Within the Winter Court

Sithern Environment :

The land is mostly of ice and snow capped mountains, with some tundra, and protected Forest and farmlands. There is an inland sea, in the middle of the generally frozen world. These fairly immense waters are kept warm by the magic the ancestors accidentally unleashed in the early centuries. The sea holds the sunken lost city of Atlantis near the bottom of this Ocean in its depths.
When one travels far enough east or southeast from the sea, there is a great empty winter desert that surrounds the water in a crescent shape. Few are able to traverse these empty, as they hold released chaos magic left over from the beginnings of Faerie creation. Walls have been put up to help keep the chaos on the Eastern shore. The wall is generally manned to keep watch for Void threats.
In between the sea and the desert are cities of stone, enchanted wood, and mostly ice. Towers and spires that reach as tall as any mountain, cities that overshadow anything mortals can create. The architecture of winter inspired ancient several East and South Asian builders, lending themselves to a similar style.
The local flora and fungi, from the mightiest coniferous trees, to the smallest mushroom, are fortified with magic to survive the harsh winter. Some plants and fungus are even taken from other courts. They are imbued with a magic that makes them glow majestic colors in darkness. So as a result, they are also used by the cities to light their streets at night, and their deepest tunnels. Animals and even Fae that eat these plants, may find their eyes and sometimes skin glow temporarily, but receive no other effects from the magic.
During the coldest nights, the sky lights up with a magical glow of vibrant colors known as the fire of Helliphae, or Auroras.

Seat of Power : The Frost Throne in the Midnight Palace

Major Locations

Midnight Palace

The Midnight Palace is located in the heart of Shimmer City. The Palace and its surrounding buildings hold the public housing for the King's immediate family, some extended family. There is dwelling and office space for the King's Court as a governing body, visitors wings for Faerie looking to admire the seat of their King or to petition directly. The Midnight Court District as a whole has housing for the closest Advisors in the Court, and of course, there is the public throne from which the King of Winter holds open sessions in the Royal Court. 
A feature of Winter's artwork in terms of carving the most striking, stunning Ice, is the historical, very power symbol of the King's Throne. While it is made primarily of enhanced, enchanted ice, the seat itself changes as to the preferences of the Monarch with each Ruler. Like the Midnight Palace itself, it too has carefully carved stone foundations on the lower levels. The floors are covered in winding carvings of wintery vines, and ice flowers paired with thick, soft rugs rugs of lavish design. The rugs themselves change by the "season" with many investors finding it almost an excitement to commission new pieces for the palace floors.

Outside is a giant court, where a giant ice statue of Helliphae, the first ruler, rests outside in front of a long Fae-made body of water. The water doesn't freeze over as Fae use magic to keep it warm.

Shimmer City (a.k.a. The City of Lights)

The largest of all the cities, sitting on the coast of the Atlantis Sea, it holds the ruler and the governing body, as well as the largest towers and the Midnight Palace. Buildings are made of ice, wood and stone, architechture. It is called the city of lights because at night it glows with brilliant colors from the plants and fungi lining the streets and buildings.

Atlantis City

A city under water, deep in the middle of the Atlantis Sea. It's now home to many water fae who live there. It's just like any other city in Winter Court, with places to live, run businesses, and have fun. The buildings are made of the old buildings of atlantis, but with additions made of coral and other materials.

Atlantis is especially well known for their unique arts, swim shows and celebrations. Thier biggest export is fish, and it's some of the best caught in all the realms. There are floating platforms above the surface, forming a small floating town, with a portal to Atlantis below. This is for trade and travel with those above the surface.

Voidborn attacks do happen in the city from time to time, as it is so close to where the blast came from. There is a strong Atlantis Army to hold them back. However there has been tension between Atlantis and the rest of Winter, feeling like they don't send any fighters or ressources. Like they've been forgotten by the Winter Kings since the war.

This was the first city, beautiful and an achievement of fae ingenuity. Before it sunk, it once held many portals to the mortal realm. In the name of progress, the fae mined the ground below. Diggin deeper and deeper. It was discovered the land they built Atlantis upon was only made of ice, no matter how deep they went. Yet they found minerals and magical elements, and so they kept digging, until they unleashed a well of unknown magic. A massive blast encompassed the winter land, forming the winter desert in a shockwave that surrounded the land. This blast also melted the ice below Atlantis, which mde it sink in a massive body of water, now Atlantis Sea.

Atlantis Sea

Formed when the Atlantians mined too deep and unleashed a mysterious magic. It formed a massive sea that partially shrunk as the edges froze over. The magic still keeps the sea warm. The closer to the city of Atlantis, the warmer the waters. The sea spans great distances and holds many creatures, some dangerous and monstrous, but many friendly, especially in Atlantis City at the heart of the sea.

The Blasted Lands

Barren landscapes that span further than anyone has traversed, blizzards and ice cracks ravage the desert. Formed when the Atlanteans dug too deep and unleashed magic. The shockwaves of the blast created the deserts. Magic doesn’t work there, and magical flowers known as Alostars grow in the ice and cause dangerous waking dreams for all travelers. Many seek out these flowers, Alostar Petals, which are a common magical drug amongst Winter inhabitants, especially during festivals of which there are plenty.

Some fae used to traverse the desert as a rite of passage into adulthood, though now the method is seen as barbaric. Some naturalists however still practice this to this day.

However no one dares venture deeper into the desert where chaos reigns, void creatures and monsters of mythology come to life. It’s a place that is not truly fae, nor void, but somewhere in between. Though this chaos has been coming closer and closer to the edge. So walls and soldiers have been placed in hopes of keeping the creatures back.

The Hot Springs

South of the land, it’s said the hot springs are formed by the hottest waters deep below the Atlantis Sea, but no one has confirmed this. Many have had strange events when bathing in the hot springs. Some go for meditation, others go to find themselves, while some find it’s a place to help control their dreams.

There are many pools glowing with magic, some alongside a nearby mountain, others surrounded by rocks or trees, which give a good amount of privacy. But there is also an amazing view of the southern mountains and glowing forests.

• Winter Court
  • Within the Winter Court
  • Dreamweavers

Dreamweaver and Nightmare Locations

The Temples of Azaur

While there is the Grand Temple in Shimmer city, there is typically at least one temple in each city and many small towns for both worship and healing. They house the priests and priestesses who specialize in Dream Weaving powers, which can heal a persons mind. While there is no religion surrounding Azaur, she is often paid tribute in hopes for good dreams and healthy minds.

Shadow Mountain

A mountain far from any city or town, one of the tallest. Upon the tip is a training ground for some of the fiercest warriors, known as the Nightmares.

Ratundam Healing Pools (a.k.a. The dream pools)

These glowing pools greet you at the entrance of the Ratundam caves. It is said that the Stone of Destiny bleeds its glowing magic into the pools, which gives the bathers a safe place to explore their dreams, especially with the help of a Dream Weaver. It is said that having any form of intimacy within the pools also has healing properties.

Caves of Ratundam (a.k.a. The shadow caves)

North of all the land, near the edge of the desert, lies four entrances to these caves. Within the entrance of the caves one is met with warm glowing healing pools. But as you go deeper, painful shadows and waking nightmares begin to plague the traveler. As a result the labyrinthian caves are near impossible to chronicle, despite many who have tried, and died in the process. Only those who emerge alive and sane have gone through the trial of the Stone of Destiny, and is the last step to become a ruler for one of the four courts.