Princely State of Ilnith

The Princely State of Ilnith is a mythical city-state located somewhere within the Great Forest of Baxbury in western Galessia. Likely located somewhere along the course of the River Bax, north of Warsenfeld in the Kingdom of Grasynnia and west-southwest of the City of Garlond, Ilnith is a mysterious city said to be one of the most beautiful and magical locations on Luquastra, and hosting "a treasure with value equal to the world". Its exact location is shrouded in mystery, and very few people have ever recorded a visit to its realm. At the princely state's last contact with the outside world, the ruler of the nation was Princess Julietta XVIII of Ilnith.

History

Very little is known of the history of the Princely State of Ilnith. It is unknown when it was founded, as even the dwarves of the Ancient Dwarven Empire were unsuccessful in conquering the Great Forest - it is assumed the Princely State already existed, as oral legends of a magical city deep in the forest seem to predate the Empire. Throughout the millennia, an uncountable amount of attempts to find the city and its fabled treasure have been made, and almost every single search party and expedition has vanished in the Great Forest, never to be seen or heard from again. Interactions from the nation to the outside world are extremely rare, but have occurred. Five centuries ago, a mayor of Warsenfeld was visited in the night by a cloaked figure, a strangely tall and angular shape underneath the cloak. The person reportedly spoke of serving Prince Leomarcus of Ilnith, and asked the mayor several pointed questions about the forest and life itself. After collecting the mayor's answers, the figure left without another word, vanishing into the treeline soon thereafter. At the time, many thought the mayor had gone mad, and he was killed soon thereafter. Later analyses of the description of the individual by anthropologists have concluded that it was likely a feikin, a race thought to exclusively be found in southeastern Asmarea, in and near the Faelands. Some sixty years ago, a party of adventurers was one of the only search parties to ever return from their search. Among themselves, they had sworn an oath of secrecy, to never reveal information on Ilnith. However, one of the adventurers later broke this oath, and was the first to divulge any information about the city of Ilnith. He spoke of an enchanting, otherworldly city built into the immense trees, high above the ground. Its people were tall, slender, horned, and graceful, living in a perpetual state of peace and harmony. In the adventurer's words, it "felt like an afterlife". When asked about the treasure, he remarked they were denied even the slightest glimpse of it. Only days after making these comments, the adventurer vanished without a trace. During the later days of the Zenith War, the Kingdom of Grasynnia sought to conquer the west. After defeating the City of Yearwood and annexing their territory, and convincing the mayor of Warsenfeld to join the kingdom too, then-General Althea Dragonbane set her sights on conquering the Great Forest. Thus, the Falchions beset the forest west of Yearwood, cutting down trees and foliage, slaying animals and monsters, and even starting fires to clear the forest quicker. All this halted when one morning, a figure stepped out of the treeline. She identified herself as Princess Julietta XVIII of Ilnith, and requested an audience with Dragonbane, which she received. Uncharacteristically, after retreating from view to speak with the princess privately, Dragonbane agreed and halted any further campaign to conquer the Great Forest. Immediately, the princess vanished back into the treeline without a trace, and was never seen again.

Geography

Main article: Great Forest of Baxbury

The lands of the Princely State of Ilnith exclusively contrive the extent of the Great Forest of Baxbury, though to what degree the forest is under active control of its authority is unknown. The forest is immense, home to many beasts, monstrosities, and beings of other kinds. Its trees seem to get taller as the forest gets deeper, and witnesses describe a 'blue fog' among the trees. Very little is known about the depths of the forest, as well as the location or surroundings of the city of Ilnith. Of note is the River Bax, the peculiar river that courses through the Great Forest. Its source is known, in the western Galespine Mountains, northwest of the City of Garlond. Its mouth is known, for that is the location of the city of Warsenfeld. However, anyone who sails the River Bax in either direction, hoping to map the forest or mount an expedition from its waters, has disappeared without exception. Therefore, the river is also known as the Water of Vanishing, and many wizards, alchemists, wizards, and students travel to Warsenfeld to bottle its water and use it in magical rituals.

Politics and society

Again, very little is known of the society of the Princely State beyond the small amounts of information from the aforementioned witness accounts. It is likely ruled by a sovereign prince or princess. Given the known lifespan of feikin, it is presumed that Princess Julietta XVIII remains head of state despite nearly three decades having passed since her last sighting. The people of Ilnith are assumed to be largely if not exclusively feikin. Some scholars argue that due to that species's inherent connection to the fey, fey creatures or even archfey are involved in the nation, perhaps even being its true leaders. This is of course pure speculation.