Elder Reach

Races: Changeling, Shade, Kalashtar, Tieflings

Elder Reach: The Glimmering Heights

Elder Reach is a region of high plateaus and shimmering lakes, dominated by the magnificent Silver City. Located near the majestic Elden Lake, the city thrives on its fishing empire and the wealth derived from its abundant silver deposits. The plateau upon which the city is built is said to be made of pure silver, a resource that has shaped the region's vast economic power.
Elder Reach is also home to two of Jana’s most prestigious magical institutions: the Great Bard College and the Wizard College. These academies draw students and scholars from across the continent, adding to the region’s reputation for wealth and education.
However, despite its outward appearance of prosperity and order, the Silver City hides a dark secret beneath its polished surface. The city's rulers maintain strict control over their citizens, relying on propaganda, surveillance, and fear to keep the population compliant. Meanwhile, the city’s thriving tourism industry allows visitors to indulge in every luxury imaginable, making the Silver City a gilded cage for some and a paradise for others.

The Silver City: A Gilded Façade

The Silver City is the jewel of Elder Reach, a dazzling metropolis of silver-clad buildings and shimmering streets. Its official motto, “In the Silver City, prosperity is eternal, and all are welcome beneath our shining towers,” is plastered across banners and echoed in every speech. This motto serves as both a boast and a lure—drawing travelers and merchants from across Jana with promises of wealth, opportunity, and pleasure.
On the surface, the Silver City appears to be a utopia, a city where magic and luxury go hand in hand. However, this is only a carefully constructed illusion. The ruling factions, the Silver Basilisks and the Gray Pegasus, ensure that the city’s reputation remains spotless while harshly controlling its citizens through propaganda and oppression.

The Ruling Factions: Silver Basilisks and Gray Pegasus

The Silver Basilisks: The Silver Basilisks are the ultra-conservative faction in the Silver City. They believe in absolute control and rule through fear, surveillance, and propaganda. Like their namesake, the basilisk, they use their power to paralyze any threat to their rule. The Basilisks believe that stability comes through silence, and they employ ruthless tactics to maintain control over the population.

• Symbol: A silver basilisk coiled around a tower, representing their unyielding watch over the city.
• Ideology: The Silver Basilisks see themselves as the ultimate protectors of the city, ensuring that the populace remains ignorant of the growing conflicts beyond the city's walls. They enforce silence and obedience through psychological warfare and strict propaganda.
• Leader: High Chancellor Valthan, a cold, calculating Changeling, oversees the city's strict laws and propagandistic measures with an iron grip. His ability to change form is a closely guarded secret, allowing him to manipulate events from the shadows. Valthan is never seen without his silver half-mask, symbolizing his role as the unseen watcher over the city.

The Gray Pegasus: The Gray Pegasus represents a more moderate, populist faction, but their methods are no less manipulative. Rather than ruling through fear, they control the people by distracting them with entertainment, luxuries, and grand spectacles. The Gray Pegasus sponsors the city’s festivals, performances, and events, ensuring the populace remains too entertained to question the underlying control of the government.

• Symbol: A silver pegasus soaring through clouds, representing false hope and unattainable dreams.
• Ideology: The Gray Pegasus believes that the best way to control the people is through entertainment and indulgence. They fill the city with distractions, from festivals to magical performances, keeping the citizens complacent.
• Leader: Lady Selithara Brightwind, a charming and charismatic Kalashtar leader, uses her public persona to keep the citizens happy while pulling the strings behind the scenes. Her motto is simple: "Keep them entertained, and they won’t question." As a Kalashtar, Selithara has a deep connection to the dream realm, and she uses this connection to subtly influence the dreams and emotions of the people, steering their thoughts and desires without them ever realizing it. Her public persona is one of elegance and charm, but her mental powers allow her to manipulate the city’s collective subconscious.

Propaganda and the Illusion of Peace

The government’s propaganda machine is one of the most sophisticated in Jana. Posters, broadcasts, and public speeches continually reinforce the idea that the Silver City is untouched by the world’s conflicts. Government officials, when asked about the ongoing war with New Admi or any conflicts beyond the city's borders, always reply with the same mantra: “There is no war in the Silver City.”
This phrase has become the official line of defense used to quash any discussion of the outside world’s troubles. Anyone caught questioning this narrative is immediately silenced by the city guard or, in more extreme cases, disappears altogether. Surveillance is constant, with the guards keeping a close watch on anyone suspected of harboring rebellious thoughts.

The Black Griffon: Rising Rebellion

Despite the city's illusion of peace, a growing resistance movement known as the Black Griffon has begun to emerge. Their symbol—a black griffon—has appeared in graffiti and whispered in back-alley conversations. The Black Griffon is a rebel faction, determined to expose the truth about the city’s oppressive rule and bring down the elite who have controlled the city for so long.

• Slogan: The Black Griffon’s slogan directly counters the government's propaganda: "Behind the shimmer, shadows stir"

1. The Rebel Network: The Black Griffon operates in secret, using underground cells to organize their efforts. They aim to disrupt the government’s iron grip through acts of defiance, sabotage, and spreading the truth about the city’s hidden oppression. The true size and strength of the Black Griffon remain unknown, but their influence is growing.

Tourism: A City of Indulgence and Escape

Tourism is a booming industry in the Silver City, and the ruling factions have turned it into their primary source of income. They encourage travelers from all over Jana to visit, promoting the city as a luxurious paradise. Visitors are offered lavish parties, endless entertainment, and extravagant nightlife, all designed to create the illusion of a perfect city where everything can be bought for the right price.
Glimmerdust: A magical drug sold openly in the tourist districts, Glimmerdust is the city’s most famous commodity. A shimmering powder that induces intense euphoria and vivid hallucinations, Glimmerdust is highly addictive and beloved by visitors. While the citizens of the Silver City are forbidden from using it, tourists can indulge freely, as officials turn a blind eye under orders from the ruling class.
Nightlife and Red-Light Districts: The city’s red-light districts are infamous, offering everything from exotic performances to magical brothels that cater to all desires. The taverns, inns, and casinos offer enchanted games, magical drinks, and adventures, making the Silver City a destination of indulgence for the wealthy.
Casinos and Gambling: The city’s casinos, known for their enchanted games of chance, are some of the most profitable establishments in Jana. From magical roulette wheels to enchanted dice, the casinos are a hotspot for tourists looking to make or lose fortunes. Gambling is not only tolerated but encouraged—as long as the profits line the pockets of the ruling class.

The Gilded Cage: Life for Citizens

While tourists enjoy every luxury imaginable, the common citizens of the Silver City live under an oppressive regime. They are denied the indulgences offered to visitors, forced to work in service industries or in the dangerous silver mines. The divide between the elite and the common folk grows wider each day, as the ruling class profits from the endless stream of tourism while the people toil in silence.
Laws are strict for the citizens, with severe punishments for minor infractions. Discussions of war or rebellion are met with harsh penalties, and anyone caught questioning the official narrative may find themselves imprisoned or worse. For the citizens, the city is not a paradise but a gilded prison.

Conclusion: The Illusion and the Truth

The Silver City presents itself as a shining beacon of peace and prosperity to the outside world. Its streets glimmer with silver-clad buildings, and its nightlife offers forbidden pleasures to those who can afford them. Yet beneath the surface, it is a city of control, fear, and rebellion. The ruling factions maintain a tight grip on the population through propaganda and surveillance, while the Black Griffon rebellion quietly spreads dissent.
For those who visit, the Silver City is a playground of euphoria and luxury. But for those who live within its walls, it is a glimmering illusion—a beautiful cage from which there is no escape.

Location under

Jana: The Continent of Boundless Magic

Lady Selithara Brightwind

High Chancellor Valthan