When
Lilryth's followers left the Feywild in search of their imprisoned leader, they arrived in what is today
Lilyr'ythra in the
Lyra Basin. Immediately, they made their way deep underground and discovered what would come to be known as the
Deep Beneath. A burgeoning empire to the north sent homesteaders into
Varazslem and the
Balarkavi Range, but when those homesteaders declared themselve freeholders, that empire prepared to violently return them to the fold. History disagrees on why the
Mythalenairra chose then to reveal themselves, but the shock of fey warriors rising from the mist was enough to deter that empire.
Since then, the Mythalenairra have been the unspoken protectors of the Mythic Hinterlands, allowing several cultures to grow and thrive over the centuries.
The land itself is quietly vibrant, suffused with understated magic and sublime natural wonders. The people that live there are fiercely proud of the ground they live on or in, and regard one another respectfully, equal defenders of the region.
Geography
Mist-shrouded mountains, frigid streams, and long winters characterize the lands south of {NATION}.
The strange, serpentine shape of
the Tels divides the region into six distinct territories plus the mountain range itself. The entire expanse is temperate sub-polar and experiences all four seasons, but Hinterland winters are famously harsh. The northern stretch of
the Tels protects
Varazslem from the worst of the southern blizzards, but does little for the western winds. The
Lyra Basin, however, is entirely encircled by the mountains' reaches and—according to
Mythalenairran scholars—a certain amount of magical protection. It never suffers the blizzards and ice storms of the surrounding area and is always just a bit warmer than everywhere else in the Hinterlands. Few cultures make their living in the mountains proper, but those that do are hardy folk.
Varazslem
The northernmost point is a dense boreal forest known as
Varazslem. It is home to sturdy lumber, hearty game, and primeval magic. Native fauna tends to be small and dark, the better to hide among the trees and shadowed streams. Plant life is less diverse than elsewhere, limited to hardy berry bushes, coniferous trees, densely rooted ground cover, and cold-loving mosses and lichens.
Balarkavi Range
To the east, the
Balarkavi Range comprises vast tracts of arable land. Native species and far-flung cultivars provide produce for peoples across the Hinterlands and beyond, great beasts roam the plains, and the mountain-fed rivers teem with innumberable species of fish and aqautic plants.
Hinterland Swamp
The western half of the region is dominated by the
Hinterland Swamp. Protected as it is by the thickest run of the mountain range, the swamp is a nearly year-round source of raw crafting materials and herbs. It has the greatest native biodiversity of any locale within the Hinterlands, and its ecosystem is valiantly defended and maintained by the people of the
Zekken Preserve.
Ghastlee Valley
Abutting the
swamp's eastern barrier and encircled by two cradling arms of
The Tels is the shadowed vale called
Ghastlee Valley. Little sun reaches the valley trough, and the only known settlement relies on the banks of
Lake Umbree, the few hours of sunlight on summer days, and trade with communities around them.
Lyra Basin
Wrapped up in the heart of the
Tels is a large valley latticed with shallow, narrow streams and sparkling waterfalls. Little-understood magic keeps the basin just a bit warmer than all the surrounding areas and protects it from the vicious Hinterland winters.
The Southern Desolation
South of everything else and cut off from the rest of the Hinterlands by two spiny tendrils of the
Tels is the wasteland known as the
Southern Desolation. Little grows here but a tough grass that can, with effort, be made into a textile with limited use, and even the monsters that roam the
Desolation are few and far between. Seasonal mining operations take advantage of iron veins, granite quarries, and few rarer metals for as much of the year as possible; staying in the southernmost reaches of the Hinterlands in the winter is a certain death sentence.
The Deep Beneath
Undergirding it all is the underground network of caves, caverns, and subterranean lakes known as the
Deep Beneath. While the
Deep Beneath spans the entire continent, it's most developed through the Hinterlands and, more specifically, underneath the lines of the
Tels.
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