Lost & Found Studios, LLC

​The Cinder Reach​

The Cinder Reach is a large region of uncontrolled, chaotic, magical energy. It consists of an active volcano named Mount Pyre and the surrounding magic-infused ashlands and lava fields.

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The Cinder Reach was first formed during the Great War of the Gods. The people of Varcastia once worshiped a god in dragon form, who was killed at the peak of Mount Pyre during the war. The magical energy this unleashed transformed the mountain into a deadly volcano. Eruptions are rare but can be catastrophic, destroying whole villages, cities, and forests.

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The most recent major eruption of Mount Pyre was triggered by the fall of the Zanshian Empire over 1,000 years ago. It completely destroyed the city of Salgeri, which had been the capital of all of Varcastia during the Age of Legends. Now, only the bravest adventurers dare visit the Lost City to seek treasure buried beneath the magic-infused ash. 

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Travelers to the Cinder Reach face many dangers. These include:

• Unpredictable portals to elemental planes of fire

• Encounters with demons, jinn, and other intelligent supernatural beings with an affinity for fire

• Dangerous beasts including chimaeras, firebirds, salamanders, and other fire monsters

• Magical mirages and illusions

• Non-magical dangers such as quicksand, poison gas, sinkholes, and molten rock

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Ash from the Cinder Reach is sometimes blown by the wind into inhabited lands, which sometimes produces odd effects—crops that develop strange mutations, sheep that somehow develop fangs and a taste for blood, people who temporarily develop extraordinary new talents. Yet there are some wines made from grapes grown in the rich, volcanic soil adjacent to the Cinder Reach, and some say that this wine is the closest thing to fae wine that it is possible to make in the mortal realms.

(Adam Arnold)

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The Circle of the Tangled Briar

During The Great War, one of the deities that fell was Heyvan, a brutal, bestial god. The stories say that he was felled by an arrow from Creyati the Huntress, and he and he died in the bleak northern reaches of the Lithian Forest. There, his monstrous power lay, seeping out into the world. Great thickets of briar and thorns grew around his Rupture site, and it is said that Creyati herself directed the founders of the Circle of the Tangled Briar to watch over the site, so that Heyvan’s followers, or those simply seeking his raw power, would be unable to resurrect him or siphon the fallen god’s energy. In the current day, the Circle still remembers this command, keeping a faithful watch over the forest in general and the site of Heyvan’s demise. It is currently lead by a council of druids, headed by the Archdruid Calethras, an eldery elf. The circle is mostly comprised of elves and forest fae (fawn, dryad, and satyr).

(Writing credit: Chris Steinman)

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Desolation of Nozomi​

The crash of the great Citadel Nozomi during The Descent caused the land itself to change in the southern parts of U'Nafara. Mountains violently formed out of the ground almost as if to protect the crash site. What was once a thick lush forest is now barren mountains. The persistent red fog from the mountains is so thick that even the strongest spyglass cannot see through it from the coastline. Sailors and travelers alike know to avoid these shores.​

(Writing credit: Sahil Vaid)

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Grand Cachot​

Verania's most well-known quirk is the Grand Cachot, where the Citadel Azra fell and created magical waves across the land, resulting in mutated monstrous flora and fauna. The monarchs of Verania, King Clotaire and King Consort Desmond, oversee the Gardes-Chasses, a group of highly-skilled knights, who protect the country’s residents from the creatures that come out of the Grand Cachot. The common image of the heroic knight in shining armor comes from these valiant monster-hunters and protectors of Verania. Although the danger of the Grand Cachot is clear, adventurers from around the globe still risk their lives by venturing into its depths to try and retrieve the ancient Zanshian technology within. 

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The gravity-defying technology from the fallen Zanshian Citadel Azra seems to be partially intact and functional. However, it ended up far beneath the surface. The buried core of the citadel is stuck in a perpetual attempt to elevate itself to its previous height. This results in the ground itself being elevated. Since the crash there has also been a steady and strong spout of water that comes from the atop the elevated ground. No one knows where the water comes from. The water flows into The Soradelle and The Ordeau and pushes the stream into the ocean to the east. There have not been any adverse effects from drinking the water, though it does give life to the creatures the Gardes-Chasses dedicate their lives to fighting.

(Writing credit: Sahil Vaid)

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Ligera​

​Residing on the edge of Rúndísar, Ligera has a natural push and pull with its counterpart Oscura. The two work together to control the flow of water from season to season. In the spring and summer, the pull of Lisera causes the Broken Sea to flow south and release its current into the ocean east of Rúndísar and north of Penolakan. Some theorize that the two Ruptures functionally exist as siblings in a constant state of conflict, while others believe they are two separated halves trying to make their way back to each other. These ruptures have existed since the Great War and are likely the result of divine magic from a long-forgotten battle.​​​​​​​​​

(Writing credit: Sahil Vaid)

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​Oscura​

​Residing on the edge of Solarea, Oscura has a natural push and pull with its counterpart Ligera. The two work together to control the flow of water from season to season. In the fall and winter, the pull of Oscura causes the Broken Sea to flow north and release its current into the ocean west of Rúndísar and north of Solarea towards the island Alaethrie. Some theorize that the two Ruptures functionally exist as siblings in a constant state of conflict, while others believe they are two separated halves trying to make their way back to each other. These ruptures have existed since the Great War and are likely the result of divine magic from a long-forgotten battle.

(Writing credit: Sahil Vaid)​

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The Vortex​

Used as the center of the The Known World Map. Sailors do their best to avoid getting caught in the Vortex’s wind for it blows in any and every direction on a whim. Getting to the center of it is a fool’s errand. Those who believe it to be a living, sentient entity refer to it as Bhanvar (bon·var).

(Writing credit: Sahil Vaid)