Raesh

Old Bark Cemetery

This graveyard is a hastily built resting place for many Raeshi people who could not or would not make the journey to Love Letter on the island as the Ziggurat forces pushed farther east than they ever had before. Many of those buried here were the heroes who made a last stand on the cliffs overlooking the ocean as their compatriats sailed away to safety.

It is now known as a cursed and haunted place, with many Raeshi believing the Ziggurati did something evil to the land when they marched across it. And while the Raeshi buried their heroes, they also believe that those same heroes hold some disdain for those who ran. And their spirits haven't forgotten the cowardice of that time.

It is true that undead have been drawn to this place due to the unnatural energies there, but whether that is a result of Ziggurati magics or some other force is known.

Mirror Sanctum

Found floating above the ground, almost impossible to get into, the Mirror Sanctum remained unexplored for many years after the Raeshi took up living in those lands. Eventually, a fungril woman named Estha managed to climb into the tower and found wild magics at play.

Deemed relatively unsafe, many Raeshi didn't bother exploring the tower before Ziggurat arrived. Those who did found it filled with illusions, projections, and strange scenes playing out, almost as if the tower was telling some manner of story. The Raeshi were not concerned much with understanding the story, and they mistrusted it, fearing it was some sort of trap.

That fear was not unfounded, as several brave souls who entered the Mirror Sanctum never returned. And those who ventured in after them swore they saw the missing peoples' likenesses as part of the spectral theatre playing out within the towers twisted halls.

Standing Stones

One of the first places the Raeshi found when arriving in the new lands west of Jawhara was an ancient city reclaimed by nature they named Standing Stones. At the top of this abandoned place is a pool of water that was very obviously sacred to those who built the city, so the Raesh took up the charge of maintaining it.

Now, many missions into the warzone are meant to ensure the pool is kept safe and filled, but the city itself is vast and contains many old things. Some of them artifacts of times long gone, others of them far more dangerous.

Luckily, the Standing Stones are near Love Letter, meaning the city is relatively free of Ziggurati. But there are worse things in Raesh than the Ziggurati, and there is a reason the Raesh people stick to the pool above the city.

Big Bears

In the ruins of this city, the Raesh people found perfectly preserved statues of large bears standing sentinel at its gates. Despite the decay of the former city they guarded, the bears were pristine, as if magically preserved through the ages.

Because of this, the Raesh believe those bear statues of stone are alive, either moving too slowly to be perceived, or standing very still, awaiting the impetus to move. They give this place a wide berth, which has allowed Ziggurati to push up into the Green Forest on occasion. Although, the Ziggurat presence in Big Bears never lasts long, and no one quite knows why.

The ruined city surrounded by these statues is nothing impressive, although depictions of bears on old vases and architecture make it clear whomever lived within those ancient walls held bears in high esteem.

Green Heart

The forest which shares the Raesh name with this mysterious and storied location is a lush landscape of teal skies and aquamarine fog, rolling through the boughs of trees that seem unable to grow in a straight line. Twisting like gnarled fingers through thick canopies, the trees of Green Heart forest bleed a beryl sap that hardens into additional limbs within moments, making the cutting of any tree simply another way of causing growth.

Deep within the forest is Green Heart itself. The Raesh people found it due to the ancient paths worn through the forest, as though those who came before visited the location diligently. In typical Raesh fashion, the name for the growth is accurate; it seems to be the beating heart of the forest. It pumps like a living thing, and every attempt at studying its purpose has been met with a quick indifference. Green Heart inspires an awe that counters curiosity. Many who come upon it feel compelled to simply exist within its presence, seeking neither to understand or control it. Some Raesh believe it is the spirit of the forest, and perhaps every forest on Vault; a belief the elves of Lyr'Lowain deny vehemently.

Ziggurati soldiers rarely march to Green Heart, but those who do have attempted to do damage to it, but to little avail. The animals and plants of the forest seem to have their own way of defending Green Heart, which makes the journey perilous for even those who are drawn in respect rather than wrath.

Old Bones

When the Raesh named this place, they may not have had the language to describe it properly, for there are no bones here; only the leavings of some wholly alien civilization. Sitting on the shores of Lap Bay, Old Bones was once inhabited by multitudes. Its spiraling architecture and organic shape language of hive like weaving resembles some of what the Ziggurati build. And perhaps that is why the invaders value this location to covetously.

Old Bones is a constant battleground. Most dispatches Ziggurat sends towards eastern Raesh are an effort to capture this location. Its pivotal defensive positioning, both as fortress city and its access to Lap Bay, make it a prize for both sides. However, it also seems as though Ziggurat attempts to take Old Bones more than most other locations across the war zone.

There lives a community of Raesh people here who have long called Old Bones home. When Raesh evacuated to Love Letter, those who resided here did not see the need. They knew how to defend their home, and defend it they have.

Walls

As the Raesh people fled the Ziggurat incursion, those few who knew themselves capable of repelling the invading forces made for the city of Walls. The city obviously served as a mining hub for the ancient civilization that once lived there, but it was also built to protect against the monstrous beasts that roam outside its high walls. 

The city is largely self-sustaining, and the Raesh people who reside there couldn't be more different from their fellows in Love Letter. They take pride in their fighting ability, and have even attempted to reactivate the ancient mining technology of the city, to wondrous effect.

While the surface of Walls is overgrown, the rails and mines beneath are just one of the incredible mechanical achievements the Raesh people found there upon arrival. Over time, they learned from what was left behind and developed their own machines, going so far as to bring some of that technology back to life.

Walls now stands as the last bastion of resistance on the mainland, and they are proud of that distinction, spurning help from the outside, confident they can end Ziggurat themselves.