This refers to the areas beyond the Haven, that are still Inside. Luminae includes the Haven, Zenmireh Wood, Birije Mountains, River Vandyllin, Lake Cyrith and the Meadowcrest. Shadow Realm includes Twilight Cove, the Eclipse, Dark Pavilion, Ilanen, Neverwhere and (we believe) the outer reaches of Yesua. Greyscale is the Gate between the two, a type of "No Man's Land". Thunder Bayou is a seperate place where fragments reside. Both Thunder Bayou's and Greyscale's description and inhabitants are discussed in separate pages.
Luminae
Zenmireh Wood is a serene clear forest where some members of the Collective, mainly adults, go to relax. The thick foliage of the trees prevents it from ever becoming too stifling, and the moss and flora growing underfoot keeps the forest bed soft and inviting. Many of the trees have ivy weaving its way between them; some of the vines yield berries, some flowers, and some honeysuckle. A very sublime and beautiful place.
Birije is a mountain range that is on the other side of Zenmireh Wood. There are a myriad of small caves in the Foothills, often overgrown with spindly vines or big droopy flowers. These caves are interwoven with one another, much like a honeycomb. There is a hiking trail cut through the lush sides of the mountain closest to the Haven, and looking straight up one can see the mists obscuring the top. No one that we know of have ever really gone past the Foothills.
River Vandyllin runs right alongside the Haven, and is very shallow at that point, luckily for us. The water is always refreshingly crisp, but never too cold. Hundreds of bright flowers are always in bloom along the riverbank, and some have even seen ducks swimming there on ocassion. Lake Cyrith is really nothing more than a swimming hole; much deeper than River Vandyllin and still very clean, but its size doesn't really earn the term "lake". Lake Cyrith is situated about 300 yards from River Vandyllin, at the onset of the Meadowcrest.
The Meadowcrest is very lush, with tall grass and a trail leading to Greyscale. There are a few fruit trees scattered throughout, and the Meadowcrest itself seems to be alive with colour, as the wildflowers grow seemingly without end into Greyscale. There are a few immense mushrooms that the small ones like to sit on, and dozens of brightly coloured butterflies. As it grows dark, the butterflies are replaced by fireflies, which are just as exciting to everyone.
Shadow Realm
Twilight Cove is where the River Vandyllin empties into a very salty sea, called Mirennja. At times ships can be seen over the horizon, but none have come to shore that anyone knows. Twilight Cove is unique because it is never really night or day, never cold or hot...always a lukewarm non-descript twilight. The sirenes swim there and sing haunting tunes to the moon, and its always odd looking at them because their eyes glow sometimes, and they like to stare and grin for no apparent reason.
The Eclipse is by which most of us believe one is able to travel to Yesua. It runs on a cycle: Every several years (no one knows exactly how many), there is a violent thundertorm, and a single beam of intense silver light is visible on the edge of Neverwhere. Legend says that if you step into the light, you will be transported to Yesua. Since no one is certain, and since it is such an odd occurance, no one has yet tried it that we are aware. Instead, the Eclipse is regarded with awe and fear.
Dark Pavilion is an older-style abandoned city that was once the heart of the Vampir Estate. There is a huge mansion with a wrought-iron gate, a handful of empty smaller buildings that appear to be shops, and an impossibly large clock with Roman numerals perched atop the middle of three tall ivory pillars. Smaller homes are situated throughout. All the streets are empty, and there is a feeling of dread in the air, which seems stagnant. It always seems to be nighttime there, which is creepy as it is.
Ilanen is a vast desert which slopes down from the cliffs at the outskirts of Dark Pavilion and continues for several hundred miles until Neverwhere. It is bleak and the sand is a silver-blue-grey. As the winds shift, so does Ilanen, so getting anywhere by that route is impossible without a compass and a prayer. Ilanen is Yesuan for "lost".
Neverwhere is the border of Mindscape. No one yet knows what, if anything, lies beyond that inky void. As mentioned above, some believe the Eclipse slices through Neverwhere to take passengers to Yesua, but again that is not certain. Some of the others sense it is where those who were dismissed are kept, or maybe where dead souls live. All in all, Neverwhere is a place to be avoided, for safety's sake.
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