Lustana

Lustana is a thriving country where humans and elves live integrated lives. The country is almost completely surrounded by mountains.

## Geography

The expanse of sunbathed meadows and grasslands with a stark backdrop of mountains makes much of Lustana look like an idyllic paradise. The country is filled with sunny meadows, vast grasslands, and verdant forest, dotted by glistening white cities with tall towers and beautiful architecture that houses an array of both magic and technology. Lustana is most known for its many mountain ranges that almost completely encircle the country. The Telleric mountains create Lustana's northern border with Wrathmire, stretching from the howling river to the Amnicon Ocean. The Recruil Mountains create the country's western and southern borders, arching from the western border to Stalor, down the southern part of the country, and creeping slightly up the Lustana's eastern shore.

### Passes and Tunnels

Mountain passes were the lifelines of trade to lustana in the past, and hold major significance in the country. There are two major passes in the country, the Western Pass and the Issatora Pass. The Western Pass is a large part of flat land separating the Telleric and Recruil Mountains, and has been the most significant passage in and out of Lustana in history. The Issatora Pass runs northward into Wrathmire, close to the countries eastern shore.

In recent years, Lustana has made a number of tunnels with trains in them for greater access out of the country, the tunnels are located in places where the mountain ranges thin out, because the building costs were much less. The Zinlora Tunnel, Lustana's major southern tunnel, cuts through the Recruil, opening to the border with Marrow. The Vicra Tunnel runs east-west through the Recruil towards Stalor in the south of the country.

## Cities

### Thenorin

The capital of Lustana, Thenorin, is a magnificent city located near the base of the Telleric mountains close to the Western Pass. Within Thenorin is the glistening residence of the Tribune called the Grass Bells, with awe-inspiring white towers and battlements in a magnificent display of the architecture of the country.

### Karakot

Karakot is an ancient city that is populated by a tribe of beast masters known as the Undiri.

### Dafaren

Dafaren was a peaceful Lustanan village, where the Calamity of Dafaren took place.

### Cithrel

A small, somewhat isolated city lying on the country's southeastern coast.

## History

### ​The Calamity of Dafaren

Dafaren was a peaceful village in Lustana, most notable for the Dafaren Rangers, a group of highly skilled warriors that hailed from the village. The event known as the calamity of Dafaren started when villagers began to fall ill seemingly out of nowhere. Tinlef Greenmyre, a Dafaren Ranger and the apprentice of the village mystic Tyr, began to suspect that it was not a sudden outbreak of some kind but the work of someone within the village. One night while walking home, he remembered that he had forgotten to lock the shop. When he returned to the mystic shop, he saw a light through the window coming from the basement. Being curious of the reason a light was on and also having some suspicion towards Tyr initially, he decided to investigate. Tyr was hysterically talking to himself and tracing an odd symbol on the wall. A gateway opened and Tyr walked in, laughing like a madman and cursing the Lustanan government. An investigation by the Dafaren Rangers revealed that Tyr had been harvesting life force from the villagers in order to open the portal. With the villagers still falling ill and normal methods for closing demonic portals proving useless, Myrin Pyrder, a close friend of Tinlef and a Dafaren Ranger, volunteered to go into the portal in order to find and defeat Tyr, hoping that by doing so the portal could be closed and the villagers would be healed. Tinlef and Niyra Elanel went alonf as well to support Myrin. The trio searched the demented world for days, battling off demons and other ethereal creatures. When they finally located Tyr, he had almost completely transformed into a demon. The fight with Tyr was long and gruesome, but it seemed that the trio started to gain the upper hand. Upon realizing this, Tyr attempted to implode the portal, aiming to destroy all of Lustana and locking it within the demonic world. While this plan was thwarted by Tinlef, Dafaren was not the same. When the trio escaped the portal, they realized that their village was empty. As they would soon find out, Tyr managed to trap the souls of all of the living beings within a certain radius inside the portal. Current day Dafaren resembles a rundown ghost town, with the only survivors being Tinlef, Myrin, and Niyra, and those who were out of the village at the time. The trio are desperately trying to find a way to revert their village to normal.

## Culture

### Religion

The Lustanan religion of Tridha seems to be an adapted version of Oracy. Many denizens of Lustana believe in a Pantheon of three gods. Rusrasil, Valiron, and Emara.

### Nesting Body Modifications

Nesting body modifications are a kind of traditional body modifications rarely seen in the country today, where the individual becomes a nest for some sort of small creature, usually some bug. These techniques, usually performed on young lustanen boys, were seen as a trial of bravery and strength, as the process is extremely painful. This practice has all but disappeared in modern times, especially since it is now illegal in the country to practice body modification on children. However, some feel that the law doesn't respect traditional values and customs and it is still possible to meet individuals with the body modification, especially in the south of the country where the practice was more prevalent. It is said that these traditions remain strongest in the city of Cithrel, a small town on the southeastern shore.

## Iconic Locations

### The Summer Springs

​These springs are located in the southeast region of Lustana and are known for their healing properties. These lush springs produce water that almost seems florescent green that has strange healing properties. Stones in these springs called the harrow stones are seen as charms for health and prosperity. Stories have been told that these stones help wounds heal faster and increase the amount of physical abuse the body can take.

### The Goranil Peaks

In a small, secluded section of the Telleric mountain range lies a cluster of jagged peaks that were given the name Goranil. The peaks are clustered together, with shallow valleys between them. These peaks are the residence of the Oracle of Snakes, Haad, a powerful mythical creature that is said to have lived hundreds if not thousands of years. Haad is a massive snake with slate grey and midnight blue scales, she intricate gold rings on various parts of her body as well as a small white crown. Haad is able to speak all languages and has a vast knowledge of the world.