Zenith Valley

The Zenith Valley, nestled between the towering Celestia Peaks in the west and the volcanic Onyx Veil in the southeast, is a land of natural splendor. It derives its name from the vespoids who call this region their home—the Zenith, a distinctive ethnic group that has thrived amidst the amber landscapes of this valley.

Stretching across the southern expanse of Auroma, the Zenith Valley boasts ancient forests of awe-inspiring trees that reach staggering heights, some soaring hundreds of feet into the sky. These colossal trees serve as the foundation for the unique cities and settlements that dot the valley's landscape, as the industrious vespoids have ingeniously constructed their homes and structures amidst the branches and canopies of these majestic giants.

Come nightfall, a captivating transformation occurs within the Zenith Valley. The leaves of the towering trees shimmer with a golden radiance, emitting a soft, ethereal glimmer that permeates the surroundings. This mesmerizing display, known as the Nectar Lights, bathes the valley in a warm and enchanting aura, casting an otherworldly glow upon the land.

At the heart of the Zenith Valley lies Arboraeum, the proud capital city of @Auroma. Built upon the colossal Grand Arbor, the mightiest tree in all the valley. Its architectural marvels, intricately intertwined with the tree's branches and supported by its sturdy trunk, blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, creating an awe-inspiring sight.

Undersoil Nectar

The rapid growth of the forests in the Zenith Valley can be attributed to the magical energy of the two major Leylines that flow beneath the surface. The valley's trees have developed specialized roots that tap into this mystical essence, drawing sustenance and vitality from it. As a result, the bark of these remarkable trees bears a distinctive orange hue, infused with particles of crystallized Amber that harmonizes with the natural wood.

While the surface of each Leyline is made of hard Amber, their cores are made of flowing liquid called Nectar. Nectar is the liquid, living form of Amber. It is both extremely nutritious and supercharged with magic, making it the perfect source of energy for any plant or animal - particularly any with supernatural powers.

The raw, uncontrolled power of Nectar is dangerous if consumed - unless the amount taken stays very small. The wild magic within the Nectar can spark all kinds of unwelcome events near and in the eater. Nectar is also difficult to safely transport, which is why most artisans prefer to use the more stable Amber in their works.

Titanic Trees

The ancient, gigantic trees of Zenith Valley are called Amberwood Titans. An Amberwood Titan can grow up to 27 feet wide and reach heights of over 350 feet. The trees owe their colossal size to the Leylines, whose Nectar their roots absorb. Thick, reddish-gold bark covers the trees; the fissures of the bark can reach up to a foot in thickness, allowing many small critters to hide within. Amberwood Titans have evolved to drain the Nectar in a controlled flow, preventing these kinds of events as long as the trees are left to live in peace.

But Nectar gives the Amberwood Titans more than an immense size: it makes their leaves glow amber-hued light, bathing the Zenith Valley in the magical glow of the Nectar Lights. This glow results from the trees ridding themselves of excess energy from the Nectar, releasing the power of the Leylines directly into the forests. The sap of the trees is also magical: it protects the trees from decay, pests, and even fire. It is also rich in nutrients and magic, although to a much lesser extent than pure Nectar.

Climate and Weather

Perpetual Humidity

Zenith Valley is on the southern side of Varzzen, and as such, the area is always warm. The Celestia Peaks to the west act as a rain barrier for the Valley, creating frequent thunderstorms. The damp air carried elsewhere mixes in with the rising moisture to create countless rainclouds, which pour down with force. The constant movement charges the air, sparking mighty bolts of lightning.

The warmth, both natural and magical, evaporates the rain, which then turns into fog due to over humidity of the air. The canopy of the Amberwood Titans blocks much of this fog, condensing it into fog drip. The fog drip falls back into the forest, starting the cycle anew.

Rain is especially common during the summer. In the winter, storms still happen, but they are infrequent. This relative aridity allows the fog to dissipate, revealing the full brilliance of the forests.

Golden Twilight

Because Amberwood Titans block both day and night, and because the rainstorms are so common, the events in the sky do little to affect the weather in the forests of Zenith Valley. Instead, fluctuations in the energy currents of the Leylines change the forests above them. These fluctuations are known as geothaumaturgic events.

Three kinds of geothaumaturgic events of the Leylines are the most common:

• Ley-Surge: Also known as Amber Storm, the flow of energy from the Leylines increases dramatically, turning the golden glow into a brilliant, almost blinding radiance. The air crackles with static magic, and gentle fog drip becomes a downpour of glowing water. Ley-Surges are times of explosive growth for the flora, but perilous for the fauna.
• Ley-Ebb: Also known as The Dimming, the flow of the Leylines flow decreases to a minimum. The golden light of the trees fades to a ghostly glimmer, and Zenith Valley turns dark, akin to a clear, moonlit night. Temperatures in the forests drop, and damp air usually coalesces into a thick fog.
• Wild Magic Storm: Sometimes, the flows of the Leylines can resonate with each other, creating a surge of magical energy. This surge flows through the Amberwood Titans and is released from their leaves as a pulse of raw, wild magic. Such uncontrolled storms of magic are often dangerous, but cunning magicians can use them to empower their own craft. These events are known as Harmonic Resonances of Leylines.

Life at Different Heights

The Amberwood Titans are so large that the forests of Zenith Valley have distinct layers stacked on top of each other. These layers differ from each other so much that life in each bears little resemblance to the life in another.

Empyrean Reach

Only the tops of the largest Amberwood Titans reach the heights known as the Empyrean Reach. Unlike other layers, the Reach is illuminated by both the sun above and the trees below. As the leaves form the floor of this layer, temperatures can vary wildly between days and nights. The open skies also allow mundane weather like rain and wind to affect the Empyrean Reach.

Since sunlight is available here, many green plants live here, covering many Amberwood Titans and turning the top of the forests into a patchwork of green and amber, which can turn into a rainbow when the flowers bloom. Due to the great heights, creatures living in the Empyrean Reach must be able to fly.

Golden Canopy

The branches and leaves of the Amberwood Titans form the Golden Canopy. This layer is a land of perpetual light: since the glowing leaves are everywhere, there is no room for shadows. Fog is a constant in the Canopy, as the golden leaves evaporate the frequently refreshed rainwater covering them.

The branches of the massive trees can support equally massive weights. In countless places, fallen leaves and similar plant matter have formed patches of rich soil, where plants grow in the amber light of Amberwood Titans. Many of the plants growing in these patches also glow, although this can be hard to notice amidst the radiance of the trees. Animals here can either fly or climb - the branches can also support heavy creatures.

Trunks

The layer below the canopy is known simply as the Trunks. This is a slightly dimmer layer, as the ground below provides no light. The trunks of the Amberwood Titans can be far apart, and the vast, empty space between has frequent updrafts, making this layer easy to fly in.

All life here make their home in the bark of the Amberwood Titans. These include flying and burrowing animals as well as plants tolerant of low light - or capable of feeding off of the trees they grow on.

Forest Floor

Everything discarded in the upper layers ends up on the forest floor, covering the layer in the stench of decay. This layer is dim, as the glowing leaves of the trees are far above, and humid, since it is also the resting place of rainwater.

Scavengers and decomposers make their home here. Although easy to dismiss as ugly and smelly, these creatures play a vital role in returning the nutrients back to the soil. Many burrowing insects also live here, creating their tunnels in the earth.

Creatures of the Zenith Valley

Due to the unique environment of the Zenith Valley, many unique creatures make their home there, each of them adapted to the magic-infused forest.

Amberhorn

Amberhorns are massive, heavily armored beetles. They roam forest floor and understory in herds. They are herbivores, and use their sharp and powerful mandibles to tear down and consume the tough leaves and fibrous bark of Amberwood Titans.

Saphid

Close relatives to the giant aphids, saphids live in the mid-canopy using their piercing mouthparts to tap directly into the trees feeding on the magical sap. Like the giant aphids, saphids excrete a sweet, highly nutritious substance. The dew of saphids, known as Amberdew, is infused with the power of Nectar, turning its color into topaz and granting it magical properties.

Drillmite

Drillmites are detritivores living in the trunks of Amberwood Titans. They consume dead wood, and also chew through the living heartwood of the Titans. The colonies they build inside the trunks of Amberwood Titans can grow massive due to high availability of wood.

Glimmerwing

Glimmerwings live in the Empyrean Reach. These predators are small but very fast, and use their numbers to take on large prey. Their wings are very reflective, which makes glimmerwings hard to see in the glow of the forest. The wings can also be used to dazzle and confuse prey or other predators.

Amber Golem

Rarely, a crack in the Amber allows Nectar to flow out of a Leyline. An unlucky creature can fall into the Nectar, and become trapped inside as the Nectar hardens into Amber. However, the trapped creature doesn't die: the Nectar is so full of nutrients an magic that the creature survives, and transforms into an Amber Golem.

As all kinds of creatures can become trapped in Amber, there are many kinds of Amber Golems. The Golem resembles the original from of the creature, but due to the uncontrolled magic involved, two Amber Golems created of the same kind of creature can look quite different. The Amber grants them supernatural powers, but Golems usually can't use these powers well, apart from enhanced strength and toughness.

Cobalt Glider

The cobalt glider is a long and narrow predator. It's named after its carapace, which is deep cobalt in color. In the amber light of the Amberwood Titans, the carapace looks pitch-black, allowing the beast to easily hide.

But the carapace of the cobalt glider absorbs more than light: it can also absorb the magic radiating from the leaves. This grants the predator many abilities, the most famous of which is increasing its ability to absorb light, covering the beast in a sphere of supernatural darkness. This quickly tires the creature, so it doesn't use this ability unless it has to.

Although it has wings, the cobalt glider can't fly. But it can glide great distances and use the updrafts between the trunks to keep itself afloat for even longer. It can also use its magical power to gain a burst of speed or to instantly change its direction.

Recent History

In recent years, the once mighty forest has dwindled. The rapid growth and expansion of Auroma over the centuries have necessitated the creation of more living space and resources for its burgeoning population. As a result, large portions of the once lush forest have been cleared to make way for settlements and infrastructure.

The toll on the forest was particularly severe during the recent Tunnel War. The invading forces of the Detrinian Empire ruthlessly cleared vast stretches of the Zenith Valley, stripping the land of its arboreal splendor. In their desperate struggle to defend their homeland, the Auromans had no choice but to follow suit, resorting to similar measures to procure the necessary resources for siege devices and weapons.

The wounds of the Tunnel War are the most notable in one fallen Amberwood Titan. A curse haunts the vespoids who lived there, and still live around it, although the exact nature of the curse is unclear. The fallen tree bleeds, and as the pools of blood grow, so does the bloodlust of the cursed vespoids.