> [!success] Integrated > Updated [[Region - Ludland]] and added [[Hook - Ludland]] on 2026-02-02 **LOCATION - Gryth - Auken - Ludland** **LUDLAND** Ludland is a remote island situated many hundreds of miles off the western and southern shores of Auken. While its geographic isolation leads some to classify it as an extra-continental land, its residents maintain strong historical ties to Auken. This "blessed land" serves as the ancestral home of a specific group of halflings known as Ludlings, a name reserved strictly for those hailing from Ludland, distinguishing them from the halfling populations found elsewhere in Gryth. The country has cultivated a beautiful and calm society defined by rolling farmlands, small villages, and a total absence of formal warfare for over 2,000 years. The island’s security and seclusion are maintained through a strict entry policy enforced at the port city capital of Wentchester. Landing anywhere else on the island is a perilous endeavour, as powerful magical wards protect the coastline. These enchantments cause intense confusion and delirium in any individual who has not yet taken the island's sacred oath, making it extremely tricky to navigate the shores without losing one's mind. To gain safe passage and enter the community, a visitor must undergo the Oath of the Grain, woven by an expert archmage four centuries ago. To fulfil this oath at Wentchester, an entrant must: • Provide a payment of gold to the island’s treasury. • Commit to remaining on the island for at least one full season. • Promise to work towards the betterment of Ludland during their stay. • Vow never to speak of or remove specific information from the island, permitted only to describe where they were and how the experience made them feel. Life in Ludland is idyllic, where any form of fighting is relegated to drunken bar brawls or non-violent contests. The economy is almost entirely focused on agriculture and the culinary arts, supplemented by woodworking and minimal mining. Ludlings are passionate patrons of the arts, with a culture steeped in music, poetry, dramatic acts, and everything in between. Despite their seclusion, Ludland’s reputation has spread to southern Auken and northern Iros through its rare exports; their beer and cider are widely regarded as the finest in all of Gryth. While other halflings are found across the continents, having spread to Edaria and Ganath as domestic servants during the ancient Age of Kings, the Ludling population remained unknown to the eastern continents until quite recently. The island holds scattered, ancient records of "Tall Elves" who arrived eons ago in grand white and red ships. Local scholars suspect these visitors were members of the Eldari elven family, though this remains an unconfirmed piece of Ludling folklore. ![[Pasted image 20260202194619.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260202194625.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260202194631.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260202194636.png]] ![[Pasted image 20260202194641.png]]