Enchanted Lands

There are only a few places in Phytor where magic is still alive. It is these lands, the enchanted lands, which are often forgotten in time.

### **The Enchanted Lands**

When the first Humans settled on the shores of Xalvador and Gletcher various races already lived on the continent, many of which had previously formed tribes and communities. The south saw the rise of the Bargos and Kant'u Bastions, the Great Grass Sea was home to the powerful Herculae and in the Mountains and valleys of the central regions Old Men build their first towns and mines. But none of these races would be so strongly connected to magic as the Uhla, the inhabitants of Uhlati.

Uhlati or more commonly known as Oelath among Humans, is a shimmer of the place it once was. According to many the place is still one of the few places where such strong spiritual and magical connections can be found, but with the tremendous loss of Uhla lives by war and disease in the past centuries, the region has been quiet. The dense forest, swamps and steep mountains make the region almost impassable and many legends of old about the unforgiving land has deterred most people form visiting the enchanted lands.

#### *Translated passage from ‘The Lands of Phytor’ by Scigo Vaspasius - 1838 BNE*

*... 'As we departed the castles of Monoger and passed north of the Florian mountains, I had my first glance of the enchanted lands of the Uhla. The previous week travellers had told of a theory that the whole region is alive, its forest moving and shifting, creating new pathways and closing others. It is said the Uhla can move the trees and can talk them, hence why they can live and find their ways in an everchanging environment. Lord Monoger had told me the Uhla were savages, but how can a being, who controls the elements, possibly be a savage. I had encountered real savages in the Tropics of the South, Haithu barbarians, praying to pegan gods and no remorse nor respect for anything which was alive. The Uhla can not be described the same, although they are barbarians as they do not prey to the real gods, they are in no way the savages they are ascribed to be.*

*The Uruga was the border between the Phinnellands and the enchanted lands, the contrast between these lands could not be more clear. To me it was obvious that the forest on the opposite side of the river was different to any forest on this continent. We had set up camp on the familiar side of the river and although Lord Monoger and many others had advised against entering the Uhlati, myself and a few fellow travellers crossed the river in the morning of the next day. We decided that the safest way to not get lost was to travel in a straight line, which was hard in the jungle. I had asked my fellow men not to use swords or knives to cut through the vegetation, as if this forest really was alive, it would be better to keep it untroubled. After walking what felt like half a day we had somehow returned to the shore of Uruga, at the same spot we had crossed it. We had however only walked in a straight line and never made a turn, let alone walked back.*

*Eager to discover the secrets of these lands we ventured back into the woods the next day. But upon crossing the Uruga we were stopped by various Uhla warriors. The creatures resembled humans a lot, but were dissimilar in many ways. The Uhla had a lightly green skin, I could not determine whether this was filth or truly their colour of skin.* *They had fins between their fingers and on their cheeks had something resembling gills. They wore all types of fabric, flowers and plants. The warriors gestured to lay down our arms and come with. Upon seeing this our compatriots on the other side of the river rushed to cross and help, but the Uhla did not seem to intend any harm and I demanded my retinue to keep to the other side. We followed the warriors through the thick forest. With full confidence they navigated through what seemed to be endless trees. Eventually we would reach a settlement. I expected to find wood and reed structures, but to my amazement several buildings were made from stone. They brought us to their chieftain which to my amazement spoke Vitorian. Apparently some 20 years earlier a ship had shipwrecked of the Uhlati coast and three man were rescued by the villagers, they learned the Uhla ways and taught the chieftain their language. They had since all passed, but this ensured me that we were not among savages, but among kind-hearted beings.*