Athrae
The Ancestral Lands
Athrae, The ancestral homeland of the elves, Now the supposed ancestral homeland of the humans. The elves called it Nira Ta' La, But it was eventually renamed as you can see. Elves will still call it that, To this day. The region still has quite a lot of abandoned shrines, temples and ancient buildings placed around the region, Left to feel the wrath of the sands of time. Most humans in the present day will often be seen talking about how their forefathers "Built the land around them" and "We were the original people of this land".
Athrae is best known as the "Bland" region, Because there is nothing really too special about the area, Aside from it's weather and historical relics. Nothing much really happens here, It's one of the best places for settling down for that very reason, None of the gods really influence this area, Leaving it completely for the mortals to take care of. That's not to say that the gods don't interact with this region however, As sometimes you'll see the occasional deity around. Maybe you'll see one walking around the market, Wanting to taste test a local fruit. Perhaps one will be in the wilderness, Doing who knows what. Or maybe another will be sieging a nearby city.
This region can be great because while there's nothing special about the area itself, It has the ability to be unpredictable, You can encounter or experience practically anything here.
Geography
This particular region is filled with plenty of bright grasslands and dense forests, With the occasional mountain range here and there. Be careful of the forests at night though, As most of the more dangerous wildlife can be found prowling through these areas at this time. Not even mentioning the Elven Guerilla fighters that will often be moving through these forests as well.
Another area of note is The Ancestral Depths, Which is a large body of water technically located within the Athrae border. It has a large island housed within and Has a channel that leads out into the ocean. The water in this area goes surprisingly deep into the earth, Ships will very rarely vanish within this small area, Only for there to never be a wreckage.
Climate
Athrae is the region that is the least effected by outside forces, Allowing the seasons to almost flourish completely how they're supposed to. Mostly. The region is often plagued by long-lasting, Heavy rainstorms paired with lightning strikes. These storms will sometimes last days at a time, With the longest recorded one lasting a week and a half.
Aside from the atrocious storms, Athrae is normally effected by a cool breeze and slight wind, During the winter months, The winds are stronger, And the temperature is far colder, Though not nearly enough to cause any snow or hail. Just near freezing rain, Which is not fun to deal with when you travel a lot.
Natural Resources
Normally, Athrae would have lots of animals, And a large variety of them as well. That is usually their main resource, That and wood or stone. Lately though, Athrae has had a very bad and very large poaching problem, But not from anything such as hunters. Something is slowly killing large amounts of the animal population, While multiple people attempt to figure out what's causing it.
History
Long ago, At a point in time that was never recorded, So most people don't even know when exactly their own land originated.
A handful of people rode in to the mainland from the Ancestral Depths, laid claim to the land and everything on it, Seeing nobody else. Until they got to Drengrheim and realized most of the continent was taken already. Then, The elves arrived and demanded that they are allowed to have dominion over this region. The human settlers, Being the kind-hearted people they were, Agreed. That's how the story goes anyway, Nobody really knows how it happened, But if you were to ask any elderly local, They would probably swear up and down that was how it happened.
The Elves tell a similar story. The elves were the original inhabitants of the region. The ancient elves called themselves the "Aurlians", Deriving the name from their long lost god of elves, Aur' Sei. When humans had arrived from somewhere else to essentially colonize the land. Not willing to have their ancestral home taken from them, They attacked, And eventually lost. Nowadays Elven tactics have been upgraded substantially over the many many years they've had to refine, Though the worship of Aur' Sei has faded out of current elven society.
To this day, Many Humans and Elves have a left over tension because of their history, But neither side will ever admit it.
Tourism
City of Tears. A small town that was once destroyed by bandits and has now been converted into a large cityscape. Great place to visit if you're first arriving.
Cirellia. The capital elven city. Complete with beautiful architecture, landscapes, cultural delicacies and artworks. If you're a lover of the fine arts or would like to visit just for the scenery, Visit Cirellia.
Jolly Roger Refuge. A smuggler's den designed to cater for and help out pirates and outlaws that happen to be on the run, It's really the only completely safe place from the law in the region, Due to the local law enforcement not having enough men or funding to deal with it.
The Ancestral Depths. A large lake that leads out into the open sea, It contains an island with many things on it, Including the aptly named "Magecairn" due to their hatred of magic. Solid place to check out if you like nice views of the horizon.
Tregata. Currently the second most populated city, The majority of the Athraen Committee are from here. Many people believe that this city is too boring, But who knows? You never know what's just beneath the surface.
The Portal to Meido. A large pond of grey water, Used to traverse into Izanami's realm of the dead. On the 13th of every month, People leave gifts for the deceased, Which Izanami personally oversees their delivery.
Widow Woods. One of the more famous forests in Erethes, Named so due to the sheer amount of spiders located within. Spiders aren't the only thing within this forest, There is a very real chance that anyone traversing the woods will encounter either Werebeasts, Vampires or Elven fighters. It's best to be careful of this area.
The Voiceless Highlands. A set of closely placed mountains and jagged cliffs, The story goes that a man once went to the highest peak of the cliffs and shouted into the heavens. He yelled so loud that the ground shook violently and he permanently lost his voice. Nobody knows how true that fact really is.
Ancient Worship
The elves have lived in this region for longer than anyone can remember, Causing many of their lost structures to crumble away with time. Many of these structures are still around, The majority of which are temples to Aur' Sei, or some of the other gods that are still recognized today. Almost all of them can still be discovered, along with their interiors.
See, Back in the day, Many Aurlian temples and buildings had their interiors built underground, leaving only a few pillars, An entrance and perhaps a shrine still visible above ground. Many of these structures are completely stable despite the amount of time they've been left abandoned. But, Don't let that distract you from the fact that there are plenty of dangers still inside some of these areas, Including things like Ancestor Spirits, Automated Guardians and so on.
Maps
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Athrae
Alternative Name(s)
Nira Ta' La, The Ancestral Lands
Type
Region
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Characters in Location
Inhabiting Species
- Aarakocra {Erethes}
- Abyssal Halfling {Erethes}
- Abyssal Tiefling {Ahriman}
- Brimstone Tiefling {Asmodeus}
- Bugbear {Erethes}
- Changeling {Erethes}
- Coldharbour Tiefling {Molag Bal}
- Dragonborn {Erethes}
- Drow {Erethes}
- Duergar {Erethes}
- Dwarf {Erethes}
- Forest Giant {Firbolg} {Erethes}
- Gnome {Erethes}
- Goblin {Erethes}
- Gravewalker Tiefling {Anubis}
- Half-Elf {Erethes}
- Half-Giant {Goliath} {Erethes}
- Half-Orc {Erethes}
- Halfling {Erethes}
- High Elf {Erethes}
- Hobgoblin {Erethes}
- Hopeseeker Tiefling {Hades}
- Human {Erethes}
- Kobold {Erethes}
- Lín rén {Erethes}
- Lizardfolk {Erethes}
- Ravenfolk {Kenku} {Erethes}
- Shadow-lurker Gnome {Erethes}
- Sorrow-filled Goblin {Erethes}
- Warborn Orc {Erethes}
- Warforged {Erethes}
- Werewolf {Erethes}
- Wood Elf {Erethes}
