Southeast Cladelands

The waters around the south-eastern islands are cool and dark. Mists often hang over the waves, and the winds are calm and kindly. The gentle exterior, however, belies an ecosystem with many large predators, including sea drakes and rocs as well as sea creatures of all imaginable kinds. Fishing these waters can be perilous, but incredibly rewarding.   The Golden Isle is a lush, paradisical land, surrounded by a shimmering veil of rainbow mists. Within the veil, the sun shines on golden sands, surrounding a lush interior. Low lying forest and heath rises to tall peaks, shrouded in cloud forest. The mountains contain rich deposits of precious metals, the forests produce much fruit, and the waters to the north team with fish. In the centre of the Isle, surrounded by the mountains and wreathed in mists, the capital city of Aurea sits on the shores of Lake Ladon, considered a reflection of the Sea of Ladon that once lay at the heart of the ancient, draconic homeland.   The bruken of the gold clade are of two types. In the depths of the cloud forest, extravagant temples mark the entrance to the vaulted cavern halls of the highborn, cut into the living stone of the mountains, while in the lowland forest, the lowborn dwell in elaborate tree cities. Aurea is unlike the other bruken, being entirely built of dressed stone and gold.   The eastern extent of Ladonia is the Jade Tears, specifically the Tear of Loss (joined in the group by the Tear of Confuson in the north, and the Tear of Pain in the south-west.) The Tears are a trio of roughly teardrop-shaped islands, each covered by verdant forests and wreathed in cloying, slightly noxious mists. The forests are home to a vast array of venomous or poisonous animals and plants, and also the green Dragonborn clade. The Tears are rich in botanical poisons, drugs and fruits, although the last are often bitter and tough.   The green clade build their bruken in the forests, weaving their buildings - some of wood, others stone - around and into the vast, ancient trees. The bruken walls are not strong fortifications, but the coiling roots conceal the settlements from intruders, and can release clinging poison in response to direct hostility. The largest bruke is Verdigris, on the Tear of Pain, where the conclave of the Clade meets.   The mists around Shadowmire are thick and cold, with a reputation for provoking corrosion and decay. Within the constant fog, high banks and grasping mangroves mark the entrance to brackish, slow moving estuaries and the swampy interior. The bruken of the black clade cluster around high, stony promontories. Key, civic functions are kept in the caves of the promontory, while residences stand on tall stilts above the swamp's water table.   The only fast-flowing river on Shadowmire, the Causca, flows from the saddle of high bruke Nicifa's rocky hill, its swift current pushing the cold, astringent waters out to sea. Gallus, at the mouth of the Causca, is both the chief port and the supply harbour for the Grey Islet. The black clade act as the wardens of the prison colony.