Athawin Shallows

**Among all the regions across the land, none truly represent the aspects of fey and nature from the Athawin Shallows. Magic is rich in the air, and all sorts of denizens, both mortal and fey, reside in this wondrous, yet mysterious place.**

## Athawin Shallows

### Population

Approximately 25,000♦ Fey (20%)

♦ Elves (30%)

♦ Drow (10%)

♦ Humans (15%)

♦ Half-Elves (15%)

♦ Other (10%)

## History

Roughly 100 years ago, the Athawin Shallows began as a simple, humble place for tribes, nomads and druidic circles alike to gather. The Green Faith was strongly revered, and its people lived in relative peace....at least on the surface for a time. Beneath the land also resided another race, the Drow. However, unlike the sinister behavior typically seen by their kin, this particular group of drow had a different fate. War raged beneath the land, as aberrations from across the planes sought to invade, attracted to the magical power of the Athawin Shallows. The invasions became so frequent that the drow society residing under the surface here changed and adapted overtime to deal with the constant threats. Many of their homes were lost, their culture shattered, and their strain was immense. This escalation of losses led to the drow becoming specialized aberration hunters, and as such, many were not considered solely evil. They had dedicated their lives to vanquish the twisted aberrations from beyond, for good or ill.

Meanwhile on the surface, the nomadic tribes would encounter more fey residents settling in the Athawin Shallows, as they discovered, through the ley lines of the land, that this region can directly transport one to and back from the First World. While many fey would be mischievous, initially playing pranks to the surface dwellers, the druidic circles would come to terms with the steady rise of fey residents, and offered companionship. The Seelie court was at first skeptical of this companionship, though they could not deny that the strong connection to nature that the druidic circles represented had piqued their interest.

Eventually, the aberration threats below would become so severe that they would start flooding onto the surface, which led to the drow pursuing them, revealing the drow on surface as well. The result was chaos through the land, leaving the residents confused and alarmed. At first, the drow were mistaken as being allied with the aberrations, but the Seelie court, unbiased, quickly realized this was not the case. The aberrations in question were among a terrible force known as 'The Blight', and their true intention became clear once they had finally breached the surface. They had a desire to not only blight Athawin Shallows and the regions beyond it, but the blight also wanted to twist the First World as well.

Due to the gravity of the situation, and the overwhelming strength of the blight present, it led to an uneasy alliance among the surface residents with the drow. The Seelie court was able to look beyond the mortal feuds of racism, and came to admire the skills that this distinct group of drow developed as hunters against aberrations. With their combined strength, both Fey and mortals combined were able to eliminate the blight threat, and restore balance to Athawin Shallows, though there were of course, many casualties in the process.

Yet not all would be at peace in the aftermath. While most elven residents came to terms of these drow hailing from a different upbringing from the rest, others were not pleased, and saw the acceptance of drow on the surface of Athawin Shallows, or even mere tolerance for them by their elven brethren (along with some other races), was absolute blasphemy. Echoes of the blight that faintly remained below the surface, would prey on the hatred stirred from drow racism, driving many of those individuals mad.... particularly those among the Green Faith.

Those consumed by their hatred in the Green Faith would be dominated by the echoes of the Blight. Searching for answers and some sort of sanity, they ventured below, where they would face nothing but corruption, brewed from within their own spirits. Yet these ex-Green Faith followers embraced the madness, wanting nothing but to destroy the drow at all costs, even non-evil ones, while also having a desire to destroy and corrupt everyone else, believing that the others among the Green Faith who had accepted drow on the surface, were utter fools. They hated the Seelie court for allowing the drow to even aid on surface matters as well. These ex-Green Faith members who gave into corruption would become **Siabrae**.

Meanwhile, a new age had begun for those on the surface, who embraced co-operation and prosperity among all, regardless of race. The Seelie court gained mortal followers, notably among this distinct group of drow. Several gladly offered their skills to hunt aberrations that threatened both Aera and the First World, in order to protect both mortals and fey alike from the terrors of the blight.

#### **POST-WAR**

Thanks to the combined efforts of Athawin's forces, Starshine City's restoration and militia, and adventurers from across the world, the Siabrae threat is at long last destroyed. The blight corruption has been completely reversed, and peace has returned to the land. The native Drow have re-established Starshine City as a safe haven for all. It has joined the Fey Council in regards to protection of the region, the ley lines, and the First World's access points in the area. The underdark beneath Athawin has been restored to its former identity, being the 'Starshine Wilds'.

## Culture

The Athawin Shallows follows a blend of druidic and fey traditions, signifying the merge between the mortal and otherworldly residents in the area. As such, the Seelie court and the druidic circles of the Green Faith both play prominent roles in how the society is governed. The culture is otherwise rooted in tribal and nomadic themes, with its residents settling across multiple villages dotted across the region. These villages tend to respect elven customs to build civilization with nature and not against it.

One of the most unique and distinct factors of this region's culture is the addition of non-evil drow who are part of its day to day affairs. Most of these drow were once dwellers below the surface, but countless years of war against the aberrations that ravaged their old society and lifestyle changed their outlook on life overtime. For these drow, the glory days of evil and domination over enslaving other races are long behind them, as they are now driven by their quest for eternal vengeance against the aberrations who tormented and wronged them.

Most of these drow tend to vary in neutral alignments, but truly evil drow from this group would instead leave the Athawin Shallows to rejoin with their traditional, sinister brethren from other lands. Other drow from this group have taken a step further since their integration back to society on the surface, and have shifted towards good alignments. While uncommon, it is not an odd sight to witness Drow Paladins of Sarenrae, or Drow Druids of the Green Faith who hail from the Athawin Shallows. Regardless of whether they are strictly neutral, or good, these drow are able to take up the mantle of an adventurer just like any other.