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The Horta

"Haven of the Grey Pith..."

In southwest Hariel Minuta, below Varuum and west of the Wastes of Veric, lies the elven woods of the Horta. Home of the Kelti micro-nation of the same name, the Horta is as dangerous as it is beautiful. Those who have visited the woods and returned, refer to the Kelti within as "Wild" elves, due to their untamed nature. While the Kelti of the north work (and serve) in tandem with the Solti "ruling class," the Kelti of the Horta have no such connection or masters. They are the architects of their own fates, and they trend heavily towards xenophobia, even with regards to their fellow fey. The elves of the Horta don't (typically) go out of their way to harm intruders, as long as their intentions do not include the destruction of flora or fauna. However, they won't make any overtures to help travelers who are beset by the more viscious denizens of the woods. They have zero interest in outside politics or trade, and many attempts to create a trade route to and through the woods have outright failed.

Most parties interested in the forest are after the spongy tissue of the Gruumask Mangrove Tree, found only in the Horta. This tissue is the basis of the popular (and quite dangerous) narcotic, The Grey Pith. The Horta Kelti are aware of this, and completely control the drug trade. This is the single exception to their xenophobic nature when it comes to exports. The will not allow trade to occur within their national borders, however they will ship the finished drug to the underworld of Varuumae Corona and the open markets of Qudra, where it is then distributed world-wide. The grey pith enhances the powers of magic within those who manipulate arcane forces, and is highly prized in conclaves of such arcane casters. The forest itself is vast and untamed, largely uncharted, and populated with beasts both fey and fell of a number unknown to most outsiders. It is bordered on the northeast by the "Sea Watch" range of mountains, which border the Inner Sea and lay a mere two hundred miles from The Isle of Mitluvia.

Geography

An extremely thick forest, bordering on a jungle, populated by deciduous trees packed tightly together.

Fauna & Flora

No proper catalogue of the various life forms of the Horta has ever been successfully executed. It is known that beyond the Kelti who comprise the primary intelligent society within its borders, the Horta is also home to beasts not seen anywhere else in the west.

Natural Resources

Wood is plentiful, however the primary reason the forest is coveted is for the spongy tissue of the Gruumask Mangrove Tree. This tissue is easily converted into the highly addictive and powerful narcotic, the Grey Pith.