Chasing Shadows
Welcome to Xalaxxi
Three major cities, representing three major nations, are fitted across this unforgiving continent. Razmor, the mountain country to the south, Sashin, taking up the land southwest of the Miz lake, and Lixzin, the two part island nation, have had a steady truce for about twenty years now. Rumor has it that the Sashins are gearing up to move into the natural land between Razmor and the ocean. Another rumor says Lixzin was planning to move inland in favor for better crops. But all eyes look to Razmor, the dark dwarf and elf nation. They live long lives and thusly have the advantage over the natural land.
But another fact, solidifying into myth, lays in the neutral land. A civilization long since drown into self-destruction, so they say. The ancient country of Marezzrix once ruled the whole misty continent of Xalaxxi. It is said that their rule was so sovereign that nature bent to its will. It is also said that every part of Xalaxxi was crafted, beautifully, at the will of her rulers. But now, only glimmer, scattered at every turn, of this majestic kingdom lay about, clasping the secrets they died with.
The neutral territory is where the deepest and some of the darkest of her secrets lay. Haunts, monsters and treasure is known to be here. But at the price of one's sanity? The kingdom that lays claim to the neutral territory will not be under siege of war with another country, or advancement verses the living, but will be facing the forces of the dead and the magic they left behind.
The clement here is warmer than it should be for being so far from the sun. The edge of the world pushes forth unnatural warmth and in the height of summer Miz will boil. In the winter, when the rains come, Miz will flood the land in mist. Snow is only ever seen on the very peeks of the mountains and only on the coldest of winters, which has not happened in more than ten years.
Floating islands clutter the Xalaxxi. Most of them are too small to live on, but some of the larger land masses are inhabited by the Sky Elves and some of the dwarven friends. Clement there is still warm, but the weather is dryer and days are shorter.
In the same regard, the islands off of Xalaxxi are cooler and much more wet do to sea rain. Some parts of Poermis, the topless mountain on the edge of the Steel Toe mountain range, is still volcanic. What is farmable is rich, but very little of it can be used food due to the mountains and content flooding.
The remainder of the physics of the land here apply as per Catching the Light. One curious fact about this land, though, is the lack of visitors from other places in Painit. It is assumed by the most of the inhabitants that no other life lives beyond their borders or, maybe, this is the whole of Painit.
Quest to Marezzrix
In the truce set up by the three leaders of each country, they have gathered the brilliance, and some of the insane, of their nation, to walk into the neutral territory to try, again, to find if it is ready to be inhabited. Prospects of returning with all of your wit is slim, but it was better then returning without your life, which are the better odds. Cowards are not invited, but crazed, if not brilliant in one area, is.
In a stroke of trust, as no one seems to trust a Razmorin, the beautiful Queen of the Sky offered her own daughter to join the questing party. They are not saying why now seems to be a good time to explore the natural land, but elves are not known to be fertile. So, it is a huge risk for one of royal blood to be giving up such a high price unless something has changed, or history was going to. Many believe the Queen of the Sky knows something they do not and therefor sees it as an auspicious sign. After all, rumor has it that the Queen of the Sky knows the future better than anyone else.
