The Jade Isles, adrift in the perpetual twilight of the Southern Expanse, are said to be woven from solidified dreams. Their inhabitants, the Sylvani, are not quite human, nor entirely animal. They shift in hue with the moods of the ocean, their skin shimmering with opalescent scales. Legends speak of the 'Heartstone of Aethel', a pulsating crystal that governs the tides and the very sanity of the islands. It’s rumored to amplify emotions—joy becomes a tidal wave of ecstatic color, sorrow a devastating undertow of grey.
The Sylvani communicate through intricate patterns of bioluminescence, weaving narratives across the coral reefs. Their music is not played, but *felt* – a resonance within the bones. They possess an unnerving understanding of temporal distortions, occasionally glimpsing echoes of the past or fleeting visions of possible futures. Some scholars believe they are guardians of a forgotten technology, a method of harnessing the raw energy of the planet’s core.
“Time is not a river, but a shattered mirror. We simply collect the fragments.” - Lyra, Sylvani Chronicler
Source: The Annotated Cartographer’s Log, 7th Cycle.
Across the Crimson Waste, the Xerxes Dynasty rose, fueled by a devotion to the 'Shadow Gods'. Their capital, Viridia, wasn’t built of stone, but of solidified darkness, a labyrinthine city that constantly shifted and reformed, resisting attempts at mapping. The Xerxians were masters of illusion and necromancy, raising armies of spectral warriors from the sands themselves. They worshipped the concept of entropy, believing that chaos was the true form of beauty and order.
The heart of their power was the 'Veil of Dissolution', a massive obsidian prism that absorbed all light and sound, creating pockets of absolute silence and darkness. It was said to draw upon the memories of the deceased, feeding the spectral legions. Attempts to destroy the Veil resulted in… unpredictable outcomes – entire districts vanishing, replaced with swirling, iridescent dust.
“Silence is the greatest weapon. Embrace the void.” - Zarthus, Last Shadow King
Source: Fragments of the Xerxians’ Grand Codex, partially recovered from the Ruins of Viridia.