the city of Ystrad...legendary and mysterious, it is on the brink. People will tell you that only there can you live forever, that the lame can walk, the sick are cured and death has been banished. Shining bastion blessed by the Elder Gods....
not all rumours are lies but these miracles come at a price...
Arturo Perth daydreamed of a tree and carried a Seed into the waking world, where it grew into the Night Root. From its essence, a potion was created, granting power, extended life and healing. But Ystrad has become a conduit of energy, as the Night Root links all those around it to the Vision, a realm where dreams and nightmares rule, thinning the veil between. Soon the Corrupted began to manifest, as dreams became reality and where one ends and the other begins is no longer clear.
Monsters, plagues, insanity and greed move through the valley, drawing in those with dark purpose like a magnet. The Order strives for balance, while pursuing their own agenda as the ruling power. The Aedola have splintered from the Order, moving permanently to Nurem, the cave beneath the city where the taint is lightest. Yet people keep coming for the healing Elixir, desiring to be cured and bring light back to the shadows…
~ the Elixir of the Night Root is considered the greatest healing miracle given to the mortal world. It is also an addictive source of power that many seek out to enhance their own, including through gaining Curses & Blessings.
~ the Elixir is obsessively controlled by the Order and only from a member, or the Black Market, can one receive a vial. The more diluted it is, the easier and cheaper it will be to get. And not everyone will be willing to sell, it must be worth their while to give up their own supply.
~ Ystrad is part of a distant northern monarchy, the Kingdom of Yhorm. While many races were part of the country, over the last 50 years, humanity has become more widespread and dominant, causing racial tensions to increase until a full blown war broke out. Genocide and racial restrictions have become commonplace in much of the small kingdom, driving many into full refugee status in the nearby mountain ranges. During all this, Ystrad has come under its own autonomy since the creation of the Elixir and the founding of the Order. This city's primary populace has been human for centuries, though humanoids like dwarves, elves and halflings are common, due to Nurem's proximity. Thanks to Ystrad's remoteness, the war has been mostly just information passed on by the traders that come through but more and more refugees have begun moving in, as the city expanded at the hands of the Order; something that the population have very mixed feelings about. For those who are traveling to Ystrad or Nurem, whether by choice or fleeing the persecution, most of the known information would be about the amazing miracles and only lesser rumours about the Purge and Corruption.
~ Geographically, Ystrad is located in a remote valley high up in the mountains. The snow rarely melts from the surrounding peaks but the city itself is kept moderately temperate due to the Sun Stone that helps power it. Nurem, the cavern kingdom of the Umbra Elves, is located beneath it; it generally takes about a few hours to traverse the tunnels, depending on your natural movement speed. The Black Forest is located on a lower part of the mountains, reached by passing through Nurem and is generally warmer due to the desert found on the far side of it