The Western Road

A major road leads west from the Silvermere Slums. While suffering from some neglect and disrepair, the stone pavings have stayed mostly intact for centuries. The arid climate of the western plains helps prevent the overgrowth seen from the eastern road through Darkwood Forest, and the western road is also occasionally maintained by those who still make regular trips.

A few miles west of Silvermere, where the plains start to rise in sharply sloping hills, the forks forks. One path continues west to Silvermere’s westernmost outpost, and the other heads south toward Rhuduar.

The soil on the western plains surrounding the road is dusty and dry. A variety of scrub and grasses texture the rocky terrain, providing cover and forage for a number of large vermin that in turn provide for massive snakes, hyenas, birds of prey, and cougars. Roaming bands of gnolls are known to hunt across a large range west of Silvermere, and they will also occasionally ambush travelers who they perceive to be easy targets.

While this habitat tends toward a drier climate, large rain storms are not particularly uncommon so much as they are irregular. Long periods without rainfall in the summer months lead to common brush fires, but heavy rains in the winter are just as likely to lead to muddy conditions and landslides.

The further one travels from Silvermere along the Western Road, the rockier, higher, and more uneven the terrain becomes. So too increases the frequency of raids by gnolls, bandits, and large predators.

The mages’ district

Several herbs in the region are of magical interest. As such, a community of wizards and sorcerors has long occupied the river’s edge just a few miles west of town. This miniature settlement provides a sort of freedom that magic users may not have access to while living in the city, yet still provides close proximity to the city’s amenities and protection.

The retreat serves to provide additional services and support that deep study and experimentation requires. Accordingly, outsiders and non-magic users are not always welcomed warmly here. Many residents of the mages’ district also maintain a household within the city, and conduct their city there.

The Western Outpost

At the western end of the western road is the furthest extent of Silvermere’s active fortifications. A lone fortress sits at the edge of the mountains, providing a minimal amount of guard – and advance warning – about the potential threats coming from the subterranean dark-elf kingdom.

Rhudaur

Rhudaur is a large city south and slightly west of Silvermere. Once a strong ally and integral part of the Human Empire, Rhuduar has become more contentious and rivalrous of Silvermere.

While it lacks much of Silvermere’s grace, charm, and wealth, it provides residents a modest life that is vigilantly secured from outside threats.