The Shadowlands in The World of Velen | World Anvil

The Shadowlands

The Southern Islands

In the far south of the world lie the Shadowlands, a mysterious land covered in dense forests with various climates and tree types. It is a place that experiences half the year covered by darkness and the other half in perpetual daylight. Maps of this region are rare and rarely accurate; most agree that it is actually an archipelago of multiple large and smaller islands. However, most maps are not capable of accurately depicting what those islands look like and where they are exactly, instead depicting the region as one large landmass.   The islands are surrounded by many wandering patches of ice, which thaw out a little in the summer but return in the winter. Only those who manage to get past these sheets of ice without sinking have a chance of reaching the Shadowlands.  

The People

The people native to this land are different.  

The Lights

Like the north, strange lights in the sky can periodically be seen in the south. The southern lights, however, are very different in color, often bright pink and deep purple mixed with blue and the occasional green. These lights are considered sacred by the locals, understandable given their beauty and magnificence.  

The Beasts

The southern isles are said to be home to strange beasts that prowl the ever-dark winters, killing any innocent explorer who does not know to fear.  

Myths

These rumors and legends of megalithic creatures stem from deciphered stories told to people by the locals. They speak of the Aetheranki and the Umnatalari, the beasts of the night. They speak of the Callashai of the seas and the Unualaki of the storms. The truth or falsehood of these myths is debated, but whether true or not, ships do go missing, never to be seen or heard from again, and not many have the heart to try to find out why.
A warm hue, vibrant and clean, flowing like swirls of color in the sky, wild and graceful, faster than any cloud, like a painter on a canvas. But ever warm and bright these colors are, they emit no heat, not to they give comfort to the lone traveller, for through the trees, lights distant, the cast and eerie shadow on the forest floor.   -Travellers account of the southern lights

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!