Nemesava
Mysterious and well guarded are the forests of Azwood, which cover wide parts Nemesava. The forest matriarchy in Gardyan's South is home to clan Twidan and its allies. Feral creatures, infamous for their rune magic and stealth combat techniques. Born under the sign of the panther, its animalis is the prime mastery of all Nemesian warriors. There is but one other spirit animal known to foreigners closely associated with the Twidan culture: the owl spirit.
Rural architecture has rarely been as majestic as the tree houses of Nemesava's capital Spiritwaters. A foreboding name when it comes to Twidan customs. Shamans, druids, striders and magicians shape the society of Azwood, making it a highly developed but nature based community. To think such peaceful mentality would not know how to defend itself would be a dangerous mistake however. Twidan blades are sharp, their runes powerful and their agility in battles utmost lethal.
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It is believed that the Twidan originate from the willow goddess, who still watches over Azwood. Azaze by name, the goddess shows her face in every bloom rising from her offshoots, in every shimmering blue quartz crystal growing in the crystal garden of Azluth and in every mystical glow that arises from the lake around her roots.
Azluth's crystal gardens in particular carry the aura of Nemesava's mother deity in highly magical form. Their geodes possess an arcane power that is used as a natural shield matrix to protect Azwood from external threats. Moreover has the crystal's power once created a whole series of magical portals that lead along the paths of the world trees, connecting different realms with one another. Their passages though, have been sealed long ago. Except for one portal in the centre of Azluth.
The crystal grove's lush light resonates with the arcane shield that has been protecting Azwood for millenia. It can be observed far away in Woodrest still, where Azluth's mineral spires seem like a mountain lurking over the treetops from a distance. A monumental sight that reminds Woodrest's settlers of the efforts undertaken by Nemesava's capital to watch over its provinces with blessing magic forevermore.
Interestingly enough, Woodrest appears to have absorbed vast quantities of Azuluth's mineral dust that has enriched the very soil and current of the Nemesian forest. Wondrous architecture grows directly within and around Woodrest's trees, turning this part of Azwood into a sanctuary of mysterious nature. Visitors might think of dryadic dwellings, enchanted by the azure spellwork Azluth is providing.
In the very west of Nemesava, behind the Shivering Moors and embedded in the southern foothills of the Ray Mountains, Azlyth is deemed a sister grove to Azluth. But instead of bluequartz crystals, this grove harbors large amethyst geodes. The sacred place was once the sanctuary of Azwoods priesthood and sorceresses but fell victim to the war crimes of the Witcher Kings. They raped and slaughtered all women within Azlyth and even destroyed parts of the magnificent architecture, hewn into the very rocks of Ray.
The massacre of Azlyth is rarely spoken of. Goddess Azaze weeped that night, in tears of purple, when the mightiest of her daughters were slain. Rumours have it that it was her wrath that created the Rakatan Rift in the process—to force distance between her children and the cruel warlocks of the North. Even most of Azlyth's dryads did not survive, losing their lives to the brutal desecration of the crystals they inhabited. Sacrileges like this are the reason why no man shall ever rule over the realms of Gardyan...
But not all of Azaze's daughters are dead. Sometimes, one can even see her dryads and nymphs still gathering at the azure geodes of Spirit Lake and the riverbanks of Spiritflow to observe the water's current. Melancholic to praising melodies they sing as their communion wanders through the forest at night.
'Tis not suggested to interrupt their processions. Like wisps, they tend to lead wanderers astray if displeased. Honoured and worshipped however, they can become a lost soul's salvation, guiding the way back to light in dire hours of darkness.
The Twidan—their women in particular—are considered a ghostly kin of mysterious origin by many foreigners. The term "fairy folk" might be suitable considering their eerie aura, however such descriptions are strictly declined by Azwood's natives. For a reason. Because as fairy-like as their appearance (and architecture) as feral is their martial arts. Some of Gardyan's finest swordmasters and wildest wielders of the animalis belong to the houses of this clan. They prove that elegance does not necessarily translate to fragility.
Awe-inspiring are the warriors of Gardyan's southern nation and so are their traditions, perfectly reflected in the ancient buildings of Spiritwaters—a monument to what can easily be called the oldest culture within this realm beyond the veil. Wisdom slumbers in each and every stone used to built a matriarchal empire beneath the giant trees of Azwood.
Visitors to Nemesava often wonder, if the country actually belongs to Gardyan alone. A lot is shifting between the worlds when the mists arise around Azwood's rune carved willow trees. The shoreline down South furthermore is connecting Gardyan to the Tiamatian Sea—an untameable ocean with moody vortexes into other realms. Only the Nemesians know where their forest paths and coastal harbors truly lead.
