Ruins of Talvos
"To dance with steel is to weave destiny."
Talvos was a city of ambition, art, and arcane brilliance. Now, it is a hushed lament in the fog, waiting for those brave enough to hear its last song.
Once a radiant pinnacle of elven arcane mastery and martial elegance, Talvos now lies sunken beneath the treacherous waters of the Riparian Wetlands. The city, once home to the legendary Bladesingers, fell when the pursuit of perfection led its greatest minds to unravel the Weave itself. Now, the ruins shift beneath thick mist and stagnant waters, a ghostly echo of its former glory, where echoes of lost spells and warriors still linger.
Demographics
Before the Fall:
85% Elves (Moon, Sun, and Wood)
10% Half-Elves
5% Others (Gnomes, Humans, Tieflings)
Now:
80% Spirits, Phantoms, and Haunts
19% Occasional adventurers
1% Ethonius, the Last Bladesinger
Government
Ruled by The Circle of the Heartspire, a council of Bladesingers who upheld the city’s traditions and oversaw its balance between magic and warfare.
The leader, known as The First Singer, was both ruler and grandmaster of Bladesinging.
Defences
Before: Arcane barriers, war-golems, and the Bladesingers themselves.
Now: The Maw of Talvos, phantasmal warriors, and unstable magic prevent most from venturing too far.
Industry & Trade
Exports: Magic-infused weaponry, enchanted textiles, rare spell components.
Imports: Fine metals, gemstones, and exotic spell reagents.
Infrastructure
Before the Fall: Elegant bridges, towering spires, floating platforms connected by arcane pathways, and a vast underground aqueduct powered by leyline magic.
Now: Half-submerged ruins, broken bridges leading nowhere, flooded streets, and structures partially collapsed or held together by residual magic
Districts
The Heartspire Ruins – The epicenter of the disaster, now a fractured tower radiating unstable magic.
The Sundered Streets – Once thriving lower districts, now lost beneath murky waters and haunted by spectral echoes of its past citizens.
The Moonlit Forum – A crumbling plaza where enchanted statues still perform duels that never end.
The Hollow Docks – A submerged harbor where enchanted ships remain docked, eternally waiting for a crew that will never return.
The Veiled Gardens – A ruined elven park where mutated flora still thrive, twisted by the city’s magical fallout.
Assets
Assets (Formerly Available)
Apothecaries: Sold elixirs and potions to enhance both magic and physical prowess.
Blacksmiths & Armorers: Specialized in lightweight, enchanted weapons designed for Bladesingers.
Tailors: Created elegant, enchanted garments that aided in spellcasting and movement.
Magic Item Vendors: Focused on scrolls, staves, and foci for arcane combat.
Notable Shops (Ruins Still Contain)
Velarion’s Vault – A hidden, partially intact magic shop rumored to contain still-active wands and scrolls.
The Stilled Blade – A collapsed training hall where rusted Bladesinger swords hum with latent power.
Silverlight Armory – Its wares are lost, but legends say its enchanted vaults remain locked, untouched by time.
Brothels
None remain, though there were once establishments catering to scholars and warriors alike.
Fun Things to Do/Fun Locations
Duel Ghostly Bladesingers in the Moonlit Forum.
Navigate the Weeping Veil to uncover lost elven artifacts.
Search for Ethonius, the Last Bladesinger, and learn the forgotten art.
Places to Stay (Before & After the Fall)
Before: The Gilded Lyre (High-class inn), The Silent Step (Mid-range inn), and The Resting Blade (Low-cost barracks for travelers).
Now: Nowhere is truly safe, but the least haunted shelter is the Hollow Docks.
Guilds and Factions
The Last Bladesinger – Ethonius, the sole remnant of the old order, guards its secrets.
The Seekers of the Weave – A faction of scholars desperate to restore Talvos’ arcane knowledge.
The Marshborn – A group of swamp-dwelling scavengers who raid the ruins for lost treasures.
History
Talvos: Once a thriving city, Talvos was the jewel of an ancient civilization that harnessed powerful life magic to nurture its people and ensure the prosperity of their lands. Built on the edge of what was then a fertile plain, the city’s towering spires and intricate stonework shimmered with the essence of life energy, drawn from a mysterious wellspring beneath the city known as the Heart of Talvos. The civilization of Talvos was revered for its mastery of both arcane arts and natural harmony, allowing them to thrive for centuries without fear of famine, illness, or invaders.
However, this unbridled use of life magic would ultimately lead to the city’s downfall. In their pursuit of greater power, the leaders of Talvos sought to unlock the full potential of the Heart of Talvos, pushing the limits of its magic far beyond its intended use. Their tampering destabilized the balance between the natural world and the arcane forces they wielded. The once bountiful lands began to wither, and cracks formed in the very foundation of the city. As the Heart of Talvos was corrupted by their greed, a catastrophic event known as the Sundering of Talvos occurred.
The Sundering shattered the city’s magical defenses and caused the land beneath Talvos to collapse, creating a sinkhole that allowed the swampy waters to flood in, transforming the fertile plains into the treacherous Riparian Wetlands that exist today. The once-great city was swallowed by the marshes, its buildings crumbling as nature reclaimed what had been taken from it.
Points of interest
The Heartspire Ruins – The shattered pinnacle of Talvos, still pulsing with chaotic magic.
The Weeping Veil – A spectral mist that hides lost souls and lost treasures alike.
The Sunken Core – Deep beneath the city’s ruins lies the Heart of Talvos, now a corrupted wellspring of magic.
The Maw of Talvos – A monstrous guardian lurking within the depths, formed from the Weave’s broken remnants.
The StillBorn Blades – A solemn field where the fallen Bladesingers’ swords are struck into the ground in an 'X' formation, commemorating their legacy. Each pair of blades represents a distinct form of the Bladesong, their once-enchanted steel whispering remnants of forgotten duels.
Tourism
Extremely dangerous, but thrill-seekers and historians still attempt to uncover the city’s hidden lore.
Architecture
Elegant, sweeping designs that once defied gravity—many now partially collapsed, their stone and crystal foundations cracked but still resisting total ruin.
Geography
Located within the Riparian Wetlands, the city now half-submerged beneath brackish, shifting waters.
Climate
Perpetual mist, high humidity, and unpredictable magical anomalies that cause sudden weather shifts.
Natural Resources
Beneath the Waters: Deep beneath the murky waters of the Riparian Wetlands lies the Sunken Core, the remnants of the Heart of Talvos. The Sunken Core is now a twisted, corrupted version of its former self, radiating dark life magic that warps everything around it. This source of immense power has created strange and dangerous mutations in the flora and fauna of the wetlands, with plants growing to unnatural sizes and creatures gaining bizarre abilities.
It is said that something more sinister dwells beneath the waters, an ancient guardian that was once a protector of the Heart of Talvos. When the city fell, the guardian was corrupted along with the Heart, transforming it into a monstrous entity known as The Maw of Talvos. This creature, a fusion of elemental and life magic gone awry, roams the sunken ruins, fiercely defending the remains of the once-great city. It is a hulking, serpentine beast with a maw that drips corrosive liquid and tendrils of twisted roots that lash out at any intruders.
RUINED SETTLEMENT
1847BD
Founding Date
7305BD
Alternative Name(s)
The Weave's Wound; Fallen Jewel of the Elves
Population
<100
Location under
Owner/Ruler
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