I have always marvelled at the contrasts within Ethecorra.
Take Montarvia, for example- such a large and beautiful continent. From the snowy peaks of the Vaelspire Mountains, to the mist-drenched coastal waters of Velastra, its landscapes shift like pages of an ancient tale. A tropical forest is found along the coastal line of Southfell, and yet there is a city that sits within a deciduous forest. The savanna grasslands give way to desert, and rivers flow Blackburn Mountain right into the Lucian Gulf.
Desert spans much of Vitrum, and yet life endures- animals continue to thrive in the heat and dust. The northern reaches, where Vitrum becomes Albenton and beyond, runs from grassland to forest to temperate rainforest. The islands around Winterglass bay, at the very northern tips, give way to marsh and wetlands. The broken islands of Shattered Bay are not to be traversed lightly- ancient magic lingers there, far older than any civilization that now stands.
The ancient trees of Silva Folium Forest are a sight to behold, though most humens will only ever glimpse them from afar. Their magic runs deep, too. Howls echo through the canopy, and old tales speak of unnaturally large creatures that stalk the forest floor. No one wishes to be caught within that forest after nightfall.
They say that only one knows who enters the forest- and to pass safely through, permission must be granted.
I have stood at the edge of this forest, and felt the weight of the magic that surrounds it. One hundred miles in any direction, stretching over six hundred miles from coast to coast. I have felt the age of the trees, and the anguish they have witnessed. I have caught glimpses of the creatures who roam through those woods- and truly, they are better left as the figures of legend and myth.
I have seen the one who grants permission; even from them, I keep a respectable distance.
Yes, Montarvia is a place of wonder and beauty. It’s a place of danger and caution. Its geographical landscape is as fraught as its political and spiritual landscape. Yet, I cannot help but be in awe of it; of the resilience of its people, the adaptability of its animals.
~ Nerien.