North of the Frosty Mountains the land falls away into a vast wooded valley, surprisingly warm, where the constant mists and fogs seem to draw a protective veil over the countryside. Here the trees grow tall and lush, magnificent oaks, beeches, birches and rowans interspersed with massive redwoods, evergreens of many kinds.
Here and there an open meadow gathers the sun, and flowers of a thousand hues rise into its light, tended by bees and butterflies. This is the Woods of the Golden Sylph, home of the eldest and most powerful elven communities in Valtentis. It is generally a peaceful place; the elves’ masterful archers and rangers guard the forest’s borders with keen eyes, and their spellcasters weave protective magics around root, bole and branch, creating a vast sanctuary for their people and the plants and forest creatures that they love.
Under the shining leaves of the canopy--and often high in the trees themselves--the elven cities blend seamlessly with the surrounding foliage, crafted in part from the living wood itself. The capital city, Triezuthiel, is hidden deep in the center of the valley. The wood gets its name from a protective spirit that has watched over the forest and the elves from time immemorial; ageless, enigmatic, and possessed of unearthly wisdom and beauty, she shows herself only rarely even to the elves’ most devout druids.
None from Valoria has ever seen her, and many believe she is but a legend. During the dark times after the fall of Valor, a few human refugees were welcomed among the elves of the forest. Since that time the two races have maintained friendly relations.
The elves trade regularly with Valorian caravans (exchanging herbs and plant-based textiles, finely crafted wooden items such a musical instruments, and medicines and potions, for the goods of the city) and occasionally some of them venture south to visit or even take up residence in the city. Non-elven explorers who wish to wander the forest beyond the caravan route are generally discouraged, and may be forcibly expelled, though this depends in large part on how respectfully they treat the wooded landscape.