Grovaria

Major Regions

• Grovarian Vale:

The most populated sector of Grovaria and in probably all of Adonai. Within the vale lies the major cities of Glence and Wilsire along with the capital of the Kingdom of Grovaria—Karion. Other, smaller towns that exist in this location are Preufield, Vlaiville, Klessas, and Brore. While the major cities will be described in-depth later, I will grant details to the villages now.

Preufield, Vlaiville, and Brore are all farming settlements that send a percentage of their fresh crops to the major cities of the vale as a tax forced upon them by Duke Serlon Tolthe. Klessas, on the other hand, is a mining town set against the eastern expanse of the Grovarian Spires mountain range. Iron ore, gold, silver, and coal flow out from these mines and are shipped to the major cities to be manufactured. Klessas, as a mining town, is not a town where people settle down and start a family. Klessas is a labor town where men go in order to get a few coins in their pouches for the winter. The death toll in the mines ranges between twenty to fifty deaths a month, making the work a well-paying profession due to the dangerousness of the work.

The nature side of the Grovarian vale is of the beautiful sort. The main attraction is Creley Lake and the Creley Rivers that host four of the seven settlements in the vale. Gicester Wood is also a peaceful aspect of the vale, just south of Glence. The small forest is usually inhabited by deer, wolves, bears, and other array of unintelligent creatures. Finally, rolling hills dot the landscape of the Grovarian Vale, all a brilliant green color.

As for defense, because the vale is closed in by the Grovarian Spires and the Far Wood, there is only one safe location in which to enter the vale: Drin’s Gate. Named after the renowned Grovarian warrior Tyrus Drin, it is a massive gate and wall that can withstand almost any legion to march upon it. The gate is usually open however, for even though the orcs have returned, they are half a world away in the Burning Plains and the Howling Peaks.

• Far Wood: A forestland east of the Grovarian Vale. If one were to attempt to enter the vale with a route different than that of Drin’s Gate, this would be the way. While a few fearsome creatures may call this place home, the Far Wood is relatively peaceful. Unlike the Silver Wood, the plants and trees here are normal-sized, and while stretching over a large amount of land, it is far from being a majestic woodland.

• Briarwall Forest: Just southeast of the Grovarian Vale, the Briarwall Forest is known for its hardy Briarwall Trees. The wood of these trees is some of the most durable wood in all of Adonai, but it is not a very flexible material. Briarwall wood is perfect for building structures and making siege weaponry. Other than the wood however, the Briarwall Forest has no significant features.

• The Sinking Moor:

Probably one of the most vile and dangerous regions of Grovaria. Along the southwestern edge of the Briarwall Forest, the Sinking Moor is a stink-filled marsh with short, thin trees and gooey bushes strewn about. Muck remains in this place like flies to garbage, and to travel through the moor is surely to find yourself drowned in tons of mud and waste. Beside the nature aspects of the bog though, the Sinking Moor is known mostly for the nightmarish monsters that rise from the liquid-brown muck—the Logrots. A form of undead, the Logrots are men and women of the past that lost their lives to the moor. Now in a state of undeath, they rise when they sense the presence of an intruder to their mire and either suck their victim further into the mud to drown, or eat them savagely until their bodies disappear forever from the world.

• The Greck Pits: Once a great mountainous stronghold from a civilization long past, the Greck Pits are now a pile of rubble with large, cavernous holes dotting the landscape. These holes lead into the vast underground of Seitonus, and as such, the entire valley is populated by thousands of Grecks. The people of Grovaria do not know if these small monstrosities were forced to the surface because of Dallurith’s ill will half a continent away, or if they have mustered out of their own accord. Either way, the Greck Pits have become a place of evil where a legion of these creatures have assembled.

• Dragon’s Roost:

The major breeding ground of dragons. Holding some of the largest mountains in Adonai, Dragon’s Roost is believed to be the location in which the first dragons were spawned by the power of Xaides. Some of the most powerful dragons live and breed here, creating an ancestry of immortal dragons that are unrivaled throughout Seitonus. While this may be true, no one has ever dared to enter the mountainous copse. The dragons do not take likely to visitors, but in turn, have never ventured outward from their home.

• The Ogharod: Named by the orcs long ago, the Ogharod is the only rain forest of Adonai. Much like the Silver Wood, it expands over hundreds of thousands of square miles. The trees are not as large as the Silver Wood however, and the biology here is less significant. No extraordinary creatures dwell within the rain forest’s borders, but the thick foliage often leaves many people from traveling through it.

• The Crystal Wood:

While its name may remind one of the Silver Wood, it is not at all similar. The plants of the forest are not crystalline. The forest acquired its name from the vast deposits of crystals within the trunks of the trees. How they got there is unknown, but most assume that it was an amusing trick from Xaides when he was crafting the surface of Seitonus. While one might think to cut down all the trees and obtain the gems held within, the forest is guarded by golems of crystal that rise from the ground when one attempts to even remotely harm a single tree.

• The Sea of Dust: The largest desert in Adonai and Ramsvald (a second continent of Seitonus), expanding over more than 450,000 square miles. The rolling hills of sand are endless in the Sea of Dust, and if one becomes stranded in this desolate wasteland, they can surely estimate that they will die within the week. Other than the incessant flowing sands, the abominations that inhabit the sea are almost unimaginable. Giant snakes three hundred feet long tunnel through the sands at speeds faster than most birds, eating anything they happen to smell. These creatures, along with the physical barriers of the region, make the Sea of Dust an impassable landmass.

• The Burning Plains: Named for the dragons that flew across it in ancient times, burning orcish settlements and scorching the living, the plains are now scarred historically. Humans of the Grovaria had moved into the plains ever since the orcish civilization fell, but with the orcs returning with Igzorak as their warlord, these towns and cities are no longer safe.

• The Howling Peaks:

The largest mountain range in Adonai, stretching from the southwestern corner of the continent all the way up to the Greenfaire at the very eastern edge of Keantis. These mountains are dotted with caves and cliffs, making it a home for the more foul denizens of the world and, at the same time, making it a difficult task to travel through. Some dragons reside here, but it is mostly inhabited by orcs, Grecks, the Duqari, and the mesmerizing Uthuulu. Much of the weather of the Howling Peaks is unpredictable, but most know that the winds are undeniably powerful. Because of the odd shapes of the mountains and their strange angles, the winds howl through the slopes, granting the peaks their name.

• The Great Silver Wood: The oldest and most “magical” forest in Adonai. Expanding over more than 150,000 square miles, the forest is nearly endless to the human eye. The giant trees of the Silver Wood stand over one hundred feet tall, with an underbrush filled with such a variety of plants it would make a biologist double-over in pleasure. The exclusive characteristic of the forest is the material in which the plants are made of. Unlike normal foliage, the leaves, trunks of the trees, vines, and grass all appear glass-like. They shine like silver, reflecting light so oddly that an adventurer not familiar with the wood might figure that over a dozen silhouettes are following and watching them. Of course though, there are things that watch and follow visitors to the Silver Wood. You see, the ancient forest is one of the few natural locations on Seitonus where the barrier between the material plane and the astral plane blend together. While those in each plane cannot interact with one another, they can see one another, and the experience of a material being viewing the apparition of an astral being is most terrifying.

While the plants of this forest are beyond unique, the oddest trait of the region may be the creatures that inhabit it. The most renowned beast to stalk the vast underbrush of the Silver Wood is the Horned God, the symbol of Grovaria’s might. He, despite his incredible size, is seldom seen by the mortal eye. Like the dragons of the land, the Horned God is an immortal being. His spectrum peaks at the height of thirty-five feet, towering over anything that may pose as a threat to the marvelous creature. The Horned God appears as a tremendous fur-covered man with elongated ears and a long chin. His eye color is unknown, but they are said to defy nature entirely. His most profound characteristic, of course, are the magnificent antlers that spiral out of his cranium, creating a mesmerizing design that looks almost as if someone hand-crafted the shape.

Other than the Horned God, the creatures that call the Silver Wood their domain include minotaurs—the great ox-men of the forest; dire beasts—massive animals that grew in stature overtime; and trolls—frightening, carnivorous monsters that dwell in the darkest sectors of the wood.

Many who enter the infamous Silver Wood never seem to return, and those that do are often forever changed.