✦ THE WILDERNESS OF AETHERIA ✦
“Beyond the borders of kings,
the old world still breathes.”
✦ THE WILDLANDS ✦
The Wildlands are the vast, untamed territories stretching across much of Aetheria.
Forests, marshes, mountains, valleys, rivers, cliffs, ancient ruins, and unexplored wilderness make up a region larger than many kingdoms.
There are no true borders here.
No king rules all of it.
No army has mapped every path.
And there are places where no human has ever set foot.
The Wildlands belong to the creatures and peoples who have lived there long before kingdoms drew lines across maps.
✦ THE MANY LANDS ✦
The Wildlands are not a single environment. They contain countless landscapes, each with its own creatures, people, dangers, and ancient secrets.
Enormous forests filled with trees hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years old.
Vast wetlands filled with mist, dark waterways, magical plants, and ancient ruins.
Towering peaks, frozen valleys, dragon nests, hidden civilizations, and Star-Iron.
Wide grasslands where enormous herds of magical creatures roam.
Remote valleys containing ruins and settlements isolated from civilization.
The territories beyond most maps, where almost nothing is known.
✦ THE CHILDREN OF THE WILDS ✦
The Wildlands are home to countless peoples and species.
Skilled hunters and trackers who know the wilderness better than most outsiders ever could.
Gentle but highly alert communities often found deep within forests and wetlands.
Nocturnal hunters and scouts capable of navigating the wilderness beneath moonlight.
Clever travelers known for their intelligence, adaptability, and connection to old magic.
Powerful communities often found in remote forests and colder wilderness.
Secretive communities that often inhabit warmer, secluded regions.
✦ CREATURES OF THE WILDS ✦
The Wildlands contain more magical creatures than almost anywhere else in Aetheria.
Deer-like creatures whose antlers glow beneath moonlight.
Massive wolves capable of hunting in supernatural silence.
Large magical moths naturally attracted to sources of magic.
Dragons that have never formed bonds with humans.
Intelligent magical creatures capable of illusion magic.
Ancient plant-like beings that move through the forests.
✦ THE LOST PAST ✦
Ancient ruins are scattered throughout the Wildlands.
Some are barely recognizable. Others remain remarkably intact.
Ancient places of worship swallowed by nature.
The remains of civilizations erased from modern history.
Hidden settlements buried beneath forests and stone.
Some scholars believe the Wildlands contain civilizations older than Aetheria's recorded history.
✦ ANCIENT POWER ✦
The Wildlands contain some of the oldest natural magic in Aetheria.
Wildland magic does not always obey the rules of civilized magic.
✦ THE ROGUE KNIGHT ✦
Born between two worlds. Claimed by neither.
Colesin Hartley was born to a human mother and a Panther Demi-Human father.
Because of his mixed heritage, he was never completely accepted by either side.
Yet the Wildlands became the one place where he never needed to choose.
He learned its forests, rivers, cliffs, hidden paths, creatures, and dangers.
Colesin eventually became a Royal Knight. But the longer he served the kingdoms, the more he witnessed their treatment of the Wildlands and its people.
Eventually, he abandoned the crown.
Among the people of the Wildlands, Colesin became something more than a rogue knight.
He became a protector.
Those who hunt demi-humans, steal from ancient ruins, or prey upon the creatures of the wilderness have learned to fear his name.
✦ THE DRAGON BOND ✦
Colesin's greatest companion is Vaelith, an ancient black-and-emerald dragon.
Their connection is more than companionship.
They share a Dragon Bond.
Through the bond, Colesin can sense Vaelith's presence, emotions, and danger.
When an enormous shadow passes over the forest canopy, the people of the Wildlands know better than to look for an enemy.
They know who is watching.
✦ BEYOND THE MAPS ✦
Beyond the known territories lies a region simply called the Deep Wilds.
Few maps even acknowledge its existence.
Those who have ventured inside describe enormous forests, strange weather, ancient ruins, and creatures unlike anything found elsewhere.
“If you were meant to know, you would already know.”
✦ THE OLDEST SECRET ✦
At the center of the deepest wilderness lies a place known only through legend.
Nobody knows exactly where it is.
Some believe it is an enormous ancient tree. Others believe it is a magical spring. Some believe it is an entire hidden kingdom.
Whatever it is, the Wildlands seem to remember it.
✦ THE RULES OF THE WILDS ✦
01 — Do not take more than you need.
02 — Do not kill what you cannot eat.
03 — Do not disturb ancient ruins.
04 — Do not follow creatures that want you to follow them.
05 — Respect territorial markings.
06 — Never assume a harmless creature is harmless.
07 — If the animals suddenly flee, leave too.
The kingdoms may control the roads.
They may control the cities.
They may control the castles.
The Wildlands don't belong to Aetheria's kings.