Other Locations of Interest

The Temple of the Mists

At the south of the Charneault Kingdom lies the source of the Mists that regularly cover the land. The heart of the region is occupied by an ancient volcano, and the Temple of the Mists itself lies in what remains of its caldera, worn down by eons of erosion. Although the crater still dominates the landscape, it is often hidden, at least in part, by the Mists. The intricate network of rivers, lakes and other streams that abound all around the volcano make it even harder to find one’s way to the temple.
Therefore it is no surprise that no one foolish enough to attempt to reach the temple without invitation ever returns. Many in the Charneault Kingdom say that those who ventured to the temple were bewitched by malevolent Spirits, while others say that they actually found the temple, but are imprisoned there forevermore.
The only people capable of locating the Temple of Mists without guidance are the elven shamans that regularly perform rituals there.
They are bound to silence and will not willingly share the way to the temple. As yet no one has tried to force them, as they are powerful sorcerers.

A ceremony is regularly held in the temple to release the Mists. Many tales and stories speak of what the ceremony entails, and why the Mists are released on the Kingdom, but the truth is known only to the highest elven authorities and they will not share the secret. All they revealed when the Pact of Sacred Land was made was that the Mists must be released from the temple or the entire region would surely be thrown into darkness.

Tol Kerdywel

The western part of the Charneault Kingdom is a place even more dangerous than the Temple of Mists. Indeed it is a wicked land where the trees have no leaves and the waters are dark as night. This cursed land is dominated by the dead city of Tol Kerdywel, where Thaelkinei, the Lich Princess, lies dormant.

Dark Oak Grove

A halfling caretaker and her many companions once tended a wondrous forest of towering black oak trees on the outskirts of Tol Kerdywel. In her capable hands the grove flourished, and travelers from across the kingdom came to admire the wild sanctuary of rare and beautiful flora and fauna. In her spare time, the halfling took in sick and injured animals and nursed them back to health, maintained the underground springs, and tended to the trees, who she maintained whispered secrets of old to her.
However, travellers today will find no such splendour. The grove has become a place of death and decay. Its once-magnificent oaks have rotted from the inside out, spotted with mushrooms and furred tendrils.

The burbling springs that used to flow abundantly have turned to stagnant mires filled with quicksand and waterborne insects. The scent of wildflowers and pine has turned to rotting wood and the decaying corpses of half-eaten creatures. The animals of the grove in the time of the halfling fled shortly after her disappearance, and those that stayed became prey for the new predators who took up residence. Those who have attempted to cultivate the grove and restore its former beauty find that introduced species are eaten or perish from disease, plants wither and die from the now-salty soil, and the water is brackish and undrinkable.
Some say a terrible bargain was negotiated in order for such a foul place to persist, while others maintain that the grove is an extension of Tol Kerdywel. One thing is certain though: those who venture into Dark Oak Grove return permanently altered, as if the decay and stagnation have settled into their very being. They are plagued with dreams of death and cruelty, and often experience vivid hallucinations of being a walking corpse. Regardless of their destination, wise travellers avoid the grove at all costs.

The Shaded Haven

Settled by Kainen Alabaster, the Shaded Haven is a small lakeside village that serves as a sanctuary to many lycanthropes who have recently turned. The settlement boasts thriving fishing and agriculture, but export is limited to the neighbouring towns and villages within the Charneault Kingdom. Physicians can access the village’s herb depository for medicinal ingredients, and use the crafting facilities there to make various elixirs and remedies. Some of the herbs grown in the depository are particularly rare and potent, and care must be exercised when mixing them. The depository’s seer, Grechia, tends to the plants and is able to source cuttings of rare herbs for a small fee. Lycanthropes researching a cure for their curse frequently pillage the depository, much to the annoyance of Grechia and the village’s physicians.