The Umbral Archives

README

5 min read

Locations Index

Welcome to the comprehensive locations directory! Each major location now has its own detailed file. This index provides quick overviews and links to the detailed files.

🏙️ Major Settlements

The beacon cities that stand against the darkness

Haven’s Light

  • Type: Fortress City (Population: ~15,000)
  • Status: Capital of the Lightkeeper Order
  • Key Features: Eternal Beacon, Dimming Academy, New Archive
  • Notable NPCs: solaris-dawnward, helios-dawnstrider

Ironhold

  • Type: Mountain Fortress (Population: ~8,000)
  • Status: Military capital, controls mountain pass
  • Key Features: Iron Gates, Deep Forges, Signal Tower
  • Connections: Controls access between regions

Sanctuary

  • Type: Underground City (Population: ~20,000)
  • Status: Largest surviving settlement
  • Key Features: Crystal Ceiling, Mushroom Farms, Deep Archives
  • Specialty: Most successful underground adaptation

Dawnwall

  • Type: Coastal Fortress (Population: ~6,000)
  • Status: Naval power and lighthouse hub
  • Key Features: Great Lighthouse, Harbor Wall, Navigator’s Guild
  • Specialty: Maritime expertise and sea route control

Last Light

  • Type: Frontier Village (Population: ~200-300)
  • Status: Starting location, wilderness gateway
  • Key Features: Hope’s Call pub, Huntmaster operations
  • Notable NPCs: reese-blackwood
  • Party Status: ✅ Visited (Session 1)

🏛️ Ruined Cities

Echoes of the world that was

Solheart (The Lost Capital)

  • Type: Ruined Metropolis
  • Status: Abandoned, extremely dangerous
  • Hazards: Crystal storms, temporal rifts, guardian constructs
  • Treasures: Memory crystals, solar artifacts, historical records

Prismhaven (The Military Ruin)

  • Type: Fortress Complex
  • Status: Occupied by Umbral Cultists
  • Threats: Whispering Dark cult, corrupted guardians
  • Resources: Military knowledge, weapons, tactical manuals
  • [Detailed file to be created]

Dawnport (The Sunken Harbor)

  • Type: Coastal Ruins
  • Status: Half-flooded, monster-infested
  • Features: Above and underwater ruins
  • Dangers: Aquatic Umbral creatures, unstable architecture
  • [Detailed file to be created]

🌲 Wilderness Areas

The dangerous lands between settlements

The Twilight Forest

  • Type: Corrupted Woodland
  • Status: Partially tamed by Verdant Circle
  • Features: Shadow-tolerant plants, adapted creatures
  • Opportunities: Medicinal plants, natural shelter

The Darkmoon Mountains

  • Type: Mountain Range
  • Status: Mostly unexplored
  • Hazards: Supernatural darkness, temperature extremes
  • Resources: Rare minerals, crystal formations
  • [Detailed file to be created]

The Umbral Sea

  • Type: Corrupted Ocean
  • Status: Navigable but dangerous
  • Challenges: Dark currents, corrupted marine life
  • Features: Unnatural weather, phantom islands
  • [Detailed file to be created]

🏺 Special Locations

Unique sites with particular significance

The Nexus Point

  • Type: Magical Anomaly
  • Status: Guarded by Scholars of Dawn
  • Phenomena: Energy convergence, temporal fluctuations
  • Importance: Key to understanding the Eclipse
  • [Detailed file to be created]

The Wanderer’s Rest

  • Type: Neutral Territory
  • Status: Protected by all factions
  • Features: Traveling inn, neutral meeting ground
  • Services: Information hub, safe haven

The Broken Spire

  • Type: Ruined Tower (former Tower of Mysteries)
  • Status: Avoided, occasionally explored
  • Dangers: Gravity anomalies, reality cracks
  • Rewards: Forbidden knowledge, unique spells
  • [Detailed file to be created]

The Last Garden

  • Type: Protected Sanctuary
  • Status: Hidden Verdant Circle location
  • Features: Pre-Eclipse ecosystem preserved
  • Value: Seed vault, hope symbol
  • [Detailed file to be created]

🛣️ Infrastructure & Routes

The Beacon Road

  • Type: Trade Route (~200 miles total)
  • Status: Safest, most traveled route
  • Features: Light beacon markers, fortified waypoints
  • Connects: Haven’s Light ↔ Ironhold ↔ Sanctuary

The Coastal Circuit

  • Type: Maritime trade route
  • Status: Dangerous but necessary
  • Challenges: Umbral storms, sea monsters
  • [Detailed file to be created]

The Underground Ways

  • Type: Tunnel networks
  • Status: Safer but slower than surface travel
  • Features: Natural caves, old mines, constructed passages
  • [Detailed file to be created]

🗺️ Regional Classifications

By Visit Status

By Danger Level

By Location Type

🔍 Quick Reference

Travel Times from Last Light

Key NPCs by Location

📝 Session Integration

Using Location Files

Each location file contains:

  • Complete setting information for immersive descriptions
  • NPC details and relationships for social encounters
  • Story hooks and adventure seeds for quest development
  • Session history tracking for continuity
  • Mechanical information for travel and encounters

Adding New Locations

  1. Create new file using location-template
  2. Apply appropriate tags for organization
  3. Link to related NPCs and story threads
  4. Add entry to this index
  5. Update relevant connections in existing files

Updating After Sessions

  1. Update “last-visited” dates and visit status
  2. Add session history to relevant location files
  3. Note any changes to locations discovered during play
  4. Update relationship and danger status as appropriate
  5. Add new discovered locations to this index

🔗 Related Files

Last Updated: 2025-07-19 Next Update: After location discoveries or major changes Files Created: 8 detailed location files, with more to be added as needed

Graph View

Backlinks