(Discussion) General, Part I
There was more location information in this thread than I would have dreamed, especially after wading through the first 120 posts and not finding any of it. The highlight would be Uriel's description of Rivenblight:
Hailing from the War-Torn City of Rivenblight some 200 miles to the North of <insert city containing the red dragon>, the Elf known only as Lynx tells little of himself, but much of his City.
Rivenblight was once a thriving trade center utilized as a middle ground between the Grey Elves of Larkenwold Reach, the Wood Elves of the Silverwood and the High Elves of the cities of the Vastermarch. As well, humans, Dwarves and Halflings all came to trade in the great Metropolis. In those bygone days, the City was known as Beryl. All of this changed one dire day some 300 years ago, when a Cataclysmic Earthquake literally split the city in twain, half of it sliding into a great crater/cleft, much of it and thousands of it's residents all destroyed and killed.
Diviners and Seers sought the cause, and though no definative source was evident, it was surmised that the Drow had a hand in the Foul deed.
Though none blamed the others for the catastrophy, the various elves all became suspicious of the other Guild Houses, Clans and Trade Unions. Many sought to profit from the sorrow of others during this time of trouble. Food importation and crafts, housing and jealousy of what others still had (when some had lost all) quickly escalated into open hostility and Warfare among the Elves.
Some groups fought along racial lines, some for their Guilds and some fought for whoever paid the most coin, food or had the sweetest promises of things to come.
Into this came the Drow, stealing forth from below, as some of Rivenblight (as the former City was now known) was now permanently in the dark, shaded by the walls of the crater that fully a third of the city had fallen into. As well, Gnolls and Goblins, Orcs and Ogres used the strife as a destraction so that they might take up residence in the Ruins of Rivenblight as well (perhaps aided by the Drow, who use these as fodder in their armies). Rivenblight was a dangerous place indeed.
Now, some three centuries later, the Elves still live in an Uneasy situation, though open Warfare between them is now a thing of the past. Dwarves have begun entering the Ruins looking for treasures, 'plots' sold off by Elven Lords for a share of the profits.
The Human Realm of Hendrallia sits on the Eastern border of the city, a hostile presence not strong enough to depose the Elves and plunder their city, yet too strong for the Elves to remove.
Many eyes look to this Ancient and Rich place, from Lands abroad and Lands Below...
There was some other stuff in the thread, too:
- A Roadwarden’s Waystation is about 3 miles South-South-East of Orussus.
- The Avenue of Merchants is about ¼ mile from the Red Dragon Inn.
- One of the shops in the Avenue of Merchants is called Fenton’s Wines&Spirits.
- There is a town named Ravensdale in ENWorld.
- There may be an inn in Rivenblight called the "Belching Orc Inn".