VALEHAVEN
Places in the world
DAIN-GEALACHAN
"Slender white towers were clustered against the rock face behind them. Their blue roofs resembled sails atop the white masts of the towers. Flapping above the blue tiles was the banner of Dain-Gealachan: A blue and gold shooting star with a tail of silver silver blades."
Dain-gealachan is Aldhuil home and represents a part of his childhood that the wary warrior can never seem to recover. Isolated from the outside world the fortress was built from the ground up by Kalahar the inventor and imbued with many secrets only known by Aldhuil. In his quest to recover this symbol of peace Aldhuil will come across an exact copy of the stronghold he grew up in. But this other Dain-Gealachan will bring to light another side of Kalahar's past that Aldhuil never knew about.
THE DEADWOODS
"Aldhuil walked across the hanging bridge and headed for an archway in the cavern wall. A curtain of water was falling from the ceiling and parted above the archway. He gazed up at the two statues on either side of the passage. Their faces had also been frightfully disfigured, just like every other statue in this forsaken underground realm."
"Erupting from the forest floor, columns of fire coiled like snakes up every tree around them. As the raging firestorm reached the topmost boughs it spread out, setting the clawlike branches above them alight."
Hidden at the foot of the mountains this charred forest was burnt down long ago leaving the trees bare of any life. Formerly the grounds of a secret prison hearsay now warns of living flames that devour travellers venturing through these woods.
THE FORBIDDEN CITY OF VAINGLOR
"The nail-like columns that towered above it made him shiver. All of a sudden it dawned on him. It was a city, a dark city up against the foothills of the mountain. A mighty rampart ran around hundreds of tall towers and stairways that overlooked the dark maze of streets below."
"The instigators of the rebellion were captured and imprisoned. As for Vainglor and its inhabitants, they were told to leave the city and never return. Since that day no human has ever set foot in here."
Once the jewel of human civilization Vainglor fell in the last war and its very name was erased from the pages of history. Now this ruined city has been declared off limits to all who approach it. But within the depths of this once proud city lies instruments that have the power of swaying the course of the civil war in the human kingdoms.
THE HUMAN KINGDOMS
"The temples that the High King had erected during the height of the New Religion proved to actually be fortresses."
"The Kingdoms of Men is a federation. In theory we are all vassals of the High King. But in practice only the Inner Kingdoms fall within his sphere of influence. The Outer Kingdoms are mostly left to do what they want."
After gaining their autonomy during the human rebellion the kingdoms of men is now a federations of kingdoms, towns and territories. Although the high king rules this vast federation his influence only extends to the inner kingdoms where the teachings of the New Religion have taken hold. Forced to convert or be invaded, the Outer Kingdoms have risen up against the high king and his New Religion. It is in the midst of this bloody civil war that Aldhuil finds the land of his people. But the young man is determined to do anything to help if it can gain him the acceptance among his people.