Valrithen

Valrithen is an island continent which can be found in the northern hemisphere of Evalore, bordered by the Silver and Sun-kissed Seas. Valrithen is host to 3 major regions, divided into Southern, Central, and Northern Valrithen.

## Southern Valrithen

### Tevretni

Southern Valrithen is home to the nation of Tevretni, the capital of which is known as the Seamless City. At the heart of the city resides the Invincible Citadel, a fortress constructed from bloodstone and adamantine, and within the heart of the citadel resides the throne room of the ruler of the nation - The Deathless King. The king rarely intervenes when it comes to the goings-on within the nation, and so the people of Tevretni are generally left to their own devices, so long as they do not threaten the nation's stability.

The largest source of clean water within Tevretni is the Sparkling River - over a mile wide in most places, the river flows down from the Insanity Cliffs. The water of the river glows with faint, sparkling motes of light, and the liquid shares the properties of Holy Water. If removed from the river, the liquid loses its special properties over time, eventually becoming regular, pure water. It's rumoured that the source of the river's magic is actually the corpse of a Celestial, slain within the mountains known as the Empyrean Peaks at the water's source.

Connected to the Sparkling River is Starblast Pond, just south of the Seamless City. The entire pool is enchanted to act as a massive scrying focus, and water from it can be used in place of the material components for most divination spells. Much like the waters of the Sparkling River, however, the liquid loses its special properties over time if removed from the Pond. The pond's special properties are maintained by a series of enchanted bloodstones in a special arrangement around the pool devised by an individual known as Gellister Starblast.

Along the southeast coast of Tevretni is the Forest of Roses, named such due to the overwhelming number of the flowers that are held within. The forest itself is rumoured to be a crossing point into the Feywild, and as such is treated with caution. It's rumoured that a vampire lives there, in an old manor in the center of a moonlit grove, and if you're caught stealing from it, you'll be forced to remain within the woods forever, as punishment for your transgression. Many venture forth regardless, as the plants that can be found within the Forest of Roses serve many purposes as alchemical and magical reagents.

Within Southern Tevretni are the Shattered Hills, a devastated stretch of land that was struck by a falling star, back in the time before civilization. The entire place is taboo - the land itself is said to have been punished by the Gods for a great act of heresy its inhabitants performed millennia ago, the scar that is the Shattered Hills acting as a reminder - and a warning. The place, from the limited tests conducted, almost seems to act out of accord with the rest of reality - creatures from various times and places are gathered to the Shattered Hills somehow with no memory of how they arrived. Some are trapped within and granted a sort of immortality, unable to truly die even through battle, while others are freely allowed to leave. The very Weave itself is damaged around the Shattered Hills, with some pockets completely devoid of its presence - and subsequently, magic - and others dangerously volatile. Some believe it worth studying and exploring, but most believe that anyone who attempts to do so will draw the ire of the Gods, and so it is seen as madness at best.

Within Western Tevretni, just south of Askendia, is Bloodstone Lake. The place is named after the crimson, crystalline rocks which seem to naturally grow within and around it. Bloodstone isn't a particularly powerful material on its own, but it's highly malleable and extremely receptive to magic, making it an excellent material for spell focuses and other delicate magical apparatuses. Bloodstone is also often used as an auxiliary material in as weapons and armor, so that they may more easily be enchanted. Bloodstone grows incredibly slowly, but the process can be accelerated by spilling fresh blood onto it - especially that of humanoids - whereupon the stone will quickly drink it in. As a result of this, a common punishment for severe crimes within Tevretni is to be brought to Bloodstone Lake and bled on the stones, sometimes until death.

To the west of Tevretni are the Killing Fields. A great stretch of uninhabited land, twisted by terrible magic, the place is as dangerous as its name would imply. Countless monsters roam the place, many of which are believed to be native to other planes of existence, and even the land itself seems intent on attempting to slay any who would dare cross its threshold. There are countless theories as to what happened to cause the place to become so dreaded, but as of yet none who have attempted to brave the place to find an answer have returned with anything other than brutal injuries, semi-coherent descriptions of nightmarish creatures, and a desperate desire never to return. Most who venture to the Killing Fields don't return at all.

## Central Valrithen

Central Valrithen is home to the nations of Shardrethen and Venaxxia, both sharing the names of their capital cities. The southernmost part of Central Valrithen consists of the Insanity Cliffs, a place suffused with magic and home to all manner of anomalies and madness. It's believed that at least one permanent portal to the Abyss resides within the cliffs, though it has yet to be confirmed, especially because everyone sent to investigate seems to develop some form of mental instability, only worsening the longer they spend in the area and the deeper they venture. It is believed that whatever taints the Insanity Cliffs is the same thing that has twisted the Killing Fields of Southern Valrithen, as the magic permeating both places is similar.

North of the Insanity Cliffs is the Salted Grove, a site where in the year 618, just two years after the founding of the twin nations, a conclave of Warlocks from Shardrethen attempted to magically chain a nature spirit to the place and harness its power to ensure the land's prosperity. The ritual was broken when a group of Venaxxian Inquisitors struck at the Warlocks, and in doing so shattered their concentration. Upon its release from the ritual, the furious spirit unleashed a devastating roar which could be heard throughout the continent. The Warlocks and Inquisitors at the site were slain instantly, and the grove and the land all around it withered and died. Ever since, attempting to grow any kind of flora within the grove or any of the land between Shardrethen City and the Insanity Cliffs has been fruitless, and Shardrethen and Venaxxia have been in a near-constant series of wars, experiencing only brief periods of peace.

Separating Shardrethen and Venaxxia is the Mortis Forest, named after one of the three founders of Shardrethen. Mortis Forest is an unnatural place, said to have been enchanted by the necromancer of the same name in the year 633 after he resigned from the Crystal Council. The plants within the place regrow unnaturally quickly, never seem to wilt, and the light of the sun struggles to ever pierce the canopy. Within the heart of the forest is a tomb which undead constantly stream out from in every direction, requiring continuous attention from both Shardrethen and Venaxxia.

To the west of Mortis Forest, off the coast of Central Valrithen, is the Isle of Arcadia. The place is home primarily to Druidic groups and tribes, and is a place where the fabric separating the Feywild and the Material Plane is incredibly thin - it's not uncommon for a visitor to the Isle to accidentally arrive within the Feywild without realizing, sometimes for days. Similarly, Fey creatures often cross over to the Isle, usually for purposes of revelry or mischief.

To the east of Mortis Forest and the mountains known as the Great Divide are the Wildlands, a largely-unexplored section of Valrithen believed to be home to various warrior-tribes and jungle civilizations. Unlike Shardrethen and Venaxxia, those of the Wildlands focus more on martial strength and drawing power from nature itself. The inhabitants of the Wildlands hunt down or stave off many creatures that would otherwise be major threats to other parts of Valrithen, their reasons for doing so varying between even individual warriors.

Near the northern end of Central Valrithen lies Crystaldrop Lake, a place where a monstrous creature that would eventually come to be known as the Godslayer was sealed away, only to eventually be released. The waters of Crystaldrop Lake were blessed by a ritual performed by Venaxxian Clerics in the year 1215, causing the entire lake to become a replenishing reservoir of holy water.

The northernmost part of Central Valrithen consists of a massive, blessed, enchanted wall known as Valrithen's Charge, which spans the entire length of Central Valrithen, separating it from the Frozen Wastes to the north. Built before either of the two nations were founded, Valrithen's Charge is one of the few times the people of Central Valrithen worked in unison rather than opposition, to create a wonder that protects both nations to this day. The wall is constantly manned by individuals from both nations (and some who are from neither) regardless of circumstance, because if it were ever to fail in its purpose there wouldn't be anything left to oppose each other over.

#### The First Forge

Beneath the mountains of Norrikath lies the First Forge, a legendary place said to have been crafted by Muradin himself. The Forge is incredibly powerful, and a skilled artisan can use it to craft nearly anything conceivable, given the proper materials. Not anyone can simply access the forge, however - only those the Forge deems worthy are able to use it, and how it determines such worth is unknown.

### Shardrethen

Shardrethen is a nation consisting primarily of mages - the entire nation relies on magic for nearly everything, whether it be creating buildings in a matter of hours, conjuring ever-burning lanterns to light the streets, digging out channels for irrigation, creating laborers out of the long-dead, and so on. Shardrethen is well-known for its extensive research and documentation of magic, its use of advanced ritual magic and spells that require multiple casters, its powerful magical artifacts, and its general attitude that there is no such thing as "evil magic," instead seeing all forms of magic as tools that can be turned to any purpose. Shardrethenians tend to put high value on personal success, learning, and ambition.

In order for a settlement to be considered a proper town or city within Shardrethen, it must contain a Mage's Guild or College. Once the settlement as a whole is deemed worthy, the Crystal Council assigns someone to govern the place, granting that individual the title of Keeper.

#### The Crystal Council

The Crystal Council is the main ruling body of the nation of Shardrethen. They reside within the Spire of Cognition, a floating tower that acts as their headquarters usually found hovering over Shardrethen City. Every few years, the members making up the Crystal Council change - often due to resignation, sometimes due to death. That said, regardless of the situation, the Council always consists of exactly three members, and it is always made up of accomplished mages. It's said that within the Spire of Cognition, there are a series of rules inscribed into the structure itself known as the Immutable Laws, visible only to the Crystal Council.

### Venaxxia

Venaxxia is a nation of divine magic, well-known for its connection to the Gods and the literal miracles the nation calls upon. Venaxxia was ruled by a council of three - the Holy Trinity - up until the year 1212, where after losing a particularly brutal war against Shardrethen, the Trinity was deemed ineffective, unable to work together when compromise between the ideals of their favored deities was necessary. After the war, Venaxxia reorganized into a monarchy. Venaxxians take the idea of there being such a thing as a divine right to rule very seriously - the royal families of Venaxxia have all, at some point in their histories, received a divine blessing from a God. Venaxxians tend to have strong spiritual and moral beliefs and focus on remaining humble, seeking enlightenment, and striving to uphold sometimes-impossible ideals.

#### Divine Commandments

Within Venaxxia, in times of great strife, sometimes a God will personally deliver a command to one of their chosen. Such a thing is known as a Divine Commandment, and to stand in the way of one attempting to fulfill a commandment is blasphemy. To falsely claim to have received a Divine Commandment is the greatest crime it is possible to commit in Venaxxia.

## Northern Valrithen

Northern Valrithen is home to the Frozen Wastes, an icy land, overrun with monsters and ancient terrors. It was once host to a great civilization, but all that remains are old ruins, remnants of ancient magic, and long lost artifacts. Attempts to explore Northern Valrithen have been rebuffed time and time again - some sort of catastrophe always befalls those who try, and they usually don't survive it.

At one point, Northern Valrithen was the home of the Frozen King and his Onyx Knights, but in the year 1214 a group of adventurers brought and end to the king's reign before his plans could come to fruition.