Codex: Ellemere

Welcome to the Codex! We will focus on one topic from one of the upcoming books, or one of the books that have been published. The Codex will review what is commonly known about that topic in the world, even if just at a scholarly level. There will still be mysteries, but if you are interested in learning more about something you read in the book or in another blog post, the Codex is the way to go.

Ellemere, the heart of the wilds left in the continent of Teidar, is a realm where the natural world thrives in its purest form. It is an ancient old-growth forest, untouched by the ambitions of mortals, where the trees whisper secrets older than recorded history and the rivers hum with latent power. The air within is thick with the presence of the unseen, and for those who step beneath its vast, leafy canopy, the sensation is unmistakable—this is a place alive with magic. But it is also a place that does not typically welcome outsiders.

To most mortals, the Ellemere is an impassable barrier. It is home to nature’s children, beings some scholars call elementals, though their true nature is more complex. Spirits clothed in unearthly flesh roam freely, coexisting with the creatures of the wild in an intricate balance. These denizens all bow to a singular authority—the spirit who is also called Ellemere, ruler and guardian of the forest. Though few have seen her true form, she is whispered to be a being of great power, rising from the land or the waters in the shape of a woman limned in silver. Her word is absolute, and those who live within the forest heed her will without question.

Despite its formidable reputation, Ellemere is not entirely isolated from the world of men. The Empire of Mathklyr and the kingdom of Tonalay both border the forest, although neither dares to exploit its ancient groves. Even the most expansionist rulers understand that to do so would invite disaster. To the north, the mighty Craveth Kedern range shields the Ellemere from Brightland, Erkanth, and Meverne, forming a natural bulwark that has endured since time immemorial.

And yet, there is a single road threading through the heart of this untamed wilderness. The Kedern Trade Road is the only known path through Ellemere, leading from the Imperial City of Mathklyr to Ralai's Pass, to Brightland itself. The road is a mystery: no records exist detailing its construction, nor any account of an expedition that paved it. The oldest legends speak of a someone - perhaps a traveler, perhaps a hero, perhaps a simple village woman - who aided the spirit Ellemere in some forgotten time. As a gift—or perhaps in response to being beseeched—Ellemere allowed a road to be laid, one that would endure without disrupting the balance of the forest. Whether this story holds truth or is merely myth, the road remains.

For the Empire of Mathklyr, this road is one of its greatest treasures. It is the sole direct trade route connecting the Kreylvos lands to the northern kingdoms. Without it, all trade bound for Meverne, Ailund, Brightland, and Erkanth would be forced to take the long and arduous path through Audirge and Argilin, then scale the treacherous Cliffs of Nazmi. The Kedern Trade Road grants Mathklyr economic leverage over its northern neighbors, providing a steady flow of revenue from tolls and duties.

Yet for all its importance, the road remains enigmatic. Those who travel it report an eerie stillness within the forest, a quiet unlike any found in the outside world. It is as if the trees are watching, waiting. As if the road's existence were a truce predicated on specific conditions, and the forest were watching to ensure such conditions remain. The trees loom high, their boughs forming an unbroken canopy that casts the road into perpetual twilight. No bandits dare prey upon travelers here, nor do merchants stray from the path. Those who have wandered into the depths of Ellemere without permission rarely return, and those who do speak of strange visions, of voices calling from the shadows, of glimpses of figures not quite human.

Ellemere is not a kingdom, nor an empire, yet its influence is undeniable. The Kedern Trade Road may serve mortal ambitions, but it exists at the pleasure of Ellemere herself—and should she ever revoke that permission, no force in Teidar could reclaim it.

Thank you for reading!