The Geography of Lani

Lani is an enormous island locked in by wide oceans in all directions. The town of Pua sits on the eastern shore, catching the morning’s first rays as they fall upon the shattered remains of the Great Tower of Lighting. Though not the largest city, it is one of the oldest ones in Lani and stands as a safe zone in the battle against the Dark.

There are several other villages and towns spread across Lani, though many have been destroyed, abandoned, or are now haunted by the undead and shadows of the Dark. At the center of the island are tall mountain ranges that are the native ancestral lands of several races such as the dwarves, the orcs, the goblins, kobolds, and other folk that are happy within the darker mines and caves. It is no longer safe on the mountain surfaces after the invasion.

The Elves of the North

In the north of Lani used to lie the towns and cities of the elves, though over time many other folk have settled there. Rich in forests and fields, these were some of the most beautiful parts of Lani. Now they have been destroyed and filled with the bodies of the fallen, some of which shamble along as undead versions of their former selves. Few venture north to these lands, and fewer still live there. There are rumours of small bands of elves hiding in the woodlands, but none have been brave enough to find out more.

Eldravire

Eldravire, meaning the “Ancient Guardian” or “Ancient Watcher”, was one of the oldest, and largest, elven cities in Lani. Ruins in the nearby forest indicate that the elves may once have had a more wild and natural home, but their society over the millennia had evolved to highly focus on the studies of the world, sciences, and magic. In the Haust invasion of the Dark, this city was destroyed and most of its inhabitants murdered. A few survivors returned to the ruins in the nearby forests.

The High Elves of Eldravire were known to have some of the most ancient knowledge contained in their people’s oral histories, but strangely very little of the ancient stories have been translated down into writing. Perhaps due to their long lives and cultural focuses this may not have been as necessary as it was for the shorter-lived races. With the destruction of most of the elves of Eldravire, this knowledge is almost all lost.

The Spine Mountains

Situated to the center of Lani and spreading north and north west, the Spine Mountains are the tallest and most treacherous of the mountain ranges in Lani. The name comes from an ancient creation myth that the mountain range was formed from the spine of an ancient dragon ancestor that once stalked the lands. The myth says that the world of Lani was formed on the back of enormous dragon gods who had fought each other and perished, their strikes forming the rivers and fields and mountains.

Nidavellir

In modern day, the Spine Mountains are known as a common home for the mountain dwarves of Lani, who call their great underground city Nidavellir. Many of the strongest materials are mined from these mountains, and in the Before times, regular caravans descended from the mountains to the towns in surrounding regions. As typical to many dwarven settlements, there is also a great forge where many dwarves learn to craft a variety of weapons, armor, and other items which can be used for trade with other towns.

After the Haust invasion, most dwarves spread throughout the land returned to this ancestral home. It is one of the few places who have stood strong against the Dark and is considered a safe haven. Many of those who lived above the earth in the mountain passes have sought refuge within the walls of Nidavellir.

Barbarian Tribes

While the dwarves live beneath the mountains, atop the Spine Mountains lived the many tribes of barbarians. Revering honour and the animal spirits, these tribes adopted totem animals as their symbol of honour. The Bear tribe is the sole surviving tribe, along with some few survivors of the Wolf tribe who have sought refuge within their walls. The Tiger, the Eagle, and the Elk were destroyed and their survivors have become nomadic raiding groups who take whatever they can to survive.

• Bear Tribe: The Bear Tribe’s home is in the north of the Spine Mountains, at a high altitude. The mountain ranges and few flat fields feature snow and ice almost year round and in the winter months the trails are impassable by foot without proper equipment. The tribal village features many structures, most made from wood and hides. Tented construction is also popular. Outdoor living is favoured by most tribal members and there is a close bond amongst the small group that lives here. They were amongst the first groups to build defenses, after attacks from the Wolf tribe began, and their preparation allowed them to be ready for the invasion by the Dark. They maintain a twenty-four hour watch.
• Wolf Tribe: Led by Urnalo, this tribe was almost completely wiped out in a raid against the Bear Tribe on the 25th of Haust, 2367. Those members of the wolf tribe that survived, including their leader, chose to temporarily reside in the Bear tribe’s village until they could rebuild their tribe. The invasion of the Spine Mountains by the Dark on the 36th of Haust put an end to that hope.

Human cities and villages

Humans have tended over the centuries to congregate in the south along major trade routes and cities. These were some of the primary targets for the Dark and many villages were destroyed in their invasion.

Pua

Pua was the capital city on the eastern shore of Lani. It is the oldest human-built city in the entire land and dates back at least four thousand years, though it has only had the name Pua for a little over half of that time. All historical records of the time before the Lighting seem to have been destroyed, but with the destruction of the Tower of Lighting, most modern-day records have also been destroyed. The Great Library, contained within the Tower, has been lost. The annual celebration of lighting the Tower, signalling an end to Vintr, will not happen for the first time in over two thousands years.

The city is enormous, easily outsizing Denn 10 to 1, and is a tiered city that is split into Lowertown, Midtown, and Uppertown where the Tower of Lighting used to reside. By foot, one must travel through Lowertown to climb the streets to Midtown, and then again to continue on to Uppertown.

The city is currently under the martial leadership of Bleg, a minotaur from the Bear tribe of the Spine Mountains. He leads the defence of the city. He is primarily focused on Uppertown, with lieutenants operating militia for protection of the other towns.

Known locations in Pua

Lowertown:

• Blushing Crow: Almost put out of business by the new war, this small clothing shop has pivoted to focusing less on fashion and more on lightweight protective clothing.
• Immaculate Arrow: Previously named the best pub in Lowertown several times in a row, this pub now serves as a home base for many of the Lowertown soldiers. The owner, Cheeky Slims, lost a leg in the battle with the Dark and offers free room and board to those willing to fight back against the Dark.
• Sleepy Dretch: This dive bar for sailors is run by a lady orc sailor that goes by the name Stormy Krunkel. The Sleepy Dretch specializes in cheap booze and lots of rumours. The decor is of the style “if it isn’t falling down, it don’t need fixin’”. The invasion of the Dark has changed this place in almost no discernible manner!
• The Warehouse: This former storage warehouse was converted to an underground concert venue but after the murder of a performing act and the invasion of the Dark, it has been returned to its previous role and now stores weaponry and supplies for the Lowertown militia.

Midtown:

• Arcanix Imaginorium: Run by a powerful artificer named Zhu, there are many unique items and creations not available anywhere else in Lani. Zhu is one of the last of his trade and still operates out of Pua. Zhu has also started a side-business doing repairs of existing arcane creations.
• Gilded Cog: Owned and operated by the gnome Tilly Glitterfizz, this bustling tavern is renowned for its mechanical clockwork decor and enchanted furniture which adapts in size to the customers. Ever since the invasion, nightly entertainment is no longer the focus of this location. Tilly has shifted the purpose of the Gilded Cog towards a clinic and a planning space for Midtown militia.
• Midnight Theater: An opulent theater that was historically used for showcasing plays, musical performances, and magic shows, the Midnight Theater hosted the annual “Festival of Lights” performance during the holiday time. With the invasion, all plans for the holiday show have been cancelled and the theater has been turned into a non-denominational prayer space. Since Haust, there has been a meteoric rise in demand for temples and prayer spaces, hoping for the gods to intervene on their behalf.

Uppertown:

• Eldrin’s Arcane Curios: Scrolls, components, and spellbooks for the discerning wizard run by Eldrin, an elf, former wizard of the Hexen Tower, researcher, and retired professor. This is one of the last few places in Lani that still carries these materials.
• Steamy Smithy and Day Spa: Operated by the two elves Dorgan and Gabardiel, this combination smithy and spa offered a comfortable bathhouse usually filled with merchants and nobles alongside custom-built weaponry and armor, typically crafted for display purposes by the nobility of Uppertown. Since the invasion, the focus on the smithy has shifted towards mass production of simple arms and armor. Many skilled trades people have converted the bathhouse into a crafting area to help the couple with the production.
• The Alibii: This night club previously featured velvet-lined walls and obnoxious clientele. The dark lighting and plush seating has been ripped out to convert the location into an office and meeting space for Bleg and his lieutenants. Most official decisions from the leadership of Pua would have previously come from the nearby Tower of Lighting, but with it destroyed the Alibii has taken over as the central seat of power.
• Tower of Lighting: The fabled Tower of Lighting was destroyed in a massive explosion which precipitated the invasion by the Dark. The locals have tried to clean up some of the square around the previous location for the tower, but a massive pile of rubble still remains with a small monument placed at its center as a reminder of what once stood there.

Hexen Tower

Hexen Tower once stood to the south west and featured the most prominent school of magic and science in all of Lani. Many would-be wizards or sorcerers had walked those halls and over time this had expanded into the studies of engineering, alchemy, and other sciences. The tower was destroyed during the invasion by the Dark.

The most powerful masters of the arcane inhabited that one place and that should have been enough to hold back the oncoming horde, but the school could not remain united. Ancient truces with demons, devils, beasts, and creatures from across the planes fell apart, a peace no longer possible without the power of Ilandriel’s charm upon the world. Even though those who called the Tower home were able to halt the incoming force of the Dark, the halls of the school were destroyed as wizards fought beholders, and demons, and even their own kind. The Tower was completely destroyed, along with all the knowledge within. Thousands of wizards, students and teachers alike, perished in the disaster, losing millennia of advancement in the techno-arcane.

• “Magic and Mundane: History of the Hexen Tower”, by Brigitte Featherwalker

Denn

The port city of Denn lies to the north of the Hexen tower and was previously led by an elected council known as the Council of Nine. A common trading point for the villages of the north west or the Spine mountains, merchants would come from far and wide to sell their wares or acquire goods for their stores back home.

During the attack by the Dark, the council fled by ship, unequipped to face the challenge. A goblin named Boblin rallied people together to defend the dock ward and that is the lone safe zone within the city walls of Denn. The rest of the city is haunted by hordes of the undead and reports of a strange elf who leads them.

Temple of Sif

To the northwest of Denn there once was a large temple to the goddess Sif. The clerics, druids, and paladins of Sif uphold beliefs in the wisdom of knowledge, the value of life, and an underlying sense of protection of the natural world. Thalorin leads the clergy at the temple, an ancient elf who has served Sif for hundreds of years. The temple to Sif featured a great statue to the goddess herself, as well as a large library and an enclave where the sick and injured were cared for. During the attack by the Dark, refugees fled into the swamp for protection. Thalorin and the priests protected the people as best they could, but the library was destroyed. Most of the followers of Sif stood bravely, but many fell covering the escape of those who were visiting the temple.

Skaeli’s Swamp

Between the Temple of Sif and Denn lies an enormous forest and swamp. The swamp has earned its name due to the arrival of a young black dragon which was rescued from the sewer tunnels of Denn. During the invasion of Denn, many children were led by the council leader’s son, Jordan, into the swamp. The children stayed under the protection of Jordan’s friend, Skaeli the dragon, and additional refugees from the temple and Denn later arrived in what became a safe haven from the Dark. It was from Skaeli’s Swamp that a push back against the invading forces began, in an attempt to free Denn and the Temple of Sif.

Greenfell

The village of Greenfell lies east of the Temple of Sif, on the main road to Denn. It is a small farming village populated primarily by humans, though there is a farm run by a gnoll family very close by.

On the night of the 21st of Haust, 2367, the village of Greenfell came under attack of some form of dark magic which caused villagers to either flee in fear or become irrationally enraged. The town was burned to the ground, though the misty rain of the evening prevented the fire from spreading to the nearby woods.

The source of the dark magic was found, by a group of travelling heroes, in ancient castle ruins near Greenfell. In destroying the source of the evil magic, the remaining underground ruins of the castle were destroyed in a massive collapse.

Vornstrand

In the south east lies the ancient city of Vornstrand. Overlooking the Bay of Tranquility, Vornstrand is a common port of call for merchants and travellers alike. It’s founding dates back to before the Lighting, nearly as old as Denn and Pua. Sprawling stacked housing forms a labyrinth of alleys and tunnels which all seem to lead down toward the main port where merchant stalls line the street as colourful welcoming stations.

It is said that information is the most valuable currency in Vornstrand. The leading power within Vornstrand is the dragon Ge’off, who also leads an underground network of spies and agents who maintain a communication system across Lani. After the fall of the Tower of Lighting, word quickly reached Ge’off of his sister’s demise and defensive preparations began for the invasion. The arrival of the heroes helped turn the tide against the Dark in the region and Vornstrand is now one of the safest zones within Lani. Many now use the waters between Pua and Vornstrand to travel rather than risk the roads.

Ge’off and his network keep communication between the major safe zones and outposts throughout Lani, allowing for monitoring of the movements of the army of the Dark. If an important message needs to be sent to another safe zone, it needs to go through Ge’off’s network.

Balderston

Situated approximately halfway between Vornstrand and Pua, the town of Balderston is much younger than either of the larger neighbouring cities it. Compared to Denn’s milleniums-old architecture, or the ancient structures of Pua and Vornstrand, the town is practically modern! Most of the buildings are new, with brightly painted signs and somewhat uniform architecture and design styles. Balderston feels like a town on the rise, perhaps boosted by its proximity to Pua and Vornstrand with easy access to the western trade routes.

Thanks to the combined efforts in Vornstrand and Pua, Balderston was saved from the initial invasion and the residents retreated to Pua’s Lowertown and Midtown. Viktor’s potion shop has been abandoned, its inventory moved to Pua’s Midtown.

The town of Balderston previously featured a major annual event known as Heroes Fest where visitors enjoy challenges of skills and the gathering of local merchants and goods. One shop known to most in the region is Grimoires and Gears, a shop for the arcane and mechanical, but since the invasion the owner and its inventory have disappeared. It is suspected that the powerful creator of the unique items in the shop has an extraplanar safehouse and has retreated from Lani for the time-being.