The Duchy of Sunreach is a warm, fertile expanse of rolling plains, golden fields, and sunlit river valleys stretching across the southern reaches of the Arethian Empire. It is the empire’s primary agricultural heartland and its most important southern trade corridor—wealthy, diverse, and quietly powerful.
Sunreach’s prosperity is inseparable from legend. Its capital stands upon the site of an ancient battlefield where Areth Drakenfel, dragonborn paladin and founder of the empire, fell in the moment of his greatest victory. Whether by divine miracle or coincidence of nature, the land surrounding the battlefield has produced bountiful harvests ever since.
The duchy is ruled by House Erestel, an ancient elven house whose founder served as Areth’s steward and chronicler. Through loyalty, stewardship, and restraint, the Erestels have maintained control for centuries—never emperors, but indispensable to those who are.
One of the prominent features of the Duchy of Sunreach is its ancient canalways that spread from Lake Auluin throughout the duchy one can travel from Erestelion to Camlas without leaving the water. The ancient canalways are used for irrigation and transportation.
A large, thriving walled city in the Duchy of Sunreach, Erestelion is a vibrant hub where elegant elven architecture harmoniously merges with sturdy human stonework. It boasts multiple districts, fertile surrounding fields, and is bordered by an ancient canal. The city's core features a grand avenue it's two monumental memorial statues, one of Areth Drakenfel the founder of the Kingdom of Areth and one of Ithalen Erestel his steward and the founder of House Erestel who now rule the duchy.
Camlas is an ancient forest town grown around learning and nature. Nestled deep within the Greenward Forest in the Duchy of Sunreach, it is bisected cleanly by the Ancient Sunreach Canal, a narrow but vital waterway that serves as the town’s primary artery for trade, travel, and communication. Barges pass through Camlas single-file, gliding slowly beneath overhanging trees and wooden bridges.
Camlas feels less built and more settled into the forest. Structures crowd together not from overpopulation, but from centuries of careful expansion that refused to clear more woodland than necessary.
The largest structure in Camlas is "Caelthirwyn Academy", an Arcane & Druidic Academy. The Academy itself is a sweeping, curved stone structure rising in multiple terraced levels. Upper tiers are heavily overgrown with ivy, flowering vines, and even small trees.
The Greenward Expanse is an old forest—not wild in the savage sense, but deeply rooted. It has grown alongside civilization with the town of Camlas within it's boundaries. Many trees in the Greenward bear faint natural patterns in their bark that resemble runes, spirals, or script-like markings.
Locals say the forest does not resist Camlas because it was never conquered.
Where the ancient Sunreach Canal passes through the Greenward, its stone banks are fused with roots and moss and strengthened by them.
Like much of Sunreach, Greenward Forest does not experience harsh seasonal extremes. Winters are mild, Summers are warm but never scorching and Storms often break before fully forming overhead. Some believe this is residual magic from the ancient battlefield to the south; others claim generations of druidic rituals subtly shaped the climate.
At twilight, the forest grows eerily calm. Birds and insects fall silent for several minutes before resuming their calls.