Gaeas Cradle

[Naomi]

GAEAS CRADLE

Map: https://imgur.com/ajjnHSE

The legend of the native tribes tells of a great comet, that in times that predate recording collided with the planet, shaking the very foundations of the world upon which we walk, creating the great jagged steeples that we now know to be Virelith's inhospitable and perilous mountains, but in the centre of which left a great crater in it's wake, leagues deep by scores of miles in size. Though over vast oceans of time, nature would seek to reclaim what was once lost in the destructive wake of the comet, some say encouraged by the strange fragments left behind by the great fallen star.
Eventually such encouragement would give rise to a glorious beacon of new life in a land that had been forsaken of it, a great land lush and verdant protected by the high rising walls of the crater, sustained by the latent magics of the comets fragments and the reflecting rays of the sun amplified by the jagged crystalline remnants that ensured such growth. Fertile soil, vast forests, healthy and diverse wildlife that has since it's discovery become a place of great ancestral significance to the four tribes that make their home on the edges of the mountains, who have for generations treated what small fractions of the crater have been explored as both a holy place of worship to their ancestors and as a primary hunting ground.
Despite however, such great swathes of land claimed and brought under dominion by their respective tribes, the sheer size of the crater has left most of it unexplored, with much speculation and legend surrounding what secrets could be hidden deep within those dense forests and crystalline spires.
The crater itself, one might imagine, would be night impossible to miss, given the stark contrast between the land itself and that that surrounds it, however, it's location and more importantly, how to find one's self allowed to set foot upon the land is no small feat; a closely guarded secret forged between ancient and sacred pacts between the tribes that call the land their home have allowed them to ensure that only those deemed worthy, trusted and f stout heart are permitted to look, and walk upon the splendour of the crater.
Great dense, swirling clouds and the most unforgiving storms prevent any means of travel from the tribal lands to the Cradle, with great rituals and ceremonies that may take hours or sometimes days of preparation and performance afforded to the few chosen to behold the Cradle, with these rituals being said to afford the worthy traveller the knowledge and instinct to navigate the unspeakably harsh environment, where to walk, where to turn, where to shelter. There are even whispers among those outside the tribe that the practitioners of these rituals conjure for and imbue those chosen with the influence of their guardian spirits with whom they share a bond that few could understand, to guide them on their way.
Should one ever find themselves with the superlative fortune to be able to walk upon these lands, they would be forgiven for believing that they themselves may be walking in a vivid, lucid dream. The rays of the sun dappling through the dense bowers of the colossal trees shining with a myriad of colour unseen anywhere else, the pools, rivers and lakes shimmering with an almost unnatural clarity.
Perhaps one of the most perplexing yet wondrous aspects of this land makes itself apparent when the sun goes down, as the flora of all manners takes on a strong, vibrant radiance of colour in the face of the darkness, deep greens, purples, reds, blues of all variants, seemingly bringing the land to life anew in the absense of the sun, bathing it all in a rich, warm glow that might ensare one's senses and leave one mesmerised if not careful; it is theorised that some predators who make their home here have adapted to use such mesmerity to their advantage, becoming a staple tactic in their hunt for prey.
On the subject of wildlife, sightings of indigenous life besides the tribes who hold this land sacred have been very few and far between thus far, and never documented by anyone outside of the tribes, who are reluctant at best to share such knowledge; there should be no doubt in one's mind that myriad fauna flourish here, for those with the courage, cunning and tenacity to seek it out in the deeper reaches of the Cradle. Rumours and whispers tell of creatures ranging from small reptilian-like beasts with peculiarly glowing patterns along their scales that seem to resonate with the waters and crystalline shards, capable of extending a single great fan-shaped wing from their back to allow them to glide away with surprisng alacrity in the face of aggresion, to mighty apex predators able to blend themselves almost completely to the naked eye, ready to strike with deadly precision at the first misstep on the part of their prey; tread carefully, adventurer.
The aforementioned crystalline fragments are as much an enigma as the rest of the land, each of them unique in their shape, size and composition, but all sharing one principle characteristic, that being of a wondrous prismatic light that adorns the light that passes through them, seemingly taking on a life of it's own to the keen observer, swirling colours and shimmering patterns that perhaps would remind those practised in the art of astronomy as the great displays of the cosmos brought to life in the relatively confined space of the shard.
Though the legend of the shards tell of them being the catalyst for the formation of life here in the Cradle, these are merely theories as none have dared to offend the tribes by bringing samples back with them, but the wise folk of said tribes hold them as one of their most sacred artefacts, testament to the powers responsible for this shining paradise in a land of hostility and hardship.