Post by Hydranis on Apr 27, 2015 22:30:48 GMT -5
Moonbrooke
A hidden Elven city which is protected by a magical forest made up of Treant groves. The forest is entirely alive and will attack intruders without warning. Some of the Treants are nicer than others and may give a warning when a traveler is trying to pass through, but most will simply attack on sight.
Only Elves, trusted guests, and most Fey may enter.
There is a King who rules this beautiful city. His name is Anaralath.
The city is settled amongst a lake which various brooks flow into and out of. The buildings are magnificent stone structures that stand proud and strong. At night, when the moonlight shines down through the trees it reflects off of this stone to make the illusion that each building is glowing white. The trees outlining the edge of the lake are decorated in many jewels and other precious stones which make the trees sparkle and dance in the wind.
The eight phases of the moon are either celebrated or feared.
1. New – Celebration for new life. The Elves have been born. Elves born during a new moon are said to be blessed by the goddess.
2. Waxing Crescent – Grand feast. Life continues.
3. 1st Quarter – Day of labor. Knowledge has given the Elves life.
4. Waxing Gibbous – Day of silence since war was upon the Elves.
5. Full – Mourning of the death of Riordan.
6. Waning Gibbous – 24 hour fast.
7. Last Quarter – Day of labor. Magic brings balance and shapes our reality.
8. Waning Crescent – Festival
There is a tale about the lake and a moon goddess that once walked the lake. She was responsible for growing the entire forest that surrounds Moonbrooke, seed by seed. Over many years she worked on this forest until she had expended almost all of her power and energy. With her last few breaths, she created an Elf to look over the forest while she returned to the moon. This Elf, known as Riordan, became the guardian of the forest and built a kingdom with the most trusted Elves he could gather.
Elmdor
A city hidden under a giant misshapen tree in the eastern plains. The tree is barren of all vegetation, yet stands as strong as ever. It's giant gnarled roots hide a hidden door down into an underground forest. This city was created almost entirely out of magic and is nestled within the branches of these trees which are larger and wider than red woods. While sitting inside one of these trees, one may see through the walls and ceiling almost as if they were not even there. The imagery comes out as a slight blur, and only Elves are able to see other living beings outside of the walls while other creatures or races see them as invisible. The ceiling of the cavern displays the outside world and sky. This allows for the Elves to be able to witness nature from their dwellings while simultaneously keeping a constant lookout for danger or possible intrusion.
There is a single tree set apart from the others. It is a little taller than the rest, much fatter, and surrounded by beautiful gardens. This is the Mother Tree, and is the home of the Elven Queen Varonious.
The Moonbrook Guardian named Riordan traveled far across the land in search of new followers. He came across a giant field there was a village of primitive Elves. He helped them learn new methods of survival and taught them the most basic fundamentals of magic. Riordan gave them the gift of knowledge through the use of written language and book making. Because of his teachings, the village was able to develop into a small town as life expectancy increased thanks to the help of magic to cure ailments and survival tactics to feed the hungry. The growth of the village caught the interest of a distance Orc tribe off in the mountains. A shaman, Xago, bent on stealing their magic artifacts, sent an army to the field. He knew that this new Elf intruder would pose a threat to his land and his people, so getting rid of him and stealing his magical artifacts would prove beneficial to his tribe. Many lives were lost on both sides during this two day war, but the Elves had the upper hand with their new magic and Riordan. Xago retaliated by cursing himself and sacrificing his body to his deity to kill the guardian. Xago would return to life when the largest soul returned to its deity. Because Riordan did not belong to a true deity and was the result of magic, his soul had nowhere to go so his spirit took the form of a colossal tree. The tree grew instantly, killing several Orcs that were in its wake. It sprouted beautiful flowers and fruit, but died moments later when the soul of the shaman infused with the guardian since his body was now that of the tree.
The Orcs fled after the transformation and the remaining Elves took refuge beneath the giant roots of the tree. Over many years it slowly got deeper and deeper until it became the underground Elven city of Elmdor. To this day, the souls of Riordan and Xago battle within the tree, and Riordan has vowed to never be returned to his Elf form in order to protect his people and their new home.
To the east of Elmdor, in the mountains is the "Cave of Trials". This cave was once hunting and fishing grounds due to having numerous underground lakes. The cave was eventually sealed off when dangerous creatures began to inhabit it. Deep down in the cave there is a chance to come across a rare "Moon Flower" which was believed to have been brought over by Riordan. Legend says that Riordan planted the flower as a test for true warriors who dared to venture so deep. When mature, the flower produces a bulb that when crushed can be used to create a healing salve (3d8 HP). Before maturity, however, it reveals a four leafed white flower that sometimes emits a faint white light. This flower is plucked by brave Elves of Elmdor who wish to retrieve it as a symbol of a true warrior.
Elmdor Map: imgur.com/a/ipROxKZ