Wilder

"I have seen many ruins throughout Vault, but never a ruin so well maintained and cared for. Some may say it's not a ruin at all, but what else can you call a place abandoned to time, even by those who still walk its halls." - from the memoirs of Lewin Von Treet, Vault: the Land of Stuff and Things

City Description

Population: ~800

Founded: 2190 (200 years ago)

Built into the strong limbs of the largest tree in the Kindred Isle, Wasacha, the vertical city of Wilder has been the stronghold of the Kindred rulers for as long as the isle has been their home. Built upon the taming of Rotwood, back when the Kindred were first forced to make the island their home, Wilder has stood as a testament to the Kindred's ingenuity, determination, and craftsmanship. They created a royal stronghold to match the many wonder of the world, and they did it without destroying the land around them. Indeed, Wilder's creation marked the beginning of the land's healing.

While many attribute the recession of the rot that plagued the Kindred Isle to ancient magics, the denizens of the isle knew Wilder was the conduit through which those magics were wielded. The city stood as a symbol, not just against the rot, but to the strength of the Kindred's perseverance.

It is said the elves of Lyr'Lowain have visited Wilder in the hopes of learning more of its building, desiring to delve the secrets of the Kindred's ability to work alongside their natural surroundings instead of against them. However, the Kindred remain a distrustful and territorial people, slow to forget the pains of the past, and eager to ensure their future. Any visitors to Wilder are treated with reproach. And those who overstay their welcome are usually met with hardship.

The city itself expands vertically rather than out into the forest that surrounds it. One can still find many Kindred living simply and quietly in the surrounding area, called the Sachak Woods, but Wilder proper boasts an extravagance and opulence that once provided endless comfort to the Kindred living within its halls. Abundance was a defining quality of Wilder, Wasacha providing water, food, and shelter without ceasing. However, the massive tree's health, and thus the health of the city, is tied to the royal line of kings and queens the Kindred have followed since before their history's recording. And without them, abundance has given way to scarcity.

With the disappearance of King Doxx the Dire, Wasacha, and with it the city of Wilder, began to succumb to the rot that once again began to spread across the isle. This lead to a mass exodus of the once thriving populated city, with many Kindred choosing to instead chance finding their fortunes out in the world that once belonged to their ancestors. There were some who remained, however, and they struggled until a new King was crowned after years of hardship.

King Quillium was crowned in the year 2394 after he helped find and destroy the source of the rot in the Kindred Isle: the long forgotten tomb of the multiverse god, Bane. Coming from humble beginnings, Quillium won the hearts of the Kindred through his sincerity and love of their home, and his unwillingness to abandon it to the rot that had so long made it nearly uninhabitable.

With the rot removed, Quillium lead the people of the Kindred Isle into an age of peace and plenty, if not prosperity and glory. There are some who say that Wilder is ripe for expansion, and as the Kindred people return from across Vault to their newly healed island, there are those who would see Wilder lead the Kindred to an age of more than peace and calm.

City Landmarks

Lunarium - the moon is incredibly important to the Kindred, who seem to draw power from the moon's various phases. The most impressive feat of craft in Wilder is the Lunarium, which is simultaneously a celebration of the moon and a place to bask in its power with reverence. To be allowed within the Lunarium is a privilege few outside the Kindred are allowed to experience.

Treespeak - there are places throughout Wilder where Wasacha can be heard if one is still. That stillness must be of body, mind, and spirit; a perfect acceptance of what is and what may be. When that is achieved, if one is at a Treespeak location, they can hear the will of the planet.

High Boughs - where the royal courts can be found, the High Boughs are a place of false faces, quick speak, and deal making. The Kindred have always been a political people, with various types of Kindred always seeking the best for their own kind. The idea of a united Kindred people is relatively new, and the old habits of vying for status and power die hard.