The Golden Cliffs
Tucked away in the southern end of the Sweetwine Woods is an unassuming lake, filled with many fat fish, with a lazy run off that connects to the eastern coast of Scalvoris. And looming over this lake is a steep, sheer cliff dotted with several cave entrances, all of which are at least ten meters up the face. And in the warmer times of year, each day, one of these cave entrances leaks a slow moving honey-fall that flows down the cliff and into the lake. These cliffs aren't long, 700 meters or so, and thirty meters high. From their peak, they slope downward in a gentle, rocky hill heading south.
But this treasure doesn't come without creators or protectors. The entire vicinity around the lake, the cliffs, and the back hill are inhabited by large, brown bears. This area is absolutely proliferated with these bears, many more than would be considered normal for any forest. The bears are the primary beneficiaries of the Royal Honey that comes from these cliff-side caves. And they serve as the first line of defense for the hives that produce the Royal Honey. The bears maintain the standard protectiveness of territory expected of most bears, meaning they challenge infiltrators, and are particularly aggressive when with cubs.
However, when any creature attempts to take any of the honey from the honey-falls, or scale the cliffs, or hike the hill, a warning call goes out from the bears. And that's when they attack, en masse. These bears are much smarter than they appear, and a study of them will show that they maintain sentries and patrols of the area, that they have advanced family and societal dynamics. And they are very protective of their honey and the hives.
But the bees are the real problem. This hive provides nearly all of the pollination for the entirety of Scalvoris. The Grizzly Bees are a common sight all over the island, and most of them are normal in size and temperament. However, the closer one gets to Sweetwine, and the closer one gets to the hive the larger the bees appear to become. Outside of Sweetwine the bees range from 1-2 inches in length. Inside Sweetwine they can grow up to 6 inches in 9 inches in length. Around the lake, they can grow up to two feet in length. And within the hives, some of the biggest can grow up to 5-6 feet in length. And the closer one gets to the hive, the more aggressive the bees become.
And if one can find a way to get around the bears, the bees, and the cliffside, they will find a series of caves so massive, a city or two could be built within them, under the woods. And the Grizzly Bees maintain it vigorously. The honey that flows down the cliffs is excess they purge from the hive, for they make much more than they can use. And it is a veritable maze. There are caves filled with honey, others that are nurseries for the larva, others with the collected pollen, and of course, various Queen Chambers. A hive so large must have multiple queens to maintain such a population.
And within the deepest reaches of the caves are the vaults, as treasure hunters have come to call them. They were originally storage rooms for honey that has begun solidifying over the millennia these caves have existed. This petrified honey has been dubbed Royal Amber, and is incredibly valuable for its golden glow. The gems being formed from the liquid honey are not crystalline in their natural shape, but rather smooth and rounded. When treated with heat, the royal amber can be forced to change into a wide variety of colors without the structure failing, covering all available hues in the spectrum of flowers on the island.
Following the events of The Forging - the Induk Sweetwine is now released and balance restored in Sweetwine. The Golden Cliffs have an increased population of fairies (see main Sweetwine write up here for fairy write-up) who seem to delight in irritating the Grizzly Bees and make it their job to steal the honey and fly off, laughing. Being caught in the middle of a fairy-bee tussle is a potentially life-threatening experience.
Royal Amber
Grizzly Grubs & Eggs
Any / all Materials identified in this thread as specific to Sweetwine Woods or across the whole island which make sense for the location. If in doubt, ask a mod!
If you'd like to see more Flora / Fauna etc in this location? Feel free to submit a development piece here
Royal Honey
Any / all Ingredients / Food identified in this thread as specific to Sweetwine Woods or across the whole island which make sense for the location. If in doubt, ask a mod!
If you'd like to see more Flora / Fauna etc in this location? Feel free to submit a development piece here
Developed by: Qit'ria
But this treasure doesn't come without creators or protectors. The entire vicinity around the lake, the cliffs, and the back hill are inhabited by large, brown bears. This area is absolutely proliferated with these bears, many more than would be considered normal for any forest. The bears are the primary beneficiaries of the Royal Honey that comes from these cliff-side caves. And they serve as the first line of defense for the hives that produce the Royal Honey. The bears maintain the standard protectiveness of territory expected of most bears, meaning they challenge infiltrators, and are particularly aggressive when with cubs.
However, when any creature attempts to take any of the honey from the honey-falls, or scale the cliffs, or hike the hill, a warning call goes out from the bears. And that's when they attack, en masse. These bears are much smarter than they appear, and a study of them will show that they maintain sentries and patrols of the area, that they have advanced family and societal dynamics. And they are very protective of their honey and the hives.
But the bees are the real problem. This hive provides nearly all of the pollination for the entirety of Scalvoris. The Grizzly Bees are a common sight all over the island, and most of them are normal in size and temperament. However, the closer one gets to Sweetwine, and the closer one gets to the hive the larger the bees appear to become. Outside of Sweetwine the bees range from 1-2 inches in length. Inside Sweetwine they can grow up to 6 inches in 9 inches in length. Around the lake, they can grow up to two feet in length. And within the hives, some of the biggest can grow up to 5-6 feet in length. And the closer one gets to the hive, the more aggressive the bees become.
And if one can find a way to get around the bears, the bees, and the cliffside, they will find a series of caves so massive, a city or two could be built within them, under the woods. And the Grizzly Bees maintain it vigorously. The honey that flows down the cliffs is excess they purge from the hive, for they make much more than they can use. And it is a veritable maze. There are caves filled with honey, others that are nurseries for the larva, others with the collected pollen, and of course, various Queen Chambers. A hive so large must have multiple queens to maintain such a population.
And within the deepest reaches of the caves are the vaults, as treasure hunters have come to call them. They were originally storage rooms for honey that has begun solidifying over the millennia these caves have existed. This petrified honey has been dubbed Royal Amber, and is incredibly valuable for its golden glow. The gems being formed from the liquid honey are not crystalline in their natural shape, but rather smooth and rounded. When treated with heat, the royal amber can be forced to change into a wide variety of colors without the structure failing, covering all available hues in the spectrum of flowers on the island.
Following the events of The Forging - the Induk Sweetwine is now released and balance restored in Sweetwine. The Golden Cliffs have an increased population of fairies (see main Sweetwine write up here for fairy write-up) who seem to delight in irritating the Grizzly Bees and make it their job to steal the honey and fly off, laughing. Being caught in the middle of a fairy-bee tussle is a potentially life-threatening experience.
Fauna
Bumble Bears
Grizzly Bees
Queen of the Lake ~ please note that this is not a Scalvoris-specific Fauna.
Any / all Fauna identified in this thread as specific to Sweetwine or across the whole island which make sense for the location. If in doubt, ask a mod!
All creatures that reside in the Golden Lake at the base of the Golden Cliffs will have a sweeter taste to them because of the Honey Falls that flow into the lake. There is no additional change to these creatures aside from that.
This location would benefit from more fauna!
Grizzly Bees
Queen of the Lake ~ please note that this is not a Scalvoris-specific Fauna.
Any / all Fauna identified in this thread as specific to Sweetwine or across the whole island which make sense for the location. If in doubt, ask a mod!
All creatures that reside in the Golden Lake at the base of the Golden Cliffs will have a sweeter taste to them because of the Honey Falls that flow into the lake. There is no additional change to these creatures aside from that.
This location would benefit from more fauna!
Flora
Any / all Flora identified in this thread as specific to Sweetwine Woods or across the whole island which make sense for the location. If in doubt, ask a mod!
If you'd like to see more Flora / Fauna etc in this location? Feel free to submit a development piece here
If you'd like to see more Flora / Fauna etc in this location? Feel free to submit a development piece here
Materials
Royal Amber
Grizzly Grubs & Eggs
Any / all Materials identified in this thread as specific to Sweetwine Woods or across the whole island which make sense for the location. If in doubt, ask a mod!
If you'd like to see more Flora / Fauna etc in this location? Feel free to submit a development piece here
Ingredients / Food
Royal Honey
Any / all Ingredients / Food identified in this thread as specific to Sweetwine Woods or across the whole island which make sense for the location. If in doubt, ask a mod!
If you'd like to see more Flora / Fauna etc in this location? Feel free to submit a development piece here
Player Notes
Changelog
Credits to: Qit'ria
Checked for Skills Scale Down by Kori'än. No amendments needed: July 2021
Location updated following the Forging: August 2021
Checked for Skills Scale Down by Kori'än. No amendments needed: July 2021
Location updated following the Forging: August 2021
