Hello, and welcome to Etirath!
I'm Annasiel, one of the moderators on this site. If you have any questions regarding rules or similar boring mumbo-jumbo, you can ask me, our illustrious administrator Lev, or one of the other moderators: Mach and Dymion. I'm glad you've decided to check us out, and I'm looking forward to seeing your first character. In case you haven't read the FAQ post yet, please keep in mind your first character must be a normie (possessing powers within a normal human's range or comparable to a normal human) unless Lev grants you an exception. This is a recent rule, and I'm sorry you're being held to it when some of our older members were not. >_<
I can't tell you about the other regions, but I'm perfectly happy explaining a bit more about Sodden Down. It's a town in the north of Etirath. It was originally a military outpost established by Lord Sayre's (if you don't know who he is, please check out the History & Lore section) predecessor, the timid king mentioned in the history post. It was designed to defend against the threat of a cryomancer in the far northern wastes. who had made armies out of the generally peaceful giant tribes that lived there.
THE BATTLE OF SEXTANT PASS -
Horns break the morning with their peal of righteous thunder,
Two brothers blast in unison to hail the rise of dawn.
They echo on the mountain walls and tell those camping under
To rise with their commander and bring death to winter’s spawn.
Out first flies the cavalry on hooves of rapid elegance,
Followed fast by infantry all garbed in iron mail,
But before the spirited men another man with steed and lance
And morning sun gleamed golden plate directs the army’s trail.
Before the wall that holds the pass a force of ice prevails,
Demons carved of cold and flesh by darkest magic’s poisonous hand.
The battle drums reverberate as human scouts trevail
Beneath the stress of giant’s legions ‘gainst their tiny, motley band.
Clash, and clash they did!
Armor, metal, frozen water, flesh and blood all torn asunder
A maelstrom of chaotic wonder greater than the north had seen!
Every man fought well as twenty, for their hope and faith were plenty,
Bent by need to quell the plague that bled into their southern lands!
The glorious leader rode at front into the crowd of vile beasts,
His mighty spear impaling pain and fear into the enemies,
Like a god, he gave from monsters condors’ jolly carrion feast,
And cut a swath of emptiness between the wretched seas.
His eyes, like eagles, swept the masses, searching for the devil lord
Who brought these twisted Den defiant corpses to accursed life,
But the leader’s lance of rowan shattered, so he drew his sword,
And beat back hordes with flat and edge that gathered round in frenzied rife.
At last he found him! The leader leapt o’er beast and soldier in the fray
‘Til he reached the clearing where the jeering warlock watched in jest,
Armed with shock and bastard blade he charged against the bane of day,
Skewering the devilmaker right between his heaving breasts!
The caster cried and howled and writhed, and fumbled at the sword,
But in his agony he could not find the strength in infirm grasp.
A giant took him up, and soon the enemies in surges soared
In frightened flight far from the fight, and with a many fearful gasp.
Won, yes won they had!
The cheers and laughs burst forth as fast
As the enemies retracted deep beyond their once beloved pass!
The battle of the Sextant won, the glory unsurpassed!
The bloody leader bore a smile, for happiness had won a while,
But in his heart of hearts, he knew
This was just the first of trials.
The war had just begun.
This short poem depicts the battle in which the soldiers of Sodden Down captured Sextant Pass, the easiest route to the northern wastes. A new outpost was established guarding the pass, and Sodden Down became a town for the families of the soldiers to live in. It has been about a century since the town was first established.
That's about all I personally have, though one of our other members, Blacknoise, wanted to expand on my lore. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to expand on your questions. ^-^
OH! For your information, you can notify specific users in posts by placing an "@" before their username.
blacknoiseDymionfen