The continent of Jaandemar. Home of the Spine of the World, and covered by the Kelborn Forest. This vast continent holds many secrets, some long forgotten, some fiercely guarded. The Elvin nation of Tael Ce'thiest and the human nation of Beryllia share the surface of the continent. Deep in the mountains the dwarves hold court in their majestic underground halls in the nation of Maeg Tu'thrim'mael. Jaandemar is the world's second largest continent, and houses the majority of the world's Elvin population. Many races come and go from the port towns that dot the coast and make up the majority of cities in the nation of Beryllia.
Deep in the vast dense heart of the Kelborn Forest lies the fabled city of the ages, Aiel Ce'thiest. The heart of the Elvin kingdom, the Empress Ayn'shiar Estho'miel rules from the Seat of the Stars amongst the branches of Zhael'to'mal, the World Tree. Her court is divided amongst the races of Elvin kind, the silver-skinned Star-elves, the Sun-elves whose skin is a golden hue; the milky-white skinned Moon-elves, and the mottled green and browns of the Wood-elves.
The vast majority of wandering elves come from Wood-stock and, on the rarest of occasions, one may see the more noble elves. The great cities of the elves all follow much the same pattern, built directly into the living trees, only a few spots in each city access the ground. It is a well-known fact that unless one is invited into an Elvin city, one will never find an Elvin city, so disguised they are, by both magic and mundane means. Various outposts dot the interior of the Kelborn Forest. Five other great cities exist somewhere amongst the trees. The home of the Star-elves, Tien'shia'mar. The home of the Moon-elves, Shay'ti'rilleath. The home of the Sun-elves, Haen'thuth'mishael. The home of the Wood-elves, Loesth'fir'ta'miel. The last of the great cities is a melting pot of all the Elvin races and lies close to the edge of the forest in the southern reaches. Known as Esth'fiel'no'ja'mal, it is the one city that non-elves are allowed in- the great trade city of the Elvin nation.
Deep in the heart of the Kelborn forest, the World Tree, Zhael'to'mal soars above the surrounding canopy. Rumored to be the first tree to ever exist, it stands a staggering nine hundred feet in height. The main trunk is well over four-hundred feet in diameter, with the many major branches starting out around sixty to eighty feet in diameter before stretching out distances of up to six-hundred feet in length and tapering down to mere inches in diameter at the very tips. Nestled in the heart of this behemoth lies the fabled Seat of the Stars in the ancient Elvin city of Aiel Ce'thiest.
Woven directly into the tree itself, the city ranges up and down and across it. Worked through magic, boles have been opened in the tree itself, parting the flow of cells, leaving them undamaged. These boles are used as homes, markets, and storage facilities. Magically softened branches are woven into walkways throughout the great tree, some left to sag and collect rain to become pools in the city. Elves of every type come and go in the city, some live and work there, and others have come from the far reaches of the forest on pilgrimage to the World Tree. The only way up into the city is by use of the proper hand-gestures and then the use of rope ladders or carry baskets, lowered from the lowest sector of the city. The nearer to the ground you are in the city the poorer the inhabitants are. They lack any substantial wealth and influence the upper-echelons of Elvin society. The higher reaches are home to the most noble of all the Elvin nobles- those below them being in their own sub-race's cities. Every part of the world tree has felt the touch of magic and has been altered in some slight way. It is Elvin fact the world tree is sentient and speaks to those it wishes to speak to when ever it deigns to do so. Many elves often find gifts from the tree left for them in unknown ways. It is the most guarded of all Elvin secrets that only the Seat of the Stars allows a person access to the Tree's infinite wisdom and miraculous powers. What exactly are these powers remains a much-debated mystery as none of the past emperors or empresses have ever divulged the information to anyone else, presumably on the orders of the Tree itself.
High above the forests of Jaandemar, the city of the Star Elves, Tien’shia’mar twisted up towards the heavens. Using the magic’s of old, the elves churned the trunks of the trees into massive towers they shadowed any made by man. Cloaked by the same magic, the Star Elves lived much higher than the other races. Within their towers of silver, they made their homes. Bridges and passages that went through the branches of the trees from which they were carved into connected the vast city of Tien’shia’mar. The entire city could be traced in one way or another to one large tower in the middle of the city. This tower was like a church, where the elves carried out their rituals and other important tasks. Many bores were dug into the trunks of the towers. These bores acted as homes, shops, and storage bins for the elves as they carried out their lives. As you wind your way down the trunk of the trees and get closer to the forest floor, the silver of that of the towers grows back into the same green and brown of the rest of the trees. Many of the trees have wooden ladders and ropes that one must climb to get into the city, but there are a few trees that have stairs carved around the trunk.
Displaced throughout the forests of Jaandemar, the silver skinned Elves of the Moon call the city of Shay'ti'rilleath home. Much like the Sun Elves, the Moon Elves illuminate their home by storing the light from the moon during the night. In the middle of this great city lie the waters of a pale lake that resembles the skin of the elves that inhabit its shores. Though the lake is made of water, the elves dare not drink from its sacred waters, lest they wish to be banned from the city and left to fend for themselves in the cold jungles of Jaandemar. These elves have built their homes from the strange, pale white trees that grow around the lake. Just like their ancestors before them, they used their magics, not to break or burn the trees, but to bend and mold the cells of the trees themselves. Though the Moon Elves do not drink from the lake, this does not mean they do not have water. They have managed to rig up a series of vines and leaves that catch the falling rain, filter it, and drip into a bucket that hang inside each of the hollowed trunks that the elves call home. Even though the sacred lake that the elves depend on for light resides on the ground, many of the elf nobles live high above the 'commoners' that reside near the forest floor. Like most of the Elvin cities, ladders bridges and ropes have been constructed as to let the elves get from place to place with ease.
Haen'thuth'mishael- home of the golden skinned Sun Elves. Like the Moon Elves, the sun elves gather energy from the sun to heat, light, and power their homes. Like the other races of elves in Jaandemar, the sun elves have built their homes, not on the ground as humans would, but into the living trees that grow all over Jaandemar. The city of the sun elves, Haen’thuth’mishael, revolves around a massive golden, stone hoisted by vines, to float in the trees with its people. Like the lake that the moon elves put so much faith into, this stone has somehow turned the surrounding forest into the same golden color of that of the elves. The city itself is much like that of the other races, homes built into the trunks of trees, branches stretched and molded into walkways, bridges and vines. Unlike the other cities though, the skies above Haen’thuth’mishael has no canopy of leaves. The yellow rays of the sun fall directly onto this Elvin city. As the rays shine down upon the golden stone, it shimmers off, filling the city of Haen’thuth’mishael with light and a source of heat.
Hidden aments the forests of Jaandemar the Wood Elves reside in what they call Loesth'fir'ta'miel. Unlike the other cities of the elves, Loesth’fir’ta’miel has not been changed by the magick’s of old. The moldy skinned wood elves have changed very little of the trees that make up their great city. Loesth’fir’ta’miel fear very little of a human wondering into their home, for they blend into the forest so well. You may perhaps get lost in the forest, and even walk though a part of their city without thinking twice about it. However, it’s doubt any human would get past the nets and spike pits that line the forest around the city. The city may be the less camouflaged, but this does not mean that the wood elves are a bunch of Neanderthals with clubs. They are just as wise as any elf and twice as cunning. The city is unlike the others, though it is still a city. The wood elves have hallowed out the trees, instead of burring into them. They have secret trap doors that lead from the home to the outside. They require no use of bridges; for they have forced branches to grow close enough together as to let them place small walkways between to close running limbs. Though the city differs in many ways from the others, they still have ropes and ladders that rise from the ground into the city itself.
On the northwestern shores of Jaandemar lies the capitol city of the nation Beryllia. On the coasts, in the nation of Beryllia, the King's roads connect the multitudes of port towns, both big and small. The great city of Jeron, lies on the southwestern shores of the continent. The capitol, Praetalia lies north along the coast. Small villages dot the land between the two cities. To the north, between the forest and the mountains, the King's road stretches east to west across the continent. The fortress city of Kandemar lies on the halfway point from east to west. The town is a joint construction between the humans and the dwarves of the mountains. Both races commingle in the city and much trade prospers. Far to the east on the northeastern shores, the city Thalrush holds power. A vast city, larger than and older than most in Beryllia. Thalrush sends and receives ships from the entire reach of the world. The King's road turns south from here and heads along the coast eventually reaching the city of Haledom. The smallest of Beryllia's great cities, but by no means the least. Haledom lies closest to the continent of Syandar. Many adventurers seek passage from the piers of Haledom, in search of wealth beyond the horizon. The various small fishing and ranching villages that dot the sides of the King's road range far and wide. They differ in size and color but remain a vital part of Beryllia's land-bound trade and commerce. The mountains of The Spine of the World reach towards the heavens. Deep under the mountains is the dwarven kingdom of Maeg Tu'thrim'mael.
Kandemar, the fortress city of the nation of Beryllia, has stood for over a thousand years. Built in the time of the Great War between the Dwarves and Elves, the city-fort became the treaty grounds. The Great War ended when both sides agreed to talks that took place in the city. The Beryllians kept the peace and ensured that the accords went through. Though many years have long since passed, the historic site of the peace talks still stands deep in the center of the city. The original fortress that was built in the time of the war still exists, a living, breathing, and vital part of the city. The fort itself is a massive construction, built atop a hill; the main castille hunches over it like some massive gargoyle. The inner bailey runs down the slopes of the hill and ends some three-hundred yards from the base of the slope. The inner wall is thirty feet tall and fifteen feet wide. Made of black granite and faced in a heavy lacing of cold iron, the crenellations stand at eight feet in height, their low sections topping at five feet. Small stone steps allow an archer to stand where he will fire effectively. Square towers spaced evenly along the length of the wall stand just over forty feet tall. A total of sixteen towers lend strength and stability to the wall. Two gates, one to the west and the other to the east are the only points of access to the inner bailey. The outer bailey is another three-hundred yards across. The outer wall is a dizzying fifty-feet tall and twenty-five feet deep, faced in the same way as the inner wall. Just under thirty more square towers, standing at over sixty feet in height, march around the wall in evenly spaced steps. To the north and to the south, great gatehouses open out to what is now the rest of the city. The military might of the nation is built and trained here. The city around the fortress itself is a mass of haphazard streets and buildings. There is little planning to it, and it looks as if it simply sprouted mush like a weed. A road encircles the outer bailey and runs out of town to the north and south before branching off and heading both east and west. The city guard is comprised of well-trained soldiers drafted out of the standing army. Though one can find most anything that interests them in the city, it is advised to be circumspect about what one is looking to find if it transgresses the law.
The port town of Jeron sat huddled in a large bay. The outskirts of the town were dotted with ample woods that grew into vast forests as they left the coast. The town had plenty of commerce, and was quite a bustling place. It had been sometime since there had been any major storms, though the last one, some years ago, was still fresh in the minds of the local populace. In fact, repair work was still being done, as a good portion of the town had been destroyed. A dozen or so piers dot the bay and many portside pubs and brothels make money off the constant flux of sailors in and out of port. A large open-air market place stands in the center of town; street-hawkers and vendors dot the market with stalls of all sizes. Temples to all the major gods and goddesses line the northern portion of the market place and town proper. The southern half of town is the poor district, characterized by wall-to-wall housing and small alleys that can easily get someone unfamiliar with the territory lost. The roofs are all interconnected by planks and gangways. The southern rim of the market is home to the finer shops in town and the nobility and upper class merchants live and make their residence in the northern portion of town, beyond the temples. The city is walled and two large gatehouses protect the northern and southern roads in and out of town. The city is ruled by a Duke and an elected body of city-councilmen. Women can serve as well as men on the council and gender rarely becomes an issue in matters of state. The city is an independent state of the nation of Beryllia. It lies in the southwest of the continent of Jaandemar. The Kelborn Forest covers the ground between Jeron and the nearest other towns, Haledom to the west on the southern road, and Praetalia to the northeast, reached from, of-course, the northern road.
A port city of immense size, Praetalia's eldest buildings are made from pure white marble that shimmers in a prismatic display of colors in the light. The grand palace sits atop a large bluff rising above the coast. The entire building and walls surrounding the city are made of the same white marble. The main spires of the palace rise into the air above this city proper, the front of the palace hugging the edge of the bluff. Down below, in the city itself, the streets are laid out in an ordered grid, that when viewed from the windows of the palace create the image of finely cut jewel. A resplendent map made of the city itself. The harbor is ensconced by two great piers. Fifty feet wide by six- hundred feet long. The two Great Piers keep the waters between them more stable in times of storms. Twelve smaller piers range across between the two greats. The wharves are packed with warehouses, brothels, waterfront pubs and shady fronts for illicit operations. Moving inward along the streets, the center of the city is filled with homes, ranging from cheap communal housing all the way up to large villas and manors near the bluff. Temples to various gods and goddesses line the northern and southern sides of the housing district, before giving way to the shops of the city. Skirting the north and south walls are the industrial areas of the city, kept far from the housing district to keep the various toxins and smells from the residents of the city.
The mountains range for miles, covering the breadth of the continent from east to west, and run from the north down, covering a third of the continent. Their peaks are vast and craggy, hidden in snow and clouds. Many rumors abound as to what is hidden away in the deep valleys, what may be lost among the peaks. There is little concrete evidence or knowledge. Legends abound, coming and going with the passing of time. Some are lost; some are as of yet unheard. The bravest and hardiest of folk only sometimes dare to venture into the lofty mountains of the Spine, for it is rumored to be inhabited by fierce giants and men, whose skin is said to be of stone.
The kingdom itself ranges far and wide throughout the mountains. The capitol city of Maethriel'Maeg lies deep in the center of the mountains. A vast network of mines and tunnels, caverns and underground waterways connect the capitol to the outlying provinces of the kingdom. Stael'dhum, the largest of the provinces, is a mining outpost. The most ore is harvested from the rock around the city in the great mines. Draam'Khar is the gate to the Fardeeps, and eventually the Underdark.