Towerfirth

Despite Towerfirth's vast stretches of wilderness, it holds the most settlements of any Province due to its sheer size. The region holds an interesting blend of ancient cities that exist in tune with nature and recently established towns that serve to harvest the surrounding trees. These settlements are listed below.

• Kemitsu Lons: Serving as Towerfirth's capital, Kemitsu Lons sits on the on the southwestern banks of Lake Kemitsu. The city is an ancient one, being one of the earliest settlements established by the Silvauri before the region fell under the Empire's control. Its architecture is unique, with homes and businesses being located in the trunks of great trees. Silvan culture is also the predominant one, with traditional arts, crafts, and music filling the streets. Alongside its deep-rooted identity, the city also sees a high number of visitors from throughout the Empire.
• Kawakanyi: Located just east of the capital, Kawakanyi is an incredibly wealthy city that sits where Lake Kemitsu meets the Kemitsu River. Once one of the largest Silvan cities, it was destroyed in the Silvan Retribution and was reduced to mere rubble. It has since been rebuilt, but its original identity has been lost. While it was previously deeply connected to the traditional Silvauri lifestyle and culture, it has now become a city of large estates and mostly Imperial influence. It serves as a community for the rich, and those who lack the wealth for it often end up just passing through.
• Teikokabe: Teikokabe is a sizeable town found southwest of Kemitsu Lons. The town sits within some of the largest areas of wilderness in Towerfirth, making it one of the best places for hunters to live in. Teikokabe leans into this, and the city regularly holds ceremonies for traditional Silvauri coming-of-age rites. This strong identity, however, is sometimes overbearing. Children who wish to opt out of the rites are often ostracized, and outsiders to the city are sometimes met with distrust.
• Hantyari: Another hunting town, Hantyari sits just northwest of Kemitsu Lons. Being located near the center of the Province, it has many roads that leave the city and connect it to the rest of Towerfirth. The most infamous of these roads is the Shifting Path: A road that heads north and cuts directly through Dryaedurae's Labyrinth. Many daring travelers visit Hantyari to then make the trek, with their goal often being to encounter and defeat some of the Monsters that lurk within. In the town itself, the Morikami Museum of Natural History blends animals and botanicals while promoting the conservation of Towerfirth's forests.
• Kakaku Bend: Located just north of Dryaedurae's Labyrinth, Kakaku Bend sits along a curve in the Kemitsu River. The town is quite small, being an old settlement that embodies traditional Silvan culture. Kakaku Bend was another place decimated by the Silvan Retribution, with the modern town being made up of what remained intact. In the surrounding area, abandoned buildings from before the war still stand, being overgrown relics of days gone by. While usually quiet, the town has recently seen some attention due to the Crimson Cruor basing themselves there.
• Mokueiton: Mokueiton is a small town found in the northern regions of Towerfirth. Like many other settlements, its industry is based in hunting and its animal products. Little goes on here, but there are monthly hunting contests that anyone is open to compete in. Being somewhat near the Skyfract Mountains sometimes leads to rarer creatures being hunted outside of the town as well.
• Brazenhollow: Brazenhollow is a decent-sized logging town located in northern Towerfirth. It sits near the source of the Termina River and is quite close to the border with Minaltum. The town's location gives it access to a variety of trees, harvesting Towerfirth's oaks and Minaltum's pines. This is what has led to the town's size, and it has seen continuous development as the local industry has grown.
• Northfork: Northfork is the northernmost settlement in Towerfirth, being situated just south of the Norderian border. The logging town is quite small, and the lumber industry isn't even its main purpose. Northfork was originally established to act as a military outpost, with soldiers stationed there to watch over the border with the Kingdom of Kalvete. Even though Norderia now sits to the town's north, some reserve soldiers of the Imperial Legions remain there, serving as a final line of defense at Linlow's Gap.
• Lumberglade: Lumberglade is a small logging town found in eastern Towerfirth, being wedged between Dryaedurae's Labyrinth and the Spine of the North. While lumber is its biggest industry, the town does have a few mines that harvest minerals from the nearby mountains. Lumberglade is quite isolated, however, so there are few people here besides the locals.
• Marshen Town: Marshen Town is located in southern Towerfirth, just shy of the coast. It sits in a small strip of the Deep Marsh, and the treacherous terrain has made it difficult for the town to grow any more than it already has. In addition, the miniscule town has been hit with powerful storms that have greatly damaged it in years past. Less than a hundred people still live here, but they continue to work the local lumber mills in the hopes that they can improve their home.
• Underloft: Underloft is a small town in southwest Towerfirth, being a somewhat short distance from the border with Palprofundia. The town, though small, has an interesting blend of Silvan and Imperial culture. The town was originally another hunting settlement that suffered heavy damages during the Silvan Retribution. During its rebuilding, Imperials who were among the first to migrate into Towerfirth established quite a few lumber mills. Underloft has now become the largest of the Province's logging towns, and the traditional hunting industry continues to flourish alongside it.

The size of Towerfirth makes it a vast region for travelers to explore, and it holds its fair share of secrets within it.

Nearly all of Towerfirth is a forest, and the entirety of the Province is covered in huge, ancient trees. If not for the multitude of roads cutting through the region, the Province would act as a labyrinth due to the density of trees. Inside this maze of trees, the canopy has grown thick enough as to block out some sunlight, leaving pars of the forest obscured in constant shade. Underneath this obscuring canopy, a think understory of various ferns and shrubs grow. This dense flora not only provides for a wide variety of animals, but many of the plants, such as the Ironleaf, have uses to the Silvauri.

Towerfirth only has two major rivers flowing through it, the biggest of which is the Kemitsu River. Snaking southward through the eastern regions of the Province, its mouth sits within the Deep Marsh and doesn't allow for any port cities to be established. Lake Kemitsu sits roughly halfway up the river, however, and settlements such as Kemitsu Lons have been built on its banks. Historically, this system hasn't been used for trade but instead for fishing. In the west, the Termina River has been used for similar purposes. The Termina serves as the border for Towerfirth, separating it from Tersodia and Palprofundia. In addition to the Kemitsu and Termina, countless smaller creeks and streams flow throughout the Province and contribute to its lush environment.

Hidden within the shaded, lush groves of Towerfirth are various landmarks of historical and Magical significance. During the Silvan Retribution, countless small settlements throughout the Province were decimated. While some were rebuilt into Towerfirth's modern towns and cities, many more were left as abandoned husks of the past. Walking throughout the dense forests, it isn't uncommon to find now overgrown houses and temples, forgotten wounds of past war. If one does choose to explore, they must be cautious not to wander too far into the maze of trees. This is most true in Dryaedurae's Labyrinth: An especially dense patch of forest found just north of Lake Kemitsu. According to legend, Dryaedurae, one of the Divine Dragons, resides somewhere deep within the Labyrinth. To remain hidden, the trees and geography will shift and change, causing those within to get lost and never find her. One road, the Shifting Path, does allow for a direct path through the Labyrinth and even shifts with the surrounding forest. The road always remains intact, however, so avoid stepping off of it at all costs.

Towerfirth's economy is based on two industries, being lumber and hunting. Hunting is the older of the two, being based in Silvan traditions that predate the Empire's control by centuries. The wildlife that populates Towerfirth's forests have every part of them utilized in some way, but these products originally remained in Towerfirth due to the Silvauri's willful isolation. Now, under the Empire's authority, Towerfirth's bounty is able to be exported elsewhere. The Empire also brought with it a lucrative logging industry, with the ancient, towering trees providing unprecedented amounts of wood. Towerfirth's density also means that, as long as their practices aren't too destructive, loggers will have ample opportunities for generations to come.

The governing body of Towerfirth is listed below:

• The current ruler of Towerfirth is Queen Ayako Watanito.
• The current Steward of Towerfirth is Ryota Yuuki.
• The current Priest of Towerfirth is Hina Nato.
• The current Marshal of Towerfirth is Yuma Saito.
• The current Treasurer of Towerfirth is Sora Hamura.
• The current Archmage of Towerfirth is Tohru Watabi.