Myth Realm
| Region | Gloomy Woods and its surroundings |
|---|---|
| Age | Myth Age (Legends, oral traditions & folklore shaping the reality) |
| Locations | Brume, Harshlands, Misty Peaks |
| Climate | Temperate |
| Founding | Founded 288 years before the Fork I (Splendor Solis) |
| Cults | Aurora Consurgens, Order of the Ninth Sun, The Church |
Geography and Climate
Brume, the mystical town of the Myth Realm, is nestled between the Gloomy Woods, Harshland, and Misty Peaks. Each of these regions contributes to the city's atmosphere and diverse landscape.
The Gloomy Woods is an ancient forest with towering trees that cast deep shadows. Home to mythical creatures and ancient spirits, the woods conceal secrets and protect the pathways leading to the city. The Harshlands, to the east, present a stark contrast, with rugged mountains, rocky cliffs, and narrow valleys creating a harsh and unforgiving terrain. The Misty Peaks, looming over Brume, are often shrouded in a dense fog, giving them an ethereal and otherworldly quality.
The climate of Brume is temperate, with a pleasant blend of cool and mild temperatures throughout the year. The region's diverse ecosystems support a wide variety of unique flora and fauna, from the lush foliage of the Gloomy Woods to the hardy plants clinging to the mountainsides of the Harshlands.
Rivers and streams meander through the landscape, fed by snowmelt from the Misty Peaks, creating a network of waterways that flow into the heart of Brume. The city itself is a labyrinth of winding streets, hidden courtyards, and ancient stone structures that hold the memories of countless generations.
Pre-Fork History
Brume was established 288 years prior to Fork-I by a group of critters who sought refuge in the Gloomy Woods, a haven from warfare where they could sustain themselves. As conflicts subsided, these early settlers migrated to the plains where they began constructing a settlement that would become known as Brume. While the town progressed, a vestige of its origins remained: many citizens continued to wear hats adorned with fruits, a symbol of their readiness to flee from potential threats.
These early citizens of Brume nurtured a profound bond with the Gloomy Woods, a connection rooted in reverence for nature and the unknown. However, as the town expanded, the woods became distant, and the unknown began to signify fear rather than discovery and protection, as it did for the first settlers. This growing divide between the townsfolk and the woods became particularly pronounced following the rapid rise of the Church around 200 Pre-Fork I.
With the evolution of techniques in and around Brume, the Gloomy Woods gradually transformed into a realm of arcane arts, ancient witchcraft, and mystery. Traditional cults that revered forest beings and adhered to balanced extractivism, like the Order of the Ninth Sun, found themselves persecuted by the Church.
Conversely, other cults like Aurora Consurgens, which used their wisdom to establish Brume as a center of alchemical studies and mystical arts, were permitted to continue their traditions. This was largely due to their significant influence over the town's powerful families and their pivotal role in shaping the city's development and history through practical applications of their knowledge, such as inventions and discoveries1. The Church refrained from creating barriers to the exploration of the occult, especially when it pertained to the alchemical pursuit of transmuting base metals into gold.
Notable Pre-Fork Events
Before the Fork I some notable events that shaped the history of the Brume and its surroundings, later revealed from extreme significance in the leading of the Fork event.
The Snow Banishment
The Snow, was one of the members of the family that reigned over Brume and its borders. Unlike their siblings, who excelled in flattery, the Snow was dedicated to speaking the truth. They frequently advised the King of Brume on the risks of maintaining too close a connection to The Church and the dangers of not stepping down from their kingly duties.
Provoked and infuriated by the Snow's candid counsel, the monarch decided to send the Snow to the most remote, inhospitable, and insignificant portion of the realm - the highest portion2 of the Misty Peaks, an act akin to a death sentence.
However, instead of surrendering to the severe conditions, the condemned critter became one with the frosty landscape, transmuting into the Snow. In this new form, they became an integral part of the Misty Peaks and their unique location gave the Snow the most extensive view of the entire realm and beyond3.
In the years that followed, the Snow buillt a secular monastery, untied with any cult. In this place, librarians and scholars were able to study the history of Brume, and after the Fork-I, the history the Myth Realm and the other realms, despite the almost unaccessible location and vision blocked by the misty.
The Veneration of the Mass
The emergence of the Mass, born from Fork III, as a revered entity within the Myth Realm, remains enigmatic. Official records documenting the Mass's presence within this realm are absent, yet traces of its cult following are discernible as far back as 200 years pre-fork. These traces, manifesting as ancient paintings and artifacts, are poignant testimonies to its long-standing veneration.
The Order of the Ninth Sun is the main cult in the worship of the Mass. The pursuit of fireball relics by Aurora Consurgens, is also a significant facet of the Mass veneration, and it's perceived as a means to invoke the enigmatic powers of the Mass. However, after the dissidence of the two cults, the Order of the Ninth Sun has been the only one to continue the veneration of the Mass, and the Church start to considenring it a demoniac cult.
- A notable example includes the ~Cure of the Divine Migraine~ for the Maximum Emeritum Pope through the manipulation of Spring relics↩
- The monarch's decree specifies that the Snow's Reign can be measured by counting a 100-foot distance from ~the rock with a bald eagle shape~ at the top of the Misty Peaks.↩
- It's said that from the Misty Peaks, the Snow is able to see every other Realm.↩