> [!success] Integrated > This lore drop has been processed and integrated into the vault. > See: [[Region - Eldvale]] **LOCATION - Gryth - Auken – Eldvale** **ELDVALE** Located to the north of Prosperia within the rugged expanse of Auken, Eldvale is a land defined by its harsh, mountainous moorlands and desolate, rocky plateaus. Stretching into the furthest reaches of the north, the country terminates at the shores of the Frozen Sea, a body of water that serves as a volatile theatre for both trade and conflict between northern Auken and the western Nornian nations of Icynthraal and Nornika. The landscape is notoriously unforgiving, dominated by sheer cliffs and jagged mountains of black stone that disappear into a perpetual shroud of snow and mist. This region is also noteworthy for its proximity to the Hisiiram, the eternal magical Mistwall of the far northern oceans. This mystical veil shrouds an unknown edge of the world’s maps; while many Ustragian black ships have sailed into its depths never to return, the nation holds the only known sworn testimony of a survivor who breached the veil, a document now locked away within the deepest castle vaults. The capital, Ustraga, is a formidable fortress-city made almost entirely of deep mountain black stone and woven with powerful, ancient enchantments. Shrouded in a near-constant veil of rain and fog, the city reflects the warlike spirit of its people. From a young age, the youth of Ustraga are trained for combat, destined to join the ranks of the ever-present Black Army. The city is ruled by a Great Knight who serves as a warlord king, a position currently held by The Great Knight Dmitri the Blood-soaked. In Eldvale, strength determines the right to lead, and as such, the ruling authority changes frequently as rivals challenge one another for the mantle of the Great Knight. The history of Eldvale is a long and layered tapestry, tracing its origins back three thousand years to its founding as a Snow Elf colony. Following the collapse of that ancient empire, the region was colonised by Dwarves and Gnomes who carved their legacies into the black stone mountains. The modern identity of Eldvale began to take shape approximately 500 years ago with a significant human migration. These settlers integrated with the local populations, blending disparate bloodlines to forge a secretive and mysterious society. As the world around them accelerates toward global trade, Eldvale has become increasingly insular, fostering a culture rife with secret societies that guard their knowledge as fiercely as their borders. Eldvale is currently defined by a "frosty" cold war with the Kingdom of Whitemist. Though no open battle has been fought in forty years, the tension remains a palpable force in the nation’s political life. The wilderness remains equally perilous, inhabited by dark spirits and lethal ice creatures in the north, while the southern moorlands are hunted by massive terror birds and prowling mountain lions. The locals observe no organised religion, preferring to worship smaller local deities and nature gods residing within the frost and stone, a tradition that mirrors the harsh and uncompromising law of the wild that governs their daily lives. ![[Pasted image 20260124005149.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260124005201.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260124005226.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260124005235.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260124005243.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260124005251.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260124005301.png]]