Aldaron
Aldaron is a hidden Eldrim (referred to locally as ellr) city buried beneath the vines of the Sholorna Wilds on the jungle planet of Eryn. Acting as the sole ellr bastion against the dark, it is a secretive fortress where the elves live freely, defying the brutal subjugation that their kind faces elsewhere on the planet.
Geography and Environment
Aldaron is a breathtaking sanctuary built directly into a series of cliffs, perfectly integrating nature and off-world craftsmanship. A system of fifteen waterfalls cascades down the sheer cliff face, feeding into shimmering turquoise pools below. The city is highly vertical in design, providing ideal vantage points and battle stations for its archers to defend against oncoming armies.
The architecture consists of swooping wood expertly worked into graceful lines and curves, wrapping around existing rocks and trees to form an organic, hidden settlement.
Key locations within and around Aldaron include:
- The Banquet Hall: A richly furnished dining space situated terrifyingly at the very edge of one of the city's largest waterfalls.
- The Council Chamber: A large wooden hall where the city's leadership meets. It is tragically destroyed when a collapsing building slides into it during a battle.
- Caldaren Caverns: Located in East Aldaron, the ellr construct platforms high atop these caverns to serve as a "dragonroost" for Aena.
- The Secret Entrance: A hidden ingress located down a path through dense mangrove trees. A tiny cave forces entrants to crawl on all fours, exiting onto a wooden platform situated directly behind a giant waterfall.
- The Ancient City: Hidden in a cavern just steps away from Aldaron lies an ancient, abandoned underground city. It features stone buildings climbing the cavern walls, illuminated by bioluminescence and a system of ancient mirrors. The scale of the city is a mystery—too large for ellr or rylak, but too small for dragons.
Culture and Factions
Unlike the enslaved ellr found in packs like Felgr or Skallgr, the citizens of Aldaron are free, happy, and immaculately well-dressed. They are led by a Council of elders, notably the Council Leader Ashryn and the council member Ithronel.
Initially, Aldaron is fiercely guarded, carefully screening any visitors to prevent the dangerous rylak from discovering their location. However, as the threat of Cariel (operating under the persona Calarel) grows, the Council agrees to set an unprecedented example of inclusivity, welcoming humans (demisouls), rylak, and even dragons to live within its borders to forge a united front.
Key Events
Lysa and Jascyn's Arrival
After nearly drowning in the Kojo River while escaping the Kalmansa Wilds, the human demisoul Lysa is rescued by a patrol of Aldaron archers. She is brought to the city and welcomed by Ashryn. Shortly after, the young rylak Jascyn tracks her to the city. Despite initial tensions, Jascyn swears to do no harm and is allowed to stay, utilizing the city's master-crafted swords, spears, and longbows to train alongside Lysa.
Forging the Alliance
Realizing that Calarel is preparing to wage a devastating war, Jascyn leaves Aldaron to return to his home village of Felgr. He successfully challenges the packleader, takes control of the pack, and leads hundreds of rylak back to the outskirts of Aldaron. Jascyn brokers a historic alliance between the Felgr rylak and the Aldaron ellr to defend against Calarel's impending attack.
The Siege of Aldaron
Calarel unleashes a massive army of mind-controlled rylak upon the city. As fires spring up and the Council Chamber is destroyed, the ellr fight back from their high vantage points. Jascyn turns the tide by leading the allied Felgr pack through the secret waterfall entrance, catching the elite enemy elites completely unawares and vaulting them off the platform to the rocks below.
The battle culminates when hundreds of dragons—led by Aena—arrive from the sky. The dragons meticulously wipe out the remaining enemy rylak with highly controlled fire, saving Aldaron from total annihilation.
A New Era
Following Calarel's ultimate defeat at her fortress in the Kryptan Mountains, the survivors return to Aldaron to rebuild. With the constant threat of war lifted, Aldaron becomes the heart of a new, peaceful era on Eryn, where ellr, rylak, and dragons begin to share culture and coexist.