Lith Kala
Lith Kala is found in the heart of Bos Kala, a roughly triangular swathe of forest in the heartlands of Aldernord, its southernmost extent only a little more than a day’s travel from the Alderni capital of Ysberinge. It is ancient, even by the standards of the rathi, and it is said that its earliest inhabitants dwelled here before the rise of the Empire of Kataris.
At the centre of Lith Kala is a structure known as the Everbleeding Shrine, an elegant but simple wooden building that is far younger than that which it houses; the current shrine is perhaps only a hundred years old or so. Within the shrine is an opening into a vertical shaft that leads into a cave complex, where lies the rock formation from which the shrine gains its name, for from the stone constantly bubbles a trickle of a brackish red liquid. This liquid is mildly poisonous if ingested, but can be used as a component in a number of herbal and alchemical concoctions, to either harm or heal. More importantly than this, perhaps, is the other magical property of the cave - that when oaths are sworn within, powerful spirits take notice.
The Oath of Undoing that was said to have been sworn here is a particular example of this; it is said that in the dying days of the Katari Empire an orc (Zilyazi Suruk), an elf (Giladd Silverbow), and a human (Eikos Bheur) came to the cave and swore to bring about the end of the nation that had for centuries oppressed their people. The gods were said to have heard this oath, and sent a powerful spirit of rage and liberation called the Breaker of Chains to aid them in their struggles. It is this spirit, so the legends say, that broke the web of geasa that bound the Orcish armies to their Katari masters - and thus ultimately led to the downfall of the Katari Empire.
For many centuries, Lith Kala maintained a strict policy of neutrality towards those outside of its borders; those who sought sanctuary were welcome there, but the elves would not offer any help nor hinderance to those beyond the forest. The elves kept to themselves for the most part, relying on their pacts with fey creatures to ensure their safety from outside forces. In the last two decades, however, this has been slowly changing - in part due to the pressures of the Long War. The elves of Lith Kala had been considered something of a nuisance by the Alderni for many years, and since internal tensions have begun to rise across Aldernord the willingness of the elves to harbour fugitives and would-be-revolutionaries has set them on a collision course with the Sovereignty.
An alliance with the Collegium Coniuratio of Kalamak had made it politically inconvenient to simply march an army into the forest, but following the execution of the Archmage of the Collegium for treason in 1341 the Collegium has severed its ties with the elves. Many of the elves believe that war with Aldernord is inevitable, and it is merely a question of when, not if, their ancient home will come under attack.
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