharas’s light into endless beams, scattering illumination across all of Aurelion. The mountains shimmer with an ever-changing spectrum, and those who traverse their peaks experience visions of forgotten knowledge as light bends and shifts around them.
  • The Celestial Veil: A shimmering, mist-like boundary where Aurelion meets the cosmic expanse. Said to obscure the full truth of existence, the Celestial Veil filters reality itself, allowing only glimpses of what lies beyond the light. Many believe that passing through the Veil leads to enlightenment—or complete dissolution into radiance.
  • The Auric Reaches: A high-altitude expanse where golden storms of pure energy swirl in perpetual motion. The Aelthari patrol this region, ensuring that Aurelion’s radiance does not spill into the mortal realms unchecked. Some believe the Reaches are the closest one can come to merging with Dharas’s essence while still maintaining form.

Unlike realms bound by physical matter, Aurelion’s lifeforms are composed of light, thought, and harmonic energy. The flora and fauna of this radiant domain do not rely on sustenance or natural cycles but instead exist in a state of perpetual luminescence, embodying the purity and resonance of Dharas’s essence.

Flora[edit source]

  • Veythar Blossoms: Ethereal fractal-like structures that unfold in response to thought and emotion. When approached, their radiant filaments rearrange into intricate glowing patterns that reflect the presence of nearby beings. Some scholars believe the Veythar are sentient, responding to seekers with visual messages in shifting lattices of light.
  • Seryn Threads: Silken filaments of living luminescence that weave themselves through the air, connecting points of energy across Aurelion. The threads pulse in rhythmic patterns, forming an ever-changing tapestry that scholars believe encodes the wisdom of the realm itself.
  • Elosian Crowns: Towering constructs of lattice-like energy that drift slowly above the landscape, bending light into radiant halos. Some Lightborn believe that meditating beneath an Elosian Crown allows one to hear the echoes of Dharas’s first words.
  • Lhaedrith Vines: Spirals of luminous tendrils that stretch endlessly into the sky, their forms never static. These shifting threads of radiance grow in spiraling, ever-adapting configurations, as if responding to the unseen harmonics of Aurelion itself.
  • Zerathis Bloom: Appearing as a single point of concentrated brilliance, the Zerathis Bloom does not exist in a fixed state; it flickers in and out of perception. Those who gaze upon it claim to receive flashes of forgotten memories or visions of possible futures, though none can predict when or where it will appear.

Fauna[edit source]

  • Vaelir: Wisps of sentient luminescence that drift across Aurelion’s horizon, moving in harmonic synchrony. Their presence evokes a sensation of clarity, and some say prolonged exposure to the Vaelir dissolves burdens of doubt and fear.
  • Kaltheri: Shimmering avian-like beings composed of refracted energy. Their wings leave trails of prismatic afterimages, and their calls are soundless—perceived instead as pulses of emotion that wash over those nearby.
  • Osirith: Vast, slow-moving entities resembling waves of light that ripple across the Brilliance. Some scholars theorize that the Osirith are the oldest inhabitants of Aurelion, great beings that have witnessed the cosmos unfold since Dharas’s first illumination.
  • Xelithar: Ever-shifting geometric constructs that spiral through the air, folding and unfolding in endless patterns. They do not interact with other beings, but those who watch their movements for long enough claim to experience profound revelations.
  • Thal’Vasir: Towering, near-translucent figures that appear only at the edges of perception. Whether they are guardians, watchers, or echoes of something long past is unknown. Many who encounter them report a deep, resonant understanding of their own place in the grand design of existence.
  • Lioris - Ethereal beings composed of pure light, the Lioris are the sages of Aurelion. They serve as interpreters of divine radiance, helping mortals and spirits alike understand the deeper truths revealed by Dharas’s illumination. Appearing as shimmering, translucent figures, they communicate through pulses of radiant energy, conveying thoughts and wisdom without words. Many who seek Aurelion’s wisdom hope to receive guidance from the Lioris, though only those of pure intent can comprehend their messages.  
  • Aelthari: Ancient and unwavering, the Aelthari are the guardians of Aurelion’s borders. They ensure that the realm’s radiance remains in balance, neither spilling over into other realms nor allowing corruption to taint the purity of light. Tall, luminous figures clad in armor woven from golden energy, they are known for their unmatched vigilance and mastery over the Veil of Illumination, a barrier that separates Aurelion from the mortal world.  
  • Lightborn - Once-mortal beings who have Ascendant fully into Aurelion’s radiance, the Lightborn are souls who have shed all shadow, becoming embodiments of enlightenment. Retaining echoes of their past selves, they exist in a state of perpetual luminescence, guiding others on the path toward transcendence. Legends tell of great sages and warriors who, upon death, were accepted into Aurelion, their spirits transformed into beings of pure light.  

Aurelion’s settlements do not follow the fixed, material logic of mortal realms. These radiant sanctuaries exist as harmonic constructs of light, shifting in response to the will and perception of their denizens. Many of these luminous domains do not have fixed locations and can only be reached by those attuned to the light of Dharas.

  • Elytharion, The City of Echoed Radiance: A great expanse of shifting spires woven from cascading light. Elytharion is not bound to one location; it flickers across Aurelion, appearing where the presence of wisdom is strongest. Within its halls, radiant glyphs inscribe themselves upon the air, recording the thoughts and revelations of all who pass through. It is said that the Lioris gather here to contemplate cosmic truths beyond mortal understanding.
  • Vael'ari, The Horizon Citadel: A floating sanctuary suspended within the endless glow of The Brilliance. Vael’ari exists at the intersection of **pure enlightenment and form**, where those nearing transcendence dwell before becoming Lightborn. Its golden archways shimmer as they bend and fold, forming new paths for those ready to take their final step into radiance.
  • Zenthaelis, The Shifting Orrery: A vast celestial construct where **light itself takes the shape of an ever-revolving cosmic map**. The entire city moves in an intricate, spiraling motion, aligning with unseen celestial harmonics. Scholars and seekers come here to **study the interplay of light and time**, believing the Orrery reflects the unspoken order of Adaris itself.
  • Lutharis, The Veilborn Enclave: A city of glistening latticework suspended within the **Celestial Veil**. Existing at the threshold between Aurelion and the unknown, Lutharis is a place of transition—where those who are not yet ready to embrace full illumination reside. It is said that the Aelthari stand watch over its boundaries, ensuring that only those truly prepared may pass beyond.
  • Ael’Serai, The Radiant Assembly: A grand convergence of luminous pathways that form and dissolve according to the will of its inhabitants. Ael’Serai is not a city in the conventional sense but **a gathering of luminous consciousnesses**, where the most enlightened beings discuss the equilibrium of light across all realms. Some believe this is where Dharas’s presence is most palpable, though no mortal has ever confirmed it.

Aurelion holds a vital place in the cosmology of Adaris, representing the ideals of purity, truth, and enlightenment. It is revered as a realm of revelation, where all things are seen in their truest form. Many cultures regard it as a domain of wisdom and healing, where light purifies both body and spirit.

Cultural Practices and Beliefs[edit source]

Aurelion’s influence extends into mortal traditions throughout Adaris. Many religious and mystical practices invoke the realm’s light for guidance, protection, and transformation. Rituals often involve reflective surfaces, crystals, and sunlit altars to channel the illumination of Dharas.

  • Dawn Vigils: Devotees greet the first light of dawn in silent meditation, seeking insight from Aurelion’s radiance.
  • Sunfire Baptisms: Initiates bathe in sacred pools infused with Aurelion’s energy, symbolizing the purification of the soul.
  • Rites of Reflection: Mirrors and prisms are used in sacred ceremonies to reveal hidden truths, believed to channel Aurelion’s power.

The pursuit of Aurelion’s mysteries is a lifelong endeavor for scholars, mystics, and seekers of truth. Many believe prolonged exposure to the realm’s radiance can be overwhelming, stripping away falsehoods and illusions—but at a cost. Some legends speak of mortals who lost themselves in the light, their forms dissolving into pure energy.

Artifacts said to hold fragments of Aurelion’s radiance include:

  • Luminara Crystals: Eternal sources of light, often used in sacred rituals.
  • Prisms of Truth: Reflect a person’s true essence, revealing virtues or hidden flaws.
  • The Dawnforged Scrolls: Ancient texts inscribed with radiant glyphs that only reveal their wisdom under Aurelion’s light.
  • Noirra: The Realm of Darkness and the counterpart to Aurelion.
  • Cosmology of Adaris: A comprehensive overview of the universe's structure and beliefs within Adaris.
  • The Chronicles of Light – A collection of ancient Adarian texts exploring the mysteries of Aurelion.
  • Aurelion: The Light Within – A philosophical work on the symbolism and significance of the realm of light.
  • Songs of the Sun – A study of the luminous inhabitants of Aurelion and their influence on Adaris.
Awenlir (edit)
Baelmarsh (edit)

Baelmarsh is not a land of conquest or wealth. It is a land of remnants—a place where nothing is truly lost, only waiting beneath the water, buried beneath the roots.  

Few come here willingly, and fewer still leave unchanged. Those who enter do so not for riches or power, but for answers, closure, or something long forgotten.  

Some seek the Half-Sunken Archive, a library whose ink shifts when read, revealing histories erased from time. Others follow the Hollow Procession, hoping to glimpse the faces of lost loved ones.  

The waters of the Mireglass Expanse do not reflect what is, but what was, drawing scholars, diviners, and the grieving to its shores.  

And some, desperate and reckless, seek out the Wraithroot Witches, offering their own memories in trade for knowledge, revenge, or secrets no mortal should know.  

Baelmarsh does not lure travelers with gold. It calls to those who cannot let go of the past.  

The history of Baelmarsh is not written—it is buried. Unlike other realms, whose pasts are shaped by war and conquest, Baelmarsh’s past is silent, sunken, and preserved beneath its waters.

Once, there were cities here. The marsh did not destroy them—it simply kept them. Some say the ruins belonged to an ancient kingdom whose name has been swallowed by time, its rulers and poets lost beneath the reeds. Others whisper that Baelmarsh was always as it is now—a place where what is forgotten lingers, waiting to be unearthed.

The deeper one goes, the more history is uncovered—not lost, merely waiting.

Baelmarsh stretches across the southwestern edge of the continent, bordered by the plains of Vaelthar to the east and the forests of Celyndor to the north. Unlike the shifting dunes of Zanarak, Baelmarsh does not change—it holds.

The land is a vast, stagnant expanse of sodden glades, flooded ruins, and still-black rivers whose waters seem to drink the light. Beneath the mire lie **entire cities**, their rooftops just visible beneath the surface, their streets waiting in silence. The deeper one goes, the more history is uncovered—not lost, merely waiting.

Those who walk Baelmarsh do not merely tread over land—they walk upon **centuries of forgotten places, buried in time but never truly gone.**

Notable Landmarks[edit source]

  • The Drowned Wolds – Moss-covered stone ridges, rising like broken spines from the water. Some say they were once the walls of a forgotten city.
  • The Mireglass Expanse – A still, mirror-like lake where reflections show not just the present, but glimpses of what once was.
  • The Sable Flow – A black river that moves against the natural currents, as if drawn toward something unseen.
  • The Weeping Hollows – Towering, ancient trees whose trunks have split open, trickling dark water. Some claim the trees remember names, whispering them into the wind.

Baelmarsh is heavy with moisture and heat, its air thick with mist and the scent of moss, earth, and still water. The seasons do not shift sharply—there is no true winter, only a colder wetness, no true summer, only a denser heat.

Rain is frequent, but never in torrents—a slow, steady fall, as if the sky itself weeps for something long forgotten. Fog coils through the marsh even on clear days, and at night, the land is awash in dim, bioluminescent glows from unseen sources.

Baelmarsh is filled with life that lingers, endures, and mutates in time.

Flora[edit source]

  • Lantern-Trees – Gnarled roots with pale, bioluminescent fungi, casting soft blue and violet light. They are never found in the same place twice.
  • Veilvines – Long, whisper-thin vines that drift upon the water’s surface, curling around anything that lingers too long.
  • Drownroot Blooms – Heavy-petaled flowers that grow from submerged ruins, their scent known to induce sleep or visions.

Fauna[edit source]

  • The Mirekin – Figures glimpsed at the water’s edge, watching but never seen approaching.
  • Sable Eels – Ink-black, slow-moving eels that can grow as thick as tree trunks, their presence marked only by the absence of sound.
  • Glass-Faced Stags – Creatures seen only when the mist is thickest, their antlers entwined with glowing moss, their faces like perfect mirrors. Those who gaze into them see themselves as they could have been—or as they never should be.

Baelmarsh does not welcome outsiders, and few truly live within it. Those who do are not merely residents; they are part of the land itself, shaped by its endless memory.

The Lurathi – Keepers of the Unforgotten[edit source]

The Lurathi are a strange and solemn people, their forms reminiscent of great, tusked beasts, their faces long and narrow, their curved tusks arching toward their foreheads like spirals of polished ivory.

They do not build cities, nor do they carve their names into stone. Instead, they carry history **within themselves**, their memories passed down through word and ritual. Scholars and treasure-seekers often seek the Lurathi for guidance, hoping they will lead them to lost places.

But the Lurathi do not share knowledge freely. They believe some things are meant to be forgotten—and some ruins are best left undisturbed.

It is said that if you ask a Lurathi the name of a ruin, they can tell you not only what it was, but the color of its banners, the sound of its streets, and the words of the last prayer spoken within its walls.

The Siltborn – Those Who Linger[edit source]

The Siltborn are not a people. They are a fate.

There are stories of **seekers who entered Baelmarsh searching for answers but never returned**. Sometimes, years later, their forms appear again—silent, cold, wandering the mire.

A Siltborn does not decay. Their skin turns gray and wet, their voices become hushed, as if spoken through water. They do not seem to recognize their own names.

Travelers fear the Siltborn not because they are hostile, but because they are a **reminder**—that those who seek too deeply into Baelmarsh may find themselves **becoming part of it.**

Most who pass through Baelmarsh find only ruins—half-sunken villages, temples smothered in moss, roads leading nowhere. Yet some places still endure, not because they thrive, but because they have not yet been forgotten.

Blackwater Rest – The Wayfarer's Refuge[edit source]

A settlement that should have drowned long ago, yet still stands, its buildings half-built atop the ruins of something older. Blackwater Rest is a waystation for those traveling through Baelmarsh, built upon wooden piers and the remnants of past lives. Its walkways are lined with lanterns that never go out, fueled by something other than oil.

Here, travelers trade stories rather than coin, exchanging what they know for the knowledge of others. The Lurathi pass through often, muttering forgotten names under their breath, while the occasional Siltborn lingers at the edge of the docks, listening but never speaking.

It is said that if you sleep in Blackwater Rest, you may dream of the past—not your own, but of someone who walked the same streets long before you.

Harrowmere – The Floating Village[edit source]

Built upon clusters of vast, interwoven roots, Harrowmere drifts lazily across the mire, its movement dictated by forces unseen. It is home to the Lurathi, who do not anchor themselves to any single place. Instead, the village shifts as they will it, following the slow currents of history rather than the water.

Harrowmere is more shrine than village, its people tending to great carved stones depicting things that no longer exist—cities that have fallen, people who have vanished, prayers that were never answered. The Lurathi say that the moment Harrowmere stops moving, it will be claimed by the past, its purpose fulfilled, its memory fading into the marsh.

No one knows how long Harrowmere has drifted. Some say it has been there forever.

The Weeping Hold – The Unfinished Fortress[edit source]

A fortress that was never completed, its walls half-built, its gates still awaiting their final ironwork. It should not exist—no records speak of its construction, no kingdom lays claim to its foundations. Yet the stone stands firm, untouched by time, as if frozen in the moment before it could serve its purpose.

At night, faint echoes ring through its empty halls—the hammering of unseen craftsmen, the murmurs of voices speaking plans that were never carried out. Some believe that if the Weeping Hold were ever finished, it would finally be allowed to crumble.

Yet none dare lay the final stone.

Dirgefen – The Silent Pilgrimage[edit source]

A ruin, yet a city.

Dirgefen is drowned beneath the marsh, its towers rising like jagged bones from the black water. No one lives here, yet it is never empty—figures walk its flooded streets, their lanterns bobbing in the mist. They do not speak, nor do they acknowledge those who watch from afar.

The Lurathi claim they are pilgrims, returning to a city that refuses to be forgotten. Others believe they are echoes, memories retracing the same paths over and over, unable to break free from the past.

No one who has entered Dirgefen has ever been found again.

Baelmarsh is a land of unanswered questions, a place where history is preserved but never explained. To scholars, it is a realm of forbidden knowledge—to mystics, a place where the past speaks.

Rituals and Beliefs[edit source]

  • The Still-Watch – At dusk, travelers stop moving, listening to the marsh as it echoes with distant voices.
  • The Bone Offering – Some leave tokens of the dead in the marsh, believing that Baelon will keep their memories intact.

Baelmarsh is a place of lost things, and many who enter do so in search of something forgotten.

The Half-Sunken Archive[edit source]

Somewhere beneath the roots of a drowned tree lies a library that should not exist.

Its books are preserved despite the water, and its scrolls contain things that were erased from history. Secrets thought lost—spells, forgotten kings, unfinished prophecies—are said to remain untouched within its halls.

Many seek it. Few return.

The Lurathi refuse to guide seekers to the Archive. They claim some knowledge is best left to drown.

The Hollow Procession[edit source]

A rare event, seen only on the thickest nights of mist—a ghostly parade moving along the water, figures in decayed finery, their faces obscured.

It is said that if one walks with them, they may see a world that no longer exists.

Some follow the procession in search of forgotten kingdoms. Others believe their lost loved ones walk among the figures, and they wish to bring them back.

Those who try to speak to the Procession never return.

The Whispering Graves[edit source]

There is a place where the dead do not sink, where the marsh holds them just beneath the water. Their bodies do not rot, their lips remain parted, as if whispering.

Scholars claim the Whispering Graves hold answers—secrets left unspoken, confessions unfinished. Those who place an offering in the water claim they hear words rising from the depths.

But the Lurathi warn: **the marsh does not give without taking something in return.**

Bahuras (edit)

Bahuras is a group of small islands and atolls of the coast of the mainland.

Caelum (edit)

Caelum is the realm of Shasae, the Primordial Spirit of Atmosphere, encompassing the vast expanse of sky above much of Adaris. It is a realm without solid ground, composed entirely of air, clouds, and wind currents that move in complex, ever-shifting patterns.

Caelum is the source of all winds in Adaris, shaping the weather and carrying the breath of life across the world. It is inhabited by beings formed of mist and air, including the sentient cloud-like Caelites, the drifting and elusive Sky Drifters, and powerful storm-born entities. The realm is defined by its intangible geography, with settlements formed from dense cloud masses and invisible air currents serving as natural pathways.

Though in constant motion, Caelum is considered one of the fundamental realms of Adaris, tied to the natural cycles of the world. It is viewed as a place of both harmony and unpredictability, where winds carry whispers of the past, and tempests serve as reminders of Shasae’s enduring presence.

Caelum’s history is shaped by the creation of the atmosphere, the formation of its inhabitants, and the great storms that have influenced its balance.

  • The emergence of Shasae – According to myth, Shasae came into being when Daathir, the Primordial Spirit of Earth, recognized the need for an atmosphere to sustain life. Shasae emerged from the Primordial Void, creating the first winds and filling the world with air.
  • The First Breath – The First Breath marks the moment when Shasae exhaled for the first time, setting the winds of Adaris in motion. This act is believed to have given life to the Caelites and Sky Drifters, forming the foundation of Caelum’s ever-moving nature.
  • The Great Tempest – A legendary storm that once threatened to destabilize Caelum. The Great Tempest raged for days, with winds strong enough to tear apart cloud formations and lightning that illuminated the skies for hours at a time. Some accounts claim it was caused by an imbalance in Shasae’s domain, while others suggest it was a natural cycle of renewal.
  • The Sky Serpent’s Path – A tale recounting a colossal Sky Drifter that wandered through Caelum for centuries. Its immense size allowed it to act as a bridge between distant cloud cities, providing a pathway across the sky. Though considered a legend, some claim to have seen remnants of its form lingering in the highest reaches of the realm.

Caelum exists as a vast, atmospheric realm, composed of air currents, drifting cloud formations, and volatile wind patterns. The realm is in constant motion, yet its defining features remain distinct, shaped by the unseen forces of the sky.

Notable Regions[edit source]

  • The Saelcom– A dense, stratified region of the upper sky where the air is thin, and the light bends into shifting auroras. The Saelcom is known for its prismatic mists, which refract color unpredictably, making it difficult to navigate.
  • The Skyflow – A vast region dominated by high-velocity wind currents. These air streams act as natural highways, guiding travelers and shaping the movement of Caelum’s inhabitants. Some currents are steady and reliable, while others shift unpredictably, creating turbulence that can strand even experienced navigators.
  • The Tempest Hollows – A region marked by unstable weather patterns, where rolling stormfronts generate powerful windshear and constant flashes of heat lightning. The Tempest Hollows are thought to be a focal point of Shasae’s influence, where the balance of air and energy is at its most volatile.
  • The Breathless Gulf – A rare atmospheric anomaly where the winds fall silent, leaving an expanse of still, motionless air. Travel through the Breathless Gulf is considered dangerous, as those who enter must rely on external forces to escape. Some claim that sound itself behaves differently here, carrying whispers from distant places.
  • The Cirrus Tangle – A labyrinth of thick, interwoven cloud formations, where visibility is limited, and navigation becomes a test of patience. The Cirrus Tangle is known for its slow-moving air pockets, where the wind moves in spirals rather than straight paths.

Caelum lacks a fixed surface, and all travel within the realm depends on understanding its shifting atmospheric layers. The inhabitants of Caelum, particularly the Caelites, have developed methods of navigating these regions by sensing subtle changes in air pressure, temperature, and current.

Caelum’s climate is defined by continuous atmospheric movement, fluctuating air pressures, and localized weather phenomena. The realm lacks fixed seasons, instead experiencing cyclical shifts in wind intensity, temperature gradients, and cloud density.

Climate Zones[edit source]

  • The Upper Expanse – The highest reaches of Caelum, where the air is thin and the temperature remains frigid. Winds here are weak, and pockets of near-vacuum conditions create voids where sound barely carries. Light refracts unpredictably, creating prismatic distortions and auroral waves that ripple across the sky.
  • The Mid-Current Belt – The most stable region of Caelum, where temperate wind streams regulate airflow. This zone is home to consistent breezes, moderate cloud formations, and occasional drifting mist. The Mid-Current Belt serves as the primary navigational route for Caelum’s inhabitants and is considered the safest area for travel.
  • The Lowswirl Depths – A dense atmospheric layer where heavy cloud masses churn in slow, spiraling currents. This region is prone to rolling fog banks, sudden shifts in wind direction, and intermittent downbursts of condensed mist. The Lowswirl Depths often experience silent electrical discharges, illuminating the clouds from within.
  • The Tempest Basin – A highly unstable region where rapid shifts in air pressure generate near-constant storm activity. Intense downdrafts and updrafts create vortex formations, and the presence of charged particles results in near-continuous lightning storms. The Tempest Basin is considered one of the most unpredictable areas of Caelum, where even the Caelites tread carefully.
  • The Stagnant Hollow – A rare anomaly within Caelum where wind activity ceases entirely. The air here is heavy and unmoving, with an eerie silence that disrupts natural airflow. This zone is avoided by most travelers, as prolonged exposure to its stillness can cause disorientation and fatigue.

Caelum’s climate is in a constant state of flux, with wind patterns acting as the primary force shaping its environment. While some areas maintain stable conditions, others shift unpredictably, influenced by the greater atmospheric currents of Adaris.

The flora and fauna of Caelum are adapted to an existence without solid ground, thriving within air currents, cloud formations, and atmospheric pressure shifts. Many of these lifeforms are ephemeral, shifting with the winds, while others are semi-solid, composed of condensed mist and energy.

  • Sky Drifters – Solitary creatures that float or glide through the skies for decades at a time. These beings are varied in form, some resembling earthbound animals, while others are more abstract, like floating ribbons of light or clusters of glowing orbs. Sky Drifters are mysterious and elusive, often appearing and disappearing without warning.
  • Fael Blooms– A rare atmospheric plant that forms from dense mist. Fael Blooms do not root but drift on slow-moving currents, their translucent petals pulsing faintly as they absorb energy from the surrounding air.
  • Waelks– Agile, gliding creatures that navigate the Skyflow Expanse by riding air currents. Their elongated forms shift with the wind, allowing them to maneuver effortlessly between pressure pockets.
  • Cirrus Lattice – A complex, web-like structure formed from interwoven strands of condensed vapor. This semi-living entity expands and contracts with changing humidity, creating massive, floating cloud formations that serve as shelter for smaller aerial creatures.
  • Maelonex – Massive, storm-born entities composed of thunderclouds and volatile energy. Rare and formidable, Maelonex manifest within the Tempest Basin and are believed to be self-sustaining storms given form. Their presence is often accompanied by lightning surges and violent wind shifts.

The ecosystem of Caelum is fluid and ever-changing, with its inhabitants relying on the currents and temperature shifts to sustain their existence. Many forms of life in the realm appear transient, existing only as long as conditions remain favorable before dissipating into the winds.

  • Caelites: Sentient beings composed of clouds and air, the Caelites are the primary inhabitants of Caelum. They have a ghostly, translucent appearance and can shift their forms at will. The Caelites are deeply connected to the winds and are able to manipulate the air around them. They live in floating cloud cities and have a communal culture, valuing harmony and balance above all else.

Caelum is inhabited by spirits that embody the forces of the atmosphere, existing within the currents of wind, storm, and air. These spirits are categorized into three stages of manifestation: nascent, mature, and ancestral.

Nascent Spirits[edit source]

These are newly formed spirits, often ephemeral and fleeting, bound to the smallest motions of air. They exist briefly before either dissipating or growing into more stable forms.

  • Zephryx – Small, playful spirits of wind that move in erratic, swirling patterns. They are responsible for sudden breezes, shifting air pockets, and the subtle fluctuations in pressure felt before a storm.
  • Mistrays – Faint, drifting entities composed of near-invisible strands of vapor. They carry whispers from distant places and are said to echo the last words spoken in the air around them.

Mature Spirits[edit source]

More defined and stable, these spirits influence weather patterns, maintaining balance within Caelum’s shifting currents. They are commonly revered as caretakers of the realm’s natural order.

  • Thalvren – Spirits of steady wind currents, responsible for maintaining the Skyflow Expanse. They guide travelers unknowingly, their presence felt as the strong, directional winds that carve pathways through the realm.
  • Cymrul – Spirits of cloud formations, shaping the structure of the Cirrus Tangle and influencing the movement of mistbanks. When disturbed, they can cause rapid shifts in visibility, concealing or revealing pathways in the sky.
  • Vaeliths – Manifestations of turbulent weather, existing within the Tempest Basin. These spirits control storm formations, determining the scale and intensity of tempests before they descend upon Caelum.

Ancestral Spirits[edit source]

Ancestral spirits are rare, powerful beings that have existed since Caelum’s earliest formation. They are tied to the fundamental forces of the realm and rarely manifest in ways that can be directly perceived.

  • Aeshir the Unbound – A vast, unseen presence that moves throughout Caelum, influencing the formation of wind patterns across all of Adaris. Some believe Aeshir is the first breath of Shasae, still circulating through the skies.
  • Kaeloris, the Silent Gale – A spirit bound to the Breathless Gulf, where no winds flow. Kaeloris is said to be the remnant of an ancient storm that was never allowed to break, existing in perpetual stillness. Travelers who linger too long in the Gulf claim to feel its presence as a pressure against their thoughts, urging them to leave.
  • Syriln, Keeper of the Sky’s Memory – A spirit that dwells in the Aetherveil, preserving the echoes of past winds. Some say Syriln carries the remnants of every breath ever exhaled in Caelum, holding the history of the skies themselves.

The spirits of Caelum are ever-present, shaping the movement of air and sky. While some interact directly with the realm’s inhabitants, others remain distant, their influence felt only through the shifting winds and unseen forces that govern the atmosphere.

The inhabitants of Caelum are loosely organized into factions that represent different aspects of the sky, weather, and winds. These groups do not govern in a traditional sense but instead serve as custodians, scholars, or seekers of knowledge within the realm.

The Keepers of the Horizon[edit source]

A collective of scholars, navigators, and wind-scribes who study the shifting patterns of Caelum. They believe that the winds hold knowledge of the past, present, and future, and dedicate themselves to understanding these movements.

The Keepers map the Skyflow Expanse, track the migrations of Sky Drifters, and listen to the whispers of the Mistrays for traces of forgotten words carried by the wind. They are known for their intricate wind charts and their ability to interpret the subtle shifts in the atmosphere to predict future weather patterns.

The Stormwardens[edit source]

A faction devoted to maintaining the balance of Caelum’s weather systems. They believe that storms, winds, and calms must exist in harmony, and they act to prevent unnatural disruptions to the realm’s currents.

The Stormwardens often gather in the Tempest Basin, where they observe and, when necessary, intervene in the formation of violent tempests. Some among them are said to have the ability to commune with Vaeliths, the spirits of storms, influencing their path or intensity.

The Shroudcallers[edit source]

A secretive order that dwells within the Umbral Drift, studying the nature of still air and the mysteries of silence. Unlike the Keepers of the Horizon, who seek knowledge in motion, the Shroudcallers believe that true wisdom is found in what the air does not carry.

They are the guardians of the Breathless Gulf, ensuring that whatever force lingers there remains undisturbed. Some claim that the Shroudcallers can manipulate sound itself, creating moments of absolute silence that even the winds cannot break.

The Aetherborn Concord[edit source]

A loose alliance of Caelites and other sky-dwelling beings who advocate for free movement and the preservation of Caelum’s autonomy. They resist outside influences that may seek to control or harness the winds for personal gain, believing that the sky should remain untamed.

The Aetherborn often travel between regions of Caelum, acting as messengers, mediators, and protectors of the realm’s natural balance. While they do not enforce laws, they are known to challenge those who attempt to disrupt the skies for their own purposes.

Factions in Caelum are not rigid institutions but evolving collectives, their influence shifting with the winds. Many inhabitants drift between allegiances, their beliefs and duties changing as they move through the ever-flowing realm.

Caelum’s settlements are formed from dense cloud formations, wind-forged structures, and suspended atmospheric phenomena. These cities and sanctuaries drift through the sky, shaped by the ever-moving nature of the realm.

Nimala – The Pillar of Winds[edit source]

The largest and most well-known settlement in Caelum, Nimala is a sprawling metropolis of solidified cloudstone and condensed mist, held together by stabilizing wind currents. Positioned near the heart of the Skyflow Expanse, Nimala serves as a central hub for scholars, travelers, and those seeking the wisdom of Shasae’s domain.

The city’s towering spires seem to grow and shift with the air, their shapes subtly changing as currents pass through them. Many believe Nimala to be the place where Shasae’s influence is strongest, and the Keepers of the Horizon often gather here to study the movement of the skies.

Veythar – The Shifting Spire[edit source]

A settlement that moves with the winds, Veythar is a spiraling, helix-like structure formed from hardened mist and crystallized vapor. Rather than remaining fixed, it follows the natural pathways of the Skyflow Expanse, appearing in different locations over time.

Veythar is home to the Aetherborn Concord, who view its movement as a representation of Caelum’s free and unbound nature. Those who reside within Veythar are skilled navigators of the winds, relying on instinct and experience rather than fixed charts.

The Thunderhold[edit source]

A fortress of storm-forged stone and crackling energy, the Thunderhold drifts within the Tempest Basin, sustained by the powerful currents of Caelum’s most volatile region. It serves as a refuge for the Stormwardens, who monitor and influence the realm’s storms from within its charged halls.

Lightning surges continuously through the structure, illuminating its jagged towers with flickering blue and violet light. Few outside the Stormwardens dare to enter, as the fortress exists in a constant state of atmospheric turbulence.

Elysar – The Silent Refuge[edit source]

Hidden within the Umbral Drift, Elysar is a city cloaked in perpetual twilight, where the air is thick with stillness. Built from dense, layered clouds that absorb sound, the settlement is home to the Shroudcallers, who believe that silence holds the key to understanding the sky’s deeper mysteries.

Visitors describe Elysar as an eerie yet peaceful place, where voices seem to vanish into the air as soon as they are spoken. It is said that those who linger too long begin to feel the pull of the Breathless Gulf, as if the silence itself is calling them into its depths.

Caelum’s settlements are not permanent in the traditional sense—some shift with the currents, while others remain tethered to specific regions of atmospheric stability. Despite their differences, they all exist in harmony with the ever-moving nature of the realm.

Celyndor (edit)

Celyndor is a vast, unbroken expanse of deep forests, where life exists in a delicate balance shaped by time and nature. Towering trees stretch beyond the horizon, their roots weaving through the land, while canopies form an endless green expanse that shelters the world below. Every leaf, vine, and creature is part of a vast, interconnected web, where survival depends on harmony rather than dominion.

The northern reaches of Celyndor are dominated by dense pine forests, where mist drifts between the trunks and the air is thick with the scent of resin. The canopy here is thick, allowing little direct sunlight to reach the forest floor. In these shadowed groves, the Thryssin move unseen among the branches, and the Dralvir guard the ancient pathways.

To the south, the forests shift into a realm of broadleaf trees, winding rivers, and seasonal transformations. Here, the Velkyn dwell in deep groves, their forms entwined with the very essence of the forest, while the Kaethari roam freely between the oaks and willows, existing between the boundaries of the mortal and the wild.

Celyndor is not a wilderness in the absence of civilization—it is a living realm where the land shapes its inhabitants as much as they shape it. Its people, bound to the rhythm of the woods, serve as its caretakers, protectors, and messengers.

The history of Celyndor is not recorded in stone or parchment but written in the growth rings of ancient trees and the quiet passage of time. It is a realm shaped by Kaelthorin, the Spirit of Growth and Forests, whose presence lingers in every branch, root, and leaf. Unlike other lands where history is marked by war and ruin, Celyndor’s past is one of slow transformation, cycles of renewal, and the enduring patience of the wild.

The First Canopy[edit source]

According to legend, Celyndor was once an open expanse of earth and sky, until Kaelthorin took root within the land, calling forth the first trees. From this act of creation, the forest began to spread, growing outward in all directions. The First Canopy, said to be formed of immense, towering trees, sheltered the land beneath, allowing life to flourish in the shadow of its boughs.

The Verdant Accord[edit source]

As the forest expanded, the first inhabitants emerged—beings woven from the land itself, bound to its rhythms and balance. The Dralvir took form from the oldest trees, standing as wardens of the sacred groves. The Velkyn grew from the heart of the deep woods, their bodies entwined with vines and bark. The Thryssin adapted to the heights, becoming swift and unseen among the towering pines. The Kaethari were the last to emerge, fluid in form, existing between the mortal and the wild.

Though these peoples differed in nature, they shared an unspoken understanding—Celyndor was not a land to be conquered, but one to be tended. This agreement became known as the Verdant Accord, an ancient pact recognizing that all who dwelled within the forest were both its guardians and its children.

The Silent Bloom[edit source]

There was a time when Celyndor’s growth slowed, its trees no longer spreading beyond their borders. The reason remains unknown—some say Kaelthorin withdrew into slumber, while others believe the land itself chose to remain as it was. This period, known as the Silent Bloom, was marked by a stillness in the forest’s expansion. The Verdant Accord held firm, and Celyndor endured, untouched by the outside world.

The Shadowed Roots[edit source]

Though Celyndor has remained unbroken, there are whispers of places where the balance has faltered—groves where the trees grow twisted, where the land seems to resist the natural order. The Shadowed Roots are feared by many, spoken of in hushed tones as places where something other than Kaelthorin's will lingers. Some believe these areas are remnants of an ancient wound, while others claim they are simply another aspect of the forest—one that has yet to be understood.

Celyndor’s history is not one of rise and fall, but of growth, change, and endurance. While other realms forge their legacies through war and ambition, Celyndor’s past is written in the silent, steady unfolding of leaves, the shifting of the seasons, and the wisdom carried in the heartwood of its oldest trees.

Celyndor is an unbroken forest realm, stretching across vast distances in a seamless expanse of towering trees, winding rivers, and shadowed groves. Though undivided by mountains or borders, Celyndor is broadly separated into two distinct regions—the mist-laden, coniferous forests of the north and the vibrant, ever-shifting woodlands of the south.

The northern forests are dense and shadowed, where towering pines reach skyward, and the canopy allows little sunlight to pierce through. These lands are shaped by the cool air that lingers in the trees, the weight of mist that drifts through the undergrowth, and the quiet presence of unseen watchers.

The southern forests, by contrast, are vibrant and changing. Here, broadleaf trees shift with the seasons, rivers carve through lush glades, and the cycle of life is more visible—leaves burn red and gold before falling, only to return in endless renewal.

Despite their differences, both halves of Celyndor are bound by the same rhythm of growth, balance, and patience.

Northern Celyndor[edit source]

  • The Thryssin Canopy – A vast stretch of towering pines where mist hangs between the branches, and the air is thick with the scent of resin. This is the domain of the Thryssin, whose hidden pathways and woven bridges connect the high branches into an unseen city above the world below.
  • The Everglen Reach – The oldest and most sacred part of the northern forests, where the trees are ancient and immense. Light rarely touches the forest floor, and silence dominates beneath the canopy. Many believe this is where Kaelthorin first took root, making it the spiritual heart of the northern wilds.
  • The Veilwood – A shadowed region where the forest is dense, tangled, and overgrown. Many avoid this place, believing it to be a land where Kaelthorin’s influence is weakest, though others claim it is simply a deeper, more mysterious part of the forest’s natural cycle.

Southern Celyndor[edit source]

  • The Greenwood Vale – A vast, temperate woodland where broadleaf oaks, maples, and willows shift with the seasons. Rivers and meadows break the dense woodland, creating open groves where the Kaethari roam freely, and the Velkyn remain rooted in the deep glades.
  • The River of Seasons – A great, winding river that carves its way through the southern woodlands. It is said that its waters remember the passing of time, turning golden in the autumn, silver in the winter, and emerald in the spring. Many settlements rely on this river for navigation and sustenance.
  • The Whispering Glades – A scattered collection of hidden groves, where the wind carries soft murmurs through the trees. Some claim these whispers are the voices of the forest itself, carrying the memories of those who walked these paths long ago.

Celyndor’s geography is not marked by borders, but by the natural balance of its land. The north remains a place of stillness and patience, while the south thrives in motion and change. Yet through both, the will of Kaelthorin endures, guiding the endless growth of the wilds.

Celyndor’s climate is shaped by its dense forests and natural isolation. The northern reaches are cool and humid, while the south experiences a milder, temperate climate.

  • A Realm of Perpetual Green – The trees of Celyndor never shed their leaves completely, ensuring that the forest remains dense throughout the year.
  • Twilight Beneath the Canopy – The forest floor is often shrouded in dim light, illuminated only by bioluminescent fungi and occasional breaks in the trees.
  • The Ever-Present Whisper – The rustling of leaves and the groaning of old branches create the impression that the forest itself is breathing.

Celyndor is home to four distinct peoples, each embodying a different aspect of the forest’s balance.

The Dralvir – Guardians of the Old Growth[edit source]

The Dralvir are large, solitary beings with bark-like skin and antlered crowns, resembling the great trees they protect. They are the oldest sentinels of Celyndor, watching over sacred paths and shielding the deep woods from harm. Though slow to act, they are nearly impossible to stop once roused.

The Dralvir are most often found where the northern pines give way to the southern broadleaf forests, serving as wardens of the land’s transitions. Some claim that their very presence strengthens the trees around them, preventing decay and ensuring the endurance of the ancient groves.

The Thryssin – Keepers of the High Canopy[edit source]

The Thryssin are a semi-arboreal people, adapted to life high among the towering pines of Northern Celyndor. With elongated, flexible limbs and keen senses, they move effortlessly through the branches, rarely touching the forest floor.

Their settlements are woven into the trees, connected by suspended bridges and branch tunnels, hidden from those who do not belong. Highly territorial, the Thryssin guard their domain with precision, striking unseen from the heights when threatened. Though reclusive, they are unparalleled in their knowledge of the canopy and its inhabitants.

The Velkyn – The Rooted and the Wandering[edit source]

The Velkyn are a plant-like people who exist in deep symbiosis with the forest, their bodies interwoven with vines, moss, and bark. They do not walk as others do; instead, some remain rooted within their chosen glades, while others move deliberately, growing with each step.

They serve as keepers of the land’s memory, their sap preserving knowledge passed down through generations. The oldest among them are living archives, containing fragments of history woven into their being. Some Velkyn wander between the groves, while others have remained in place for centuries, becoming part of the landscape itself.

The Kaethari – Wildborn of the Shifting Woods[edit source]

The Kaethari are nomadic shapeshifters, existing between the mortal and wild aspects of Celyndor. Some bear only subtle bestial traits, while others fully take on the forms of wolves, stags, or great hunting cats.

They are fluid in their connection to the forest, moving freely between its many regions, never bound to one place for long. The Kaethari are both feared and revered—omens of nature’s will, appearing where the forest's balance shifts. Some say their presence heralds change, while others believe they are the embodiment of the land’s untamed spirit.

The spirits of Celyndor are woven into the fabric of the forest, their presence felt in the rustling of leaves, the shifting of roots, and the quiet stillness beneath ancient boughs. They do not govern the land, nor do they command its growth—they are the forest itself, bound to its endless cycle of renewal and decay.

Nascent Spirits – The Whispering Growth[edit source]

Nascent spirits are young, fleeting entities tied to seasonal change, new life, and momentary events within the woods. Many exist only briefly, dissolving as their purpose fades.

  • Bramblings – Tiny, flickering spirits that form when new shoots break through the soil. They vanish as soon as the plant takes root.
  • Emberwights – Spirits of fallen leaves, their brief lives measured in the time it takes them to drift to the ground.
  • Hollowkin – Soft voices that echo from inside dead trees, lingering until the wood crumbles into earth.

Mature Spirits – The Keepers of the Wilds[edit source]

Mature spirits are more stable, manifesting within the deep groves, ancient trees, and unseen corners of the forest. They maintain the natural balance, neither guiding nor resisting change—only ensuring that the cycle continues.

  • The Mossborn – Spirits that settle in places where decay and growth intertwine, ensuring the return of life from death.
  • The Glenwardens – Silent sentinels of the deeper woods, their presence marked by sudden hushes in birdsong or the feeling of unseen eyes watching from the undergrowth.
  • Rootmothers – Spirits that dwell within tangled roots and ancient trees, speaking only in slow creaks and groaning wood.

Ancestral Spirits – The Echoes of Deep Time[edit source]

Ancestral spirits are rare, immense presences that predate memory, their influence stretching across the entire realm. Some say they are the oldest roots of Celyndor itself, others that they are fragments of Kaelthorin’s earliest thoughts.

  • Varlith, the Slumbering Grove – Said to be a forest that dreams, shifting slowly over centuries. Trees that take root in its soil are believed to carry memories from before recorded time.
  • Oranuun, the Hollow Stag – A vast, unseen spirit, felt only in the silence between great trees. Some claim it is the embodiment of every fallen monarch of the wild, forever walking unseen through the endless wood.
  • Kaelthorin’s Breath – Not a singular spirit, but the collective force of the forest’s renewal, present in every seed that sprouts and every tree that crumbles. It is said that those who hear it gain insight into the deepest rhythms of the land.

The spirits of Celyndor are neither benevolent nor hostile—they are as indifferent as the turning of the seasons, patient as the growth of roots. To walk within the forest is to be among them, though few ever truly see them.

Celyndor is a vast and untamed realm, home to many factions, coalitions, and independent peoples. Though all recognize the presence of Kaelthorin, the Spirit of Growth and Forests, there is no single authority over the land—only competing interpretations of how best to live within its balance.

The Verdant Accord – The Silent Law of the Wild[edit source]

The Verdant Accord is the oldest and most widely accepted principle in Celyndor. It dictates that the forest is not to be conquered, divided, or controlled—only tended, understood, and lived within. The Accord is not enforced by rulers, but by those who believe in its wisdom.

Despite its influence, there are many who argue over its meaning. Some factions see it as a sacred truth that must never be broken, while others believe it allows for careful stewardship and controlled growth. These differences often lead to conflict between those who seek harmony with the wild and those who wish to shape it.

Northern Celyndor: The Deep Wilds and the Unseen War[edit source]

The north is the least touched by civilization, where the forests stand tall and ancient. Though it remains largely untamed, rivalries and alliances still shape the land.

  • The Wardens of the Root – A loose coalition of Dralvir elders and Velkyn sages who act as protectors of Celyndor’s deepest groves. They do not claim authority, but they intervene when the forest is threatened, using their influence to prevent settlements from expanding too far. While many respect their wisdom, others see them as stubborn traditionalists unwilling to accept change.
  • The Skybound Pact – An alliance of Thryssin clans who control the high canopy of the northern forests. Their treetop settlements are hidden, linked by woven bridges and pathways known only to them. The Pact ensures that no outsider enters their lands unnoticed. Some wish to remain isolated, but others believe they must act to defend the northern wilds before it is too late.

Southern Celyndor: Civilization at the Forest’s Edge[edit source]

The south is more open and temperate, where settlements exist among the trees and factions compete for influence over the land.

  • The Greenwood Assembly – A council of settlements, nomadic bands, and Velkyn groves that mediate disputes and oversee trade. They do not seek to rule Celyndor, only to ensure that no single power grows too dominant. Some factions see them as necessary mediators, while others believe they are an attempt to impose order on a land that should remain wild.
  • The Moonwake Clans – A collection of nomadic Kaethari kinships, each with its own traditions and way of life. Some clans ally with the Greenwood Assembly, while others reject all forms of structured rule. Their unpredictable nature makes them both respected and feared, as their movements often signal change in the balance of the land.
  • The Hollow Concord – A secretive gathering of wanderers, seekers, and outcasts who dwell in the shadowed depths of the Veilwood. Some believe they guard ancient knowledge lost to time, while others claim they have strayed too far from Kaelthorin’s will. Their motives remain unclear, but their presence is enough to unnerve those who fear what lies in the heart of the wild.

Conflicts and Power Struggles[edit source]

Though Celyndor is a land of balance and patience, its factions do not always agree.

  • The Wardens of the Root and the Greenwood Assembly remain uneasy allies, with the Wardens fearing that the Assembly’s mediation will lead to unwanted expansion.
  • The Skybound Pact is divided—some wish to remain unseen, while others argue that action is needed to protect the northern wilds from outside influence.
  • The Moonwake Clans are unpredictable, shifting between cooperation and defiance. Some join the Assembly, while others seek to tear down any attempt to govern the wilds.
  • The Hollow Concord’s true purpose remains unknown, but whispers of their influence spread through the land.

Celyndor’s balance is ever-changing. Though no single force rules the land, each faction leaves its mark, shaping the future of the endless forest.

Despite its vast wilderness, Celyndor is home to settlements that have adapted to the forest in different ways. Some are nearly invisible, blending into the canopy or the deep groves, while others serve as gathering places where trade and tradition meet.

Northern Celyndor: The Hidden and the Sacred[edit source]

  • Kareth-Dal – A secluded stronghold of the Dralvir, hidden deep within the Everglen Reach. It is said that the trees surrounding Kareth-Dal do not fall, even after death, their trunks forming an endless wall of petrified wood. Few outsiders have ever set foot within its boundaries, as the Dralvir only reveal its paths to those they deem worthy.
  • Thalrithir – The largest known Thryssin settlement, woven high among the towering pines of the Skybound Pact’s domain. The city exists entirely above the forest floor, connected by woven bridges and hidden passageways. Few outsiders are ever allowed entry, and those who do are blindfolded before being led inside.
  • Velith-Shae – An ancient Velkyn grove where the oldest of their kind remain rooted, serving as living archives of forgotten history. The trees here are immense, their trunks hollowed into chambers where generations of knowledge are whispered through the roots. It is said that those who drink from the spring at Velith-Shae may recall memories not their own.

Southern Celyndor: The Living Forest[edit source]

  • Elarion – The largest and most well-known settlement in Celyndor, serving as the heart of the Greenwood Assembly. Built along the banks of the River of Seasons, Elarion blends seamlessly into the forest, with homes woven into the trees and platforms suspended above the water. It is a place of trade, diplomacy, and gathering, where different peoples of the south meet without fear of conflict.
  • Miraethal – A wandering settlement of the Moonwake Clans, never remaining in one place for long. Its presence is marked by carved stones left in its wake, each one carrying symbols of the land’s balance. Some believe the Kaethari who dwell here can sense changes in the forest’s will, moving as the wild dictates.
  • Shaelvryn – A Velkyn sanctuary where the glades glow faintly at night, illuminated by the bioluminescent flora that thrives there. Though peaceful, the sanctuary is closely guarded by its inhabitants, who believe the land itself holds deep and unspoken knowledge.

Lost and Forbidden Places[edit source]

  • The Hollow Spire – A ruined tower deep within the Veilwood, half-consumed by vines and shadow. It is unclear whether the structure was built by the forest’s inhabitants or something older, but few who venture near return unchanged. The Hollow Concord is said to gather here, seeking answers in the silence beneath the trees.
  • Ryltharn’s Rest – A massive, gnarled tree, unlike any other in Celyndor. Its roots form a network of tunnels beneath the earth, some leading into chambers lined with carvings of unknown origin. Some say it is the remains of a spirit long lost to time, while others believe it holds something waiting to be found.
  • The Moonlit Expanse – A clearing that appears only on certain nights, its location shifting with the cycles of the moon. Some claim that standing within its light grants visions of things yet to come, while others say it is a place where the boundaries between worlds grow thin.

The settlements of Celyndor do not dominate the land—they exist within it, shaped by the will of the forest and the traditions of its people. Some remain hidden, untouched by time, while others serve as places where different paths converge.

Delmora (edit)

Delmora is a realm defined by its rivers, where flowing water carves through fertile plains, valley systems, and ancient landscapes. It is a land shaped by renewal, in which seasonal floods restore the soil, and the rhythms of water dictate patterns of trade, agriculture, and settlement.

Prosperity in Delmora is closely tied to adaptability. Its inhabitants—whether river-dwelling or lake-bound—have long embraced the flow of change, understanding that to endure is to follow the current, not resist it. The river is not only a source of life, but a guide, a memory, and a power in its own right.

The history of Delmora is inseparable from its rivers. Early civilizations emerged along their banks, where fertile floodplains enabled agriculture and sustained the first permanent settlements. Over time, rivers became trade routes and spiritual conduits, linking communities across the realm and facilitating the exchange of goods, knowledge, and traditions.

The Ruvin were among the earliest engineers of Delmora, transforming the waterways into structured networks of canals, levees, and irrigation systems. In contrast, the Ulshari developed a more reserved and enduring culture along the Great Lake, building stone cities that withstood both flood and time.

Archaeological evidence and submerged ruins suggest the existence of older, possibly pre-Ruvin cultures now lost beneath the lake and river deltas. Whether these civilizations were destroyed by floods or gradually absorbed into later societies remains the subject of both scholarship and myth.

Delmora is a land defined by water, where rivers and lakes shape not only the terrain but the lives of its inhabitants. The region’s most prominent geographic feature is its twin river systems, which converge near the realm’s center before flowing eastward into the Great Lake. These waterways form the foundation of Delmora’s economy, ecology, and settlement patterns.

Major Geographic Features[edit source]

  • The Twin Rivers – Two major rivers, one descending from the Minthal Range in the west and the other from the Northern Highlands, intersect near the heart of Delmora. Their confluence is a hub of agriculture, trade, and governance, and is home to the Ruvin capital of Kelmarin.
  • The Great Lake – A vast inland freshwater body, bordered by Ulshari settlements. Its fog-covered surface conceals submerged cities and spiritual monuments. The lake serves as a cultural and spiritual counterbalance to the rivers, emphasizing stillness and depth over motion.
  • The Minthal Range – Towering mountains along the western border, providing glacial meltwater to feed the western river. Mineral-rich and sparsely inhabited, it forms a natural barrier with the highlands beyond.
  • The Northern Highlands – A forested, rugged region that gives rise to the northern river. Less developed than the lowlands, the highlands are home to smaller Ruvin enclaves and untamed tributaries.
  • The Southern Spur – A series of low mountains and hills that separate Delmora from the harsher regions to the south. It functions as a buffer, protecting the heartlands from external threats and climatic extremes.

Delmora experiences a temperate and river-driven climate, shaped less by temperature fluctuations and more by seasonal changes in water flow. Its weather patterns are closely tied to the rhythms of the rivers and the influence of the Great Lake, resulting in a cycle of flood, drought, and mist that defines life across the realm.

  • Spring Floods – As snowmelt from the Minthal Range and Northern Highlands pours into the river systems, Delmora experiences widespread flooding. These floods are both destructive and regenerative, enriching the soil and realigning the landscape. Settlements near the rivers are built to withstand and adapt to this seasonal overflow.
  • The Dry Season (Late Summer to Autumn) – Water levels recede, revealing fertile riverbanks and previously submerged ruins. This period is ideal for construction, travel, and harvest, and marks the peak of trade activity throughout the realm.
  • Lake Mists (Winter) – Thick mists roll across the Great Lake and its surrounding wetlands, reducing visibility and transforming the landscape into a realm of echoes and shadow. These conditions are viewed as spiritually potent by the Ulshari, and many rituals are performed during the mist season.

Delmora’s relatively mild temperatures and ample freshwater support a wide range of flora and fauna, but its people remain highly attuned to the unpredictability of water—a force that can nurture or erase with equal ease.

Delmora’s fertile plains, floodplains, and inland lake support a diverse and adaptive ecosystem. Life here is shaped by the movement of water—plants must endure submersion or drought, and animals follow migratory paths guided by seasonal flow.

Flora[edit source]

  • Rivergrass – A versatile crop cultivated along floodplains, used for food, fabric, and building material. It regenerates quickly after floods and is central to Delmoran agriculture.
  • Blooming Lotus – A symbolic aquatic flower, often associated with Naithis, the Spirit of Renewal. Its petals are harvested for ritual teas and medicinal salves.
  • Verdant Willow – Towering, root-deep trees lining riverbanks, known for preventing erosion and providing shade for river settlements. Their bark is used in crafting and water filtration.

Fauna[edit source]

  • Silverback Sturgeon – Massive, long-lived fish that inhabit the deeper channels of the rivers and lake. Revered by both Ruvin and Ulshari as a symbol of endurance.
  • Mist Heron – A long-legged bird that migrates along the waterways, often appearing in myths and folklore. They are believed to carry omens in their flight patterns.
  • Fen Serpent – Elusive aquatic reptiles said to dwell in the lakebed trenches. Though rarely seen, stories of their size and intelligence have persisted for centuries.

Delmora is inhabited primarily by two distinct sophant species, each shaped by their environment and relationship with water.

  • The Ruvin – Semi-aquatic engineers and riverfolk, the Ruvin are known for their guild-based societies and mastery of hydraulic construction. They build their cities along the rivers, managing flood cycles through canals, levees, and artificial islands. Practical and adaptable, Ruvin culture centers on craftsmanship, cooperation, and reverence for the river’s memory.
  • The Ulshari – Tall, lake-dwelling sophants who thrive in the still waters of the Great Lake. Ulshari civilization is rooted in patience and preservation, with submerged cities and stone temples designed to endure through ages. Their society values memory, silence, and the unbroken passage of time, storing history not in books but in underwater monuments known as the Sunken Archives.

While both peoples share spiritual reverence for water and its cycles, the Ruvin tend to shape and guide the flow of the rivers, whereas the Ulshari endure within it, allowing time to carve its own legacy.

The spirits of Delmora are closely tied to the flow of water and the cycles of flood, growth, erosion, and memory. Many are believed to dwell in rivers, springs, rainstorms, or the hidden depths of the Great Lake. They are invoked by both Ruvin and Ulshari communities for guidance, protection, and renewal.

Nascent Spirits[edit source]

  • Driftlings – Minor river spirits found in streams and tributaries. Often seen as playful or mischievous, they are said to guide children and lost travelers along safe paths.
  • Mistwhirls – Faint spirits of morning fog, particularly near the lake. They are believed to echo lost thoughts or warnings, and are treated with quiet respect by Ulshari shamans.

Mature Spirits[edit source]

  • The Rivermind – A collective spirit formed from the convergence of many streams into one river. It is invoked during rites of irrigation, healing, or remembrance.
  • Taarith the Leveler – A spirit of erosion and balance, revered by the Ruvin as both a bringer of floods and a corrector of excess. Offerings are made to Taarith before major construction or during river redirection.

Ancestral Spirits[edit source]

  • Naithis – The ancestral Spirit of Renewal, regarded by both Ruvin and Ulshari as the soul of Delmora. Naithis is not worshipped as a distant deity but engaged with through ceremony, craft, and observation of the water’s will.
  • The Drowned Oracle – A legendary spirit said to dwell in the trenches beneath the Great Lake. Believed to have once been a prophet who chose to sink into silence, the Oracle is consulted by Ulshari Depthkeepers for visions during times of crisis.

Delmoran society is organized not through centralized kingdoms but through interlinked guilds, councils, and spiritual orders. These factions manage trade, infrastructure, law, and the spiritual balance of the land.

The Ruvin Guildhouses[edit source]

he Ruvin govern through a meritocratic system of guilds, each focused on a different discipline. While they often cooperate, competition for prestige and contracts is common.

  • The Leveeguard Guild – Engineers responsible for flood defense, canal maintenance, and the expansion of river infrastructure. Their influence is strongest in Kelmarin and the River-Towns.
  • The Stoneflow Compact – A trade consortium of artisans, timberwrights, and masons who manage the economic backbone of Delmoran cities.
  • The Circle of Flood-Seers – A spiritual-technological guild that interprets river patterns and advises major construction projects. They are seen as mediators between Naithis’s will and mortal ambition.

The Ulshari Orders[edit source]

The Ulshari operate under a more decentralized, tradition-bound structure, with authority rooted in age, memory, and spiritual proximity to the lake.

  • The Depthkeepers – Custodians of the Sunken Archives and oral history. They guide political and spiritual decisions and are consulted during moments of social transition.
  • The Stoneguard – Ulshari defenders trained in passive resistance and terrain manipulation. While few in number, they serve as the lake’s last defense.
  • The Keepers of Stillness – A reclusive sect that maintains submerged temples and rituals of silence. They are known for long retreats and meditation within the lake’s depths.

While the Ruvin and Ulshari maintain distinct societal models, they frequently collaborate on trade, flood management, and spiritual ceremonies during seasonal transitions.

?'"`UNIQ--noautolinks-00000007-QINU`"'? Delmora’s major cities are strategically positioned along its river systems and the Great Lake, serving as centers of trade, governance, and spiritual practice. These cities are built to endure the cycles of flood and drought, shaped by a deep understanding of the land’s hydrology.

  • Kelmarin – The capital of the Ruvin, situated at the confluence of the Twin Rivers. It is the largest and most economically influential city in Delmora, renowned for its guildhalls, waterworks, and role as the realm’s political center.
  • Braskir’s Hold – A fortified dam-city overseeing the outflow into the Great Lake. It functions as both a hydraulic control point and a military stronghold, balancing flood regulation with regional defense.
  • Zelmari Wharf – A bustling river city famous for its shipyards and floating markets. It serves as a cultural crossroads between Ruvin engineers and traders from surrounding realms.
  • Varul’Kai – The capital of the Ulshari, a semi-submerged city built within the Great Lake. Known for its underwater halls, submerged temples, and the Sunken Archives, it is the spiritual heart of Ulshari civilization.
  • Kel’Ruun – A nomadic raft-city of the Ulshari that drifts across the lake with the seasons. It embodies the values of mobility, reflection, and adaptation, hosting trade delegations and spiritual ceremonies.
  • Mara’s Reach - Mara’s Reach is Delmora’s southernmost city and its primary seaport, where the inland riverways meet the ocean. Mara’s Reach is a fortified delta-city, resting on an artificial foundation of sunken stone platforms and canal locks. It operates as Delmora’s maritime gateway, funneling riverborne goods into international trade routes.

Water is central to Delmoran identity, economy, and belief. It is treated not only as a resource, but as a force with memory, intent, and spiritual agency.

  • “The River Remembers” – A saying that reflects the belief that all who pass through the waters are remembered.
  • Flood Priests and Water Seers – Spiritual leaders who interpret changes in water level and current as signs from Naithis.
  • Maritime Distinction – The lakeborn identify as a distinct cultural group, with different customs, ships, and interpretations of Naithis’s will.
  • Trade and Navigation – Boats and barges are more common than horses, with river routes shaping economic patterns.

Delmora’s myths revolve around the agency of water, its memory, and its capacity for transformation.

  • The Eternal Currents – A belief that the rivers of Delmora do not end, but loop endlessly, carrying voices of the dead.
  • The Drowned Oracle – A prophetic figure said to have vanished beneath the river, yet continues to whisper to those who listen.
  • The Sunken Cities – Legends tell of an ancient civilization submerged beneath the Great Lake, a warning to those who would defy the river’s will.
Domain of Oras (edit)

The Domain of Oras, also known as the Last Bastion of Oras, is said to be the remnant of the once boundless physical realm governed by the primordial spirit of earth Oras. Now confined entirely within the Citadel Mountains, it is the final fragment of the original land that once extended endlessly across existence.

According to mythic accounts, the world of Oras was the first domain, composed entirely of the physical realm. When the other primordial elements emerged, their arrival began to erode this eternal land. The process accelerated with the rise of the Ascendant Spirit of Time, Kyros, whose influence introduced decay and change.

The resulting conflict, known as the Great Erosion War, marked the struggle between Oras and the encroaching forces of the new elements. To defend the physical realm, Oras created the Orasians, beings said to embody his enduring essence. Despite their efforts, the war ended in retreat, and both Oras and the Orasians withdrew within the Citadel Mountain Range.

It is said that Oras then shaped the Citadel Mountains into nearly impassable barriers, concealing his final refuge. Legends claim that the Orasians remain within these circular mountain massifs, preserving the last essence of their creator.

The internal geography of the Domain of Oras remains unknown. Scholars and explorers speculate that it consists of vast, featureless plains of solid earth, untouched by erosion, wind, or rain. The terrain is believed to be entirely stable and unchanging.

The climate of the domain is uncertain. Due to the presumed absence of water and atmospheric elements, it is often described as hot, dry, and still. No weather phenomena are thought to occur within its boundaries.

The Orasians are believed to be the native inhabitants born from the realm of earth. Their current status is uncertain; some traditions claim they continue to dwell within the Citadel Mountains, while others hold that they have long since vanished.

The Domain of Oras and the surrounding Citadel Mountains hold great importance in Duranthi mythology.

In many accounts, the Domain of Oras itself is considered partly mythical. The Citadel Mountains have been mapped, and it is known that a vast central region lies within them, but no expedition has successfully entered or returned from the interior.

It is believed that at the very heart of the domain stands Oras’ own dwelling: the first fragment of earth ever formed.

Dostad (edit)

Dostad is a large city state on the coast.

Emerald Valley (edit)

Emerald Valley is a smaller realm of Orethil, composed of the valley located within the Teardrop Range.

Erwoud (edit)

The dense jungles of Ewroud.

Fendralis (edit)

The Realm of Fendralis is a vast tropical archipelago, once part of Orrakar, but now claimed by the sea. Towering plateaus rise from turquoise waters, their sheer cliffs remnants of a world before the flood. Coral reefs, submerged ruins, and tangled kelp forests hide the remnants of a lost age, while monsoons and rogue waves shape the ever-changing landscape.

Fendralis is made up of seven main islands, each an autonomous member of the Fendralis Federation. These islands, though diverse in landscape and culture, are united by a shared heritage and a deep connection to the sea. Despite its beauty, Fendralis is not a land of peace—storms rage unpredictably, the depths hold forgotten secrets, and the Nahari who call this place home guard it fiercely.

Fendralis is a fragmented world, where land and sea intertwine in a way unlike any other realm.

The Seven Islands of the Fendralis Federation[edit source]

Each island of the federation has its own unique landscape, culture, and role within the archipelago.

  • Va’karis – The floating capital of the federation, built upon the highest remaining mesa. This island is the political and cultural heart of the Nahari people, featuring both above-water and underwater structures.
  • Azura’Shel – Known for its vast coral labyrinths and phosphorescent tidal caves, this island is home to the Nahari’s greatest navigators and deep-sea dwellers.
  • Stormhaven – A rugged island constantly battered by typhoons, its towering cliffs and hidden grottoes serve as fortresses for warriors and pirate fleets.
  • Mirak’Tol – A sprawling island with dense jungle-covered ruins from an age before the flood, filled with ancient Nahari relics and mysterious overgrown temples.
  • Driftspire – A chain of floating reef-islands, constantly shifting due to unpredictable tides. The Nahari here have adapted to a nomadic, seafaring way of life.
  • Oshen’Kai – Known for its tranquil mangrove forests and bioluminescent flora, this island is the center of spiritual and ecological preservation.
  • Black Shoal – A foreboding island where the waters turn dark, rumored to be cursed. Few return unchanged after venturing into its depths.

Landforms[edit source]

  • The Mesa-Isles – Towering rock formations, the last remnants of ancient Orrakari canyonlands, now standing as islands covered in lush jungle and waterfalls.
  • The Coral Wastes – Vast, treacherous reef fields, riddled with shipwrecks and submerged ruins, where only Nahari navigators can sail safely.
  • The Drowned Steps – The remnants of an ancient canyon road, now half-sunken, forming a maze of tidal channels and deep sinkholes.
  • The Abyssal Trenches – Deep ocean chasms, where the sun never reaches, rumored to be home to ancient beings and forgotten Nahari secrets.
  • The Stormbreak Coast – A region constantly ravaged by typhoons, where wave-carved cliffs and hidden grottoes serve as fortresses for Nahari warriors and pirate fleets.

Fendralis is a tropical realm, shaped by unpredictable weather patterns and a delicate balance between calm beauty and violent chaos.

  • Monsoon Seasons – The islands experience intense seasonal storms, flooding lowlands and reshaping coastlines.
  • The Ever-Tides – The tides in Fendralis are strangely erratic, sometimes changing without the influence of the moon, a phenomenon still unexplained.
  • Humid, Rain-Drenched Jungles – The islands are covered in thick tropical forests, rich with exotic plants, towering mangroves, and phosphorescent fungi.

Despite its harsh and shifting nature, Fendralis is teeming with life, much of it dangerous, predatory, or deeply tied to the sea.

Flora[edit source]

  • Tidebloom Vines – Hardy plants that grow half-submerged, their roots adapting to both salt and fresh water.
  • Glowkelp – A luminescent underwater plant, lighting the depths like an eerie submerged forest.
  • Stormfruit Trees – Enormous, weather-resistant trees, their thick roots clinging to the edges of cliffs and plateaus.
  • Daggerleaf Reeds – Sharp, spear-like plants found in the Coral Wastes, capable of piercing soft flesh if stepped on.

Fauna[edit source]

  • Reefstalkers – Fast, intelligent hunters, blending into coral and rock, striking from the shadows.
  • Tide Serpents – Massive aquatic snakes, capable of disappearing into the depths and striking from beneath.
  • Leviathan Rays – Enormous manta-like creatures, some large enough to serve as living transport for Nahari deep-sea dwellers.
  • The Drowned Ones (Rumored) – Said to be ancient Nahari, transformed by the abyss, appearing only in the darkest waters.

Fendralis is a symbol of balance, beauty, and the power of even the smallest forces to shape the world.

The ocean remembers what the land forgets, and the people of Fendralis do not trust the deep lightly.

  • The Drowned Gods – Some Nahari believe that ancient deities still sleep beneath the waves, waiting for the right call to rise again.
  • The Vanished Isles – Legends speak of islands that once existed, now completely gone, swallowed without a trace. Some say they move, appearing only in times of great change.
  • The Leviathan War – An old Nahari tale speaks of a time when great sea-beasts ruled, and their remains still sleep beneath the reefs, waiting to be woken.
Harani (edit)
Itharalis (edit)

Itharalis is the realm of unbroken winter, where the world is held in stillness beneath endless layers of frost. Here, the breath of Glacian, the Spirit of Preservation, coats every surface in ice, freezing not only the land but the very memory of time. Mountains of ancient snow, glaciers the size of kingdoms, and crystalline wastelands stretch into the horizon without change or decay.

To enter Itharalis is to step into the past—frozen ruins, buried relics, and long-forgotten beings lie entombed beneath its surface, perfectly preserved in silent slumber. It is a realm not of death, but of suspended life. Nothing rots. Nothing grows. Only the frost remains.

The recorded history of Itharalis is minimal due to the realm’s inhospitable climate and lack of long-term habitation. Most knowledge of its past is derived from preserved organic remains, fossilized structures, and elemental strata buried deep within the glacial layers. These findings indicate that Itharalis has remained geologically and climatically stable for tens of thousands of years, with few significant shifts in environmental conditions.

Frozen relics unearthed near the margins of the realm suggest that ancient peoples may have attempted temporary settlement or passed through during periods of broader climatic migration. However, no evidence of permanent civilization has been verified within its interior. The preservation of flora, fauna, and early tools in glacial vaults has made Itharalis a subject of study among scholars interested in ancient biospheres and elemental preservation.

Over time, certain spiritual orders and isolationist factions have established seasonal encampments near its periphery, drawn by the stillness and perceived purity of the land. These outposts rarely last more than a few generations, leaving minimal cultural impact on the region.

Itharalis is defined by its glacial topography, consisting primarily of icebound plateaus, frozen seas, and towering ice formations shaped by persistent sub-zero temperatures and minimal atmospheric disturbance. Its terrain is characterized by stability and geological inactivity, with little volcanic or tectonic movement recorded in recent eras.

The central region, known as the Heartglacier, is a massive, continent-sized body of layered ice believed to be among the oldest continuously frozen formations in the world. Around its perimeter lie ridged ice valleys, crevasse fields, and permafrost cliffs, many of which remain unmapped due to hazardous conditions.

To the east, the Silent Coast borders a frozen ocean shelf, marked by thick floes and isolated icebergs that drift without current or wind. In the far north, the Vaulted Spires—massive vertical ice formations—rise hundreds of meters, forming natural barriers that limit overland travel. The southern edge of the realm gradually descends into the Frosted Expanse, a flat, open plain of fine snow and wind-hardened ice sheets.

Despite its uniform climate, Itharalis contains microenvironments within caves and crevasses where rare cryogenic flora and frozen relics are sometimes discovered.

Itharalis maintains a consistently cryogenic climate, with surface temperatures rarely rising above −40°C, and average lows reaching −80°C during prolonged dark periods. Solar illumination is minimal due to the realm’s high atmospheric albedo, as light reflects off ice and snow rather than being absorbed. The air is thin and dry, and precipitation occurs almost exclusively in the form of fine, crystalline snow that accumulates slowly over centuries.

The realm experiences a long-duration light-dark cycle rather than distinct seasons. Periods of dim polar light alternate with extended darkness, influencing visibility and temperature gradients. Atmospheric pressure remains low, and winds are infrequent but capable of transporting ice shards across great distances when they occur.

Glacial movements within the region are slow and almost imperceptible, contributing to the realm’s reputation for stasis and preservation. Ice structures remain intact for millennia, creating natural records of climatic history. The lack of thermal variation and biological activity makes Itharalis one of the most geothermally stable regions in Adaris.

Life in Itharalis is rare, highly specialized, and often found beneath the ice or within geothermal fissures. The biological ecosystem functions at a glacial pace, with organisms capable of surviving in lightless, frigid environments for centuries without surface contact.

Flora[edit source]

  • Frostvine Mycelia – Subterranean fungal networks that spread slowly through permafrost layers, feeding on mineral-rich ice deposits. Though invisible from the surface, they emit faint thermal signatures detectable only to specialized fauna.
  • Glacilumen Spores – Luminous fungal growths found deep within ancient ice corridors. They emit a cold, blue bioluminescence and are often mistaken for distant starlight reflected through frost.
  • Shardblossoms – Rare crystalline plants that form in geothermal steam crevices. Their petals, composed of layered ice and mineral salts, refract light and are harvested by native species for unknown purposes.

Fauna[edit source]

  • Iskari – Large, solitary predators adapted to blend seamlessly with the ice. Their translucent hides and body temperatures near ambient allow them to pass unnoticed by prey and predator alike.
  • Vyrash Owls – Silent, flightless avians with heat-absorbing plumage. They hunt through vibration sensing and dwell in wind-carved caves, rarely vocalizing outside of their hatching rituals.
  • Thassari Swimmers – Blind, eel-like creatures that drift through subglacial lakes. Their bodies store thermal energy absorbed from volcanic vents, allowing them to remain active for years without feeding.
  • Cryphid Motes – Insect-sized, wingless arthropods that survive suspended in stasis, awakening only during seismic activity. Their populations are used as environmental indicators by certain inhabitants.

Though the biosphere appears dormant, it sustains complex life systems adapted to conditions unseen elsewhere in Adaris.

Itharalis is home to two known Sophant species, each shaped by the unique metaphysical and environmental extremes of the frozen realm: the Sarnathi, who exist out of time, and the Nykrathi, primal dwellers of the glacier’s body.

Sarnathi – The Time-Buried[edit source]

Descendants of an ancient civilization thought lost to history, the Sarnathi were caught in a temporal collapse and preserved in stasis beneath the ice. Touched by the Primordial Spirit Kairos, they exist partially out of phase with the present, awakening at irregular intervals when the boundaries of time weaken. Their bodies bear crystalline inclusions, and their minds drift between centuries, making them enigmatic and revered by other inhabitants of Adaris.

The Sarnathi rarely intervene in the affairs of others, but their appearance is seen as an omen of repeating catastrophe or forgotten truths resurfacing.

Nykrathi – The Icebound Clans[edit source]

The Nykrathi are a resilient, territorial people native to the glacial interior of Itharalis. Stocky and armored with naturally forming ice-plate exoskins, they molt with the shifting seasons. They communicate through vibratory resonance and ice-chime patterns formed with breath and movement. Nomadic by nature, the Nykrathi follow deep glacial currents, constructing shifting shelters from resonant ice and snow-bone.

They see themselves not as rulers of the ice, but as its stewards—shards of Glacian’s will, moving with the flow of the frozen world. Ritualistic and survivalist, they maintain sacred “Echo Fields,” where the ice sings back the memories of their ancestors.

The spirits of Itharalis are not chaotic forces of nature, but crystallized echoes of memory, stillness, and time. As with all realms touched by a Primordial, they exist in a hierarchy of spiritual evolution: Nascent, Mature, and Ancestral—each reflecting deeper attunement to Glacian, the Spirit of Ice.

Nascent Spirits[edit source]

These spirits form from localized phenomena: frost forming on a forgotten relic, the momentary stillness of a snowfall, or the lingering breath of a dying traveler. They are brief and fragile, often appearing as:

  • Icewisps – Flickering motes that drift across frozen lakes, trailing light like starlight in snow.
  • Shardlings – Tiny crystalline forms that hum faintly in sub-zero caverns, drawn to preserved ruins.
  • Echobound – Flickering echoes of emotion trapped in permafrost, replaying fragments of speech, light, or motion in looping =

Mature Spirits[edit source]

These spirits embody broader concepts of isolation, endurance, and preservation. They persist across centuries and often inhabit specific regions or artifacts.

  • Frostweavers – Spirits that form web-like veils over ancient ruins and glacial tombs, believed to bind memory into the ice itself.
  • Vault-Keepers – Guardians of sunken sanctuaries, manifesting in towering forms of mirrored frost or living glacier.
  • Hollow-Whispers – Wind-borne spirits that speak through cracks in ancient ice, rumored to echo forgotten truths or temporal distortions.

Ancestral Spirits[edit source]

These rare and potent beings are said to be direct extensions of Glacian’s will, embodying entire epochs or frozen principles.

  • The Deep Chorus – A collective ancestral entity residing beneath the Pale Expanse, composed of countless souls sealed together in ancient ice.
  • The Pale Sleeper – A mythic presence said to slumber beneath the Glacier of Twelve Moons, whose awakening would halt time itself across the realm.
  • Kairos-Touched Echoes – Spirits believed to intersect with the domain of Kairos, the Spirit of Time, preserving not only memory but sequence—guarding the natural order of causality against unraveling.

?'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000005-QINU`"'?

Despite its frozen isolation and inhospitable climate, Itharalis is home to numerous subterranean and glacial settlements, each shaped by the unique needs, philosophies, and adaptations of its native sophants. The Nykrathi and Sarnathi maintain distinct settlements with minimal overlap, unified only by their shared reverence for silence, resonance, and the enduring power of the cold.

Sarnathi Settlements[edit source]

  • Iskar-Thal – The first and largest Sarnathi city, constructed atop the Shardplain. Its crystalline towers emerge from a basin of glacial drift, encircling the Grand Archive—a semi-living vault that stores preserved memory through harmonic resonance. Considered the cultural heart of the Sarnathi Continuum.
  • Vauren-Voss – A citadel hollowed into a fault-glacier’s vertical face. It houses the Stillborn Circles, where Sarnathi in voluntary stasis serve as silent sentinels and temporal anchors. Access is limited and regulated by time-rhythm initiates.
  • Ysilin Hollow – Located beneath a high ridge of wind-shattered ice, this subterranean enclave hosts the Echo-Keepers, scholars who monitor vibration records and time-layer anomalies embedded in glacial formations.
  • Tharrask Vein – An outpost near the Fractured Scar, a region prone to temporal shifts. It functions as both a research and containment site, manned by a rotating cadre of Resonants and harmonic stabilizers.
  • Enclave of Varethis – A drifting settlement built atop a fractured coastal ice shelf that follows a seasonal circuit around Itharalis. Inhabited by itinerant scholars, dreamers, and unstable harmonics, it serves as a mobile sanctuary for those unable to remain rooted.

Nykrathi Settlements[edit source]

  • Tarskhel’Zuun – The oldest and most revered Nykrathi tunnelspire city, built around the legendary Echo-Pool. Carved within a submerged rift, its chambers echo with Glacian’s resonance. Reserved for the most spiritually attuned.
  • Vorr-Kaazhen – A fortified hive-city positioned along the volcanic corridor beneath the Black Scar Glacier. Known for its resonance defenders and frost-bound artisans who maintain ancient structural harmonics.
  • Krelekh Hollow – Situated in a bioluminescent under-ice basin, Krelekh Hollow cultivates deep fungi and maintains fluidic resonance archives. It is the spiritual center for the Dream-Scribes.
  • Shar’Molun – A minor outpost at the edge of a glacial faultline. Functions as a neutral contact zone for surface negotiations and as a seismic monitoring station.
  • The Ossuary Spires – A ceremonial necropolis where honored Nykrathi dead are calcified and enshrined in towering walls. Pilgrims come here to commune with ancestral echoes and the frozen memory of the deep.
Niseth (edit)

Niseth is a realm of thermal springs and geysers.

Noirra (edit)

Noirra is the primordial realm of darkness, a vast and unknowable expanse that exists outside the physical world of Adaris. Unlike realms bound to the continent, Noirra is a self-contained world, a place where darkness is not mere absence but a tangible, living force. Within Noirra, light does not exist—there is no sun, no stars, only the eternal shifting of shadow, silence, and unseen movement.

Despite its isolation beyond Adaris, Noirra is not empty. It is inhabited, structured, and alive, filled with beings that thrive within the dark, unseen landscapes that stretch endlessly, and cities that exist without illumination. It is a place of veiled power, forgotten knowledge, and eternal silence, where existence itself is defined not by what is visible, but by what is felt and sensed in the absence of sight.

Noirra was formed when Arafia, the primordial spirit of darkness, emerged from the Primordial Void. As the counterpart to Aurelion, the realm of light, Noirra was shaped not as an opposite but as a balance, a space where the unseen could flourish.

  • The First Darkness – Noirra began as a realm of pure, undisturbed shadow, where form and thought blended together in an undifferentiated state.
  • The Shaping of the Unseen – Over time, the first inhabitants of Noirra came into being, sculpting the realm into vast, shadow-woven cities and landscapes of living darkness.
  • The Rift Between Worlds – When Adaris was formed, Noirra did not become a part of it, yet its presence was woven into existence, ensuring that the physical world would always have shadows, mysteries, and the unknown.

Noirra remains a realm apart, yet its influence touches all things—it is the reason shadows stretch, why darkness brings dreams, and why the unknown will always exist beyond the limits of knowledge.

Noirra is a world unlike any other—without light, its geography is known only through presence, form, and movement. Those who dwell here do not navigate by sight, but through a deep awareness of shifting shadows, distant reverberations, and the subtle stirrings of unseen forces.

  • The Hollow Span – Vast, open stretches of undisturbed shadow, where motion can be felt but never seen.
  • The Echoing Chasms – Endless fissures in the world, where sound travels in eerie, warping patterns, revealing the depths of Noirra to those who can listen.
  • The Veilwinds – Silent currents of unseen force that drift across Noirra, carrying the whispers of forgotten things.

Noirra is not lifeless—it is shaped by those who live within it, but never fixed. Even mountains and rivers, if they exist, are fluid and shifting, as darkness itself never remains still.

Noirra has no sun, moon, or weather in the traditional sense, but that does not mean it is without change. The realm has its own cycles, currents, and movements.Noirra moves in unseen cycles, where the density of shadows thickens and thins, creating waves of deeper blackness and open voids.

Despite its alien nature, Noirra is not devoid of life. Its inhabitants do not rely on light, but instead exist in complete attunement to the unseen. Flora

  • Voidweave Vines – A creeping, sinuous plant that extends unseen tendrils through the darkness, sensed only through its gentle touch.
  • Umbral Lichen – A growth that absorbs and silences sound, allowing beings to move without leaving echoes.

Fauna

  • Nytherin – Bat-like entities that see through sound alone, navigating the realm through pulses of vibration.
  • Vaelmur – Shadow-dwelling predators that move without a sound, striking before their prey can sense them.
  • Shroudborn – Entities of pure darkness, believed to be Noirra’s oldest inhabitants, existing in a form neither solid nor ephemeral.

Noirra is home to beings that exist beyond sight, their forms shaped by shadow rather than flesh.

  • The Sussurii – Ethereal beings that exist as breaths of air moving through the dark, their presence known only through soft murmurs.
  • The Vailun– Figures that appear humanoid but have featureless, empty faces, as if their identities were swallowed by the dark.
  • The Atryn- Towering figures wrapped in flowing, shadow-like cloaks, their forms impossible to define.

Some say that Noirra’s oldest beings remember the time before light existed, carrying knowledge older than the stars themselves.

Though light does not exist in Noirra, civilization thrives without it. The beings of Noirra do not see in the way mortals do; instead, they perceive through vibration, sound, movement, and presence, making their cities and structures alien to those accustomed to sight.

  • Vaerithis, the City Without Form – A metropolis of fluid architecture, where structures are shaped from living shadow and shift over time.
  • Nyvoss, the Silent Citadel – A vast fortress built into the heart of Noirra’s deepest void, where the most ancient beings of darkness dwell in meditation.
  • Elessath, the Veiled Crossing – A border-realm between Noirra and Adaris, believed to be a place where the barriers between worlds are thin. Some Arasiari claim to have stepped into Noirra through its unseen gates.

Across Adaris, Noirra is feared, respected, and revered in different ways.

  • To the followers of Arafia, Noirra is sacred, a place of wisdom, hidden truths, and eternal potential. Many of their rituals, meditations, and mystical practices involve attuning to its unseen nature.
  • To outsiders and surface dwellers, Noirra is often seen as dangerous and unknowable, a place where one’s own senses cannot be trusted and where things exist beyond understanding.
  • Arasiari, the practitioners of shadow attunement, believe that Noirra is a place of enlightenment, where those who embrace the unseen can gain wisdom beyond mortal perception.

Some scholars believe that dreams, visions, and subconscious thought all stem from Noirra, flowing into Adaris through the veil between worlds.

Orethil (edit)

Orethil is the name given to the physical realm of earth within the greater structure of Adaris. It encompasses all material geography that define lived experience on land. Realms such as Terasil, Vaelthar, and Zanarak exist within Orethil’s bounds, connected by overland paths, deep roads, and spiritual corridors.

Orethil is shaped by physical processes and is considered the foundational plane from which many other tangible realms diverge.

The name is derived from Oras, the spiritual emobiement of earth, and -ethil, an archaic stem meaning "held" or "shaped."

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Orethil emerged during the early stabilization of Adaris, following the creation of time by the Ascendant Spirit Kairos. As the primordial elements sought to impose order on the chaotic void of Astram, Oras anchored the material world into place. From this anchor, the first lands and structures of Orethil coalesced—mountains, valleys, and the enduring crust of the physical world.

The intrusion of Jala into the forming plane led to the catastrophic event known as the Great Erosion, fracturing the borders of the elemental realms and forever altering Orethil’s structure. This marked the beginning of true geological memory, as layers of trauma and change became embedded in stone.

In the aftermath, Orethil became the site of balance and containment—a place where multiple forces converged but were held stable through the enduring will of Oras. It was within this realm that the first mortal civilizations formed, guided by ascendant spirits. Over time, these early cultures shaped the surface and subsurface of Orethil.

Orethil’s landmasses are divided into continental subrealms, each shaped by distinct spiritual and environmental characteristics. Though grounded in the dominion of Oras, the spirit of earth, Orethil remains in continual contact with the surrounding influence of other elemental forces.

Watercourses and surface oceans exist within Orethil, but they are expressions of intrusion rather than origin. The world-plane is encircled by Pelagia, the endless sea formed by Jala, the spirit of water. Jala’s influence seeps inland along coastlines and river systems, softening and reshaping the terrain but never fully claiming it.

Forests, deserts, and highland ecosystems have developed in isolated zones where elemental balance allows—often along the shifting boundaries between earth and the other elemental realms. These intersections generate ecological diversity, though always filtered through the dominant presence of stone and memory.

Despite its grounding in matter, Orethil is a dynamic landscape—continually shaped by the slow, resonant dialogue between elemental forces. Its changes are layered rather than abrupt, shaped by time, erosion, and the spiritual pressures that flow beneath the visible world.

Orethil spans a wide range of latitudes and elevations, resulting in diverse and stratified climates across its surface and subsurface regions. The northernmost reaches are dominated by frigid highlands, glacial shelves, and permafrost basins, where temperature extremes and spiritual stillness foster hardy, slow-adapting lifeforms. In contrast, the southern regions give way to sun-scorched deserts, eroded basins, and heat-cracked plateaus where survival depends on scarcity-driven adaptation.

Between these extremes, temperate valleys, mountain-ringed basins, and seasonal steppes form pockets of stability. These regions often serve as cradles for major settlements and trade corridors. Orographic effects caused by massive mountain ranges such as the Citadels and the Murazkar Range produce microclimates—ranging from mist-fed forests to dry shadows and wind-carved rocklands.

Subterranean zones, while shielded from atmospheric fluctuation, maintain their own internal climate systems driven by geothermal gradients, air circulation through natural chimneys, and proximity to elemental rifts. These underground climates are generally cool, consistent, and humid, supporting fungal ecologies and bioluminescent life adapted to darkness.

Orrakar (edit)

Orrakar is a vast land of deep chasms, labyrinthine valleys, and towering cliffs, shaped over millennia by the patient forces of wind, water, and time. A place of both endurance and transformation, Orrakar stands as a testament to the inevitability of erosion, proving that even the strongest stone will yield to the persistence of the elements.

Orrakar is a realm of slow yet inevitable transformation, where vast passages are carved through stone, and the echoes of time linger in weathered canyon walls. The realm is a domain of patience and change, ruled by the ascendant spirit of erosion, Varethor, whose presence is felt in every wind-sculpted ridge and every river-worn passage.

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Orrakar is a realm shaped by the slow and relentless march of time and carved by wind and water, its deep canyons and towering cliffs standing as testaments to erosion’s quiet dominion.

Throughout history, nomadic peoples, wanderers, and exiles have passed through Orrakar, seeking refuge in its hidden valleys and winding ravines. Among those who made the land their home, the Kuthar claimed the windswept mesas. The Drahari, by contrast, carved homes into the sheer canyon walls, their settlements hidden in the depths where the wind howls but the stone offers shelter.

Yet even for them, nothing remains unchanged. Time wears away even the strongest foundations, and both the Kuthar and Drahari have learned that to endure in Orrakar is to move with the land, never against it. The ruins of past dwellers—long-eroded cliff dwellings and sunken pathways—serve as quiet reminders that nothing in this realm is permanent.

The Endless Rift

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Orrakar is a land of deep canyons, sheer cliffs, and towering mesas, its terrain shaped by winds, rivers, and the slow march of erosion. The land is fractured and winding, with hidden valleys, labyrinthine passageways, and rock formations sculpted into impossible shapes.

Notable Features[edit source]

  • The Endless Rift – A canyon so deep that its bottom is rarely touched by sunlight, with walls that bear the etched history of ages long past. Some believe it has no true end, as anything that falls into its depths is never seen again.
  • Zareth Cascade – A mighty waterfall fed by the highlands of Delmora, its torrents plunging into the depths of the Endless Rift. During the dry season, the cascade thins into mist, but in the storm season, it becomes a relentless force, carving the canyon deeper with every passing year. Some say its waters vanish into hidden underground lakes, while others whisper of a buried abyss where the river never truly ends.
  • The Pinnacles of Mourn – A collection of towering, needle-like rock formations rising from the canyon floor. Their bases erode over time, causing them to collapse one by one. Some of the spires bear faint, unreadable inscriptions, their origins long forgotten. The Kuthar use the highest peaks as wind-watching outposts, while the Drahari believe these formations are gravestones left by the land itself.
  • The Winding Sepulcher – A twisting maze of ravines and gorges that shift unpredictably due to rockfalls and flash floods. Paths that exist one season may be buried the next, making navigation treacherous. The Drahari claim that forgotten ruins and artifacts lie hidden within, but few dare to linger, fearing the canyon will entomb them.
  • The Drowned Steps – A vast series of terraced rock formations descending toward the eastern coast near Fendralis. During flood season, cascading water fills the steps, briefly transforming them into a shimmering descent toward the ocean. Some believe they once led to an ancient coastal city, now lost to time, swallowed by the shifting land and the encroaching tides.

Orrakar is a land of extreme conditions, where temperature, wind, and water work together to shape the ever-changing landscape.

  • Scorching Days & Frigid Nights – With little to no cloud cover, heat lingers in the canyons by day, only to vanish into bone-chilling cold by night.
  • Unpredictable Wind Currents – Strong, howling winds race through the ravines, reshaping rock faces and carving new formations over time.
  • Seasonal Rains & Flash Floods – While much of Orrakar is dry, sudden seasonal storms bring violent, short-lived rivers, scouring the canyon floors and shifting the terrain.

Survival in Orrakar demands adaptation, as the land is constantly being worn away, reshaped, and reformed.

The Zareth Cascade vanishes into the Endless Rift

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Orrakar is home to those who have learned to live with its ever-changing nature, rather than resist it. The Kutharen, skilled gliders and cultivators, inhabit the windswept mesas, where they weave hanging gardens and build suspended settlements that shift with the land. In contrast, the Drahari carve their homes into the sheer canyon walls, scavenging the depths for what erosion reveals and preserving the remnants of the past.

Few outsiders settle in Orrakar, for survival demands constant adaptation. Those who endure do so by understanding that nothing in this realm remains unchanged forever.

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While few permanent settlements exist in a land that is always shifting and eroding, some strongholds and sanctuaries have been carved into the canyons over time.

Orrakar is not a realm meant for permanence, but those who learn to move with the land rather than against it may find sanctuary within its depths.

Payalwa (edit)

Payalwa is the realm of swamps and bogs in southwest Orethil. It is the realm of the spirit Moevra and the spirit of swampland.

Pelagia (edit)

Pelagia is the boundless realm of water, a plane of endless ocean stretching far beyond mortal horizons. It is the domain of Jala, the Primordial Spirit of Water, and serves as the source of all rivers, lakes, tides, and rain within the world of Adaris. In Pelagia, there are no shores and no fixed landmarks—only the ceaseless ebb and flow of currents, the pulse of tides, and the deep silence of unfathomable trenches.

This oceanic realm is not empty. Beneath its surface lies a living memory of the world—echoed in whirlpools, whispered in currents, and recorded in the drifting bones of ancient leviathans. Creatures and spirits formed from water itself glide through translucent vaults of pressure and darkness. Islands made of living coral, floating kelp forests, and bioluminescent reefs shimmer with radiant life, illuminated by the soft breath of Jala.

Pelagia is not a realm of chaos or storm, but of rhythm, resonance, and endless transformation. It reflects the mutable nature of water—capable of sustaining life, preserving memory, and reshaping land and spirit alike.

Pelagia has no continents, no mountains, and no sky in the conventional sense. It is a realm composed entirely of water—an infinite ocean stretching in every direction, without surface or floor. Depth, rather than distance, defines its geography. One descends rather than travels, and layers of current, pressure, and light mark the boundaries between regions.

The upper reaches of Pelagia shimmer with translucent life and drifting isles of kelp, coral, and silt. Here, bioluminescent plankton drift like stars, and shoals of spiritfish move in synchronized migration. These surface realms are ever-shifting, shaped by the breath of Jala and the pull of elemental tides.

Deeper still lie the Resonant Trenches—abyssal rifts of unfathomable depth, where time slows and pressure sings. It is said that here, memories of past ages crystallize into liquid echoes, forming spiraling maelstroms that preserve the voices of the drowned.

Pelagia's geography cannot be mapped in mortal terms. What appears still may flow; what seems shallow may plunge into the deep. Its only constants are motion and depth—layered like a melody that never ends, harmonized by the will of water itself.

The native inhabitants of Pelagia are not corporeal in the traditional sense. Within this realm of pure water and resonance, sapient life manifests as fluidic consciousness—entities shaped by currents, memory, and harmonic flow. These sophants do not build, age, or die as material beings do, but exist in constant transformation, guided by the essence of Jala.

Liraeth – Memory-Current Being[edit source]

The Liraeth are sentient expressions of memory and light, their forms composed of translucent ribbons of structured water. They manifest as fleeting aquatic silhouettes—sometimes resembling flowing fish, sometimes formless veils. Each Liraeth is a vessel of ancient experiences, their consciousness flowing between whirlpools of recollection and intention.

They sculpt the waters of Pelagia into memory-streams, places where past and present converge.

They communicate through ripple patterns and harmonic vibration, imprinting thought across tides.

Liraeth serve as guides, lore-bearers, and emissaries of emotional resonance. They are drawn to moments of transformation, often appearing during acts of healing, reflection, or rebirth.

Thal’kai – Abyssal Resonant Intelligences[edit source]

The Thal’kai are colossal, slow-thinking intelligences that dwell in the deepest reaches of Pelagia. Their forms are not bound to a single structure, but emerge across trench-lines, thermal vents, and sediment flows. Some appear as moving coral towers; others are no more than pulses of pressure, distributed across miles of current.

Their thoughts ripple through abyssal channels, detectable only through deep harmonic attunement.

They are ancient, inscrutable, and revered as custodians of Pelagia’s deepest truths.

Communication with a Thal’kai is a ritual act, requiring attunement to pressure-song and ancestral water-rhythm. Some Jalasiari claim to have received visions from these beings—tidal prophecies written in the undertow.

Sataa (edit)

Sataa is the realm of time. Sataa exists as an intangible realm that encompasses most of the other realms of Terasil.

Senyala (edit)

Senyala is the land before the frozen north, a land of fjords and permafrost.

Serithal (edit)

Serithal, the Hidden Current, is a vast inland lake-realm, where freshwater sustains all who live within its depths and upon its central island. Serithal is a realm of constant, unseen motion—currents that shift beneath the surface, shaping the world in ways not always perceived.

It is a domain of balance, where water and land embrace rather than oppose one another, creating a self-sustaining cycle of renewal.

Serithal is defined by its massive freshwater expanse, hidden underwater currents, and a singular, sacred island rising from its heart.

Serithal’s climate is gentle and temperate, where water and land shape the air, creating an atmosphere of renewal and vitality.

Sirel Coast (edit)

The Sirel Coast is the realm of emotions, inhabitted by the Thavariin.

Tahrzul (edit)

Tahrzul is the Realm of Volcanoes and Ash, a land shaped by the relentless upheaval of the earth. Towering volcanoes dominate the skyline, their molten veins splitting the land, spewing fire and smoke into the ashen skies. Rivers of hardened obsidian twist through the valleys, remnants of ancient eruptions, while geysers of superheated steam burst from fractured earth, releasing the fury of the world below.

The air is thick with ash, turning daylight into a perpetual twilight, and the ground trembles with the restless movements of magma beneath the surface. Sulfur-streaked wastelands, jagged basalt cliffs, and unstable lava plains make Tahrzul one of the most inhospitable realms of Adaris.

Tahrzul is ruled by Tahrnath, the ascendant spirit of Ash and Ruin, embodying both destruction and creation. The land is hostile yet sacred, seen as both a place of punishment and transformation by those who dare to dwell within its borders. Few civilizations thrive here, but those who do have adapted to the choking ash, the shifting earth, and the ever-present threat of eruption.

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Tahrzul is a peninsula southeast of Zanarak, separated from the mainland by a stretch of dry, cracked earth known as the Ashen Scar. Its defining feature is a vast ring of volcanoes, forming a natural fortress around the central valley where lava rivers flow continuously. The land is a shifting battlefield of fire and stone, sculpted by eruptions, quakes, and time.

Notable Features[edit source]

  • The Ashen Scar – A stretch of dry, cracked earth that seperates Tahr'Zul from the mainland. Deep crevices dot the landscape, where nothing grows.
  • Tahrnath's Crown – A massive circle of towering volcanoes, enclosing the heart of Tahrzul. Their eruptions form an ever-changing skyline, while rivers of molten rock cascade down their slopes, feeding the valley below.
  • The Obsidian Rivers – Once-molten lava flows that have cooled into jagged black rivers of obsidian, forming deadly, glass-like terrain. Some portions remain unstable, cracking underfoot or concealing hidden pockets of searing heat.
  • The Smoldering Wastes – A vast plain of scorched rock and sulfur-laced fissures, where superheated geysers erupt unpredictably. The ground shifts frequently, making it one of the most dangerous areas to traverse.
  • The Heart of Ruin – The central valley, where rivers of lava converge in an endless, churning sea of molten rock. The land here is constantly being remade, breaking apart and reforming in an eternal cycle of destruction and creation.

Tahrzul is an extreme environment, dominated by fire, heat, and ash rather than traditional weather patterns.

  • Perpetual Twilight – Thick volcanic ash darkens the skies, filtering sunlight into an eerie, reddish glow.
  • Sulfuric Storms – The air is thick with toxic gases and superheated winds, capable of scalding exposed flesh.
  • Unstable Ground – Frequent tremors and eruptions reshape the landscape, swallowing entire paths and creating new ones.

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Despite its hostile nature, some life has adapted to Tahrzul’s extreme conditions, thriving amidst the fire and ash.

Flora[edit source]

  • Pyrelight Thistle – A bioluminescent plant that grows in volcanic crevices, feeding on minerals from cooling lava. Its glowing, ember-like flowers serve as a beacon in the endless twilight.
  • Ashroot Vine – A deep-burrowing plant that absorbs sulfur and heat, sprouting only when the ground cools briefly between eruptions.
  • Glassfern – A razor-edged fern that grows in obsidian fields, its blackened fronds reflecting firelight in shimmering patterns.

Fauna[edit source]

  • Cindermaw – A burrowing predator with lava-resistant scales, emerging from fissures to ambush prey. Its glowing underbelly radiates intense heat, incinerating anything it coils around.
  • Emberhawk – A sleek, smoke-colored raptor that rides the superheated updrafts, its eyes able to see through thick ash clouds.
  • Ash Stalker – A shadowy, reptilian creature that lurks in the Smoldering Wastes, camouflaging itself in the swirling dust. It is said to be drawn to the heat of living bodies, stalking anything that lingers too long.

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Few beings can endure the relentless heat and instability of Tahrzul, but some have learned to live with the realm’s fury rather than against it.

  • The Korrash – A mysterious, fire-adapted people who build heat-resistant dwellings within volcanic caves, using the land’s natural heat to forge tools and weapons.
  • The Burnt Creed – Criminals, outcasts, and seekers of punishment who choose to live in Tahrzul’s merciless landscape, proving their strength against the ever-burning land.

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While permanent settlements are rare, a few strongholds have been carved into the volcanic rock, their inhabitants shaping their lives around the constant upheaval.

  • Varkath
  • Drak's Citadel
Terasil (edit)

Terasil is a realm of mountains, highlands, and savannas situated within the wider physical plane of Orethil. At its center stands the Citadel Mountains, a circular and impenetrable range that marks the boundary of the Domain of Oras, regarded as the last remnant of a once vast sea of earth. Beyond this central barrier, the realm unfolds into valleys, hills, and further mountains before opening onto broad savannas.

During the Age of Ascendance, several spirits came to dwell in Terasil and its surrounding valleys. Among them was Tehrum, spirit of strata, talus and loess, embodying the arid and rocky nature of the land. Varunel, the spirit of memory and history, also made a home there, along with the spirit of caverns and subterranean networks and a spirit associated with greed and desire.

The Age of Ascendance (c. BME 100,000-50,000)[edit source]

Following the stabilization of the realm, ascended spirits assumed dominion over the primordial earth, often working in pairs. Tehrum and Varunel settled in the valleys adjacent to the Domain of Oras, with Tehrum shaping the tangible qualities of the land while Varunel shaped its intangible aspects. Similarly, the spirits of caverns and greed fashioned subterranean regions and the forces that dwell within them.

The Great Migration (c. BME 50,000-20,000)[edit source]

During the Great Migration, humans departed their ancestral home of Awenelir and spread across Orethil. In Terasil, these settlers became known as the Duranthi and the Minthari. The Duranthi primarily inhabited the Sanctuary Vale and the Alta Wastes, while the Minthari settled in the mountain ranges known as Minthal. Over generations, both groups were shaped by the spiritual influences of their environment. The Duranthi developed stony skin, exceptional memory, and extended lifespans, while the Minthari adapted to subterranean life, becoming pale, blind, and translucent in appearance.

The Age of Deep Roads (c. BME 20,000-0)[edit source]

As erosion reshaped the surface, subterranean habitation expanded during the Age of Deep Roads. The Minthari constructed vast tunnel networks in cooperation with the Vemi, a worm-like sentient race long present in Terasil. These tunnels facilitated trade and cultural exchange with the Duranthi and allowed movement through previously inhospitable regions.

Modern Terasil (0 ME-Present)[edit source]

In the present age, Terasil remains defined by continuity and resilience. The Duranthi maintain traditions rooted in stone and memory, while the Minthari expand their subterranean networks in pursuit of wealth and resources. Alongside them dwell two additional sentient peoples: the Capamnos, an isolated goat-like race inhabiting the high mountains, and the Vemi, who occupy subterranean tunnels and are often associated with impulses of desire and greed, though they maintain generally amicable relations with other races.

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Terasil is a predominantly mountainous and arid region with limited river systems. The terrain includes high peaks, valleys, plateaus, and stretches of savanna. Notable regions include the Sanctuary Vale, Emerald Valley, and the Minthal ranges.

The climate of Terasil varies by region. Much of the land is arid, with minimal rainfall and sharp temperature extremes. Mountain peaks are cold year-round, while valleys such as Sanctuary Vale and Emerald Valley experience more temperate conditions and occasional seasonal rains. Highlands and plains remain harsh and sparsely habitable, while subterranean regions are characterized by stable, cool conditions.

A Slateback Behemoth

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Terasil hosts ecosystems shaped by its geological age and alignment with elemental earth. Species are adapted to rocky and mineral-rich environments, often exhibiting traits influenced by the Domain of Oras itself. Proximity to the Citadel Mountains tends to impart stony characteristics to local life forms. Wildlife ranges from surface-dwelling herbivores to subterranean predators, many marked by unique adaptations to the realm's spiritual forces.

Terasil is home to a number a sentient species. The Duranthi, governed by a central council, inhabit the Sanctuary Vale and parts of the Yalta Waste. Some communities remain outside this authority, particularly in the wastes.

The Minthari are divided between two factions, one in the Astrathal Range and another in Minthal.

The Capamnos are goat-like humanoids dwelling in small, isolated highland communities.

The Vemi are a worm-like species dwelling in the deep tunnels. While often associated with impulses of greed, they are independent beings rather than a hive mind, and their interactions with other races are generally cooperative.

Spiritual life in Terasil is governed by a stratified ecology of spirits that reflects the realm’s deep alignment with earth, memory, and the burden of continuity. While the spirit Tehrum anchors the physical foundation of Terasil, Varunel, the spirit of Memory and History anchors the metaphysical. Together, these forces define Terasil's spiritual logic.

The spirits of Terasil range from momentary flickers of awareness to enduring entities inscribed in cultural and geological memory. Their interaction with mortal life is structured and deliberate—spirits are neither worshiped casually nor summoned lightly, and all rituals are shaped by archival precedent.

Nascent Spirits[edit source]

Nascent spirits are newly formed, unstable presences. Often tied to minor geological actions, they manifest from shifting sediment, mineral formation, or momentary resonance. These spirits are brief and reactive—invoked in basic rites by novices or used as indicators of change in a deeply static world.

Mature Spirits[edit source]

Mature spirits arise from repeated patterns and communal recognition. Unlike nascent spirits, they possess defined personality traits and limited agency. They are invoked in everyday Duranthi and Capamos life.

These spirits are neither fully autonomous nor entirely symbolic—they occupy the middle realm between presence and concept, often entangled with local rites or vocational traditions.

Ancestral Spirits[edit source]

Ancestral spirits are the oldest and most deeply rooted entities in Terasil, often embodying events, lineages, or epochs. Unlike gods or elemental lords, they are not omnipotent—but they are vast, weighty, and embedded in the realm’s long memory.

They are rarely invoked directly. Most communication occurs through rituals. Appeasement, not command, defines the relationship.

Examples:

  • Tharoz-Mir – The spirit of the Deep Roads and the memory of every journey beneath the realm. Felt more than seen, Tharoz-Mir listens across distances, recording the passage of all who travel the underpaths.
  • Orak-Thun – Revered as the first sentient mountain, Orak-Thun serves as a point of lineage realignment and generational reckoning. Its presence is marked not by voice, but by seismic stillness and unchanging shadow.

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  • Kar-Thal: An ancient Duranthi city carved into a mountain. It houses governing elders and sacred spaces.
Vaelthar (edit)

Vaelthar, the Realm of Rolling Meadows, is an endless expanse of golden grasslands and open skies, where the wind never ceases, and the land is in constant motion. Created by Vaelora, the spirit of grass and meadows, Vaelthar is a realm of gentle, ceaseless movement, where nothing is permanent, and every path is open. The plains ripple like an ocean beneath the wind’s touch, shaping the land in an eternal dance between earth and air.

Vaelthar’s terrain is one of fluid stability, where the land stretches in endless rolling fields, broken only by pockets of woodlands and rising meadows that touch the sky. There are no towering mountains, only gentle highlands where the air is thin, and the flowers bloom in untamed abundance. The wind sculpts the land into an ever-shifting canvas, weaving patterns through the grass and scattering golden pollen across the fields.

Wild Flowers in Vaelthar

The realm is defined by its distinct regions, each shaped by the breath of Vaelora:

  • The Endless Plains – The heart of Vaelthar, an unbroken sea of golden grasses swaying in endless motion, shaped by the ceaseless wind.
  • The Whispering Groves – Scattered clusters of trees, where the wind hums through ancient branches, resonating like a distant song.
  • The Golden Drift – A vast stretch of alpine wildflower meadows, where the land is covered in shimmering pollen. As the wind rises, the pollen lifts into the air, creating a golden haze that lingers over the plains. During certain times, the entire sky glows with drifting motes, turning the landscape into an ethereal, dreamlike expanse.
  • The Wandering Streams – Thin, winding rivers that never follow the same path for long, shifting with the earth and carving new routes through the plains.
Highland Meadows

Vaelthar exits in a perfect equilibrium of warmth and renewal. The wind is ever-present, a constant but gentle force, shaping both the land and those who walk upon it. The air is filled with the scent of wildflowers, sun-warmed grass, and the distant promise of rain.

While storms occasionally roll across the plains, they do not bring destruction—only renewal. Rain falls softly, nourishing the land, while the wind disperses it in shimmering veils across the meadows. The sky is always vast, ever-changing, but never hostile.

Though unsettled and untamed, Vaelthar is home to those who embrace freedom and movement above all else.

  • The Vey’Lora, the nomadic Windborne, roam Vaelthar with no permanent homes, following the will of Vaelora. They believe that to stand still is to die, and only through constant movement can one truly live.
  • The Torinok, in contrast, are a people of stone and permanence, seeking to anchor themselves against the wind. They construct great fortresses, standing in defiance of Vaelora’s shifting paths—a philosophy that often puts them in direct conflict with the Vey’Lora.

Despite these differences, both peoples are shaped by the plains, their lives dictated by the ceaseless movement of wind and earth.

Vaelthar is steeped in stories, many of which speak of the wind’s eternal memory and the unseen paths it carves through the world.

  • The Wind’s Embrace – It is said that Vaelora welcomes all who enter Vaelthar, but those who fear movement and change will never find their way out.
  • The Song of the Plains – Legends claim that the winds of Vaelthar carry echoes of the past, allowing those who listen carefully to hear lost voices carried on the breeze.
  • The Dance of the Golden Drift – During the pollen blooms, some claim to see Vaelora herself dancing in the fields, wrapped in golden light.
Zanarak (edit)

Zanarak is the realm of Arenam, the Spirit of Sand and Glass, and one of the great elemental realms of Adaris. Born from the union of the primordial spirits Shasae and Oras, Zanarak is a land of shifting sands, illusions, and extremes. Its landscape is ever-changing, sculpted by relentless desert winds and the ceaseless dance of erosion and transformation.

Formation of Zanarak[edit source]

Zanarak was formed when the primordial elements of Shasae and Oras, combined, bringing forth Arenam, the Spirit of Sand and Glass. Unlike the Primordial Spirits, Arenam is the first of the next generation of Ascendant Spirits, emerging from the conscious concept of wind-eroded earth. Arenam represents erosion, illusion, and the ever-changing nature of the desert, symbolizing both destruction and transformation.

The Great Erosion[edit source]

The emergence of Zanarak marked a new era in Adaris, one where the interplay between elements created new forms of life and landscapes. The relentless winds carved out the desert from the land once connected to Terasil, leaving behind a vast, arid expanse. Over time, the desert expanded, its dunes shifting unpredictably, swallowing settlements and reshaping itself continuously.

Cultural Significance[edit source]

Zanarakis is both a physical and a spiritual realm, where reality often blurs with illusion. The desert’s inhabitants—the Gilaari and Galihi—have adapted to its unpredictable nature, developing cultures based on survival, movement, and the mastery of illusion and transformation.

Zanarak is a land of extremes, featuring towering sand dunes, ancient glass formations, and relentless sandstorms.

  • Sand Dunes – The vast dunes of Zanarak are in constant motion, shifting with the desert winds. Some reach towering heights, making navigation perilous.
  • The Glass Fields of Zanarak – Intense heat from the nearby land of Tahrzul have created towering spires, jagged ridges, and smooth, reflective plains of glass

Zanarak experiences scorching days and freezing nights, with unpredictable sandstorms and periods of extreme drought.

Despite its harsh environment, Zanarak is home to unique desert flora and fauna, many of which have adapted to the shifting landscape.

Galihi[edit source]

The Galih are a nomadic society of alchemists and illusionists, using their skills to survive in the ever-changing desert.

  • Culture – They live in roaming caravans, constantly on the move. Their mastery of illusion and transformation allows them to navigate and shape the desert to their advantage.
  • Skills – Galihi use alchemy and desert magic to craft glass tools, find water, and manipulate mirages.

Gilaari[edit source]

The Gilaari are a four-limbed, adaptive race that thrives in the desert’s unpredictable conditions.

  • Culture – The Gilaari see Mirajhar as a living entity, shaping their traditions around its movements. They are skilled artisans, crafting intricate works from sand and stone.
  • Abilities – They can walk on all fours or stand upright, using their limbs interchangeably as hands or feet.