Faladrim

Faladrim is a region of deep forests, high mountains, and cold waters tied together by steady ley flows. Elves have lived here for ages, shaping homes that last and customs that hold people together. Trade moves along barkstone roads and river paths. Patrols watch the borders. Magic is present but careful. At the center stands Naath, an elven city built to endure and to protect the land that feeds it. Around it are wild places with their own rules and dangers. This is a land where decisions are made in the open and consequences are tracked for a long time.

The Ley That Shapes the World

Under Faladrim runs a network of ley flows that bend growth, strengthen soil, and guide settlement. The elves of Naath chose their city’s ground at a junction where two surface flows meet. The Fountain of Naath marks that point and keeps the city supplied with clean water used in rites and everyday life. The Lorekeepers track these flows, record their changes, and set rules for safe practice. They resolve disputes that involve spellwork or omens and keep sealed histories beneath the Cloister. When the ley swells or thins, it can shift weather patterns, rouse creatures, or disturb old places. People here treat the ley as something to read and respect, not to exploit.

Peoples and Powers

Naath is governed by the Naath Council, elders drawn from the castes. They meet near the Fountain to settle law and set policy. Their style is slow and public, with seasonal courts and votes. The Wardens of Rootwatch patrol the city’s borders and shrines, keeping the Verdwood safe for those who live and work within it. On the southern water, the Lake-Wardens of Selenmere enforce bans on reckless magic and protect fishers and ferryfolk. Commerce falls under the Merchant Guild, which grants permits, settles trader disputes, and can exile those who break market law. The Lorekeepers maintain records and ritual law. The Seekers, a chartered adventuring band, take on risks beyond routine patrols—lost caravans, ley surges, and threats from the high country.

Roads, Courts, and Daily Trade

Barkstone roads and rootbridges connect Naath’s districts and mark the main trade routes out into the Verdwood. The Trunk Market handles most buying and selling, with stalls for produce, foraged goods, tools, cloth, and imports. Guild permits are checked often, and discipline is swift when rules are ignored. Ezra’s Tavern in Trailhome serves as a job board and a meeting place for mixed groups who need a contract, a guide, or a straight answer. Most disputes that do not involve magic fall to merchant arbiters or council clerks. Matters of the wild go to the Wardens. Issues of water and weather near Selenmere go to the lake-wardens.

Naath: Heart of the Verdwood

Naath sits on the forest floor under towering Vermosa trees. Homes and halls are shaped around living roots and reinforced stone. The city is ordered but not rigid: castes manage crafts, lore, patrols, and policy, yet major rites and decisions are shared in public space. Outsiders may enter through the Eldertree Gateways, where watchful wardens record names and reasons for travel. Districts have clear roles. The Roothearth holds families and shared gardens. The Embergrove is the center of craft. The Highgrove Pavilion is where wealth and permits are arranged. The Boughring is where the city gathers to perform and celebrate. Trailhome houses the Seekers and those who range far. The Leyshade Cloister protects knowledge and watches the flows. Everything is built to last and blend into the forest.

The Verdwood and Its Near Wilds

The Verdwood surrounds Naath with dense trunks, moss, and clear streams. It is patrolled ground. Shrines are kept, paths are marked, and licensed foragers keep logs of what they take. Still, the forest can turn harsh during storms, floods, or predator surges. Travelers are advised to follow marked posts, avoid night movement off known paths, and heed warden warnings about seasonal hazards. The Verdwood is not a true wilderness, but it is not tame.

Snagroot Glade

Snagroot Glade lies within the Verdwood in a tangled pocket of roots and moss. The Rootchewer goblins live here with two ogre siblings who act as guardians. The glade is loud and disordered but not openly hostile. Visitors who arrive with food or music may trade, eat, and share news. Those who arrive with threats are driven off and sometimes pranked for their trouble. Wardens keep a distant watch and treat the Rootchewers as neighbors who prefer to be left alone. The glade is a reminder that not every danger is a foe, and not every ally follows city rules.

Lake Selenmere

South of the forest stands Lake Selenmere, broad, cold, and deep. Mornings bring heavy fog. An old pier and the village of Selenford serve fishers and river trade. The lake hides carved stone beneath its eastern waters, older than the city. Spells near the shore can behave strangely, and the lake-wardens ban anything reckless. People speak of shapes in the mist and movements under the surface. The dangers here are real but subtle: sudden pulls in the water, unseen rips, and old magic that bends sound and sight. The lake demands quiet practice and respect.

The Wyrmshade

North of the Verdwood is the Wyrmshade, a dark forest with heavy crowns and near-constant damp. Trails close within days. Sounds carry wrong. Hunters and scouts report animals that do not behave as they should and growths that move when unobserved. Few passes exist, and most turn back at the Hollow Beacon, where the bones of a forest wyrm form a landmark and warning. Beyond that point, rescue is uncertain. The Wyrmshade is not a place for casual travel. It is a boundary the city respects.

Maer’thalas Ridge and the High Country

The Maer’thalas Ridge lifts across the northwest. Weather turns fast here. Avalanches cut trails. Old shrines, broken cairns, and strange tunnels mark past ages. Three named zones matter most to Naath’s safety: the Varnhollow Peaks, the Bronthok Reaches, and the Hulderhorns. Each has a people or presence that can threaten the lowlands when pressures rise. Wardens track signs, and the Seekers answer calls when patrols cannot.

Varnhollow Peaks and the Skeliri

Varnhollow is a line of cliffs and narrow ridges where rock breaks in knives and wind strips away soil. Great spiders nest under ledges and cast webs across pillars and dead trees. Tunnels run under the stone, cut in ages past. The Skeliri live here—secretive elves with rose-hued skin and black, glossy eyes. They build web-hung dwellings over chasms. They revere spiders, avoid open speech, and keep their borders with strict ritual. They seldom descend into the Verdwood, but they watch it. Skeliri scouts remove intruders without noise and without warning. The city treats Varnhollow as off-limits unless a council writ or a Seeker contract requires entry.

Bronthok Reaches and the Redfang Orcs

The Bronthok Reaches are redstone highlands cut by passes and hot springs. The Redfang orcs hold this ground. Their forts cling to cliffs, and their watchfires mark the routes they control. They are hard to move and quick to strike. Their law is shamanic and strict. They brand gear to warn off trespassers and wage tight, fast raids when hungry years come. When storms close the high paths or game thins, Redfang bands may push toward the Verdwood edge or target mountain caravans. Trade with them is rare and tense. War with them is costly. The Wardens and the Seekers monitor the passes and mark any movement toward the low country.

The Hulderhorns and the Giants

The Hulderhorns are higher and colder than Bronthok. Snow sits on the peaks through the year. Passes are few. Giants wander here—mostly hill and frost kin who follow old habits. They tend shrines, move herds, and fight when crossed. They test borders by instinct more than plan. A single misstep can bring a boulder fall or a stampede down a valley. The city prefers to steer travelers around the Hulderhorns unless a clear need demands passage. Offerings left at marked cairns and clear distance kept from giant paths are the best ways to avoid trouble.

The City’s Working Parts

Life in Naath runs on steady routines. Families in the Roothearth keep gardens and old door sigils. The Embergrove produces tools, cloth, blades, vessels, and art. The Highgrove Pavilion directs permits, land claims, and large contracts. The Boughring hosts rites, performances, and seasonal gatherings that reset the city’s rhythm. In Trailhome, the Seekers train, report, and take contracts from boards in Ezra’s Tavern. The Leyshade Cloister preserves laws, tracks stars, and watches for changes in the flows. The Fountain feeds all of this with clean water and a common center for announcements and oaths.

Seasons, Weather, and Work

Spring opens the forest roads and swells the creeks. Foragers range under license to collect bark, fungus, and resin. Summer brings trade and building work in the Embergrove. Autumn draws people to the Boughring for long rites and market fairs. Winter tightens patrols and closes high routes. In all seasons, wardens mark hazards and adjust watch patterns. Lake-wardens issue fog and storm advisories for Selenmere. Council clerks update registry boards weekly so families and traders can plan their moves.

Magic, Rites, and Boundaries

Spellwork in Faladrim follows rules set by council and Cloister. Work that risks the ley or public safety requires sanction. Healing at the Fountain is common and allowed. Casting over Selenmere without a warden present is banned. Rituals at forest shrines are permitted when recorded and led by someone recognized by the Lorekeepers. The city does not forbid foreign magic, but it demands records, witnesses, and accountability. These rules come from long practice. The land holds memory, and careless acts have lasting effects.