Eren: The Earth Region
A region of mostly rolling hills, that seem to get taller and taller the closer to the Earth Gate it gets. The north side is mostly flatland, splitting off into some large islands the closer to the Water region it gets. Most civilization resides in the river valleys that lie between the hills. The region is filled with all sorts of strange greenery, which only gets denser and more strange as it gets closer to the Gate.
Drekaya Kingdom (drak·Ai·uh)
The overarching kingdom of Eren, and primary home to the majority of dragonkin in the realm. After the fall of Eldra, the first dragon, the dragonkin sought to make a permanent home for themselves in the valley, built atop emerald hills of grass and mountain stone. Its strength is matched by the backdrop of mighty mountains which have helped shape the kingdom to what it is in the modern realm. The resources these mountains brought were of great importance, but they were also influential when it came to architectural designs as the vast majority of buildings mimic the broad slopes and steep peaks of the mountains. The royal family would reside in the mountain side, with their people governed in the Jade Valley below. In the last several decades, the empire has been ruled by Queen Shynday Sulon, a strict ruler who had led the Drekaya empire to greatness, and granddaughter to Eldra. Many fear the queen for her bloodline and harsh rule but even more respect her power without question. With a strong grip on Eren and the happenings of the nation, the empire plays a key role in the region, for without its wealth there is no trade, without its protection there is no safety, and without its leaders there is no progress. It is said though that in the coming years, a new ruler is to take her place, Princess Felin Sulon, and while some don't doubt she will make a great queen, there are many who question what kind of ruler she will be.
Jade Valley
Within the Jade Valley lies a city within the Drekaya Empire. This city is lined with great stone walls and parapets with mounted crossbows and laurels, dragonkin guards sitting on top to inspect any wanting passage into their home. To any visitor, entering the city may seem intimidating at the very least, but within the walls however, is an entirely different story. Once the village's solid wooden doors close behind you, you're met with a humble street that twists calmly up the hills within its walls, the sides of the roads layered with shop stalls and humble homes and greenery all throughout. The settlement itself looks majestic in nature, with its rustic rooftops, tatchet walls and vibrant, rare trees. You will see various kinds of dragonkin going about their day to day with a rare woodland elf or beastfolk spotted in the mix. This city is the primary home to most dragonkin in the realm, and is considered the motherland for their race. Its people are generally cautious of outsiders and the dragonkin are particularly rude to humans who may be passing through, but are fairly non-hostile and avoid trouble if they can help it.
The Vale
The largest area in all of Eren and of the most mysterious in the region, consisting of various mountain ranges and large clusters of exotic trees, some old, some new, some burnt from the olden days. When the great forest was burned down all those centuries ago, it never quite grew back the same. Where once it was full of echoing song birds and shimmering green leaves with speckles of sunlight trickling in through the canopy of trees overhead and rich brown trunks of trees as tall as the eye could see with wildlife happening all around you in the form of sound just barely out of view because of the coverage of the tall grass and overgrown vines and a whimsical like atmosphere like that of your favorite fairytale… was now an eerie and still ambiance of a vast, corrupted wood.
No, the forest was still beautiful. It had grown back green and full. But the birds no longer sing and the bushes are still, the leaves so thick not a shred of sunlight can find its way through their mass and where looking into the forest once brought wonder and the joy of exploration, now settles its visitors with a deep worry they can't quite place. The forest… is not the same.
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Some scoff and some tremble at the thought but the residents know. They know. They’ll tell you the forest feels sick, that its teeming with life on the brink of death, that peering into it feels so full and yet so empty, or that the wind that weaves through the trees makes it sound like the forest is crying.
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“Don't go into the Vale” they would say. “It'll swallow you whole.”
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Perhaps it is.
The Vale stretches around the Jade valley and meets Waytos Coast, making the only safe method of travel to the Drekaya Empire through the Nokmar Canyon. Many choose to take the mountainous passage through the canyon, and those who dont know better tend to take their chances navigating the Vale. A vast majority make it through but not without losing a bit of their sanity along the way. A journey meant to take only a few days turns to weeks.. Or was it months? They can't remember.
Nokmar Canyon (nok·mar)
A vast stretch of mountain range that helps to cut the region in thirds. The canyon is deep, with waterfalls and exotic forestry lining the edges and rivers down below. There are various caves and mountain-side settlements along the Nokmar Canyon, but they are very scattered and solitary.
The canyon also serves as the safest highway to get to the Drekaya Empire, oddly enough. Many do not tempt The Vale and traverse it and much rather take the long trek up and around the Canyon.
Leefside
At the foot of the Nokmar Canyon looking out to the sea lies a village that stands independent from the Drekaya Empire. This quaint town is home to those who seek a simple life and a safe place to carry out their day to day, as it is protected by a nearby guild of which it had been built around. The town is close knit and home to less than 800 people, making it easy to quickly learn faces. They are welcoming to outsiders, having a large port just outside their protective walls that brings visitors from all walks of life, and is generally trusting to even those who look like they may cause trouble. The common saying around these parts, especially when it comes to strangers, is often “You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
Asur Misoa (as·ur·miss·oha)
A vast expanse of rolling hills and tall grass, Asur Misoa is the most open stretch of territory in the earth region before meeting the dense brush of its core. Overhead, the warm sun blankets all those who enter, and at night, stars pepper the sky in a celestial light. From the shoreline as far as the eye can see, fields of grass and flowers decorate the earth's surface, faint, overgrown cobbled pathways leading towards the forest, marking the trade route into the main city. The route supplies the region with food and materials for their day to day operations within the valley, though Saboteurs such as the Earthgarde often prey on shipment workers and requisition cargo throughout the route. Otherwise, the area is an open field, the Mana stones, obelisks of giant crystals jutting from the ground, being the only obstructors before meeting the various trees that begin to pop up from Erens lands as you travel closer and closer to the vast forest.
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Mana Stones
Mana stones are a natural resource to the earth region and widely sought after by mages from around the world, making them the most valuable item of trade from Eren. Mana stones can be elementally charged by its user, fusing their mana signature with the crystal to act as a form of power supply when in need of a “recharge”. Such stones can even be utilized as a mana canister, storing one's mana for future use. These stones however, are known to be quite taxing in action, using a significant amount of the users stamina to pull mana from the stone without practise and bonding with the stone. These crystals are particularly delicate, and one wrong move can certainly leave it unstable enough to explode. Mana crystals work best when attuned to a specific user, making them a difficult item to steal if they've already been linked to an individual and even harder to find a seller who knows what they’re doing. The one major complication with these stones rests heavily on the fact that they also take decades to grow, making production slow and quantity scarce. One who has managed to get their hands on such a stone, is either wealthy, dishonorable, or just plain lucky.
Waytos Coast (way·toes)
Waytos Coast is the name the residents of Eren gave the coastline in its entirety. Where the ocean meets the sand, the start of jutting crystals can be seen beneath the water's surface, pointing inland as they grow larger. Not many inhabit the beaches of Eren due to the lack of agricultural potential by the sands and lack of building resources, though the beaches of Eren are a crisp white making it a beautiful sight to visit. Alongside the crystals growing on the beach, various crabs can be spotted scuttling about, bringing in a small portion of sea food for the surrounding peoples.
Earth Gate
The lands of Eren are almost entirely covered in a canopy of trees, some full and vibrant with color, and some having grown back from the old history of dragons. Even up the mountain passes the paths are outlined with greenery and tall trunks, grass having overgrown the walk way and moss covered rocks. The passage up the mountain was never a clear one, having been woven by the roots of the forest the Gate spun, sometimes looping for ages and ages , travelers getting lost in the woods. One could presume it's the natural way for the Gate to protect itself from intruders, but you’d have to consult the trees. The dense brush and moss-covered trees give way to a clearing at the top of the highest mountain in Eren. What once may have been a temple is now overgrown. Nature has taken back its land, with all paths winding their way here. The beholder would find an archway made of stacked stone of perfect balance, one nudge in the wrong direction, one tug from one of the pebbles, and the gate would crumble, chaos unfolding in the aftermath. From its center roots sprawl out, disappearing into the forest. The roots are so thick that the actual opening in the gate is nearly completely covered by the living forest it has created, only a small gap about an inch wide emitting a powerful green hue of light from somewhere beyond our realm.
Eriden the Gatekeeper
Unlike some of the other gatekeepers in other regions, Eriden has been spotted several times, unshy of being seen. They stand tall, shaking the ground with each step, watching over the forest and its precious gate with all seeing eyes. Eriden is a nature spirit, a true guardian of the earth gate, with various lesser spirits below them. Most refer to Eriden as an Elm, though they are unique in some of their properties, bending their appearance to blend in with the primary race of the kan-- Dragonkin. Its exterior shifts entirely based on Eren's overall health, appearing more full of leaves and luscious greens when the land is in good health, and appearing withered and pale, almost skeletal-like when Eren is suffering. If spotted, Eriden will almost go completely stuff, unmoving like a tree of the forest save for its hollow eyes looking down upon you. When approached Eriden will not flee, and when spoken to, those who attempt conversation are often met with silence. There are very few outside of Eldra who have ever heard the voice of the gatekeeper, though those who have been gifted with their voice have reported it to sound slow, low, and raspy, like that of old tree bark flaking off a trunk.
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Spirits
The guardians of Eren come in all shapes and sizes, and while some have been seen, there are many who have stayed hidden among the forest. These spirits are said to come from Eriden or the gate itself, magically charged creatures with one primary purpose of protecting the earth gate.
History of Dragons and Scorched Earth
It was once said long ago, that if the sky could dream, it would dream of dragons, and so it did. One of the first beings born to the realm, dragons have always been both feared and respected. Its a conversation that often breaks out in a quarrel when describing where the first dragons came from, be it from the realm of air, with their powerful wings lifting them to the skies, or from the realm of fire for their ferocious lungs of flame. The world is unsure of their origins, for all they know is that dragons come in all shapes and sizes, each representing a powerful historical creature born to the realm.
But to say the species had grown an ego would be an understatement. After centuries of awe from the smaller beings around them, dragons began to see themselves as celestial creatures and quickly fell into a power-crazed hunger no other could match. They lay waste to all those who spoke ill of them, sparing nothing in their rage, and razed entire kingdoms to ash if they so chose, stealing every wonder for themselves as it was their right, was it not? And all of this under one supreme ruler, Eldra, the first dragon, who had done nothing but lead her species into unrivaled glory through fire and blood. The realm was at the mercy of the beasts, until they reached Eren, the land of earth. Eldra was destined to set fire to the great forest of the region for no reason other than to watch a great fire burn, only halting her attack upon the sighting of a rather peculiar spirit, Eriden. The spirit stood its ground, showing no fear at the sight of dragons, and only looked on at the beasts with disappointment clear in its eyes. Eldra approached, shaking the ground as she landed before the spirit, her dark wings splitting the air. And it was only then that the spirit spoke, though not with its mouth for it had none, but directly into Eldras mind.
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“If you do not change your ways of this greed and anger,
your kin will fall and your legacy forgotten”
Eldra would scoff at the spirit, only mildly amused at the idea of this thing opposing her. But Eriden offered one final warning before shifting into a tree before the dragon queen's eyes.
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“Destroy this forest, and the fire will consume you.
Bring no harm, and you will be glorious”
It did not take long for Eldra to set her kin to the forest, tall, lucious trees like none have ever seen-- immediately falling to ruin, centuries and centuries of growth gone in an instant, the forest turning black as charcoal. Satisfied with her flame, her kin would venture into the burning wood, settling in what is now known as Jade valley. They found their nest in the wedge of the mountainside, and reaped their winnings from the land of Eren-- But her kin were unsatisfied with the flames. One by one they quickly began to turn on one another, horns clashing against horns, fangs against flesh, and flame against kin. Now coupled with the scorched earth were the various bodies of blind rage against one another, the reason unknown. It was as if the beasts lost their minds… just as the spirit had warned. At first Eldra was furious, her own rage only growing stronger as her followers tore at one another, some even attacking her. She would cry out, demanding obedience and order, but would be granted none. After many futile attempts at corralling her kin, Eldra took off, soaring for the location she last saw the spirit, once again landing before it, causing the ground to shake.
But it was just a tree. The only one left in all of Eren, completely untouched by flames. Eldra narrowed her gaze and parted her jaws, the hottest fire heaving from her lungs. Her onslaught lasted several moments, until there was no fire left in her lungs, and yet when the smoke dissipated, the tree remained untouched. Eldra demanded Eriden to reveal itself but was met with silence, and in the distance the cries of bloodshed of her kin could be heard. The legacy of dragons was crumbling before Eldras eyes, a chapter lost to history after each dragon fell, until there was but a handful left. It was then for the first time that the eldest dragon would beg. Not for an instance in her lifetime had the dragon queen ever asked for anything, until now to save her kin. It is said that decades passed before the spirit complied, leaving all but a fistful of dragons to ruin before appearing before Eldra again. Though this time, Ediren took the form of a dragon, its body woven by tree roots and its wings an intricate structure of branches. Ediren was much bigger than Eldra in size, and looked down on the dragon with no emotion. Eriden once again entered the mind of Eldra, their voice hoarse.
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“Why do you beg?”
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Eldra looked upon the tree spirit, the loss of her kin heavy in her mind. “They’re gone. They’re all gone..” There was silence for a moment before Eldra spoke again. “Can you bring them back?”
Eridens body rumbled, their wings shaking, leaves falling to the ground.
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“They can never come back”
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Where the leaves fell from Eridens wings, a sapling began to grow, and on it, a budding cluster of red flowers. Ember Root.
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“You shall take this, and feed it to your people every day. It will serve as a reminder for your mistakes, and as a remedy for your rage. Should you cease consumption, the flames will consume you once more.”
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Eldra could simply nod, the weight of the loss could never be eased, for the dragons had suffered immensely, but she would take the root to heal what was left, in the hopes of rising once again. Eldra learned through her losses, that era, and it is said that while Eriden had once gifted the dragons Ember Root, they had also gifted them wisdom.
