Arkilon: Realm of the Dryads

Dryads have been allies of the elves since time immemorial, and Arkilon is their homeland. The country possesses a distinct culture that sets it completely apart from any other region of Lumeris, and is de facto independent. Lumeric control over Arkilon is tenuous at best, with only isolated Valmer mining villages swearing allegiance to the "King". These mining villages cling to isolated, low mountain peaks that puncture the forest roof, and haul out loads of precious gemstones for the elven nobility.

Relations between the dryads of Arkilon and the outside world are maintained via a ritual known as the "Sowing", in which honored males are sent to the depths of the forest to serve the dryads in a monastic life. After a term of 10 years, the chosen are "wedded" to a dryad for a single night, ensuring the continuity of the dryad race.

Arkilon consists of a tangled, dense forest interspersed by villages nestled in the tree-boughs, and occasional overgrown stepped pyramids unique to the continent. These pyramids are said to foster a magical connection to the Feywild that sustains the forest of Arkilon and blesses Lumeris with faerie magic.

The depths of the forest are also home to an order of druids from the west, the Twilight Oroborites. With their acceptance of undead, these druids maintain an uneasy relationship with the neighboring dryads, though their village of Schimmel is a welcome refuge for the needy.