Capital & Settlements
- Grousea (informal capital): Extremely shady and dangerous city. Considered the de facto capital despite no formal designation. A major criminal hub.
- Vlurg: Black market capital. Town centered around its market. Dark elf population speaks Nualthyr when they don’t want to be understood.
- Wrediff: Hidden training ground for dark elf warriors. Shielded by dark elf magic — rarely seen or entered by outsiders. No markets or trade — only forges, shrines, and poison-makers. Locals speak only Nualthyr.
- Adlens: Diverse town of peaceful people — dark elves who reject violence, Golems who defected from the Golem King, and Goldhelms who fled corruption. Large port. Trade hub from GK to the southeast by boat. Peace treaty signed here. Many rules enforced regularly by the Aces, hired by the local government.
Geography & Environment
Dense, ancient forest. Filled with hidden dangers, ambushes, and old ruins. Elven warfare has permanently scarred the land. Corrupted runes are scattered deep in the forest.
Government & Politics
Not a centralized government. A collection of scattered, warring tribes and villages. Constant infighting defines the realm.
Military
Tribal warbands. No unified army. Each clan fields its own warriors trained in guerilla tactics.
Magic & Technology
Dark elves draw corrupted energy from abandoned Golem runes deep in the forest. Abilities include: Shadowstep, silence binding, and toxin shaping. Corrupted Runes: Massive, unstable runes left by the Golem King. Became unstable after the Golem King stopped maintaining them because of the ongoing war. Prone to explosions. Emit dark magic that can infect the mind — often fatal.
Culture & Society
Extremely secretive. Rarely interact with outsiders except during major wars. Poison rites, blood-bond rituals, and soul binding define cultural practices.
The Darkmane Family & The Fallen
The Darkmane Family split due to internal corruption. Some members became ‘The Fallen’ — soulless, dark-magic-possessed husks. Other family members exiled The Fallen, causing complete societal collapse. Legend says The Fallen still haunt the woods. Rumors hold that if you get lost in the forest, they will take you.
Notable Locations
Abandoned Goldhelm Outpost: Deep within the Darkmane forest lie the ruins of a former Goldhelm military outpost. Years ago, the Goldhelm Kingdom attempted to maintain a strategic presence inside Darkmane territory. The outpost was abandoned when the Darkmane Realm became increasingly volatile and dangerous — the constant infighting between elven tribes and the spread of corrupted runes made the position untenable. Today, only broken buildings and remnants of old fortifications remain. The site is occasionally used as a waypoint by those traveling through the forest, but it offers no safety — the Darkmane elves have passed through repeatedly, and no garrison has held it since.