Northern Ithmia

The story of the Northern Ithmia is one of strife and healing. Sister forest to both the Western and Eastern Ithmia, the Northern Ithmia can be a gloomy place to wander, but her wild beauty and intriguing mysteries emerge with closer inspection. One such secret, now revealed, is the fallen marble idol that once hid the Infernus Occulum, an ancient artefact involved in the birth of Keresis, Goddess of Vengeance.

The Northern Ithmia is bound on its west and south sides by the main stream and a tributary of the Zaphar River and on its north and east sides by roads. Populated with a variety of wildlife, including elk, tengu and lamassu, the forest is watched over by the spirit Thalia. Sallust, a wretched old man, also makes his home in this forest. Travellers may also encounter the small but dangerous buckawns here, who scout out the area from their nearby fortress in Forest Watch. Located at the heart of the forest, within the ring of destruction known as the Sunderlands is the city of Hashan, Court of Shadows.

Starting around 220 A.F., Hashan, then the Crown of the Ithmia, began experiencing a great deal of expansion and transformed from a secluded, small village into an urban city. Claiming portions of the surrounding Northern Ithmia and then destroying them to make way for the growing city, Hashan's project for expansion greatly angered Gaia, the Earthmother, and left many forestals begrudging both the citizens of Hashan and their Patron, Twilight. As time passed, however, the Ithmia began to heal, and the land recovered. Many saplings can now be found growing bravely throughout the forest, testaments to the ongoing cycle of life and the Northern Ithmia's ability to overcome hardship.