The Ardenspire

Though darkness is the norm for Laethelle, it is far from total. Here and there the Spire-Lamps shine like beacons, calling humanity to shelter and peace from the depredations of the Thramorri who rule the Dark.
Of all the Spire-Lamps, the Ardenspire is the brightest. Rising nearly half a mile into the sky, the Ardenspire looks like nothing so much as a vast spike of age-pitted metal and at its crown, a brilliant sphere of golden yellow light, banishing the dark in dozens of leagues in every direction.
The land below the Ardenspire is gentle, lush, and green. Tall, leafy trees grow in small, densely-packed woods where they drink in the light of eternal summer. Small rivers tumble through rocky hills to feed several modest lakes and thriving wetlands. Animal life is abundant, though large animals like deer, elk or bears are rarely seen; those that wander in from the Penumbra at the edge of the Spirelight are often sickly and hungry. Hunting is forbidden except for ritual, and even then, only one or two animals may ever be taken at a time. The lands are kept wild, protected from encroachment by nearby farms and settlements, so that all who come to stand beneath the protective light of the Ardenspire can see them and be reminded that once, the light was everywhere.

Geography

The Ardenspire is the name given to the illuminated area around the Ardenspire itself. The region is made up of rolling, forested hills and open grasslands around a central low mountain. This mountain is home to the Ardenspire, and to Ardrenost, Flame of the Ardenspire, the largest human city on the continent.

Natural Resources

Wood, stone (granite, shale), food (grains, fruits, nuts), cultural goods, technology, magical artifacts

Alternative Name(s)

Vale of the Dawn; The Ard

Type

Oasis

Characters in Location

• Ishtalia Benjem, Prophet of the Coming Dawn