Liyue

Liyue is the only known civilized continent in the world of Thedas. Little is known of the rest of the planet’s geography (other than what has been observable from satellites) due to the toxic and dangerous nature of the Outlands which has prevented exploration.

This page describes the geography and high-level information of Liyue. See the following pages for information on:

* The Sister Cities
* Elyrium
* Ostelia
* Var Rithian
* The Outlands
* History

## Geography

Liyue is a massive island which broke off from the larger mainlands of Thedas during the Cataclysm. At the heart of the continent is Liyue’s largest (though not only) freshwater supply, Lake Kaveshi. This lake is fed by the snows of the Yama Range, which sit along the lake’s eastern edge. Several rivers run off of Lake Kaveshi to feed the rest of the continent.

Constructed at the western edge of Lake Kaveshi is the city of Elyrium, one of the three Sister Cities which serve as the bulwarks for humanity’s survival.

On the central southern peninsula of Liyue, situated at the coast of the Lyrical Sea, is the city of Var Rithian.

At the northeast of the continent, perched on a cliff overlooking the Lyrical Sea, is the third Sister City of Ostelia. It is isolated on an auxiliary island, requiring travel by boat as there is no land bridge connecting Kalimb Island to mainland Liyue.

The vast lands between the Sister Cities are known as the Outlands. The Outlands cover broad grassland and forest biomes, but are considered uninhabitable due to the devastation of the Cataclysm in conjunction with the infestation of Devils and monsters.

Roads and small outposts do connect the cities, but they are rarely traveled as the journey is incredibly arduous. The outposts are under frequent assault and receive support from all three cities as necessary.

## The Sister Cities

The Sister Cities are the three cities of Liyue which were established around the same time following the Cataclysm. As far as records can tell, survivors of the disaster gathered in small tribes. The toxicity of the Outlands was a constant struggle and required dependence on mages to provide safety. Additionally, though the Devil presence was small at this time, they were still a persistent threat. Given the rarity of mages, though, tribes quickly realized the benefit of collecting into larger civilizations: more people could be protected by fewer mages in a smaller area.

The result was the establishment of the three cities. Each developed independently and the existence of the other two was unknown to each for a long time. A couple hundred years ago, technology had progressed to the point that people could begin journeys into the Outlands. So did the three cities discover each other. After a fair amount of diplomacy and discussion, a treaty of peace was established and has remained in place. Even so, tensions, distrust, and suspicions remain high between the Sister Cities, resulting in something of a cold war.

## Life Outside the Cities

The Outlands are a hostile environment unwelcoming of human life. While survival is not impossible, the post-Cataclysmic pollution has an adverse effect on non-magical organisms (especially humans). Animals and plants are less impacted by the pollution and have otherwise adapted to survive, but humans have a much slower evolutionary process and will experience increasingly worse illness as they are exposed to the Outlands. Curiously, magic seems to negate most or all of the Outlands' effects. This makes the use or company of a mage vital to survival in the Outlands--but there remains the everlasting threat of Devils and associated monsters which now roam the lands in search of food. Devil populations are particularly high just outside the cities as Devils are attracted toward humans; as such, leaving a city is extremely dangerous. Overall, life outside of the Sister Cities is considered altogether unsustainable. All cities have enacted policies against emigration as a result.

With great effort, roads and outposts have been established between the Sister Cities. The roads are not actively guarded nor are they well-kept, and it is all the outposts can do to survive and support their meager populations. Roads are used only for the purpose of vital communications and the exchange of crucial goods. All cities are fairly self-sustaining, so both of these are considered rare and extreme exceptions.

Devil threads aside, despite years of research, Elyrium's understanding of the Outlands and its toxicity are far from perfect. Land reclamation has been a slow and arduous process, though not an entirely unsuccessful one. The city of Elyrium has expanded to create new prefectures over the centuries through land reclamation by magical purification.