Eldeen Reaches
Northwestern Khorvaire
A beautiful landscape of farmland is thrown into relief by the pink rising sun. Beyond the fields of crops and cattle, an immense, untamed forest looms. Within the depths of The Towering Woods, druids and rangers band together, infusing the wilderness with their magic. Shifters roam among the trees, searching for their next meal. The fabric of reality between this plane and the fey haven of Thelanis are very thin. These are the Eldeen Reaches.
Culture
Those who live in the Eldeen Reaches are fiercely independent. There is no real form of government; each settlement is guided by a druidic advisor.
The small settlements of druids and rangers are largely influenced by druidic magic. Animal messengers are used to carry communications, beasts perform vital services, goodberry wine is a common medicinal treatment, druidcraft decorates the residences, and awakened animals and plants are among those who populate these communities. Almost all settlements in the Reaches take this form; there are very few large cities. Few people of this nation even know of the highly advanced cities of the rest of Khorvaire.
The Shifters adopt more of a nomadic lifestyle, but are very similar to the druids in their culture. They too prefer the rugged comforts of nature, and know little of the outside world. The two primary inhabitants of the Reaches have a mutual respect for each other, and would not hesitate to help one another in a time of need.
History
The Towering Wood has been inhabited for thousands of years, but the expansive farmlands to the east are a recent addition. When the Last War began, Aundair focused all of its resources into the war effort. This diverted attention away from the thievery and banditry that especially tormented the farmlands to the west. When the government failed to help the farmers, who were slowly losing their life's work, the druidic circles - especially the Wardens of the Wood - came to their aid. Seeing the beauty of the druids' civilization, the farmers decided to secede from Aundair. Though the Treaty of Thronehold recognizes the Eldeen Reaches as a nation, tensions still lurk with Aundair. Rumors are abound of Aundair retaking the farmlands, once they recover from the end of the war.
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