Nettledown
Hidden Among Blue Leaves
"If you've never been there, you're not missing much. Cozy, real nice people, though a lot of people just get lost in the woods trying to find it. Again, not really missing much. It's home."Somewhere in the northern part of the Sanguine Province there is a town which few have seen without living there. Most maps show it within the Blueleaf Forest, with its location being slightly different depending on the version of the map. The incurious believe this is why many people fail to find it, and residents also quietly assume this is how it is. The Blueleaf Forest is slightly infamous for being disorienting to those who don't take precautions and track their position regularly, even if it's not a very large stretch of forest.
Nettledown is not large enough to need walls for defenses, but it can be surprising how small an area it covers. It is actually possible to cross from one edge of the town to the other in a matter of hours, and there aren't any large sprawling agricultural plots either. There are small gardens and a number of fruit trees, which at first appear insufficient for the town to feed itself. Inhabitants simply shrug this off with a "we get by". Anything which isn't available near the town is usually bartered for by traders who leave and return, as trading caravans don't stop here.
Inhabitants tend to wave off discussions of authority figures, saying they have no real need for that sort of arrangements. Similarly, there's no dedicated defenders either. There are trained hunters who have the knowledge and means to handle threats local to the Blueleaf, but adventurers are rarely seen or mentioned. Because of this, Nettledown is barely treated as existing by the Empire and given a lot of latitude. After all, there have been no major incidents which require a firmer grasp on their affairs.
The Secrets of Nettledown
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Which is fortunate, because Nettledown does not want to be found.
When arcane magic turned chaotic before the Rhyliss Empire was ever founded, there was a shard of magic enchantments which became displaced. The same incident also warped its functions to allow it to become self-aware. Without actively being sustained, it would cease to exist, therefore it needed someone to maintain it. This magical entity attached itself to a village and influenced individuals very subtly. It entered dreams to influence the residents, leaving behind a set of instructions on how to perform a ritual without it being obviously magic. Every year, there was a special celebration which would show the bond of the community was strong. This also was allowing an exchange of energy from the inhabitants to power the magic.
As the number of inhabitants grew, so did the "tribute" of energy, and the magic began to use this excess power to protect the village. Threats would find it harder to reach the village, often redirected towards other threats which would end in mutual destruction. It became impossible to intrude on the village unless invited in, which meant visitors became more scarce. By the time the Empire had entered the region, Nettledown had grown into a town and the protective aura prevented the worst impulses of early Emperors from ever impacting the settlement directly.
Currently, the living magic is strong enough to keep out anyone who might threaten the stability of the community or otherwise disrupt the magic's functions. The number of inhabitants has grown enough to make it possible for occasional trips to other nearby towns or cities for what can't be handled within the boundaries of Nettledown's protection. The magical entity is still more focused on ensuring its continued existence, and has settled on the conclusion of "if I keep the town prospering, they keep me existing, and I won't need to do anything more".
A Living Town
There are a few curious things in the land of Erisdaire, and one of these is the matter of Nettledown. Magic tends to react strangely to trying to reach into the area around the town, and most travelers who are looking for it can never find it. Some who visit only find their way there once before being unable to return there. Yet the inhabitants are capable of coming and going freely, while also being largely ignored by the Empire instead of tightly controlled. If Nettledown wasn't so unremarkable, it would be a matter which draws the attention of nearly every scholar and researcher on Erisdaire.Which is fortunate, because Nettledown does not want to be found.
When arcane magic turned chaotic before the Rhyliss Empire was ever founded, there was a shard of magic enchantments which became displaced. The same incident also warped its functions to allow it to become self-aware. Without actively being sustained, it would cease to exist, therefore it needed someone to maintain it. This magical entity attached itself to a village and influenced individuals very subtly. It entered dreams to influence the residents, leaving behind a set of instructions on how to perform a ritual without it being obviously magic. Every year, there was a special celebration which would show the bond of the community was strong. This also was allowing an exchange of energy from the inhabitants to power the magic.
As the number of inhabitants grew, so did the "tribute" of energy, and the magic began to use this excess power to protect the village. Threats would find it harder to reach the village, often redirected towards other threats which would end in mutual destruction. It became impossible to intrude on the village unless invited in, which meant visitors became more scarce. By the time the Empire had entered the region, Nettledown had grown into a town and the protective aura prevented the worst impulses of early Emperors from ever impacting the settlement directly.
Currently, the living magic is strong enough to keep out anyone who might threaten the stability of the community or otherwise disrupt the magic's functions. The number of inhabitants has grown enough to make it possible for occasional trips to other nearby towns or cities for what can't be handled within the boundaries of Nettledown's protection. The magical entity is still more focused on ensuring its continued existence, and has settled on the conclusion of "if I keep the town prospering, they keep me existing, and I won't need to do anything more".
The Lost Wyrm of Blueleaf
Rumors have spoken of a dragon who rampaged across the Sanguine Province during the previous century, only to disappear. The dreaded blue-scaled Vephi was know to hide within the Blueleaf Forest as the leaves were close enough to her hide's color to grant camouflage. However, the attacks stopped one day, and neither the lair or the remains of the dragon were never found. What happened was simple - she had gotten too close to the boundaries of Nettledown and discerned there was a strong magical aura present. The entity could not guarantee a victory without compromising its secret, and so instead fabricated a shard of magic similar to itself which trapped Vephi within it. The dragon was unable to leave the locale, no matter how fast she flew or how much she tried to explore. The exact location is unknown, as even Nettledown's protector is unaware of where it's "spawn" has hidden itself. In time, the enchantment will fail and release Vephi, but it is anyone's guess if this will happen before or after the dragon finds herself starving.
Type
Town
Owning Organization
Neat idea! Basically has its own little pocket dimension!