Regional Lore

The Verdant realm is an overgrown province filled with myth and mystery. A heartland where these two things intersect, twist and mingle. A place that is defined by their universal tongue and cultural pillars. Unity presented the jungle's people with a golden age. The belief in the spider delivered them security and prosperity unparalleled when contrasted with the other nations. Faith that they stand stronger when unified than squabbling over superficial details like race, tribe, or creed.

Their unwavering devotion to this belief allowed the Verdant Dynasty to transcend and evolve into the world power it is today. The filigree of the spider is far-reaching, rendering both progress and security to the inhabitants who call the jungle home. Giant structures of bone and web blend marvelously with the towers of lumber that reach the heavens. The thick leaves supply shade as the massive fungus, kaleidoscopic flowers, plentiful ferns, and nutritious roots provide health to the land. 

The southern providence (Skeletal Highway) is a buffer, a massive savannah wedged between the white desert and the maze of trees. Toward the southernmost points, its people dwell within structures of fungus. While along the coasts, one might notice the region's architecture shifting from mushroom towers to abodes composed of bone to look like the hollowed carcasses of crustaceans. If one should trek north to the border of the jungle. The dwellings will alter to that of wood, with intricate engravings documenting the region's history.

Rivers, springs, and lakes provide the land with sufficient water to support its population. While its tunnels and caves are used to raise arthropods whose eggs are harvested for food. And the volcanic ash is imported from the south to supply much-needed nutrients to their soil. As one travels, one might hear the calls of giant birds and dinosaurs and the chirping of outlandish insects. All of which call this savannah home.

North of the Skeletal Highway lies the beating heart of the dynasty. A thick expanse of unnaturally large trees whose branches seemingly pierce the sky. Nested within its branches are towns known as the Ironbark Towers, and underneath its shades are hamlets.

To the west lies the Hearth of the Earth, a metropolis carved into the mountain ripe with technological wonderment. A city filled with artificial fixtures of light that use crystals to pierce the darkness. Affixed to the walls are pipes of bronze propelling energy to its citizens' workshops, factories, and residences. A port on the other side of the mountain ensures that naval bombardment or siege would prove ineffective while allowing it to function as a port hub for the western seas

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The Heart of the Earth is the epicenter of advancement, both militarily and tech aimed to enhance the daily lives of the nation's people. The Goatkin who founded this marvel is industrious, leading others to anoint it "The city that never hushes" due to the steady running of its installations. 

Next door lies the Lunar veil, the domain of the Mothkela. The capital of medical and alchemical advancement. Its people live within massive pyramid structures that are buried into the earth. The exterior is covered in farms, and the shepherds can be seen herding their giant sloths amidst the thicket. The Urk-til River provides fish. Ships ferrying goods and smaller vessels to gather the bounty of its waters can be spotted voyaging across its surface.

The locals use crafts of lumber or giant turtles to traverse the river. The lunar veil appropriates it to operate as the middleman between the Hearth of the Earth and the Boneyard.

There, within the center of the dynasty, is the Boneyard. An intricate labyrinth of monumental towers of bone with web bridges linking them. The city persists as the drumming core of the superpower; within its borders, all political affairs are settled. It stands as the center of education and mercantile. Its vast streets are roved by armed guards with arachnids as helpers to assist with upholding order. And overlooking the entirety of this engineering achievement is a massive skull that is the palace of the world, with a spinal bridge uniting it with the rest of the city.

Birthplace of the Dynasty, the metropolis is populated by a diverse assemblage of the motherland's citizens.  To the east, one will happen across the massive graveyard known only as the outer rim. This outpost is a military installation where secret weapons are evaluated for field use. The maze of remains also works as the training depot for the Red Sap, the Verdant Dynasty's special task force. Here, those who enlist, hone their crafts while studying alchemy and science. At the core of this enigmatic region, is a wilderness composed of carcasses where the Red Sap harvests the ichor that gives them their name.

The Bader'kekrhan have recently moved in to aid with the production of armaments via their undead labor force. It is a portion shrouded in mystery where the "dark arts'' are studied to bolster their military prowess. A legion of shambling dead and spiders patrol its exterior, where traps abound to ensnare any who might be foolish enough to pry. 

North of the great river and to the east resides the Necrotic swamplands. Within the quagmire, one can discover Kilk-Mire, the largest northern city. The bog is home to large dragonflies, misquotes, corpse flies, Quetzalcoatlus, and roving predatory dinosaurs. 

The hearty people are bred for war and are comprised of Toadfolk and Turtlefolk. They serve the warden of the north, who is the second in command, should the current administration fall prey to an attack. They exist to operate as the tip of the spear, their tenacity only overshadowed by their conquest of an otherwise inhospitable patch of silt.

Here, the priestess of the old order dwells, fusing the ancient traditions with modern culture. The school of flesh magic and anatomy overseen by the Red Sap to propel the Giant's amplitude for such fields to new zeniths.

Additional notes, the areas highlighted are just a fraction of the regions. The jungle is the size of South America and so there are thousands of settlements. We leave these areas unmarked to save you time reading and to grant you the ability to construct a town in the setting.