Poised at the Southeastern corner of The Sinister Swamp, Billuta keeps close watch on it, preventing the dangers within from spreading toward the fields that it and Haversham share. Spread from Mount Traynor to The Sinister Swamp and curving down to the shore, Billuta is not a city for the timid. Avalanches from Mount Traynor, the high tide and rocky shore and the dangers of The Sinister Swamp tend to keep all but the heartiest of individuals from residing there long. Built on columns of stone and metal, the city has a slow expansion and small but dedicated population that cares little for outside investors attempting to join its markets and little for the Guard representatives sent from the empire as few but the most veteran remain there for long, if they even survive.
The Draconis Dragon-Kin of assorted races mostly live in begrudging truce in Billuta, their squabbles overshadowed by the dangers surrounding the city on three sides. They mostly work as part of the watch, tho ugh some have taken to various craftsmanship vocations as well in their off-time to the extent that their former side-business has become their primary source of income. The Reynix tend to stay away from Billuta primarily, though some have taken positions as scouts darting into and back out of The Sinister Swamp barely beyond the sight of the watch's gaze, gathering information and samples that help aid in the city's defense as well as being of scientific curiosity.
For the most part Pixies do their best to help slow the spread of The Sinister Swamp with the help of the Gnomes, Goblins and Gitwerg to ensure not even an underground root passes unseen, creating great stone and metal tunnels bordering its edge which are warded with both magic and machinery that repair its wall and destroy any sign of intrusion with great proficiency. Some say that these tunnels are also being used cunningly by the quartet of fey species to also serve as entrance to other cities for smuggling and refugee operations, as well as joint mining ventures despite the distrust the species tend to have in each other usually.
The Gargoyles mostly live on Mount Traynor, trying to minimize the avalanches and help with various mining operations into its depths. The Felinae and Kenthri mostly keep watch of the shared fields, trying to ensure no rare escaped creature of The Sinister Swamp manages to slip past areas in the West of Mount Traynor where the watch is thin. Humans are a rare sight in Billuta, most doing their best to tend the fields and stay away from The Sinister Swamp. Cubi and Naiads mostly manage the port as their expertise in the dangerous waters is much appreciated with so much of the city's focus spent guarding against The Sinister Swamp's Southern border, while the Cubi and Naiads also patrol its Eastern edge where its vile hand spreads to the ocean.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Region: The Sinister Swamp:
South of Lythane, beyond the Ajan Ridgeline and the Yital Forest festers The Sinister Swamp. Covering forty-eight square miles of the Adslein Continent, The Sinister Swamp rarely lets those that enter it return, and those that do become catatonic at its mere mention. While none in the last few centuries have claimed to made it from one end to the other, even at its smallest point two miles wide, there are legends that Estelon Korrik, Glacias Dragon-Kin founder of The Church of The Golden Claw, braved its gloom and crossed its longest span of ten miles though none of his troop nor the quarry they were ordered to recapture made it out alive. As a result of whatever happened there he became reclusive for a decade before starting the framework of the church over three millennia ago. There are rumors that both he and a healer who treated him kept journals about what he described of his perilous journey through The Sinister Swamp, though if it truly does exist it may be lost to time.
While little is known about it, Billuta and Lythane do keep watch over its borders due to some of the creatures that come out of it and pose a danger to both populations. Mutant wolves and tigers twisted by some dark force in the swamp raid the farms of both villages if given the chance, their sheer size and ferocity matched only by the hideousness of their visage, teeth other bones protruding through their mottled fur, their tails almost skeletal and yet armored by their mutations. Giant insects have been captured on the edge of the swampland that quickly die outside it, and reptiles and amphibians with extra limbs and even genetic atavism have been found, as well as sightings of species thought long extinct.
Some swear to have seen a mutilated Wrende Dragon trying to fly out of The Sinister Swamp, but none have been able to capture conclusive proof and little is capable of damaging a true dragon in the manner of its described wounds, especially as they do not seem to have healed over the centuries of its sightings. Trapped quoma brought near the edge of the swamp always show disdain for its presence, attempting to fly away from it, even though they will ordinarily swarm over leylines, their intersections and other sources of magic, even amidst the battlefields and arcane wastelands that dot the planet Lenida. Tests over the years have shown that even the leylines themselves seem to rebound off of the region after decades of slow drift toward it, as if some force within denies the presence of all but the most powerful of magics.
While little is known about it, Billuta and Lythane do keep watch over its borders due to some of the creatures that come out of it and pose a danger to both populations. Mutant wolves and tigers twisted by some dark force in the swamp raid the farms of both villages if given the chance, their sheer size and ferocity matched only by the hideousness of their visage, teeth other bones protruding through their mottled fur, their tails almost skeletal and yet armored by their mutations. Giant insects have been captured on the edge of the swampland that quickly die outside it, and reptiles and amphibians with extra limbs and even genetic atavism have been found, as well as sightings of species thought long extinct.
Some swear to have seen a mutilated Wrende Dragon trying to fly out of The Sinister Swamp, but none have been able to capture conclusive proof and little is capable of damaging a true dragon in the manner of its described wounds, especially as they do not seem to have healed over the centuries of its sightings. Trapped quoma brought near the edge of the swamp always show disdain for its presence, attempting to fly away from it, even though they will ordinarily swarm over leylines, their intersections and other sources of magic, even amidst the battlefields and arcane wastelands that dot the planet Lenida. Tests over the years have shown that even the leylines themselves seem to rebound off of the region after decades of slow drift toward it, as if some force within denies the presence of all but the most powerful of magics.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Population Center: Lythane:
Resting atop the wide Gusho River, Lythane is a city North of The Sinister Swamp, separated from it by the Ajan Ridgeline and Yital Forest, as well as being South of the Western Divide of the Krendak Ridges and small Eastern Fields of the city of Sanctarrei. While Lythane itself primarily makes its living from the varied aquatic wildlife in the Gusho River, Junyit Sea and Vapor Ocean, it also keeps some land for livestock, farms and other purposes on its Northern and Southern edges, with some dispute with the Reynix of Sanctarrei about the total disappearance of said livestock and some individuals disappearing as well for periods of time with no recollection of what happened during that period.
There are no Reynix living in Lythane due to the distrust the city population has on average of the species due to the disputes with the Reynix of Sanctarrei. Pixies are few in number, mostly keeping to the Southern edge, and most attempting to keep Yital Forest from being harvested due to its small but diverse ecosystem and claims that its purity is keeping The Sinister Swamp from spreading further North toward Lythane. Most scoff at such claims, but with the number of disappearances of those who have entered The Sinister Swamp, or those who have returned being near catatonic at its mention, few pressure the Pixies about logging prospects in Yital Forest as a result. The Draconis Dragon-Kin living in Lythane are mostly Glacias Draconis Dragon-Kin, and most tend to settle at the base of either the Ajan Ridgeline or the Western Divide of the Krendak Ridges, preferring to keep guard over the city's most vulnerable roads and resources.
The Gnomes, Gitwerg and Goblins are few in number, but the long stretches of mountain and rocky soil along its Northern and Southern edges make for a large number of mining operations and fungal farms, as well as a small population dedicated to other employment fields. The Felinae and Kenthri mostly hunt dangerous beasts in the Ajan Ridgeline or the Western Divide of the Krendak Ridges, but a few also tend to some of the scarce fields Lythane has. The Gargoyles and Humans mostly try to keep out of trouble, having little to offer the populous aside from individual skills and experiences, and with the scarcity of room to expand, Lythane has little use for those that do not prove their value quickly. The Naiads and Cubi mostly tend to various fishing enterprises, but there are also quite a few diving expeditions to gain aquatic resources such as special types of medicinal seaweed and pearl harvesting.
There are no Reynix living in Lythane due to the distrust the city population has on average of the species due to the disputes with the Reynix of Sanctarrei. Pixies are few in number, mostly keeping to the Southern edge, and most attempting to keep Yital Forest from being harvested due to its small but diverse ecosystem and claims that its purity is keeping The Sinister Swamp from spreading further North toward Lythane. Most scoff at such claims, but with the number of disappearances of those who have entered The Sinister Swamp, or those who have returned being near catatonic at its mention, few pressure the Pixies about logging prospects in Yital Forest as a result. The Draconis Dragon-Kin living in Lythane are mostly Glacias Draconis Dragon-Kin, and most tend to settle at the base of either the Ajan Ridgeline or the Western Divide of the Krendak Ridges, preferring to keep guard over the city's most vulnerable roads and resources.
The Gnomes, Gitwerg and Goblins are few in number, but the long stretches of mountain and rocky soil along its Northern and Southern edges make for a large number of mining operations and fungal farms, as well as a small population dedicated to other employment fields. The Felinae and Kenthri mostly hunt dangerous beasts in the Ajan Ridgeline or the Western Divide of the Krendak Ridges, but a few also tend to some of the scarce fields Lythane has. The Gargoyles and Humans mostly try to keep out of trouble, having little to offer the populous aside from individual skills and experiences, and with the scarcity of room to expand, Lythane has little use for those that do not prove their value quickly. The Naiads and Cubi mostly tend to various fishing enterprises, but there are also quite a few diving expeditions to gain aquatic resources such as special types of medicinal seaweed and pearl harvesting.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Population Center: Sanctarrei:
Twelve miles Southeast of Dekan City, nestled along the southern-most peaks of the Krendak Ridges away from the ancient ruins of the failed settlement is Sanctarrei. While few Draconis Dragon-Kin live there due to the proximity to the ruins, it is still a bustling city with a thriving economy. The headwaters of the Rynell and Sarda Rivers begin just East of Sanctarrei, and their pure waters keep the hills and fields Southwest of the Hulna Desert lush and verdant, and there are a myriad of farms and orchards in that area, though that area is jointly run by individuals from both Sanctarrei and Lythane, which lays ten miles Southeast of Sanctarrei.
The majority of the Pixies living in and around Sanctarrei tend to keep to the swamp East of it, aiding the Kenthri with logging operations while ensuring that the balance of nature is kept, cultivating wild plants with a great many medicinal properties as well as great flavors. The Felinae and Gargoyles frequently go on expeditions into the ruins, seeking resolution to the spectral wanderers there and aiming to reclaim lost relics and secrets. The Naiads are usually found protecting the source of the Rynell and Sarda Rivers, though some also live in the swamplands Southeast of Sanctarrei alongside some of the Cubi population, fishing the Junyit Sea and quelling some of the more dangerous magical mutations that reside there.
The Reynix care for a few small fields East of the Rynell River for the most part, though complaints have come from Lythane over missing livestock and individuals who have disappeared for days only to return later with no recollection of what they did while they were gone. The Gnomes and Gitwerg have a symbiotic relationship of sorts in Sanctarrei, as the rock is too hard in most places for the Gnomes to dig, and yet the soil and cavern structures are too high in sulfur for the traditional Gitwerg crops to grow underground. As a result, the knowledge of the Gnomes is kept secret, but their own cavern farms manage to produce enough food for both cultures to thrive and blend together significantly. There have even been rumors that the son of the Gitwerg head miner and the daughter of a Gnome merchant have been seen sneaking off into various forbidden tunnels alone for hours at a time...
The Goblins and Humans are rarely seen in Sanctarrei proper, however, quite a few live along the shores of Lake Kannamir and Lake Arl, Northeast of Lythane, near to the Reynix-run fields. There feuds between the two cultures are frequent, mostly regarding past botched attempts to work together being foiled in the middle of the night and both sides blaming the other and raising their prices when selling to one another far higher than the prices they offer the Reynix...
The majority of the Pixies living in and around Sanctarrei tend to keep to the swamp East of it, aiding the Kenthri with logging operations while ensuring that the balance of nature is kept, cultivating wild plants with a great many medicinal properties as well as great flavors. The Felinae and Gargoyles frequently go on expeditions into the ruins, seeking resolution to the spectral wanderers there and aiming to reclaim lost relics and secrets. The Naiads are usually found protecting the source of the Rynell and Sarda Rivers, though some also live in the swamplands Southeast of Sanctarrei alongside some of the Cubi population, fishing the Junyit Sea and quelling some of the more dangerous magical mutations that reside there.
The Reynix care for a few small fields East of the Rynell River for the most part, though complaints have come from Lythane over missing livestock and individuals who have disappeared for days only to return later with no recollection of what they did while they were gone. The Gnomes and Gitwerg have a symbiotic relationship of sorts in Sanctarrei, as the rock is too hard in most places for the Gnomes to dig, and yet the soil and cavern structures are too high in sulfur for the traditional Gitwerg crops to grow underground. As a result, the knowledge of the Gnomes is kept secret, but their own cavern farms manage to produce enough food for both cultures to thrive and blend together significantly. There have even been rumors that the son of the Gitwerg head miner and the daughter of a Gnome merchant have been seen sneaking off into various forbidden tunnels alone for hours at a time...
The Goblins and Humans are rarely seen in Sanctarrei proper, however, quite a few live along the shores of Lake Kannamir and Lake Arl, Northeast of Lythane, near to the Reynix-run fields. There feuds between the two cultures are frequent, mostly regarding past botched attempts to work together being foiled in the middle of the night and both sides blaming the other and raising their prices when selling to one another far higher than the prices they offer the Reynix...
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