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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 1860006" data-attributes="member: 2012">AROUND SELQUINOn the opposite side of the Chara Coast is a region that is famous for the Free City of Selquin. Selquin is known as The Traders' City and is known for being hub of mercantile traffic from the Thunder Lands in the North to the Far South in, well, the south.Several communities along the coast of Relaini Bay are allied to Selquin, for protection, as vassals – Farva, Iuhul, and Alquain. Not that Selquin is a giant monstrosity that pulls in alliances because of its power. No, Selquin is a small city with big dreams and a good heart. It has become known as one of the best and safest ports of call in the border lands around the Great Expanse.In order to be successful, the residents of Selquin have had to learn to be diplomatic on all sides. Some desert elves of the Great Expanse had been known to raid outlying communities, in the past, but now the rulers of Selquin have a strong alliance with the leader of the desert elves, Phyre Everstrong, the Lord of the Kin. Everstrong is a stalwart believer in the Tenets of the Balance and goes to great lengths to make sure outsiders don't cause havoc with the fragile ecosystem of the Great Expanse.Besides the desert elves, the rulers of Selquin (known as the Officers' Council) have had to in the past make deals with the Cities of the Relaini, the Ferinmal Homeland, and even a few of the more civilized denizens of the Myriad Holds. The Officers' Council recently brokered a tentative trade agreement with the City-state of Tyr.Now, there is more to see here than just The Traders' City. A good case in point is the Great Expanse itself and its many diverse denizens. Of course, its most infamous ones are the desert elves. Desert elves are nomadic by nature but do have some traditional homelands based on bands. In this region, the most infamous are Desertwind House and Wildsand House. These are the bands that have raided the coast of Relaini Bay in the past. Now they squirm under the long reach of the Lord of the Kin; however, they wouldn't dare betray his wishes.Also, the desert hides two structures of note to adventurers. The first is Sandstone Tower, a tall – very, very tall – structure that can be seen as far away as the town of Farva on the coast. The tower is made of sandstone and appears to have been grown out of the ground. The tower doesn't have a discernible entrances from up close, although, as you travel farther from the structure many windows can be seen near the top of the tower, glowing with an eerie, yellow light. It is said that if you can find a way through all the sand surrounding the base of the tower, you will eventually find entrances that lead into a series of sandstone caves. These caves are rumoured to lead to the ground level of the tower.The second structure is the the home of a known arcanist known as Varilsol. None are sure if that is the old man's first or last name. What is known is that Varilsol has lived in this region for as long as most can remember. He is an ally to the desert elves and is said to be a personal friend of Phyre Everstrong. Varilsol is said to be a powerful earth elementalist.The desert has other secrets buried under its sands including the Cairn of the Desert Sands. No one is sure exactly where this ancient burial cairn is located and no one has found it or, at least, found it and returned to tell about it. The cairn is said to be older than the North Gods – a throwback to the time before the Second Ice Age. Its location on the map is "only" this cartographer's best guess.Another unique site is the Crystalline "forest" called Crystaldust, which is considered a holy place to the desert elves. Its crystals have grown up from the depths of the Underearth and some are nearly as high as the Sandstone Tower to northeast. The desert elves of Desertwind House are responsible for protecting the sacred ground. They do this with great zeal and a little bit of vileness.Casacano and its rift are both new additions to this map. I have yet to come up with a hook for them. Regardless, it will not relate to the desert elves.[ATTACH=full]62299[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

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