Mytheas
The vast trees of Miritar Forest have towered since time immemorial, carving out a canopied kingdom of sun-pierced shadows and woodland life. It is a place oft-visited in myth and legend, supposedly the home of countless otherworldly treasures and supernatural beings. But at least one corner of this vast arboreal kingdom is filled with the sounds of logging, industry and humanoid residents.
Mytheas was founded by Byram Vernhorn, an enterprising wizard who saw the incredible arcane (and financial) potential of the ancient Blackwood area of Miritar Forest, known for its magic-infused trees. After inventing a process to fell the nearly indestructible trees of the Blackwood, he used his considerable wealth to equip lumberjacks with enchanted axes to get to work.
Since then, Mytheas has thrived and expanded significantly. Blackwood paper is considered the gold standard of arcane resources and the Blackwood that’s milled here is a highly prized resource for staves, wands and other magical products. A number of artisans have set up shop near the town's crown jewel, the world-renowned Vernhorn College of the Mystic Arts, taking advantage of the abundant materials to train new students.
The Blackwood River passes through the town, providing water for drinking and industrial use, as well as transportation of goods to the capital, Orthay. Occasionally, druids, rangers and other caretakers of nature have raised concerns about the town’s unabashed expansion into the wood but, thus far, none have heeded their warnings.
Local Colour
Nearly all of Mytheas was built using Blackwood lumber, giving the town a musky vanilla scent beloved by bookworms. Indeed, magic is the very foundation of Mytheas' culture; stone towers house arcane researchers and their apprentices, while innumerable workshops see carpenters and wandwrights spend their days shaping magical tools and luxuries. Over the centuries, the traditional songs of lumberjacks and the chanting of ritual dirges have melded, leading to a unique bardic tradition that echoes from the surrounding trees and fills the silence between scraping saws and falling logs.
Places and People of Interest
Dignitaries who visit Mytheas are often invited to join Overseer Sant Hardaxe on one of the town’s observation decks, high wooden platforms built to safely overlook the logging work at the town’s southern perimeter. Anyone who can hold their liquor is welcome to join the loggers at the Singing Axe, a lively tavern where drinking often devolves into competitions of strength and song under the somewhat chaotic direction of Grimm Lorrie, the tavern’s longtime bugbear owner.
Those who are magically inclined tend to unwind at the Wizard’s Orb, known for its lively intellectual debate and prestidigitated wine tasting competitions. The Orb’s owner, half-elf Dev Blackwell, has been known to challenge any who disagree with him to a cantrip quickdraw, where the loser buys a round for the bar.
The Vernhorn College of the Mystic Arts dominates the Wandsward district, with student housing, laboratories and classrooms all under the watchful eye of Headmaster Caldrin Vernhorn IV. The College employs a number of experienced professors, including Bermet Purpeux, a prominent dwarf alchemist. A former professor, Cornelius Fairburn, was fired for practicing necromancy; it was later discovered that he was, in actuality, an abishai named Gallu spreading discord within the Empire.
The High Street in Silveroot offers a multitude of goods and services to adventurers of all levels. Those looking for Mytheas’ magic items should seek out the Whistling Lathe and its head artisan Cylan Hildegarde, while those in search of more mundane supplies should stop by the Woodsman’s Wiles, run by the gruff half-orc Prescot Murkwood. Nobles are fond of the local Prest-O! magic appliance showroom, which is overseen by the cheery gnome Eldorn Bramblehill. Devotees of Pelor are encouraged to visit the local temple, which doubles as a school for aspiring paladins and clerics.
The town barracks and jail is located in South Elderbough Hills next to the Blackwood River. The local captain of the guard, Avelin Welfer, commands a force of 65 guards and 14 justiciars from her office. In times of war, Mytheas is also defended by 25 apprentices and 320 militia.
Several nobles maintain estates to the north-east of town, far from the noise of lumberjacks and the lower classes. Among these homes is Featherwick Manor, which is the former residence of Lord John Featherwick. To the north-west is the town graveyard, which contains several mausoleums and noble tombs.
On the Horizon
As any arcane economist could tell you, there’s no such thing as free magical power. Some who are frequently exposed to Blackwood’s lumber, sawdust and runoff in the waters have begun to experience bark-like scabrous growths and chronic respiratory issues. At night, the eyes of thousands of forest creatures peer out from the shadows, as if waiting for orders from the forest itself. If townsfolk continue encroaching on the wood, they risk waking the Slumbering Bear of the Blackwood, an ancient grizzly the size of a dragon, and the source of its power.
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