- Local time
- Today 9:10 PM
- Messages
- 972
- Pronouns
- They/Them
|
I n t r o Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Vivamus vel sem id sem ullamcorper rutrum. Nullam viverra neque et pellentesque rhoncus. Nunc viverra posuere tempor. Donec efficitur ligula non odio blandit volutpat. Aenean quam est, varius vitae dolor et, feugiat aliquam dui. Vestibulum euismod, orci et eleifend pharetra, est lorem euismod justo, id tincidunt libero lacus nec nisl. Aliquam erat volutpat. Vestibulum in tortor tellus. |
O r g a n i z a t i o n s of N o t e Curabitur et odio id justo venenatis hendrerit. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Suspendisse potenti.
|
|
She was no longer sure if she was the hunter. She had been when the week had started. She had wounded the xithin in the hind quarters and it had taken off running. She had followed the trail of blood, broken branches and trampled grass through the woods and into the deeper forest. It was her first hunt, it was the one that would get her markings and her place in society. She would return with the tusks of the xithin and its blood on her temple or not at all. Such was the way of her people. She had done what she had been instructed. She had found the markings on trees and rocks. She had followed them to the nests and she had waited. She had aimed for the back legs to slow it down. But it had not slowed the creature down. It had given it haste. But with one arrow and a knife, it was time to hunt and kill the xithin or her fate was sealed in the Infinite Wilds.
On the third day she came to a horrifying realization. She was going back to where she had started. The xithin had taken her in a circle and there was no real indication of where the creature was anymore. It could be behind her, in front of her, or gone somehow. She could have missed tracks, and it could have escaped. She could be an exile now, until the end of her days. And if she didn't find the xithin soon, those days would be in short order...
The Infinite Wilds
History
It is difficult to imagine a more contradictory place in the Outer Realms. A place of great beauty and immense danger, the Infinite Wilds are a home to countless species and many tribes and races. The forests of the Infinite Wilds are home to ancient elves and elemental forces. The swamps lure in the living and allow little to nothing to escape. The hills become mountains, which become calderas, and then volcanoes. And off, far off to the east, there is something else. Something deeply dangerous. A scar in the world. Carved into the soul of the planet itself, and bleeding out nightmares. Some say that this place is truly the beginning of the end of the world; others say that it is simply a place of great evil and that there will come a time for it to be cleansed from the world like any other stain.
No one is sure, but no one ever returns from there. Perhaps that is for the best, because some believe that should anything return from that accursed place that they would be forever changed.
Despite the rumours that exist, the Infinite Wilds are not all deadly. There are many places of great beauty, from forests to lakes to mountain ranges. There are places for the adventurous to seek glory, and rewards, but one must always be careful in the Wilds.
Population
Unknown
Because of the vast and sprawling nature of the Infinite Wilds, and the high risk of travelling in many areas, conducting any kind of census is impossible. Known population is in the tens of thousands, but it is commonly accepted that this could be in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. The only thing that is truly known is that many of the non-human races are said to originate from the Wilds.
Government
Varied.
Because of the disparities in population and cultures, the Infinite Wilds are not a state and do not have centralized power. Some of the populations are large enough to have varying power structures or governments, many are smaller tribal structures. Many cultural anthropologists have spent a lifetime in the Wilds and not even begun to scratch the surface.
Active Groups of Note
While the Infinite Wilds are not a singular kingdom and are, by the nature of the vast and inhospitable lands, largely impossible to rule, there are still many factions that seek to gain ground, hold areas, or have established (albeit small) areas.
Heartguard Outpost: Several days ride away from the Khare, the Heartguard have set up an outpost to prepare for further incursions into the Infinite Wilds. While the upper echelons of the organization believe that the rumours of a growing darkness in the Wilds needs to be investigated, many of the initiates and knights believe that this is a fools errand and that their skills can be better used elsewhere. Still, there is a duty to follow the Elders of the Heartguard, and belief in danger is not required for obedience.
Icearen: One of the few factions of elves that exist in the Wilds that has made itself known to the Cityport of Khare, and Pomora more broadly, this ancient culture is known for it's fine attunement to nature, its druidic orders (of which there are dozens, worshiping many different elements of natures, from tides to trees to the moon), and its fierce combatants. While inherently peaceful and defenders of life by nature, they are dangerous opponents should the need for combat arise. The various factions of druids tend to have different degrees of acceptance on violence, ranging from encouragement to a complete prohibition.
Effeniss: A smaller cluster of towns in near proximity to each other where a number of assorted factions have settled to mutual defense. While there is no dominant political group or race, there is a general understanding that efforts should be made for the protection of the community writ large. From barbarian to necromancer, all are welcome - as long as you protect everyone. As one might imagine, there is quite the assortment of strange characters here. Said to be protected by the Mist Queen herself, Effeniss is a bastion for the discarded.
It is said that the founder of Effeniss was directed by the Mist Queen to the safest place in the Infinite Wilds to create a safe haven for all.
He had only been in the town for a few days and he already saw the appeal. He'd heard that Effeniss was a safe place for people like him, wanderers, exiles, and those without a people, and he was happy to see that there was some truth to it. While Grinnst was a towering hulk of a man, he was a towering hulk without a people. His tribe had been all but wiped out by a Sessin raid a few years ago and he, alone, had been wandering the Infinite Wilds, trying to survive. It was only because he'd spoken to a traveler recently that he'd even heard of Effeniss in first place.
The first night had been confusing, he didn't know where to go and had wound up in a tavern. There, he'd met a handful of other barbarians, tribeless like he, who had come together to form a new tribe. It wasn't fair to call it a tribe, not truly, they weren't family and they weren't Blood Kin. But they acted like it. They looked at each other the way that barbarians of the same tribe looked at each other. With respect and pride. They had invited him to join them, they had plied him with drink and had queried him about his tribe. They had all looked at him with some sadness and understanding when he had told them his story. Grinnst had been invited to join them, no questions asked. He had sworn on his scars, as they had all done, that this new home of theirs was their new tribe.
And they would fight to defend it, from anyone who sought to do it harm. And he'd cleave the world in half if it meant protecting his new tribe.
When you lose everything once, you're not willing to do it again.
Iconic Spots
The Infinite Wilds are not fully explored, and some places are easier to get to than others. The closer that a landmark is to places like Khare, the more likely they are to be visited, known and explored by people of the lands. But that does not mean that there are no other places of interest in the Wilds. The Infinite Wilds are vast and its mysteries plenty.
- The Golden Door: Perhaps a rumor more than a location, the Golden Door is said to be a gateway to a realm beyond the Infinite Wilds where wishes can be granted, but at a price. Those who pass through the Golden Door always return, but always changed. It is said that the price to get what you want is to lose that which you cherished most. How much of this is myth is unknown, as few have ever found the Golden Door in the Infinite Wilds. It may just be the sort of story told at an inn, but there is almost always some truth to these sorts of tales.
- Gainswamp: Dangerous beyond measure, this swamp seems to consume anything that passes into its area. Whether it is the voracious insects that live there, or the acidic waters, there is plenty of danger there. Gainswamp is home to only the hardiest of the strong, and lifespans tend to be short and brutal in these places. Warriors that hail from Gainswamp are rugged and known to be able to survive in almost any place. After all, if you've lived through hell, anything else seems like a walk in the park.
- Cloudsea: Far off to the north, before the peaks of covered in snow that mark the upper borders of the Infinite Wilds is the Cloudsea. A vast are of deep caverns and valleys, hidden away by the low level clouds that make it look like a nimbus ocean. Descending through the clouds leads to a whole world of interesting sights to behold, but few ever seem to return. Those than do speak vaguely of wonderous sights, but are marked by a misty film over their eyes, like something has permanently marked them, and perhaps makes them see what it wants them to see. Caution is always encouraged.
Last edited: