Syndahl

The Rusted Forest

The ancestral home of the Evalen people is now a unwelcoming realm of scorched woodlands and long-dead trees. Whilst the tropics of Jarculn have reclaimed their land from the ruins of the Constructs, the woodlands of Syndahl lie broken and cracked, a checkerboard of rusted Constructs and blackened trees.

Description
Syndahl occupies the small stretch of land between Rel'Thalla, to the East, and the Spire Mountains and the Unclaimed Lands to the North. Only fragments of its once lush forests now remain, the rest lost in the Burning, now mere graveyards of trees.

There are only two settlements of note in the land, which has no strictly defined governance or ruler. Of these, the coastal city of Mayeneth is the larger, built amidst the ruins of an old Evalen city long since destroyed. Fragments of Evalen culture still remain here, and many of the city's inhabitants are Evalen, come to learn as much as they can about their people. A council of Elders presides over visitors and residents alike, though its jurisdiction is entirely unofficial.

The town of Evalle is smaller, but acts as a satellite township of Mayeneth; it serves as a trade hub for the region, a frequent stopping point for caravans travelling between Rel'Thalla and the Unclaimed Lands.

Culture
Syndahl is less an official nation and more a collection of travellers and outcasts. As such, there is no established culture; individuals are free to come and live in Syndahl as they wish. Nevertheless, a society of sorts has begun to evolve, as more people gravitate to the settlements. Some Evalen try to emulate what they think of as the traditional lifestyle, though how accurate their efforts are is impossible to say.

Many of the residents of Mayeneth are scholars and researchers, who pore over the few Tomes and texts left in the archives of the city, or prowl its ruins to uncover lost secrets.

The Council of Elders comprises five nominated Evalen, each of whom must be over two hundred years old. They establish the basic laws and rules for people living within Syndahl's borders, and their decisions are enforced by a volunteer organisation called the Vaeryis, or Watchers.

Appearance
The medley of races and nationalities that make up Syndahl's small population exhibit wildly different personal styles, and there is no single common quality to them all to mark them as being Syndahli. That being said, many residents have taken to wearing an approximation of the ancient Evalen attire depicted in murals and paintings found amongst the ruins; decorative robes marked with geometric patterns and sinuous jewellery. The artistic design of Evalen materials comprises of straight lines, right angles and mirrored lines contrasted with curvaceous, almost living forms in a deco style.