Sphyii's Travel Guide

— You spot a large amphithere with iridescent scales and approach her, captivated by her colors. Recognizing her as Sphyii, the ancient novascale, you engage in conversation, wondering why she's in your quaint little town. Her voice is scratchy and harsh as you ask about her favorite place to visit.

"Ah, the world is a beautiful place! I've been all over, but I don't think I could pick just one place as a favorite. I've got, like, a top 8 or so.

Oh, and I heard that many places have postcards you can send back home! I think that's neat, but unfortunately, we ancients don't have a mailing address, ha ha!

"

by Nulcheck (via Midjourney)

— Sphyii

Rayhaven

"Rayhaven is a beautiful coastal city in southwestern Ardenfell. I recommend walking in the parks and checking out the Rayhaven Woods and the Grand Tree. The Forgotten Forest is a little weird, though, not sure what's up with that. There's an ancient that lives there, the Drake of the West, as you humans call him, but he's not very social, so you probably won't see him.

If you're going downtown, I'd stay away from the dark alleyways of the city. I've heard of some nasty gangs hiding out in abandoned buildings; they leave no trace behind with their necrodrakes. The beach is nice though! Even if most of it is taken up by a naval port.

Here it is on the map, on the coast of Ardenfell, in a valley between some impressive cliffsides:

Ridgford

"Aah, Ridgford. Where it all started — the birthplace of the Dragonguard. Lovely, quaint little town in the forests of the Ridgeback Mountains. I believe it has become a tourist destination since the war, so if you want to visit a historical town, this is it! You can even take a tour of the mine where the early Dragonguard got most of their iron from.

Most people don't know this was the original settlement of the Dragonguard, so I'll point to it on your map.

Eldrya

"Speaking of the Dragonguard, Eldrya is the city to go to! It's not too far from Ridgford, though you'll probably have to go through the passageway in the south and up through Guardian Haven's Bay, so it might take some time.

Just stay clear of the Sentinels guarding the Dragonguard's headquarters. Oh, I heard Savage Serpent Alehouse is a good tavern if you're looking for a drink! Quite a scenic area, it's nice.

It sits on the island in the middle of the estuary, right here:

Dragonspire

"Ok, between you and me, Dragonspire is located near the large rift in the Shatterscale Mountains — but you didn't hear that from me.

Most of us ancients live there, but I wouldn't recommend going there. The mountains are unforgivable, and it's rather high up. I also don't think the ancients would appreciate random humans showing up on their doorstep unannounced. Take my word on it, though, the view is breathtaking, and that's not just because of the altitude.

The rest of the Shatterscale Mountains are just as breathtaking!

Outpost Zero

"If you're traveling near the tip of Dragon's Tail, make a stop in Outpost Zero. While it was originally an outpost for the Dragonguard in the early days, it has since grown into a little town.

If you're going to pass by the Shattered Archipelagos afterward, definitely talk to the locals before leaving for information on pirate sightings nearby to avoid them.

The town is on the tip of the peninsula, riiiight here:

Blackreach

"If you fancy some more Dragonguard history, Blackreach is a stunning fortification built in the Shatterscale Mountains in northern Emberland!

I believe our ancient buddy Scorch still lives there. He fought off a Septenary Pact detachment that invaded the continent before we allied with the Dragonguard.

It's just around the corner from this volcano here. If you visit, tell him I said hi!

Ebonhollow Expanse

"There is a massive cave under Arkynshire Lake, called the Ebonhollow Expanse. It's absolutely stunning, with an impressive size and bioluminescent mushrooms.

If you're up for a hike and a bit of cave delving, I recommend taking a tour there! Supposedly, there are long-lost pirate treasures hidden in the tunnels, but I don't know anything about that.

There are a few ways into the cave; I'll point them out.

World Hole

"It may be a bit far, but there's a large sea cave in the middle of the largest ocean, I believe pirates called it the "World Hole". There's a port on the south side of the island that the Dragonguard used as a resupply point during the war, but it's no longer in operation.

My beloved friend Taavi lives around there, keeping the pirates at bay. If you want to visit there, I recommend sailing, as most dragons cannot fly such long distances.

Unfurl the entire map; it's way out here. Yeah, that weird atoll island."